Melaten Cemetery Tours in Cologne: Which Guided Tour, in Which Language, What You See
5 min read
If you do not speak German, book one of two English tours: the City of the Dead tour, or the “with all senses” tour, which also lists English. The three other tours below are led in German. All five last about two hours, and they differ mainly in language, group type and which gate you meet at.
The five tours compared
| Tour | Language | Group | Meeting point | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life, Love and Death Tour | German | Up to 25 people | Tor II, the old main entrance | Page lists wheelchair access; children up to 11 free |
| Guided Tour of Melatenfriedhof | German | Ask the operator | Alter Haupteingang | Page lists wheelchair access |
| Guided tour with all senses | German, English | Public or private | Tor II | About 2.5 km; not recommended under 12 |
| Celebrities and Curiosities | German | Private group | Aachener Straße 249 | Page lists wheelchair access |
| City of the Dead (English) | English | Ask the operator | Entrance at Aachener Straße and Oskar-Jäger-Straße | Page lists wheelchair access |
What each one is like
The Life, Love and Death tour costs €13.90 and is rated 4.8 from 3,163 reviews, the most of the five. The page lists a guide, the walk and a cemetery ticket, and says children up to 11 take part free, with at most two children under 12 per adult ticket. The tour takes place in rain unless there is a severe weather warning, and the guide cannot be reached by phone during it.
The plainer Guided Tour of Melatenfriedhof costs €14 and is rated 4.9 from 788 reviews. Its page notes that the ground was an execution site and a leprosy ward long before it became the central cemetery. For a large party, ask the operator about the group size. The page lists pets as not allowed.
The “with all senses” tour lists German and English, and a public or a private option. The booking page lists stops at the graves of Dirk Bach, Willi Millowitsch and Christoph Daum, the Grim Reaper figure and the columbarium, and says the route is about 2.5 kilometres. It is priced per group, from €215, and the page says its public tours are not recommended for children under 12. It warns that in winter it is dark by the end, so charge your phone.
The Celebrities and Curiosities tour is a private tour for your own group, also priced per group: €80. It meets at the Aachener Straße side and ends at the tomb of the cemetery’s architect, according to the page. It is rated 4.9 from 509 reviews.
The English City of the Dead tour costs €15 and has 50 reviews so far, rated 4.9. It focuses on the leper colony, Freemasonry symbols, Napoleon’s role and the Grim Reaper figure, and ends at Tor II. Food and drink are not included.
Before you go
The meeting points differ, so look at the gate on your booking page rather than assuming one. Wear comfortable shoes. The City of the Dead page also asks you to dress appropriately, because the cemetery is still a place of mourning. The Life, Love and Death page says dogs are not allowed, except assistance dogs. Two pages say something about children: the Life, Love and Death tour takes children up to 11 free, and the “with all senses” tour is not recommended under 12 on its public dates. For the other three tours, ask the operator.
What we would book
- In English, on your own or as a couple: the City of the Dead tour.
- In English, in a private group: the “with all senses” tour.
- In German with children: the Life, Love and Death tour, because of the free places for children under 12.
- In German, a private group: Celebrities and Curiosities.
All of them are on the Melaten cemetery tours page. For something on the water afterwards, see our Rhine cruise guide.
