Berlin Private Complete History All Day Walking Tour
Description
Discover 800 Years of Berlin’s History with a Local Expert. Join a local historian and Berlin expert on an unforgettable deep dive into Berlin’s past, meticulously crafted for those eager to unravel the many layers of Berlin's past and present. As you traverse the city with our expert guide, we delve into the narrative of Berlin from its early beginnings through its transformation into a modern metropolis. As you journey through Berlin’s iconic streets and hidden corners, your expert guide brings the city’s complex story to life through captivating narratives, little-known facts, and rich historical context. From Prussian grandeur and imperial ambition to war, division, and reunification, this tour offers a sweeping yet intimate perspective on Berlin’s evolution. This thoughtfully paced tour fits in as many key Berlin sites as possible, allowing for necessary breaks to snack, relax, or capture photographs and even lunch if you desire.
Tour Options
Itinerary
One of the most iconic gates in Europe. Learn about why it was constructed and how it became a focal point for the different Berlin's and Germany's that formed (and fell) after its construction and an important symbol of divided Berlin during the Cold War. Don't be afraid to ask your guide for a photo!:)
Stand and admire probably the most iconic building in Germany. We will introduce you to the Hohenzollern's and share with you why the building was built, how it played a major role in the solidification of the Nazi Dictatorship in early 1933, how it was the scene of savage fighting in the culmination of the Soviet Battle of Berlin and every thing that happened to the building up to and after German Reunification.
Walk through the only Soviet Memorial that was located in West Berlin. We will look at its construction, the surprising origin of its building materials and discuss the symbolism and controversies associated with it.
Walk through a part of the Tiergarten, the largest park in Berlin. We will find out how it developed from the medieval period and how the events in Berlin also greatly affected the park itself.
Admire, from a distance, the Victory column. Proudly sited in the middle of the Tiergarten. We will share with you when and why it was constructed and perhaps, surprisingly, where it used to be located!
Experience one of the most substantial and incredible of the many memorials within Berlin.
Visit the most infamous parking lot/car park in the world. The site of the Fuhrer Bunker and the place where one of the biggest tyrants the world has ever known spent his final days!
Hear the story of the man who came painfully close to changing world history!
We will share with you the history of this imposing building that has been in continuous use since 1936. A witness to the most turbulent years of the 20th Century.
We will enter the site of the former SS, Gestapo and SD headquarters in Berlin. One of the points of evil with Nazi Berlin and we will discuss what happened post-war with the site.
We will visit a section of the Berlin Wall and find out why when and how it was constructed as well as sharing stories of the some of the great escapes and tragic deaths that occurred.
A visit to the most famous of the Checkpoints and one of the most iconic Cold War sites in Berlin.
A stroll down Friedrichstrasse, once known as “Cabaret Mile”
Visit the most beautiful square in Berlin, the Gendarmenmarkt. Learn about its origins and how it developed into a true architectural gem.
Surround yourself with beautiful 18th Century buildings and learn the history of Bebelplatz. We will discuss the Catholic cathedral (St Hegwigs), the Humboldt University faculty of Law, the City Opera House. This was also the site of the most infamous of the “Nazi Book Burnings” so will observe and discuss the thought-provoking memorial that is present in the square.
One of the most esteemed educational institutions in Germany. We will share with you the history of the building, the University and who the Humbolts were.
We will take you inside one of the most incredible buildings on Unter Den Linden, if not in all of Berlin. A political weathervane and now, in it’s current incarnation, a very moving memorial.
From outside we will discuss the oldest surviving building on Unter den Linden, now the German History Museum.
Collectively a UNESCO World Heritage site, we will discuss how the island developed, the Museums, the Cathedral and some of the architects who designed them.
Visit the Humboldt Forum and learn its complicated and surprisingly recent history.
A visit to and, if possible, inside the oldest church in Berlin that has been in continuous use. And architectural gem and a very lucky survivor.
And to finish the tour we will head to Alexanderplatz, rebuilt post-war as the capital of the DDR.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pickups will take place on foot with the tour guide.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Animals or pets allowed
- This is a Walking Tour Pickups are on foot. Tours walk at the pace of the group.
Reviews(486)
Rhys did an excellent job of covering a lot of Berlin's history - past to present, over our four-hour walk.
