Cologne in 4 days
A ready route for 4 days in Cologne: the main sights grouped by area, so you don't walk back and forth. Each day opens on the map with all its stops.
Old Town & Cathedral
6 places · about 5 h of sightseeing · 2,2 km between them
Morning
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Hohenzollernbrücke (Hohenzollern Bridge)Germany's famous love-lock bridge, framed by the cathedral's spires.
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Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral)Germany's most-visited landmark — twin Gothic spires, 750+ years in the making. Nave admission now paid (since July 2026).
Afternoon
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Groß St. Martin (Great St. Martin Church)The four-towered Romanesque landmark that defines the Old Town skyline alongside the Dom.
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Historisches Rathaus (Historic City Hall)800 years of city government behind a Renaissance loggia — sits atop Roman ruins.
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Altstadt & Fischmarkt / RheinuferpromenadeReconstructed medieval old town hugging the Rhine — cobblestones, gabled houses, brauhaus culture.
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Schokoladenmuseum (Chocolate Museum)Cologne's most-visited museum — chocolate history plus a live chocolate fountain.
Route of the day: Google Maps Apple Maps
Museums & Culture
4 places · about 5 h of sightseeing · 1,5 km between them
Morning
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Wallraf-Richartz Museum
Cologne's oldest museum — medieval to Impressionist painting.
Afternoon
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NS-Dokumentationszentrum / EL-DE HausA former Gestapo headquarters, now Germany's largest documentation center on the Nazi era.
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Käthe Kollwitz Museum KölnThe world's largest Käthe Kollwitz collection — currently in a smaller interim space while its main galleries are renovated.
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Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum – Kulturen der Welt (Cultures of the World)Cologne's ethnology museum, with collections from Africa, Asia, the Americas and Oceania, now being reworked to confront its own colonial-era collecting history.
Route of the day: Google Maps Apple Maps
Green & Modern Cologne
5 places · about 3,5 h of sightseeing · 11,2 km between them
Morning
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Flora & Botanischer Garten KölnA grand 19th-century glasshouse garden next to the Zoo — free to wander.
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Kölner Seilbahn (Cable Car)A cable car across the Rhine between the Zoo and Rheinpark — seasonal only (mid-March to early November).
Afternoon
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RheinparkRiverside park on the Deutz bank — arguably the best skyline photo spot for the Dom.
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KölnTriangleAn open-air viewing platform on a Deutz high-rise — many locals' pick for the best skyline photo.
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MediaParkA modern park amid glass-tower media offices — a contrast to the medieval Old Town.
Route of the day: Google Maps Apple Maps
Zoo & Neighborhoods
2 places · about 5 h of sightseeing · 6,3 km between them
Morning
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Kölner Zoo
One of Germany's oldest and largest zoos — right on the Rhine, linked to Rheinpark by cable car.
Afternoon
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EhrenfeldA former industrial district, now a hub for street art, indie venues and international food.
Route of the day: Google Maps Apple Maps
Good to know
When to go
Spring and autumn are the most pleasant for walking. If you want the city at its loudest, Carnival is in February or March.
Book ahead
Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral), Schokoladenmuseum (Chocolate Museum), Wallraf-Richartz Museum, NS-Dokumentationszentrum / EL-DE Haus, Käthe Kollwitz Museum Köln, KölnTriangle, Kölner Zoo
Closed days
- Wallraf-Richartz Museum — closed: Monday
- NS-Dokumentationszentrum / EL-DE Haus — closed: Monday
- Käthe Kollwitz Museum Köln — closed: Sunday, Monday
- Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum – Kulturen der Welt (Cultures of the World) — closed: Monday
Want times, places to eat and a plan for your own dates?
In your own plan:
- exact times for each day, checked against the opening hours on your dates
- places to eat near every stop, in three budgets
- your flights, hotel, kids and pace taken into account