At a glance: which season to choose?
- For the most pleasant weather: May to September. Afternoons are mild to warm, days are very long, and the parks, the banks of the Spree and the beer gardens are in full swing.
- For a good compromise: September and early October, still mild, with fewer visitors than in July and August, and the Festival of Lights in mid-October.
- For the festive atmosphere: late November to Christmas, when dozens of Christmas markets pop up all over the city.
- On a tight budget: January, February (outside the Berlinale) and November, cold and grey months but quieter, ideal for museums.
Berlin weather month by month
Berlin has a transitional climate between oceanic and continental influences: warm summers, cold winters and relatively little rain. The figures below are the DWD 1991-2020 normals for the Berlin-Tempelhof station: mean monthly temperature (day and night combined), total precipitation and hours of sunshine. The annual mean is 10.4 °C, with 572 mm of rain a year, far less than Amsterdam, and about 1,736 hours of sunshine.
| Month | Mean temp. | Rain | Sunshine | Crowds | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.2 °C | 48 mm | 51 h | Low | Coldest month, low hotel prices |
| February | 2.2 °C | 36 mm | 74 h | Low to high | Berlinale from 10 to 21 February 2027 |
| March | 5.2 °C | 41 mm | 124 h | Medium | 8 March public holiday in Berlin, Easter school holidays from 22 March 2027 |
| April | 10.4 °C | 29 mm | 192 h | Medium to high | Driest month, Easter |
| May | 14.8 °C | 52 mm | 224 h | High | Karneval der Kulturen at Pentecost (16 May 2027, to be confirmed) |
| June | 18.1 °C | 58 mm | 230 h | High | Fête de la Musique on 21 June, longest days |
| July | 20.2 °C | 72 mm | 237 h | Very high | Christopher Street Day on 24 July 2027, summer holidays |
| August | 19.8 °C | 58 mm | 221 h | Very high | Summer holidays until 14 August 2027 |
| September | 15.2 °C | 47 mm | 167 h | High | Berlin Marathon on 26 September 2027 |
| October | 10.2 °C | 44 mm | 115 h | Medium to high | Festival of Lights (9-18 October 2026), 3 October public holiday |
| November | 5.4 °C | 42 mm | 55 h | Low | 9 November, Christmas markets from 23 November 2026 |
| December | 2.3 °C | 44 mm | 41 h | High | Christmas markets, New Year's Eve |
DWD 1991-2020 normals (Berlin-Tempelhof); event dates checked in October 2026. July is both the warmest and the wettest month, often with thunderstorms; April is the driest.
Heat, frost and day length
At Tempelhof there are on average 49.5 days a year at 25 °C or more, including 12.7 days at 30 °C or more, concentrated in July and August. Conversely, the temperature drops below zero on about 68 days a year, mostly from December to February. Snow falls in some winters but rarely lasts long in the city.
Berlin lies further north than Paris, and day length varies greatly: around the summer solstice there are nearly 16 h 50 of daylight, with sunset around 9.30 pm; at the winter solstice the day lasts only about 7 h 45 and the sun sets around 3.55 pm. In winter, start your outdoor sightseeing early and keep museums for the afternoon.
Spring (March to May): the parks wake up
March is still cold, with around ten days of frost on average. Spring really arrives in April: temperatures rise, sunshine increases by half compared with March and there is little rain, making it a good month to walk along the Wall or cycle on Tempelhofer Feld, the former airport turned into a vast open space. Still, bring a warm jacket: the April mean is only 10.4 °C.
Berlin's Easter school holidays run from 22 March to 2 April 2027, and Good Friday (26 March 2027) and Easter Monday (29 March 2027) are public holidays: expect more visitors at museums and major sights on those days.
In May the city switches to summer mode: terraces, beer gardens and boats on the Spree. The Karneval der Kulturen, a large multicultural street festival in Kreuzberg, takes place every year over the Pentecost weekend, with its parade on the Sunday; in 2027 Pentecost falls on 16 May, but the 2027 Karneval date had not yet been announced in early October 2026: check it on karneval-berlin.de. 1 May, Ascension Day (6 May 2027) and Whit Monday (17 May 2027) are public holidays.
Summer (June to August): the city lives outdoors
Summer is the high season. Days are long, afternoons are often warm, and Berlin is enjoyed in the open air: picnics in the Tiergarten, swimming in the lakes around the city, beach bars along the Spree, open-air cinemas. Very hot days are limited to a handful each year, but summer thunderstorms are frequent: keep a backup plan with our selection of things to do in Berlin when it rains.
Three events mark the season:
- Fête de la Musique (21 June): hundreds of free concerts in every district, from the afternoon until midnight. In 2027, 21 June falls on a Monday.
