Top 10 Activities in Berlin in Summer

You wake up, see rays of sun shining through your window, and get the realisation that summer is finally here in Berlin.

You just can’t wait to get outside and make the most of the heat, holding on to it as hard as you can for as long as you can before it disappears again.

Enjoying Berlin summer to the full is a serious task, one that needs to be planned for and carefully considered, so that by the time winter returns you can honestly say that you’ve soaked up all the sun you could and you’re ready to hibernate.

With this in mind, we’ve come up with the Top 10 activities in Berlin in summer.

1. Go for Breakfast al Fresco

Start your day off right with some good, fresh food.

Most cafes and restaurants have great breakfast offers that last until mid-afternoon, because “morning” in Berlin is a varying term.

Cheese, fruits, yogurt, juice, croissants, bread… breakfast is taken seriously over here.

Also expect to find some of the most awesome barristas in Berlin and enjoy your coffee.

2. Take a Boat Tour around the City

Rent a boat or take a boat tour around Berlin.

There are plenty of tours and boat rental companies on offer, and they’re all pretty good. And don’t forget your hat – it gets hot out there in the water!

The most famous tours start around Friedrichstrasse and Berliner Dom and go past a lot of interesting areas like the Regierungsviertel.

If you prefer to be in the nature make sure to check out Neu Venedig and rent a canoe yourself.

3. Escape the Inner City Heat

One of the things that makes Berlin the best capital, in our eyes, is the amount of parks, lakes, forests, and vast amount of nature that can be found just a hop away.

We’ve mentioned that we love lakes in our Top 10 Things to do in Berlin.

And as a bonus, most lakes offer a sand area, a fake beach, if you will.

Don’t mock it, it’s fantastic when you live in a city away from the coast. And who needs the caribbean sea if you have the Müggelsee right at your doorstep?

4. Go to a Biergarten

You’ll find plenty of beer gardens around the city, but if you’re looking for a traditional experience at Berlin’s oldest biergarten, check out Prater, where you’ll find a large crowd chilling with a beer or a Radler (beer with sprite) and some German snacks.

5. Have a Barbecue in a Park

Buy yourself some food at the supermarket, where you can even get a disposable barbecue, head to a park (check that they allow barbecueing first), and fire up that coal.

Bring your friends, a blanket, some music, and you’ve got yourself a great summer afternoon.

6. Grab a drink from the Späti

Spätkauf: the off-license shops on every corner, find yourself a nice spot to sit down near the water (Paul-Lincke-Ufer in Kreuzberg and the Spree in Hackescher Markt are great spots), and enjoy that experience.

It’s not everywhere you can do this, especially with an alcoholic beverage in hand, should you fancy one. Wave at the people going past on the boat tours, they love it.

7. Beach Bars

The sun’s gone down, the music coming out of the bars is getting louder, you know it’s time to move along and dance until the sun comes up again.

If you’re looking for an extra summery feeling, you might want to try e.g. Playground.

There are many beach bars where you can kick off your sandals and socks and get that beach holiday night out feeling, without having to fly abroad or spend a fortune on beverages, because Berlin is still cheap and you’re not financially punished for having fun in this city!

8. Rooftop Bars

Enjoy a cool drink and the most amazing views over Berlin while the sun is settling in the background.

What else do you need for an amazing summer evening in Berlin?

At Schönhauser Allee you can find Parkdeck 4 and in Neukölln you should pay Klunkerkranich a visit.

Also worth a visit is the legendary roof top of Soho house. Wherever you decide to go in the end just make sure to get a cold drink and enjoy the view.

9. Outdoor Clubs

When the temperature is still above 20 °C you don’t want to spend the night in a smoky bar, do you?

Well then better head out to S-Bahn station Treptower Park, walk a few minutes towards Kreuzberg and enter Badeschiff, MS Hoppetosse or Club der Visionäre.

Great music, an international crowd and cold drinks.

10. Be Spontaneous

When in Berlin you can only plan as much, but in the end your plans will always be replaced by something better.

So go with the flow and enjoy your time rather than chasing all points on your agenda.

If you need some more inspiration or if you happen to be in Berlin while the weather is not the best you should read about our Top 10 things to do in Berlin.