best time to visit germany
Best time to visit Germany
Best time to visit Germany
The best time to visit Germany will depend on you - what you want to see, experience and do. Do you want to avoid the crowds in the major cities and at the iconic attractions then it is best to avoid school and public holidays. If you are hikers, music lover, foodies, garden enthusiasts or want to visit the Oktoberfest, Carnival, Christmas markets, the Formula 1 race at Hockenheim or other events then you will have to plan your tour of Germany accordingly.
Your Germany tour can commence at any time and we can easily incorporate any of your ‘must see’ wishes into a personalised itinerary.
Climate in Germany
From May to September you have a better than 50% chance of sunny or rain free days with pleasant temperatures averaging between 19 and 24 during the day. Travelling in Germany during the other months you have a better than 50% chance of rain or snow. On average the northern parts of Germany receive more rain and experience cooler temperatures in the summer and milder winters.
School and public holidays in Germany
School holidays in Germany vary from state to state. Summer school holidays are approximately 6 weeks in duration in each state and start from early July to the early September. Click here for further information. Public holidays also have variations from state to state. Click here for further information.
Festivals and traditional German events
Dust off your Lederhosen and Dirndls and head off to the world’s biggest beer festival, the Munich Oktoberfest. For more than 200 years this event starts on the first Sunday following the 15th of September and lasts till the first Sunday in October.
Carnival in Cologne and other cities along the Rhine gets into full swing on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday. Everyone parties in the old quarters of the town, at costume balls, impromptu fetes and street parades. The Cologne Carnival is certainly in a league of its own.
Other events not to be missed are the wine festival in Stuttgart, the delightful tree blossom festival in Werder near Berlin and the 'Rhine in Flames' spectacular that takes place along scenic stretches of the Rhine. And of course spending New Year's Eve in Berlin in front of the Brandenburg Gate will the a hard to beat once in a lifetime experience.
Sports events
If you are a football fan then why not plan to see a match in one of the finest football stadiums in Europe, the iconic Munich stadium or perhaps watch the final of the German Football Cup in Berlin? The season kicks off in early August, takes a break for 4 weeks over Christmas till the end of January, and finishes in mid-May.
Smell the burning rubber, hear the roaring engines and inhale the intoxicating high octane fumes at the German Formula One Grand Prix, which takes place every year towards the end of July at the Hockenheimring near Heidelberg.
Or for a once in a lifetime opportunity head off to the UNESCO world heritage listed region of Cuxhaven in the north of Germany for the strangest horse race you are ever likely to witness. The race is held in the mudflats of the Elbe River estuary at low tide with spectators watching the race from the vantage points of the nearby dykes.