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BerlinSelf-guided activities

Our most recommended Berlin Self-guided activities

Berlin: 1-Hour City Tour by Boat with Guaranteed Seating

1. Berlin: 1-Hour City Tour by Boat with Guaranteed Seating

Discover some of the key landmarks of Berlin on a sightseeing boat tour. Enjoy a relaxing river cruise on the Spree to take in the sights at the heart of this bustling city.   Depart from Friedrichstraße or Nikolaiviertel. Your 1-hour sightseeing tour will take you past the Reichstag (German Parliament Building), through the new Regierungsviertel (Government Quarter), all the way to the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (House of World Cultures). After turning at the Lutherbrücke (Luther Bridge), keep a look out for Schloss Bellevue (Bellevue Palace), the "Beamtenschlange" (civil servant housing), and the Siegessäule (Victory Column). Marvel at Hauptbahnhof (Central Station), Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral), Museumsinsel (Museum Island), and the Nikolaiviertal, the oldest residential area in Berlin. Arrive back either Friedrichstraße or Nikolaiviertel to finish the tour.

Berlin: Boat Tour Along the River Spree

2. Berlin: Boat Tour Along the River Spree

Discover the center of Berlin via its major waterway, the River Spree, on a 2.5-hour boat cruise. See the main sights of the city from the water and feel the heartbeat of the bustling city. Start your roundtrip sightseeing tour on Friedrichstrasse and pass by the Federal Chancellery to reach Bellevue Palace, overlooking the Beamtenschlange (civil servant accommodation) and the Victory Column. Enjoy informative audio commentary as you see Berlin Central Station and the Interior Ministry before continuing on to Charlottenburg Palace. From there you will cruise past the Westhafen Canal, the Berlin-Spandau Ship Canal, the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Hamburger Bahnhof. You will then cruise back to Friedrichstrasse.

Berlin: Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus with Boat Options

3. Berlin: Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus with Boat Options

Discover the city at your own pace with the Berlin Hop On - Hop Off bus. Freely wander the city on well-equipped sightseeing buses. Explore Museum Island, amble down the Ku'Damm, the famed shopping street, and catch a glimpse of divided Berlin at Check Point Charlie. Visit the Brandenburg gate or the Reichstag with its marvelous glass dome. There are a wide variety of options, with buses traveling the entirety of the city. To get even more out of your trip to Berlin, combine your bus pass with a spree to your experience. You can redeem your boat ticket at any time and add a relaxing 1-hour river cruise on the Spree to your experience. During the summer, there is also a guided walking tour available, so you can learn even more in-depth, insider knowledge about the sights and landmarks. The stops for the bus tours are: Line 1 (Bus) • Alexanderplatz • Rotes Rathaus • Museum Island • Friedrichstrasse • Brandenburger Tor • Reichstag • Hauptbahnhof • Haus der Kulturen der Welt • Bellevue Palace • Siegessäule (Victory Column) • Kurfürstendamm • KaDeWe • Lützowplatz • Kulturforum • Potsdamer Platz • Mauerreste • Checkpoint Charlie • Gendarmenmarkt Line 2 (Bus) • Alexanderplatz • Frankfurter Allee • East Side Gallery • Ostbahnhof

Berlin: Pergamon Museum Entrance Ticket

4. Berlin: Pergamon Museum Entrance Ticket

Visit the Pergamon Museum, whose redevelopment will transform it into a worldwide attraction among the Berlin museums. The redevelopment is still ongoing, however, you will be able to enjoy most of the museum. The Antiquity Collection The Pergamon antique collection is one of the world's most significant collections of Greek and Roman art. See the architectural installations from Ancient Greece and Rome, including the gem of Roman architecture: the Market Gate of Miletus from circa 100 AD. As part of the renovation, the hall with the Pergamon Altar will remain closed until at least 2024. The Middle East Museum The Middle East Museum collects artifacts of the 6,000-year cultural history of civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Assyria, and Anatolia. Among the 270,000 objects, the main attractions are the reconstruction of the gloriously colorful Ishtar Gate and the Procession Way of Babylon from the time of Nebuchadnezzar II. Gaze in wonder at the earliest examples of writing in Cuneiform script on clay tablets from Uruk. Islamic Art Museum The Museum for Islamic Art displays both masterpieces of applied art and archaeological artifacts from Muslim as well as Christian and Jewish groups from the 8th to 19th century. Let yourself be amazed by architectural works that you will not find in any other museum. See the richly decorated stone facade of the Mshatta palace and the famous Aleppo Room with its colorfully painted wall paneling.

