Beer halls by the cathedral, the loud Kwartier Latäng and clubs on the Ring make a stag do or hen party in Cologne almost run itself. Whether it's a group of men or women, a relaxed Kölsch or a party until morning, here's how to put together your own programme, with the best things to do.
Good to know
Kölsch is the cheapest: 0.2 l in a beer hall costs €2.30–3.50, nearer the top end by the cathedral. Cocktails at €9–15 and clubs with €10–20 entry cost more, up to €25 for big DJ nights. Stick to Kölsch and you'll get by on a lot less.
All costs and money-saving tips ↓On Friday and Saturday nights and before public holidays the light rail runs all night, every 30 minutes after about 01:00. During the week it stops around 01:00, and then it's a taxi: Taxi Ruf Köln 0221 2882, around the clock.
KVB timetable ↗Pubs and clubs can stay open into the morning; there's only the cleaning hour from 05:00 to 06:00. At weekends many clubs run until 05:00 or 06:00. Outdoors, things end at 24:00, and noise rules apply from 22:00.
The Ring and Zülpicher Straße are a weapons ban zone on Fridays and Saturdays from 20:00 to 06:00, and pepper spray is banned there too. On Brüsseler Platz you can't drink or bring alcohol from 21:00 to 06:00. Peeing in public gets you a fine.
The glass ban only applies on the carnival days and on 11.11. (11 November) in the Old Town and the Kwartier Latäng; plastic and cans are allowed. During carnival, handcarts and music boxes are banned there too. Accommodation is scarce and expensive then.
By ICE you'll reach the main station right by the cathedral from Frankfurt in just over an hour, from Hamburg in around 4, and from Berlin and Munich in about 4.5–5 hours. From Cologne/Bonn airport, the S19 takes around 15 minutes into the city.
Stay centrally in the Old Town, on the Ring or in the Belgisches Viertel and you can walk home at night. It gets expensive during carnival, trade fairs and gamescom in August, when rooms sometimes cost twice as much as a week later.
Kölsch comes in the 0.2 l Stange. The Köbes (the waiter) brings it in a round tray and puts down a fresh one without asking as soon as your glass is empty. Every round is a tally mark on your beer mat. If you've had enough, put your beer mat on top of the glass.
Plan & map
Beer halls, bars, clubs and activities on one map: filter by type, add your favourites with “+ Add to plan” and share the plan with your group via a link, no account needed. Rather have a ready-made schedule? The itinerary generator builds one for you.
Cologne activities by type: click an idea and the list and map show only what matches.
Guided beer hall tours with tastings, or tap your own at the beer hall on Salzgasse.
Guided tours through pubs and bars, some with shots and club entry, or the kiosk tour through the Belgisches Viertel.
A Rhine cruise with views of the cathedral and the Old Town, by day or in the evening when the city is lit up.
Puzzles with live actors, two teams in the same room, or a game show where everyone plays at once.
Axe throwing, go-karting, Skee-Ball and a roller disco, for groups who want to compete.
Mix your own cocktails on Sudermanplatz or on Engelbertstraße, sauna and thermal baths in Ehrenfeld or Deutz.
Comedy at the Gloria or at Mittelblond, a comedy bus tour through the city.
From May to September, a lido on the Fühlinger See with a high ropes course, raft building and beach BBQ.
Jazz pub on Buttermarkt in the Old Town, an institution for decades. A live band plays every night, twice on Sundays. There's no entry fee, but the drinks cost a bit more. The peanuts are free, and the shells traditionally end up on the floor.
Pub on Alter Markt, also known as the beer salon, done up like an old London gin house. Curios hang on the walls, and historic music machines from the twenties still play. It serves Rhineland food, so it works for a group meal too.
Irish pub on Friesenstraße with Guinness, Kilkenny and fish and chips. Karaoke on Fridays and Saturdays, live music on Thursdays, a pub quiz on Mondays. Reserve tables for stag and hen dos by email; the pub offers this itself.
Café bar, hostel and theatre under one roof on the edge of the Belgisches Viertel; in its own words, the biggest flat share in the city. DJs play on Fridays and Saturdays, there's a table tennis table in the bar, and the small theatre with around 70 seats has a programme.
