School German Culture Trip to Cologne

Cologne will leave your students with a greater understanding of German culture and, hopefully, a real passion for the German language!

The cathedral city of Cologne is Germany's 4th largest city and has a lot to offer school groups studying the German language. This is the cultural centre of the Rhineland and was founded by the Romans over 2,000 years ago, so there’s plenty of history to discover here. Highlights include the famous Gothic cathedral, a Rhine boat trip and, of course, the Lindt Chocolate Museum. Cologne is a magical city at any time of year, but especially so at Christmas, when you can visit its numerous Christmas markets.

Most groups choose to include a visit to Phantasialand, one of Europe's top entertainment parks. There are 7 zones all with different focuses or themes, such as Berlin, Mexico and Deep in Africa, making it educational, as well as entertaining. Each has its own individual character, but they all have one thing in common – the potential for learning through experience.

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Morning

Depart school

Afternoon

Travel to Cologne

Evening

Arrive in Cologne Check in and evening meal at accommodation

Day 2

Morning

Guided tour of Cologne and visit to the Gothic cathedral

Afternoon

Visit to Lindt Chocolate Museum and the Sports Museum

Evening

Evening meal in accommodation followed by bowling evening

Day 3

Morning

Full-day excursion to Phantasialand

Afternoon

Continue the fun at Phantasialand

Evening

Evening meal in accommodation followed by disco evening

Day 4

Morning

Depart Cologne

Afternoon

Return journey to the UK

Evening

Arrive back at school

3 nights' half-board accommodation
Detailed information pack
Free staff place ratio 1:8
Itinerary planning service
Motorway tolls and taxes
Return Channel 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

Aspects of German-speaking society
Festivals and traditions
Art and architecture
Youth culture: fashion, trends, music and TV
Individual research project opportunities

GCSE

Food, drink and eating out
Daily life and free time activities
Customs, celebrations and festivals
Home, town and neighbourhood
Sports and music events
Holiday destinations
Travel and tourism
Understanding German culture and identity

Key Stage 3

Exploring the town
Hobbies and pastimes
Food and drink
Eating out
Introducing yourself
Describing others
Likes and dislikes
Cultural traditions

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

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.

Rhine Cable Car

Located in the suburb of Riehl, the Rhine cable car offers a spectacular panorama of the city below as it

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.