Berlin, the capital of Germany, is a city full of charm and a thousand faces : cultural, artistic and above all historical. Today it is full of life, a favorite destination for young people but ideal for any type of traveler! One day is not enough to see it without having to make painful sacrifices. In any case, we have tried to build an itinerary with all the musts !
SEE ALSO : What to see in Berlin
One day itinerary in Berlin
The itinerary includes the main stages of Berlin, but excludes museums and attractions that would take too long to visit!
The itinerary is mainly concentrated in the historic center, starting from the must see par excellence: theBrandenburg Gate , symbol of Berlin! Then continue with the visit of the Reichstag Building , or the Parliament, where it is possible to climb the dome! Then reach the Holocaust Monument , or the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.
After the lunch break, go to the Gendarmenmarkt, one of the main squares in Berlin, where the French and German Cathedral are also located. Then continue towards the Museumsinsel, the Museum Island. Unfortunately there will be no time to visit the museums, but you can see the famous Duomo . From here, go to the Berlin Wall , in the portion known as the East Side Gallery, that is the section of the Wall full of murals! Finally, reach Alexanderplatz, the square where the TV Tower is located , from which you can admire all of Berlin from above! Once you get off, you can spend the evening in this area or go back to the center!
- Morning : Brandenburg Gate (free), Reichstag building (free, to be booked), Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (free)
- Afternoon : Gendarmenmarkt (free), Cathedral (€ 7.00), Berlin Wall / East Side Gallery (free), Alexanderplatz, TV Tower (from € 18.50)
- Sera : Alexanderplatz
- Distance covered : 10.3 km
- Place to eat: Lunch at Steel Vintage Bikes Cafe, WilhelmstraBe 91 (Get directions) / Dinner at Mutter Hoppe, RathausstraBe 21 (Get directions)
First time in Berlin
To optimize time and have a first approach to the city, we recommend that you book a free walking tour with a local guide or a tour in an open-top panoramic bus.
Below we will analyze in detail the 6 main stages of our itinerary .
1 – Brandenburg Gate
A day in Berlin can only start from the Brandenburg Gate, or rather the Brandenburger Tor, a true symbol of the city and of Germany . Designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans in 1791, it has a neoclassical style and is made up of twelve columns surmounted by the famous Quadriga.
It is also a place of high historical value: emblem of the division into two parts of Germany during the Cold War, many events, rallies and protests were held in this square! Once the Wall fell, it became the image of the united nation. After having admired it for good and taking a picture, it’s time to move on!
SEE ALSO : Visit to the Brandenburg Gate: timetables, prices and tips
Visit it in the morning : being one of the symbols of Berlin, the Gate square is always very crowded! For this morning we advise you to reach it in the morning as the first stop, certainly before 10:00, when it starts to get crowded.
2 – Reichstag building
Just 5 minutes walk from the Brandenburg Gate is another symbol of Berlin: the Reichstag building, or Reichstagsgebaude, or the Parliament of Berlin! Like almost all Berlin monuments and buildings, it is an important historical place , as it houses the testimonies of the Second World War. But that’s not all: the official ceremony of reunified Germany was celebrated here!
But don’t just admire it from the outside: it is indeed possible to visit its large glass domeand we assure you that it will be one of the best experiences in town! The visit takes about 1 hour. At the entrance, all the checks will be carried out and then you will be accompanied to the entrance of the dome, where you will be given an audio guide (also available in Italian) and you can start walking the walkways up to the top , thus enjoying wonderful views of the city ​​while you listen to its story!
Info on the visit : free audio guide, booking and online registration required on the official website, also choosing the time of the visit.
SEE ALSO : Visit to the Reichstag: timetables, prices and advice
Guided tour: in case of first visit to the city, you will have to choose the quick visit with audio guide. But in case you have more time, consider a complete guided tour including access to the plenary chamber, much more interesting!
