Berlin – Your Complete Travel Guide To Attractions, Things to Do, Transport & More

Berlin – Your Complete Travel Guide To Attractions, Things to Do, Transport & More

This is your complete travel guide to Berlin. The 
best attractions to see, how to get around the place, weird stuff to do and how to have the best 
time of your life here in the German Capital City. Welcome to Berlin – a city where 
every street corner tells a story. Whether you’re here for a quick weekend 
trip, looking for all the historical stuff or you’re here to do some unique 
things, this guide will take you through the best that Berlin has to offer.
But when you have a look at the map – it can be confusing as to where to start.
The attractions are seemingly everywhere. But to make your life easy, split up your trip 
into these areas – East & Central Berlin, the historical stuff in the middle, and attractions in 
the west. There’s more to do outside these areas, but these are the areas are where you’ll 
find most of what you’re looking for. Getting to and from the airport and 
getting around the city is simple enough, and I’ll tell you more about how to use 
the public transport system towards the end of the video. But long story short: buy an 
all-inclusive travel pass and you’ll be fine. Let’s start right in the middle, and to 
the most famous landmark in all of Berlin: The Brandenburg Gate
One of Germany’s most iconic landmarks. Built in the late 18th century, this monument now 
stands as a powerful symbol of unity and peace. Its imposing columns, with the chariot drawn by 
four horses on the top, are especially striking. But I’ll be honest, it’ll take you all of about 10 
minutes to see this and take a few pictures … and ummm, that’s it. It won’t take you all 
that long, but around here, you’ll find educational displays that’ll teach you all about 
Germany’s history. It’s pretty interesting, some of it is a little creepy, but right next 
door; is this impressive building right here. The Reichstag
This is the German Parliament Building. After being bombed in the war, it was redesigned 
with its now famous glass dome. You can actually book a free of charge tour to walk through the 
building and see the dome from its spiral walkway, where you can enjoy stunning panoramic 
views of Berlin’s skyline. However, you need to book this well in advance 
and bring your passport along with you. Follow the instructions on your confirmation 
carefully, otherwise they deny you entry. If you’re watching this video, you’ll have 
probably heard of the famous Berlin Wall. A wall that once separated East Germany and 
West Germany, that was eventually knocked down in 1989 to re-unify the country.
However, remnants of the Berlin Wall are scattered throughout the city, and there’s many 
places that you can see this, which I’ll describe at various parts of the video. But around here, 
there are two obvious places that you can see it. The first is Potsdamer Platz. At first glance, 
it’s a modern business hub, with shopping centres, transit stops and big buildings. But during 
the Cold War, it was a wasteland divided by the Berlin Wall – which you can see parts 
of here. It’s cool to learn a brief history about the wall – sadly they’ve covered most of it 
with used chewing gum – ewww that’s a bit gross. But a better example is if you go across the 
way, you’ll come across the Topography of Terror. Located on the former site of the Gestapo 
and SS headquarters, the Topography of Terror is an open-air and indoor museum that 
provides a chilling look into Nazi Germany. Outside, parts of the Berlin Wall remain intact, 
and you can read and learn about the history here – it’s very educational and definitely 
transports you back to more difficult times. At the indoor museum, which is free of charge, 
is a cool exhibit full of photos, documents, and first-hand accounts that reveal the brutal 
reality of the Nazi regime. Word of warning, there’s lots of depictions of death in here, 
so if you are easily upset, don’t come inside. Given that both of these are free, it’s 
worth about an hour of your time to explore. Nearby, the Holocaust Memorial is a tribute to 
the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. There’s hundreds of concrete slabs arranged in 
a grid like pattern — the uneven heights and disorienting paths create this weird squid 
game like experience. Definitely strange, but it does highlight the amount 
of people that have died here. A short walk away, you’ll find Checkpoint Charlie, 
the most famous border crossing between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. The small white 
booth, complete with sandbags and the soldier’s on display, have been preserved as a historical 
site. It’s in the middle of a busy street, and it won’t take you all that long to see 
and take a few pictures. If you want to learn more – head on over to the nearby museums.
South of that, you’ll find the Jewish Museum. Inside, the exhibits highlight Jewish history 
from the Middle Ages to the present day, so if you are into that, this is a cool museum.