Having experienced many private tours, this one was quite disappointing. Although Eugene was extremely knowledgeable about history, geography, and factual details, he was a bit too serious and we felt extremely rushed. My teens checked out after a couple of hours bc there was too much “lecture” (my husband actually did too after several hours). Eugene didn’t seem to pick up on some of the silly teen comments and would try to correct by providing basic knowledge when he simply missed the joke - or maybe he just didn’t know how to respond differently. The biggest issue was the pace. He jetted at a very brisk walking speed so we clocked at least 20000 steps which seems great, but it was at the expense of soaking in the surroundings in full which also helps break up the day. He often raced ahead of the (only) 4 of us and literally scolded us for not “staying together” so we could get to everything rather than slowing down to meet our pace simply because 2 of us stopped to read or look at something interesting. If there’s not enough time to get to everything at a slightly slower pace then we are seeing too much. He repeatedly raced off alone or with 1 or 2 in the group rushing with him. He wouldn’t even notice until he was way ahead. We are all in great shape; that was not the issue. He was just being persnickety about the schedule, which is the opposite of what is expected on private tours. Eugene settled down a bit after we explained to him (after the scolding when we were losing our patience) that we are taking in everything along the way rather than wanting to rush from one place to the next just to check a box. If we don’t get to everything it’s OK. But even after there was still unnecessary and unwanted rushing. It’s like he couldn’t help it unless he really tried hard. For example, we will stand up when the train almost stops to get off; we don’t need to be asked to rush to the door just to wait for it to stop. We also don’t need to run off and out the station like we are about to miss an important meeting. It was stressful and like being on a public tour where to you have to keep up with the large group - but that large group was just him. There was a lot of prompting “let’s go” at every street crossing over and over like we are children who don’t know how or when to cross a street. We also don’t need to rush while passing interesting/good shops or food place recommendations just bc he was in a hurry when we told him we are not. He did recommend a souvenir shop (which we aren’t really into) for us to “return” to another time - which wasn’t going to be possible regardless since we only had one full day in Berlin. But I guess he tried on that one as we zipped by it. When I stated we wanted to go back to the food market we had just rushed through, he seemed annoyed and confused. As we walked back around the market path he pointed in the direction we came from condescendingly saying “we need to go that way”. I was simply looking at the food stands as I had explained. We quickly got watermelon and went back to rushing. We finally said we needed to stop for coffee and asked where should we stop - mostly to keep him in charge of stops since he was apparently on a tight schedule. He was more patient for that stop which makes me think he might prefer routine, schedules, and expectedness rather than an unexpected “oh there’s a little food market there; let’s see what they have” out of nowhere. We made no other food stops in 6 hours other than the coffee place. I’m reading people had lunch. Not sure how that math maths, but I wouldn’t recommend the version we had. In retrospect we felt like we spent 6 hours accommodating a tight schedule, and after reading the other reviews I wish I had requested a specific, perhaps more laid back guide upon booking.
Our tour was with Aaron who is an archeologist from the UK that has been living in Germany for 20+ years. We had our three sons 20-20-17 with us and Aaron was able to keep them all engaged with his mix of humor/wit. We saw all the main historical sites and he was able to answer any questions we threw at him. Highly recommended for your first day in Berlin when you are trying to get your bearings because you cover most all of the “must see” sites. This is not your average tour but a high level experience with a top notch guide who was informed and kept things fun.
Great tour!! So much to see and our guide did a wonderful job sharing so many historical stories and personal asides about what we were seeing. He also recommended and joined us for a delicious lunch where we had Doner Kebab. We really enjoyed both the food and the restaurant. Highly recommend
Paul was the best tour guide, he was so knowledgeable and fun to spend 6hrs with. 10/10 would recommend
This 6-hour tour gave us time to spend more time at the prominent locations in Berlin and ask questions. Traveling as only a couple gave us the freedom to take a lunch break when we wanted and at the location we selected. Paul Tobin was an outstanding guide. His knowledge of German history was very broad and his ability to provide information in an interesting, engaging manner was helpful to our ability to take everything in. We highly recommend Paul to anyone traveling to Berlin.
Excellent! We requested to slightly change our itinerary and what a wonderful job Rhys did! It was a very informative tour
This is just what the doctor ordered ie I got what I needed: a comprehensive understanding of the layers of Berlin history and in-depth answers to all my questions.
It’s a great tour to learn about the history of Berlin and of Germany! We covered a lot of ground, learning more than just about WWII. It was a fun day!
Thanks very much for taking our tour and even more for the lovely review. I hope Berlin was a great time!!
Whole family enjoyed this tour. Our guide, Rhys, was very flexible, adapting to kids’ need to play in snow! He was also really informative in an engaging way bringing history of the city and its paradoxes to life. Felt like being shown around a friend’s home city.
Thanks for the nice review, and I am very happy your family enjoyed the tour. I will definitely show this to Rhys.
