The 10 best things to do in Berlin
Ten experiences in Berlin: Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag Building Dome, Museum Island Berlin, East Side Gallery, Berlin Wall Memorial, Berlin TV Tower, Charlottenburg Palace, Boat Tour on the Spree, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Parfum-Atelier Berlin. Every statement is backed by a source and has a date last checked. The order is not a ranking; the Parfum-Atelier Berlin is connected to the operator of this website and is marked as its own offer.
The ten experiences at a glance
| No. | Entry | Type | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brandenburg Gate | History, outdoors | free, no ticket needed (visitberlin.de) |
| 2 | Reichstag Building Dome | Views, politics | free, registration required (official site) |
| 3 | Museum Island Berlin | Culture, museums | 24 euros (Museum Island ticket, one day, official site) |
| 4 | East Side Gallery | History, art, outdoors | free; public guided tours from 5 euros (official site) |
| 5 | Berlin Wall Memorial | History, outdoors and indoors | free; public guided tours from 5 euros (official site) |
| 6 | Berlin TV Tower | Views, indoors | from 20 euros online (standard ticket, official site) |
| 7 | Charlottenburg Palace | Palace, history | 12 euros, reduced 8 euros (Old Palace); charlottenburg+ 19 euros (official site) |
| 8 | Boat Tour on the Spree | Water, outdoors | from 22.50 euros (1 hour, Stern und Kreis) |
| 9 | Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe | Memorial, outdoors and indoors | free admission (official site) |
| 10 | Parfum-Atelier Berlin: make your own perfume | Workshop, indoors | 120 euros, reduced 90 euros per person (official site) |
The numbers are not a ranking. Prices and times change; the official website or the provider is always authoritative.
How were the experiences chosen?
By four open criteria that apply equally to all ten.
- The list includes real sights that you can visit in Berlin yourself, with a mix of history, views, culture, water and hands-on activities.
- Every fact comes from the operator's official website or from visitberlin.de and was retrieved on 12 October 2026; where sources disagree, the operator's site applies and the discrepancy is noted in the entry.
- Prices and opening hours are only given where the official site states them; for boat tours, one company serves as an example for a documented figure.
- The order is not a ranking; the Parfum-Atelier Berlin is our own offer, labelled as such, and is therefore not in first place.
Disclosure: Erlebnisse in Berlin is run by Masters McLovin GmbH, which is connected to the Parfum-Atelier Berlin. It is listed as the tenth entry and marked as such. It is not in first place, and the list contains no paid placements and no affiliate links.
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1. Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate on Pariser Platz is the only surviving city gate of Berlin and, since the fall of the Wall, a symbol of German unity; it is open to the public at all times and needs no ticket.
The Brandenburg Gate was built from 1788 to 1791 to plans by Carl Gotthard Langhans and is modelled on the gateway of the Acropolis in Athens. During the division of the city it stood on the East Berlin side, with the Wall curving around it to the west. On 22 December 1989, 100,000 people witnessed its official reopening.
- Quadriga: The Quadriga designed by Johann Gottfried Schadow has stood on the gate since 1793. It was taken to Paris in 1806 and returned in 1814.
- Size: The gate is 20.30 metres high, about 26 metres including the Quadriga; each column is 13.5 metres tall.
- Visiting: The gate is open to the public at all times, with no fixed opening hours. A Berlin Tourist Info is located in its south wing.
- Nearby: visitberlin.de lists the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe among the sights around the gate.
- As of: visitberlin.de, retrieved 12 October 2026.
- Type
- History, outdoors
- Location
- Pariser Platz, Berlin-Mitte
- Cost
- free, no ticket needed (visitberlin.de)
Official website: visitberlin.deSee reviews on Google Maps
Sources for this entry
- Brandenburger Tor - visitBerlin
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2. Reichstag Building Dome
According to the German Bundestag, the dome and roof terrace of the Reichstag Building are open to visitors every day and free of charge; a visit is only possible with prior registration.
To visit the dome of the Reichstag Building, register in advance with the Bundestag’s visitor service; the visit itself is free. Registration is possible online, by fax or by post, but not by phone. You need to give the surname, first name and date of birth of every visitor.
- Same day: If places are free, the service point on Platz der Republik issues admission passes up to two hours before the visit, and also for the following two days. Everyone aged 16 or over needs valid official photo ID.
- Audio guide: free, 20 minutes, in twelve languages, plus a children’s audio guide for ages 6 to 13. The dome is always visited without a guide.
- Closures: The dome is closed for cleaning and maintenance from 19 to 30 October 2026; the roof terrace stays open. Everything is closed on 24 December, and from 4 pm on 31 December.
