Before you go

Your trip to Berlim.

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

Berlim – Berlim Destination Berlim and Potsdam Capital

How to get there

Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt (BER) 27 km
Berlin Hauptbahnhof 3 km

Approximate road distances. Check flights and bus schedules before you travel.

Confirm before buying. Berlin Brandenburg (BER) airport is about 27 km from the center, and regional trains reach Berlin Hauptbahnhof in about half an hour. From Hamburg the ICE takes about two hours; from Frankfurt or Munich, around four hours.

How many days

With one day you can see the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust Memorial and Museum Island. Two days add Alexanderplatz, the TV tower and the Wall memorial. Three days allow Charlottenburg, the East Side Gallery and Kreuzberg. A fourth day goes to Potsdam.

When to go

From May to September the days are long, parks get crowded and boats on the Spree usually operate from April to October. Summer runs from June to August. Winter, from December to February, is cold and gets dark early, but Christmas markets usually run from the end of November until close to Christmas.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

Do you need a car?

No need. S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams and buses use the same ticket, by zones: A and B cover the city; BER airport and Potsdam are in zone C. Validate the ticket in the machine when it doesn't come stamped. The center is an environmental zone (Umweltzone), only for cars with a sticker, and parking is difficult.

Suggested itinerary

An order that works

Built with the places on this page. No rush: it's paced so you have time to see them.

One day in Berlim

Morning
Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate and Holocaust Memorial
Start with the Reichstag dome, with a timeslot reserved in advance. Then walk to the Brandenburg Gate and Pariser Platz and head to the field of stelae at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a few steps away.
Afternoon
Unter den Linden and Museum Island
Walk along Unter den Linden to Bebelplatz and the Gendarmenmarkt. Cross to the Museumsinsel and choose a museum, such as the Neues Museum, which houses the bust of Nefertiti. Book a timeslot in high season.
Late afternoon
Berliner Dom and Alexanderplatz
Climb to the dome gallery of the Berliner Dom to see the centre from above. Then cross the Spree to Alexanderplatz, with the World Clock and the base of the TV tower.
Evening
TV tower or dinner in the center
Those with a timed ticket go up the Berliner Fernsehturm to see the city lit up. Another option is to have dinner around Hackescher Markt, near Alexanderplatz.

2 days in Berlim

Day 1

Morning
Reichstag dome and Brandenburg Gate
Visit the glass dome of the Reichstag with a reservation made before the trip. Walk to the Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of reunification, and Pariser Platz.
Afternoon
Holocaust Memorial and Potsdamer Platz
Walk among the stelae of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and visit the underground information center. Then head to Potsdamer Platz, rebuilt where the Wall once ran.
Late afternoon
Tiergarten and Siegessäule
Cross the Tiergarten along the park paths to the Siegessäule. If the column is open, climb the steps to the viewing platform beneath the golden statue.
Evening
Gendarmenmarkt and Unter den Linden
Return to the center and see the Gendarmenmarkt lit up, with the Konzerthaus between the two domed churches. In December, the square usually hosts a Christmas market.

Day 2

Morning
Museum Island
Devote the morning to the Museumsinsel. Choose two museums, for example the Neues Museum and the Alte Nationalgalerie, and buy a timed ticket when the website asks.
Afternoon
Berliner Dom, Alexanderplatz and TV tower
Visit the Berliner Dom and climb to the dome. Cross to Alexanderplatz and go up the Berliner Fernsehturm, preferably with a timed ticket.
Late afternoon
Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer
Take the S-Bahn to Nordbahnhof and walk the Wall memorial on Bernauer Straße, with the preserved stretch of the death strip and the observation tower of the documentation centre.
Evening
Prenzlauer Berg
Walk up to Prenzlauer Berg, the neighboring neighborhood, and dine on one of the streets of restored old buildings, such as the Kollwitzplatz area.

3 days in Berlim

Day 1

Morning
Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate
Start the trip with the Reichstag dome, with a reservation made beforehand, and walk to the Brandenburg Gate and Pariser Platz, at the start of Unter den Linden.
Afternoon
Holocaust Memorial, Topographie des Terrors and Checkpoint Charlie
Visit the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and then head to the Topographie des Terrors, on the former Gestapo grounds. A few blocks away is Checkpoint Charlie on Friedrichstraße.
Late afternoon
Gendarmenmarkt and Unter den Linden
Walk up Friedrichstraße to the Gendarmenmarkt and continue along Unter den Linden, passing Bebelplatz, the Staatsoper and Humboldt University.
Evening
Potsdamer Platz
Have dinner in the Potsdamer Platz area, with modern buildings erected after the Wall fell and remnants of Wall panels displayed in the square.

Day 2

Morning
Museum Island
Reserve the morning for the Museumsinsel, with a timed ticket: the Neues Museum, the Altes Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie or the Bode-Museum.
Afternoon
Berliner Dom and Fernsehturm
Visit the Berliner Dom, with the Hohenzollern crypt and the dome gallery. Then cross to Alexanderplatz and go up the TV tower.
Late afternoon
Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer
Walk the Bernauer Straße memorial, where the course of the Wall and the death strip have been preserved, and see the Chapel of Reconciliation.
Evening
East Side Gallery and Friedrichshain
Take the S-Bahn to Ostbahnhof and walk along the East Side Gallery, along the Spree, to the Oberbaumbrücke. Dine in Friedrichshain or on the other side of the bridge, in Kreuzberg.

Day 3

Morning
Schloss Charlottenburg
Take the bus or U-Bahn to Charlottenburg Palace. Visit the halls of the old palace and the new wing and walk through the garden to the Spree.
Afternoon
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche and Kurfürstendamm
Head to Breitscheidplatz to see the ruined tower of the memorial church and the new church with blue glass. Then walk along the Kurfürstendamm, the western shopping avenue.
Late afternoon
Tiergarten and Siegessäule
Cross the Tiergarten to the Siegessäule, in the middle of the park. If the column is open, climb to the viewing platform to see the avenue toward the Brandenburg Gate.
Evening
Kreuzberg
Finish in Kreuzberg, a neighborhood with many Turkish restaurants and bars, by the Landwehrkanal or around Oranienstraße.

Check before you go. Opening hours and days change, and places may close for renovations, holidays or events. This itinerary is a suggestion from Cidade Turismo, not a commitment: plan yours by checking directly with each place you intend to visit.

Before you go

Frequently asked questions

How to get from BER airport to central Berlin?

By train. Regional trains and the FEX connect the airport to Berlin Hauptbahnhof in about half an hour, and the S-Bahn also reaches the center with more stops. The airport is in zone C: buy a ticket for zones A, B and C.

Which transport ticket to buy in Berlin?

To get around the city, the ticket for zones A and B. For the airport and Potsdam, the one for zones A, B and C. There are single-ride, day and multi-day tickets, including tourist cards with discounts for attractions. Validate the ticket when the machine asks.

Do I need to book any visits in advance?

Yes, the Reichstag dome requires booking on the parliament's website. For the TV tower and the museums on Museum Island, timed-entry tickets are recommended, especially from May to September.

Where can I see the Berlin Wall?

At the Bernauer Straße memorial, which preserves the border strip, and at the East Side Gallery, a section painted by artists. Markings on the ground show the former line in the center, such as near the Brandenburger Tor and at Potsdamer Platz.

Are shops open on Sundays?

Most shops are closed on Sundays. Museums, restaurants and the shops in main stations usually open.

Do I need to speak German?

No. English is widely spoken in Berlin, especially in hotels, museums and restaurants. It's useful to know a few words: Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) is the main station, Platz is square, Dom is cathedral and Schloss is palace.

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