But even if you’re not, I recommend exploring this area anyway, as Berlin’s street art 
scene is legendary. The city’s walls, bridges, and alleyways are covered in colourful 
murals and graffiti. And you can find plenty of examples of this around the Jewish museum on 
the residential buildings. – and it’s free! If you’re classy, you’ll be glad to know that 
Berlin has culture on tap. From churches to concert halls, you can generally find these in 
the central part of Berlin City Centre right here. The Berlin State Opera House is one 
of Europe’s leading opera houses. It looks terribly pink from the outside, but 
inside is stunning. Come here if you want to see the ballet or the opera or a classical recital.
Nearby, you’ll find the Berlin Concert Hall, which hosts classical concerts throughout the year.
And whilst you’re here, you’ll also find plenty of churches. There are two cathedrals that 
flank the Concert Hall; the French Cathedral and German Cathedral. Together they form one 
of the prettiest squares in all of Berlin. Massively under construction when I went, but 
hopefully it’ll be nice when you get there. Around here, you’ll also find Frederick’s 
Church, St Hedwig’s Cathedral, the Catholic Cathedral that looks like the Pantheon 
and not at all related to THAT Hedwig. But the most important church in 
the city is this one right here: Berlin Cathedral.
With its imposing green dome, it’s one of the famous landmarks in the city.
Beautiful on the outside and very grand on the inside, as you’d expect. 
Admittedly, it’s like every other cathedral you’ve probably been to already.
And on paper, it costs money to go inside. Which seems like a raw deal given that it’s a church.
But what you’re really paying for is access to its roof.
It’s a bloody long climb up, but once you get to the top – you’ll be rewarded 
with stunning views of Berlin, the statues that overlook the city, and you can look down upon 
the entire world from here, well, sort of. If you have a problem paying to go inside a 
church, it’s possible to sneak around the back of the Cathedral Café and access it through the 
exit for free. You’re not supposed to do that, and you didn’t hear it from me – but that 
one way of avoiding the entrance fee. Whilst you’re here at Berlin Cathedral, you’re 
technically on something called Museum Island. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as Museum 
Island is home to five of the world’s finest museums. And it can get quite confusing 
as to which one to go into. Now I’ve been inside them all and here’s the brief low-down.
The Old Museum, specializes in Greek and Roman artefacts. If you’re into that sort of thing, 
great – you’ll have a fantastic time in here. But there’s nothing in here you probably 
haven’t seen in another museum somewhere. The New Museum – that’s a bit of a misnomer as 
everything in here is ancient. Mainly stuff from Egypt; tombs, mummies, weird gods etc. And its 
home to the world famous bust of Nefertiti. Which they only allow you to take pictures of from 
a completely different room. That’s strange?! The Old National Gallery – Focuses on 
19th-century art, great if you like paintings, not so great if you’re looking for the 
most famous pieces. There were a couple, but nothing worth the price of admission.
The Bode Museum – Features Byzantine art and sculptures – I was admittedly little bored 
of this one, but the building was very nice. And the Pergamon Museum – which houses 
the monumental Ishtar Gate and the giant panorama was an interesting look 
at how the town of Pergamon would have looked and sounded like back in the day.
The German museum, don’t bother it was terrible. And the Humboldt Forum – mmm, that was okay given 
that it was largely free. The free exhibits were quite interesting, but don’t bother with the paid 
ones, as they were just a little … out there. With all these museums, if you have no interest 
in the stuff that I just mentioned – you can probably avoid them, as there’s nothing you 
probably haven’t already seen in another museum. But whist you’re walking around here, I 
recommend that you explore the streets, like here at Hackescher Markt, it’s uniquely decorated 
and it’s worth it just for the strangeness of it all. Interesting decorations indeed!
Alexanderplatz, is this unassuming public space complete with this world clock. This contraption 
apparently tells the time wherever you are in the world. I’m not sure how it works, but okay?
But right next to it, is the tallest thing in the city of Berlin … the Berlin TV Tower.
At 368 metres high and towering over the city, it’s a transmission tower that you can 
conveniently go up and take in some of the stunning views of the city. The best time 
to visit is about an hour before sunset, and wait to see the sun go down. It can get 
crowded at this time, but the view of the sunset and the sky turning into a plethora of colours is 
more than worth the wait. It’s a totally different experience at night, and a lot quieter too.
Next door, you’ll find Berlin Town Hall. This red coloured building is free to go 
inside, it’s an impressively decorated building throughout. Admittedly, there’s 
not that much to see, save for this cool lego model. But given that it’s free, it’s 
probably worth around 10 minutes of your time. Across the street, you’ll find St Nicholas’s 
Church – the oldest church in Berlin. It’s now largely a museum piece and if you’re 
not a fan of church history, you can probably avoid this one. But a pretty ethereal 
experience if there’s an organist playing. So that covers the central area. Let’s go of 
north of that, you’ll find Mauerpark. Known for its Sunday flea markets and open-air karaoke. 