3 – Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Once you leave the Reichstag building, walk for 10 minutes in the park until you reach another important monument in Berlinio: the Denkmal fur die ermordeten Juden Europas, or the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe, known more simply as the Holocaust Memorial! It is a place of remembrance , in memory of the atrocities that the Jewish people had to experience.
You will find yourself in front of a very special monument: the area is covered by 2,711 concrete blocks of different heights, from the smallest of 20 cm up to blocks of almost 5 m. Thus a real labyrinth is formed, within which you can walk.
SEE ALSO : Visit to the Holocaust Memorial: timetables, prices and advice
Respect the place : you may see tourists busy climbing the big blocks, but it is a monument in memory of the victims, therefore it is considered rude and disrespectful behavior . It is a place of meditation and thought, and for this reason it is important to visit it in silence and politely.
4 – Gendarmenmarkt, French Cathedral and German Cathedral
The first stop in the afternoon is the Gendarmenmarkt, one of the most beautiful squares in Berlin! A real jewel of the city, in the center is the marvelous Opera Hall Schauspielhaus Berlin, while on both sides there are two impressive churches: the French Cathedral and the German Cathedral!
Unfortunately there will not be enough time to visit them inside , but it is impossible not to take at least one photo! French Cathedral, or Franzosischer Dom, is actually not a real church, but a “tower”, with direct access to the dome, from which to admire the view. The German Cathedral, or Deutscher Dom, on the other hand, also features a permanent exhibition on the historical development of liberal parliamentary democracy in Germany.
5 – Berlin Cathedral
Less than 15 minutes’ walk from Gendarmenmarkt is the Berliner Dom, or the Berlin Cathedral!Main Protestant place of worship in the capital , it is located in the setting of the Museuminsel, or the Museum Island, where some of the most important museums in the city are located! Unfortunately for the most important ones, at least 3 hours each must be budgeted, so there is not enough time to visit them. So concentrate on the Duomo alone!
As soon as you enter, you will be immediately entranced by its beauty. The central part is well lit thanks to the large windows, while the 4 great masters of the Protestant religion and the Lutheran reform are depicted on the central pillars , namely Luther, Melanchthon, Zwingli and Calvin. Don’t miss the Baptism Chapel, the Hohenzollern Crypt and the wonderful Pipe Organ, which has 7,269 pipes and 113 registers.
Info on the visit : from April to September Mon-Sat 9: 00-20: 00, Sun and holidays 12:20, from October to March Mon-Sat 9: 00-19: 00, Sun and holidays 12: 00-19: 00. Full admission € 7.00, reduced € 5.00 reduced, up to 18 years free.
SEE ALSO : Visit to the Berlin Cathedral: How to get there, prices and advice
Do not go up to the Dome : if you want, there is the possibility of going up to the dome, but having already been to the French Cathedral and the dome of the Reichstag building, it is not worth it here worth it! Instead, prefer the view from the TV Tower!
6 – Berlin Wall / East Side Gallery
After the Cathedral, it’s time to visit another milestone, the East Side Gallery, a section of the old Berlin Wall. From the Cathedral, go to the Hackescher Markt S-Bahn station (8 min), take the S3, S5, S7 or S9 line and get off at Warschauer StraBe (9 min). Your destination is just a 10-minute walk away!
This area, made really cheerful and colorful by the many murals present, is actually one of the richest places in history! Here, in fact, ran the Wall that divided the city into two parts , the American and the Soviet side! It was only a small stretch, as the wall was 170 km long and 10 m high. In 1990, to celebrate the reunification of Germany, dozens of artists decorated the Wall with murals and works of art , which later became famous all over the world!
SEE ALSO: Visit to the Berlin Wall: how to get there, prices and advice
Visit only one part : the East Side Gallery is very large, the visit can take up to half a day! We therefore recommend that you dedicate yourself to a part of the wall, perhaps the one that develops near the metro, so that you can then go back to Alexander Platz.
