An efficient cascade approach for the construction of nitrogen-containing polycyclic compounds from amines tethered with an alkenyl (or alkynyl) group and divinyl carbonates is described. In the presence of Pd(0)-catalyst, an active zwitterionic allylpalladium species is generated and undergoes allylic amination with various amines followed by Diels–Alder reaction to form various polycyclic N-heterocyclic products, including hydrophenanthridines, hydrobenzo[c]azepines (hydro)isoindoles and hydrobenzo[cd]indoles.