Germany · WINTER ACTIVITIES
Every itinerary has a free morning too few. These 15 winter activities are worth the slot, priced and timed so you can decide quickly and get back to the rest of the planning.
Cologne Rhine winter cruise with festive live music, panoramic skyline views, and Glühwein. Cozy 90 minutes on a warm boat.
“Very pleasant gentle ride on the Rhine with a singer and table service for drinks. Lovely way to spend a morning away from the hustle and bustle of the markets.”
2-hour Cologne Christmas Rhine cruise with reserved seating, live festive music, seasonal treats, and St. Nicholas on board.
“An amazing trip, boat was superb along with the very attentive staff. Added bonus of seeing St Nicolas too.”
Take a 2-hour winter Rhine cruise from Düsseldorf with Christmas lights, festive music, reserved seating, and seasonal snacks on board.
“Very good value for money. Bar prices reasonable, didn’t have anything to eat. Santa was friendly and came around the tables to chat.”
3-hour Dresden paddle steamer winter cruise to Pillnitz Castle, past the Blue Wonder Bridge, with audio guide and hot mulled wine.
“freundlicher Service, schöne Einrichtung, nette Erklärungen, gute Länge”
A winter coach trip from Munich to Neuschwanstein with a live guide, Oberammergau sights, and timed castle entry planning, plus great photo time.
“From start to finish we had an amazing day. Our tour guide Charlie was very knowledgable and was very helpful and friendly. The visit inside the castle was outstanding and well worth doing. We took the horse and carriage up to the castle. It was a lovely experience and well worth the $8 to travel up and $4 for the return journey. The only thing I’d like to say, is that this trip is not good for the immobile. The horse and carriage only goes 90% of the way. There’s still an uphill walk from the carriage drop off point. There’s also a lot of stairs to climb within the…”
90-minute winter Rhine cruise from Bonn Alter Zoll with one mug of mulled wine and cozy Christmas music, no narration.
“Nicht. Mogelpackung: SCHIFF WIRKT OLL:Dürftigst adventlich geschmückt.Kalt.Kalter Tiefkühlkuchen. DIE Adventliche Hintergrundmusik, war playlist mit Popsongs, noch nicht mal die amerikanischen WeihnachtsKlassiker. Auch keinerlei Erklärungen zu dem was man sah. Muffeliger Stewart. Nette Bedienung. Guter Glühweininclusive. Bei Nachbestellung 7 Euro. BViel zu teuer. Insgesamt: Nicht empfehlensert.”
Snowshoe hiking from Ebne 5 near Ehrwald. Two hours on Zugspitze with free modern gear, big mountain views, and wildlife spotting.
“Simon was an awesome guide and took us through the amazing hike. The ascend was quite hard especially not having any experience with waking on snow but the view was absolutely amazing and so worth it. 100% would do again”
A 4-hour winter BBQ in Stuttgart with a Neckar river campfire welcome, live grilled steaks and salmon, buffet sides, and cozy warm vibes.
Warm up on a Stuttgart winter Sunday with a 4-hour Riverhouse brunch buffet, unlimited coffee and tea, and options to walk or try curling.
“The location was absolutely beautiful, with a direct view of the water. There was good parking, the buffet was delicious, and the restaurant was good and the atmosphere was very friendly. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you.”
Cozy 90-minute Winter Spree cruise in Berlin with heated comfort, blankets, and festive sights plus holiday snacks and mulled wine options.
“Boat wasn’t very Christmassy felt a bit left out on the outside deck drinks took an hour to arrive whilst those inside had multiple drinks and food Very disappointing”
Würzburg winter bridge walk with a guide, city facts, and Franconian mulled wine on the Old Main Bridge with panoramic views. 1 hour.
Private deluxe day tour from Munich to Zugspitze with 360 views, Eibsee lake, Garmisch stops, optional gorge and Linderhof, in a comfy luxury van.
“Christian was easy to communicate, showed up on time to our VRBO in a lovely van with a booster seat and water. He made wonderful recommendations. We were able to visit the Zugspitze, Eibsee, Oberammergau, an alpine slide, and Linderhof. It was a perfect day tailored for the 4 of us!”
One-hour Winter Alster steamer from Jungfernstieg with mulled wine and cake, plus Christmas lights circling Hamburg’s lake.
“Boat tour was nice but issues with the ticketing as the company wanted a QR code and all we had was a bar code so nearly missed the boat trying to get it sorted out. Trip was good as it was getting dark so lots of lights and gluwein from the bar”
Small-group winter hike from Dresden to Bastei, Neurathen Castle ruins, and Pravcicka Gate in Bohemian Switzerland, with lunch and pickup.
“I suppose that the success of this tour depends very much on the weather. We were extremely lucky as, although mid-December, the weather was extremely kind. Walking over the Bastei Bridge and later in Czech Bohemia would have been difficult in heavy rain and dangerous in heavy snow. The tour itself went exactly as advertised we were picked up at our hotel in Dresden and driven to the Bastei bridge. There, our small party of three was amalgamated with a larger group of eight from Prague. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and he and our driver from Dresden professional and solicitous. Snacks and water were included as was a…”
Winter Champagne rickshaw tour in Cologne. Cathedral and Rhein views, Old Town stops, warm blankets, and a 700 ml bottle of Champagne.
“Wir hatten eine sehr schöne Zeit mit unserem Guide Martin. Alles war wunderbar organisiert, wir wussten, wann und wo wir abgeholt werden. Martin hat uns viele Infos zu Stadt gegeben und super angenehm gefahren. Wir hatten viel Spaß!! Er hat uns sogar bis zu unserem Wunschort gefahren. Vielen lieben Dank für alles! Definitiv weiterzuempfehlen, auch im Sommer!”
Germany broken up by the kind of day it makes — pick one and the full list is underneath.
