In your list of top cities in Europe to visit with your family, Berlin should definitely be included. Every corner is packed with incredible stories to tell. with some of the most important moments of history having taken place here, you can only expect to be left wanting to know and discover now. Besides it’s incredible cultural and historical richness, Berlin is an incredibly modern city with vibrant architecture, sumptuous dining, and wonderful activities to do with the family. Visiting Berlin with kids is definitely one of our favourite destinations we’ve done.
Being one of the busiest multicultural metropolises in Europe, you can be absolutely sure that fun will never be missing during your time there. You’ll never run out of things to do, and will even find it challenging to fit them all in! Luckily, we’re here to help. This is the ultimate travel guide for Berlin with kids! We’ve covered from the best time to travel, to the best areas to stay in for families, and of course, the best things to do with the family.
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When To Visit Berlin
Winter
Winter in Berlin is not the most family friendly city to visit in the winter. Like any other European city, it tends to be very cold, wet, and dark at around 4PM. We don’t recommend traveling around Berlin with kids in the winter. You’ll most likely have to deal with uncomfortable weather, and won’t be able to spend much time outdoors; where many of the best attractions tend to be. During the Christmas and New Year’s period, Berlin tends to be quite a popular place for tourists to visit from all over the world. You can expect hotel prices to go up quite a lot during this period, as well. Overall, you could probably skip Berlin during the winter – there are much better times to visit. However, as you may expect, Christmas in Berlin is done right – and does wonders at lighting up the gloomy weather. Twinkling lights and delicious waves of mulled wine aromas never get old!
Spring
After what seem to be never-ending months of cold weather, Berlin is always happy to welcome spring. Trees and flowers start to bloom, and streets start to fill with more cheerful and happier crowds. In general, the booming feeling that Berlin is known for starts to show itself; something that is rather nice to experience for yourself. If you’re planning to go in spring, we suggest that you visit from May onwards. The weather tends to improve in terms of rain, the city looks the most colorful with hundreds of different flowers coming to life. Make sure to stay alert for the famous Berlin Marathon! Whether you decide to run it or not, seeing the city show support for their proud runners iis something you definitely want to be a part of.
Summer
In the summer, as you may expect, the weather in Berlin is at its best. Warm sunshine and all sorts of outdoor festivals that make the entire city sing. In the summer, the weather in Berlin also lets you take a dip inside their beautiful city lakes or public pools; which is always a good idea to do while travelling abroad with kids. Evidently, summer is the time where most people tend to travel over to Berlin, so you may face higher prices in hotels and large crowds overtaking the most popular attractions and hot spots. However, to avoid having to pay more, we recommend that you book your trip towards June rather than July and August.
Fall
Even though the weather may not be as warm, we had to pick the fall as the best time to visit Berlin with kids. Traveling to Berlin with kids in the fall is beautiful, with the changing colors of the trees covering the city and wonderful red and orange colors. Since the tourist season is over, the city becomes a lot nicer to discover since you’ll be able to experience it at its most authentic self, like the locals do. It’s not as loud as in the summer, but the general atmosphere is still warm, and welcoming. Accomodation prices also tend to decrease after the peak season, so you can probably find some good deals for the family. The Berlin Art Week and Berlin Marathons are two of the largest events of the city that take place during fall, so make sure you look out for them. Overall, the fall is definitely the time where you should aim to plan your family trip.
Best Areas To Stay in Berlin
Mitte
For families travelling to Berlin for the first time, staying at the Mitte neighbourhood is the best place to find accomodation in. Mitte is the most central and vibrant area of the city, filled with the most popular places to visit in Berlin. Countless museums, restaurants, shopping areas and landmarks are reachable by foot or a short ride on public transport, so you’d be able to plan your days there efficiently. This is why Mitte is without a doubt the best place to stay in Berlin with kids; it makes travelling easy, hassle-free, and gives you a larger opportunity to enjoy the trip. Since it is the most popular area to stay among tourists, you may experience seeing higher prices for hotels; especially in the peaks of the tourist season. But there are in fact any accomodation options for all kinds of budgets and styles so you definitely won’t have any trouble in finding something that suits your family.
