48 hours in Colmar – 2 day Itinerary

Colmar is one of those charming, chocolate-box French towns that you could imagine Belle from Beauty and the Beast skipping through. So, where is Colmar, Alsace?

Resting on the Alsace wine route, Colmar is only a 30-minute train ride south of Strasbourg close to the German border in the western part of France. If you’re visiting Strasbourg, you could easily tag a 2-day itinerary for Colmar at the beginning or end of your trip!

This picturesque place is known for its medieval, half-timbered houses and Renaissance buildings. It’s a fantastic choice if you’re planning a trip to the European Christmas markets and it has lots of wonderful churches, museums, and Riesling wine-tasting experiences. 

Another great time to visit Colmar is during the Colmar International Festival. It takes place during the first two weeks of July and features some of the most exciting concerts and the best musicians around the world. 

When you stay in Colmar, base yourself in the central Vieux Colmar as it’s the best place to stay in Colmar, France for first-time visitors and where you’ll find the Little Venice Christmas markets. Or you could stay near the train station if you are hopping around a few cities and towns in the Alsace Region.

This 48 hours in Colmar itinerary will ensure you know what to do in Colmar, what to see, what to eat, and all the best tours to do when you visit Colmar. Read on to discover the definitive itinerary to Colmar, the French town you need to know about and visit ASAP!

2 Day Itinerary for Colmar

Day 1 in Colmar

Breakfast at Au Croissant Doré

Start your 2-day itinerary for Colmar off to the right start by enjoying a quintessentially French breakfast at Au Croissant Doré on Rue des Marchands. This is a quirky, unpretentious coffee shop with won wooden furniture and tons of cute nick-nacks hung on the wall.

You can order a range of artisanal coffees and pastries like croissants (in case that wasn’t obvious from the name!), muffins and hot meals too.

Stroll Around Colmar Old Town (Vieille Ville)

Next, spend your morning getting acquainted with Colmar’s Old Town (named Vieille Ville in French) and admire the half-timbered houses and extraordinary architecture.

Continue strolling down Rue des Marchands where you’ll find the Auguste Bartholdi Museum, a monument dedicated to the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty who was born in Colmar.

You should also stroll passed the Pfister House, otherwise known as Maison Pfister, which is a quirky house with a turret dating back to 1537. It was built for a wealthy man named Ludwig Scherer and its exterior paintings are inspired by biblical stories.

Continue walking south to La Petite Venice, so named because this is the canal district of Colmar with lots of cute and colourful houses. It’s also called The Fishmonger District as this is where the fish markets were located in years gone by.

Take a Boat Ride on Colmar Canal

While you’re by the canal, why not take a boat ride and enjoy exploring Colmar from a new angle?

Colmar’s bridges are extremely low so the tourist boats that sail up and down the waters here look more like punting boats that you’d spot in English cities like Cambridge or Oxford.

These long boats are also smaller than the average canal boat that you’d find in other famous Dutch canal cities like Amsterdam or Bruges. This means you’ll get a more intimate experience! 

Lunch at L’Arpège

You’ll have worked up an appetite after all that walking so you should sit down to lunch at  L’Arpège. From the outside, this place might look casual and laid back but the food is anything but relaxed.

They serve incredible three-course meals (yes, even for lunch! This is France, after all!) consisting of 100% French cuisine.

Visit St Martin’s Church

Colmar doesn’t have an official cathedral, but most of the town’s residents consider St Martin’s Church to be their main place of worship. St Martin’s is a huge Gothic Catholic church with medieval statues dating all the way back to the 13th century. 

It’s an incredibly impressive building with beautiful stained glass windows. If you like exploring churches and want to see more on your 2-day itinerary in Colmar, check out the Dominican Church just up the street which displays lots of local Alsatian artworks.

Explore Musée du Jouet

Why does Colmar have a toy museum? Who knows! Regardless, they have an enormous collection of toys from the 1800s all the way to the modern day. 

One of their major attractions is their model train network which covers the entire second floor. They also have dolls, automatons, video games, board games, stuffed animals, model cars, and so much more.

Dinner at Jadis et Gourmande

Jadis et Gourmande isn’t just a nice French restaurant, it’s actually a nice Alsatian restaurant serving food from the local region.

Housed in a traditional building with wooden and stone interiors and red gingham table clothes, you’ll find dishes vegetable tarts, braised beef, fresh potato salads, and, in particular, lots of local pies and pastries.

Day 2 in Colmar

Brunch at Bistrot Gourmand

Mix things up on day two of your trip to Colmar by tucking into sweet & savoury crêpes for brunch. Bistrot Gourmand is a simple yet cosy cafe serving breakfast platters with crêpes, fruit, meat, and more that will fill you up for a busy morning of exploring Colmar.

In the warmer months, you can sit on their terrace and eat outside too!

Explore the Unterlinden Museum

Just a short walk northwest of the Bistrot is the Unterlinden Museum, Colmar’s premier art museum.

Housed in a 13th-century Dominican convent, the Unterlinden Museum displays lots of local history and art as well as lots of religious art which makes sense given the building’s origins.

It’s well worth visiting not just to see the artwork but to see the building too. You can still walk through the convent’s cloisters and see the original statues and carvings that existed long before it was turned into a museum.

Stroll Around Parc du Champ de Mars

Parc du Champ de Mars is by no means a big park, but it’s stunning and a pleasant place to enjoy a morning stroll.

