What to do in Berlin: The ultimate Berlin city guide
Berlin is one of our favorite cities in the world. It is cosmopolitan, worldly, quirky, exotic, bohemian, evolving, vibrant and so very, very alive — there is something to do or see or experience 24 hours a day if you are so inclined. Little wonder so many tourists, wanderers, artists, authors, musicians, actors and creative minds discover and fall in love with Berlin.
You will fall in love with Berlin too. Marvel at the Brandenburg Gate or immerse yourself in history and art on Museum Island. Enjoy a sunset from the top of the TV Tower. Visit the Reichstag building and wander up into the dome. Climb to the top of the Berliner Dom and walk around looking out at Berlin. Appreciate history and art colliding in the East Side Gallery. And that’s just for starters There’s The Holocaust Memorial – Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the Topography of Terror, the Memorial of the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the Stasi Museum and still more. If you are into street art, you’ll want to visit Urban Nation. No matter what your interests are, there is something here for you.
Whether you are visiting for one day, two days, a week or more, the best way to begin your quest to find what to do in Berlin is here. Our resource guide and links, map, as well as numerous articles highlighting insider traveling tips for you will ensure your visit to this historic city is memorable.
Our Instagram Posts From Berlin
Sunburst at the Berlin Victory Column. @visit_berlin @germanytourism • #bestberlinphoto #bestcommunity • • • • #longexposure #travelphotographer #berlin #travelphotos #igersberlin #berlinstagram #longexpoelite #ig_berlin #travelguide #longexposure_shots #visit_berlin #astrophotography #longexpo #longexposurephotography #slowshutter #travelphoto #worldtravel #berlinstyle #berlincity #ig_berlincity #berlincalling #iloveberlin #sunflare #starburst #hitraveltales #travelinside
Magical, enchanting bubbles. A child is completely entranced by the bubbles she is creating during Botanical Nights in Berlin. Read our story on the Botanical Nights event at http://bit.ly/botanicalnights. @berlinbotanicalgarden @visit_berlin • • • • • #travelphotographer #botanicalgarden #berlin #travelphotos #botanical #igersberlin #berlinstagram #ig_berlin #travelguide #visit_berlin #worldtravel #berlincity #diestadtberlin #travelphoto #berlinstyle #deutschland #ig_berlincity #berlinpage #berlincalling #ig_deutschland #iloveberlin #hitraveltales #bona19
Mommy? Get my ball … please? When you are just a small dog and you drop your ball into a canal and the water is deeper than you are tall and it seems very very scary. @visit_berlin • • • • • #travelphoto #berlin #travelpics #igersberlin #berlinstagram #ig_berlin #visit_berlin #travellife #traveltheworld #travels #travelblog #berlincity #diestadtberlin #pets #puppies #berlinstyle #dogoftheday #doglover #dogsofig #petstagram #dogs_of_instagram #doglife #lovedogs #dogslife #traveldiary
Street artists in action! The annual Wide Open Walls art event in California’s capital of Sacramento attracts street artists from around the world each August. The city has hundreds of murals all over its streets that add to the city’s vibrance. The beauty of the event is taking walks to see murals being created and interacting with the artists. Herakut from Berlin was just finishing her workday on this amazing piece last year when we stopped to chat. @Herakut @hera_herakut @visitsacramento @WideOpenWalls @Thepeopleofsacramento • • • • • #mural #travelphoto #murals #sacramento #streetart #travelpics #artistcollective #visitsacramento #graffiti #graffitiart #urbanart #collective #travellife #traveltheworld #downtownsac #travelblog #sprayart #streetarteverywhere #muralart #graffitiwall #streetartistry #wallart #urbanwalls #streetartphotography #streetartist #hitraveltales
Der Dude in Engelbecken, Berlin. Life becoming art as one of the many colorful characters in Berlin enjoys a warm summer morning reading while smoking on a garden bench beneath the shade of wisteria. These benches line Engelbecken, a small lake with fountains just across the street from the historic St. Michaels Church. #berlin #iloveberlin #engelbecken #streetphotography #hitraveltales @visit_berlin @germanytourism • • • • • #igersberlin #berlinstagram #ig_berlin #visit_berlin #berlincity #diestadtberlin #berlinstyle #streetart #streetlife #streetphotographers #streetphotographer #bnw #ig_berlincity #berlinpage #urbanandstreet #berlincalling #citylife #urbanphotography #lensculture #streetshot #kreuzberg
Magical fairies and strange creatures at Botanical Nights in Berlin. The Botanical Garden in the Zehlendorf district opened in 1910 and each year plays host for one weekend to the creation of another world full of illuminations, performers and a whole lot of fun. #bona19 #berlin @berlinbotanicalgarden @visit_berlin #visit_berlin #iloveberlin #botanicalgardens
The Berlin Travel Map
Know what to do in Berlin with our travel map. Use the map in tandem with our ultimate Berlin city guide to help you decide where to go, what to do next, and even find your way from one fantastic sight, restaurant or place to stay to the next.
