15 Winter Activities in Germany, Compared

1.Rhine River Winter Cruise with Festive Music

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 676 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $28Our pick

Cologne winter Rhine cruise with live festive music, warm indoor comfort, and big-window views of Cologne Cathedral plus Glühwein.

“Very pleasant gentle ride on the Rhine with a singer and table service for drinks. Lovely way to spend a morning away from the hustle and bustle of the markets.”

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2.Burg: Spreewald Winter Cruise with Fireplace

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 312 reviews · 14 days · from $28

Warm up on a winter Spreewald cruise in Burg, with a fireplace, blankets, and mulled wine, plus a German guide in cozy calm.

“We enjoyed it a lot with a group of friends with our 2kids. Highly recommend.”

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3.Paddle Steamer Winter Cruise to Pillnitz

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 178 reviews · 3 hours · from $37

Dresden winter paddle steamer cruise to Pillnitz Castle, with Elbe views, Blue Wonder Bridge, and a warm cup of mulled wine.

“freundlicher Service, schöne Einrichtung, nette Erklärungen, gute Länge”

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4.Winter Tour to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 122 reviews · 9 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $87.07

Guided winter coach trip from Munich to Neuschwanstein with Oberammergau facades, Marienbrücke photos, and timed castle entry, cash add-on.

“Hello. The trip was amazing. Regarding the tourist guide is was very respectly , colaborative and helped us in all of the activities and description about castle. The tour organization was perfect, I mean, the bus, schedules, and so on. Regarding the castle the sights are so beatiful but we would have liked to visit a little more the castle. The tour only lasts ten or fifteen minutes and only it visit three or four room. I think the price is high in relation to final visit inside the castle. Thank you very much.”

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5.Bohemia & Saxon Switzerland Winter Day Tour from Prague

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 41 reviews · 8 hours · from $154

Prague winter day trip to Saxon Switzerland and Bohemia, crossing the Bastei Bridge and hiking to Pravčická brána, with lunch included.

“Great day - Guide was amazing - really enjoyed the experience.”

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6.Winter tour by boat with mulled wine

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 26 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $28

Warm mulled wine on a 90-minute winter boat cruise in Bonn, gliding past Oberkassel and Königswinter with calm Christmas music.

“Super obsługa, pyszne wino, relaksujący rejs zimowe. polecam”

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7.Ehrwald: Zugspitze Snowshoe Hiking Tour with Mountain Views

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · 2 hours · from $80Top rated

Zugspitze snowshoe hiking from Ebne 5 in Ehrwald, with free gear, safety-led training, and big mountain views in 2 hours.

“This was a fab activity. Simon, our guide was so knowledgeable about the local area and friendly. We loved it, thank you Simon 😊”

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8.Winter BBQ

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 16 reviews · 4 hours · from $51

A 4-hour Stuttgart winter BBQ by the Neckar, with a campfire welcome drink, live fire-barrel steaks and salmon, and top-notch grilled cheese.

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9.Winter Spree Cruise with Mulled Wine and Christmas Stollen

★★★★★★★★★★3.4 · 15 reviews · 1h 30m · from $37

A 90-minute winter cruise on Berlin’s Spree, heated comfort included, with mulled wine and Christmas stollen plus big-sight views.

“De kunde ha berättat vad vi åkte förbi, vad vi såg. Pyntat båten med ljusslingor och ev spelat lite julmusik”

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10.Brückenschoppen Winter Edition (guided tour with mulled wine)

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 14 reviews · 1 hour · from $25

Warm Franconian mulled wine, a 1-hour guided winter walk, and big Würzburg views from the Old Main Bridge.

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11.Private: Mount ZUGSPITZE & SNOW Much More – Deluxe Tour from Munich

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · 9 hours to 10 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $752.43

Private Munich day trip to Germany’s top peak, Zugspitze, plus Eibsee lake and Bavarian classics like Garmisch and Linderhof.

“Christian was easy to communicate, showed up on time to our VRBO in a lovely van with a booster seat and water. He made wonderful recommendations. We were able to visit the Zugspitze, Eibsee, Oberammergau, an alpine slide, and Linderhof. It was a perfect day tailored for the 4 of us!”

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12.Winter Christmas tour by boat

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 11 reviews · 2 hours · from $23

A 2-hour winter Christmas Rhine cruise from Bonn, past Königswinter and the Siebengebirge, with festive music and warm vibes.

“gewoon lekker relaxen op een boot met goede service”

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13.Bohemian and Saxon Switzerland Day Trip All inclusive-Winter Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $172.19

Small-group winter tour from Dresden to Bastei, Neurathen ruins, and Právčická brána, with Czech lunch and scenic hikes.

“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 we were picked up at our hotel in Dresden and driven to the Bastei bridge. There, our small party of three was amalgamated with a larger group of eight from Prague. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and he and our driver from Dresden professional and solicitous. Snacks and water were included as was a…”

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14.Winter Champagne Tour by Rickshaw

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 10 reviews · 1 hour - 90 minutes · from $63

Winter Champagne rickshaw tour through Cologne Cathedral and Old Town, served with 700 ml champagne and warming blankets for two.

“Wij zijn de tocht gestart net voor het begon te schemeren dus tegen dat we goed en wel onderweg waren was het gezellig donker wat een hele leuke sfeer gaf in de stad. Ook vonden wij het fijn dat het minder druk was op dat tijdstip zodat we de gids heel goed konden verstaan en we ook mooi konden stoppen voor foto's (zonder dat er veel volk rondliep). Onze gids was een hele vriendelijke gedienstige jonge man met Italiaanse roots genaamd Luca. Terwijl wij van onze champagne nipten babbelde hij honderduit over al wat er te zien was. Zijn kennis van Keulen en de historiek erachter is enorm uitgebreid. Chapeau…”

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15.Winter sleigh covered wagon tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · 8 reviews · 45 min · from $43

Cozy 45-minute Stuttgart covered wagon through steep vineyards with mulled wine, then waffles or a 3-course menu on a heated terrace.

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