Potsdam: City and Castles Tour — my review
My verdict. This is the most-reviewed Potsdam tour on GetYourGuide, 4.7 from 4,064 ratings, and it earns that by doing one thing well: a three-hour overview of the whole city from the station, by bus and on foot. It reaches the Sanssouci terraces, Frederick’s grave and the New Palace, but the palace interior is not included. Read it as a Potsdam tour that visits Sanssouci from outside, and it is very good. Read it as a palace tour and you will be disappointed.
What actually happens
You meet at Potsdam Hauptbahnhof, which is where the S7 and the regional trains from Berlin arrive, so it slots neatly onto a train from the city. The driver-guide speaks English and German; if you need Italian, Russian, Spanish or French there is an audio guide and a booklet. The route goes through the Baroque old town, past the Dutch Quarter, out to the Glienicke Bridge where the Cold War agent exchanges happened, past Cecilienhof from the outside (this is where the Potsdam Conference met in July and August 1945) and through the Alexandrowka Russian colony. Then the park: you walk the Sanssouci terraces, see the plain stone slab of Frederick’s grave on the top terrace, and go on to the New Palace at the west end. The palace interiors are not on the itinerary. You can buy a palace ticket on the day as an optional extra, subject to the slots that are left, which in summer is not something I would rely on.
What the listing includes
- Bus and walking tour of Potsdam, about 3 hours
- Driver-guide in English and German
- Audio guide and booklets in English, Italian, Russian, Spanish and French
- Old town, Dutch Quarter, Glienicke Bridge, Cecilienhof (outside), Alexandrowka
- Sanssouci terraces, Frederick’s grave and the New Palace
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
What it does not include
- Entry to Sanssouci Palace or any other interior
- Transport from Berlin: you meet in Potsdam
- Food and drink
Who it is for
First-time visitors who want to understand how Potsdam fits together — the Prussian kings, the Dutch craftsmen, the Russian singers, the 1945 conference and the bridge — in a single morning or afternoon, and who will decide about the palace interior separately. It is also the one I suggest to people who do not speak English or German well, because of the five extra audio languages. It is not for anyone whose main goal is to walk the ten rooms; for that, book a slot with the day ticket for the same day, or take the Berlin tour with entry instead. One day in Potsdam shows how the two fit together.
What works
- 4,064 reviews, the largest sample of any Potsdam tour on the platform
- Starts at the station, so it joins straight onto a train from Berlin
- Covers the whole city, not just the park
- Audio guide and booklets in five extra languages
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Worth knowing
- The palace interior is not included; the optional ticket depends on the day
- Three hours on a bus and on foot, with the terrace steps at the end
- Cecilienhof and the New Palace are seen from outside only
- Nothing to eat or drink included
If you want the inside of Sanssouci on the same day, book a timed slot in advance for after the tour ends, not before. The tour finishes near the palaces and the late-afternoon slots are the quieter ones anyway.
My gripes
The name. “City and Castles” makes people expect to go inside castles, and then they stand on the terrace looking at a door. It is stated plainly in the listing and I am stating it again here: the interior is not included. My second gripe is the terrace steps, all 132 of them, at the end of three hours; there is a ramp route via the upper Maulbeerallee and a good guide will use it if asked. Accessibility covers the palace approach.
What reviewers say
Real GetYourGuide reviews, first names only.
“Winfred was very affable and knowledgeable and really made the tour come alive.”
“The English audio guide was excellent with the odd bit of humour.”
“Our guide was excellent at explaining the history of all the palaces.”
Add the interior, or go private
Palace ticketPotsdam: Sanssouci Palace and Prussian Palaces Entry Ticket
PrivatePotsdam: Private Walking Tour of Potsdam and Sanssouci
Frequently asked questions
Does the City and Castles tour go inside Sanssouci Palace?
No. You walk the terraces, see Frederick’s grave and reach the New Palace, all from outside. A palace ticket can be bought on the day as an optional extra if slots remain. To be sure of a slot, book a timed ticket in advance.
Where does it start?
At Potsdam Central Station, Potsdam Hauptbahnhof, which the S7 reaches from Berlin in about 40 minutes and the RE1 in about 25. How to get there has the connections.
Which languages does it run in?
The driver-guide speaks English and German. Audio guides and booklets are provided in English, Italian, Russian, Spanish and French.
Is Cecilienhof included?
From the outside. The route passes Cecilienhof, where the Potsdam Conference met in 1945, and crosses to the Glienicke Bridge. For the Cold War sites on foot, see the walking tour review.