Berlin & Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Tour from Warnemünde and Rostock Port
Description
This shore excursion combines our classic All-in-One Best of Berlin trip with a brief visit to the largest concentration camp near Berlin: Sachsenhausen. We will pick you up directly at your cruise ship docking in Warnemünde or Rostock, and bring you to Berlin to see the city's essential sites. You will then be driven to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp for an overview of the memorial site. Please be aware, Sachsenhausen is roughly a one hour drive from Berlin. The tour is organized to minimize time spent on the bus. This is why we visit Sachsenhausen in the afternoon, as it lies on the way back to port. More time, however, is spent on the bus than on our regular Berlin shore excursion. All of our shore excursions are adjusted to each ship’s docking times and each starts promptly after your vessel’s arrival, returning with plenty of time to spare before its departure. We have been organizing shore excursions for nearly a decade and have never missed a cruise ship’s departure.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Sachsenhausen was the largest concentration camp in the vicinity of Berlin and one of many camps in a system now synonymous with the atrocities of Nazism. This tour is designed to provide an overview of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp memorial while also showing you Berlin’s essential sites during the time you have ashore. You will be greeted in front of your cruise ship as soon as it docks and shown to a modern, comfortable, air-conditioned bus. Your professional driver will then transfer you through the picturesque flatlands of former East Germany to Berlin. The journey takes approximately three hours.
Upon arriving in Berlin, your professional guide will join the tour. You will then enjoy a drive-by view of Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin’s largest and most magnificent royal residence.
You will then be driven through the lush greenery of Berlin's vast central park.
Make sure to have your camera ready to catch the sun glinting on the golden angel Victoria, goddess of victory, as you circle around Prussia's emphatic monument to its triumphs in the Wars of Unification.
When we reach the German parliament building – burned down after Hitler’s rise to power, now a bold symbol of modern German democracy – we will exit the bus and spend the next portion of the tour on foot.
Next we walk through the gateways of Berlin's most iconic monument and find out what makes the Gate the most important cultural monument in Germany.
After we leave Pariser Platz plenty of time will be taken to journey through the iconic field of concrete blocks, and bear witness the atrocities of National Socialism.
Boarding the bus again we head next to see the dark heart of Nazi Germany at the former headquarters of the SS and Gestapo and come face-to-face with the Cold War's most brutal symbol: The Berlin Wall.
Next you will have the chance to cross between East and West at the most famous border crossing point over the Berlin Wall, frontline of the Cold War, where spies roamed and US and Soviet tanks faced off in 1961. We will take a short lunch break here of approximately 30-45 minutes.
After lunch we will take some time to marvel at the stunning structures and imperial splendor of this UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site before driving to the Sachsenhausen memorial site – the journey takes roughly 1 hour.
When you reach the camp you will exit the bus with your guide and be given a 60-75 minute overview of the memorial site. You will then board the bus once more, say goodbye to your guide, and be driven back to port. Please be aware, the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial is roughly a one hour drive from Berlin. The tour is organised to try and minimise time spent on the bus. This is why we visit Sachsenhausen in the afternoon, as it lies between Berlin and Warnemünde – on the way back to port. You will, however, spend more time on the bus than on our regular Berlin shore excursion. This is a necessity to see Berlin and Sachsenhausen in a day. All of our shore excursions are adjusted to each ship’s docking times and each starts promptly after your vessel’s arrival, returning with plenty of time to spare before its departure. We have been organizing shore excursions for nearly a decade and have never missed a cruise ship’s departure.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- This is not an in-depth guided tour of the camp, which can take over two hours but rather a chance to visit a camp as part of your Berlin experience. If you would like a more comprehensive tour of the camp please inquire into our private tours and we can customize an itinerary for you.
- This tour does not include a full stop for a sit-down lunch.
- This tour will include some walking. Please make sure to bring comfortable footwear, weather appropriate clothing and an umbrella – just in case. You will be able to store your possessions on the bus – the door of the bus will be locked at all times when the driver is not on board.
- Please bring some change in EUR for toilet stops, beverages and for lunch. If you do not have any EUR with you, please ask your tour guide in Berlin to arrange for a stop at an ATM – it’s no problem! US dollars are not accepted as legal tender in Germany. Please also note that many restaurants and stores in Berlin only accept cash, not credit cards.