Berlin: Natural History Museum Entrance Ticket

5. Berlin: Natural History Museum Entrance Ticket

Come and join a journey of discovery that begins by following the footsteps of Alexander von Humboldt and Charles Darwin and takes you all the way to the modern-day explorers of life on earth. Every day, the approximately 200 scientists working at the Museum für Naturkunde look for answers to the great problems and challenges the future holds, relying on their scientific collections, comprising over 30 million items. Their insights shape the various permanent and special exhibitions and many special events. Some of the best-known exhibits are to be found in the Dinosaur Hall, which shows life as it might have been in the Upper Jurassic period, 150 million years ago. Giraffatitan brancai, the tallest mounted dinosaur skeleton in the world, impressively welcomes all visitors in the center of the exhibition hall. The precious Archaeopteryx lithographica, the Mona Lisa of natural history, is elegantly displayed in a safety showcase at the back of the hall. All of the fossil objects – and the dinosaurs in particular – still yield new secrets to scientists and researchers from all over the world. The museum offers much more than extinct fossils - the East Wing allows visitors to see a genuine scientific research collection that has received many accolades. This collection is home to about a million animals stored in 80 tonnes of alcohol. The Biodiversity Wall fascinates visitors, displaying 3,000 species in one glance. This thought-provoking installation opens up a discussion on biodiversity and its loss – a theme that remains at the heart of the museum’s research efforts. With changing temporary exhibitions and a diversified education program including guided tours, lectures, and workshops, the Museum für Naturkunde is always worth a visit.

Berlin: Sightseeing Cruise from Berlin Main Station

6. Berlin: Sightseeing Cruise from Berlin Main Station

Explore Berlin from the water during a wonderful sightseeing cruise. Start your cruise at the Moltke Bridge/Main Station Pier and set off to see some of Berlin's most important sights from the water. Admire how large parts of the old and new architecture in the city were built facing the water as you cruise along the Spree riverbank. Feel like a real insider as you get to know Berlin from the upper deck of the panoramic ships. During the tour, pass by numerous sights including Nicholas’ Quarter, the TV Tower, Berlin Cathedral, the Old National Gallery, the New and Old Museum, the Pergamon Museum, the Bode Museum, the Palace of Tears, Friedrichstraße Station, the Press and Information Agency of the Federal Government, ARD Capital Television Studio, the Reichstag Building, Paul-Löbe-House, Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders-House, Moltke Bridge, the Swiss Embassy, the German Chancellery, and the House of World Cultures.

Berlin: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour with Live Commentary

7. Berlin: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour with Live Commentary

Explore Berlin's top sights on a convenient hop-on hop-off bus ticket. Listen to facinating stories about the city with live commentary. Have the freedom to jump on or off throughout the validity of your ticket. Visit top areas like Tiergarten, Gendarmenmarkt, and Potsdamer. If, for example, you start your tour at Kurfürstendamm, you will pass the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church and reach KaDeWe, one of Europe’s largest shopping centers, through Tauentzienstraße. Next you continue on to Lützowplatz and the embassy district at the Tiergarten and over to the Philarmonic and the West Berlin Kulturforum. The next stop is the historically significant Potsdamer Platz. In the 1930s, it was one of the most public squares in Berlin. After the Second World War, this was no man’s land, where the Berlin Wall divided the city. Today, seeing the vibrant life and the newly erected towers reminiscent of New York’s urban canyons, you will hardly believe that for years there was nothing here other than the Berlin Wall, spring-guns and GDR soldiers. Also, the Legoland Discovery Center is on Potsdamer Platz. From there, continue to Berlin’s other important historical sites. In the Niederkirchner Straße you can find the city parliament, the Martin-Gropius-Bau, a museum with changing exhibitions, the Topography of Terror, which exhibits the history of the Nazis and of the Jews’ suffering under the Nazis, as well as the Ministry of Finance, which was once the Nazi Ministry of Aviation. From there you drive on to Checkpoint Charlie, one of the former border crossings between East and West Berlin. A permanent exhibition looks back at the Cold War period. On Friedrichstraße you come across one of the nicest spots in Berlin, the Gendarmenmarkt, with two similar buildings, the German and French Cathedrals. The Konzerthaus Berlin is in the middle of the square. After the Gendarmenmarkt it’s on to Alexanderplatz and the TV Tower. The stop for these sights is the Neptune Fountain. This used to be the Berlin City Palace. Here you will also have the opportunity to go shopping. The next stop is Karl-Liebknecht-Straße, in front of the Radisson Hotel. From here you can transfer on to a boat if you wish to experience Berlin by boat as well as bus. Also, the Aquadom, Sealife Berlin and the Berlin Dungeon are located at this stop, as well as the Berlin Cathedral, which holds the sarcophagi of the Hohenzollern family. From here you can also admire the golden dome of the New Synagogue on Oranienburger Straße. The “Hackeschen Höfe” are only a few minutes away. Next you'll go over the glamorous street Unter den Linden to the Museum Island, Bebelplatz, Humboldt University and to the stops Unter den Linden 36 (Friedrichstrasse) at ZDF Capital City Studios and Unter den Linden 74, where one of Berlin’s most important attractions is located: Madame Tussauds Berlin. From here the ride continues to the Brandenburg Gate. On the way you will see the UK, Russia, France and US embassies, followed by the Holocaust Memorial. The stop there is at Platz des 18. März. The road leads on past the Reichstag and the government district. You will soon reach the new Hauptbahnhof. From here you have the world-famous view of the German Chancellery, the Reichstag and – as a special surprise – Berlin’s “Fujiyama”. Finally you will cross Berlin’s ‘green lung’, the Tiergarten. This park is bigger than New York’s Central Park. The tour then brings you past the Congress Hall to the stop at Bellevue Palace, the official residence of the President of Germany. From here you can also see the Siegessäule with the golden Victoria statue at the top. On the way back to Kurfürstendamm you will see, for example, the old Hauptbahnhof of former West Berlin, the Technical University and much more. The stops: 01 - Kurfürstendamm 231 (in front of Karstadt) 02 - KaDeWe (main entrance) 03 - Lützowplatz (opposite Hotel Berlin) 04 - Philharmonic / Kulturforum 05 - Potsdamer Platz (at Kolhoff-Tower) 06 - Potsdamer Platz / Linkstraße 07 - Topography of Terror 08 - Checkpoint Charlie (at the Checkpoint Charlie Museum) 09 - Gendarmenmarkt, Markgrafen- / Taubenstraße 10 - Alexanderplatz, Red City Hall, Neptunbrunnen (not in service during the Christmas market in December) 11 - Karl-Liebknecht Str. 5, (to the boat) 12 - Museumsinsel 13 - Humboldt University 14 - Unter den Linden 36 / Friedrichstraße 15 - Unter den Linden 74, Madame Tussauds Berlin (out of order) 16 - Brandenburg Gate, Ebertstraße 17 - Reichstag, Scheidemannstr. 18 - Hauptbahnhof, exit Rahel-Hirsch-Straße 19 - Haus der Kulturen der Welt 20 - Bellevue Palace 21 - Bikini Haus, Budapester Straße 22 - U-/S-Bahn station Zoologischer Garten

