When to go · Berlin
Berlin in December
Mixed month. Christmas markets; cold; closures on 24–26 December.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 4° / -1°
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 10
- Crowds
- High
- Germany overall
- Prices
- High
- Germany overall
Verdict
Christmas markets; cold; closures on 24–26 December.
Weather in December
- BerlinHighs around 4 °C, lows around -1 °C, rain on about 10 days
- Berlin and the east, Germany · Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, Brandenburg lakescool
Continental: cold dry winters (around 0 °C), warm summers with 30 °C spells; lake swimming from June.
Winter season
Cold and grey with short days; Christmas markets in December are the highlight, but many rooms have limited heating character (older buildings) — check reviews.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Christmas markets
From late November · Gendarmenmarkt and across the city
Markets at Gendarmenmarkt and across the city from late November.
New Year's Eve
Dec 31
Large open-air party at the Brandenburg Gate; roads close early.
Christmas big impact
24–26 Dec · Germany
Shops close on the 24th around 14:00 and stay closed until the 27th; many restaurants closed.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Germany overall
- High
- Prices · Germany overall
- High
Germany overall: Christmas markets in every town; Nuremberg, Dresden and Cologne weekends are packed. Shops close from 24 December afternoon.
High-price month: see what to book ahead.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat and gloves for mornings and evenings
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast
- Layers: a fleece or light jacket