3 days in Berlin

Day by day

1. Day 1: Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag and its glass dome

   Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag and its glass dome and Museum Island, then Friedrichshain in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Brandenburg Gate

      Completed in 1791 and topped by the Quadriga chariot, this neoclassical gate was stranded in the no-man's-land of the Berlin Wall from 1961 to 1989 and became the symbol of reunification.

   2. Late morning

      Reichstag and its glass dome

      Book an evening slot for sunset over the Tiergarten, and bring photo ID for the security check.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Currywurst

      Imbiss stands across the city, including the long-running stall under the elevated U2 tracks at Eberswalder Strasse and stands around Mehringdamm in Kreuzberg.

   4. Afternoon

      Museum Island

      Five museums share this UNESCO-listed island in the Spree: the Altes Museum with Greek and Roman antiquities, the Alte Nationalgalerie with 19th-century painting including Caspar David Friedrich, the Bode Museum with sculpture and coins, and the Neues Museum, all linked by the James Simon Gallery visitor centre by David Chipperfield.

   5. Evening

      Friedrichshain

      Big-name clubs near the Spree and Ostkreuz, the RAW-Gelände and bar streets around Simon-Dach-Strasse.

2. Day 2: Neues Museum and Berlin Cathedral

   Neues Museum, Berlin Cathedral and Berlin Wall Memorial, then Kreuzberg in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Neues Museum

      Book a time slot and see Nefertiti early; photography is not allowed in her domed room.

   2. Late morning

      Berlin Cathedral

      The neo-Baroque Berliner Dom, completed in 1905, has a richly decorated interior, a huge Sauer organ and a crypt with nearly a hundred Hohenzollern coffins.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Döner kebab

      Kebab shops everywhere, especially in Kreuzberg around Kottbusser Tor and Mehringdamm, where the best-known stands have long queues.

   4. Afternoon

      Berlin Wall Memorial

      Start at the Visitor Centre near Nordbahnhof and walk east along the outdoor exhibition; it is free and open-air.

   5. Evening

      Kreuzberg

      Bars on Oranienstrasse and around Kottbusser Tor, canal-side venues and clubs by the river.

3. Day 3: East Side Gallery and TV Tower (Fernsehturm)

   East Side Gallery, TV Tower (Fernsehturm) and Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, then Neukölln in the evening.

   1. Morning

      East Side Gallery

      A 1.3-km section of the Wall along the Spree was painted by artists from around the world in 1990, creating the longest open-air gallery in the world.

   2. Late morning

      TV Tower (Fernsehturm)

      Book a timed ticket online and go on a clear day; sunset slots are the most popular.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Berliner Pfannkuchen

      Bakeries throughout the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

      Peter Eisenman's memorial, opened in 2005, covers a city block near the Brandenburg Gate with 2,711 concrete slabs of varying heights on undulating ground, creating a disorienting walk.

   5. Evening

      Neukölln

      Dive bars, cocktail spots and wine bars around Weserstrasse and Reuterkiez.

Before you go

• Reichstag and its glass dome: Entry is free but requires advance online registration with the names of all visitors; slots fill days ahead.
• Neues Museum: Timed tickets are recommended, especially at weekends.
• TV Tower (Fernsehturm): Timed tickets sell out at weekends and around sunset; book ahead.

If it rains

• Swap in Topography of Terror (Kreuzberg): Allow at least 90 minutes; the indoor exhibition is text-heavy but among the clearest histories of the period.
• Swap in Jewish Museum Berlin (Kreuzberg): Walk the underground axes first to understand the building, then visit the main exhibition upstairs.
• Swap in Charlottenburg Palace (Charlottenburg): If time is short, see the New Wing and spend the rest of the visit in the gardens.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Mitte keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Prenzlauer Berg ($$$) suits families, couples, food lovers and quiet stays. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 12–15 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 7.7 hours in December to 16.8 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Berlin
• 2 days in Berlin
• 4 days in Berlin
• 5 days in Berlin
• 7 days in Berlin

Questions travellers ask