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Offered languages
- English
Cold War Berlin was a city the edge — divided by ideology, concrete, and fear. On this immersive tour, uncover the world of spies, surveillance, and resistance, where everyday life unfolded under constant watch.
Discover the reality of East Germany, shaped by control and conformity, and learn how the Stasi secret police built one of the most invasive surveillance systems in history. Walk the monumental Karl-Marx-Allee, designed to showcase socialist power, and see the stark contrast between propaganda and daily life.
Stand where the 1953 workers’ uprising began, explore Alexanderplatz, the symbolic heart of East Berlin, and experience the legendary East Side Gallery — the longest permanent graffiti wall in the world and the largest remaining section of the Berlin Wall. Once a place of division, it now tells powerful stories of freedom, protest, and survival.
Follow real escape routes along the Wall and hear the stories of those who risked everything to cross from East to West.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Meeting point: outside FRIEDRICHSTRASSE TRAIN STATION, on the square beside the 'Traenenpalast' (Palace of Tears), Reichstagufer 17, 10117 Berlin. Our guides will be wearing a blue lanyard with a yellow name tag, holding yellow umbrellas!
The tour concludes at a strategic location surrounded by a multitude of transportation options, offering you seamless and convenient choices for your onward journey.
Itinerary
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1Berlin Friedrichstrasse Station
The meeting point for your Cold War tour is at Friedrichstrasse Train Station, a historic location at the heart of Berlin’s division. Here, your expert guide will give you an overview of the fascinating three-hour journey ahead, outlining the key sites and stories you'll explore. From there, you'll embark on a unique experience aboard the "ghost train" — an underground route that once connected East and West Berlin during the Cold War. This will set the stage for a deeper understanding of the city's dramatic history, the tension of the divided years, and the personal stories that shaped Berlin's past.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2
See the location where the East German Political Party (SED) was founded in 1946
5 minutes • Admission ticket not included -
3Palace of Tears
The Place of Tears (Tränenpalast) is a poignant site in Berlin, located at Friedrichstrasse Station. This former border crossing was the emotional heart of the city's division during the Cold War, where East and West Berliners were forced to say tearful goodbyes as they were separated by the Berlin Wall. Officially known as the "Palace of Tears," it became a symbol of the heartache caused by the division of families and loved ones. Today, the Tränenpalast houses a museum that tells the story of the emotional and physical toll the Wall took on the lives of Berliners, featuring exhibits about escape attempts, the harsh separation between East and West, and the reunification that followed. As part of your walking tour, you’ll visit this deeply moving site and reflect on the personal stories of loss, longing, and resilience that marked this dramatic chapter of Berlin's history.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4Alexanderplatz
Alexanderplatz was the beating heart of East Berlin — a stage for communist power, mass rallies, and daily life under surveillance. Surrounded by stark GDR architecture and socialist symbols, it was where propaganda met reality, and where the Cold War was lived, not just imagined.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5Karl-Marx-Allee
Karl-Marx-Allee was East Germany’s showcase boulevard — a monumental socialist dream built to impress the world. Lined with grand Stalinist architecture, it symbolized power, control, and ideology, masking the everyday reality of life behind the Iron Curtain.
20 minutes • Admission ticket not included -
6East Side Gallery
The East Side Gallery is the longest permanent graffiti wall in the world and the largest remaining section of the Berlin Wall — once a deadly border, now a powerful symbol of freedom. Its iconic murals transform concrete oppression into bold art, telling stories of resistance, hope, and the fall of the Cold War’s most infamous divide.
25 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
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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
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Zone AB transportation ticket required
- IMPORTANT; Please be at meeting point 15 minutes before tour begins
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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