January in Berlin averages highs of 4 °C (40 °F) and lows of -1 °C (31 °F), with about 10 rainy days and 8 h 10 min of daylight.
January weather in Berlin at a glance
average high to low each dot ≈ 3 rainy days
Is January a good time to visit Berlin?
Tough month: cold and wet. January is usually low season in Berlin: rooms are typically easier to find and cheaper.
Our rule: a month scores 2 points for comfortable average highs of 18–28 °C (1 point for 14–18 or 28–32 °C) and 2 points for 5 or fewer rainy days (1 point for 6–10). Average highs above 35 °C or below 8 °C make it a tough month whatever the rain. A rainy day here means 2 mm of rain or more. 4 points = great, 3 = good, 2 = mixed, 0–1 = tough.
Holidays and events in January 2026
- Thu 1 Jan: New Year's Day (Neujahr) public holiday
Banks and many shops close on public holidays, and museums may change their hours, so check before you go.
Things to do in Berlin in January
With cold days in January, here are the indoor picks first, then the outdoor ones for drier spells.
- Museum Island — Pergamon area and Neues Museum indoors
- Topography of Terror — free indoors
- Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag dome — dome is free, book online outdoors
- East Side Gallery outdoors
- Berlin Wall Memorial — Bernauer Strasse outdoors
- Tempelhofer Feld — an old airport turned park outdoors
Where to stay: Mitte for sights; Kreuzberg or Neukölln for nightlife; Prenzlauer Berg for cafés.
What to pack for Berlin in January
- A warm winter coat, hat and gloves: it rarely gets above 4 °C (40 °F).
- An umbrella or a light waterproof: about 10 days this month see real rain.
- Comfortable walking shoes.
What a day in Berlin costs
| Budget traveller | Mid-range | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical total per person, per day | €55–120 | €150–300 |
Excluding flights. January is usually low season in Berlin: rooms are typically easier to find and cheaper.
January in nearby cities
| City | High / low | Rainy days | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prague | 4° / -2° | 8 | Tough month |
| Copenhagen | 4° / 1° | 9 | Tough month |
| Munich | 4° / -3° | 12 | Tough month |
Want the whole trip planned? Join the Journey waitlist: tell it where, when and your budget, and it plans every day hour by hour.
FAQ
Is January a good time to visit Berlin?
By the numbers, January is a tough month: cold and wet, with average highs of 4 °C (40 °F) and about 10 rainy days. January is usually low season in Berlin: rooms are typically easier to find and cheaper. The best months for weather are May, June, July, August, September.
How warm is Berlin in January?
Average highs are 4 °C (40 °F) and lows -1 °C (31 °F) (2015–2024 averages).
Does it rain a lot in Berlin in January?
Expect about 10 days with 2 mm of rain or more, about 57 mm in total. It is the wettest month of the year in Berlin.
Sources: climate averages from Open-Meteo historical weather (ERA5 reanalysis, 2015–2024); sea temperatures from the Open-Meteo marine API (2023–2024); public holidays from Nager.Date. Daylight is calculated for the 15th of the month. Averages are a guide, not a forecast. Costs are typical ranges per person per day, excluding flights.