Our picks at a glance
| Park | Best for | Entry (October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Tiergarten | Everyone, in the centre | Free |
| Tempelhofer Feld | Cycling, kites, wide open spaces | Free |
| Botanical garden | Greenhouses, plants, rain | €10 (reduced €5) |
| Gärten der Welt (Marzahn) | Gardens of the world, families | €9 (reduced €4) in season |
| Britzer Garten | Picnics, flowers, children | €5 (reduced €2.50) in season |
| Pfaueninsel | Nature, island, palace | Ferry €6 (reduced €5) |
| Natur-Park Südgelände | Rail-yard wasteland, nature | €1 |
In central Berlin
The Tiergarten, 207 hectares, is the great central park, between the Brandenburg Gate and the Kulturforum. Free and always open, it suits any hour: a stroll, a rowing boat on the Neuer See, a beer in a beer garden.
The Volkspark Friedrichshain is the city's oldest public park, laid out from 1846. It holds the Märchenbrunnen, the fairy-tale fountain opened in 1913, and a former bunker hill with views of the centre.
The Treptower Park, 88 hectares on the Spree, is visited together with the Soviet war memorial; the park is free.
The wide open spaces
Tempelhofer Feld is the former Tempelhof airport: more than 300 hectares of runways open to the public since 2010, perfect for cycling, inline skating and kites. There is little shade: bring water. Closing times vary each month (7:00-19:00 in October).
The Natur-Park Schöneberger Südgelände is an 18-hectare nature reserve on a former rail yard: rusting locomotives, birch trees, walking trails and artworks. Entry costs €1 (free up to age 13); in October the park is open from 9:00 to 18:00. The main access is Priesterweg S-Bahn station.
The gardens to visit
The botanical garden in Dahlem, 43 hectares and nearly 20,000 species, is the most interesting in wet weather thanks to its 15 greenhouses. Open 9:00-19:00 from October to March, 10:00-20:00 from April to September.
The Gärten der Welt, in Marzahn, bring together gardens of several cultures, including a Chinese garden. They are open every day from 9:00 until dusk; entry is €9 (reduced €4) from March to October, with a combined ticket including the cable car at €12.90.
The Britzer Garten, in the south of the city, is a large landscaped park with themed gardens and picnic lawns, open every day from 9:00 until dusk; €5 (€2.50 reduced) until the end of October, free up to age 5.
The island and the palaces
The Pfaueninsel, Peacock Island, is reached by a small ferry from the bank of the Havel: ferry ticket €6 (€5 reduced), island open 10:00-18:00 from March to October, last crossing 45 minutes before closing. Allow half a day for the island and its wooded paths.
For palace gardens, see the park of Charlottenburg Palace, which is free to enter, and Sanssouci in Potsdam.
Which park to choose?
- An hour's break in the centre: Tiergarten.
- A rainy day: the botanical garden's greenhouses; see also Berlin when it rains.
- With children: Britzer Garten or Gärten der Welt; see Berlin with children.
- Free: Tiergarten, Tempelhofer Feld, Treptower Park; see free things to do in Berlin.
- A full day in the south-west: our guide to Dahlem and Grunewald.
