Half-Day Private Berlin Essentials Walking Tour

In this private tour, you will discover how Berlin went from a provincial capital to one of the world's first metropolises. We'll trace the city's fate through a historical whirlwind of imperialism, democracy, dictatorship and division. As well as an in-depth look at all the Berlin sights that you *need* to see, I'll leave your group with an abundance of tips and recommendations to make the best of your visit. Prepare yourself for an exhilarating deep dive into the history of one of Europe’s great cities!

1. 1

   Brandenburg Gate

   10 min

   The symbol of the city since Napoleon's triumphant parade in 1806

2. 2

   Reichstag Building

   10 min

   Home of the German Parliament since 1894 (with a few long gaps along the way...)

3. 3

   Memorial to the Sinti and Roma Victims of National Socialism

   5 min

   A moving monument to two groups historically labelled as 'gypsies'. At least 500,000 members of these communities were murdered by the Nazi dictatorship

4. 4

   Paul-Lobe-Haus

   Pass by

   Part of the government quarter built in the 1990s, in preparation for the German parliament moving back from the former West German capital city of Bonn

5. 5

   Tiergarten

   Pass by

   Berlin's Central Park; the former hunting grounds of the Prussian Aristocracy

6. 6

   Soviet Memorial Tiergarten

   5 min

   A powerful and provocative memorial to Soviet soldiers who died taking Berlin in 1945

7. 7

   The Holocaust Memorial - Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

   10 min

   Designed by Peter Eisenmann, this memorial continues to inspire a diverse array of reactions an interpretations.

8. 8

   Monument to Homosexuals Persecuted Under National Socialist Regime

   5 min

   Situated in the Tiergarten Park, this monument is particularly relevant to Berlin, a city that, before the Nazi era, was known to be one of the most accepting of homosexuality.

9. 9

   Potsdamer Platz

   10 min

   The former Times Square of Berlin; destroyed in WW2, ripped in half by the Berlin Wall and built anew during reunification

10. 10

    Fuhrerbunker

    10 min

    The bunker where the Nazi dicatator ended his own life in 1945, long covered by a nondescript parking lot

11. 11

    Platz des Volksaufstandes von 1953

    10 min

    Layer upon layer of history upon one corner - the former Air Force Ministry built by the Nazi regime, which in turn became the site of a popular uprising against the post-war Communist dictatorship.

12. 12

    Memorial of the Berlin Wall

    10 min

    One of the longest remaining pieces of the Berlin Wall, which once ran 155km around the western part of the city

13. 13

    Checkpoint Charlie

    10 min

    A location synonymous with the tension felt on both sides of Berlin during the decades of Cold War division and occupation

14. 14

    Bebelplatz

    10 min

    A strong candidate for the title of Berlin's most beautiful square, Bebelpatz is surrounded by buildings constructed during one of the city's more enlightened periods. In 1933, however, the Nazi's carried out their first public book burning in the centre of the square.

15. 15

    Humboldt University (Humboldt Universitat)

    5 min

    Berlin's oldest university, from which over 30 Nobel Prize winners emerged

16. 16

    Neue Wache

    5 min

    A monument to Prussian soldiers who fell in the Napoleonic Wars, this neoclassical gem was turned into a memorial to all victims of war and tyranny in 1992

17. 17

    Humboldt Forum

    10 min

    One of the most controversial projects in post-unification Berlin. An ideological battleground that saw two palaces being destroyed in just over half a century, only for the first to be, in a way, rebuilt and reopened in 2020

18. 18

    Berliner Dom

    5 min

    Berlin Cathedral - a misleadingly young building that was more a symbol of imperial power than Christian devotion

19. 19

    Museum Island

    10 min

    A Unesco World Heritage site, home to some of the best museums in Germany, and testament to the ambition of both the Prussian and German states.

• 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

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