- Christopher Street Day (24 July 2027): Berlin's big LGBTQIA+ Pride march starts at noon from Leipziger Straße, at the corner of Spittelmarkt, and draws hundreds of thousands of people every year.
- Lange Nacht der Museen (late August): an evening when some 75 museums stay open until 2 am with a single ticket. The 2026 edition took place on 29 August (ticket €23, €17 reduced, free for under-12s); the 2027 edition is announced for Saturday 28 August 2027.
Berlin's summer school holidays run from 1 July to 14 August 2027. July and August are the busiest months: book the Reichstag dome and tickets for the major museums in advance.
Autumn (September to November): festivals and light
September extends the summer with a mean of 15.2 °C and terraces still busy. The Berlin Marathon, one of the fastest in the world, takes place on Sunday 26 September 2027: part of the centre is closed to traffic and hotels fill up that weekend.
In October the Tiergarten and the city's avenues take on their autumn colours. From 9 to 18 October 2026 the Festival of Lights illuminates dozens of landmarks and squares (Brandenburg Gate, Bebelplatz, Potsdamer Platz, Charlottenburg Palace…), free of charge, every evening. Saturday 3 October 2026, German Unity Day, is a public holiday. Berlin's autumn school holidays run from 19 to 31 October 2026.
November is one of the quietest and darkest months, with barely 55 hours of sunshine. On 9 November, the anniversary of the fall of the Wall in 1989, a ceremony is held every year at the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße, where roses are placed in the gaps of the Wall.
Winter (December to February): Christmas markets and the Berlinale
Berlin winters are cold, grey and short on daylight: December offers on average only 41 hours of sunshine, and it freezes on around fifteen days a month from December to February. In return, the city celebrates. The main Berlin Christmas markets open on 23 November 2026: until 31 December for the WeihnachtsZauber on Gendarmenmarkt, until 27 December in front of Charlottenburg Palace, until 3 January 2027 in front of the Red Town Hall. 25 and 26 December are public holidays.
For New Year's Eve, the Berlin Senate announced in September 2026 that it plans to hold another free party in front of the Brandenburg Gate, with DJs and fireworks, with online registration as in the previous year. Elsewhere, Berliners set off their own fireworks in the streets all night long: stay alert.
January is the coldest month (1.2 °C on average) and one of the cheapest for accommodation. In February the Berlinale, the international film festival, takes place from 10 to 21 February 2027; 20 and 21 February are audience days. Berlin's winter school holidays fall from 1 to 6 February 2027.
Public holidays and Sundays: what closes
In Berlin the public holidays are 1 January, 8 March (International Women's Day, a holiday only in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Good Friday, Easter Monday, 1 May, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, 3 October and 25 and 26 December. On these days, as on every Sunday, Berlin law requires shops to close; only shops in the main railway stations and a few convenience stores stay open. Museums, on the other hand, generally open on Sundays.
A few exceptional shopping Sundays are allowed each year: in 2026 shops may open from 1 pm to 8 pm on Sundays 6 and 20 December, for the Christmas markets.
| Period | 2026-2027 dates |
|---|---|
| Autumn holidays | 19 to 31 October 2026 |
| Christmas holidays | 23 December 2026 to 2 January 2027 |
| Winter holidays | 1 to 6 February 2027 |
| Easter holidays | 22 March to 2 April 2027 |
| Ascension bridge day and Pentecost | 7 May, 18 and 19 May 2027 |
| Summer holidays | 1 July to 14 August 2027 |
School holidays of the State of Berlin (official Senate calendar), checked in October 2026.
Budget: when hotels are cheapest
Room prices follow crowds and the calendar of major events and trade fairs. The lowest rates are found in January, in February outside the Berlinale and in November; the highest during the summer, at weekends in May and September, during the Berlinale, the marathon, the Festival of Lights, at weekends in December and at New Year. Since 1 January 2025 Berlin has charged a tourist tax (City Tax) of 7.5% of the net room rate: check whether the displayed price includes it (prices checked in October 2026).
- Book early for event dates, especially marathon weekend and the Berlinale.
- Prefer midweek: nights from Sunday to Thursday are often cheaper.
- Choose the right area: our guide where to stay in Berlin compares the well-connected neighbourhoods.
To estimate the total cost of your stay, see Berlin on a budget.
What to pack
- In winter, a warm coat, hat, gloves and shoes that can handle slush: you spend a long time outdoors at the Christmas markets.
- In spring and autumn, several layers and a windproof jacket: mornings are cool even in fine weather.
- In summer, light clothing, sun protection and a rain layer for thunderstorms.
- In every season, good shoes: distances are long and you walk a lot.
Further reading
Once your dates are set, follow our Berlin in 3 days itinerary and keep our ideas for free things to do in Berlin to hand. In winter, our page on the Christmas markets details the markets and their opening hours; in February, the Berlinale page explains how to get tickets.
