Pub Tour of Cologne Old Town in English

Do I have to book in advance?

This is highly recommended! Our public tours only take place when the minimum of 2 guests is reached. When that minimum is reached, online bookings are possible until almost last minute.

Where is the meeting point? Where does the tour end?

For all our Old Town Tours, the meeting point is right next to the tram stop Heumarkt (please do not mix it up with Neumarkt!).

For all our Southern Old Town Tours, the meeting point is inside the old city gate Severinstorburg at Chlodwigplatz.

Tours generally end maximum 5 minutes walking distance from the meeting point.

For private tours, we can arrange individual meeting points. Just ask us!

How long does the tour take? How far is the walking distance?

Our regular public tours take a minimum of two hours. Please inform your guide, if you need the tour to finish on time.

We can provide private tours at almost any length. Please select your desired option while booking the tour.

The total walking distance on the tour is about 1km (10-15 minutes).

Does the tour run on any weather?

Yes, our tours run rain and shine! Please check the weather forecast and bring appropriate clothing.

On nice days, we will try to get seating on the patio.

Do we sample the beers of the different breweries?

Yes, per guest, 4 Kölsch beers (regular size: 0.2 liters/approx. 7 oz) are included. (It might be a different amount for individual tours, but we will make sure everything is clear!)

But I want to drink more than that!

If you want to drink more than the included beers, the guide will make that possible. Extra beers are affordable (depending on the pub usually less than 2 euros).

If you want your guide to join extra rounds, feel free to invite her or him for a drink 😉

Do I have to be a beer drinker?

Well, what is the point in going on a beer tour if you are not?

Of course, the traditional pubs and brew houses serve soft drinks and wine, even though they don’t like it. Those drinks are more expensive than beer (yes, even water and soft drinks!), so we unfortunately cannot include them. But you can certainly trade your beer with other guests! 😉

Will I see how beer is brewed?

Unfortunately, we cannot bring you to the actual breweries. Some breweries offer tours, but they are likely to be sold out months ahead.

We will bring you to brew houses and traditional pubs, so that you can enjoy the consumer side of our beer culture. This is actually, what is the main point about beer in Cologne! You can visit breweries anywhere in the world and they don’t really look that much different from each other.

Many of the places we bring you to are (former) breweries.

What is the minimum age to participate in the tour?

The minimum age is 18. Minors can join the tour accompanying their parents.

I’m a solo traveler, can I join the tour?

You are more than welcome! However, as we have a minimum of 2 guests per tour, you can only book, if a certain availability already has other bookings on it!

I don’t have a credit card. Can I pay cash, by bank transfer or PayPal?

Please contact us and we will make it possible!

We are on a stag do/hens’ night/bachelor(ette) party. Is this tour the right thing for us?

You are more than welcome to book a private tour with us!

Basically, we can arrange two different options:

Our regular tour, which focuses on the beer culture and the history and atmosphere of our city. This tour is fun, but not the right thing to be rowdy and get wasted! Any kind of clothing or accessories, that tell you are on a stag do (or similar) are not allowed! This includes common t-shirts and fancy dresses. The traditional pubs simply won’t let us in.We recommend this option, if you want an easy and fun start of the day. Why not book this tour for noon or early afternoon?We will give you a lot of recommendations, where you can go wild afterwards!Of course, we can adapt the tour, to more lively places, where you can party and go wild! Just tell us in advance and we will make it possible.We recommend this option not to start before 5pm, as that is, when these pubs open. A little later would be even more fun.

Of course, we can also mix these options and start slow and then get wild after a while!

In any case: Please do not arrive drunk and be respectful to everyone around! We have quite a high tolerance and love having fun, but at some point, for safety reasons, your guide will have to expel some members of your group or abort the tour without any refund.

Please DO NOT book a public tour, unless you are fine with fitting in to mixed groups and respect the other guests’ interests! If you don’t, you might be expelled from the tour without any refund!

I loved the tour! Can I tip the guide?

Our guides work hard, to give you the best experience ever! If you loved his or her tour, you are more than welcome to tip in cash and/or beer! Tips are not required, but always appreciated!