Season guide · Berlin · Germany
Berlin in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Alexander Blum, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Cold and dark, but Christmas markets, the Berlinale in February and low hotel rates outside the holidays. Expect highs up to 5°C (41°F) and lows around -2°C (28°F), with about 28 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- -2°C (28°F) to 5°C (41°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 28
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3°C (37°F) | -2°C (28°F) | 10 | 8.2 h | 2/5 |
| February | 5°C (41°F) | -2°C (28°F) | 8 | 9.8 h | 3/5 |
| December | 4°C (39°F) | 0°C (32°F) | 10 | 7.7 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 4°C (39°F) against a yearly 14°C (57°F), and 28 of the year's roughly 100 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: International Green Week — food and agriculture fair (usually January)
- February: Berlinale international film festival (usually February)
- December: Christmas markets at Charlottenburg Palace, Gendarmenmarkt and Breitscheidplatz (December)
- December: New Year's Eve party at the Brandenburg Gate (31 December)
Good choices for winter
Palace · Charlottenburg
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
Museum · Mitte
Museum für Naturkunde
Berlin's natural history museum is dominated by the skeleton of a Giraffatitan, one of the tallest mounted dinosaurs in the world, and holds an original Archaeopteryx fossil.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
- History
Museum · Kreuzberg
German Museum of Technology
Families should allow most of a day and save Spectrum for when attention flags.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Gallery · Potsdamer Platz
Gemäldegalerie
One of the world's finest collections of European Old Masters, from the 13th to the 18th century, is spread over 72 rooms at the Kulturforum: Rembrandt, Vermeer, Dürer, Titian, Caravaggio's Amor Vincit Omnia and Bruegel's Netherlandish Proverbs.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Historic site · Mitte
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Walk into the centre of the field, then visit the free Information Centre beneath it; do not climb or jump on the slabs.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Day trips in winter
- Wannsee and Peacock Island (About 40 minutes by S-Bahn) — The lakes of south-west Berlin have a lido, lakeside walks and the House of the Wannsee Conference memorial.
- Dresden (About 2 hours by train) — The Saxon capital was destroyed in 1945 and rebuilt, with the Frauenkirche reconstructed in 2005.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Berlin?
It is a trade-off: Cold and dark, but Christmas markets, the Berlinale in February and low hotel rates outside the holidays. The best months overall are May–September.
+What is the weather like in Berlin in winter?
Highs of up to 5°C (41°F) and lows around -2°C (28°F), with about 28 rainy days over the season.