If you like to walk in the park in the mornings, like I do … sometimes …. it’s worth a quick look.
But it’s also next to the Berlin Wall Memorial. A long original section of the wall 
stands alongside a memorial to those who lost their lives trying to cross it.
If you know nothing of the Berlin Wall, this open-air exhibit is an eye-opening look at how 
terrible life was because of it. To the Germans, this is part of normal everyday life, but it’s 
pretty fascinating if you’re not from around here. If you want a more colourful look at the Berlin 
Wall, head on over to the east side of the city, where you’ll find the East Side Gallery. A mile 
long stretch of the Berlin Wall that is now decorated with 100’s of artists renderings. It’s 
like an outdoor art gallery, the most famous piece is this one with two guys kissing, there’s always 
a crowd around that one. But on a nice day like it is today, it’s fun to wander along the wall 
and look at some of the kooky stuff on display. Across the street from that, 
you’ll find the Uber Arena. This is the indoor arena that houses music 
concerts, shows and the city’s ice hockey team – the Berlin Polar Bears. Ticket prices 
are reasonable (you can buy them from the shop here) and the gameday atmosphere is superb 
– the German enthusiasm for team sports is certainly infectious and you’ll have a great time 
here, even if you’re not a fan of ice hockey. In this area, you’ll find various 
flea markets, which is great if you want to rifle through some secondhand bargains 
amongst some colourfully decorated buildings, and cross the bridge here (it’s a very pretty 
bridge) into the area of Kreuzberg and grab a bite at one of the many colourful 
neighbourhoods that you’ll find. Markthalle Neun, a foodie 
paradise with global street food and local specialties 
is the pick of the bunch. Let’s move across to the west side of Berlin, 
and the first thing you’ll come across is Tiergarten – the largest greenspace in the city. 
It’s vast park with tree-lined paths. It looks pretty bleak right now because it’s winter, 
but it’s a lot nicer in the summer months. At the centre of it all, you’ll find the Victory 
Column. Another famous landmark here in Berlin, it’s a tall column with a winged victory on the 
top. You can get up close and personal to it, but given that it’s on a giant roundabout, just 
like the Arc De Triomphe, please don’t try and cross the road – as you might get run over and die 
a horrific death. So use the underground walkway that’ll take you to the base of the monument.
Nearby, Bellevue Palace is the official residence of Germany’s President.
Nice building, but they don’t let you anywhere near it, for obvious reasons.
If you have kids, Berlin Zoo and Berlin Aquarium are nearby, home to over 20,000 animals on a large 
park space. They do come highly recommended if you’re entertaining a family and you want some 
kid friendly attractions. The zoo in particular is famous for its pandas, so if you’ve never 
seen a panda before, come have a look here! But just outside of the zoo, you’ll find 
what remains of Kaiser Wilhelm’s Church. Bombed during a war, it’s been preserved in 
its ruined state as a war memorial. You can go in for free and marvel at the interior, 
beautifully decorated interior complete with copious amounts of war damage. And if you want a 
trippy experience, go to the new church directly opposite, which resembles a nightclub on 
steroids with this rather strange looking robot Jesus overlooking you. Praise creepus! 
It’s one of the wildest churches you’ll ever visit! But quite nice, I guess?!
At this point, technically, you’re on Kurfürstendamm – Berlin’s famous 
shopping boulevard. It’s one of the busiest streets in Berlin and it resembles Oxford Street 
in London. But honestly, there’s nothing new or unique on here that you haven’t already seen.
An alternative is to go to Berlin Mall, which is located outside Potsdamer Platz and it’s 
a shopping centre very similar to every other shopping mall you’ve probably already been to.
Some other attractions you might be interested in is the German Technology museum, full of giant 
planes, Nazi trains, weird automobiles, ancient boats and a terrifying rooftop terrace where 
you think you’re going to fall to your death. In my opinion, is probably one of the better 
museums of this kind that you’ll find in the city. The Natural History Museum also comes 
recommended, especially if you have kids, and you want to see some dead animals on display, 
dinosaur bones, including the world’s tallest dinosaur, rocks that would look good in my 
living room, stuff that belongs in a horror movie and the world’s most famous polar bear 
now permanently resides here in stuffed format. The Old National Gallery – great if you like 
old paintings and you’re interested in art. But avoid the New National Gallery next door, 
as it’s just a little strange, with strange pieces that most people would consider junk rather 
than art, and it somewhat pornographic in nature. The Musical Instruments museum was actually okay, 
but don’t bother with the Communications museum – gorgeous building, but dreadfully boring exhibits.
