Germany Seven days extend Berlin into a full Germany experience. Days 1-5 cover the 5-day itinerary. Day 6 is Dresden (2-hour ICE train) — UNESCO Baroque restored after WWII bombing (Frauenkirche, Zwinger, Semperoper). Day 7 is Saxon Switzerland National Park (sandstone formations, Bastei Bridge) or Hamburg day trip OR Berlin lazy farewell.
A full week is enough to actually understand Berlin. Three days for the major districts, three days for nearby regions, and one day for the offbeat neighborhoods most tourists miss. The back half of the trip is more about texture than checking landmarks — your photos get more diverse and you walk away with a three-dimensional sense of the city.
7-Day Total Budget at a Glance
Budget
$540
Per person, flights excl.
Mid-Range
$1,310
Per person, flights excl.
Luxury
$3,060
Per person, flights excl.
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Day-by-Day Detailed Schedule
Brandenburg, Reichstag, Holocaust Memorial, Topography of Terror
WWII + Cold WarActivities
- 09:00 Brandenburg Gate 30 min
Germany's symbol.
Cost: Free TIP: Sunrise. - 10:00 Reichstag Dome 1.5 hours
Norman Foster.
Cost: Free pre-booked TIP: 4-6 weeks ahead. - 12:00 Holocaust Memorial 1.5 hours
2,711 stelae.
Cost: Free TIP: Underground museum. - 14:00 Curry 36 + Mustafa's 1 hour
Berlin street food.
Cost: $5-10 TIP: Mehringdamm U6/U7. - 15:30 Topography of Terror 1.5 hours
Free Nazi-history.
Cost: Free TIP: Most-comprehensive. - 17:30 Checkpoint Charlie 1.5 hours
Iconic Cold War.
Cost: Free TIP: Skip costume photos. - 19:30 Zur Letzten Instanz 2 hours
1621 Berlin's oldest.
Cost: $22-45 TIP: Eisbein.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel
Mitte · $10-25
Lunch
Curry 36 + Mustafa's
Kreuzberg · $5-15
Dinner
Zur Letzten Instanz
Mitte · $22-45
U-Bahn + walking.
DAY 1 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Museum Island, TV Tower, Hackescher Markt
Museums + MitteActivities
- 09:00 Pergamon Museum 2.5 hours
Ishtar Gate.
Cost: €14 TIP: Pre-book. - 11:30 Neues + Nefertiti 1.5 hours
Egyptian.
Cost: €14 TIP: Room 213. - 13:30 Hackescher Höfe lunch 1.5 hours
Art Nouveau courtyards.
Cost: $15-30 TIP: Anna Blume. - 15:00 Berliner Dom 1.5 hours
270-step climb.
Cost: €10 TIP: Museum Island view. - 16:30 TV Tower 1.5 hours
368m.
Cost: $25 TIP: Sunset slot. - 19:00 Tim Raue Michelin 2.5 hours
2-Michelin.
Cost: $140-260 TIP: 4-6 weeks.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel
Mitte · $10-25
Lunch
Hackescher Höfe
Mitte · $15-30
Dinner
Tim Raue
Kreuzberg · $140-260
U-Bahn.
DAY 2 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
East Side Gallery, Mauerpark, Friedrichshain
Wall + neighborhoodsActivities
- 09:00 East Side Gallery 2 hours
1.3km Wall.
Cost: Free TIP: U1 Warschauer. - 11:00 Berlin Wall Memorial Bernauer 1.5 hours
Death strip.
Cost: Free TIP: U8. - 13:00 Markthalle Neun 1.5 hours
Market hall.
Cost: $10-25 TIP: Fri-Sun. - 15:00 Mauerpark Sunday 2-3 hours
Flea + karaoke.
Cost: Free TIP: Karaoke ~15:00. - 18:00 Prater Garten 1.5 hours
1837 beer garden.
Cost: $10-20 TIP: Apr-Sep. - 20:00 Rutz 3-Michelin 3 hours
Berlin's only 3-Michelin.
