Popular Tour Itineraries Featuring Berlin

As a massive capital city, Berlin has plenty to offer. We recommend at least three nights, to visit the city's main sights, delve further into its WWII history, learn about life on either side of the Wall, and enjoy the capital's vibrant new life. There are a number of excellent day trips possible, from Potsdam and its palaces, to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, or the Spreewald, a sort of forested rural Venice. The city's cosmopolitan food scene is also worth some time!

Berlin's public transportation is fast, cheap, and efficient. The city is serviced by the U-Bahn (subways) and S-Bahn (light rail), as well as buses, streetcars, and ferries. There's even a man in a rowboat, which is just as much of an official vehicle as the subways. There are three transit zones, with A and B covering the city, and C covering neighboring areas, such as Potsdam. A stamped ticket is good for a 2-hour trip in one direction using any form of transportation, so if you plan to make more than one round-trip, buy a day ticket. You can also use Uber.

Like any German city, Berlin is quite safe, with no dangerous areas to avoid. As with any large cities, keep an eye out for your belongings. Visitors sometimes don't notice the city's sidewalk bike lanes, which are often marked with a single line, or the use of differently colored paving stones, so keep an eye out for bikers and avoid walking too close to the street if you can't see a bike path (Berlin's sidewalks are very wide, especially in the eastern part, so this shouldn't be a problem).

Berlin is a destination that can be visited all year round. Christmas time and traditional markets has it own atmosphere while in warmer months you can take advantage of  Berlin's vast parks and other green areas. Having said that, it might be very cold in winter and crowded in summer, especially in July and August. To enjoy the city at its best we recommend spring and early autumn time.


Berlin can be visited year-round, but is pretty quiet from January until late March. July and August can be hot, and the winters are grey (if illuminated and warmed by December's Christmas markets), so we recommend visiting from April to June, or early September to mid-October.

While Germany isn't the cash-only economy it used to be, it's still a very good idea to have cash on hand, especially if you're eating out. Avoid using the blue-and-yellow Euronet ATMs, and if an ATM asks if you want to be charged in Euros or your own currency, select Euros to avoid paying a useless fee. We recommend asking accommodations staff for recommended places to exchange money, although the larger train stations all have exchange places.

The Reichstag building may bear the scars and Soviet graffiti of the Nazi era, but it's a must-see sight, thanks in part to its rooftop glass cupola and winning views, of both the city and the active parliamentary chambers. Visits are free, but as with the TV Tower, be sure to book tickets online well in advance.

There are few cities on Earth with more vegan/vegetarian restaurants and options ranging from gluten-free to raw or paleo, not to mention restaurants specializing in vegetarian-friendly cuisines, such as Vietnamese. We're happy to give recommendations for restaurants, bars, stores, and bakeries.