Bar and restaurant with Latin American and Cuban food on Constantinstraße in Deutz. Live music several times a week, and happy hour every day from 17:00 to 19:00 and again at midnight. Special menus and buffets for groups.
Cultural pub with its own stage on Schwalbengasse, near Breite Straße. In the evenings there's often comedy and theatre by its own ensemble; reserve tickets online. A programme item for the start of the evening before moving on to the Ring.
Bar on Hohenzollernring with private beer pong booths for groups and several karaoke rooms. There are special packages for stag and hen dos; reserve tables in advance. Open Thursdays to Saturdays only, and then until late into the night.
American sports bar right on Rudolfplatz with 40 screens and a big screen for the Bundesliga, Champions League, NFL and Formula 1. Plus burgers, spare ribs and wings. It gets full on 1. FC Köln match days; reserve tables via the website.
Cocktail bar on Roonstraße near Rathenauplatz, with wine and champagne by the bottle too. The bar offers cocktail classes and private events, an option for the evening programme. Open daily from 20:00, until 02:00 at weekends.
Skee-Ball and arcade bar in Ehrenfeld with three Skee-Ball lanes, pinball and classics like Pac-Man, plus Mexican cocktails and craft beer. Skee-Ball is free on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Ask about parties, preferably by message.
Cocktail bar on Engelbertstraße, close to Zülpicher Straße, award-winning several times at the Mixology Bar Awards. Drinks are adjusted to your taste, and there are cocktail classes where you mix three cocktails yourselves. Plus live jazz sessions.
Beer hall with a stepped gable on Salzgasse, serving Sünner Kölsch. The brewing tradition on this spot goes back to the late Middle Ages. Reserve tables by phone or online; there are special offers for parties. Mondays to Wednesdays from 17:00.
Small Irish pub on Kleine Budengasse near the cathedral and the town hall, with Guinness on draught, football, rugby and regular free live music. You can only reserve Mondays to Thursdays by email; at weekends get there early.
Former cinema from the fifties near Neumarkt, with the style of the period preserved. Today it hosts comedy, concerts, theatre and club nights, and around 900 people fit in standing. Check the programme first, and it makes the start of your evening.
Big club for electronic music at the harbour in Mülheim, with three floors for around 1,900 guests. It's regularly listed as the best club in Germany in the DJ Mag ranking. Big nights sell out; tickets are sold in its own advance sales. From the city centre by train or taxi only.
Club on Aachener Straße in the Belgisches Viertel, with a Funktion-One sound system and an illuminated dance floor. Mainly house and techno, plus indie and hip-hop parties. Open Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from about 23:00 to 05:00, over-18s only with ID.
Centre for jazz and contemporary music on Venloer Straße, in the middle of the Stadtgarten park, with a concert hall and the club JAKI. Outside there's a beer garden and a terrace, and tables in the café-restaurant can be reserved. A good place to start the evening.
Cultural site of the sculptor Odo Rumpf in Neuehrenfeld, full of metal sculptures made from recycled material. It hosts club nights with techno and electronic music, usually from 23:00, with a beer garden in summer. The site can also be hired for your own parties.
Club right on the Ring on Hohenzollernring, around 900 square metres for up to 600 guests. It plays house, hip-hop, Afro, reggaeton and Latin. Groups can get VIP tables, reserved online, by email or WhatsApp. Parties usually Thursdays to Saturdays.
Small club in the railway arches beneath Köln West station, a few steps from Hans-Böckler-Platz. On Fridays and Saturdays from 23:00, techno and house until morning, over-18s only. No photos in the club, and bring cash.
Disco on the Ring since 1993, with Schlager, carnival hits and disco fox on three floors. Exactly right for a stag or hen do. Reserve tables via WhatsApp or by phone; they're held for 30 minutes at most. Open Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and before public holidays.
Basement club on Zülpicher Straße, a live club and party venue since 1993. On stage: rock, alternative, punk and metalcore from newcomers to touring bands, plus DJ parties. Cramped and direct, a good stopover in the Kwartier Latäng.
Escape theatre on Vorgebirgstraße by the Volksgarten, with live actors in the rooms. Most games revolve around magic, one around time travel. The big rooms take four to eight people, and with the briefing and debrief it takes around 90 minutes.
