What to do in Potsdam

Activities, attractions and tours

Visit Potsdam

Photo provided by German National Tourist Board

Potsdam Attractions

Let Expedia help you experience the best that Potsdam has to offer! If you’re looking for fun itinerary ideas, we can provide you with a list of the top sightseeing attractions, as well as helping you to find unmissable activities. Whether you’re travelling with your family, planning a romantic trip with your loved one, or visiting on business, we’ll make it easy to plan an unforgettable holiday that checks all the boxes.

Activities and Tours

Potsdam is crammed with must-see places to visit and things to do. We can help you decide where to stay, and make it a breeze to explore the surrounding areas with our guides on where to go, what to see and when to see it. No matter how long your stay, it’s easy to find places of interest in Potsdam to make sure that you enjoy your experience to the fullest and don’t miss a thing. Leave the local knowledge to us and leave the hassle behind.

If you’re planning a visit, why not check out our handy guides to places of interest in the area? You can browse lists of things to do, learn about the most popular attractions, and get help with planning the details of your trip. Expedia makes it easy for you to check out all the top sights.

Potsdam Attractions

Expedia has something for everyone, so whether you’re planning to get active on a summer holiday, put a spring in your step with a romantic rendezvous, or pamper yourself with a leisurely winter trip, you’ll find plenty of attractions to keep you entertained. In addition to scheduling local tours, booking reservations and scoring advance event tickets, Expedia makes it easy to book your flight, hotel and rental car in advance, all on one consolidated travel itinerary, making for hassle-free travel and freeing you up to explore the sights of Potsdam.

Looking for things to do can be time consuming, but we can take the hassle out of planning your holiday. Whether you’re looking to get active in the great outdoors, sample the cuisine or catch up with the vibrant local culture, our guides to Potsdam attractions ensure that you’ll have a successful trip, whatever the season.

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Top places to visit

1. Sanssouci Palace

Walk in the footsteps of a revered king and military leader at Sanssouci Palace. Admire the palace’s lavish architecture, opulent interiors and art collection. Stroll around vineyards and orderly gardens, scattered with further architectural treasures. Fredrick the Great commissioned Sanssouci Palace in the 1740s as a summer retreat and a place to escape his official duties. Today it is the dominating feature of Sanssouci Park.

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Sanssouci Palace featuring a castle, heritage elements and heritage architecture

2. Sanssouci Park

Palaces, art galleries, flower gardens and water features make Sanssouci Park one of Potsdam’s most loved green spaces. The park incorporates almost 741 acres (300 hectares) of grassy lawns and woodland dissected by crisscrossing pathways, including the 1.2-mile (2-kilometer) long Hauptallee promenade. Sanssouci Park began as an orchard and became a favored escape of Frederick the Great in the mid-1700s. Prussian landscaper Peter Joseph Leneé remodeled the park in the 1800s and it was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1990.

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Sanssouci Park which includes a statue or sculpture, heritage architecture and heritage elements

3. University of Potsdam

Visit the University of Potsdam (Universität Potsdam) to enjoy an educational experience and drink in the atmosphere of its various campuses. Spend a day here and watch students go about their daily activities, appreciate the architecture of the faculty buildings and discover an impressive botanical garden. Established as recently as 1991, the University of Potsdam is today the biggest academic institution in the state of Brandenburg.

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University of Potsdam which includes heritage elements and heritage architecture

4. New Palace

Wander the majestic halls and ornate staterooms of the New Palace (Neues Palais), a magnificent royal residence in Potsdam’s Sanssouci Park. The construction of the palace began in 1763 as a celebration of the end of the Seven Years’ War. Frederick the Great ordered the palace’s design to represent Prussia’s power and glory through the lavish use of marble, stone and gilt. Stroll around the palace grounds admiring the building’s grand façade and enter the complex to see its opulent interiors.

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New Palace featuring heritage elements, heritage architecture and a statue or sculpture

5. Schloss Cecilienhof

Discover the quaint English gardens and Tudor-inspired architecture of Schloss Cecilienhof, a palace in Potsdam’s captivating New Garden. The picturesque palace was completed in 1917 as the residence of Crown Prince Wilhelm and his wife Cecilie. Today, the palace is a fascinating historic memorial dedicated to the 1945 Potsdam Conference, which decided the fate of postwar Germany.