Prenzlauer Berg
Looking to stay in the coolest area of Berlin? Look no further than Prenzlauer Berg. Berlin, in general, is known to have an incredible sense of style and chicness. And this neighbourhood is the perfect place to embrace it. Prenzlauer Berg has gone through many changes; largely due to the historical events that happened during the decade of the 80s. It carries within it an amazing concentration of subcultures adopted by a primarily young crowd; so you can be sure to show your kids a good time here. Designer shops, trendy cafés, art galleries and talented street musicians give this area a playful and lively atmosphere that’s a pleasure to be surrounded by. Many of its buildings are refurbished old factories and breweries, which contribute in giving the neighbourhood an enchanting, vintage feel. This is a favourite among families, so make sure you don’t take too long when booking accomodation!
Friedrichshain
Friedrichshain is another of the coolest areas to stay in Berlin with kids. It blends youthful, modern energy with elements of highly historical and cultural importance. Although it’s not at the dead center of the city, it’s very close it, and is nevertheless surrounded by the top places to visit in Berlin. Young travellers tend to gravitate towards this area for its vibrant nightlife, but it’s still a great, friendly area for families. The best reason to stay in Friedrichshain is because it’s the largest surviving piece of the Berlin Wall still stands. Being one of the most popular places to visit in Berlin, staying in a place where such world-changing bits of history took place is very exciting. It also offers gorgeous green spaces like the well-known Volkspark Friedrichshain, which is great to have close by when wanting to escape the high-energy vibe from the city with your kids.
How To Get Around Berlin?
Public Transport System (Elevated Trains & Underground Trains)
When travelling around Berlin with kids, it might be useful to first make a distinction between the public transport systems: The S-Bahn and the U-Bahn. The S-Bahn refers to light rail transport options like buses and trams, and the U-Bahn to the subway.
To get around the city, particularly between neighborhoods or to jump from one attraction to the next, jumping on the U-Bahn is definitely the better option. It’s way faster, and has a much more regular schedule than the S-Bahn. However, if you’re traveling longer distances, taking the S-Bahn is more convenient. Both systems have long operating hours; from around 4 am until half past midnight.
Depending on the length of your stay in Berlin, you should look into buying a travel pass for however long you’re there for. It will save you both time and money from having to think about purchasing tickets.
Bikes
Berlin has an incredible bike culture, and if you’re up for giving it a go, it’s one of the greatest ways to discover the city. Berlin has over 600 km of excellently built bike lanes and stop lights. Tourists with less experience in biking tend to find this very comforting, and are more prone to wanting to try riding bikes. However, you should be aware that locals have been using bikes to commute for years, so look out for fast riders, and make sure to follow the right etiquette. Especially if you’re riding with kids for the first time, you might want to skip on this. But if you’ve had experience with it before, we can’t deny it’s a great way to see the city! If you’re interested, you won’t have trouble finding rental or hire bike sites. There are plenty all over the city, and they’ll be able to advise you on the best routes to stick to as well.
Uber
Uber is available in Berlin, and might be useful when travelling to and from the airport. However, you won’t really need to use it when exploring the city since the public transport system is so good, and a lot cheaper than hiring a private car service.
Best Things To Do in Berlin With Kids
Boat Ride along Cathedral, Museum Island and the Chancellery
Like in the majority of other European cities, Berlin is another in which the best landmarks and iconic buildings can be seen through a boat ride on the Spree river. When looking for a panoramic view of Berlin with kids, hopping on a boat is definitely worth it since you can get a clear image of where everything else without having to spend hours and hours exploring on foot.
We recommend that you hop on the Historic City Cruise. It takes just about an hour and you’ll see some of the most famous attractions in Berlin such as the Friedrichstraße, the Nikolai Quarter and the Museum Island. On nice, warm days, you are more than welcome to go on the top deck to enjoy the fresh air. On colder days, you can still have a great time protected from the rain on the lower part of the boat.
