Cologne's Wonderful Markets

London to Cologne

We depart St Pancras after meeting at our exclusive Departure Office, travelling by Eurostar to Brussels. On arrival, we continue our journey to Cologne. Arriving in the city, transfer to the Maritim Hotel. The hotel is ideally located close to the railway station, the Rhine, the city's magnificent Gothic cathedral and some of the city's many Christmas Markets.

Cologne’s Christmas Markets

You have a free day to enjoy the wonderfully festive atmosphere of Christmas time in Cologne. The city is Europe's unofficial 'Christmas Market capital', boasting five individual Christmas Markets, each with its own unique character. Festive chalets offer a special selection of gifts, decorations, arts and crafts as well as traditional stalls selling sausages, waffles, wine and beer. Perhaps visit the Maritime Market next to the Rhine and the city's Chocolate Museum, the market at Rudolfplatz, held at the Hahnentor city gate, or the market in Roncalliplatz beneath the cathedral, which has the biggest Christmas tree in the Rhineland.

Make sure you also take the time to discover the other highlights of Cologne, home to a number of elegant squares and beautiful Romanesque churches. During your explorations, you can also admire the tall and narrow pastel-coloured houses set out along the winding streets of the city's Old Town. There are many traditional brewery taverns close to the Rhine, all of which serve Kölsch beer - unique to Cologne. You may wish to visit at least one of Cologne's many taverns to sample this speciality for yourself.

Wuppertal Christmas Market & the Kaiserwagen

A short ride away by regional train is Wuppertal, whose two Christmas Markets are connected by the city's unique 'Schwebebahn', a suspended railway dating from the turn of the last century. Kaiser Wilhelm II famously travelled on the line in 1900 before the 'steel centipede' was opened to the general public. During the day we include a journey on the nostalgic 'Kaiserwagen', the carriage which swept the emperor above the Wupper Valley all those years ago, with coffee and cake provided on board. After time to explore the Wuppertal Christmas market, we enjoy a farewell meal together in Wuppertal's Brauhaus, sampling traditional German cuisine.

To Brussels and London

We leave Cologne and make our journey home, travelling by high speed train to Brussels. On arrival, we join up with our connecting Eurostar service which will transport us back to London St Pancras International.

Please note

Please note that while every departure of this tour will feature the same excursions, the order may differ from that shown above.

Departure Times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.