Tue, 9 Feb
13°
5°
This 3-hour walking tour is designed to immerse you in divided Berlin – a place of ideological extremes, of espionage and intrigue, and of tyranny and heroism – while also considering the legacy of the division in a Germany that reunified in 1990.
Post-WW2 Berlin was a geopolitical battleground. Socialism and capitalism, dictatorship and democracy, and the United States and the Soviet Union all went head to head in the German capital. The most notorious symbol of the Cold War, the Berlin Wall, stood at the frontier of East and West, and people risked their lives trying to escape across it.
Your professional, local guide will meet you at your hotel, or a pre-arranged meeting point, and talk you through the broad history of Cold War Germany and Berlin.
You will then use public transportation to visit the East Side Gallery, the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall and the largest open air gallery in the world, and the Oberbaumbrücke – a former border crossing point between East and West Berlin. Moving back into the city centre you will visit the Palace of Tears museum, another former crossing point over the Wall and now an excellent museum, and the Brandenburg Gate, a potent symbol of the division and, now, of unity.
See where Reagan challenged Gorbachev to ‘tear down this wall!’ in 1987 and then travel through former ‘Ghost Stations’ to reach the official Berlin Wall Memorial. Look out over the former ‘Death Strip’, see where Berliners tunneled beneath the Wall, hear dramatic tales of escapes and tragic stories of loss at the border, and much more...
At the end of the tour your guide will accompany you back to your hotel, or to a drop-off point of your choosing. They will also give you tips and recommendations to help you make the most out of your stay.
As always your experience can be tailored to your preferences, so please let us know if you have any special requests or needs. We are also more than happy to help you with restaurant reservations and museum or gallery visits.
Please note: this tour requires the use of public transportation. These costs are not included in the price of the tour.
Your professional, local guide will meet you at your hotel and introduce you to the tour.
At our first stop you will witness a city, a people, and families divided at this excellent museum housed in the former passport control of a border crossing point over the Berlin Wall.
After a short walk from Friedrichstraße Station to Unter den Linden, you will stand in awe of the magnitude of the base of power the Soviets built for themselves in their occupied part of Berlin.
Next we stop in the former ‘Death Strip’ and to out why Berlin’s iconic monument became a potent symbol for all of Germany in the years the nation was divided.
After a short train ride on the S-Bahn you will reach one of Berlin’s former ‘Ghost Stations’ – locked down by East German border guards during the Cold War.
Next you will visit Berlin's official Berlin Wall Memorial: stand in the shadow of the Wall; follow it underground into one of the city's notorious former 'Ghost Stations'; pay tribute to those who lost their lives at the border, and stand at the site of daring escapes from East to West; and look out over the former 'Death Strip'. The tour ends here.
Your guide will accompany you back to your hotel.
You will be picked up directly from your hotel or a prearranged meeting point.
At the end of the tour you will be dropped off at your hotel or, if you wish to remain in the city, your guide can give you recommendations for further exploration.
- For groups of 1-6 people: free cancellation up to 48 hours in advance.
- For groups of 7+ people: free cancellation up to up to 7 days ahead. From 6 days in advance to 48 hours in advance, a 50% fee will apply.
- Cancellations less than 48 hours ahead or no-shows result in no refund.
We have received your inquiry. We will contact you as soon as possible!
