Weekendo
Harbour Christmas Market (Chocolate Museum, Cologne)
On the Rhine in front of the Chocolate Museum, the harbour market is the first in Cologne to open and stays open until 3 January.
opens Fri 11 December, 17:30
China Lights at Cologne Zoo
Kölner Zoo (side entrance) · Cologne, GermanySeason11 December – 31 January 2027
Todayclosed
Entrysee below
Whereoutdoors
Dated ticket: adults from €22, children 4–12 from €12; under 4 free. Flex ticket: €28 / €15. Zoo + China Lights same-day combo: €46 / €22 (zoo ticket desk only, until 4:30 pm). The site contradicts itself on whether the VRS transport ticket is included.
The market is inside Cologne low-emission zone (Umweltzone)
A green emissions sticker (Umweltplakette) on the windscreen is required — also for foreign cars.
Guide: what to doofficial website
Advent 2026: on Saturdays 28.11, 5.12, 12.12 and 19.12 (9-16 h) a parking ticket from the LANXESS arena car parks or the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring underground car park is a free KVB ticket for up to 5 people; P22 Messeparkhaus Zoobrücke has a free shuttle to Heumarkt (26.11-23.12). These car parks are inside the zone (sticker needed). KVB P+R list: check each site.
About the event
This edition of Cologne Zoo's lantern festival takes visitors 'around the world': along the route, glowing versions of famous landmarks and landscapes stand in for the animals, and an Eiffel Tower greets you before the gate. You go in through the side entrance once the zoo has closed; the animal houses and aquarium stay shut. Allow about two and a half hours. Date-specific tickets are cheapest and prices rise as the date gets closer, so book early. Tip: arrive after 6:15 pm when the first rush has passed – and if you bring a handcart, it must be lit.
Season calendar
December 2026
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
January 2027
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Tap a day to see the hours.
openclosedspecial hours
Opening hours
Daily 5:30–9 pm; ticket desk closes and last entry at 8:30 pm. Closed 24 and 31 December. Runs until 31 January 2027.
| Monday | 17:30–21:00 |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 17:30–21:00 |
| Wednesday | 17:30–21:00 |
| Thursday | 17:30–21:00 |
| Friday | 17:30–21:00 |
| Saturday | 17:30–21:00 |
| Sunday | 17:30–21:00 |
- Thu 24 December — closed. Closed on Christmas Eve.
- Thu 31 December — closed. Closed on New Year's Eve.
Parking
Combine with
Christmas markets nearby for the same trip.
Christmas Market at Cologne Cathedral
Right below the cathedral's twin spires on Roncalliplatz, Cologne's best-known market brings red-roofed stalls, a giant tree and a canopy of lights.
Markt der Engel – Angels' Market (Neumarkt, Cologne)
On Neumarkt in the heart of the shopping district, the Angels' Market glows with thousands of star lights in the trees and angels strolling between white stalls.
Heinzels Wintermärchen (Cologne Old Town)
Cologne's market of the Heinzelmännchen house elves spreads over Alter Markt and Heumarkt, with a large open-air ice rink running into January.
Nikolausdorf – St Nicholas Village (Rudolfplatz, Cologne)
In front of the medieval Hahnentorburg gate, a 'village' of huts where St Nicholas makes his rounds every day and local Kölsch bands play in the evening.
Bonn Christmas Market
More than 160 stalls across Bonn's pedestrian centre, from Münsterplatz and its Beethoven statue to Friedensplatz.
China Lights at Cologne Zoo17 markets nearby