3 Day Berlin Itinerary
Below is an idea of a 3 day Berlin itinerary which will hopefully give you some great ideas for your long weekend! The most efficient way to travel around Berlin is with a day metro pass which was €7.20 (a single ticket is €2.80). They also have fixed fare Uber’s which were never more than €8 on a normal charge.
Day 1 of 3 day Berlin Itinerary: Central Berlin
Morning: Free Walking Tour
The best way to get your bearings and discover more about the history of a City is through a walking tour. Sandemans offer free walking tours in many cities, including Berlin. Just register before hand and look for the red umbrella by the Brandenburg Gate.
The tours run daily at 10, 10.30, 11, 11.30, 2 and 4, proving how popular they are! Sandemans try to keep the tours to around 15-20 people and you get to see and learn about the following in Berlin:
- Brandenburg Gate
- Site of Hitler’s bunker
- Holocaust Memorial
- Checkpoint Charlie
- Gendarmenmarkt
- The Berlin Wall
- TV Tower
- Pariser Platz
- Luftwaffe HQ
Just tip at the end what you feel the tour worth! We normally tip 10-20 euros per couple depending on how much we enjoyed the tour. It was a great start to our trip.
The Holocaust Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and Museums
Although you get some time on the walking tour to see the memorial, we took some extra time after to explore further. In 2005 architect, Peter Eisenman unveiled the memorial site which is situated a 5 minute walk from Brandenburg Gate. The site covers 19,000 square metres and contains 2711 concrete slabs of different heights (the number has no significance).
The memorial is on a slight slope and the uneven concrete floor and size of the slabs certainly gives you something to think about. Some commentators say the memorial was designed this way to evoke questions and thoughts about the murdered Jews. Admission to the museum is free.
Afternoon: Free Roof Top Dome Visit at the Reichstag Building
Whilst in the area, you must visit the rooftop dome of the Reichstag Building. This must be booked in advance here and is available up to two months before. Various time slots and days are available through this website and it is completely free. Make sure you print your tickets and bring identification as they have a strict security process. You can also book tours of the Reichstag Building itself which are around 1.5 hours.
You are given an audio guide of the Dome for free which activates as you start the circular trip up the dome. Don’t forget to also have a walk around the outside of the Dome for beautiful views of parliamentary and government district and Berlin’s sights.
The Reichstag is the current home of the German Parliament and is an important historical symbol of Berlin. The dome actually sits right above the debating chamber. A mirrored cone at its centre directs light into the Reichstag, increasing the building’s energy efficiency.
Berlin Cathedral and Rosenthaler
From the Reichstag Dome we walked 25 minutes East to reach the Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom) situated right by the Spree River. The Cathedral is situated in the open space of Museum Island and the green cupola makes for a beautiful picture along the river. We were told that it is the largest church building in Berlin and one of the largest Protestant churches in Germany.
There is an admission fee of €7 which includes entrance to the dome although are no lifts so be prepared to climb around 300 stairs! There are stop off points on the stairs including a view higher up of the interior of the cathedral. Guided tours are also available.
The 360 degree panoramic views of Berlin are totally worth the climb though!
39 Rosenthaler Strasse
Our next stop was 39 Rosenthaler Strassee which was a 10 minute walk from the Cathedral. The alleyway opens up into a courtyard entirely dedicated to street art.
The walls are graffit’d with Nazi social commentary, Bansky work, vibrant décor and a mural of Anne Frank. If you are around the area it is certainly worth a visit and there are a couple of bars for a little tipple!
Alexanderplatz
Our final stop of the day was a 10 minute walk to Alexanderplatz where the large Sky Tower is situated. It was a buzzing area with many shops, restaurants and bars.
We loved the food and drink market selling traditional currywurst, beers, cocktails and more! Just sit down and relax on benches or deckchairs and people watch! There are also a number of stalls selling a variety of souvenirs.
Day 2 of 3 day Berlin Itinerary: East Berlin
We spent our second day in East London exploring Kreuzberg and East Side Gallery.
Morning – East Side Gallery
East side gallery was one of my favourite parts of Berlin where artists have painted various murals on the remnants of the wall which was only knocked down in 1989. The gallery has official status as heritage-protected landmark and is meant to represent a monument to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the peaceful negotiation of borders and conventions between societies and people.
We came into Berlin-Friedrichshain metro station to view the gorgeous Obaream Bridge befor eheaidng down the 1 km long right by the river, and definitely resembles the quirkier side of east london!
We walked down looking at all of the different artists (front and back facing) and then sat by the river for a drink.
Afternoon – Kreuzberg
We then headed to the Berlin Tempelhof abandoned airport. On our way to the airport, we stumbled across Görlitzer Park, which randomly has a children’s farm right in the middle!
Berlin Tempelhof is one of Europe’s most iconic pre-World War II airports which sat abandoned for years after its closure in 2008. Now it is Berlin’s largest park which is used for all sorts of activities, including skating, music events, pop up bars, jogging, biking and more! The park area surrounding the airport is rather large so warrants hiring a bicycle if you fancy it.
We also visited Viktoriapark where you can climb high up the hills for beautiful views over Berlin and gorgeous waterfalls. Take your own drinks and food to the park or visit the beer garden, Biergarten Golgatha.
Day 3 of 3 day itinerary in Berlin: West Berlin
Our final day in Berlin was spent in West Berlin. We travelled 45 minutes west from Naturkundemuseum station to Charlottenburg Palace, situated in the middle of a public park. The gardens are absolutely spectacular and free for members of the public. You can casually walk around admiring the flowers, lakes and waterfalls.
In the distance I spotted a bridge so headed 10 minutes away from the Palace. This bridge was a perfect spot for amazing shots of the palace reflecting in the water.
Charlottenburg New Wing
Entrance to the Old and New Wing of the Palace is €17 or just €10 for the New Wing. We chose the latter and also had to pay an extra €3 to take photos (you have to wear a wristband). The New Wing was added in 1740 and is absolutely stunning. You receive an audio guide included in the price which gives you commentary of each room. During the tour you see the amazing Ballrooms and King’s Apartments on the upper floor and the elegant living quarters of Queen Luise.
The Golden Gallery is one of the most stunning rooms and was the ballroom and banqueting hall of Frederick the Great. We were told that is one of the most beautiful rooms of the German rococo period and European rococo as a whole. The lavish decoration is so impressive and it runs for 42m in length. The intricate details are just incredible.
One aspect I noticed was Flora, the goddess of flowers who is almost gesturing with flowers in her hands handing them out! You also have Zephypr, the gentle west wind, helping Flora decorate the banquet with her flowers.
Tiergarten
We then headed to the West side of Tiergaten Park to Kaiser Wilhem Memorial Church. The old part of the church is still available to visit but was ruined in the war.
The modern church building is composed of the ruins of the original church and is a memorial for peace and reconciliation commemorating Berliners’ determination to rebuild after the war.
We were then going to walk to the middle of Tiergaretn to climb the Victory Column for views over Berlin (only €3). Sadly, the rain came hailing down and the views would have been rather grey…
You will see old school photo booths (Photokabine / Photoautomat) dotted around the city printing passport photos in black and white. At only €2-3, this is a fun thing to do in Berlin.
Overall
I hope you have found my 3 day Berlin itinerary helpful! Berlin is such an amazing city to visit but is rather spread out. Some days above are obviously more packed than others and can be weather dependent.
East London Girl: 3 Day Berlin Itinerary
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