Cost: $240-320 TIP: 6-8 weeks.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Bonanza Coffee
Prenzlauer Berg · $10-25
Lunch
Markthalle Neun
Kreuzberg · $10-25
Dinner
Rutz
Mitte · $240-320
U1 + U8.
DAY 3 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Sachsenhausen + Wall Memorial deep
WWII deep historyActivities
- 08:30 S1 to Oranienburg 45 min
45 min S-Bahn.
Cost: €4.60 TIP: S1 Yellow. - 09:30 Sachsenhausen 4-5 hours
Free entry + audio.
Cost: Free + €3 audio TIP: Sober + heavy. - 15:00 Return Berlin 45 min
S1 back.
Cost: Covered - 16:00 Berlin Wall Memorial Bernauer deep 2.5 hours
More time than Day 3.
Cost: Free TIP: Documentation Center exhibit. - 19:00 Konnopkes or Prater Garten dinner 1.5 hours
Light after heavy day.
Cost: $10-25 TIP: Calm evening.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel ealy
Mitte · $10-25
Lunch
Oranienburg cafeteria
Oranienburg · $10-20
Dinner
Konnopkes
Prenzlauer Berg · $10-25
S1 ABC zone.
DAY 4 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Potsdam + Berlin nightlife
Prussian palaces + farewellActivities
- 09:00 S7 to Potsdam 35 min
35 min S-Bahn.
Cost: €4.60 TIP: S7 Green. - 10:00 Sanssouci Palace 2 hours
Rococo 1747.
Cost: €14 TIP: Pre-book. - 12:30 Lunch near palace 1.5 hours
Mövenpick or Maison Charlotte.
Cost: $15-30 TIP: Terrace views. - 14:00 Cecilienhof 1.5 hours
1945 Conference.
Cost: €10 TIP: Conference room preserved. - 16:00 Holländisches Viertel 1.5 hours
1730s Dutch Quarter.
Cost: Free TIP: Red brick houses. - 20:00 Nobelhart & Schmutzig dinner 3 hours
1 Michelin Brandenburg-only.
Cost: $110-200 TIP: 3-5 weeks. - 23:30 Berghain attempt Open-ended
Or Watergate.
Cost: €20-30 TIP: Black + calm + small group.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel
Mitte · $10-25
Lunch
Mövenpick or Maison Charlotte
Potsdam · $15-30
Dinner
Nobelhart & Schmutzig
Kreuzberg · $110-200
S7 ABC zone.
DAY 5 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Dresden day trip (UNESCO Baroque)
Restored after WWII bombingActivities
- 08:00 ICE train to Dresden 2 hours
2 hours each way.
Cost: €50-100 each way TIP: Book Sparpreis tickets 2-3 weeks ahead for €19-29 each way. - 10:30 Frauenkirche (rebuilt 2005) 1 hour
Reconstructed after 1945 firebombing — 65 years of restoration.
Cost: Free; dome climb €10 TIP: Reconstruction completed 2005 — uses some original blackened stones. Most-emotional architectural restoration in Europe. - 11:30 Zwinger Palace + Old Masters Gallery 2 hours
Baroque palace complex (1709) + Raphael's Sistine Madonna.
Cost: €14 / $15 Old Masters TIP: Raphael's Sistine Madonna (with the iconic Madonna cherubs) is the headline painting. Vermeer + Rembrandt + Velazquez also. - 13:30 Lunch at Brühlsche Terrasse 1.5 hours
Elbe River terrace dining.
Cost: $20-40 TIP: Café Schinkelwache or Brennnessel — terrace overlooking Elbe + Frauenkirche. - 15:00 Semperoper + Dresden Castle 1.5 hours
1841 opera house + Royal Palace.
Cost: Semperoper tour €15; Royal Palace €14 TIP: Semperoper exterior is the icon. Royal Palace contains the Green Vault (Europe's most-valuable jewel collection, separate timed entry €14). - 17:00 Return ICE train to Berlin 2 hours
2 hours back.
Cost: Covered TIP: Last ICE ~20:00. Book return ticket on outbound. - 21:00 Late dinner at hotel or quick 1 hour
After-train light meal.