- As of: official site, retrieved 12 October 2026.
- Type
- Views, politics
- Location
- Reichstag Building, Platz der Republik
- Cost
- free, registration required (official site)
Official website: bundestag.deSee reviews on Google Maps
Sources for this entry
- Dachterrasse und Kuppel des Reichstagsgebäudes - Deutscher Bundestag
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3. Museum Island Berlin
Museum Island has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999 and includes the Altes Museum, Neues Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie and Bode-Museum; the Museum Island ticket for all its museums on one day costs 24 euros.
On Museum Island, the Berlin State Museums show their collections on the art and cultural history of Europe and the Mediterranean. The Neues Museum holds the bust of Nefertiti and the Berlin Gold Hat, the Altes Museum the Collection of Classical Antiquities, and the Alte Nationalgalerie 19th-century painting. The James-Simon-Galerie is the central entrance building.
- Ticket: The Museum Island ticket costs 24 euros, is valid for one day in all museums on the island including special exhibitions, and according to the museums pays off from two museums. Single tickets are also available.
- Opening hours: vary by museum; closed on Mondays, some also on Tuesdays. Online tickets go on sale four weeks in advance.
- Pergamonmuseum: closed for renovation, reopening in 2027. The official site gives 4 July 2027 in one place and 4 June 2027 in its FAQ.
- Getting there: Museumsinsel U-Bahn station (U5), S-Bahn Friedrichstraße or Hackescher Markt.
- As of: official site, retrieved 12 October 2026.
- Type
- Culture, museums
- Location
- Bodestraße, 10178 Berlin
- Cost
- 24 euros (Museum Island ticket, one day, official site) (as of 12 October 2026)
Official website: smb.museumSee reviews on Google Maps
Sources for this entry
- Tickets & Einlass | Museumsinsel Berlin - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
- Museumsgebäude & Sammlungen vor Ort | Museumsinsel Berlin - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
- FAQ | Museumsinsel Berlin - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
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4. East Side Gallery
The East Side Gallery is the longest surviving section of the Berlin Wall: in 1990, 118 artists from 21 countries painted about 1.3 kilometres of it. It is open around the clock and admission is free.
The East Side Gallery opened on 28 September 1990; the Berlin Wall Foundation calls it the longest open-air gallery in the world. More than a hundred paintings express joy at the fall of the Wall and hopes for peace and freedom, many also worries about the future. It has been a listed monument since November 1991.
- Original and copy: Many paintings were repainted during the 2008/2009 restoration. “Hands” by Margaret Hunter and Peter Russell is the only remaining original from 1990.
- Visitor info: Mühlenstraße 73, daily 10 am to 5 pm, closed on Fridays from November; guided tours start here.
- Guided tours: public tours 5 euros, reduced 3 euros; 90 minutes or longer 7 euros, reduced 4 euros.
- Getting there: Warschauer Straße S- and U-Bahn station. The route along Mühlenstraße is suitable for wheelchairs.
- As of: official site, retrieved 12 October 2026.
- Type
- History, art, outdoors
- Location
- Mühlenstraße, between Ostbahnhof and Oberbaumbrücke
- Cost
- free; public guided tours from 5 euros (official site) (as of 12 October 2026)
Official website: stiftung-berliner-mauer.deSee reviews on Google Maps
Sources for this entry
- Informationen zum Besuch | East Side Gallery - Stiftung Berliner Mauer
- Die längste Open-Air Galerie der Welt - Stiftung Berliner Mauer
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5. Berlin Wall Memorial
The Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße shows a stretch of the former border strip with remains of the Wall along 1.4 kilometres, plus a visitor centre, documentation centre and viewing tower. Admission is free.
On Bernauer Straße a long section of the border wall and many remains of the border installations have survived; the memorial is the central place of remembrance for the division of Berlin. On the former East Berlin border strip are the open-air exhibition, the memorial, the Chapel of Reconciliation and the Window of Remembrance. Opposite, on the former western side, stand the visitor centre and the documentation centre.
- Open-air exhibition: freely accessible daily from 8 am to 10 pm.
- Visitor centre and documentation centre: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm; last ascent of the viewing tower at 5.45 pm. Since 2014 the documentation centre has shown the permanent exhibition “1961 | 1989. The Berlin Wall”.
- Guided tours: public tours 5 euros, reduced 3 euros.
- Getting there: Nordbahnhof S-Bahn station (S1, S2, S25, S26), tram M10, Naturkundemuseum U-Bahn station (U6).
- As of: official site, retrieved 12 October 2026.
