Berlin City Hop-on Hop-off Tour

Commences: Berlin, Germany
Duration: 1 day

 

Berlin hop-on hop-off tour allows you to hop-on and off as many times as you like aboard open top double decker buses. There are 15 stops around Berlin, and buses departs every 15 minutes in Summer or 30 minutes in Winter. The continuous route without hopping-off is 2 hours and a guided commentary in 8 languages is available. Tickets are valid for 1 day from first use. Many must-see Berlin attractions are easily accessible enroute including Checkpoint Charlie, Berliner Dom (Cathedral), Pergamon Museum and the enchanting Charlottenburg Palace.

At time of booking choose to include a one hour boat trip or return shuttle transfers to Hamburg for a one day visit.

Upgrade to Berlin River Boat Tour: (April - October only)
Add a one hour boat trip to your Berlin hop-on hop-off tour and see the city from another vantage point. The tremendous views of the urban landscape unfold as you cruise along the River Spree. Simply hop-off the tour at Berliner Dom/Nicolai-Quarter no. H10 and hop-on the boat tour. After the cruise, you can continue to use the hop-on hop-off tickets to explore Berlin.

Upgrade to Roundtrip Shuttle Bus to Hamburg:
You have the option to combine the Berlin hop-on hop-off tour with one full day in Hamburg. The BerlinLinien Bus takes you from Berlin-ZOB central bus stop/Masurenallee to Hamburg. You can choose from 8 daily departure times between 7:00am and 9:00pm (departs every 2 hours).

In Hamburg, enjoy time at leisure to discover this thriving metropolis. It is spectacularly located on the Elbe and Alster Rivers, with its colorful St. Pauli entertainment district, Michaelis Church ('der Michel') and the impressive city harbor. You can return to Berlin on the last departure at 5:00pm. The travel time between Berlin and Hamburg is approximately 3 hours.

andquot;An Evening at Charlottenburg Palaceandquot; Palace Tour, Dinner and Concert by the Berlin Residence Orchestra

Commences: Berlin, Germany
Duration: Varies

 

Settle in for an Evening at Charlottenburg Palace, with dinner, a self-guided palace tour and concert featuring the Berlin Residence Orchestra included. This tour regularly sells out weeks in advance, so with a choice of four seating categories available, book ahead of time to avoid disappointment!

Charlottenburg Palace is today's largest residence of the royal house of Hohenzollern in Germany's capital Berlin. The sumptuous building is surrounded by unique baroque gardens featuring various architectural styles. The palace includes magnificently furnished chambers and ceremonial rooms with exclusive art collections.

You will begin the evening with a self-guided palace tour followed by a three course candlelight dinner in a cozy ambiance located at the Charlottenburg Palace Orangery. The beautiful performance by the Berlin Residence Orchestra will complete your evening.

The concert offers four (4) ticket categories. Categories VIP, A, B and C refer to the front, middle and rear part of the auditorium respectively. VIP guests enjoy preferred seating at the concert and will be served a glass of sparkling wine during the intermission.

Sanssouci Palace

Commences: Berlin, Germany
Duration: 4 hours

 

Discover Potsdam and Sanssouci Palace, the Versailles of Germany, on this ideal half-day trip from Berlin. You'll see the UNESCO World Heritage-listed parks, museums and stately palaces of Potsdam, and take a guided tour of the celebrated rococo palace of Sanssouci.

Departing Berlin, you'll travel through the city of Potsdam, old and new. Known for its lakes and palaces, the World Heritage-listed city is the Brandenburg state capital and was the former residence of the kings of Prussia.
During the sightseeing tour of Potsdam you will see the Dutch Quarter, St. Nicholas' Church, the historic Town Hall, the Old Royal Stables, Nauen Gate and New Palais.

Next, your guide will take you on a tour of Sanssouci Palace and its gardens. The celebrated rococo palace was the summer residence of Frederick the Great, where he came to relax ('sans souci' means 'carefree'). The palace is located above a vineyard and the splendid rooms feature elegant rococo designs.

Sachsenhausen, Germany

Commences: Berlin, Germany
Duration: 6 hours

 

For a walking tour with a difference, head north of Berlin for a tour into the past at Sachenhausen, one of the main concentration camps in Nazi Germany. While you walk, you'll learn the story of the camp, providing an essential background to Germany's past and present. This is one tour you'll remember vividly for years to come.

While the Nazis were hosting the 1936 Olympic games, slave laborers were being forced to build a huge new concentration camp just north of Berlin, intended to hold political 'enemies' of the Nazi regime political, racial and 'asocial'. Of the 200,000 people interned, over 50,000 lost their lives before the camp was liberated by the Soviets in 1945.

