Outdoors · Berlin · Germany
7 best outdoor things to do in Berlin
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Alexander Blum, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Berlin Wall Memorial, Tiergarten and the Victory Column and Charlottenburg Palace. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 13–18 hours across 5 areas; 4 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 4
- Time to see them all
- 13–18 hours
- Areas
- Mitte, Tiergarten and Charlottenburg
Outdoors in Berlin
Historic site · Mitte
1.Berlin Wall Memorial
Start at the Visitor Centre near Nordbahnhof and walk east along the outdoor exhibition; it is free and open-air.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Outdoors
- Iconic
Park · Tiergarten
2.Tiergarten and the Victory Column
Rent a rowing boat at the Neuer See, then have a beer in the lakeside garden.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Views
- Kids
- Couples
Palace · Charlottenburg
3.Charlottenburg Palace
If time is short, see the New Wing and spend the rest of the visit in the gardens.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Architecture
- Outdoors
- Rainy day
Park · Neukölln
4.Tempelhofer Feld
Rent a bike or bring skates and ride the full runway; sunset across the open field is spectacular.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Active
- History
Market · Prenzlauer Berg
5.Mauerpark Sunday market
Arrive late morning for the market, then stay for the karaoke on summer Sunday afternoons.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Food
- Outdoors
Museum · Mitte
6.Museum für Naturkunde
Use the Jurascopes, binocular viewers that bring the dinosaur skeletons to life.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
- History
Experience · Mitte
7.Spree river boat tour
Choose a boat with an open upper deck and a sailing in the early evening for softer light.
- Time needed
- 1–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Couples
- Views
- Outdoors
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Mitte | Berlin Wall Memorial, Museum für Naturkunde and Spree river boat tour | 1.5–2 hours + 2 hours + 1–3 hours |
| Tiergarten | Tiergarten and the Victory Column | 2–3 hours |
| Charlottenburg | Charlottenburg Palace | 2–3 hours |
| Neukölln | Tempelhofer Feld | 2 hours |
| Prenzlauer Berg | Mauerpark Sunday market | 2–3 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 4 free, 2 low cost, 1 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Tiergarten and the Victory Column; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Mitte): Berlin Wall Memorial → Museum für Naturkunde, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Mitte and Tiergarten): Spree river boat tour → Tiergarten and the Victory Column, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Charlottenburg and Neukölln): Charlottenburg Palace → Tempelhofer Feld, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Prenzlauer Berg): Mauerpark Sunday market, at least 2 hours.
The best months to be outside
- June: highs of 23°C (73°F), about 8 rainy days, busy crowds. Long, warm days; lakes, open-air cinemas and outdoor parties begin.
- September: highs of 20°C (68°F), about 7 rainy days, busy crowds. Often pleasantly warm and settled, with a packed cultural calendar as the season restarts.
- August: highs of 25°C (77°F), about 8 rainy days, very busy crowds. Warm and busy, with open-air culture across the city and lakes at their warmest.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Mitte — The historic centre: Unter den Linden, Museum Island and the Hackesche Höfe courtyards
- Prenzlauer Berg — Restored 19th-century tenements, leafy squares, cafés and young families
- Neukölln — Bars on Weserstrasse, Arab bakeries on Sonnenallee and Tempelhofer Feld
- Charlottenburg — West Berlin elegance: the Kurfürstendamm, grand apartments and a royal palace
More of Berlin
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Berlin?
Berlin Wall Memorial. Along Bernauer Strasse, the national memorial preserves a stretch of the Wall with its death strip and a watchtower, alongside markers of escape tunnels and the houses whose windows people jumped from in 1961.
+Which of these are free in Berlin?
Berlin Wall Memorial, Tiergarten and the Victory Column, Tempelhofer Feld and Mauerpark Sunday market.