7 – Alexander Platz and TV Tower
Last stop of the day: Alexander Platz and the TV Tower, one of the symbols of the city ! From the East Side Gallery go back to the Warschauer StraBe stop and with line S3, S5, S7 or S9 get off directly at Berlin Alexanderplatz Bahnhof (6 min). The square is one of the most famous and most popular, at any time of day, by both tourists and locals.
In the center stands the great Berliner Fernsehturm, or the TV Tower, which with its 365 m high is visible from all over the city ! At about 200 meters above sea level there is the panoramic observatory, as well as a restaurant and revolving bar. From up here the view is truly wonderful, you absolutely cannot miss it! At sunset the show is even more impressive , with the sun setting and the city lights starting to come on.
Info on the visit : open from March to October 9: 00-00: 00, from November to February 10: 00-00: 00. Ticket according to the packages, full price from € 18.50, reduced from € 9.50, up to 3 years free.
SEE ALSO: Visit to the Berlin TV Tower: timetables, prices and tips
Buy skip-the-line ticket : the lines outside the TV Tower can often be very long. For this reason it is essential to purchase the skip-the-line in advance. Also, several packages are available! Info on the official site.
Activities and ideas for alternative itineraries
Berlin is a city rich in history and culture , which therefore allows you to create targeted thematic itineraries! For example, there are a whole host of attractions that trace its history : Checkpoint Charlie, Potsdamer Platz and the Topographie des Terrors, a Nazi documentation center in the former Gestapo headquarters.
There is obviously no shortage of large museums , which however require several hours to visit. The cultural center and the Museuminsel, where the famous Pergamonmuseum is located (€ 12.00), with the Bode-Museum (€ 10.00), the Neues Museum (€ 12.00) and the Altes Museum (€ 10 , 00) and, finally, the Alte Nationalgalerie (€ 10.00). The Pass is available to visit them all, very convenient (all admissions for only € 19.00), but it would take a minimum of two days.
If you are traveling with children, you could evaluate the Zoologischer Garten Berlin (€ 16.00), the Berlin zoo, but the visit takes almost a whole day! Behind the Brandenburg Gate lies the GroBer Tiergarten, the largest and oldest park in the city. At the foot of the TV Tower is the Little BIG City Berlin (€ 16.00), a miniature museum that traces the history of the capital.
- Family City Tour : Morning Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag Building and GroBer Tiergarten. Afternoon Gendarmenmarkt, Little BIG City Berlin and TV Tower. Alternatively, Berlin Zoo and Aquarium (full day visit)
- Itinerary of unknown places : morning East Side Gallery, Gorlitzer Park, Markthalle Neun market and Topographie des Terrors. Afternoon Potsdamer Platz and Deutsches Spionagemuseum. Evening Brandenburg Gate
- Free Attractions Itinerary : Morning Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag Building, Holocaust Memorial and Potsdamer Platz. Afternoon Checkpoint Charlie, Gendarmenmarkt, Alexander Platz and East Side Gallery
- Historical itinerary : morning East Side Gallery, Checkpoint Charlie and small Topographie des Terrors museum and Potsdamer Platz. Afternoon Fuhrerbunker, Holocaust Memorial, Reichstag Building and Brandenburg Gate
Before leaving: useful tips
- Get around on foot : the proposed itinerary is perfect for walking, thanks to the proximity of the attractions. In general, the center can be visited while walking and admiring the city
- Evaluate the Berlin WelcomeCard : the city card of the city, with discounts and free use of transport. It can be very convenient, depending on the attractions you want to visit during the day (from € 28.00 – see details)
- Treat yourself to a quick lunch : we advise you to stop and eat in a place like the one proposed, with sandwiches, salads and quick dishes. In the evening, however, you will have time to dine in a typical German restaurant, between dishes and rivers of beer
- Always bring a sweatshirt : the weather in Berlin changes quickly, but even in summer we recommend a sweatshirt or a sweater both to enter the air-conditioned places and for visits to places of worship, such as the Cathedral
- Evaluate the tourist bus : if you are more interested in a panoramic tour of the city than in visiting individual attractions, we recommend the tourist bus, which retraces all the most important points of Berlin