TeamEscape in the Rheinauhafen is an escape room pro with several stories running in parallel: ideal if you want to compete in two teams. Who gets out first? Reserve rooms in good time.
Glowing Rooms on Aachener Straße is 3D blacklight mini golf: neon colours, wild, through glowing worlds with 3D glasses. Entertaining, photogenic fun that wins over even mini golf sceptics.
Do-it-yourself game show on Mühlenbach: 19 games of action, skill and knowledge, always played one against one, everyone at the same time. Up to 46 people per round, drinks included in the price. There are special packages for stag and hen dos from 75 to 120 minutes.
Roller disco in Vogelsang with music from funk and the '80s to pop, and DJs at weekends in winter. For stag and hen dos there's a package from six people with a drink, a hot dog and a table for two hours. Hire skates on site.
Pool, darts and arcade on Rudolfplatz: pool and snooker over several floors, 17 dart machines, pinball, racing simulators and air hockey, plus a sports bar. Everyone has to buy at least one drink, and the machines only take cash.
Lido on the Fühlinger See in the north of the city, open from May to September. For stag and hen dos there are special programmes such as a high ropes course, archery, raft building or an aqua park, all combinable with a beach BBQ. Tickets online only, and the site closes at 20:00.
Indoor go-kart track in Ossendorf, around 400 metres long. Group races from four people with race control and a prize-giving, and stag and hen dos are explicitly on offer. The hall, bistro and grandstand can also be hired exclusively.
Cocktail class at the bar on Sudermanplatz in the Agnesviertel: around two hours, each person mixes three cocktails, plus a welcome drink, snacks and the recipes to take home. Book open classes with a ticket, private group classes on request.
Art Nouveau bathhouse in Ehrenfeld with an Asian- and Roman-style sauna area and an in-house restaurant. Saunas and pools are used without swimwear. Groups of three or more should ask by email first; spa packages combine entry, food and a massage.
Thermal baths with a sauna area in the Rheinpark in Deutz, with rates for two hours, four hours or the whole day, plus massages and a day spa. Groups should register by email in advance, otherwise they may be refused entry. Open daily until 24:00.
Cologne's big beer hall a few steps from the cathedral, with room for around 1,500 guests in many rooms, from the standing beer hall to the conservatory. The Köbes brings Kölsch from wooden barrels. Reserve for the whole group at one table; private rooms can be booked.
Gaffel am Dom is right on the station forecourt, so everyone has arrived as soon as they get off the train: Gaffel Kölsch, big tables, Cologne classics on the plate. A tried-and-tested meeting point to start.
Family brewery on Heumarkt in its fifth generation, where Mühlen Kölsch is brewed. For bigger groups there's a hall for up to 120 guests with its own kitchen, and reservations are strongly recommended. If you like, you can sleep in the brewery's own hotel right upstairs.
Beer hall in the Old Town, a few minutes from the cathedral, with several rooms and the large Alte Brauerei room for up to 200 people, plus around 120 seats outside. Groups of ten or more should ask by email or phone. Thursday is potato pancake day.
Brewpub on Friesenstraße that calls itself the last of its kind in Cologne. The beer is brewed right behind the building and served only from the barrel. Reservations by phone only, from 12:00, so groups should call early.
The Bierhaus en d'r Salzgass in the Old Town is a solid beer hall with Cologne food and a short walk to Alter Markt. A handy place to fill up before the group moves on.
Traditional beer hall on the Eigelstein, on this spot for over 260 years, with Mühlen Kölsch on draught. It has its own skittle alleys, a good idea for the group. Reservations from four people online or by email, during the week only from 16:00.
The bestseller: a guided beer hall tour through the Old Town with three different Kölsch beers to taste and all the stories about Cologne's beer culture. A perfect, typically Cologne start for the whole group.
A guided bike tour across Cologne: sights, the banks of the Rhine and insider spots in three hours. A nice active daytime programme for groups who want to get moving.
Two hours through the beer hall scene: taste Kölsch, get to know the Köbes culture, move from beer hall to beer hall. Compact and sociable, ideal before you head off on your own.
A relaxed Rhine cruise with the best view of the cathedral and the Old Town skyline: the quiet daytime activity that suits everyone and gives you great group photos.
A guided pub crawl with bar entry and shots included: someone knows the places, so all you have to think about is partying. A classic for a loud stag or hen night.
