We loved exploring Cologne on our family trip to Cologne and Bonn. It’s a beautiful city, so many picturesque corners to it and plenty to keep children of all ages happy. We have rounded up our best things to do in Cologne with kids with a mix of culture and fun (and check out our ☔ Rainy day activities labelled below too).
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Table of Contents
1. Visiting Koln Zoo, perfect for toddlers in Cologne and younger children
Cologne Zoo is a great zoo and large with lots of different animals and well thought out enclosures.
There’s also an aquarium as part of it which is small but worth a quick trip into.
One of our favourite parts was the baboon area which if you manage to visit during feeding time is a really fun experience and the children thought it hilarious.
In all we thought Cologne Zoo was very well thought out with a great play area too.
Get your skip-the-line Cologne Zoo tickets here.
2. Sweet scents at Farina Museum which teenagers in Cologne will love.
One of my favourite things we did in Cologne was to visit the Farina Museum. The oldest fragrance house in the world and which dates back to 1709.
If you take one of their fantastic tours you can learn all about the history of perfume with older children will love. Especially the opportunity to smell some of the different scents used to make perfumes today. Also getting to smell the original Farina fragrance whose recipe is unchanged from 1709.
This is definitely one of the top things to do in Cologne with kids.
☔ Rainy day activity
Get your skip-the-line Farina Museum tickets here.
3. Glow in the dark mini golf – things to do in Cologne with kids
Taking part in 3D glow-in-the-dark mini golf out in the colourful and funky Ehrenfeld districts was so much fun. Definitely one of our top things to do in Cologne with kids.
This is something for all ages and a great experience as you play through the different lands from Egyptian to under the sea.
We thought this was such a great experience and there’s a little cafe here too where you can grab a drink in between shots.
☔ Rainy day activity
Find out more here.
4. Travel along the Rhine to Königswinter
One of our favourite day trips was to the little German town of Königswinter which is easily accessible by train.
There’s plenty here to keep children occupied including the quirky Schloss Drachenburg castle which looks like it could have been the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.
There’s plenty here to really enjoy the day out. You can also travel from Cologne to Königswinter by boat. Find out more below.
Get your Cologne to Königswinter tickets here.
5. Have a sweet trip to the Lindt chocolate factory
The Lindt chocolate factory (Schokoladenmuseum) or Cologne Chocolate Museum is legendary and if you’re in the city then definitely take the time to visit.
It’s in a really beautiful setting. Right on the banks of the Rhine and you can learn all about the history of chocolate and best of all get to try some samples too.
Children will love seeing the chocolate makers at work, making lollipops and other chocolate creations. It is really delicious chocolate.
☔ Rainy day activity
Get your skip-the-line Lindt Chocolate Factory tickets here.
6. Enjoy a fun, family-friendly treasure hunt
Have a really fun time discovering Cologne with quizzes and clues to work out.
A discovery game that you can do in your own time with this download to your phone. And don’t worry if you get stuck, you can always asks for hints and clues to help you along the way.
This is a great way to see the city with kids as you will solve the clues getting to discover parts of Cologne you might not otherwise have come across.
Get your discover game download here.
7. Take a private sightseeing flight – things to do in Cologne with kids
This is one of the really unique activities to enjoy with older kids and teenagers in Cologne.
Take a private sightseeing flight, up high above the city and looking down on it. Look down over key sites such as Cologne Cathedral, the Rurstausee, and the Hambach Surface Minein from a private plane.
This will be one of those experiences to remember forever and a fantastic way to see the city with teenagers.
Get your private plane tickets and find out more here.
8. Take a spooky night watchman walking tour
For over 12 year olds this night watchman walking tour of cologne will be perfect.
You will get to explore the back streets of Cologne by following the torch-bearing night watchman. Full of spooky stories and legends about the dark alleys that surround you and the beggars and charlatans that would occupy the darker corners of the city.
This is a tour definitely for teenagers in Cologne and something to give them another insight into this fascinating city.
Get your night watchman tour tickets here.
9. Take a Boat tour down the Rhine – one of the great things to do in Cologne with kids.
One way to see the city is to take a leisurely boat trip down the Rhine.
Only operational in the summer months there are a number of different companies offering varying length trips. Here you can drift down the water, enjoy some food and drink and relax.
It’s perfect for children who will love spotting the sights from the relaxing environment of the deck of a boat.
Get your Rhine boat trip tickets here.
10. Remember the dark history of Cologne with a visit to the Gestapo Interrogation Centre
Definitely one for the much older children – and even my history loving 12 year old came out of this looking ashen. The Gestapo Interrogation centre is a sobering and horrifying glimpse into the world of Nazis in Cologne in the Second World War.
Go underneath the NS-Documentation Center to see cells and desperate graffiti etched on to their walls.
☔ Rainy day activity
Find out more here.
11. Enjoy a day trip to Phantasialand
Outside of the city, by about 30 minutes, is Phantasialand. Which is packed full of rides and attractions.
Only open in the summer months it is a proper theme park resort with hotels you can stay in on site and plenty to keep every age having fun.
Find out more here.
12. Take in the modern art at Museum Ludwig – things to do in Cologne with kids
Museum Ludwig is a quirky, thought provoking museum filled with the art of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein amongst many many others.
Our children loved wandering the hallways here. There was always something different to see around every corner.
It also provided lots of opportunities for us to chat about what they were seeing and what they thought it represented.
☔ Rainy day activity
Find out more here.
13. Look at the love locks on the Hohenzollern Bridge
The Hohenzollern Bridge provides the perfect opportunity for a walk. Looking at the thousands of love locks placed here between the footpath and the railway lines.
Walking across it gives fantastic views back across to the city centre and Cologne Cathedral. It is the perfect way to keep little legs walking by looking at all the decorative padlocks here.
If you’re still looking for things to do with children in Cologne, head up the Dom Tower, you can climb it if you (or your children) are feeling energetic. Or head to the City Hall and check out all of the sculptures (children will love spotting all the rude ones dotted about).
Eat delicious Nougatbrezel at the legendary bakery Merzenich behind the Cathedral (their Berliners are also pretty fabulous).
14. Skip the line at Hard Rock Cafe
The Hard Rock Cafe Cologne is somewhere kids will love.
Filled with music memorabilia and with an upbeat vibe it’s an absolutely brilliant place to take the weight off your feet and enjoy some fantastic food.
The only issue is there is often a long queue making it less appealing as an option. There is a great skip the line ticket that gives you access to a really well priced menu and the great benefit of not having to wait for ages to get in. Find out more below.
☔ Rainy day activity
Get your skip the line Hard Rock Cafe Cologne tickets here.
Further reading on things to do in Cologne with kids
We hope you’ve enjoyed our post on the best things to do in Cologne with kids.
– Let us know in the comments below if you have any questions or how you get on with your trips, we always love to hear.
Your Cologne checklist – things to do in Cologne with kids
- ✈️ – Find great flights to Cologne with Opodo
- 🎟️ – Pick up a city card in advance to get cheap entrance to many attractions
- 💳 – Get a Currensea Card to easily pay for purchases abroad
- 📚 – Get planning your trip with the Lonely Planet guide to Germany
- 🏨 – Find the best family holiday to Germany and the top family hotels in Cologne
