Best time to visit Köln
The best time to visit Köln is April–September, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Köln, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.2 °C / 41 °F | 1.1 °C / 34 °F | 98 mm / 3.9 in | neither best nor good |
| February | 6.9 °C / 44 °F | 1.6 °C / 35 °F | 76 mm / 3 in | good month, for Karneval (Cologne Carnival). The weather alone makes it neither best nor good. |
| March | 10.5 °C / 51 °F | 3.1 °C / 38 °F | 71 mm / 2.8 in | good month |
| April | 15 °C / 59 °F | 5.9 °C / 43 °F | 50 mm / 1.9 in | best month |
| May | 18.7 °C / 66 °F | 9.6 °C / 49 °F | 74 mm / 2.9 in | best month |
| June | 22.3 °C / 72 °F | 13.2 °C / 56 °F | 70 mm / 2.8 in | best month |
| July | 24 °C / 75 °F | 14.9 °C / 59 °F | 87 mm / 3.4 in | best month |
| August | 23.4 °C / 74 °F | 14.5 °C / 58 °F | 87 mm / 3.4 in | best month |
| September | 19.8 °C / 68 °F | 11.6 °C / 53 °F | 66 mm / 2.6 in | best month |
| October | 14.8 °C / 59 °F | 8.6 °C / 47 °F | 83 mm / 3.3 in | good month |
| November | 9.6 °C / 49 °F | 5 °C / 41 °F | 85 mm / 3.4 in | neither best nor good |
| December | 6.4 °C / 44 °F | 2.4 °C / 36 °F | 104 mm / 4.1 in | neither best nor good |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: good
- MMarch: good
- AApril: best
- MMay: best
- JJune: best
- JJuly: best
- AAugust: best
- SSeptember: best
- OOctober: good
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- April–September
- Good
- February–March, October
April through September is Köln's window for pleasant, mild, mostly dry walking weather, best in April to June's dry sunny spell; November to January turn cold, dark and wet, though Karneval lifts February despite the grim weather.
Why these months
February · good
Made good by Karneval (Cologne Carnival).
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 53%, days with heavy rain 1.9 days.
Against: feels like (high) 3 °C / 37 °F, average daily high 6.9 °C / 44 °F, wet days 13.2 days, relative humidity 81%, precipitation 76 mm / 3 in, sunshine per day 5.3 h, average daily low 1.6 °C / 35 °F.
March · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 63%, days with heavy rain 1.8 days, relative humidity 74%.
Against: feels like (high) 6.9 °C / 44 °F, average daily high 10.5 °C / 51 °F, wet days 12.9 days, precipitation 71 mm / 2.8 in, average daily low 3.1 °C / 38 °F.
Watch out for: Easter (Good Friday to Easter Monday).
April · best
In its favour: precipitation 50 mm / 1.9 in, share of daylight that is sunny 73%, days with heavy rain 0.9 days, average daily high 15 °C / 59 °F, relative humidity 68%, average daily low 5.9 °C / 43 °F.
Against: wet days 10.4 days, feels like (high) 12.2 °C / 54 °F.
Watch out for: Easter (Good Friday to Easter Monday).
May · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 17 °C / 63 °F, average daily high 18.7 °C / 66 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 70%, days with heavy rain 2 days, average daily low 9.6 °C / 49 °F, relative humidity 69%.
Against: wet days 12.2 days, precipitation 74 mm / 2.9 in.
Also on: Ascension Day (Vatertag), Labour Day (Tag der Arbeit).
Watch out for: Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam), Pentecost (Pfingsten).
June · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 21.7 °C / 71 °F, average daily high 22.3 °C / 72 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 69%, days with heavy rain 2.2 days, average daily low 13.2 °C / 56 °F, relative humidity 70%.
Against: wet days 11.6 days, precipitation 70 mm / 2.8 in.
Also on: Cologne Gay Pride (ColognePride).
Watch out for: Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam), Pentecost (Pfingsten).
July · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 23.6 °C / 74 °F, average daily high 24 °C / 75 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 72%, days with heavy rain 2.2 days, average daily low 14.9 °C / 59 °F, relative humidity 69%.
