Drachenhaus
What to order: cake and coffee on the terrace; at midday, the seasonal dish
geocalia
Day itinerary · 52.40° N · 13.07° E
Potsdam by train: Frederick the Great's palace half an hour from Berlin.
Half an hour by train from Berlin: Sanssouci at a fixed time, the park as far as the Neues Palais, cake in a 1770 pagoda and the Dutch Quarter at dusk.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Berlín fromBarcelona 2 h 45Bilbao 2 h 45Palma de Mallorca 2 h 45Valencia 3 hAlicante 3 h 15Madrid 3 h 15Málaga 3 h 45Sevilla 3 h 45Fuerteventura 5 h 15Lanzarote 5 h 15
Part of Potsdam
Add to my trip
Total time9 h
By car45 min each way
Ticketssanssouci+ €22 · two palaces
WalkingAbout 7 km over the day
DifficultyEasy; stairs on the terraces
Best timeApril – October
BookingSanssouci at a fixed time
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Berlin 30 min by train
RE1 from Berlin Hauptbahnhof to Potsdam Hauptbahnhof · ABC ticket
- 15 min by tram · tram or bus towards the park
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1
Sanssouci Palace and Its Vineyard Terraces
Timed entry bought online · sanssouci+ €22
- 4 min on foot
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2
Walk through Sanssouci Park, from the Palace to the Neues Palais
Vineyard terraces, great fountain and main avenue
- 15 min on foot
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3
Drachenhaus
Lunch or cake in the 1770 pagoda · €€
Maulbeerallee 4, 14469 Potsdam · +49 331 5053808
Café €€Book - 12 min on foot
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4
Neues Palais and the Grotto Hall
The full tour, included in the sanssouci+
- 15 min by bus
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5
Potsdam's Dutch Quarter
Towards the centre and along Brandenburger Straße to the Nauen Gate
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Back home 10 min by tram
Tram to Potsdam Hauptbahnhof
- 30 min by train · RE1 to Berlin; you arrive around 18:30
Approximate cost
About €20–35 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Sanssouci Palace and Its Vineyard Terraces
Potsdam is the most comfortable day trip from Berlin: half an hour by train, a Rococo palace at the top of terraced vineyards and a park of kilometres that can be covered on foot. This plan combines the two big palaces of Sanssouci with a lunch stop inside the park and ends in the Dutch Quarter.
The day, hour by hour
9:00 · Train from Berlin. The RE1 regional leaves Berlin Hauptbahnhof and reaches Potsdam Hauptbahnhof in about 25 minutes; the S-Bahn S7 takes longer. Get an ABC ticket. From the station, tram or bus towards the park.
10:00 · Sanssouci Palace. Buy the sanssouci+ ticket online beforehand, €22, with a time for Sanssouci: it is also valid for the Neues Palais. Download the SANSSOUCI app, with an audio guide in Spanish, and bring headphones.
11:15 · The park. Go down the vineyard terraces to the great fountain and follow the main avenue westwards.
12:30 · Lunch at the Drachenhaus. A pagoda of 1770 high in the park, near the mill. Seasonal cooking, cakes and terraces. From April to October it is open every day; from November to March, Thursday to Sunday.
14:00 · Neues Palais. The great palace at the end of the park, with the grotto hall covered in shells. An hour and a half.
16:00 · Dutch Quarter. Head back towards the centre along Brandenburger Straße and enter the district of red-brick houses through the Nauen Gate. If you feel like a coffee, the Café Heider is on the corner.
17:30 · Journey back. Tram to the station and the RE1 to Berlin.
And on Sunday?
It is a good day: the palaces and the Drachenhaus are open, and so is the Café Heider. The day that does not work is Monday, with the palaces closed.
With children
Swap the Neues Palais for the tour of the palaces by boat, an hour and a half on the Havel from the Lange Brücke. The family sanssouci+ costs €49 for two adults and up to four children.
Time1 h
Change the route
With children: an hour and a half by boat on the Havel instead of the Neues Palais:
Boat Tour of the Palaces on the Havel
From November to March, Monday to Wednesday, when the Drachenhaus is closed:
Café Heider
If you are interested in the Cold War: the Bridge of Spies, by tram:
Glienicke Bridge, the Spies' Bridge
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Café Heider
What to order: the cake of the day in the afternoon; at midday, the seasonal hot food
Gasthausbrauerei Meierei im Neuen Garten
What to order: the Meierei Hell with a Berliner Boulette or the Thursday pork knuckle
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Potsdam
All year, except Mondays, when Sanssouci and almost all the palaces are closed. From April to October the Drachenhaus is open daily; from November to March, only Thursday to Sunday. In November and December the Neues Palais closes on Tuesdays.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Buy the sanssouci+ online
The Sanssouci times sell out.
- 2Bring headphones
The Spanish audio guide is in the app.
- 3ABC ticket
With the Berlin AB you will not get there.
If it rains
Do both palaces inside and leave the park for the walk between them; the Café Heider is a good refuge.
We'd skip it
On Monday: Sanssouci and almost all the palaces are closed.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Berlin to Potsdam?
On the RE1 regional from Berlin Hauptbahnhof, about 25 minutes, or on the S-Bahn S7. With an ABC ticket.
How much does the day cost?
The sanssouci+ €22, with the train and lunch extra: between €45 and €75 per person.
Do I need to book Sanssouci?
Yes, it is advisable: tickets are timed and limited.
Can it be done on a Sunday?
Yes. The day that does not work is Monday.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/germany/brandenburg/potsdam/itineraries/sanssouci-and-dutch-quarter-from-berlin
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.