There are lots of tree-lined paths, water features, and statues of prominent French people. This is a great place to visit in Colmar if you have kids and they need to blow off some steam!

Lunch at Caveau d’Eguisheim

Eguisheim is a medieval village in the Alsace wine region which is just 7 km southwest of Colmar. Despite its small size, it has a lot of fantastic bars and restaurants including Caveau d’Eguisheim.

This restaurant serves regional dishes like tarts and meat dishes in this extremely historic building with rustic decor and a wood-beamed ceiling.

Cycle to Local Wineries and Alsace Villages

In the afternoon of your second day in Colmar, you should hire bikes and cycle to Eguisheim. It’s one of the closest towns to Colmar in the wine region and it would be a shame to not visit a winery or two when they are so close.

Wolfberger – Cave Eguisheim is a highly-rated, modern winery with a huge selection of wines and a sizable tasting room.

Just down the road from Wolfberger is Domaine Joseph Gruss & Son winery, which is slightly more old school and what you would imagine a quintessential Alsace winery to look like. Join one of their tours so you can explore their cellars as well as taste their wine!

Dinner at Restaurant Le Quai 21

Head back to Colmar, return your bikes, and enjoy a dinner with a view at Restaurant Le Quai 21. This restaurant is in La Petite Venice and is in a prime position with stunning views across the Old Town and the canal.

Housed in a colourful building with white window shutters and flowerboxes, it’s a homely and cosy place that serves traditional Alsation food with an Italian twist.

They also have an extensive wine menu and experts on hand to help you pick out the perfect bottle too. Hopefully, you didn’t drink too much wine in the afternoon and you’re still in the mood for a glass or two!

Tours in Colmar

Alsace Villages Half-Day Tour

Though it has the feel of a provincial village, Colmar is still quite a bustling town. On this half-day tour, you can get out into the countryside and stroll around some real Alsace villages during your 2 days in Colmar.

Explore the nearby villages of Kayserberg, Hunawihr, and Riquewihr on this very small group tour. As you drive through the wine region and the vineyard you’ll feel like you’re driving back in time!

Colmar Photo Walking Tour

Colmar’s Old Town is undeniably pretty from every angle but there are some hidden gems and top spots that are just a little more Instagrammable than others.

Join a photo walking tour with a knowledgeable, local guide who will show you all the best, most beautiful places in Colmar. Don’t worry, they’ve factored in lots of time for you to stop and take lots of photos and selfies! That’s the point of the tour!

Alsace Vineyard Bike Tour

It would be such a shame to be so close to a beautiful wine region without visiting.

On this bike tour, you can ride out into the countryside from Colmar and try lots of local Alsatian wine from some of the best wineries and vineyards.

You’ll also visit the villages of Eguisheim and Gueberschwihr in the Alsace wine region.

FAQs for 2 Days in Colmar

How Many Days Is Enough for Colmar?

Spending 48 hours in Colmar really is an ideal amount of time! You can spend one day of your Colmar itinerary exploring the highlights of Colmar itself and then the next day exploring other villages and wineries in the Alsace wine region.

48 hrs in Colmar is ideal if you just want to stick to the town and explore the place at a leisurely pace.

If you want to take a longer trip, you can easily add on a trip to Strasbourg. You could even hop over the Rhine River to Germany and check out some of the towns and villages there!

Is It Better To Stay In Colmar or Strasbourg?

Figuring out whether it’s better to stay in Colmar or Strasbourg depends on what kind of trip you want to take.

Strasbourg is a large city with no shortage of restaurants, museums, bars and other attractions. It also has better transport connections with the rest of France and Europe and has a great range of accommodation options.

While Strasbourg is a pretty city, it does not have the quaint charm of Colmar. So, if you are building a Colmar and Strasbourg itinerary for your trip, it depends on whether charm or amenities are more important to you.

Travellers who have late arrivals or early departures in Strasbourg may also find it more convenient to stay in the city and travel by train to and from Colmar. 

Travellers who want the experience of staying in a quieter and more picturesque town should stay in Colmar. Staying in Colmar over Strasbourg is also a great choice if you have more time to spare. Colmar might have fewer accommodation options, but what it does have are beautiful.

Is Colmar Worth Seeing?

Yes! Colmar is 100% worth seeing. It is a breathtakingly beautiful town with incredible architecture, charming cobblestone streets and a post-card perfect canal.

Visiting Colmar is like falling into a fairytale. Colmar is particularly worth visiting in the warm summer months or during the festive Christmas period.

2 Day Itinerary for Colmar Wrap Up

This Colmar 2-day itinerary will hopefully have shown you that not only is Colmar worth visiting, but there are plenty of things to do in Colmar too.

Planning a trip to Colmar for 48 hours is an ideal amount of time to see the highlights while still being able to find time for leisurely strolls and a glass of wine or two on an outdoor terrace.

Recommended tours in Colmar

• Alsace 4 Wonders Small-Group Day Trip from Colmar
• ICONICS Tour: 1/2 day on the Wine Route, visit of 2 Villages + Tasting.
• The Emblematic: visit of villages, Haut-Koenigsbourg, Wine tasting
• Alsace villages half day tour from Colmar
• Segway Tours 2h in Colmar
• Alsace’s Gems Small Group Day Tour from Colmar
• Christmas Market Tour from Colmar
• Skip the Line: Toy Museum Colmar Admission Ticket
• Christmas across the 3 borders
• Private Tour: Alsace Wine Tasting Day Trip from Colmar

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