Weather and daylight from December to February
The climate is continental. From December to February, average temperatures are close to 0 °C, with afternoon highs of 2 to 4 °C and sub-zero nights; January is usually the coldest month. Snow falls in some winters, but rarely stays long in the city; grey skies and damp are more common than dry deep cold. The east wind, which sweeps across big open spaces like Alexanderplatz or the Tempelhofer Feld, makes it feel colder.
Light is the real challenge: at the end of December the sun rises around 8:15am and sets around 4pm. Plan outdoor walks between 10am and 3:30pm, and keep late afternoon for museums, concerts or cafés. Days lengthen quickly: at the end of February it is light until about 5:30pm.
What to pack
Layer up: a warm windproof coat, a wool sweater, thermal underwear if you feel the cold, a hat, a scarf and gloves. Choose waterproof shoes with non-slip soles, because pavements can be icy; streets are generally salted or gritted, but not all of them. Indoors everything is very well heated: clothes that come off easily will spare you a sweat in museum cloakrooms. A compact umbrella is useful, as is a small power bank for your phone, since cold drains the battery faster.
The festive season
The season begins at the end of November with the Christmas markets, which stay open until the end of December or early January. Our guide to the Berlin Christmas markets gives the dates and hours of the finest markets, from the Gendarmenmarkt to Charlottenburg. To find out what is open over the three days of the holiday, read Christmas in Berlin; for New Year's Eve, New Year in Berlin explains the party at the Brandenburg Gate.
In January and February, after the holidays, the city empties of tourists. This is when hotels and flights are cheapest of the year, outside school holidays: our guide to the budget for a trip to Berlin details the prices.
Museums and places to visit under cover
Berlin has more than 170 museums, and winter is the right time to see them: queues are short, even at the Museum Island and the Humboldt Forum. Here are our ideas for a cold or grey day:
- Art and history museums: the Neues Museum with Nefertiti, the Gemäldegalerie, the Neue Nationalgalerie and the Hamburger Bahnhof.
- Indoor memorials: the Jewish Museum Berlin and the Topography of Terror can be visited almost entirely indoors.
- With children: the Natural History Museum, the German Museum of Technology and the animal houses of the Berlin Zoo, which closes at 4:30pm from late October to late December.
- Music: a concert at the Berlin Philharmonie or the Konzerthaus on the Gendarmenmarkt, booked weeks ahead.
- Cafés: winter is the season of coffee and cake (Kaffee und Kuchen); the KaDeWe and its gourmet floors are a fine refuge.
For more ideas, our guide to Berlin when it rains applies just as well to snow, and the one on free activities reminds you what costs nothing.
A day in the tropics
When the cold gets too hard, head to Tropical Islands, about an hour by train south of Berlin. The park is heated all year: you swim in swimwear among palm trees whatever the weather. It is very busy on winter weekends, though; come on a weekday.
Film and winter events
In February, the Berlinale film festival enlivens the city for ten days: Potsdamer Platz cinemas are full and hotels dearer than the rest of winter. If you are aiming for the festival, book early. The Grüne Woche, a big agricultural show, takes place at the Messe Berlin in January; dates change every year, so check them before booking.
What is closed or reduced in winter
- Park and zoo hours get shorter: Berlin Zoo closes at 4:30pm from late October to late December.
- Beer gardens and terraces are closed, except those that heat their tents.
- Boats on the Spree run less often and punt trips in the Spreewald are greatly reduced.
- Public holidays: on the afternoon of 24 December, on 25 and 26 December and on 1 January, most shops are closed.
Getting around in winter
The U-Bahn is heated and reliable: see our guide to getting around Berlin. In snow or ice, some trams and buses run late; allow a margin. Landlords are supposed to clear the pavements, but not always. To sleep near the museums or the station, see where to stay in Berlin.
Going further
If you are torn between winter and another season, our guide to the best time to visit Berlin compares the months. And to plan your days, what to do in Berlin in one day gives an itinerary you can adapt to short days. Month by month: what to do in Berlin in December, January and February.
