Kölsch Brewery Tour in Cologne: Which Brauhaus Tour, How Many Beers, What You Get
5 min read
For most visitors who want to understand Kölsch, the English-speaking tour with three tastings that starts by the cathedral is the simplest choice. It has more reviews than any of the other five, and its group of up to 15 suits a first visit. The other tours below change one thing: language, number of stops, food, or who guides.
How Kölsch works, in two facts
Kölsch is served in a Stange, a slim 0.2-litre glass, and the waiter in a Brauhaus is called the Köbes, according to the city’s tourism pages on koeln.de. Cologne’s brewers have been bound by the Kölsch-Konvention since 1986, and the beer carries the EU label of a protected geographical indication. Your tour guide will explain the rest of the ritual, which is a large part of why these tours are worth doing.
The six tours compared
| Tour | Time | Stops and beer | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brewery tour with 3 Kölsch tastings | 2 hours | 3 Kölsch included | English, German | Up to 15 people |
| Kölsch and brew house tour | 2 hours | 3 Kölsch with the drinks option | German, English | Private group possible |
| Brewery tour with Kölsch and Halven Hahn | 2 hours | 4 brewhouses, 1 Kölsch or soft drink each, half a Halver Hahn | German | Minimum age 18 |
| Kölsch brewery tour with 3 beers | 2.5 to 3 hours | 5 Brauhäuser, 3 Kölsch included | English, German | Starts at Heumarkt |
| 3 Old Town breweries tour | 2 hours | 3 breweries, a Kölsch in each | German | Up to 15 people |
| Brewmaster tour | 2 hours | Several breweries, drinks paid in the Brauhaus | English, German | Private or small group |
What each one is like
The tour with three tastings costs €27.50 and is rated 4.7 from 3,737 reviews. It meets at the Kreuzblume by the cathedral. The guides choose the Brauhäuser to suit the group; the page names Brauhaus Sion and Früh am Dom as examples, but says the itinerary is only a sample. A “Kölsch Basic Law” to take away is included. Food, extra drinks and tips are not.
The 2-hour Kölsch and brew house tour costs €19.50 and starts at the cathedral. The page promises three Kölsch with the drinks option (soft drinks are not included) and tips on how people drink in Cologne; the itinerary lists Brauhaus Sion.
The Halven Hahn tour costs €29.50. Its page explains that a Halver Hahn is not poultry but half a rye roll with butter, cheese, mustard and onions, and the tour includes one. It is led in German only, and the page lists wheelchair access, a minimum age of 18, and that bachelor and bachelorette groups and costumed people are not admitted.
The five-Brauhaus tour costs €28 and is the longest. The page says it includes the oldest and the largest brewery in Cologne and that the tour ends at one of two drop-off points, Heumarkt or Früh am Dom. Three beers are included and more can be bought. Bring cash: the page says the breweries do not accept cards.
The German-language tour of three Old Town breweries costs €25 and meets at the Heinzelmännchenbrunnen.
The brewmaster tour costs €20. A master brewer and beer sommelier leads it, and the page lets you set the selection of breweries. Drinks are paid directly in the Brauhaus, and nobody is required to order.
Age and alcohol
Five of the six pages list children under 18 as not suitable: the tour with three tastings, the Kölsch and brew house tour, the Halven Hahn tour (minimum age 18), the five-Brauhaus tour and the brewmaster tour. The tastings tour and the brewmaster tour also state that people must be 16 to drink beer under German law; bring ID either way. The five-Brauhaus page lists pregnant women as not suitable as well. If you are travelling with teenagers, ask the operator of the German-language tour of three Old Town breweries about age limits before you book. The party-style options are in our nightlife guide.
What we would book
Book the English tour with three tastings if you are on your own or as a couple and have never been in a Brauhaus. Choose the five-stop tour if you want the longest walk, and the Halven Hahn tour if you understand German and want a meal-sized snack with the beer. See all of them on the Kölsch beer and food tours page.
