1, 2 & 3 Day Cologne Itineraries

1

Day 1: Cologne Cathedral & the Old Town

Morning (09:30 - 12:00)

Cologne Cathedral, Domkloster 4, Köln, Germany

Start with the nave (a paid ticket has been required for tourist visits since 1 July 2026), then climb the South Tower's 533 steps for a view over the Rhine, and finish in the Domschatzkammer treasury.

Tickets: Nave ticket required for tourist entry; tower and treasury are separate tickets — book the tower online to skip queues.

Duration: ~2 - 2.5 h

Afternoon (13:30 - 15:30)

Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Obenmarspforten 40, Köln, Germany

Walk five minutes into the Old Town to see Cologne's oldest museum, with its Cologne School altarpieces and Fondation Corboud Impressionist collection.

Tickets: No advance booking required; KölnCard holders get a confirmed 20% discount on admission.

Duration: ~1.5 - 2 h

Travel: ~5 min walk from the cathedral

Route Map — Day 1

📍 Pinned landmarks on map:

1. Cologne Cathedral 2. Wallraf-Richartz-Museum

💡 Practical Tips & Recommendations

• Cologne Cathedral's nave has charged tourist admission only since 1 July 2026 — don't assume it's still free, as many older guides still say.
• The KölnCard only discounts the cathedral's Treasury (20%), not the nave ticket or the tower climb.

2

Day 2: Museum Ludwig & the Rhine

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Morning (10:00 - 12:00)

Museum Ludwig, Heinrich-Böll-Platz, Köln, Germany

Spend the morning with the museum's Pop Art and Picasso collections, right beside the cathedral on the Rhine.

Tickets: No advance booking required for the permanent collection; KölnCard holders get a confirmed 20% discount.

Duration: ~2 h

Afternoon (13:00 - 14:00)

Hohenzollern Bridge, Köln, Germany

Walk onto Germany's busiest rail bridge for the classic postcard view back at the cathedral, past thousands of padlocks left by couples on the pedestrian railing.

Tickets: Free, open-access pedestrian walkway; no ticket needed.

Duration: ~30 - 45 min

Travel: ~5 min walk from Museum Ludwig

Route Map — Day 2

📍 Pinned landmarks on map:

1. Museum Ludwig 2. Hohenzollern Bridge

💡 Practical Tips & Recommendations

• Museum Ludwig is a city-run museum, so the KölnCard's 20% discount is confirmed here — unlike some of Cologne's privately-run attractions.
• The Hohenzollern Bridge walkway is free at any time and needs no pass or ticket.

3

Day 3: Rheinauhafen & the Chocolate Museum

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Morning (10:00 - 12:00)

Cologne Chocolate Museum, Am Schokoladenmuseum 1a, Köln, Germany

Tour the glass chocolate factory floor, tropical cacao greenhouse, and chocolate fountain tastings on its own pier at Rheinauhafen.

Tickets: Online reservation recommended to skip box-office queues; its KölnCard discount status is unconfirmed — verify at the box office.

Duration: ~2 h

Afternoon (13:00 - 14:30)

Rheinauhafen Crane Houses, Köln, Germany

Stroll along Cologne's redeveloped former inland harbor to see the striking modern Kranhäuser (crane houses) reflected in the Rhine.

Tickets: Free, open waterfront promenade; no ticket needed.

Duration: ~1 - 1.5 h

Travel: ~10 min walk from the Chocolate Museum

Route Map — Day 3

📍 Pinned landmarks on map:

1. Cologne Chocolate Museum 2. Rheinauhafen Crane Houses

💡 Practical Tips & Recommendations

• The Chocolate Museum is privately run, not a city museum — don't assume the KölnCard's 20% municipal-museum discount applies here.
• The Rheinauhafen promenade and its crane houses are free to walk at any time.

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1, 2 & 3 Day Cologne Itineraries

Day 1: Cologne Cathedral & the Old Town

Cologne Cathedral, Domkloster 4, Köln, Germany

Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Obenmarspforten 40, Köln, Germany

💡 Practical Tips & Recommendations

Day 2: Museum Ludwig & the Rhine

Museum Ludwig, Heinrich-Böll-Platz, Köln, Germany

Hohenzollern Bridge, Köln, Germany

💡 Practical Tips & Recommendations

Day 3: Rheinauhafen & the Chocolate Museum

Cologne Chocolate Museum, Am Schokoladenmuseum 1a, Köln, Germany

Rheinauhafen Crane Houses, Köln, Germany

💡 Practical Tips & Recommendations

Things to do in Cologne

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