Against: wet days 12.8 days, precipitation 87 mm / 3.4 in.
Also on: Cologne Gay Pride (ColognePride).
Watch out for: Summer school holidays.
August · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 22.9 °C / 73 °F, average daily high 23.4 °C / 74 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 72%, days with heavy rain 2.3 days, average daily low 14.5 °C / 58 °F, relative humidity 73%.
Against: wet days 12.8 days, precipitation 87 mm / 3.4 in.
Also on: Kölner Lichter fireworks.
Watch out for: Summer school holidays.
September · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 18.6 °C / 65 °F, average daily high 19.8 °C / 68 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 69%, days with heavy rain 2.1 days, average daily low 11.6 °C / 53 °F.
Against: wet days 10.5 days, precipitation 66 mm / 2.6 in, relative humidity 78%.
October · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 57%, feels like (high) 12.8 °C / 55 °F, average daily high 14.8 °C / 59 °F, days with heavy rain 2.5 days, average daily low 8.6 °C / 47 °F.
Against: wet days 13.1 days, relative humidity 83%, precipitation 83 mm / 3.3 in, sunshine per day 6.1 h.
Watch out for: German Unity Day (Tag der deutschen Einheit).
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Kreuzberg, 223 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 1.4 °C | 3 °C | 6.9 °C | 12.2 °C | 17 °C | 21.7 °C | 23.6 °C | 22.9 °C | 18.6 °C | 12.8 °C | 6.6 °C | 2.9 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 2.6 days | 1.9 days | 1.8 days | 0.9 days | 2 days | 2.2 days | 2.2 days | 2.3 days | 2.1 days | 2.5 days | 2.1 days | 2.9 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 6 am | 11 am | 4 pm | 5 pm | 5 pm | 7 pm | 5 pm | 6 pm | 4 pm | 3 pm | 9 pm | 9 am |
| Sunshine per day | 3.8 h | 5.3 h | 7.5 h | 10.2 h | 10.9 h | 11.4 h | 11.5 h | 10.4 h | 8.7 h | 6.1 h | 4.3 h | 3.2 h |
| Relative humidity | 86% | 81% | 74% | 68% | 69% | 70% | 69% | 73% | 78% | 83% | 86% | 87% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 8.6 µg/m³ | 11.1 µg/m³ | 12.8 µg/m³ | 11.9 µg/m³ | 13 µg/m³ | 13.9 µg/m³ | 12.8 µg/m³ | 12.8 µg/m³ | 10.4 µg/m³ | 9.7 µg/m³ | 8.8 µg/m³ | 8.7 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 14.5 µg/m³ | 18.7 µg/m³ | 21.4 µg/m³ | 20.2 µg/m³ | 20 µg/m³ | 21.6 µg/m³ | 20.9 µg/m³ | 20 µg/m³ | 16.2 µg/m³ | 16.1 µg/m³ | 13.9 µg/m³ | 14.4 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- Karneval (Cologne Carnival) Major
February, dates vary from year to year
- Labour Day (Tag der Arbeit)
1 May
- Ascension Day (Vatertag)
May, dates vary from year to year
- Cologne Gay Pride (ColognePride)
19 June–5 July, dates vary from year to year
- Kölner Lichter fireworks
1 August, dates vary from year to year
- Christmas Market
20 November–23 December
- New Year's Eve fireworks (Silvester)
31 December
Worth knowing before you go
- New Year's Day
1 January
- Easter (Good Friday to Easter Monday)
March and April, dates vary from year to year
- Pentecost (Pfingsten)
May and June, dates vary from year to year
- Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam)
May and June, dates vary from year to year
- Summer school holidays
July and August, dates vary from year to year
- German Unity Day (Tag der deutschen Einheit)
3 October
- All Saints' Day (Allerheiligen)
1 November
- Christmas (Weihnachten)
24–26 December
- New Year's Eve closures (Silvester)
31 December
World Heritage sites nearby
UNESCO World Heritage sites within 25 km, nearest first.
- Augustusburg and Falkenlust Palaces
12 km away