School Christmas Markets Trip to Cologne

A trip to Cologne’s Christmas markets is much more than a fun, festive treat – it’s a great way to get your students talking!

This cathedral city offers eight different Christmas markets, each with its own special atmosphere providing some unforgettable opportunities for your German students to practise their language skills and experience German culture. The oldest market is located on the Neumarkt, and other highlights include the fairy tale market at Rudolfplatz and the Alter Markt in the heart of the city's historic centre.

Another popular market among our school groups is the Harbour Christmas market which is right next to one of our top visits in Cologne – the Chocolate Museum!

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Morning

Depart from school and travel to Dover for Channel crossing

Afternoon

Check in to accommodation

Evening

Evening meal at accommodation

Day 2

Morning

Visit the famous Gothic cathedral and treasury before exploring the Christmas markets

Afternoon

Time to buy and eat lunch from the various food stalls

Walk along the Rhine to the Altstadt

Enjoy ice-skating on the open-air rink

Explore the Harbour Christmas markets

Evening

Evening meal at accommodation

Day 3

Morning

Explore Cologne on foot

Visit to the Chocolate Museum

Afternoon

Travel back to Calais for Channel crossing

Evening

Arrive back at school

2 night's half-board accommodation
Detailed information pack
Free staff place ratio 1:8
Itinerary planning service
Motorway tolls and taxes
Return ferry crossings
Return executive coach travel
Vamoos travel app - giving you access to all your trip documents on your phone or tablet
VAT at current rates to tour operators

Curriculum

A Level

Festivals and traditions
Aspects of German-speaking society
Cultural heritage
Individual research project opportunities

GCSE

Food, drink and eating out
Customs, celebrations and festivals
Travel and tourism
Understanding German culture and identity

Key Stage 3

Exploring the town
Food and drink
Cultural traditions

Primary

Exploring the town
Food and drink
Traditional crafts
Festivals and celebrations

Accommodation

a&o Cologne Neumarkt

After a complete renovation this former office building welcomes you with its modern and friendly features. A&O hostel Cologne is well located in the southern part of the town, from here you can visit the Cologne Cathedral or enjoy a trip on the River Rhine. All the important sights are within easy reach. The hostel offers modern, comfortable rooms; students will be accommodated in multi-bedded rooms and staff in twins. There is an internet corner, souvenir shop, bar, tv area, games, table football etc. This hostel also offers access to a teachers' lounge.

DJH Köln Deutz

With its modern, fashionable décor, Köln-Deutz Youth Hostel welcomes increasing numbers of groups each year. Students are accommodated in multi-bedded rooms, and staff in twins (for single rooms, a supplement applies). All rooms are en-suite and WiFi is available in the reception area.Seminar rooms, games rooms, table tennis and a disco make this youth centre a favourite among school groups.

DJH Köln Riehl

The DJH Köln Riehl is located on the west bank of the river Rhine and this quiet, idyllic location is ideal for school groups. The city centre is just 10 minutes away by public transport. This accommodation has 116 rooms with a total of 369 beds. Students will be accommodated in multi-bedded rooms and staff in twins (single rooms are subject to availability and will incur a supplement). All rooms have a shower, WC and individual lockers. There are conference and seminar rooms available for hire (which are great for evening activities or as a rehearsal space for music groups), a bistro with television and a basketball court. The hostel can host a barbecue evening and holds a gluten-free certificate.

Meininger Cologne

Located in the heart of the Braunsfeld district of Western Cologne, next to the Technologiepark, the Meininger Cologne is the perfect base for your trip to the city. Housed in a modern building, the hotel boasts free WiFi throughout, as well as a lounge, restaurant and game zone. All guestrooms benefit from en-suite bathroom facilities and are offered as doubles, multi-bedded rooms and dormitory-style rooms (sleeping up to 6). A buffet breakfast is provided each morning to ensure your group are properly fuelled for a day of exploring Cologne.

Educational Activities

Cologne City Museum

The Kölnisches Stadtmuseum is set in a large old building with exhibition space of 2,000 sq.

Olympic and Sport Museum

Next door to the Chocolate Museum, this museum tells the story of the Olympic Games from ancient Greece to the

Roman-Germanic Museum

The Roman mosaic with scenes from the world of Dionysos (around 220/230 A.

Cultural Activities

Chocolate Museum (Imhoff-Stollwerck)

Quite simply this is one of the best attractions in Cologne! The first part of the exhibition is a history

Cologne Cathedral

Köln Cathedral took more than six hundred years to build, but when it was finally completed in 1880 it was

Cologne Christmas Market

Every year during the Christmas period people from countries far and wide are enticed by the radiance and festivity of

Hard Rock Cafe Cologne

The Hard Rock Cafe Cologne opened in 2003 and was a welcome addition to the city. Try it for some

Köln-Düsseldorfer (KD) Boat Trip

Köln-Düsseldorfer Line’s river cruises offer a unique perspective on two of Germany’s most scenic river valleys. Most towns and villages

Phantasialand

As the number one German theme park for visitors from the UK, Phantasialand is a great way to have fun and use up your pupils' energy.

Supporting you every step of the way

Creating your perfect trip

Your quote will be put together by an experienced Tour Adviser who’ll be an expert in the subject area and will know the destination really well too. They’ll work with you to create a trip to suit your group’s needs and meet your learning objectives.

Launching your trip to parents and students

The next step is to get your trip approved and then get students signed up to it. Our ‘Trip Launch Pack’ will help you with this step. This is full of resources (all free to download) designed to make your life easier at this crucial point in the trip planning process.

After you’ve booked

Once you’ve booked, your dedicated Itinerary Coordinator will start work on the finer details. They’ll make sure your itinerary makes the most of your time and they’ll take on most of the admin tasks for your trip (freeing you up to do what you do best – teach).

Support while you’re away

From lost property to properly lost, we’ll always be on the end of the phone while you’re out on the trip. You’ll get a final info pack before you go, as well as access to all your trip documents via the Vamoos app.

After your trip

We’ll ask you for feedback, so we can improve our service. Let’s start planning your next trip too, so parents have plenty of time to pay (and so it’s less stressful for you). And don’t forget to head to our resources hub to continue the learning back in the classroom.