- Type
- History, outdoors and indoors
- Location
- Bernauer Straße 111 and 119
- Cost
- free; public guided tours from 5 euros (official site) (as of 12 October 2026)
Official website: stiftung-berliner-mauer.deSee reviews on Google Maps
Sources for this entry
- Informationen zum Besuch | Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer - Stiftung Berliner Mauer
- Die Gedenkstätte - Stiftung Berliner Mauer
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6. Berlin TV Tower
The Berlin TV Tower on Alexanderplatz is 368 metres tall; its observation deck at 203 metres offers a 360-degree view over the city. Tickets cost from 20 euros online, and it is open daily from 9 am to 11 pm.
The TV Tower was inaugurated on 3 October 1969; according to visitberlin.de, at 368 metres it is the tallest publicly accessible building in Europe. The original design was by the East German architect Hermann Henselmann, and the sphere was meant to recall the Soviet Sputnik satellites. Today, like the Brandenburg Gate, the tower is a landmark of reunified Germany.
- The ride up: The lift travels at 6 metres per second and reaches the deck in about 40 seconds.
- Tickets: standard ticket online from 20 euros, with a drink from 31 euros. According to the operator, the best price is always online.
- Opening hours: observation deck and Sphere restaurant daily 9 am to 11 pm, Sphere Bar 11 am to 11 pm. Closed on 23 November 2026.
- Children: under 15 only with an adult. Pushchairs are left at the cloakroom downstairs.
- As of: official site and visitberlin.de, retrieved 12 October 2026.
- Type
- Views, indoors
- Location
- Alexanderplatz, Berlin-Mitte
- Cost
- from 20 euros online (standard ticket, official site) (as of 12 October 2026)
Official website: tv-turm.deSee reviews on Google Maps
Sources for this entry
- Aussichtsplattform - TV-Turm Alexanderplatz Gastronomiegesellschaft mbH
- Berliner Fernsehturm: Tickets, Veranstaltungen & News - TV-Turm Alexanderplatz Gastronomiegesellschaft mbH
- FAQs - TV-Turm Alexanderplatz Gastronomiegesellschaft mbH
- Berliner Fernsehturm - visitBerlin
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7. Charlottenburg Palace
Charlottenburg Palace is the largest palace complex in Berlin of the former electors of Brandenburg, Prussian kings and German emperors. The Old Palace costs 12 euros, reduced 8 euros, and is open Tuesday to Sunday.
The Old Palace with its crowning tower was built around 1700 for Queen Sophie Charlotte and Frederick I; the complex was a favourite place of seven generations of Hohenzollern rulers. After heavy damage in the Second World War, the former summer residence was largely restored. The foundation counts the Porcelain Cabinet, the palace chapel and the bedroom of Frederick I among its highlights.
- Opening hours: April to October, Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 5.30 pm; November and December until 4.30 pm; closed on Mondays. Last admission 30 minutes before closing.
- Tickets: Old Palace or New Wing 12 euros each, reduced 8 euros. The charlottenburg+ ticket (19 euros, reduced 14 euros) covers all palaces in the Charlottenburg palace gardens for one day.
- Visiting: on your own or with a guided tour in German or English; the free “SANSSOUCI” app offers multimedia tours. Pushchairs are not allowed in the exhibition rooms.
- As of: official site, retrieved 12 October 2026.
- Type
- Palace, history
- Location
- Spandauer Damm 10-22, 14059 Berlin
- Cost
- 12 euros, reduced 8 euros (Old Palace); charlottenburg+ 19 euros (official site) (as of 12 October 2026)
Official website: spsg.deSee reviews on Google Maps
Sources for this entry
- Schloss Charlottenburg - Altes Schloss - Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg
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8. Boat Tour on the Spree
A boat tour on the Spree shows central Berlin from the water, passing Museum Island, Berlin Cathedral and the Reichstag. Several companies operate; the one-hour Historic City Tour with Stern und Kreis, for example, costs from 22.50 euros.
The one-hour Spree tour through the centre passes, among other sights, the Humboldt Forum, Nikolaiviertel, Berlin Cathedral, the TV Tower, Museum Island, the Reichstag and the government quarter. visitberlin.de lists many tours by different companies, from one-hour cruises to evening trips and tours of the Havel lakes.
- Example Stern und Kreis: “Historische Citytour” (1 hour) from Alte Börse / Hackescher Markt (Burgstraße 27) or from Friedrichstraße (Am Weidendamm 1 A), each from 22.50 euros.
- On board: live commentary in German over the speakers, a free audio guide in other languages including English. Bringing your own food and drink is not allowed.
- Access: Both piers can only be reached by stairs.
- Other companies: see visitberlin.de. Prices, routes and departure times vary by company.
- As of: sternundkreis.de and visitberlin.de, retrieved 12 October 2026.