The camp was then used by the Soviets until 1950 to detain former Nazis, German soldiers and political opponents of the communists. Many thousands more died from malnutrition and disease.

The key to this walking tour is the informative and illuminating narrative provided by your expert tour guide. You'll hear important background to the history of the camp as you walk through the Appellplatz parade ground, the Jewish Barrack, punishment cells, execution grounds and crematorium, Station Z, the Pathology Laboratory and camp hospital.

This tour was researched by historian Gabriel Fawcett, who is publishing an important witness account of the camp. All tour guides have their own special insights into the history of Sachsenhausen, and are experienced in unraveling the complex history of the Third Reich and the Holocaust.

andquot;An Evening at Charlottenburg Palaceandquot; Dinner and Concert by the Berlin Residence Orchestra

Commences: Berlin, Germany
Duration: 4 hours

 

Likely to Sell-out! 'An Evening at Charlottenburg Palace' Dinner and Concert by the Berlin Residence Orchestra regularly sells out weeks in advance.

Charlottenburg Palace is today's largest residence of the royal house of Hohenzollern in Germany's capital Berlin. The sumptuous building is surrounded by unique baroque gardens featuring various architectural styles. The palace includes magnificently furnished chambers and ceremonial rooms with exclusive art collections.

You will begin the evening with a three course candlelight dinner in a cozy ambiance located at the Charlottenburg Palace Orangery. The beautiful performance by the Berlin Residence Orchestra will complete your evening.

The concert offers four (4) ticket categories. Categories VIP, A, B and C refer to the front, middle and rear part of the auditorium respectively. VIP guests enjoy preferred seating at the concert and will be served a glass of sparkling wine during the intermission.

Berlin Bike Tour

Commences: Berlin, Germany
Duration: 4.5 hours

 

There's no better way to see the sights and learn the history of Berlin than by joining a bike tour! You get to have fun and socialize, have some exercise and be entertained by your knowledgeable guide. It will be the best day you'll spend in Berlin!

Understand all facets of Berlin in one bike tour: Berlin's founding, the Prussians, Weimar Republic, Hitler and the Third Reich, as a city divided by the Wall during the Cold War, and the Berlin of today. Tours begin with a brief introduction to Berlin before hopping on the bikes. You will stop every couple hundred yards (meters) to talk about the sights and for photo opportunities. Along the way you will stop at a beautiful beer garden where you can experience Berlin as the locals do!

Berlin Bike Tour Highlights:

·         Alexanderplatz

·         Marx/Engels Platz

·         Palast der Republik (former DDR Parliament)

·         Museum Island

·         Checkpoint Charlie

·         Berlin Wall

·         Potsdamer Platz

·         Site of Hitler's bunker

·         Deathstrip watchtower

·         Brandenburg Gate

·         Ride along the Spree River and through the Tiergarten Park

·         Siegessaeule (Victory Column)

·         Gendarmenmarkt

·         Bebelplatz (site of Nazi book-burning)

The Berlin Wall

Commences: Berlin, Germany
Duration: 3.5 hours

 

Are you fascinated by the history of the Berlin Wall and the former East Germany? This half-day excursion is the tour for you! 2009 marks the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and this absorbing tour follows the story of Germany's most notorious Cold War landmark.

See some of Berlin's iconic attractions including the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag (German Parliament) and the Tiergarten, the largest park in Berlin. Experience Potsdam Square, the famous shopping mall of Kurfürstendamm and enjoy a photo stop at the East Side Gallery, an international memorial for freedom.

The tour highlight is a visit to the eastern side of the Berlin Wall, the longest preserved section of the Wall which has been colorfully decorated by a total of 118 graffiti artists from 21 countries. The most famous pictures are the "Brotherly Kiss" by Dimitri Vrubel, "Fatherland" by Gunther Schaefer and "Berlin? New York" by Gerhard Lahr.

The morning tour includes a visit to the GDR Museum, Berlin's most interactive museum where visitors can experience the history of the former German Demographic Republic can be experienced first hand. The afternoon tour includes a visit to the Berlin Story, the most well known historical Berlin-bookstore, where you can enjoy the documentary film "The making of Berlin" in 8 languages.

Discover Berlin City Walking Tour

Commences: Berlin, Germany
Duration: 4 hours

 

Travel into Berlin's past, from 1920s Friedrichstrasse to today's Potsdamer Platz, on this enlightening half-day walking tour. While walking, your guide's superb story-telling skills will weave the themes of Prussian, Imperial, Nazi, Cold War and 21st-century Berlin into a detailed narrative, using the latest historical research.

This fascinating walking tour begins with an account of how Berlin was founded. You'll go for a stroll along the famous Unter den Linden boulevard, passing the University and Opera House, and find out where Nazi students burnt books in May 1933.

