Cologne Cathedral

The day 2 itinerary sounds to me like you see the cathedral in detail. It's also on the WHATS INCLUDED list.
https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/germany/germany-austria-switzerland-tour

You may get a better answer than this, but here is the what the tour itinerary says. So it sounds like you will at least see it with the tour, but it you don't, then you have the afternoon to tour the inside. It really is magnificent.

We'll begin our day with a walking tour of Cologne, tracing the city's Roman origins and cultural rise to Germany's religious center in the Middle Ages. Together, we'll marvel at the scale of Northern Europe's most massive Gothic church, Cologne Cathedral, and appreciate how it survived the city bombings during WWII. The afternoon is yours to discover more of Cologne's history, including its famous Eau de Cologne, at one of its charming museums.

If the answer is "go inside" you may also want to inquire if this includes time for the treasury, the tower, etc., or if it is just the main cathedral. It is a beautiful cathedral. I look forward to seeing it again when I am in Koln for Karnival in February!

I wouldn’t assume that ‘marvel’ing at the cathedral means you go inside.

I agree that the treasury is worth the small charge

Keep in mind there is much more to see in Cologne, and most of it is walkable on your own.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/germany/can-i-see-enough-of-cologne

Lucy520
In case you have other questions about your Rick Steves tour, note that forum participants are happy to help, but only a small percentage have been on the tours.

There is a tour section you could post in, but the most important way to get good answers is to select a good title that will catch the eyes of the right people. I might have said:
Cologne cathedral on a RS tour

That said, as a veteran of many RS tours, I do not think the cathedral would be on the list if there wasn't a good, inside visit.

Have a great tour!

Not been on a tour, but I would be amazed if the Cathedral did not rate a guided tour through most nooks and crannies and its history. After all, it is THE main attraction in Cologne, There are some other decent museums, and the town is wonderful to stroll around the center core, but really, you go to Cologne for the Cathedral (well, and the Kolsch beer).

In the "what's included" section it states Cologne Cathedral separate from the walking tour of Cologne, therefore I would assume that it is an inside visit, which presumably includes the treasury. For a definitive answer I would email the RS office.

For a definitive answer I would email the RD office.

Yes, definitely. Here is the email address for info on tours: [email protected]
Or call 425-771-8303 - their office is open from 9-5 Pacific time.

Mardee, oops missed that one. I changed it to RS office.😀