- According to the Sachsenhausen Memorial's official guidelines, visits are recommended only for children aged 14 and older due to the graphic nature of the exhibitions.
Reviews(73)
It was a long and full day, but I loved how much we got to see. Nick was an amazing guide. I do wish we would have had a little more time at the Berlin Wall. I would have shaved off 20 minutes from the concentration camp. There wasn't a WC on the bus and that would have been preferable considering the amount of drive time and packed schedule.
We scheduled this excursion while on a cruise. We packed a lot in a short period of time due to the 3 hour transportation from the cruise port. It was well planned, very organized, and so informative. I would highly recommend this. We never felt that we would miss getting back to the cruise ship in time.
You will spend 5-6 hours in a bus, but it has A/C and played Mr. Bean there and Mamma Mia on the way back. Our camp and city guide was excellent - a Brit expat with so much knowledge and a little cheek to keep things lighter as the feeling of evil there was palpable. Was glad we did the tour.
Even though a long excursion very interesting to see so much history from our lifetime. Mikail did a great job of guiding us thru the day
It moves fast but great information!! Nick was awesome! Best way to see an overview of Berlin and concentration camp. Highly recommend!
Well worth doing as alternative to ship excursion. Left at 7am and arrived at Sachsenhausen at 10, with guide Nick, extremely knowledgeable. Small group always on time and back to ship before 7pm.
This is an extremely well-run excursion. Moving. A profound experience. Our tour guide Nick is phenomenal. We would recommend this tour to everyone. We learned so much about the horrific activities at Sachsenhausen. Our family member was an American soldier taken prisoner elsewhere in Germany. He could hardly speak about the inhumanity. He recuperated for one year under medical care and convalesced for two more with his parents taking care of him.
You walk about 4 miles on this one. Some stairs and uneven terrain. Very informative ! We are glad we did it. Our tour guide was Nick. He’s fantastic.
The guide Walid was very knowledgeable and nice. The tour itself was frustrating, due to distance time restraints every stop was too rushed. It's more of a at a glance then a look and see with absolutely no time to read anything. This is at no fault to the tour guide. This is a reflection on the tour as it tried to pack in too many stops in a short time period. I have pictures of things i don't even know what they are. Alot of time was wasted getting on and off the bus when some places were only a city block away from each other.
Dear Guest. Thank you for sharing your feedback and for highlighting Walid’s knowledge and kindness. He’ll be delighted to hear that. We're sorry to hear that parts of the tour felt rushed and that you felt you didn't have enough time to fully enjoy some of the sights. As this shore excursion is designed for cruise passengers with limited time in port, our goal is to showcase as many of Berlin's key landmarks as possible. We understand, however, that some guests would prefer a slower pace with more time at fewer locations. For those seeking a more relaxed and flexible experience, we also offer private excursions with timing tailored to your group's interests. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will help us continue refining our tours. Thank you again for sharing your experience and exploring Berlin with us.
This was hands down one of the best shore excursions we have ever taken. We were visiting from the Carnival Legend and wanted a tour that would allow us to see the major highlights of Berlin while also spending meaningful time at Sachsenhausen Memorial. This tour exceeded every expectation. Our guide, Mikhail Kazbekov, was exceptional. His knowledge of Berlin, German history, and the events surrounding World War II was remarkable. He presented difficult historical topics with professionalism, respect, and compassion while keeping the tour engaging and informative throughout the day. The visit to Sachsenhausen was incredibly moving and educational. Mikhail provided historical context that helped us understand not only what happened there, but also the broader impact on Germany and the world. His explanations brought the history to life in a way that books and documentaries simply cannot. In Berlin, we were able to see many of the city’s most important landmarks and learn fascinating stories behind them. The transportation was comfortable, the timing was well planned, and we always felt confident that we would return to our ship on time. For cruise passengers looking for a comprehensive Berlin experience that includes Sachsenhausen, I cannot recommend this tour highly enough. Mikhail was one of the finest guides we have encountered anywhere in Europe, and he turned what could have been a great excursion into an unforgettable one. Thank you, Mikhail, for an incredible day and for sharing your knowledge, passion, and professionalism with our group.
