Season guide · Cologne · Germany
Cologne in summer
June–August: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Raimond Spekking, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Warm days, riverbank evenings, Pride and big fairs; the busiest time outside carnival and Christmas. Expect highs up to 24°C (75°F) and lows around 12°C (54°F), with about 30 rainy days across June–August. June–August are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- June–August
- Temperatures
- 12°C (54°F) to 24°C (75°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 30
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in summer
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June | 22°C (72°F) | 12°C (54°F) | 10 | 16.5 h | 4/5 |
| July | 24°C (75°F) | 14°C (57°F) | 10 | 16.1 h | 4/5 |
| August | 24°C (75°F) | 14°C (57°F) | 10 | 14.5 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 23°C (73°F) against a yearly 15°C (59°F), and 30 of the year's roughly 120 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in summer
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- July: ColognePride and Christopher Street Day parade (usually early July)
- August: Gamescom video-game fair at Koelnmesse (usually August)
Good choices for summer
Gallery · Old Town
Wallraf-Richartz Museum
Do not skip the medieval Cologne School rooms, which are unique to the city.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · Rheinauhafen
Chocolate Museum
On a peninsula in the Rheinauhafen, this museum covers the history of cocoa and chocolate, from Mesoamerica to modern production, with a working mini factory, a tropical glasshouse and a chocolate fountain where staff hand out samples.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Food
Museum · Cathedral
Kolumba
Pick up the room guide at the entrance; the absence of labels is deliberate.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Innenstadt
EL-DE Haus (NS Documentation Centre)
The former Gestapo headquarters for Cologne now houses a documentation centre on the city under National Socialism.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Old Town
Farina Fragrance Museum and 4711 House
Book a guided tour at Farina, then time your walk to the 4711 house to hear the carillon.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Shopping
- Rainy day
Day trips in summer
- Brühl palaces (About 15–20 minutes by train) — Augustusburg Palace and the Falkenlust hunting lodge are UNESCO-listed Rococo palaces with a grand staircase by Balthasar Neumann and formal Baroque gardens, opposite Brühl station.
- Aachen (About 35–55 minutes by train) — Charlemagne's capital has a cathedral built around his octagonal Palatine Chapel, the first German site on the UNESCO World Heritage list, plus thermal springs and Printen gingerbread.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is summer a good time to visit Cologne?
Yes: June–August are among the best months. Warm days, riverbank evenings, Pride and big fairs; the busiest time outside carnival and Christmas.
+What is the weather like in Cologne in summer?
Highs of up to 24°C (75°F) and lows around 12°C (54°F), with about 30 rainy days over the season.