Germany · 5 days · 5 days · 20 stops
5 days in Berlin with a day in Potsdam
Five days give Berlin room for both of its halves: two days in Mitte with the government quarter and Museum Island, one day in the old West Berlin around Charlottenburg and the Kurfürstendamm, and one day along the Wall to Kreuzberg. The Potsdam trip sits in the middle, so your legs get park paths instead of pavement for a day.
In short
- Length
- 5 days, 20 stops
- Highlights
- Reichstag building, Alte Nationalgalerie, Sanssouci Palace, Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin Wall Memorial
- Day trips
- Day trip to Potsdam
- Where to stay
- Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg
- Getting around
- Berlin is too big to walk everywhere.
- Best time to go
- May to September is best: long evenings, beer gardens and parks.
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Plan created with AI support – please check opening hours, prices and routes before you go. YesTrip editorial team · Updated: .
Day 1
Government quarter and Potsdamer Platz
Reichstag building
Get your bearings on the first morning: from the dome you see the Tiergarten, the Chancellery and the Spree. Online registration required.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Reichstag buildingabout 5 min on foot
Brandenburg Gate
The Quadriga on top faces Unter den Linden. Nearby, a line of cobbles in the road marks where the Wall ran.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Brandenburg Gateabout 5 min on foot
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Walk through the field of slabs first, then go down to the information centre with biographies and letters.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europeabout 10 min on foot
Potsdamer Platz
Rebuilt after 1990, with high-rises and original Wall segments by the station entrance. Plenty of places around for a late lunch.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Potsdamer Platz
Day 2
Museum Island, the palace and Alexanderplatz
Alte Nationalgalerie
Caspar David Friedrich, Menzel and early Impressionists in a temple-like building. Smaller than its neighbours – two hours is enough.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Alte Nationalgalerieabout 10 min on foot
Humboldt Forum
Behind the rebuilt palace facade are collections from Africa, Asia and the Americas. Up top a roof terrace looks across to the cathedral.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Humboldt Forumabout 5 min on foot
Nikolaiviertel
A late lunch where the city began. Much of the quarter was rebuilt in the 1980s; St Nicholas' Church is the old heart.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Nikolaiviertelabout 10 min on foot
Berlin TV Tower
Go up in the late afternoon when the light gets lower. Book timed tickets online.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Berlin TV Tower
Day 3
Day trip to Potsdam
Regional train from Berlin Hauptbahnhof or S-Bahn S7 to Potsdam Hauptbahnhof, about 25–40 min. From there a bus runs to Sanssouci Park. Book a time slot for the palace and check opening hours before you go.
Sanssouci Palace
Frederick the Great's summer palace at the top of the vineyard terraces. The rooms are small and the tour doesn't take long.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Sanssouci Palaceabout 10 min on foot
Chinese House
A garden pavilion with gilded figures, about 15 min on foot through the park. Lovely even just from outside.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Chinese HouseThrough the park to the Luisenplatz exit and along Brandenburger Straße to the Dutch Quarter, about 35 min on foot.
Dutch Quarter
Red-brick houses from the 18th century with cafés and restaurants – the best spot in Potsdam for lunch.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Dutch Quarterabout 15 min on foot
Museum Barberini
Impressionists and changing exhibitions on the Alter Markt. From here it is about 15 min on foot to the main station.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Museum Barberini
Day 4
Charlottenburg and City West
To the palace take the U7 to Richard-Wagner-Platz and walk about 15 min, or take a bus to Schloss Charlottenburg.
Charlottenburg Palace
Berlin's largest palace, with baroque rooms and gardens stretching down to the Spree. You don't need a ticket for the gardens.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Charlottenburg PalaceBus from Schloss Charlottenburg towards Zoologischer Garten, about 15 min.
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
The ruined tower was left standing as a memorial. Next to it, the new church glows blue from its glass walls.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Churchabout 10 min on foot
KaDeWe
Lunch on the gourmet food floor on the sixth floor, with counters for oysters, sausages and cakes.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): KaDeWeWalk to Zoologischer Garten station, then bus 100 to Großer Stern, about 20 min in total.
Victory Column
Almost 300 steps lead up to the platform below the golden Victoria. The Tiergarten all around makes a good walk back.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Victory Column
Day 5
The Wall, the Spree and Kreuzberg
Berlin Wall Memorial
The documentation centre has a viewing tower over the preserved border strip. Below, panels tell the escape stories of Bernauer Straße.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Berlin Wall MemorialS-Bahn from Nordbahnhof to Friedrichstraße, change there for Ostbahnhof, about 25 min.
East Side Gallery
The paintings on the Wall date from 1990. The back, facing the river, is plain and grey – also worth a look.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): East Side GalleryOver the Oberbaum Bridge into Kreuzberg and on to Eisenbahnstraße, about 20 min on foot.
Markthalle Neun
Stalls with bread, cheese and small dishes in a market hall from 1891. Check opening hours before you go.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Markthalle Neunabout 15 min on foot
Landwehr Canal at Maybachufer
Finish with a walk along the canal. In the evening people sit on the bridges and the banks, with restaurants in the side streets.
On the map (OpenStreetMap): Landwehr Canal at Maybachufer
Good to know
Ticket for Potsdam
Potsdam is in fare zone C. On the day trip you need an ABC ticket, not just AB.
Bundle Museum Island
If you plan to visit several of the state museums, look at the tickets covering all of Museum Island. Still book the time slots.
One more day?
The Sachsenhausen memorial in Oranienburg is about 45 min north by S-Bahn. Give it a whole, quiet day.
For the best time to go, public transport and where to stay, see the 3-day plan for Berlin.
Your plan
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5 days in Berlin: frequently asked questions
Are 5 days too many for Berlin?
No. The city is big and its sights are spread out. Five days cover Mitte, West Berlin, the Wall and still leave room for a day trip.
How do you get from Berlin to Potsdam?
By regional train from Hauptbahnhof or on the S7, about 25 to 40 minutes to Potsdam Hauptbahnhof. A bus then takes you to Sanssouci Park.
Which other day trips work from Berlin?
Besides Potsdam, the Sachsenhausen memorial or the Spreewald. The Spreewald takes longer to reach – check connections before you go.
More plans for Berlin
- One dayBerlin in one day: Reichstag to the cathedralFrom the Reichstag along Unter den Linden to Museum Island and on to Hackescher Markt at night – all on foot.
- WeekendA weekend in Berlin: Friday to SundayThe dome on Friday night, museums and Friedrichshain on Saturday, the Wall and a flea market on Sunday.
- 3 days3 days in Berlin – a ready-made itineraryThe government quarter and Museum Island, traces of the Wall and an evening in Kreuzberg.
- With kidsBerlin with kids: zoo, dinosaurs and playgroundsA day of zoo and aquarium, a day of dinosaurs, a children's farm and playgrounds – with short journeys.
- On a budgetBerlin on a budget: 2 days, mostly freeThe dome, the Wall, Tempelhofer Feld and the East Side Gallery – two full days with almost no entry fees.
Plan created with AI support – please check opening hours, prices and routes before you go. Coordinates checked with Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap (Photon). Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. More in Sources & licences. YesTrip is a trip planner, not a travel agency – nothing is booked.
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