Dresden travel guide
Dresden Tourism | Dresden Guide
You're Going to Love Dresden
With a population of 486.854, Dresden is a must-see destination in Saxony, Germany. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Dresden deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Activities & attractions in Dresden
Activities
Where to Eat in Dresden
Altstadt is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Dresden. These include popular favorites such as Ayers Rock (Münzgasse 8), Restaurant Moritz (An der Frauenkirche 13) and Watzkes Wurstküche (Dr.-Külz-Ring 11). If you’re looking for affordable options, SCHWERELOS – Das Achterbahnrestaurant Dresden (Wiener Platz 10) and Café Milchmädchen (Grunaer Str. 27) are great picks. For delicious green meals, Restaurant 'Schwindts' (Bodenbacher Str. 120) and Makamaka (Bautzner Straße 6) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Dresden.
When to visit Dresden
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Dresden in July, when the average temperature is 62.6 °F, and the highest can go up to 71.6 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is February, when it can get as cold as 26.6 °F, with an average temperature of 30.2 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in July, when precipitation is around 5.9″. In contrast, February is usually the driest month of the year in Dresden, with an average rainfall of 0.8″.
How to Get to Dresden
Plane
When flying to Dresden, you’ll arrive at Dresden Airport (DRS), which is located 9 km from the city center. The shortest flight to Dresden from the United States departs from Miami and takes around 11h 35m.
Train
Deutsche Bahn is the most popular train carrier serving Dresden, followed by FlixTrain. The train journey from Dresden to Munich takes 6h 30m and costs around $55 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Cologne, expect to pay about $59 for a 7h 06m trip. Located 1.5 km from the city center, Dresden Hauptbahnhof is the busiest station in Dresden. Another popular train station is Dresden Neustadt, located 1.5 km from the center.
Car
Another option to get to Dresden is to pick up a car rental from Berlin, which is about 165 km from Dresden. You’ll find branches of Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Sixt, among others, in Berlin.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Dresden, including FlixBus, Arda Tur and Regiojet. From Leipzig, the bus ride to Dresden takes 145 km and will cost you around $26. From Berlin, the ticket costs about $28 for a journey of 209 km. The most popular bus station is Dresden Reitbahnstraße, located 0.7 km from downtown Dresden. Dresden Ammonstrasse is also a commonly used station, and is 1.3 km from the city center.
Airlines serving Dresden
Where to stay in Dresden
From 5-star hotels such as the Relais & Châteaux Hotel Bülow Palais to great affordable options like the Leonardo Hotel Dresden Altstadt, Dresden offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around $93 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $153 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include B&B Hotel Dresden and Schiffsherberge Pöppelmann. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Dresden, with prices from $34 to $296 per night. Neustadt is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Dresden are about 15% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.
Altstadt - In Dresden’s most popular neighborhood to stay, recommended hotels include Hotel Aviv Dresden, Amedia Plaza Dresden, Trademark Collection by Wyndham and Hotel Indigo Dresden - Wettiner Platz.
Neustadt - Here you’ll find travelers’ favorites such as Bilderberg Bellevue Hotel Dresden, Best Western Macrander Hotel Dresden and Park Inn by Radisson Dresden. The average nightly price for a double room in Neustadt is $28.
Prohlis - Ramada by Wyndham Dresden, Dormero Hotel Dresden City and Andante Hotel Dresden have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in Prohlis will cost you about $74 per night.
Where to stay in popular areas of Dresden
Most booked hotels in Dresden
Renting a car in Dresden
Renting a car in Dresden costs $72 per day, on average, or $143 if you want to rent if for 2 days.
You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 34% more expensive than at Dresden Arpt.
Expect to pay $7.50 per gallon in Dresden (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $89.94 and $119.92. The most frequently booked car type in Dresden is Compact (Volkswagen Golf or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Standard rental cars (Class Commercial Truck or similar) are, on average, 66% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.