9 ideas to optimise your holiday in Berlin 2025
In 2025, Berlin will observe a total of 11 public holidays (the 8th of May is a 2025 one-off). Out of 11, 10 fall on the work day, and one will be celebrated on Saturday. Some companies or teams in Germany want you to plan your holiday upfront. We prepared 9 ideas for the optimal use of your vacation days to inspire your decision-making.
But first, here is the overview of all the public holidays in Berlin in 2025:
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2025 | Wednesday | New Year’s Day* |
| March 8, 2025 | Saturday | International Women’s Day |
| April 18, 2025 | Friday | Good Friday* |
| April 21, 2025 | Monday | Easter Monday* |
| May 1, 2025 | Thursday | Labour Day (May Day)* |
| May 8, 2025 | Thursday | 80th Anniversary of the End of WWII |
| May 29, 2025 | Thursday | Ascension Day* |
| June 9, 2025 | Monday | Whit Monday* |
| October 3, 2025 | Friday | Day of German Unity* |
| December 25, 2025 | Thursday | Christmas Day* |
| December 26, 2025 | Friday | Second Day of Christmas* |
*shared by all German states
Offices will be empty on these three bridge days (Brückentag) for 2025:
- Friday, May 2nd
- Friday, May 9th
- Friday, May 30th
so you might as well take them off, too.
How to optimise holidays in Berlin 2025?
(attention: weekends come on top and are not included in the days off calculation)
- Easter: Mon, 14th of April (CW16) including Fri, 25th of April (CW17) -> you need 8 days for 10 days off
- Late April - Early May: Mon, 28th of April (CW18) including Fri, 9th of May (CW19) -> you need 8 days for 10 days off
- Early season: Wed, 28th of May (CW22) including Fri, 13th of June (CW24) -> you need 11 days for 13 days off
- Away in May: 19 days for the entire month off.
- Natural long weekend: Friday, October 3rd, extend in either or both directions -> 9 days for 10 days, 4 for 5 or 5 for 6
- Off-Peak optimization: don’t take your main summer holiday in August like everyone else: the office will be less crowded anyway
- Reverse holiday strategy: work when most of the people are away. I tried it a couple of times, and it really enables you to get stuff done. In addition, tickets for your travel will be cheaper.
- School’s out: if you are DINK or single, you could plan your holiday just before or after the school holidays. This means less pressure on everything.
- Monday morning mercy: even if it sounds tempting, never return home just a day before returning to work. Your body, mind and laundry will be grateful.
If you work remotely from Berlin, you might need to check holidays in other German states. Including Berlin, 6/16 federal states have ten public holidays. Bavaria has 13, followed by Baden-Württemberg with 12.
In addition, if you are working in international teams, consider potential overlaps. For example, August is peak vacation time in France and Italy, July in Scandinavia, Chinese and many other Asian teams often take extended breaks during Lunar New Year, colleagues in Islamic countries typically take extended breaks during Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan), and US teams often cluster their breaks around their national holidays like Thanksgiving in November.
And finally,
School holidays in Berlin 2025
| Holiday | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas Holidays 2024/25 | December 23, 2024 | December 31, 2024 |
| Winter Holidays | February 2, 2025 | February 8, 2025 |
| Easter Holidays | April 14, 2025 | April 25, 2025 |
| No Classes | May 2, 2025 | May 2, 2025 |
| No Classes | May 30, 2025 | May 30, 2025 |
| Pentecost Holiday | June 6, 2025 | June 6, 2025 |
| Summer Holidays | July 24, 2025 | September 6, 2025 |
| Autumn Holidays | October 20, 2025 | November 1, 2025 |
| Christmas Holidays 2025/26 | December 22, 2025 | January 2, 2026 |
Get an idea where to get the burger on the day when you arrive back from holiday: Best Burger in Berlin 2024: Local Favorites & Expert Picks