The walking tour also takes you to the War Memorial (Neue Wache) and State Library, where Albert Einstein once worked. You'll see where the 1920s Cabaret Mile, Friedrichstrasse, once stood and how this area is being reinvented as Berlin's luxury shopping street. To find out how public transport worked in a divided city, you'll visit a Ghost Station.

After walking through the Brandenburg Gate and seeing the Reichstag (Parliament) with its famous new dome, you'll take a walk past the new Holocaust Memorial and visit the site of Hitler's bunker. Listen as your guide explains what happened here at the end of the war, and why there is nothing left to see.
You'll then see how 21st-century Berlin is taking shape on Potsdamer Platz, and find out where the Nazi SS and Gestapo HQ stood. You'll see the Berlin Wall and follow the 'death strip' to Checkpoint Charlie. While you walk, your guide will explain how the Wall was built, as well as the momentous events of its fall in 1989.

The tour ends on one of Europe's most beautiful squares, Gendarmenmarkt, not far from the Wall Museum at Checkpoint Charlie.

Reichstag, Berlin

Commences: Berlin, Germany
Duration: 3 hours

 

You'll gain essential insights into Berlin's Nazi past on this enlightening walking tour of the infamous Third Reich sites. Accompanied by your knowledgeable walking guide, you'll tour Berlin from Wilhelmstrasse to the former Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse and the site of Hitler's bunker.

The once elegant Wilhelmstrasse and the surrounding streets gained a terrifying reputation during the Third Reich. On Wilhelmplatz, propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels transformed an 18th-century palace into the sinister Propaganda Ministry.

Off the same square, Hitler built his intimidating New Reichschancellery, and close by there's the bunker where he committed suicide. Goering built the monumental Air Ministry on Wilhelm Strasse, while Himmler's SS and Gestapo headquarters turned Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse into the most feared address in the Third Reich.

On this walking tour you'll learn about those who struggled against the Nazi system of terror, the devastation of Berlin by aerial bombing, the Soviet-led battle of Berlin and the final attack on the Reichstag.

Concluding above the Hitler's bunker, this tour strips away the myths and exposes sensationalist reporting about other shelters found in the area.

The Reichstag by night

Commences: Berlin, Germany
Duration: 3 hours

 

Experience the magic of Berlin on an evening cruise through the city's waterways. As you glide along the River Spree, you'll pass all the main sights such as Potsdamer Platz, the Reichstag, Museum Island, Berlin Cathedral and much more.

An evening cruise is the perfect introduction to Berlin's famous sights and varied architecture. You'll be surprised to discover that Berlin has more bridges than Venice! Test out your German as you listen to the live commentary.

Dinner is also available on board for approximately EUR18.50 per person. If you would like the meal option, you must call the operator at least 3 days prior to travel (contact details will be provided on your voucher) to advise.

Please note: Tours are operated in German, with English written commentary available.

andquot;An Evening at Charlottenburg Palaceandquot; Concert by the Berlin Residence Orchestra

Commences: Berlin, Germany
Duration: 2 - 2.5 hours

 

Likely to Sell-out! 'An Evening at Charlottenburg Palace' Concert by the Berlin Residence Orchestra regularly sells out weeks in advance. Book ahead of time to avoid disappointment.

Charlottenburg Palace is today's largest residence of the royal house of Hohenzollern in Germany's capital Berlin. The sumptuous building is surrounded by unique baroque gardens featuring various architectural styles. The palace includes magnificently furnished chambers and ceremonial rooms with exclusive art collections.

Witness the revival of a grand musical tradition and soak up the unique ambiance. The Berlin Residence Orchestra gathers exclusively for this series of concerts and are renowned musicians from Berlin. They have a particular understanding and love for music of the late baroque and classical era, who are eager to help a modern audience to appreciate the music of this historical time. The program includes masterpieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, King Frederick the Great, Luigi Boccherini, Georg Friedrich Handel and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The beautiful performance by the Berlin Residence Orchestra will leave you captivated.

The concert offers four (4) ticket categories. Categories VIP, A, B and C refer to the front, middle and rear part of the auditorium respectively. VIP guests enjoy preferred seating at the concert and will be served a glass of sparkling wine during the intermission.

Berlin Sightseeing Cruise on the River Spree

Commences: Berlin, Germany
Duration: 3.5 hours

 

Take a cruise on the River Spree for the perfect introduction to Berlin's famous sights and varied architecture. With a choice of morning or afternoon cruises, it's the best way to see a different side to Berlin and escape the summer heat.

You'll cruise right through the city of Berlin, passing such famous sights as Potsdamer Platz, the Reichstag, Museum Island, Berlin Cathedral and much more.

