When to go · Cologne
Cologne in May
Great month. Inside Cologne's best window: Apr–Oct; also Dec for Christmas markets.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Great
- Temperature
- 20°C (68°F)68°F (20°C) / 8°C (46°F)46°F (8°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 11
- Crowds
- Medium
- Germany overall
- Prices
- Medium
- Germany overall
Verdict
Inside Cologne's best window: Apr–Oct; also Dec for Christmas markets.
Is another month better than May?
No other month rates higher than May for Cologne in this guide.
Weather in May
- CologneHighs around 20 °C (68 °F), lows around 8 °C (46 °F), rain on about 11 daysHighs around 68 °F (20 °C), lows around 46 °F (8 °C), rain on about 11 days
- Rhine and the west, Germany · Cologne, Frankfurt, Rhine and Moselle valleys, Heidelbergbest weather
Mildest winters; wine harvest and river trips at their best in September–October.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Germany overall
- Medium
- Prices · Germany overall
- Medium
Germany overall: Beer gardens open; holiday Thursdays (Ascension, Corpus Christi) make long weekends that fill trains.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Cologne, side by side.
Verdict
May: Great
Apr: Great
Daytime high
May: 20 °C (68 °F)68 °F (20 °C)
Apr: 16 °C (61 °F)61 °F (16 °C)
Night low
May: 8 °C (46 °F)46 °F (8 °C)
Apr: 5 °C (41 °F)41 °F (5 °C)
Rain days
May: 11
Apr: 10 (better)
Crowds
May: Medium
Apr: Medium
Prices
May: Medium
Apr: Medium
Festivals listed
May: 0
Apr: 0
May: Inside Cologne's best window: Apr–Oct; also Dec for Christmas markets.
April: Inside Cologne's best window: Apr–Oct; also Dec for Christmas markets.
Cologne: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm layer for the evenings
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast