One day in Berlin

Day by day

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

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

   1. Morning

      Brandenburg Gate

      Visit at night when it is floodlit and quiet, then walk two minutes to the Reichstag and the Holocaust Memorial. Allow 30 minutes.

   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. Allow 1–1.5 hours.

   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

      A Museum Island day ticket covering several museums pays off if you visit two or more. Allow Half a day to a full day.

   5. Late afternoon

      Berlin Wall Memorial

      Start at the Visitor Centre near Nordbahnhof and walk east along the outdoor exhibition; it is free and open-air. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

   6. Evening

      Friedrichshain

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

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.

If it rains

• Swap in Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Mitte): Walk into the centre of the field, then visit the free Information Centre beneath it; do not climb or jump on the slabs.
• Swap in Neues Museum (Museum Island): Book a time slot and see Nefertiti early; photography is not allowed in her domed room.
• Swap in Berlin Cathedral (Museum Island): Climb the dome walkway late in the day for the light on the TV Tower and the Spree.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 6–8 hours of visiting over one day, 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.

Getting between stops: Metro. U-Bahn lines cover the inner city and run all night on Friday and Saturday nights; during the week, night buses replace them.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Berlin
• 3 days in Berlin
• 4 days in Berlin
• 5 days in Berlin
• 7 days in Berlin

Questions travellers ask