Best of Berlin Walking Tour with Cold War Eyewitness

3 hours (approximately)
Offered in: English

Discover Berlin’s history through the eyes of those who LIVED IT. On this tour, your guide is both a local expert and an eyewitness—someone who lived in divided Berlin. They crossed Checkpoint Charlie, witnessed Reagan’s visits, and helped bring down the Wall with their own hands. They’ll share personal stories of life in both East and West Berlin, answer all your questions, and guide you to key landmarks—Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie a preserved Wall section, and more. Book your tour with a real eyewitness while you still can!

- Led by an expert eyewitness guides who LIVED in divided Berlin
- Hear not just the history but personal stories, anecdotes, and reflections
- Explore significant sites like the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Wall Memorial, site of Hitler's bunker, Museum Island and more
- Group size is limited to 20 or fewer

What's Included

Guiding Services

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point
Academy of Arts

We meet on the street in front of the Akademie der Künste (Academy of Arts) at Pariser Platz 4 (Parisian Square), near the eastern side of the Brandenburg Gate. Please note that there are two "Academy of Arts" locations in Berlin and our meeting point is the one next to the Brandenburg Gate.

End point
Topography of Terror

If you desire, you can stay & visit, on your own, the Berlin wall memorial exhibitions and/or the museum of the Topography of Terror. Both are free. Topography of Terror: Open 10 am-8 pm daily* Berlin Wall Visitor Center: Open Tue-Sun from 10 am-6 pm (closed Mondays)* *also closed Dec 24,25 & Jan. 1

Itinerary

Duration: 3 hours (approximately)
  • 1
    Brandenburg Gate

    The perfect place to begin your tour, the Brandenburg Gate is the most famous and most recognizable monument in Berlin. It is a splendid 18th c. Neo-Classical monument that has featured prominently in the political history of Prussia, France, the Soviet Union, and both divided and unified Germany.

    10 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 2
    Pariser Platz

    Historically, the grandest square in Berlin and the sight of many important historical events. It's home to the U.S. and French Embassies as well as the famous Hotel Adlon.

    5 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 3
    Fuhrerbunker

    Hilter had a multi-story underground structure built that served as his final residence and as his place of death. It was deliberately destroyed after WWII and now a parking lot occupies the site.

    10 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 4
    The Holocaust Memorial - Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

    A vast plaza of irregular blocks, set at varying heights, inducing a maze-like sense of disorientation to abstractly convey the horrors of the Holocaust.

    10 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 5
    Victory Column

    A 19th c. Neoclassical column, 67 m (219 ft) in height, that is one of the most recognizable monuments in Berlin. NOTE: We get a nice view of the column from near the Brandenburg Gate but DO NOT walk to the column as it is somewhat far and out of the direction of our itinerary.

    5 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 6
    Reichstag Building

    Seat of the former legislature of the German Empire, Weimar Republic and later a symbol for the Nazi regime. In ruins for decades, it was reconstructed, combining classical and modern elements, and now is the seat of the federal Parliament.

    5 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 7
    Spree

    Berlin's main river boasts a stunning boardwalk, lined with some of the city's finest modern architecture-an experience no visitor should miss.

    10 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 8

    See an original WWII Nazi bunker from the outside

    5 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 9
    Palace of Tears

    Historically, Friedrichstraße was both a symbol and a literal divide between East and West Berlin. It was a place of transit, control, and often trauma. The Tränenpalast, or Palace of Tears, was a departure hall for West Berliners visiting family in the East, where tearful goodbyes were exchanged before their return.

    10 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 10
    Humboldt University (Humboldt Universitat)

    Prussian liberal arts University which is now an esteemed public university. Karl Marx, Engels, and Einstein taught here, along with 28 other Nobel Laureates.

    5 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 11
    Bebelplatz

    Beautiful 18th century square, site of infamous Nazi book burning in 1933

    5 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 12
    Book Burning Memorial at Bebelplatz

    The site of a major Nazi book burning in 1933, tens of thousands of works were lost. See the innovative memorial commemorating the loss. "Where they burn books, they will, in the end, burn people." - Heinrich Heine

    5 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 13
    Berlin State Opera

    Originally built by AFrederick the Great in the 18th c., known as the world's oldest state opera

    5 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 14
    Cathedral of St. Hedwig - Domgemeinde St. Hedwig

    Roman catholic cathedral of Berlin, stunning design based on the Pantheon in Rome

    5 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 15

    Impressive square that is known for its architecture ensemble of the Concert Hall (Konzerthaus), which is home to the Berlin orchestra, the French Cathedral (Französischer Dom) and the German Cathedral (Deutscher Dom). The latter are technically not cathedrals but are colloquially called so.

    5 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 16
    Checkpoint Charlie

    The best known Berlin wall crossing point from East Berlin to West Berlin. It was located in the American quarter, serving as a face off between the USA and the western world and the USSR and the communist world. It was the site of John F. Kennedy's famous Berlin speech and has been featured in countless movies and novels.

    10 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 17

    Piece of "the Wall" preserved in 1998 that is 60 m (200 ft) long, the way it was when it fell. There is also a visitor center (closed Mondays) featuring information about the wall, including a short video, remnants of the wall as well as historic photos.

    10 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 18
    Topography of Terror

    Outdoor and indoor history museum which sits on the site of former Nazi buildings including the gestapo. The exhibitions inside chronicle the rise of the Nazi party, their means of control through propaganda and various forms of terror, as well as their fall and accountability at the trials at Nuremberg.

    10 minutes Admission ticket free

Additional info

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Supplied by Cosmopolitan Tours
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Tags

Half-day Tours
Private and Luxury
Cultural Tours
Historical Tours
Walking Tours
Short term availability

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

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