Cost: $15-30 TIP: Konnopkes Imbiss or hotel restaurant.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel (early)
Mitte · $10-25
7:00 for Dresden.
Lunch
Brühlsche Terrasse
Dresden · $20-40
Elbe terrace with Frauenkirche view.
Dinner
Late at Konnopkes or hotel
Berlin · $15-30
Post-train light meal.
ICE train Berlin-Dresden 2h each way. Book Sparpreis tickets €19-29 each way 2-3 weeks ahead.
DAY 6 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Saxon Switzerland (Bastei) OR Hamburg OR lazy farewell
Nature day or alternate cityActivities
- 08:00 Train to Bastei (Saxon Switzerland) OR Hamburg OR Berlin late breakfast Half day to full day depending on choice
Three options: (1) Saxon Switzerland National Park via Dresden + Rathen (3.5 hours each way) for Bastei Bridge + sandstone formations + hiking. (2) Hamburg (2 hours each way) for harbor + Elbphilharmonie + Reeperbahn. (3) Lazy Berlin farewell with Tiergarten brunch + final shopping.
Cost: Bastei €60-80 round trip + €11.50 Bastei; Hamburg €50-80 each way; Berlin free TIP: Choose based on energy level. Saxon Switzerland is the most-distinct day trip but 7+ hours total transit. Hamburg is the urban alternative. Berlin lazy day is the rest day before flight. - 12:00 Day trip exploration OR Berlin neighborhood walk 3-4 hours
Bastei Bridge + hiking trails OR Hamburg Elbphilharmonie + harbor + Speicherstadt OR Berlin Charlottenburg Palace + Kurfürstendamm shopping.
Cost: $15-40 TIP: Bastei: take the 30-min walk from Rathen Bahnhof to Bastei Bridge for the sandstone formation views. Hamburg: Elbphilharmonie public viewing deck (€2) is the headline + Reeperbahn (notorious red light district). Berlin: KaDeWe luxury department store + Kurfürstendamm window shopping. - 17:00 Return to Berlin Variable
Bastei via Dresden + ICE; Hamburg ICE; Berlin walking.
Cost: Covered or free TIP: Plan return arrival before 19:00 for proper farewell dinner. - 20:00 Final farewell dinner — repeat best of the trip 3 hours
Final-night decision: repeat the trip's best dinner from Days 1-6.
Cost: $50-300 TIP: If torn, Rutz (3-Michelin), Tim Raue (2-Michelin), or Nobelhart & Schmutzig (1-Michelin) for the canonical Berlin fine dining. Or repeat Zur Letzten Instanz for traditional German farewell. Or Curry 36 + Mustafa's combo for canonical street food farewell.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel breakfast
Mitte · $10-25
Flex timing for day-trip choice.
Lunch
Bastei restaurant or Hamburg harbor or Berlin Charlottenburg
Variable · $15-35
Depends on day choice.
Dinner
Repeat trip's best
Berlin · $50-300
Final-night canonical or repeat favorite.
ICE train for Saxon Switzerland or Hamburg. Or Berlin walking/U-Bahn for lazy farewell day.
DAY 7 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Book Berlin Tours & Tickets
Packing Checklist
- ✓ Comfortable walking shoes
- ✓ Hiking shoes if doing Saxon Switzerland
- ✓ Compact rain jacket
- ✓ Smart-casual for fine dining
- ✓ Cash €100-200 for full week
- ✓ Pre-booked Reichstag dome + Dresden ICE tickets
- ✓ Berghain night outfit (Day 5 evening)
Berlin 7-Day Itinerary FAQ
Dresden — really worth the 2-hour each way ICE? ▼
Day 7 — Saxon Switzerland or Hamburg? ▼
Can I add Hamburg as a third base? ▼
Where to base for 7 days? ▼
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Why you can trust 7-day itinerary
Based in Chiang Mai for 8+ years, with 30+ countries visited across Southeast Asia, Japan, and Europe. Every detail in this guide is primary-source verified as of April 2026, with prices auto-refreshed via live exchange rate APIs. This isn't AI-generated boilerplate — it's written from the perspective of someone who has actually been there.