And that’s pretty much everything you want to see in Berlin, and it’ll take you 
about 3 days to do all of this. However, if you’re here for a bit 
longer, I recommend that you visit some other out of the way attractions.
The first of which, is to the west of the city centre and it’s Charlottenburg Palace.
A baroque palace with lavish interiors and gardens. Once the summer residence of German 
Kings and Queens, it’s beautifully decorated inside and if you’re into Royal history, this is a 
very absorbing place to have a tour around. You’ll be amazed at the architecture and engulfed in 
the decadent history of former royals. Even if you don’t want to pay to go inside, the grounds 
are free, so be sure to have a walk around here as it’s quite a peaceful garden to walk around.
If you head further west from that, you’ll find the Olympiastadion – built for the 1936 Olympics 
by the Nazi’s, it’s now home to the city’s football team Hertha Berlin. I’m not going to 
talk too much about it because I’ll be making a separate video right here, but given that it’s 
a historical monument and not just another sports stadium, it’s definitely worth a visit.
If you have much more time, a trip to nearby Potsdam might be your thing.
It’s a picturesque town about 25 miles outside of Berlin, with pretty streets, historical 
gates, beautiful gardens, and various royal palaces. I’ll be making a video about that in 
the future, but I actually preferred this town, to the actual city of Berlin itself and I’ll 
explain why in the video. Definitely add this to your list if you like to explore 
quaint little towns with character. Overall, Berlin has something for everyone — 
from its storied past, to its many museums, vibrant neighbourhoods and cool attractions. 
Add this to your Bucket List if you are a fan of war-time history or you just want 
something different in a city break. Okay Ninh, I’m sold – what do I need to do?
Well you need to come here to Berlin, Germany. You’ll most likely fly into Berlin Brandenburg 
Airport and to get into the city, locate the Transit station outside Terminal 1. There are many 
trains that will take you into the city centre, but the easiest to spot is the S9 train which 
will take you through most of the major train stations in Berlin in about 50 minutes. The 
RE7 is probably the fastest train, and that’ll take you into the centre of Berlin in about 25 
minutes, so pick the one that suits your needs. To buy a ticket for this, simply go to any 
ticket booth, select your language and buy the relevant ticket, using cash or credit card. 
Once it spits out a ticket, YOU MUST validate it on one of the ticket validators like so, which 
you’ll find everywhere. It will print the date and time on it like this. Then all you need 
to do is board the relevant mode of transport, as there’s no barriers to entry. In theory, 
you could walk on without paying. However, plain clothes ticket inspectors are everywhere 
and if you’re caught without a valid or validated ticket – it’s a €60 fine for you.
To save you the hassle of buying tickets and potentially getting fined anyway because 
they’re not validated properly, I recommend buying an all-inclusive pass for the duration 
of your stay. Zone A will cover most of the attractions in Berlin, Zone A+B covers almost 
every attraction and Zone AB and C covers the airport and Potsdam too, so pick the one that 
suits your needs. You can also do this via the app, which I’ll leave on the screen now.
The transport system is simple enough to use, and it includes buses, trams, the 
U Bahn, which is the underground stations and the S-Bahn which are local trains.
Admittedly, it’s not all that intuitive like it is in London or Washington etc., so be sure to 
download an offline map to your phone and use it to help you get to where you want to go. After 
a couple of days, you’ll develop a sixth sense on how to use a combination of trams, buses and 
trains to get you to where you want to go. The cost?
Well, quite a lot of attractions I’ve mentioned in this video are actually free. So, it 
can be a low-cost city break if you’re into all the historical attractions. You’ll be spending a 
bit of money if you want to visit all the museums, and if you do; I recommend that you buy the Berlin 
Museum Pass which will allow you access to 30 museums over three days for one low price. You can 
save yourself a boat load of money with that one. But eating out is probably the most 
expensive thing you’ll do here, as the food prices in restaurants are a little 
on the high side. If you are on a tight budget, stick to supermarkets and bakeries and you can 
survive without spending much money at all. If you’re looking for a place 
to stay, there’s two options. If you coming with family and have kids, staying 
on the west side, near the zoo – with the shops, the aquarium, the parks etc. is probably 
your best bet. If you’re a sight seer or you’re coming on your own, stay as close to 
Alexander Platz as you can. Where most of the attractions are located within easy reach and the 
transport links here are excellent. You’ll thank me when you can get around the city quickly.
