Shore Excursion: History & Culture – Berlin & Sachsenhausen

12 hours (approximately)
Offered in: English

This well-paced shore excursion combines the highlights of Berlin with a visit to the Sachsenhausen Memorial, offering a meaningful and smoothly organized day ashore. You’ll be picked up directly at your cruise ship in Warnemünde or Rostock and travel comfortably to Berlin in an air-conditioned vehicle. There, you’ll explore the city’s key landmarks before continuing to Sachsenhausen, located just outside the capital. The visit provides a respectful overview of the site’s history, guided with care.

Because the memorial lies on the return route, this schedule minimizes extra driving—though slightly more time is spent on the bus than on our standard Berlin tour. All timing is adjusted to your ship’s schedule, with guaranteed return to port well before departure. With nearly ten years of experience, we focus on delivering a day that’s smooth, thoughtful, and handled with care from start to finish.

What's Included

Restroom stops during transfers and the tour
Professional local guide joining in Berlin and Sachsenhausen
Guaranteed return to ship on time
Pick-up and drop off at cruise ship port of Warnemunde
Donation fee to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial
Modern, air-conditioned bus transportation
Food and drinks
Gratuities are optional but welcome if you enjoyed the service.
Tour guide is not present during the drive to/from port

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point
Warnemünde Cruise Center

The tours start outside of the cruise ship terminal at the Warnemünde or Rostock cruise port. We know which dock all ships are arriving at and we will meet you at the right dock for your ship!

End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Duration: 12 hours (approximately)
  • Warnemünde Cruise Center (Pass by)

    Sachsenhausen was the largest concentration camp in the vicinity of Berlin, and one of many camps in a system now synonymous with the atrocities of Nazism. This tour is designed to give an overview of the concentration camp memorial at Sachsenhausen and show you Berlin’s essential sites in the time that you have ashore. You will be greeted in front of your cruise ship as soon as it docks and shown to a modern, comfortable and air-conditioned bus. Your professional driver will then transfer you through the picturesque flatlands of former East Germany to Berlin. The journey takes roughly three hours.

    Admission ticket free
  • 1
    Charlottenburg Palace

    Wander in the front courtyards of this stunning late-17th-century baroque palace built by the first Prussian king, Frederick I, for his wife Sophie-Charlotte. A perfect spot for some memorable photographs.

    15 minutes Admission ticket free
  • Str. des 17. Juni 100 (Pass by)

    You will then be driven through the lush greenery of Berlin's vast central park, the Tiergarten.

    Admission ticket free
  • Victory Column (Pass by)

    Make sure to have your camera ready to catch the sun glinting on the golden angel Victoria at the Victory Column, goddess of victory, as you circle around Prussia's emphatic monument to its triumphs in the Wars of Unification.

    Admission ticket free
  • 2
    Reichstag Building

    When we reach the German parliament building (The Reichstag Building)– burned down after Hitler’s rise to power, now a bold symbol of modern German democracy – we will exit the bus and spend the next portion of the tour on foot.

    10 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 3
    Brandenburg Gate

    Next we walk through the gateways of Berlin's most iconic monument, The Brandenburg Gate, and find out what makes the Gate the most important cultural monument in Germany.

    15 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 4
    Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

    After we leave Pariser Platz plenty of time will be taken to journey through the iconic field of concrete blocks, and bear witness the atrocities of National Socialism at the Holocaust Memorial - Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

    15 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 5
    Topography of Terror

    Boarding the bus again we head next to see the dark heart of Nazi Germany at the former headquarters of the SS and Gestapo and come face-to-face with the Cold War's most brutal symbol: The Berlin Wall

    15 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 6
    Wall Museum - Checkpoint Charlie

    Next you will have the chance to cross between East and West at Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous border crossing point over the Berlin Wall, frontline of the Cold War, where spies roamed and US and Soviet tanks faced off in 1961. We will take a short lunch break here of approximately 30-45 minutes

    45 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 7
    Museum Island

    After lunch we will take some time to marvel at the stunning structures at Museum Island and imperial splendor of this UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site before driving to the Sachsenhausen memorial site – the journey takes roughly 1 hour.

    10 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 8
    Sachsenhausen Memorial & Museum

    When you reach the camp you will exit the bus with your guide and be given a 60-75 minute overview of the memorial site. You will then board the bus once more, say goodbye to your guide, and be driven back to port. Please be aware, the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial is roughly a one hour drive from Berlin. The tour is organised to try and minimise time spent on the bus. This is why we visit Sachsenhausen in the afternoon, as it lies between Berlin and Warnemünde – on the way back to port. You will, however, spend more time on the bus than on our regular Berlin shore excursion. This is a necessity to see Berlin and Sachsenhausen in a day. All of our shore excursions are adjusted to each ship’s docking times and each starts promptly after your vessel’s arrival, returning with plenty of time to spare before its departure. We have been organizing shore excursions for nearly a decade and have never missed a cruise ship’s departure

    1 hour 15 minutes Admission ticket free

Additional info

  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • This is not an in-depth guided tour of the camp, which can take over two hours but rather a chance to visit a camp as part of your Berlin experience. If you would like a more comprehensive tour of the camp please inquire into our private tours and we can customize an itinerary for you.
Supplied by Shore Excursions Company
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Tags

Day Trips
Full-day Tours
Bus Tours
Port Transfers
Private and Luxury
Historical Tours
Walking Tours
Ports of Call Tours
Shore Excursions
Short term availability

Cancellation Policy

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

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