Typically Cologne: a tour from Büdchen to Büdchen (the city's corner kiosks) through the Belgisches Viertel, with a beer tasting and the little stories of the neighbourhood kiosks. Charming, local and something different from a beer hall for once.
Two hours on an evening boat trip on the Rhine while the city lights up: sundowner mood on deck before the night carries on on land.
A street art and graffiti tour through Ehrenfeld: huge murals, stories from the scene and the most creative Veedel in the city. For groups who'd rather see the other side of Cologne than the cathedral.
Axe throwing with drinks at Cologne's first axe-throwing bar: get a briefing, form teams, keep a leaderboard. A smashing action programme that always goes down well on a stag or hen do.
A virtual reality walking tour through the Old Town: with VR glasses you see what Cologne used to look like while you walk through the real city. A clever, modern daytime programme.
Four venues, shots along the way and club entry at the end: the fully planned party night for groups who just want to tag along and let loose.
Comedy on wheels: a 1.5-hour city tour with a live comedian, sightseeing and laughs in one. A relaxed, unusual start before the evening gets going.
The Viking Challenge at 7th Space: axe throwing in competition mode, ideal for a competitive stag group. Adrenaline during the day, bragging material for the evening.
Entry to the IceBar at freezing sub-zero temperatures, thermal capes and three free drinks included: a short, quirky programme item the group is guaranteed to talk about.
Heumarkt and the Old Town are the central meeting spot: a few minutes from the cathedral, with beer halls and pubs all around. An ideal first meeting point that everyone can find easily after arriving.
The entrance to the Kwartier Latäng on the Ring, a stop for lines 12 and 15. From here the pubs stretch down Zülpicher Straße. During carnival the street is closed and trams don't stop here, so better avoid it as a meeting point then.
Rudolfplatz by the Hahnentor links the Ring nightlife with Aachener Straße: lots of bars and clubs within walking distance. A handy meeting point for heading into the party strip on the Ring.
Friesenplatz is the gateway to the Friesenviertel: bars and clubs all around, and the way through to the Belgisches Viertel. A good meeting point if the evening is going to be around the Ring.
Square around St. Michael's church in the Belgisches Viertel, with bars and restaurants all around. Good as a meeting point in the early evening. Important: from 21:00 to 06:00 drinking or bringing alcohol on the square is banned, so do your pre-drinks somewhere else first.
Steps around 500 metres long in Deutz between the Hohenzollern Bridge and the Deutz Bridge, with one of the best views of the cathedral and the Old Town. Walk across the Hohenzollern Bridge to get there; free of charge. Ideal for a group photo in the evening.
Guide prices excluding travel, food & accommodation. Check the provider for today's prices.
🗺️ Open route in Google MapsNeighbourhoods
Cologne parties by neighbourhood; locals call them Veedel. Most groups start in a beer hall in the Old Town and then move on to the Ring or the Kwartier Latäng. Everything is close together, on foot or a few stops on the light rail.
For beer halls and the start
Between the cathedral, Heumarkt and Alter Markt are the big beer halls, where the Köbes brings the Kölsch to your table. Then it's on to the music pubs: on Buttermarkt there's live jazz every night, and on Alter Markt old music machines play. Touristy, but the start every group wants.
For a student night
The student quarter around Zülpicher Straße, from the Ring to the university. One pub after another, plus live clubs in basements and cocktail bars in the side streets. Young, loud and the centre of the city during carnival, though the street is closed off then.
For clubs and a long night
Between Friesenplatz and Rudolfplatz are the clubs and bars for a long night, from Schlager and disco fox to house and reggaeton. Before that, a Kölsch at the brewpub on Friesenstraße. On Friday and Saturday nights this is a weapons ban zone.
For drinks and a nice evening
Trendy and relaxed around Brüsseler Platz and Aachener Straße: bars, cafés and clubs with house and techno. The square is a good meeting point in the early evening, but from 21:00 alcohol is banned there. The Stadtgarten has jazz and a beer garden.
For alternative Cologne
Creative, rough and away from the Old Town: in Ehrenfeld you party among metal sculptures on a cultural site or in the railway arches at Bahnhof West. During the day you play Skee-Ball or go to the Art Nouveau bathhouse. For groups looking for the other Cologne.
