Best time to visit Berlin
The ideal months are April and May, and September to October. In summer there are lots of festivals and the weather is great. July and August are extremely hot, and that's when most people head to the lakes around Berlin. Berlin is worth a trip in winter too. Wrap up warm and explore the wonderful Christmas markets.
LegendBest time to visitGood time to visitLess suitable time
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best time to visit | Jan: less suitable | Feb: less suitable | Mar: good | Apr: best time to visit | May: best time to visit | Jun: good | Jul: good | Aug: good | Sep: best time to visit | Oct: best time to visit | Nov: less suitable | Dec: good |
| City trip | Jan: less suitable | Feb: less suitable | Mar: good | Apr: best time to visit | May: best time to visit | Jun: good | Jul: good | Aug: good | Sep: best time to visit | Oct: best time to visit | Nov: less suitable | Dec: good |
| Fewer tourists | Jan: best time to visit | Feb: best time to visit | Mar: good | Apr: less suitable | May: less suitable | Jun: less suitable | Jul: less suitable | Aug: less suitable | Sep: less suitable | Oct: less suitable | Nov: good | Dec: good |
Berlin climate table
Temperature:below 0 °C0–9 °C10–16 °C17–23 °C24–29 °C
Rainy days = days with at least 1 mm of rain. Average 2016–2025
Berlin map: my favourite spots
Where everything is: neighbourhoods, sights, viewpoints, museums, parks and market halls at a glance.
Things to do in Berlin
- Reichstag: Germany’s second most popular sight, with its famous glass dome, is a must!
- Brandenburg Gate: Berlin’s landmark, once a symbol of the division into East and West Berlin. Today a symbol of German unity.
- Berlin TV Tower: The best viewpoint you can visit in Berlin! Germany’s tallest structure stands on Alexanderplatz and is a Berlin landmark. You’ll pass it anyway.
- Remains of the Wall: The East Side Gallery, a 1.3 km stretch of the Berlin Wall in Friedrichshain, painted by 118 artists from 21 countries shortly after the fall of the Wall. The largest (free) open-air gallery in the world.
- Boat trip on the Spree: Discover the capital’s moving history and enjoy the ride (ideal in good weather to rest after all those steps on foot)
The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin is always busy. No tourist misses the place where the border between West and East once ran.
Berlin activities & hidden gems
Top 5 activities and tours for sights and culture
- Spree boat trips on special themes
- Street art tours (here you’ll find places for street art in Berlin)
- Tip: Berliner Unterwelten: Discover the bunkers beneath Berlin! For us, the *best tour* in the capital
- Bike tours to explore the history and the city: my tip is the bike tour along the former Wall
- Guided city tour, for example to hidden backyards with lots of street art and insider tips from local guides
A change of perspective: exploring Berlin by boat on the Spree.
Real hidden gems
- Berlin Panorama: From here you can also see the TV Tower
- DDR Museum and Stasi Museum: a must, and especially interesting for anyone who grew up in the West
- Catacombs of Berlin Cathedral
- Explore the abandoned Tempelhof airport on a guided tour
- Berlin Story Museum in an old Second World War bunker, with an extensive exhibition on the city’s history
Berlin tours & guided city tours
Berlin Touren lohnen sich besonders, wenn du die Stadt abseits der klassischen Sehenswürdigkeiten erleben möchtest: unterirdische Gänge, besondere Stadtführungen, Geschichte, Street Art und ungewöhnliche Perspektiven. In diesem Artikel zeige ich dir meine Tipps für außergewöhnliche Touren und Stadtführungen in Berlin, inklusive Berliner Unterwelten und Erlebnissen, die sich wirklich lohnen.
All Berlin hidden gems
Berlin in winter: 5 hidden gems for a winter city break
Museums in Berlin
Street art in Berlin
Berlin hidden gem: Spreepark Plänterwald, one of my highlights in the city
Hidden gems in Berlin
Berlin-Neukölln: the best tips for the neighbourhood
My itinerary for Berlin
How to plan your trip to Berlin
Here you’ll find the most important information for planning your city trip to Berlin.
Getting to Berlin
Berlin lies in the northeast of Germany and is easy to reach by car or train (Deutsche Bahn or Flixtrain). Flights from Germany and the rest of Europe land every day at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), and the central bus station (ZOB) for long-distance coaches is right next to the exhibition grounds.