- Type
- Water, outdoors
- Location
- Piers in central Berlin, e.g. Alte Börse
- Cost
- from 22.50 euros (1 hour, Stern und Kreis) (as of 12 October 2026)
Official website: visitberlin.de, Stern und KreisSee reviews on Google Maps
Sources for this entry
- Tickets für Schifffahrten & Spreefahrten - visitBerlin
- Historische Citytour ab Alte Börse (C5) - STERN+KREIS Schiffahrt GmbH
- Historische Citytour ab Friedrichstraße (C4) - STERN+KREIS Schiffahrt GmbH
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9. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is Germany's central Holocaust memorial: a field of 2,710 concrete stelae and the underground Information Centre. Admission is free, and the field of stelae is open around the clock.
The memorial commemorates up to six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and was opened on 10 May 2005. The field of stelae designed by Peter Eisenman covers about 19,000 square metres and can be entered from all four sides; the stelae are up to 4.7 metres high. Beneath it lies the Information Centre, with an exhibition on the persecution and murder of the Jews of Europe.
- Field of stelae: accessible 24 hours a day.
- Information Centre: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm, last admission 45 minutes before closing, closed on Mondays. Entry is through a security check, so there may be a wait.
- Visiting: The foundation asks visitors to behave appropriately in the exhibition. According to the foundation, almost half a million people visit the exhibition each year.
- As of: official site, retrieved 12 October 2026.
- Type
- Memorial, outdoors and indoors
- Location
- Cora-Berliner-Straße 1, 10117 Berlin
- Cost
- free admission (official site)
Official website: stiftung-denkmal.deSee reviews on Google Maps
Sources for this entry
- Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas - Stiftung Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas
- Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas - visitBerlin
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10. Parfum-Atelier Berlin: make your own perfumeOwn offer
At the Parfum-Atelier in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg, participants blend their own 30 ml perfume from over 100 fragrance notes in about two hours. The workshop costs 120 euros, reduced 90 euros; no prior knowledge is needed.
If you want to make your own perfume in Berlin, the workshop lets you try fragrance notes, compare and refine until your blend feels right. The atelier team guides participants throughout. At the end you fill your creation into a 30 ml bottle and take it home; the formula is saved so you can reorder it later.
- Duration and price: about two hours; 120 euros for adults, 90 euros reduced. Materials, guidance and the bottle are included.
- Who it is for: no prior knowledge needed, from age 10, or from age 7 with a companion. Groups have a maximum of 16 guests.
- Location: Gleimstraße 43 in Prenzlauer Berg, a few minutes from Schönhauser Allee station (S-Bahn, Ringbahn, U2). The atelier is on the ground floor and step-free.
- Booking: dates online; the atelier recommends booking ahead, especially for weekends.
- Disclosure: The Parfum-Atelier is connected to the operator of this site. That is why it is not in first place, and the order of this list is not a ranking.
- As of: official site, retrieved 12 October 2026.
- Type
- Workshop, indoors
- Location
- Gleimstraße 43, 10437 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg
- Cost
- 120 euros, reduced 90 euros per person (official site) (as of 12 October 2026)
Official website: parfum-atelier.deSee reviews on Google Maps
Sources for this entry
- Perfume workshop in Berlin - Parfum-Atelier
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Frequently asked questions: things to do in Berlin
What can you visit for free in Berlin?
Free sights include the Brandenburg Gate, the East Side Gallery, the Berlin Wall Memorial and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The dome and roof terrace of the Reichstag Building are free too, but you have to register with the Bundestag in advance.
How do you get onto the Reichstag dome?
Only with prior registration with the Bundestag's visitor service, online, by fax or by post, not by phone. If places are free, the service point on Platz der Republik also issues admission passes at short notice. From 19 to 30 October 2026 the dome is closed for maintenance; the roof terrace stays open.
How much does Museum Island or the TV Tower cost?
The Museum Island ticket for all museums on the island on one day costs 24 euros. The TV Tower's observation deck at 203 metres costs from 20 euros online and is open daily from 9 am to 11 pm (as of 12 October 2026).
What is the Parfum-Atelier Berlin, and why is it on this list?
At the Parfum-Atelier at Gleimstraße 43 in Prenzlauer Berg you blend your own 30 ml perfume from over 100 fragrance notes in about two hours, for 120 euros, reduced 90 euros. Disclosure: the atelier is connected to the operator of this site; it is labelled as our own offer, is therefore not in first place, and the order of the list is not a ranking.
What criteria were used to compile this list?
The list includes real sights with a mix of history, views, culture, water and hands-on activities. All facts come from the operators' official websites or visitberlin.de, with prices and times only where they state them. The order is not a ranking.