The boat offers explanations about everything you see in eight different languages, which is another great way to get to know a little more about the city in detail. There are about four boat rides that run per day, so you won’t have to worry about making it to the port at a specific time. Refreshments are available on board!
Berlin has countless boat ride companies to choose from, so make sure to check out their website to see all their options. Prices for adults don’t go over 20 eur, and children’s tickets are usually 50% of the full price.
Website: Historical Center Boat Ride
Legoland Discovery Center
There is no doubt that the biggest highlight of your kids’ time in Berlin will be visiting the Legoland Discovery Center. Playing with Legos are an important part of every child’s childhood in Germany, so sharing this with your kids is essential not only for fun, but also to know a little bit more about how kids their age have fun.
Inside the center, you can expect to find over 5 million Lego bricks that can bring you to all sorts of adventures; from a dragon roller coaster ride, to an enchanting world of dinosaurs, to the chance to become a real-life ninja. The best part of visiting the center, we have to admit, is the Lego Miniland. Over 2 million Lego bricks are used to reconstruct the city of Berlin in a space of 50 square feet. It’s truly amazing! You can really spend hours looking at all every detail, only to uncover more the more you watch. The Legoland Discovery Center has many more surprises for you to discover, so many sure you go!
Website: Legoland Discovery Center Address: Potsdamer Straße 4, 10785 Berlin, Germany Hours: Currently unavailable Cost: 17.55 EUR
German Museum of Technology
As we’re sure you’ve heard, there’s nothing quite like Germany’s quality and expertise in technology. When visiting Berlin with kids, you definitely wouldn’t want to miss out on paying the German Museum of Technology a visit. This museum showcases all kinds of amazing pieces of old and modern machinery; from aeronautics, to sailing, to military aircrafts, to cars from all times of history. It’s a very exciting museum for kids to see, full of hands-on exhibitions and interactive displays. You won’t have to worry for a second about your kids getting bored, or losing interest – there is literally something to see in every corner.
The museum offers tours dedicated to children as well, explaining how planes manage to fly. I’m sure that as adults, many of us often wonder the same thing. Make sure to check out their temporary exhibitions and film screenings; it’s likely that there will always be something unpredictable to see for the enjoyment of the entire family.
Website: German Museum of Technology Address: Trebbiner Straße 9 10963 Berlin Hours: Tue . Fri 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM Sat - Sun 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Cost: Adult 8 EUR Child 4 EUR Child (under 6 years old) Free
Wall Museum East Side Gallery
Extending over a kilometer in length, the open-air East Side Gallery is one of the most exciting things to do in Berlin with kids. The walls that once saw troubling times are now covered in colorful murals made by over 20 international artists. Today, it gains its reputation as a world-famous protected memorial. You might want to consider hopping on bikes, and riding up and down the murals. Otherwise, walking is always a good option. There are many available walking tours you can take part of. One of the best are offered by the Berlin Wall foundation, and it will be a good opportunity to hear more about the stories that made world-famous history. There are also walking tours dedicated for children as well; they have different and engaging ways of explaining what used to go on back in the day, so you can be sure they’ll have a great time.
We definitely suggest that you take the time to take pictures of the family while you’re here. They are truly amazing murals and can get great artistic shots to remember Berlin and its best landmark by. We recommend that you start your trip down the wall from the Warschauer Straße and Ostbahnhof railway stations. There are a couple of landmarks and impressive things to see along the way, like the huge rock, paper, scissors statue, and the Mercedes Benz Arena.
Website: The East Side Gallery Berlin Address: Mühlenstraße 3-100, 10243 Berlin, Germany Hours: Open 24 Hours Cost: Free
Volkspark Friedrichshain
Especially on a nice summer day, coming to the Volkspark Friedrichshain park is one of the best things to do in Berlin with kids. This is the city’s oldest park, packed with wonderful tall trees, and magical ponds that give you the impression of walking straight into a fairytale. In fact, Volkspark Friedrichshain is known for its beautiful sculpture “Märchenbrunnen” – German for “fountain of fairytale”. Still standing since 1913, this fountain represents characters from German traditional folktales and fairytales. It might be worth reading your kids a few of these stories to give them a little background about the forest; it will make them enjoy it a lot more! You should look for the two artificial mountains here in the park. They’re made from destroyed WW2 bunkers, and offer you an incredible view of the city.
