This post reviews and compares the various Potsdam tour options available to you, including walking, bike, bus and boat tours (and one self-guided option).
Potsdam is a fairy-tale city west of Berlin that provides a quiet escape from the big and grungy city.
Walk around the garden and palace complexes built by the Prussian kings while being confronted with the western edge of the Berlin wall.
Stop for a coffee in the picturesque Dutch quarter and experience everyday life in this beautiful town.
Getting there is easy and takes about 45 minutes. Use this map for directions to the Potsdam Hauptbahnhof.
To travel to Potsdam you will need to have an ABC zone ticket. Several Berlin tourist attraction discount passes include transportation.
Also, be sure to read our guide to navigating the Berlin public transport system.
Several of the tours listed below are either free or heavily discounted with a Berlin Welcome Card.
For more information, please check out our overview of Berlin tourist passes.
Walking tours are one of the best ways to get a close look at the most significant areas of Potsdam.
There are some locations that won't be easily accessible by bike or bus, so it makes sense to visit them on foot.
Most of these trips will take about half a day to complete, but transportation from Berlin could take another 1 ½ – 2 hours, so you may want to set aside an entire day for these Potsdam tours.
Ticket prices range from €15-€19 on average. Although we offer a free, self-guided option.
Berlin Walks
This company is well known for providing excellent walking tours in and around Berlin.
Their Potsdam tour is approximately 6 hours in length, allowing you to visit sites such as the Palace of Cecilienhof and Sanssouci castle.
Transportation is not included with this service, but train tickets to Potsdam are included with the Berlin Welcome Card, which also gets you discounted or free tickets for this tour.
Although lunch is not included, they will take a break for refreshments.
They also offer other highly rated tours, such as their Third Reich Tour, East Berlin Tour, and Central Berlin Tour.
Ticket Prices
- €22 for Adults | €20 for Seniors and Youths
- 10:00 am on Wednesdays and Sundays
- Offered in English and Spanish.
- More information or to book.
Tip: Save 25% with Berlin Welcome Card or tour for free with their All-Inclusive Pass.
Berlin Walks has a 4.5 out of 5 stars rating on TripAdvisor and Get Your Guide (read the reviews).
New Berlin Tours
Note: This tour is currently unavailable. We will update the information once it is available again.
New Berlin Tours is one of the most impressive tour companies in Berlin, and their Potsdam walking tour is no exception.
Clocking in at a total of 6 hours, this excursion will take you to a variety of historically important locations such as Sanssouci Castle, the Bridge of Spies, and the Church of Peace.
Transportation is not included, but the ticket price is a little more affordable than some of its competitors.
New Berlin Tours tends to attract a younger clientele and market their evening pub crawl on their day tours.
They also offer other highly rated tours, such as their Third Reich Tour, Red Berlin Tour, and Central Berlin Tour.
Ticket Prices
- €17 for Adults | €15 for Students (with ID)
- 11:00 am on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays
- More information and to book.
Tip: Save up to 30% on their tour with the Berlin Welcome Card.
Just like their competition, New Berlin Tours currently enjoys a 5 out of 5 stars rating on TripAdvisor and Get Your Guide (read the reviews).
Insider Walks
Much like their competitors, this Berlin tour company also offers a 6-hour trip to Potsdam. Discover sites such as the Dutch Quarter, Glienicke Bridge, and the Garrison Church.
Once again, this walking tour does not include transportation, but this shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Ticket prices are on par with competitors and you can actually take this tour for free if you have the Berlin Pass.
They also offer other highly rated tours, such as their Third Reich Tour, Red Berlin Tour, and Central Berlin Tour.
Ticket Prices
- €25 for Adults | €20 for Seniors and Students (with ID)
- 10:00 am on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
- More information and to book.
Tip: This tour for free with the purchase of the Berlin Pass, a tourist discount pass.
Insider Tours has been given a 5 out of 5 stars rating on TripAdvisor and they have yet to receive even one negative review for their Potsdam walking tour.
Although you won't find nearly as many options for these trips, they are all from highly rated and respected companies.
Most of the Potsdam tours listed below are at least 5 hours in length, giving you plenty of time to discover the history of this area of Germany.
