GERMANY
The standouts.
A run-down of the 15 best winter activities tours in Germany: what each one is really like, who runs it, and what it costs.
1.5-hour Rhine winter cruise in Cologne for about $28. Live festive music, panoramic views, and Glühwein on board.
“Very festive-everyone singing along with the live music.”
Cozy 2-hour Christmas cruise on the Rhine in Cologne with reserved seating, live holiday music, and a visit from St. Nicholas.
“Boat was fantastic, absolutely amazing trip up the river. Food was very good. Great entertainment.”
2-hour winter Rhine cruise from Düsseldorf with Christmas lights, festive music, and Old Town views. Reserved seating; food onboard.
“Very good value for money. Bar prices reasonable, didn’t have anything to eat. Santa was friendly and came around the tables to chat.”
Cozy 3-hour paddle steamer cruise from Dresden to Pillnitz for winter castle views, Blue Wonder Bridge sights, and a warm cup of mulled wine.
“freundlicher Service, schöne Einrichtung, nette Erklärungen, gute Länge”
Winter day trip from Munich to Neuschwanstein with Oberammergau stops, Marienbrücke photos, a warm coach ride, and cash-based ticket help.
“It was well organized and coordinated. The history presented was well articulated. The ride was safe.”
A 90-minute winter Rhein cruise from Bonn’s Alter Zoll with one mug of mulled wine, Christmassy music, and views of Drachenfels and Petersberg.
“Super obsługa, pyszne wino, relaksujący rejs zimowe. polecam”
2 hours of snowshoe hiking near Ehrwald to Zugspitze with panoramic views, free snowshoes, and a friendly guide teaching safety and winter nature.
“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”
Stuttgart Winter BBQ by the Neckar River: campfire welcome, live fire-barrel steaks and salmon, grilled cheese, 4 hours.
Stuttgart Riverhouse winter Sunday brunch with a 4-hour hot-and-cold buffet, coffee and tea included, plus a Max-Eyth-See stroll.
“Location and customer service were fantastic!”
A 90-minute winter boat cruise on Berlin’s Spree with heated comfort, mulled wine, and stollen, plus views of major landmarks.
“wunderschön alles perfekt”
A one-hour winter walk in Würzburg to learn Old Main Bridge stories and enjoy Franconian mulled wine at Brückenschoppen.
Private Zugspitze day trip with luxury Munich pickup, 360° views, Eibsee lake, and Bavaria stops, all flexible with expert guides.
“Stefan and Exclusive Bavaria Tours was beyond excellent. Very compromising and flexible. Amazing wealth of knowledge. Great driver. Extremely organized and punctual. Was willing to work with our family to maximize our day trip experience with him to see as much as possible. Did a similar experience in Bavaria with another private tour company 8…”
A cozy 1-hour winter steamer ride on Hamburg’s Alster. See night lights, warm up with onboard drinks, and enjoy a scenic reset.
“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”
Winter Sachsen-Bohemian Switzerland from Dresden with hotel pickup, Bastei Bridge views, Pravcicka Gate hike, and Czech lunch.
“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…”
Winter rickshaw tour of Cologne with Champagne, warming blankets, and guided stops at Kölner Dom and the Rhine promenade.
“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…”