Know what to do in Berlin – Travel Resources
Berlin Travel Weather
Click on the image below to launch our 36-hour forecast.
Getting to and from Berlin
- By Train – It is easy to get to Berlin on either the fast train (InterCityExpress) or the other lines (InterCity, EuroCity, and InterRegio). For booking information, go to the Deutsche Bahn website here. Trains will depart or arrive primarily from the Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Berlin’s central train station and also its newest station), Ostbahnof (the east train station connects with S-Bahns going to Friedrichstraße, Alexanderplatz, or Bahnhof Zoo), and Südkreuz (north-south trains pass through here), Bahnhof Spandau (the ICE train from Hamburg / Hannover stops here).
- By Plane – Most international flights will arrive and depart from Tegel TXL International Airport. There is no S-Bahn or U-Bahn station near the airport. To connect to the local trains and U-Bahn requires riding the TXL Express Bus or taking Express Bus X9. Both arrive and depart right outside the airport terminal.
Getting Around In Berlin
The official Berlin website offers detailed information regarding transportation, including ticket, fare and route map information. This is also the clearest way to understand the various tariff zones that Berlin is divided into — AB, BC and ABC.
- U-Bahn, Bus, Tram – (operated by BVG — bvg.de) Use the company’s Journey Planner to find the best routes combining all forms of public transportation, including the S-Bahn, between point A and B. Be sure to download the BVG app to use on your Android or iPhone.
- S-Bahn – The local railway and a subsidiary of the Deutsche Bahn (the German railway system), and an often faster and more direct way to get places that are farther apart. It also runs mostly above ground.
Managing Money
The Euro is the currency Germany. Use the calculator from Oanda below to help you manage your money exchanges and know how much something selling in Euro would cost in dollars.
Berlin Welcome Card
One price includes admission to museums, attractions, special tours, as well as public transportation. Click on the image to open buying information.
Language basics
Learning at least a few key phrases of the local language will be helpful and appreciated, even if many Germans (especially the younger generation) do speak English quite well. Be sure to read A German language cheat sheet for travelers and A traveler’s guide to dining and shopping in Germany before you go. Both have downloadable PDF’s you can take with you.
Guided Tours of Berlin
Enchanting Botanical Nights at the Berlin Botanical Gardens
Stasi sights in Berlin not to miss
Open-air exhibit traces fall of the Berlin wall
Stasi archives Berlin – Stash of secret police records now open
Urban Nation Berlin street art museum reopens with new exhibits
Hohenschönhausen Memorial – Reliving the Stasi prison horrors
Stasi Museum – Berlin museum brings alive Stasi terror
Teufelsberg Berlin: Abandoned spy listening post now street art gallery
Urban Nation museum for street art in Berlin turns city into gallery
Prenzlauer Berg Wasserturm: history, wine, and Berlin’s underground
Instagram Berlin – A collection of our favorite Berlin photos
Long Night of Museums: all-night festivities in Berlin museums
5 great Berlin street food markets
Thai Park Berlin a feast for eyes and tummies
Battle for Berlin memorial at Museum Seelower Höhen
Q110 Bank of the Future in Berlin by Deutsche Bank gets revamp
Haunting history on Berlin Underground tours
Quick Prenzlauer Berg travel guide to a Berlin hotspot
Artist’s Diary – A colorful market near Cafe Anna Blume
Artist’s war memorial at Berlin Bethlehemkirchplatz
Berlin Bank of the Future by Deutsche Bank
Berlin Turkish Market: flavors, food, deals in oriental bazaar setting
Discover Berlin walking tour: shortlist of top sites
Berlin Wall 25th anniversary commemorates fall and freedom
Walking the Berlin Wall by following the bricks
Dine, Wine, Dawdle and Doze when visiting Berlin
Where to stay in Berlin
We recommend the following very different though equally wonderful hotels: Hotel Oderberger, Hotel am Steinplatz, and Hotel Tiergarten. You can search for other hotels and accommodations using our Booking.com map, below, showing best deals on top hotels in Berlin. By booking your stay using Booking.com, we receive a small commission and you pay no more than if you would have booked directly … which helps us keep the lights on here in our offices, so thank you in advance for your support.
More Ultimate City Guides by HITravelTales.com
Read our other “What to do in …” city guides to help you plan your next holiday to great cities around the world.
Michael Hodgson & Therese Iknoian
Latest posts by Michael Hodgson & Therese Iknoian
- What to do in Regensburg: The ultimate Regensburg city guide - July 1, 2019
- What to do in Budapest: The ultimate Budapest city guide - May 29, 2019
- What to do in Berlin: The ultimate Berlin city guide - May 22, 2019