Ticket costs range from €15-€50 on average, with longer outings commanding a higher price.
Fat Tire Bike Tours
This is one of the most well known and respected bike tour companies in Berlin. In addition to all of their Berlin bike tours, they also offer a day trip to Potsdam.
Over the course of 6 hours, you'll visit locations such as the Sanssouci Castle, the Dutch Quarter and the Marble Palace. This outing also includes an audio tour of Cecilienhof Palace, adding extra value to the journey.
Although ticket prices are a bit high, each trek comes with a free bike rental.
Ticket Prices
- €65 for Adults | €60 for Students/Seniors | €60 for Children
- 9:45 am on Fridays, Sundays, and Wednesdays
- More information or to book.
Get 25% off with the Berlin Welcome Card
Fat Tire currently enjoys a 5 out of 5 stars rating on TripAdvisor and Get Your Guide (read the reviews), and their bike tour in Potsdam has yet to receive even one negative review.
If you don't feel like walking around the city, a bus tour is an excellent alternative. Some tour bus options will allow you to jump off at various locations in order to get a better look at significant sites around Potsdam.
Tickets for these trips are typically very affordable and will last for between 5-6 hours a day.
Take your time to discover the area at your leisure and enjoy audio commentary while riding from one landmark to the next.
These services are typically offered almost every day of the week, making them very accessible.
Hop-On-Hop-Off City Bus
City-Sightseeing offers bus tours all over the world, including Berlin, so it's not surprising to see that they also offer services in Potsdam.
Their hop-on-hop-off bus tour will allow you to explore the city at your own pace. One ticket lasts an entire day, giving you the opportunity to jump off and see the sites a little closer.
Although the live guide only provides commentary in English and German, an audio guide is available in Spanish, French, Italian, Russian and Portuguese. This trip is available pretty much every day of the week.
You will need to make your own way to Potsdam to start the tour.
This photo of Potsdam City Tour is courtesy of TripAdvisor
Ticket Prices
- €20 for Adults | €18 for Seniors and Students | €10 for Children
- Daily from 10:25 am until 15:25
- Available from April through October
- More information or to book (free cancelation with 24 hours notice)
City Sightseeing's Potsdam tours have an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Get Your Guide (see the reviews).
Map of Stops
BEX Sightseeing
If you're looking for a more traditional bus tour, this should be right up your alley.
During this 5-hours trip from Berlin through Potsdam and return, a professional tour guide will reveal much of the history behind locations such as Sanssouci Palace and the Dutch Quarter.
You won't have the option to hop on and off as you wish, but your guide will likely point out a lot of details that you might otherwise miss on other excursions.
The cost of a ticket is higher than other options in the area, but it's a fair price considering the service provided.
Ticket Prices
- €54 for Adults | €27 for Children
- 10:00 am every day but Mondays
- More information or to book.
Reviews for this company on Get Your Guide are quite good (see the reviews).
If you'd rather see Potsdam from the water, that can definitely be arranged. This city is located right next to the Havel River, and you can actually see a lot of significant sites on a cruise.
While some boat tours only last for about 90 minutes, others can stretch to 4 hours in length.
Unfortunately, some of the vessels on these trips may not be suitable for handicapped individuals, but you are free to call ahead and ask if accommodations can be made.
Expect ticket prices to range from €15-€20 per person.
Weisse Flotte Potsdam
This company offers a wide variety of cruises in and around Potsdam. One of their boat tours focuses exclusively on Sanssouci Palace, while others will take you up and down the Havel River.
Most of their trips last between 1 ½ - 2 hours, but they do offer one outing that runs for a total of 4 hours. Considering the unique experience, ticket prices are pretty darn good for the service provided.
Many tours are offered multiple times per day, so it shouldn't be too difficult to book a cruise with Weisse Flotte Potsdam.
Their overall rating on TripAdvisor is a healthy 4 ½ stars, but they haven't really received many reviews. Thankfully, customers were just as likely to recommend this service on other platforms such as Yelp.
