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Visiting Germany was one of our favorite trips. The combination of great food, fun theme parks, and cultural stops was a perfect mix for us. Here we lay out our 16 days across Germany.

Two Weeks in Germany: (Jump To)

We used the German Rail pass to get around the country. It was very affordable and extremely easy to use.

Germany Day 1: Berlin Itinerary

Note: Day one was set to be an early morning arrival in Berlin. The weather had other plans for us (leaving us stranded for the night). What follows is what we would have done in Berlin. We got back on track on day three in Hamburg.

An early morning arrival lets us drop our bags and begin exploring the city.

Via bus, we planned to visit the Brandenburg Gate, the adjacent Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and the Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism.

The afternoon was set aside to visit the museums on Museum Island, Alexanderplatz, and the East Side Gallery, home to the last pieces of the Berlin Wall.

We planned to finish the day with dinner in the Kurfürstendamm area.

Germany Day 2: Berlin, Potsdam, and Travel to Hamburg

We planned to check out of the hotel in the early morning and stash our luggage at the train station before taking the 1-hour train to Potsdam to see Sanssouci Palace.

Time permitting, upon our afternoon arrival back in Berlin we planned to visit the Berlin Zoo.

After dinner, we would take the (approx. 90 minutes) train to Hamburg.

Germany Day 3: Hamburg Itinerary

Read more at our Full Hamburg Post

From the train station, we purchased a “Hamburg Card” which worked as a transit pass for the busses and subways and also gave tourist discounts at the top attractions.

We visited Spicys Gewurtzmuseum, a spice museum, and made our own chocolate bars at CHOCOVERSUM Chocolate Museum.

We climbed to the top of the St. Nikolai Memorial for a panoramic view of the city.

The evening was spent seeing Miniatur Wunderland, the world’s largest model railway.

We capped the day with a late-night walk through the Red Light District.

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Germany Day 4: Heide Park from Hamburg

Read our Full Heide Park Post to learn about our day at the wonderful German theme park.

Using Hamburg as our base we took a day trip to Heide Park, a theme park in the town of Soltau.

We returned to our Hamburg hotel for the evening.

Germany Day 5: Cologne Itinerary, Arrive at Phantasialand

Read our Full Cologne Post to learn more about the day.

We woke up and caught an early morning train to Cologne. The train ride took about four hours, landing us in the city at about noon.

Cologne is an easy city to explore on foot, with most attractions just steps away from the central train station.

We stashed our bags at the station and then visited the Cologne Cathedral and Hohenzollern Bridge. A walk along the river via the Rheinboulevard let us explore some local shops and restaurants.

We returned to the train station, collected our bags, and made our way to the final stop of the day, our hotel near the theme park Phantasialand.

Phantasialand theme park Germany Itinerary

Germany Day 6: Phantasialand, Travel to Heidelberg

One of our favorite theme parks in the world is covered in detail at our Full Phantasialand Post.

Phantasialand is an incredible theme park that is a must-visit for theme park enthusiasts visiting Germany.

The park was surprisingly not too busy, so we were able to ride and see everything by mid-afternoon.

At about 3 pm we collected our bags, caught the bus to the train station, and then took the train to Heidelberg. The journey took about 3 hours, landing us in Heidelberg just in time for dinner and some much-needed rest.

Germany Day 7: Heidelberg Itinerary, Travel to Europa Park

Learn more about what to do in Heidelberg!

We headed to the famed Heidelberg Castle first thing in the morning. After touring the castle we rode the funicular back down the hill visiting the shops near Market Square.

We crossed the river via Old Bridge Heidelberg and hiked the Philosophers' Way trail for epic views of the city.

In the late afternoon, we caught a pre-booked Flixbus to Europa-Park.

We stayed in a hotel on the Europa-Park property.

Europa-Park theme park Germany Itinerary

Germany Day 8: Europa-Park

It’s the Disneyland of Germany! Read our Europa-Park post to learn more.

Europa-Park is the largest and most popular theme park in Germany and is probably second only to Disneyland Paris in all of Europe.

Germany Day 9: Europa-Park, travel to Strasbourg

After a second full day in Europa-Park we took an evening Flixbus to Strasbourg, France.

The one-hour bus ride gave us the chance to grab some dinner in the city before returning to our hotel near the train station.

Germany Two Week Itinerary - Strasbourg Itinerary

Germany Day 10: Strasbourg Itinerary

A unique combination of French and German culture is on display in Strasbourg.

Strasbourg is a French city right on the border with Germany. The mix of French and German cultures creates a magical experience.

We explored the UNESCO listed World Heritage city center including the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg and Palais Rohan.

The city is best explored on foot slowly taking in the beauty around every corner.

Funicular station Merkur Baden-Baden Germany Black Forest

Germany Day 11: Baden-Baden Itinerary, Travel to Stuttgart

Read about our day in sleepy and relaxing Baden-Baden.

We boarded a morning train to the German spa town of Baden-Baden. The city is nestled in the Black Forest.

After visiting the historic city center and taking the Merkur Funicular Railway to view the valley below, we returned to the train station and headed to Stuttgart, our final stop of the day.

An unexpected surprise, Stuttgart proved to be well worth a stop. In the evening we walked the city visiting Altes Schloss, or Old Castle, and did some great shopping along the city’s main pedestrian street Königstraße.

pelicans Wilhelma Zoo Stuttgart Germany Itinerary

Germany Day 12: Stuttgart Itinerary, Travel to Munich.

Stuttgart is a gem of a city. Click to read about our time there.

We spent the morning visiting Stuttgart’s Wilhelma Zoological-Botanical Garden before catching an afternoon train to Munich. The train took about four hours.

Our first evening in Munich was spent exploring the area around Marienplatz, the main tourist center including the outdoor Victuals Market.

We booked a hotel directly across from the main train station.

Germany Day 13: Neuschwanstein Castle

Full Neuschwanstein Castle Post

Munich is, of course, one of the most popular places to visit in Germany. It is also a massively convenient place to stay while taking day trips throughout Bavaria.

Neuschwanstein Castle is the quintessential European castle. An easy two-hour train ride from Munich will get you to the town of Füssen where you can book your castle tour tickets.

Also, make time for the adjacent Hohenschwangau Castle.

We returned to Munich late in the evening.

Harburg Castle Romantic Road Germany Itinerary

Germany Day 14: Romantic Road

We were without a car during our visit, relying completely on public transportation. We wanted to take a trip on the famous Romantic Road but were having trouble navigating a route on our own. So we decided to book a day trip with our partner Viator.

The trip included a stop at the amazing Harburg Castle and the medieval city of Rothenburg.

We made it back to Munich in time for a late dinner at a beer hall.

Salzburg Austria city view Germany Itinerary

Germany Day 15: Day Trip to Salzburg, Austria

Read about the day trip to Salzburg in our post.

The train ride to the city of Salzburg was just under two hours. Despite technically being in Austria, your German Rail Pass is valid on the Munich to Salzburg route.

We visited the famous Sound of Music site, Mirabell Palace, walked by Mozart’s childhood home, and climbed to the towering Hohensalzburg Fortress.

We returned to Munich late that evening