Is there anything else I need to know? Yes. Berlin is actually quite a big city, and 
it’ll take you a while to get around even with public transport. Don’t be tempted to walk 
everywhere. I mean you can, but it’ll take you forever. Get familiar with the transport 
system, and you’ll have a much better time. There’s quite a lot of graffiti … literally 
everywhere. It’s a shock to the senses and it’s not to everyone’s taste.
The spoke language here is German, but most people speak excellent English, so 
you’ll be fine if you’re a native English speaker. The currency here is the Euro, and Germans 
prefer that you pay with cash. Credit cards are widely accepted in most (but not all) places.
As with the rest of Germany, if you buy anything in a glass bottle or can, you’ll be charged 
a deposit fee. Which you can get back at one of the many recycling machines around the 
city, usually located inside supermarkets. Unlike here in England, jay-walking is a 
crime and it’s one that you can be fined for. So don’t be tempted to walk across the street 
without seeing the green man being lit up. Lots of attractions and shops are completely 
closed on Sundays, with most museums typically closed on Mondays. So always check the 
opening hours of things on these two days. If you have found this video helpful in planning 
your trip to Berlin, please share this video on your social media, give it a like and subscribe 
for more travel guides from around the world. Tweet me if you want to see guides for another 
city or destination, and thanks very much for watching – I’ll see you in the next episode! Ninh Ly – www.ninh.co.uk – @NinhLyUK

This is your complete city travel guide to Berlin, which will explain EVERYTHING you need to know before you go.

In this video, you’ll learn how to get to & from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) to Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Central Station), discover the best attractions in Berlin, where to eat the most delicious food, what to avoid — and this is the only video you’ll need to plan your trip to Germany’s Capital City.

I’ll show you around Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag Building, the Berlin Wall Memorial, Museum Island, the TV Tower, Checkpoint Charlie, East Side Gallery, the Holocaust Memorial, and more.
I’ll also show you the best things to do outside of central Berlin, such as the Olympiastadion (Hertha BSC Football Ground) and Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam.

You’ll have an amazing time here!

00:00 – Berlin – Complete City Guide
00:20 – Introduction to Berlin
00:36 – Map of Berlin, How to Plan your Berlin Trip
01:03 – How to get around the city
01:20 – Brandenburg Gate
02:06 – Reichstag Building & Bundestag Dome
02:43 – Berlin Wall & Potsdamer Platz
03:40 – Topography of Terror
04:32 – Holocaust Memorial
04:54 – Checkpoint Charlie
05:20 – Jewish Museum & Berlin Street Art
05:48 – Berlin Wall Memorial
06:07 – Berlin State Opera House, Berlin Concert Hall
06:29 – French Cathedral, German Cathedral, St Fredericks’ Church, St Hedwig’s Cathedral
06:57 – Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) & Panoramic Rooftop Terrace
08:00 – Museum Island (Altes Museum, Neues Museum, Altes National Gallery, Bode Museum, Pergamon Museum, Humboldt Forum)
09:50 – Hackescher Markt & Shopping Districts
10:05 – Alexanderplatz
10:21 – Berlin TV Tower (Fernsehturm)
10:57 – Berlin Town Hall & St Nicholas’ Church
11:13 – Mauerpark & Berlin Wall Memorial
12:21 – East Side Gallery (Berlin Wall Paintings)
12:48 – Uber Arena – Eisbären Berlin Ice Hockey
13:28 – Kreuzberg & Markthallen Neuen
13:47 – Tiergarten Park & Victory Column, Bellevue Palace
14:38 – Berlin Zoo & Aquarium
15:03 – Kaiser Wilhelm’s Church, Kurfürstendamm, Berlin Mall
16:12 – German Technology Museum, Natural History Museum
16:55 – National Portrait Gallery, New National Gallery & Musical Instruments Museum.
17:30 – Charlottenburg Palace & Gardens
18:15 – Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium) – Hertha BSC Football Club
18:40 – Potsdam Day Trip
19:27 – Top Berlin Travel Tips
19:34 – How to get to / from Berlin Hauptbahnhof (City Centre) from Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)
20:06 – How to use Public Transport in Berlin (U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Trams & Buses)
21:54 – The cost of a trip to Berlin
22:40 – Where to stay in Berlin
23:14 – Top Tips for Visiting Berlin (Travel Advice) – What not to do (don’ts!)
24:42 – Outro and Outtakes

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