Please note: Tours are operated in German, with English written commentary available.

Hard Rock Cafe Berlin

Commences: Berlin, Germany
Duration: 2 Hours

 

The Hard Rock Cafe Berlin sets the pace with great food and a veritable wall of Rock 'n' Roll memorabilia! One of Europe's best places to party, Berlin is the only European city lacking official closing hours, so drink up and enjoy through the wee small hours of the morning.

The Hard Rock Berlin is located in the exuberant Ku'damm, amidst beer halls, coffee houses, theatres, the opera, and every other kind of entertainment you can imagine.

Berlin - Nest of Spies Walking Tour

Commences: Berlin, Germany
Duration: 4 hours

 

Explore the dark side of Berlin by taking this 'Nest of Spies' morning walking tour. From the SS and MI5 to the CIA and MI6, you'll enter the ruthless world of Spy versus Spy on this fascinating walking tour into Berlin's recent past.

To start the operation, your 'operative' will take you to the Tiergarten, where British MI5 agent Frank Foley secretly helped more than 10,000 Jews escape from Nazi Germany.

You'll visit the courtyard of the Wehrmacht HQ, where coup and assassination plots against Hitler backfired disastrously, and see where the SS masterminded their first program of mass murder, the "euthanasia project". Exploring the outwardly grand 'Stalin Allee', a showcase of post-war East Germany's communists, you'll learn how it was a scene of festering discontent in 1953.

Find out about 'Operation Gold', a top-secret CIA/MI6 spy tunnel, and how a British double agent blew the whistle on the whole operation. On Bernauer Strasse, you'll see where Berliners attempted audacious escapes under the Wall, trying to keep one step ahead of the hated East German secret police, the Stasi.

The tour finishes at the infamous Stasi HQ, office of Markus Wolf, 'the man without a face' and model for John Le Carre's spymaster 'Karla'. Take the opportunity to visit the museum at the end of the tour, where the specter of Stasi informers and their controllers will haunt your every footstep!

Jewish Life in Berlin Walking Tour

Commences: Berlin, Germany
Duration: 3 hours

 

Take a morning stroll through Berlin and its pre-war Jewish neighborhoods. Accompanied by an expert guide, Berlin's Jewish history will come alive on this fascinating walking tour. You'll visit all the major sites and buildings associated with the Jewish community in its heyday in the 18th and 19th centuries.

In the 1920s Berlin's Jewish community was the largest in Germany, numbering 200,000 at its height. From the early 1930s until 1945, the community was all but obliterated through immigration, persecution and finally the Holocaust.

On this morning walking tour you'll see the sites of the first synagogue in Berlin; the Boys School, founded by Moses Mendelssohn in the 1780s; the Old Cemetery site on Gross Hamburger Strasse; and the spectacular New Synagogue, now rebuilt as a museum about the pre-war Jewish community and about the synagogue itself.

While you walk, you'll learn about the years of persecution from 1933 to 1945 by visiting the site of the main detention center used by the Nazis (the former Old People's Home). You'll hear about Otto Weidt and his workshop, and how he helped save the lives of many members of the Jewish community. You'll also see the site of the Women's Protest in 1943, perhaps the only mass protest against the Holocaust that ever took place.

This tour is recommended in the Goldapple Guide to Jewish Berlin by Andrew Roth.

Discover Potsdam Walking Tour

Commences: Berlin, Germany
Duration: 5.5 hours

 

Berlin without Potsdam is like Paris without Versailles - leave Berlin without a trip to its royal residence, and you can't say you've seen Berlin! Begin with a train ride from Berlin to Potsdam and discover this fascinating city with a walking tour.

Potsdam's fairy-tale landscapes look like a blessing from nature, but are the result of hundreds of years of human endeavour, in pursuit of paradise on earth. You will wander the mock-16th century palace of Cecilienhof, and see the lakeside Marble Palace with its Greek temple ruins, and the dreamlike castle of Babelsberg.

What are an idyllic Russian village, beautiful towers and churches from the Italian Renaissance, and an 18th century Dutch town doing here? But the cruel realities of 20th century history shattered this world in 1945; we explain how the old city palace was destroyed at the end of the war. See where an American president, a Soviet dictator and a British prime minister sealed the fate of Germany and Europe, ushering in the Cold War. Cross the "spy swap" bridge where Gary Powers was traded in 1962; find out where the KGB Prison was in the so-called Forbidden Town, and see the former Stasi Prison, run by the East German secret police.

The walking tour ends back in the 18th century. Finish in the enchanting surroundings of Sanssouci Park and Palace, created by Frederick the Great and named 'Without a Care!'.