For views and dinner
On the other side of the Rhine you sit on the steps of the Rheinboulevard looking across to the cathedral and the Old Town, free of charge. Deutz has Cuban food and thermal baths in the Rheinpark. Further north at the harbour is one of the best-known techno clubs in Germany.
Sample itinerary
This is what a weekend that works in Cologne looks like, with a different focus depending on your group. You'll find every venue in the planner above, where you can swap out individual stops.
At the equestrian statue; from there all the beer halls are within walking distance.
Kölsch from the Köbes and Rhineland food; reserve for the whole group.
Live jazz on Buttermarkt, then music machines on Alter Markt.
Disco fox and carnival hits on three floors; reserve a table via WhatsApp.
In the Belgisches Viertel, then the light rail towards the Rheinauhafen.
Two teams against each other in the same room, or a contest with axes.
Group photo with the cathedral panorama on the steps in Deutz.
On Hohenzollernring, open Thursdays to Saturdays only; reserve in advance.
House, hip-hop and reggaeton with a VIP table for the group.
On Brüsseler Platz, but have your drinks in the bars around it: alcohol is banned on the square from 21:00.
Cocktail bar on Engelbertstraße, award-winning several times, drinks adjusted to your taste.
Programme at the Gloria by Neumarkt; check what's on first.
Schlager on the Ring or house in the Belgisches Viertel.
Art Nouveau bathhouse in Ehrenfeld; groups should ask by email first.
Three themed worlds, groups by online reservation only.
Cologne kiosks in the Belgisches Viertel, with tastings.
Two hours of mixing your own on Sudermanplatz, welcome drink included.
Cuban food and happy hour at midnight, then back across the bridge.
Family brewery with a hall for groups, Mühlen Kölsch brewed in-house.
Music every night, no entry fee, free peanuts.
Thermal pool and sauna in Deutz; groups register by email in advance.
An hour with views of the cathedral, the Old Town and the Rheinauhafen.
Evening light over the Old Town, the best group photo of the trip.
Traditional beer hall on the Eigelstein with its own skittle alleys; reserve from four people.
Your group's a bit different? The itinerary generator builds a plan around your group, budget and mood, using the same venues.
Budget
Cologne is cheap for Kölsch, but not for cocktails and big club nights. What makes the biggest difference is whether you stay in the beer hall or move on to the Ring.
| Option | Per person | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| One night out | €50–100 | beer hall with food, pubs, club entry |
| A day with an activity | €90–160 | plus escape room, Rhine cruise or beer hall tour |
| Weekend | €180–360 | two nights out, one activity, one night in a double room, travel not included |
Guide prices per person, based on the prices of the venues and tours on this page. The bride or groom usually doesn't pay; their share is split across the group. The planner above adds up what your programme costs.
Travel isn't included, as that depends on where you're coming from. Accommodation is based on the country's price level. Work out your own budget with the cost calculator.
Seasonal tips
These festivals come round every year. If your weekend falls on one of them, the city goes wild and beds are scarce and expensive. If you'd rather keep things relaxed, plan around them.
From Weiberfastnacht to Veilchendienstag, in February or early March depending on the date of Easter, with the Rose Monday parade as the highlight. Glass ban, handcart ban and full hotels.
Around ten days in late June and early July, with a street festival on Heumarkt on the last weekend and the parade with hundreds of thousands of spectators.
Reggae festival at the Fühlinger See in the north of the city, in early July.
Fireworks set to music on the Rhine with a convoy of ships, on a Saturday in late July or early August. The riverbanks and bridges get very crowded.
Gaming trade fair in Deutz in August. That week hotels are scarce and sometimes twice as expensive, so better avoided for a stag or hen do.
At 11:11 the carnival season begins, above all on Heumarkt and in the Kwartier Latäng. There's a glass ban, and it gets very crowded.
From mid-November the big markets open, including by the cathedral and in the Rheinauhafen. On Advent weekends the city centre is very crowded.
Kölsch from the Köbes all year round, from midday in the Old Town around the cathedral and Heumarkt.
The steps opposite the Old Town are open to all, and the cathedral panorama is there in every season.
533 steps up the south tower, with a separate ticket. Open longer in summer than in winter.
Questions
