Top places to visit in Berlin

• Berlin Wall Memorial

  memorial · 4.6 rating · about 1.5 h · free entry

  The most authentic remaining Berlin Wall section — 1.4 km on Bernauer Strasse where the Wall, death strip, watchtowers and original border installations survive intact. 140 people died trying to cross between 1961–1989. The outdoor…

• Brandenburg Gate

  triumphal gate · 4.7 rating · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate

  Germany's most iconic monument — a neoclassical triumphal arch 26 m high commissioned in 1791. Stranded in no-man's land of the Berlin Wall for 28 years, its reopening on 22 December 1989 was the defining image of German reunification. The…

• East Side Gallery

  outdoor mural gallery · 4.7 rating · about 1 h · check the fee at the gate

  The longest surviving Berlin Wall stretch — 1.3 km along the Spree in Friedrichshain painted in 1990 by 118 artists from 21 countries. The most famous mural is Vrubel's Fraternal Kiss (Brezhnev and Honecker). Open air, free, 24/7 along the…

• Reichstag Building & Glass Dome

  parliament building · 4.6 rating · about 1.5 h · free entry

  Seat of the German Bundestag topped by Sir Norman Foster's iconic glass dome where visitors spiral up twin ramps to a 360° rooftop terrace. The fire in 1933 enabled Hitler's rise; Soviet soldiers planted their flag here in 1945. The visit…

• Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

  Holocaust memorial · 4.6 rating · about 1 h · free entry

  2,711 grey concrete stelae of varying heights spread across 19,000 m² just south of the Brandenburg Gate, designed by architect Peter Eisenman and opened in 2005. The ground undulates, the slabs rise and fall, and the visitor is gradually…

• Museum Island (Museumsinsel)

  museum complex · 4.8 rating · about 4 h · entry €24 (≈ ₹2,560)

  A UNESCO World Heritage Site — five world-class museums on a Spree island built 1830–1930. The Pergamon Museum holds the colossal Pergamon Altar (180 BCE) and the reconstructed Ishtar Gate of Babylon. The Neues Museum houses Nefertiti's…

• Schloss Charlottenburg

  Baroque palace · 4.5 rating · about 2 h · check the fee at the gate

  Berlin's largest palace — Baroque and Rococo complex built from 1695 for Queen Sophie Charlotte, expanded over 150 years. The State Apartments' Gallery of Beauties (36 portraits commissioned by Ludwig I) is the most discussed room. The…

• Alexanderplatz & TV Tower (Fernsehturm)

  Heritage · 4.4 rating · about 1.5 h · entry €23 (≈ ₹2,400)

  East Berlin's monumental communist square dominated by the 368m Fernsehturm — the GDR's proudest engineering achievement, still Berlin's tallest building with a revolving restaurant at 207m.

• Topography of Terror

  Museum · 4.7 rating · about 2 h · free entry

  The open-air and indoor documentation centre on the site of the SS and Gestapo headquarters — the most powerful and comprehensive exhibition on Nazi terror mechanisms in Germany.

• Checkpoint Charlie

  Heritage · 4.2 rating · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate

  The most famous Cold War crossing point between East and West Berlin — the symbolic boundary where American and Soviet tanks faced each other in 1961, now a free open-air museum with information boards.

• Tempelhofer Feld

  Nature · 4.7 rating · about 3 h · check the fee at the gate

  The largest public park in the world within a city centre — the former Tempelhof Airport, preserved as a vast open park where Berliners cycle, barbecue, fly kites and grow community allotments on the runways.

• Museum Island Day Pass

  Museum · 4.7 rating · about 6 h · entry €22 (≈ ₹2,350)

  The UNESCO World Heritage complex of five world-class museums on a Spree island — Pergamon, Neues Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Bode-Museum and Altes Museum, best visited with the day pass.

Things to do

• Reichstag Dome Reserved Visit Heritage · 1 h
• Berlin Wall Memorial Tour Walking Tour · 2 h
• Brandenburg Gate Walking Tour Walking Tour · 3 h
• Berlin Wall & Cold War History Walking Tour Cultural · 3 h · from EUR 34 per person
• Museum Island Combined Ticket Museum · 4 h · from EUR 21 per person
• Kreuzberg Street Art & Food Walking Tour Cultural · 4 h · from EUR 42 per person
• Day Trip to Potsdam Sanssouci Day Trip · 6 h · from EUR 25 per person
• Museum Island Expert Guided Tour (Pergamon + Neues) Cultural · 3 h · from EUR 46 per person

Where to stay in Berlin

• Mitte & Museum Island about EUR 180 per night

  The cultural core of Berlin — walking distance to the Brandenburg Gate, Museum Island, Unter den Linden and the Reichstag. Excellent restaurant and nightlife options nearby. The most prestigious central location but…

• Prenzlauer Berg about EUR 110 per night

  Berlin's most liveable residential neighbourhood — tree-lined streets, neighbourhood cafés, organic markets (Kollwitzmarkt), Mauerpark flea market and excellent independent restaurants. Formerly working-class East…