Berlin: Rooftop Apéro at Käfer in the Reichstag Dome

8. Berlin: Rooftop Apéro at Käfer in the Reichstag Dome

Pre-book your reserved entry at the Käfer restaurant and enjoy an apéro (pre-dinner drinks and snacks) at your own table next to the glass dome at the top of the Reichstag building, home to the German parliament. Take a seat at the world’s only parliament building with a restaurant open to the public and get bird's eye views of the city as you feast on some delicacies. Start by choosing from three different tarts.  Get served even more delicious treats, which vary depending on the season, such as pastrami sandwiches, and a vegetarian lentil hummus sandwich. Enjoy a glass of prosecco and a choice of one hot beverage, including free refill, along with your snacks. After your meal, feel free to explore the inside of the Reichstag glass dome (audio guides are available free of charge).

Berlin: Berlin Story Museum Entry Ticket

9. Berlin: Berlin Story Museum Entry Ticket

Immerse yourself in Berlin's eventful history and follow the audio guide's vivid explanations about the past from Imperial times to the fall of the Berlin Wall in a real bunker from the Second World War. Step back in time to the period of National Socialism and discover a piece of contemporary history. Learn everything about Hitler's rise to power and his reign of terror. Visit the award-winning Berlin Story Museum in the huge Berlin Story Bunker near Anhalter Bahnhof and Potsdamer Platz. Learn more about Berlin's eventful history at 50 stations with large installations, informative photos, and short films.

Berlin: 3.25-Hour Spree & Landwehrkanal Boat Tour

10. Berlin: 3.25-Hour Spree & Landwehrkanal Boat Tour

Experience Berlin from a new perspective on a sightseeing cruise along the Landwehr Canal and River Spree. See more than 40 bridges and learn about their history, from modern structures to ancient bridges. Take a step aboard the boat at the Jannowitzbrücke (close to Alexanderplatz) and let the fascinating blend of modernity and tradition inspire you on this relaxing and informational cruise through the German capital. With your audio guide (if option booked), learn the history behind each bridge as you sail. See Berlin from the water as you cruise past the German Museum of Technology, the famous Potsdamer Platz, and the interior ministry. Enjoy the unique view from aboard the boat.

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What people are saying about Berlin

Overall rating

4.7 / 5

based on 6 reviews

Audio guide gives the perfect feel to every pieces of history and information. The structures were made beautifully specially market gate, Ishtar gate, Babylon procession.

This place is huge - could have stayed for hours. Massively informative, there was so much I hadn’t heard of before. I’d go back if I was in Berlin again.

Staff very helpful. Covered a lot of the city. Audio stories were interesting and factual. Pick up and drop off spots throughout the city.

Amazing! You have to visit! Too bad we were not allowed to take pictures though.

Fué lo mejor en cuanto a museos en Berlín, altamente recomendable