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Potsdam which includes heritage architecture, heritage elements and château or palace

Recommended things to do in Potsdam

Number of things to do	256
Things to do from	CA $5
Cheapest thing to do	Rude Bastards tour of Berlin (CYHIT)
Top 5 things to do	Potsdam: City and Castles Tour Potsdam Half-Day Walking Tour from Berlin Potsdam Tour from Berlin With Guided Sanssouci Palace Visit Discover Potsdam’s most Photogenic Spots with a Local Potsdam by Boat: Island Cruise
Half-day tours	Potsdam: City and Castles Tour Discover Potsdam’s most Photogenic Spots with a Local Potsdam: Private Bus Tour with Park Walk to Sanssouci Palace Sanssouci Park: A Self-Guide Audio Tour of the Garden's Landmarks Beautiful Baroque Potsdam: A Self-Guided Audio Tour
With kids	Potsdam: City and Castles Tour Potsdam Tour from Berlin With Guided Sanssouci Palace Visit Discover Potsdam’s most Photogenic Spots with a Local Potsdam by Boat: Island Cruise Potsdam Walking Tour from Berlin

Discover the most popular places to visit in Potsdam

Alexanderplatz

4.5/5(223 reviews)

With its stark, 1960s layout, “Alex” is a showcase of Communist-era architecture and a lively central meeting place for locals.

Zoo Berlin

4.5/5(43 reviews)

Say “guten tag” to some of the world’s most exotic creatures in one of Europe’s most comprehensive and elegant zoos.

Brandenburg Gate

4.5/5(277 reviews)

This symbol of German unification ranks alongside Paris' Arc de Triomphe as one of Europe’s most iconic and emotive monuments.

Potsdamer Platz

4.5/5(155 reviews)

Berliners come to celebrate their city in this public square, which was leveled during World War II and isolated in the Cold War.

Checkpoint Charlie

3.5/5(75 reviews)

Learn about the history of Checkpoint Charlie, a well-known monument in Berlin. Discover the entertainment choices and notable monuments in this vibrant area.

Kurfürstendamm

4.5/5(50 reviews)

Often described as “Berlin’s Champs-Élysées,” this elegant promenade is the city’s premier shopping strip and is punctuated with a moving war memorial.

Olympiastadion

4.5/5(20 reviews)

Catch an event at Olympiastadion during your trip to Berlin. Experience the acclaimed theater scene and fascinating museums in this vibrant area.

Berlin TV Tower

4/5(104 reviews)

Take in breathtaking views of Berlin and enjoy a meal in a revolving restaurant inside the sphere of this iconic tower, the tallest structure in Germany.

Messe Berlin

4.5/5(17 reviews)

Learn about the events happening at Messe Berlin during your trip to Berlin. Discover the acclaimed art scene and notable monuments in this vibrant area.

Explore areas of Potsdam

Babelsberg

Discover Babelsberg, memorable for its restaurants. Popular attractions in Babelsberg include Babelsberg Film Park and Griebnitzsee, and you can see more of the area by hopping on the metro at Babelsberg S-Bahn.

Brandenburg Region which includes heritage architecture

Innenstadt

Discover Innenstadt, memorable for its historic sites. Popular attractions in Innenstadt include Museum Barberini and Potsdam Harbour, and you can see more of the area by hopping on the metro at Central Station/H.-Mann-Allee Tram Stop.

Heiland Kirche at Port of Sacrow - near Potsdam.

Potsdam Nord

While visiting Potsdam Nord, you might make a stop by sights like Bornstedt Royal Estate and Kloster Zinna.

Potsdamer Institut für Klimafolgenforschung - ein schöner Spaziergang durch den Wissenschaftspark Albert Einstein.

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research - nice walk along the historical Research Campus Albert Einstein.

Potsdam Süd

While you're in Potsdam Süd, take in top sights like Potsdam Forest and Havel Lake Area and jump on the metro at Zum Kahleberg Tram Stop to see more of the city.

Sanssouci Palace showing chateau or palace, heritage architecture and heritage elements

Westliche Vorstadt

While you're in Westliche Vorstadt, take in top sights like Templiner See and jump on the metro at Schloss Charlottenhof Tram Stop to see more of the city.