• Kreuzberg about EUR 95 per night

  Berlin's most cosmopolitan, culturally diverse neighbourhood — Turkish markets (Türkenmarkt), street art, canal-side restaurants, the best döner kebap in Germany and a thriving bar scene. The best neighbourhood for food…

Hotels

• Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin 5-star · EUR 450 to EUR 3,800 per night
• Hotel de Rome Berlin 5-star · INR 22,000 to INR 75,000 per night
• Hotel Adlon Kempinski 5-star · INR 40,000 to INR 150,000 per night
• Circus Hostel Berlin 3-star · INR 1,800 to INR 4,500 per night
• The Ritz-Carlton Berlin 5-star · INR 38,000 to INR 140,000 per night
• The Mandala Hotel 5-star · INR 15,000 to INR 42,000 per night

Where to eat

• Mustafa's Gemüse Kebap Turkish, Street Food · about EUR 5 per person
• Curry 36 Mitte german, street_food · about EUR 5 per person
• Mustafa's Gemüse Kebap turkish, street_food, kebab · about EUR 7 per person
• Prater Garten german, traditional, beer_garden · about EUR 25 per person
• Burgermeister american, burgers, street_food · about EUR 8 per person
• KaDeWe Le Buffet international, european, buffet · about EUR 25 per person
• Anna Blume european, brunch, cafe · about EUR 20 per person
• Borchardt german, french, brasserie · about EUR 55 per person

Getting to Berlin

Airport: Berlin (BER)

How visitors arrive in Berlin

• Fly into Berlin Brandenburg (BER) By air from International origins · common

  BER is the main airport; Hamburg, Frankfurt and Hanover serve as alternative gateways. Source: en.wikivoyage.org

• Train to Berlin Hauptbahnhof By train from Rest of Germany / Europe · common

  Hauptbahnhof is the central hub for long-distance rail to the rest of Germany and several European cities. Source: en.wikivoyage.org

• Long-distance coach By road from Europe · common

  Coaches arrive at the Central Bus Station in Charlottenburg. Source: en.wikivoyage.org

• Car via motorway By road from Germany · possible

  Motorways join the Berliner Ring; the city has a low emission zone. Source: en.wikivoyage.org

From the airport to the centre

• FEX / RE20 regional train from BER

  Regional trains leave from the station beneath Terminal 1 for the centre. The S9 and S85 S-Bahn lines are slower alternatives. An ABC-zone ticket is needed. Source: ber.berlin-airport.de

• Taxi from BER

  A taxi stand serves the terminals. Rail is usually the simpler choice for the centre. Source: en.wikivoyage.org

• Tickets cannot be bought on the train. Use the airport machines and validate before boarding if required. Source: en.wikivoyage.org

Getting around

• Metro

  The U-Bahn is a mostly underground network run by BVG, and it connects with the S-Bahn, trams and buses.

  BVG tickets

• Transit Pass

  One VBB tariff applies across the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams, buses and ferries, with fare zones A, B and C extending outward from the city.

  BVG tickets · VBB fares and tickets

• Walking

Safety and scams to avoid

• Fake Petition Clipboard Scam

  Tourist areas: Brandenburg Gate, Museum Island, Alexanderplatz

  Groups of young people (often posing as deaf/mute charity workers) approach tourists with clipboards requesting signatures for a humanitarian cause. While you sign, an accomplice pickpockets your bag or demands a "donation" payment after signing.

  How to avoid it: Never sign anything on the street; say "Nein danke" firmly and keep walking. Your bag should be in front of you in tourist areas.

• Überpriced "Broken" Phone Scam

  Checkpoint Charlie, Hackescher Markt area

  Someone 'accidentally' drops a phone near you, claims you broke it, and demands hundreds of euros in compensation. The phone is already broken.

  How to avoid it: Walk away immediately; do not engage. This is a common scam across Europe.

Best time to visit Berlin

• Jan 3°C
• Feb 5°C
• Mar 9°C
• Apr 15°C
• May 20°C
• Jun 23°C
• Jul 25°C
• Aug 25°C
• Sep 20°C
• Oct 14°C
• Nov 8°C
• Dec 4°C

More in Germany

• Munich
• Hamburg
• Cologne
• Frankfurt
• Heidelberg
• Dresden

Frequently asked questions about Berlin

What are the top-rated places to visit in Berlin?

The highest-rated places in our Berlin guide are Museum Island (Museumsinsel), Brandenburg Gate, East Side Gallery, Topography of Terror, Tempelhofer Feld.

Where should I stay in Berlin?

Our guide covers these areas to stay in Berlin: Mitte & Museum Island, Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg.

How do I get around Berlin?

Ways to get around Berlin covered in our guide: Metro, Transit pass, Walking.

What scams should I watch out for in Berlin?

Scams reported to us for Berlin include Fake Petition Clipboard Scam; Überpriced "Broken" Phone Scam. Each is explained in the guide, with how to avoid it.

What is the weather like in Berlin?

Average daytime highs in Berlin run from 3°C in Jan to 25°C in Jul.

Which airport is nearest to Berlin?

The nearest airport to Berlin has the code BER.