The Best of Berlin Highlights: Private Half-Day Walking Tour

Berlin is renowned for its turbulent 20th-century history, the Holocaust, and its division between East and West in the aftermath of World War Two by the infamous Berlin Wall. Today, Berlin is a thriving urban metropolis famous for its traditional, contemporary, and alternative music, art, and culture, its many museums and historic monuments, and its delicious, multi-ethnic food scene. Discover the highlights of Berlin on a fascinating private half-day tour of the vibrant German capital city with an expert private guide. 

On your private tour, you will: 

• See the historic Reichstag Building part of the German parliament and learn about its political significance over the past one hundred years; 
• Stop at the iconic Brandenburg Gate – one of the great symbols of Berlin and the Prussian Empire of the 19th Century;
• Explore 17th Street where you will come across the moving Holocaust Memorial, dedicated to the Murdered Jews of Europe; 
• See the Führerbunker, part of an underground air raid shelter complex it was Hitler’s last Bunker located near the New Reich Chancellery which was Hitler’s office; 
• See the remains of the Berlin Wall where you’ll learn about life behind ‘the Iron Curtain’ and stop at Checkpoint Charlie the strict crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Soviet era;  
• Visit the Gendarmenmarkt, arguably the most beautiful square in Berlin home to three architectural gems: the Berlin Concert Hall, and the French and German cathedrals; admire the central statue of the poet Friedrich Schiller;
• Wander into the stunning Bebelplatz with its impressive neo-classical buildings including the Berlin State Opera, Humboldt University buildings, and St. Hedwig’s Cathedral, and learn of the terrible, infamous Nazi book burnings that happened here;
• See the New Guardhouse, a memorial to all the victims of war and tyranny; 
• Enjoy a stroll around the truly majestic Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to the Pergamon Museum, the Bode Museum, the Neues Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie, and the Altes Museum;
• Admire Berlin Cathedral, also on the island, with its imperial domes built in the Renaissance-Baroque revival style;
• Stroll by the imposing City Palace that now houses the prestigious Humboldtforum Museum dedicated to the history of human art and culture; 
• Walking towards Alexanderplatz, the central transport hub of Mitte you’ll pass by the Marx-Engels-Forum a small public park, the Neptunbrunnen or Fountain of Neptune, and St Mary’s Church - the oldest church in the city dating back to the medieval period;
• End your tour with tickets to the Berlin TV Tower Observation Deck for amazing views of the city.

Explore the beautiful city of Berlin with an expert private guide on this immersive half-day highlights tour of the major sites and a few hidden gems of Germany’s capital. Berlin has a long history dating back to the medieval period; it is a city that has weathered many storms, been humbled, and overcome much tragedy and adversity - especially during the tumultuous 20th century. 

The city commemorates the dark days of the Holocaust and the division between East and West with moving monuments and memorials throughout the city - and your guide will show you the extraordinarily emotional Holocaust Memorial as well as what remains of the infamous Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie.  

Berlin is also famous for its majestic architecture, housing some true political, cultural, and historic treasures from the parliament buildings, to the Opera House to the prestigious museums, palace, and cathedral on Museum Island - designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

You’ll learn all about Berlin’s incredible journey from medieval times to becoming the centre of the formidable Prussian empire, its decimation after the First World War, the rise of Hitler, the uncertain years of the Cold War, and the triumphant falling of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Today Berlin has overcome its dark past and is a thriving, urban city famous for its alternative fashion, music, film, theatre, dance, art, and digital scene. It has also become a melting pot of multiculturalism reflected in its diverse multi-ethnic cuisine. 

Your tour ends with a spectacular view from atop the TV Tower Observation deck from where you can admire the city's stunning architecture and skyline.

Tour duration
3 hours

Type of tour
Walking tour: no transportation is included

Attractions along this route:

The Reichstag
Constructed to house the Parliament of Germany, this imposing building has had a turbulent past.

Brandenburg Gate
This 18th-century neoclassical triumphal arch is one of the best-known German landmarks: the grand entrance to the capital of Prussia.

Holocaust Memorial
The Holocaust Memorial is a stark, effective reminder of a dark chapter in the history of the world.

Checkpoint Charlie
The most famous East and West Berlin crossing point, Checkpoint Charlie unravels years of Cold War tensions.

Museumsinsel
With its collection of remarkable museums, this island earned a spot on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

Bebelplatz
A symbolic square in central Mitte, Bebelplatz is known for the infamous Nazi book burning ceremonies.

Berlin Cathedral
Located on Museum Island, it is a main work of Historicist architecture of the "Kaiserzeit."

Alexanderplatz
Alexanderplatz is the former East German city-centre, now a pedestrianised zone with excellent shopping opportunities and good food.

Gendarmenmarkt
An aesthetically remarkable square, host to the statue of Germany's famous poet Friedrich Schiller.

Fernsehturm
A TV tower in central Berlin, Fernsehturm towers 368 metres over the city.