The capital: Berlin
Berlin is the place most first trips begin or end. It is the capital and Germany's biggest city, with world-class museums, the story of the Wall at every turn and a famous nightlife. Plan three to four days, and add a half-day trip to Potsdam for Sanssouci Palace.
The south: Munich and Bavaria
Munich is Bavaria's elegant capital, the home of beer gardens, Oktoberfest and the Deutsches Museum. It is also the gateway to the Bavarian Alps, Neuschwanstein Castle, the lakes south of the city and Salzburg just across the Austrian border. Berlin to Munich takes about four to five hours by fast train.
The north: Hamburg
Hamburg is Germany's great port city, a place of canals, red-brick warehouses, a fish market and the striking Elbphilharmonie concert hall. It is under two hours from Berlin by train and a good base for Lübeck and the Baltic coast.
The west: Cologne and the Rhine
Cologne is home to Germany's most famous cathedral, a lively carnival and a relaxed, friendly beer culture. Trains run south along the Rhine valley, past castles and vineyards, towards Koblenz, Bacharach and Rüdesheim, and Frankfurt's main international airport is less than an hour away by fast train.
The east: Dresden and Saxony
Dresden is the rebuilt baroque jewel of the Elbe, with the Frauenkirche, the Zwinger and the treasure rooms of the Green Vault. Saxon Switzerland's sandstone cliffs are a short train ride away, and Leipzig, Meissen and Prague are easy add-ons.
Putting it together
A classic first route is Berlin, Dresden and Munich in ten days, or Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne with a Rhine detour. Use the free trip planner to shape the route around your dates, and our places to visit list for where to eat, drink and explore in each city.