Best time to visit Cologne, Germany

Our verdict

The best time to visit Cologne is June-July

Are you looking for the best time to visit Cologne? Well, you’re in the right place! Although Cologne is a great destination to visit almost all year round, June-July is the best time to go due to its perfect climate conditions. Around this time of year, flights and accommodation can also be cheaper as it is outside of key peak holiday seasons if you book well enough in advance.

In the summer months, temperatures can reach as high as 28℃ (82℉) in Cologne. The weather at night in the winter, which is around January-time, can get down to a minimum of -4℃ (25℉).

If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Cologne, or you’re just afraid of the dark, the days in July are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset. On average it rains the most days in December, making it the wettest month of the year. Although it’s the wet season, it can often rain a little bit during the day or evening but have fine weather for a majority of the day too, so don’t let this put you off.

By the time you finish reading below, you’ll know everything you need to know about the best time to travel to Cologne. Once you’re ready, we’ve even provided all the tools you’ll ever need to help you book your travel!

Warmest month

July

Least rainfall

April

Most daylight

July

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Cologne seasons

Before you continue, it’s important to know when the seasons are in Cologne as they might be different to yours depending on where in the world you’re travelling from. Cologne is in the Northern Hemisphere, so the seasons fall during these months:

Season Months
Summer June to August
Autumn/fall September to November
Winter December to February
Spring March to May

Average temperatures in Cologne

If the temperature is a big factor for you to help you decide when to visit, the chart below shows the average minimum and maximum temperatures in Cologne for each month side-by-side so you can easily see the difference in weather throughout the year. To see the temperatures in both Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F), hover or tap the shaded boxes on the graph.

Cologne climate by month

If you already have a rough idea about which months you might want to travel, the section below shows a detailed breakdown of the climate in Cologne for each month so you can see if it all suits your wants and needs. Scroll down, or use the quick menu below to jump to your preferred month.

Jump to:

JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC

Cologne in January

  • Average temperature: 2℃ (36℉)
  • Average high temperature: 5℃ (40℉)
  • Average low temperature: 0℃ (33℉)
  • Average humidity: 86%
  • Average sunny days: 12 days
  • Average rainfall: 30mm (1") over 13 days
  • Average snow days: 5 days
12 days
of pure sunshine
13 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cologne in January, make sure you pack a thick snow/winter jacket, thermals and some extra layers as it's always very cold.


Cologne in February

  • Average temperature: 3℃ (38℉)
  • Average high temperature: 6℃ (43℉)
  • Average low temperature: 1℃ (33℉)
  • Average humidity: 82%
  • Average sunny days: 11 days
  • Average rainfall: 30mm (1") over 12 days
  • Average snow days: 5 days
11 days
of pure sunshine
12 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cologne in February, make sure you pack a thick snow/winter jacket, thermals and some extra layers as it's always very cold.


Cologne in March

  • Average temperature: 6℃ (44℉)
  • Average high temperature: 10℃ (50℉)
  • Average low temperature: 3℃ (37℉)
  • Average humidity: 77%
  • Average sunny days: 14 days
  • Average rainfall: 37mm (1") over 14 days
  • Average snow days: 2 days
14 days
of pure sunshine
14 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cologne in March, make sure you pack a thick snow/winter jacket, thermals and some extra layers as it's always very cold.


Cologne in April

  • Average temperature: 11℃ (51℉)
  • Average high temperature: 16℃ (60℉)
  • Average low temperature: 6℃ (43℉)
  • Average humidity: 72%
  • Average sunny days: 16 days
  • Average rainfall: 18mm (1") over 12 days
16 days
of pure sunshine
12 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cologne in April, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Cologne in May

  • Average temperature: 14℃ (57℉)
  • Average high temperature: 18℃ (65℉)
  • Average low temperature: 8℃ (47℉)
  • Average humidity: 74%
  • Average sunny days: 13 days
  • Average rainfall: 34mm (1") over 16 days
13 days
of pure sunshine
16 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cologne in May, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Cologne in June

  • Average temperature: 17℃ (62℉)
  • Average high temperature: 21℃ (71℉)
  • Average low temperature: 12℃ (53℉)
  • Average humidity: 76%
  • Average sunny days: 14 days
  • Average rainfall: 30mm (1") over 13 days
14 days
of pure sunshine
13 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cologne in June, make sure you pack a coat or jumper for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


Cologne in July

  • Average temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
  • Average high temperature: 24℃ (75℉)
  • Average low temperature: 14℃ (57℉)
  • Average humidity: 72%
  • Average sunny days: 13 days
  • Average rainfall: 33mm (1") over 15 days
13 days
of pure sunshine
15 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cologne in July, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Cologne in August

  • Average temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
  • Average high temperature: 24℃ (74℉)
  • Average low temperature: 14℃ (57℉)
  • Average humidity: 71%
  • Average sunny days: 14 days
  • Average rainfall: 31mm (1") over 14 days
14 days
of pure sunshine
14 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cologne in August, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Cologne in September

  • Average temperature: 15℃ (59℉)
  • Average high temperature: 20℃ (67℉)
  • Average low temperature: 11℃ (52℉)
  • Average humidity: 76%
  • Average sunny days: 16 days
  • Average rainfall: 21mm (1") over 10 days
16 days
of pure sunshine
10 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cologne in September, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.

Cologne in October

  • Average temperature: 11℃ (52℉)
  • Average high temperature: 15℃ (58℉)
  • Average low temperature: 8℃ (46℉)
  • Average humidity: 81%
  • Average sunny days: 16 days
  • Average rainfall: 34mm (1") over 13 days
16 days
of pure sunshine
13 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cologne in October, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Cologne in November

  • Average temperature: 7℃ (44℉)
  • Average high temperature: 10℃ (49℉)
  • Average low temperature: 5℃ (40℉)
  • Average humidity: 85%
  • Average sunny days: 13 days
  • Average rainfall: 31mm (1") over 14 days
  • Average snow days: 1 days
13 days
of pure sunshine
14 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cologne in November, make sure you pack a thick snow/winter jacket, thermals and some extra layers as it's always very cold.


Cologne in December

  • Average temperature: 4℃ (39℉)
  • Average high temperature: 6℃ (43℉)
  • Average low temperature: 2℃ (35℉)
  • Average humidity: 87%
  • Average sunny days: 11 days
  • Average rainfall: 40mm (2") over 15 days
  • Average snow days: 4 days
11 days
of pure sunshine
15 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Cologne in December, make sure you pack a thick snow/winter jacket, thermals and some extra layers as it's always very cold.


Top FAQs

The hottest month of the year in Cologne is usually July, where temperatures tend to rise to around 24℃ (75℉) in the middle of the day or early afternoon.
The month with the least amount of rain in Cologne is generally around April. The dry season often coincides with cooler weather, so you should check the temperatures in April first to make sure it’s still a good time to go.
The rainiest time of year in Cologne is generally around December, although the wetter season can sometimes extend a few months either side of December too.
If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Cologne, or if you're just afraid of the dark, the days in July are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset.

Cologne map