Ticket Prices
Potsdam Palace Tour (90 minutes): €20 for Adults | €10 for Children
Potsdam Big Island Tour (4 hours): €29 for Adults | €14.50 for Children
This tour, depending on your pace will take 3-4 hours, not including travel time.
Take the S-Bahn 7 from Alexanderplatz going towards Potsdam Hauptbahnhof and exit the train at Wannsee.
Follow the signs for buses and take the 316 bus towards Glienicker Brücke. This bus ride is about ten minutes.
Click here for larger interactive map.
Exit the bus at Glienicker Brücke station and you will find yourself directly on a large bridge called Glienicker Brücke.
(A) Glienicker Brücke
Bridge is more famously known as the Bridge of Spies.
You are currently standing in West Berlin but halfway across the bridge it becomes Eastern Germany and during the Cold War this bridge was used primarily for spy exchanges.
The first of these exchanges happened on February 10, 1962, when the Russian spy Rudolf Abel was exchanged for Francis Gary Powers, an event recently shown on the big screen in Steven Spielberg’s “Bridge of Spies” (2015) starring Tom Hanks.
They filmed the pivotal scene right here on the bridge.
When you cross the bridge you will now be in the East. Turn right and follow the Havel river down the gravel path.
You will come to an entrance of a green garden space called the New Garden.
(B) New Garden
This is one of many UNESCO world heritage sites in Potsdam.
It was a project started in 1787 by Fredrick William II (Fredrick the Great’s nephew) and it became one of the largest English landscape gardens in Europe.
When the path opens up into a wider meadow, look right, across the lake. This is Pfaueninsel.
(C) Pfaueninsel
Pfaueninsel (Peacock Island) built for Fredrick William II’s mistress Wilhelmine Enke with an intended sightline directly to the Marble Palace on your left, Fredrick William’s palace.
Continue your leisurely walk through the garden following the left path.
Take caution here especially if you are easily surprised because this stretch of the garden is reserved for one of Germany’s favourite pastimes, nude sunbathing.
Avert your eyes or join in, but make sure you wear lots of sunscreen!
Go past the Green House (a summer home) and follow the signs to Schloss Cecilienhof.
(D) Schloss Cecilienhof
This was the last palace built by the Hohenzollern family from 1914-1917 for the crown prince Wilhelm and his wife Cecilie.
Wilhelm never ascended the throne because, in 1918, his father Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated after World War I, thereby ending the long reign of the Hohenzollern family.
The architectural design of this palace conceals the fact that it holds 176 rooms and 55 chimneys, a mark of prestige for the English Tudor style.
This palace is famous for hosting the Potsdam Conference on July 17, 1945 – August 2, 1945.
The big three (Stalin, Truman, and Churchill – later replaced by Atlee) gathered here to decide the fate of Europe after VE day.
Here they decided all the big D’s: demilitarization, denazification, democratization, decentralization, and decartelization.
Here, they decided to divide Germany (and Berlin) into four sections, the ramifications of which are still to be seen today.
Walk around to the front of the house and see Stalin’s famous red star in the garden which was a satirical present for Churchill who was upset about meeting on the Soviet-occupied territory.
With your back to the palace walk straight and take the path on the left. Wind through the garden and soon you will see something that seems quite out of place. A giant black pyramid!
This is, in fact, the refrigerator built in 1792 to keep perishable goods fresh. On your left, you will see the Marble Palace.
(E) Marble Palace
This was the summer home of Fredrick William II built by the designers of the Brandenburg Gate Carl von Gontard and Carl Gotthard Langhans.
This palace is constructed of grey and white Silesian marble, hence its name.
Nearby on the lakeshore is the palace kitchen, built as an ancient temple ruin.
Follow the main path to pass by Egyptian entrance to the Orangery, the garden’s greenhouse where exotic fruits were grown.
Exit the New Garden and enter the city of Potsdam. Follow Allestrasse and turn left on Friedrich-Ebert Strasse.
Walk down this main road and enter the old city of Potsdam through the Nauener Gate.
(F) Nauener Gate
It was built in 1755 in the English Gothic style and one of three remaining gates in the city.
Once you enter the gate you will be in the Dutch Quarter.
(G) Dutch Quarter
This quarter of the city consists of 130 red Dutch houses designed by Jan Bouman from 1733-1740.
