The calendar of the three festive days
- Thursday 24 December (Heiligabend): a working day, but most shops close around 2pm; supermarkets open in the morning until midday. In the evening Berliners stay at home, and many restaurants are closed or open only for pre-booked festive menus. For shopping, go before noon.
- Friday 25 December (first day of Christmas): a public holiday. Shops and most restaurants are closed; museums, parks and transport run, often on Sunday hours.
- Saturday 26 December (second day of Christmas): also a public holiday, with shops closed despite it being a Saturday. Many Berliners go out to a restaurant or a concert on this day.
Apart from stations and airports, the convenience supermarkets in the big stations (Hauptbahnhof, Ostbahnhof, Friedrichstraße) are in principle open on Sundays and public holidays, which helps for a picnic. Check their hours, which vary.
The Christmas markets during the holidays
Not all markets close: each one's calendar is detailed in our guide to the Berlin Christmas markets. In 2026, among the largest, the Gendarmenmarkt market opens on 24 December from 11am to 6pm, the Breitscheidplatz market was open from 11am to 2pm in 2025 (2026 hours not published in early October), while those at Charlottenburg Palace and the Red Town Hall are closed on 24 December. After Christmas, the Gendarmenmarkt, the Breitscheidplatz and the Rotes Rathaus remain. Check each market's hours the week you leave, as some publish theirs late.
Markets are places where you eat without booking: grilled sausages, potato pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer), roasted almonds and mulled wine (Glühwein). Glühwein is served in a mug with a deposit: you get the deposit back when you return the mug.
Concerts, churches and shows
Christmas is the big season for classical music, with Christmas concerts and oratorios in the city's churches and halls. The Konzerthaus on the Gendarmenmarkt and the Berlin Philharmonie programme year-end concerts that should be booked several weeks ahead; check their sites in November. Churches, including the Berlin Cathedral, hold services and concerts on the evening of the 24th and on the 25th: times are published by each parish and the cathedral may limit tourist visits on those days.
Museums, the zoo and other places open
Holiday hours vary from place to place: on 24 December many museums close early or stay closed; on the 25th and 26th most open as on a Sunday. The Berlin Zoo and its aquarium open every day of the year, but close at 2pm on 24 December. For the Museum Island museums, the Jewish Museum or the Humboldt Forum, check each venue's site before setting out: do not count on opening on the 24th. For more indoor ideas, see Berlin when it rains and Berlin in winter.
Transport during the holidays
The BVG runs a reduced timetable over the holidays. In previous years, on 24 December buses, trams and the U-Bahn ran to the Saturday timetable; on the 25th and 26th, to the Sunday one; between Christmas and New Year a holiday timetable applies, with lower frequencies. Night journeys differ from an ordinary weekend: check the BVG app the day before. For tickets, see our guide to getting around Berlin.
Where to eat on 24, 25 and 26 December
Book early, from November, if you want to dine in a restaurant on the 24th or 25th: many close or offer a fixed-price festive menu. Hotel restaurants, foreign-cuisine places (Turkish, Vietnamese, Indian) and the big stations are the easiest to find open. For dish ideas, see what to eat in Berlin.
A few tips
- Do your shopping before noon on the 24th and do not count on an open shop on the 25th and 26th.
- Book hotels and restaurants from the autumn; the period is quiet but dearer than January.
- Dress warmly: see our guide to Berlin in winter.
- For New Year, read New Year in Berlin.
- Money: keep a little cash for market stalls; the guide to paying in Berlin details local habits.
- The rest of the month: see what to do in Berlin in December.