Make sure to look out for open-air cinema showings from May to September! There are also plenty of restaurants, cafés and barbecue spots for you to spend a lovely summer day.
Address: Am Friedrichshain 1 10407 Berlin Hours: Open 24 hours Cost: Free
Waldhochseilgarten Jungfernheide
The second largest park in Berlin doesn’t only have wonderful luscious greenery to offer. The Waldhochseilgarten Jungfernheide High Rope Forest Garden is located inside the enchanting Volkspark Jungfernheide. Built based on sustainable standards, there are high rope courses for all people and children of ages, with different levels of difficulty. The courses start at 3m to 17m off the ground and have exciting obstacles that challenge your strength, and balance. You won’t have to worry at all about safety. Everyone is secured with safety ropes, and the whole course has already been checked several times by experts.
This is probably one of the best family activities to do in Berlin with kids; the minimum age for children’s courses are 6 years old. Besides the high rope course, you’re more than welcome to explore the grounds by foot or by bike. Walking through the forest and children’s playgrounds in itself is great. So if climbing on top of trees isn’t really your calling, you can still enjoy the area just the same.
Website: Waldhochseilgarten Jungfernheide Address: Hours: (Current COVID opening times) - Fri 1:00 PM - 7:00 PM Sat - Sun 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM Cost: Adults 24 EUR Students 21 EUR Children (under 14 years old) 18 EUR Children’s course 14 EUR
Peacock Island (Pfaueninsel)
To experience some of Germany’s romantic charm, your safest bet is to visit Peacock Island. Situated on the River Havel since the Iron Age, this island has seen some exciting times of history.
The highlight of the island, of course, has to be the little summer palace. It used to be the secret rendezvous site for the King of Prussia, and his mistress Wilhelmine Enke; so the island just screams romantic stories your children would love to get to know.
Besides the wonderful white palace, there is an amazing amount of majestic peacocks roaming freely in Peacock Island Park. There are also croaking frogs and fantastic woodpeckers to keep your eyes open for! The park is beautifully designed with a few other decorative sculptures and statues like the Memorial Temple for Queen Louise, and even an old English country house that was used to film famous Edgar Wallace movies.
Visiting this island is perfect to see a different side to Berlin. A perfect way to experience a piece of whimsical German romance!
Website: Peacock Island (Pfaueninsel) Address: Schloss auf der Pfaueninsel, Nikolskoer Weg 14109 Berlin Hours: Currently Unavailable Cost: Adults 4 EUR Child 3 EUR Family Ticket (2 adults and up to 4 children under 18) 8 EUR
Jewish Museum
It’s no secret that Berlin has gone through some dark times in the past. Nevertheless, it’s of the utmost importance to acknowledge everything that happened and learn about it. If you’re looking for the best place to do so, The Jewish Museum is it. It’s by far the largest Jewish Museum in Europe and has some of the best explanations of how this time in history was like. Their objective is to shed light on the diversity and range of Jewish culture and perspectives. It also illustrates its relationship with Germany through some incredible temporary exhibitions with art displays.
It’s a truly recommendable museum to visit in Berlin with kids. It will encourage critical thinking, and open their minds in interpreting history.
Website: The Jewish Museum
Address: Lindenstraße 9-14, 10969 Berlin, Germany
Hours: Currently unavailable
Cost:
Adults 8 EUR
Children and students 3 EUR
Family Ticket (2 adults and up to 4 children under 18) 14 EUR
Tiergarten
Tiergarten is the city’s most popular inner city park; and is bound to be one of the best activities to plan in Berlin with kids. Majestic forests and the splendid natural atmosphere is amazing, but definitely not the only thing to see in the park. Tiergarten is also very famous for housing the wonderful Berlin Zoo, the Brandenburg Gate, the Bellevue Palace, and the Victory Column. The park has amazing sunbathing spots to relax in, and cafés like the Tea House. During the summer, the park is full of life; especially because of the sound of bells from the carillon towering 42 meters above the ground.