When Fredrick William I (The Soldier King) needed craftsmen, he brought the Dutch to Germany and settled them in Potsdam. It is the largest Dutch architecture collection found outside of the Netherlands.
Stroll through these picturesque streets, pop in the small shops and grab a coffee and take a break. You earned it!
After resting a bit, continue down Friedrich-Ebert Strasse and turn right on Brandenburger Strasse, a large pedestrian promenade which is home to the Christmas Market in Potsdam.
Once you reach the end of the street you will encounter a massive gate that looks like a Roman triumphal arch.
(H) Brandenburg Tor
This is the other, less famous Brandenburg Tor built by Fredrick the Great in 1770 after achieving victory in the Seven Years War.
The gate has two completely different sides because each side was designed by a different architect.
Carl von Gotthard designed the city-facing side and his pupil George Christian Unger designed the outside.
Walk through the gate and through the square and take the road on the right.
This will take you to the entrance of Sanssouci, but before you enter the gardens through the large golden gates, go right through a tiny garden gate (it will look like you are entering the secret garden).
This is the entrance to the Marly Gardens and the Friedenskirche.
(I) Friedenskirche (The Church of Peace)
This was built by Fredrick Wilhelm IV in 1845. (Can’t keep all these guys straight yet? Here’s a link to the Hohenzollern family tree: https://www.preussen.de/en/family/family_tree/frederick_william_i._king_in_prussia.html).
The Church of Peace resembles an Italian Monastery and incorporates a Venetian mosaic from San Cipriano made from Murano glass.
Fredrick Wilhelm IV is buried here with his wife but his heart lies with his parents in Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin.
When you exit the church, go right down the stairs and follow the pathway back to the gardens.
Stroll through the various species of trees and go through another small fence. Follow this path and you will soon reach the climax of the tour.
Turn right and you will see Sanssouci.
(J) Sanssouci
This is the largest UNESCO world heritage site in Germany. It was built by Fredrick the Great in 1745.
This palace was built as a spot for retreat and relaxation and so was named Sanssouci, the French for ‘without cares’ or ‘no worries’.
Fredrick the Great was such an influence on the design of this intimate palace that it is characterized as ‘Frederician Rococo’.
The 120 steps up to the top of the palace are dotted with fig trees and trellised vines and the climb is rewarded with a panoramic view of Sanssouci Park.
On your right, you will see a wing filled with famous busts surrounding a grassy area with a large concrete stone. This is Fredrick the Great’s grave.
Feel free to leave a potato here, honoring him by his other famous name “The Potato King” because he was responsible for introducing this staple into the German diet.
He was buried here in 1990 honoring his final wishes with his eleven dogs.
After being stunned by the beauty of Fredrick’s palace, don’t miss out on Sanssouci’s other fantastic buildings. Stroll through the gardens and encounter the Chinese House, the Temple of Friendship, and the grand New Palace.
(K) The New Palace
The New Palace was built 20 years after Sanssouci in 1769. This larger palace was in direct contrast with the smaller Sanssouci and was intended to display Prussia’s power and strength to the world.
This was Fredrick the Great showing off after his victory in the Seven Years War.
After exploring the grounds, you can take bus 650/695 from Sansoucci palace and head back to the center of Potsdam. If you aren’t too tired, take this opportunity to explore even more that Potsdam has to offer.
Get off the bus at Alter Markt/Landtag and walk towards the giant green dome. This is the Nikolaikirche.
(L) Nikolaikirche
Built between 1830-1837, this is one of the last structures built by the famous architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel.
This church was badly damaged during World War II but has since been restored. Here in the Alter Markt, you can also find the Potsdam City Palace built in 1662.
This palace was severely damaged in 1945 and demolished in 1961 by East Communists. The palace was reconstructed in 2013.
On the eastern side of the Market square, you see the imposing City Hall (Altes Rathaus) built in 1755 by Jan Bouman.Gallery
Potsdam Hauptbahnhof is a short walk across the river from here, or you can take a bus (they all go to the main train station).
It’s easy to get back to Berlin just hop on the s-Bahn 7 going to Berlin.