Where to stay in Berlin
Every Berlin neighbourhood has its own character. Prenzlauer Berg is full of families and hipsters (they say lots of Swabians too, which may be why I feel so at home here). Schöneberg is known for its many bars and clubs, especially in the LGBT scene. I like it here, because Schöneberg is quieter than Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg and Neukölln, where young tourists out to party gather. Berlin’s nightlife is wild, and the nights are long.
Berlin has hotels for every budget. My favourite hotel is the 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin by the zoo, followed by the Michelberger Hotel. All the Motel One hotels in Berlin are good value, and their locations are ideal.
Berlin-Mitte is the most central place to stay for exploring the city. Take a look at my hotel tips and recommendations on where to stay in Berlin
Where to stay in Berlin? Our hotel tips for Berlin
Looking for a hotel?
I usually find my hotels on Booking.com or Expedia.
Getting around Berlin
Berlin’s public transport network is great. With the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses, you get from A to B fairly quickly. There’s also e-scooter and bike sharing, which get you around quickly in summer too. You do have to watch out for drivers, though. Unfortunately, they don’t care much for cycle lanes.
Think about whether the Berlin WelcomeCard is worth it for public transport. With it, you can use all public transport for free for the days you’ve booked. On top of that, you get discounts or free entry to popular attractions.
Our planning tip: download the BVG app or the Deutsche Bahn app to your phone so you can buy tickets for Berlin’s public transport right there. It doesn’t get more convenient or easier than that.
Tickets & passes
City passes for city breaks are all the rage. They can often save you money if you want to visit sights. The cards aren’t always worth it. For Berlin, there’s the Berlin WelcomeCard (see details here), among others. You can read here whether the card is worth it for your trip:
The Berlin WelcomeCard is a ticket that gives you free rides on buses and trains (BVG: S-Bahn, U-Bahn, tram) and 25 to 50 per cent off at over 200 sights, museums, exhibitions, cultural events and some shops and restaurants.
My recommendations on which Berlin card is worth it when:
- WelcomeCard AB: For spontaneous travellers who usually buy their tickets at the entrance
- Tip: Berlin City Pass, 3 days of free entry and free travel: The best card for your first trip to Berlin: free entry to many museums and exhibitions, a free hop-on hop-off ride on the panorama bus, and a visit to the Reichstag (roof terrace with the glass dome, without queuing)
Here you can watch a video on how the Berlin WelcomeCard works and what you get out of it.
Costs
You can often do a weekend in Berlin very cheaply, for under €100, including accommodation, food and travel there and back. You’ll find more in my itinerary for a weekend in Berlin.
Money & payment
Berlin is one of the few cities in Germany where cash is gradually being phased out. That’s a good thing. Use the BVG app, Luca or a credit card to pay in bars, restaurants or on public transport. Always carry enough cash, though, because you won’t always find an ATM for free withdrawals when you need one.
Drinking water in Berlin
In Berlin you’ll find drinking fountains in many public places, connected to Berlin’s drinking water network. On top of that, every café, bar and restaurant will put tap water on your table for free. The water is safe to drink.
Did you know? Refill Berlin:
In cafés, bars or shops with a Refill sticker, you can have your water bottle refilled for free.
Is Berlin safe?
Berlin is considered very open-minded and welcoming. It’s safe, especially in the areas where you’ll spend time as a tourist. Still, we can’t deny that Berlin is the city with the highest crime rate in Germany. If you become a victim of or witness a crime, contact the police immediately.
Accessible travel in Berlin
Most of the public transport system is not accessible. As we aren’t affected ourselves, we refer you to the latest information from Visit Berlin.
Guidebooks for Berlin
Berlin: my recommended guidebooks
Wo übernachten in Berlin? Unsere Hotel-Tipps für Berlin
Planst du gerade eine Reise nach Berlin und weißt nicht, wo du übernachten sollst? Dann lies dir unsere Hoteltipps für Berlin durch, denn zum Sightseeing solltest du eine zentrale Lage wählen, die nicht jedes Berliner Viertel bietet. Wir zeigen dir, welcher Stadtteil und welches Hotel wir empfehlen würden.
Wochenende in Berlin: Programm für perfekte 3 Tage für die wichtigsten Sehenswürdigkeiten
Unsere Erfahrungen mit der Berlin Card: ist sie das Geld wert?
Außergewöhnliche Stadtführungen in Berlin
Berlin: Tolle & interessante Museen
Berlin: Empfehlungen für Reiseführer
How to Find Cheap Flights: 10 Tips That Actually Work
Travel Packing List: Checklist for 1 Week, 10 Days & 3 Weeks
Useful links: my recommendations, this is where I book
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