Make sure to visit the Haus der Kulturen der Welt. This beautifully curved building has been known to house all forms of art and culture throughout the year. Check out their website for information on upcoming shows, exhibitions and concerts; we’re sure you can find something wonderful to see for the whole family. In fact, during the month of February, children’s films tend to be screened in the great auditorium.
Website: Haus der Kulturen Address: John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10, 10557 Berlin Hours: Mon-Sun 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Gardens of The World
For families who enjoy spending time outdoors, Gardens of The World is the perfect way to visit some of the best examples of nature in Berlin with kids. Through impeccable landscaping and gardening talent Japanese, Korean, Balinese, English, Italian, Middle Eastern, Chinese and Christian cultures are represented beautifully.
As the summer months start to take over, going for a stroll is the perfect way to spend your day. Greenery isn’t the only way to see different cultures being celebrated; you’ll also be able to eat and drink your way around the world with Japanese tea houses, concerts, and festivals that take place all around the year. Your kids will have a blast with all the space there is to run around, play and discover as well! When the buzz of the city gets too much, visiting the Gardens of the World is as delightful as a breath of fresh air. Can’t afford to miss that!
Website: Gardens of The World Address: Blumberger Damm 44, 12685 Berlin, Germany Hours: Sun-Sat 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM Cost: Adult 7 EUR Child 3 EUR
Things to Eat In Berlin With Kids
Currywurst
Does street food ever stop being the best thing to eat? The answer is probably not. When travelling around Berlin with kids, the tastiest dish you’ll have is waiting for you at every corner of the city. Currywurst is Berlin’s proudest delicacy; there’s even an entire museum dedicated to it Currywurst is simple. It consists of a steamed pork sausage with ketchup and a dash of curry to give it its iconic taste. Since the 1950s, currywurst has not failed to make a good impression on anyone so make sure not to miss out on it!
Schnitzel
When in Berlin, it’s impossible not to be seduced by the simplicity, yet mouth-watering appeal of a schnitzel. For Berliners, schnitzel means more than just a meal. It embodies the feeling of home and is a reminder of warm, childhood memories. Essentially, schnitzel is a veal escalope covered in breadcrumbs and bound to make everyone happy. They’re usually accompanied by fries or salad and you can find it in pretty much every restaurant in the city. We recommend that you splash a little bit of lemon juice on top – it makes the most delicious difference!
Bratwurst
Yes, yet again another sausage. Bratwurst, however, is mostly eaten as a barbeque and Berliner’s trusty snack or entire meal; depending on how you choose to accompany it. We recommend eating it with barbequed onions and veggies on the side, with any sauce that your heart desires. On a nice summer day, one of the best things to do is to buy a portable barbecue and take it to the park. A bratwurst BBQ doesn’t get any better than that!
Königsberger Klopse
Königsberger Klopse are delicious veal meatballs bathed in an exquisite creamy sauce. Traditionally, they’re served with potatoes cooked with a multitude of herbs and peppers giving the entire dish that iconic Berlin feel. Although it was invented several centuries back, this special dish has remained a favorite among Berliners. You can be sure your kids are going to love it.
Berliner Pfannukchen
The best way to finish any meal when exploring Berlin with kids is by digging into a delicious Berliner Pfannkuchen. This beloved traditional German pastry is a doughnut filled with jam and covered with a generous layer of powdered sugar. You can find it in any bakery in the city. But let us warn you: it only takes one for your kids to beg for more!
There you have it! How to make the best out of your family trip to Berlin in a single post. Let us know how much you enjoyed the city and what your children’s favorite places were. Tell us about what other recommendations you would like us to add!
