Seasonal travelBy Clever Tourists · Published
Most of Berlin's big Christmas markets open on Monday 23 November 2026, the day after Totensonntag. WeihnachtsZauber at Gendarmenmarkt runs to 31 December with €2 (≈ $2.2) entry, Charlottenburg Palace to 27 December, and the Rotes Rathaus market to 3 January 2027. Two open earlier: the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church on 13 November and the Humboldt Forum on 18 November. These dates come from the city portal berlin.de, the official tourist board visitBerlin and the Gendarmenmarkt organiser. Where those sources disagree, we say so. Our route passed through Berlin in July 2023, so this page is built on official listings, not on a December visit.
Berlin lists more than 100 Christmas markets, and each has its own calendar. These are the central ones. The next section covers the points where official sources differ.
| Market | Dates | Hours | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt | 23 Nov to 31 Dec | Sun to Thu 11:00 to 22:00, Fri and Sat to 23:00, 24 Dec 11:00 to 18:00 | €2 (≈ $2.2); free Mon to Fri 11:00 to 14:00, except 24, 25, 26 and 31 Dec; under-12s free |
| Charlottenburg Palace | 23 Nov to 27 Dec, closed 24 Dec | Mon to Thu 13:00 to 22:00, Fri to Sun 12:00 to 22:00, 25 and 26 Dec 12:00 to 22:00 | Free |
| Rotes Rathaus (Berliner Weihnachtszeit) | 23 Nov to 3 Jan, closed 24 and 31 Dec | Mon to Fri 12:00 to 22:00, Sat and Sun 11:00 to 22:00, 3 Jan to 20:00 | Free, per visitBerlin |
| Humboldt Forum (Schlossplatz) | 18 Nov to 3 Jan, closed 22 Nov and 24 Dec | Daily 11:00 to 22:00 | Free |
| Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church | 13 Nov to 1 or 3 Jan (sources differ) | Not published | Free |
| Alexanderplatz | 23 Nov to 26 Dec, per visitBerlin | Daily 11:00 to 22:00 | Free |
| Potsdamer Platz (Winterwelt) | 23 Nov to 26 Dec | 11:00 to 22:00 | Free |
| KaDeWe, Wittenbergplatz | 23 Nov to 3 Jan | Sun to Thu 11:00 to 21:00, Fri and Sat to 22:00, with holiday hours below | Not listed |
| Spandau Old Town | 23 Nov to 22 Dec | Sun to Thu 11:00 to 20:00, Fri and Sat to 22:00 | Free |
| Lucia market, Kulturbrauerei | 23 Nov to 22 Dec | Mon to Fri 15:00 to 22:00, Sat and Sun 13:00 to 22:00 | Free |
• Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church: berlin.de gives 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. visitBerlin gives 13 November to 1 January. Neither shows opening hours yet, so don't plan on 2 or 3 January.
• Alexanderplatz: visitBerlin lists 23 November to 26 December, daily 11:00 to 22:00, with a redesigned market around the Fountain of Friendship between Nations. The berlin.de district page still says the date is not yet known. Treat the visitBerlin date as likely but not final.
• Rotes Rathaus entry: visitBerlin says admission is free. The berlin.de page says the fee is not yet known.
• Gendarmenmarkt on 24 December: the organiser and berlin.de say it opens at 11:00. visitBerlin says 12:00. All three say it closes at 18:00.
• Older guides: berlin.de says the market between Jannowitzbrücke and Alexanderplatz and the Wintertraum at Alexa no longer take place, so ignore any roundup that lists them. Wintermünze at the Alte Münze had no 2026 dates when we checked.
• Gendarmenmarkt, for crafts and a stage programme. The organiser describes a heated craft tent of about 1,000 m², with a daily stage in front of the Konzerthaus. The organiser says entry money supports the artistic programme and social projects in Mitte, and all money taken on Thursdays is donated. Go between 11:00 and 14:00 on a weekday to get in free. Card payment works throughout the food area, but the organiser advises bringing some cash for craft stalls.
• Charlottenburg Palace, for the setting. Stalls and pagoda tents sit in front of the lit palace, with a market orchestra, heated food tents, children's rides and a small Ferris wheel. It is the busiest in the evening and at weekends, and visitBerlin suggests weekday afternoons for a quieter visit. Weekday opening is only at 13:00, so don't arrive in the morning.
• Rotes Rathaus, for rides and skating. This one runs between the Red Town Hall and St Mary's Church, with a 50 m panoramic Ferris wheel, a 600 m² ice rink around the Neptune Fountain and a medieval section by the church. Skating costs €5 (≈ $5.6) and skate hire €3 (≈ $3.3), in 90-minute slots from 12:00 (11:15 at weekends).
• Humboldt Forum, for a newer, larger market. visitBerlin lists more than 150 stalls across Schlossplatz and the Schlüterhof courtyard, with historic fairground rides and light projections after dark.
• Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, for an early start. This is the first of the central markets to open, under a 400 m carpet of lights, and it sits at the end of Kurfürstendamm.
• Kulturbrauerei and Kollwitzplatz, for Prenzlauer Berg. The Lucia market fills the old brewery courtyards. The Advent eco market at Kollwitzplatz runs only on Sundays: 29 November and 6, 13 and 20 December.
• Alt-Rixdorf, for one weekend only. This Neukölln market runs 4 to 6 December: Friday 17:00 to 21:00, Saturday 14:00 to 21:00, Sunday 14:00 to 20:00.
Two ticketed light events also run through the season: Christmas Garden at the Botanic Garden (18 November to 10 January) and Christmas in the Tierpark (20 November to 9 January). visitBerlin sells tickets for both. For how Berlin compares with the rest of the country, see our German Christmas markets guide, which covers Munich, Frankfurt and four other cities.
Most big German markets end before Christmas, but several in Berlin don't, so it is one of the better German cities for visiting between 25 December and New Year. Check the exact day.
• 24 December: Gendarmenmarkt closes at 18:00 and KaDeWe runs 11:00 to 15:00. Charlottenburg, Rotes Rathaus and Humboldt Forum are closed. Spandau and the Lucia market have already ended.
• 25 and 26 December: Gendarmenmarkt, Charlottenburg (12:00 to 22:00), Rotes Rathaus and Humboldt Forum are listed as open. KaDeWe runs 13:00 to 21:00. Gendarmenmarkt's free weekday hours do not apply on these days.
• 27 December: the last day at Charlottenburg.
• 31 December: Gendarmenmarkt holds its last day with a New Year's Eve party. The organiser had not published the 2026 programme or ticket details when we checked. KaDeWe is listed from 11:00 to 03:00. Rotes Rathaus is closed.
• 1 January: KaDeWe runs 13:00 to 22:00.
Elsewhere, berlin.de says most museums close on 24 and 31 December and keep special hours on 25 and 26 December and 1 January. Shops close by about 14:00 on 24 December and stay shut on the 25th and 26th. In 2026 the 27th is a Sunday, so shops stay closed that day too. Our what's open on Christmas Day abroad guide explains the pattern.
• Gendarmenmarkt: U6 to Stadtmitte (step-free), U2 to Hausvogteiplatz, or bus 200 or 147. Dogs aren't allowed and bags over 15 litres can't be taken in.
• Charlottenburg Palace: no U-Bahn at the door. Take bus 309 or M45 to Schloss Charlottenburg or Klausenerplatz, or the 109 to Luisenplatz.
• Rotes Rathaus and Alexanderplatz: S+U Alexanderplatz, or U5 to Rotes Rathaus. The two markets are a short walk apart, so you can combine them, and U5 continues one stop to Museumsinsel for the Humboldt Forum.
• Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church: S+U Zoologischer Garten or U Kurfürstendamm. KaDeWe's market on Wittenbergplatz is a walk along Tauentzienstraße.
• Potsdamer Platz: S+U Potsdamer Platz.
• Spandau: U7 to Altstadt Spandau.
• Kulturbrauerei: U2 to Eberswalder Straße.
From the airport, see our Berlin airport transfer guide.
Pick an area by which markets you care about, because Mitte and Charlottenburg are a fair ride apart.
• Mitte: the best base for most people. Gendarmenmarkt, Rotes Rathaus, Alexanderplatz and the Humboldt Forum are all close together.
• Charlottenburg and the Zoo area: better for the palace market, the Memorial Church, KaDeWe and Kurfürstendamm, and quieter at night.
• Prenzlauer Berg: suits the Kulturbrauerei and Kollwitzplatz, with U2 towards the centre.
We don't have a general Berlin stay guide yet, but our guides for the Berlin Marathon and the DFB-Pokal final both compare the central areas. Berlin adds a 7.5% city tax to the net room price. Combining cities? Our Europe Christmas markets planner sets out which markets close first.
Most big markets open on Monday 23 November 2026. The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church opens on 13 November and the Humboldt Forum on 18 November.
Yes, entry is €2 (≈ $2.2). It is free Monday to Friday from 11:00 to 14:00, except 24, 25, 26 and 31 December, and always free for under-12s.
Gendarmenmarkt closes at 18:00 and the KaDeWe market runs 11:00 to 15:00. Charlottenburg, Rotes Rathaus and the Humboldt Forum are closed.
Charlottenburg runs to 27 December, Gendarmenmarkt to 31 December, and Rotes Rathaus, Humboldt Forum and KaDeWe to 3 January 2027.
visitBerlin lists 23 November to 26 December, daily 11:00 to 22:00, with free entry. The berlin.de page still showed the date as unknown when we checked.
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