11 Things to Do in Berlin at Night
From viewpoints high above the city, beer gardens, fine dining, to karaoke nights. Berlin is a vibrant city at all hours with a lot to offer.
Brandenburg Gate, Germany | © Johannes Plenio
In addition to the essential activities and visits in Berlin, on your next holiday don't miss out on the adventure of discovering the nocturnal version of this fabulous city.
As you will see below, there are many more night-time options to see and enjoy the city after sunset than you might initially imagine. My recommendation? Read carefully the options presented here and try to include as many of them as possible in your travel itinerary.
1. Relax on a Spree dinner cruise
One of the best things to do after sunset is an evening dinner cruise in Berlin. You will sail along the waters of the Spree. It's a super romantic plan. If you're in Berlin in February to celebrate Valentine's Day or an important date, don't hesitate for a second!
Although it may vary a bit depending on the company you hire, you'll be able to appreciate the beautiful architecture and see the city from a different perspective with the perfect lighting of the city's most important historical buildings.
You will find several alternatives for cruises in Berlin. Almost all companies offer their customers a flexible menu that allows customers to decide according to their tastes and budget. The alternatives available range from informal and slightly more unstructured options to fabulous four-course meals.
2. Experience Berlin's nightlife with a Pub Crawl
Also called a Bar Crawl in England, a Pub Crawl is the act of jumping from one bar to another and having a few drinks with a group of people. Various tour companies offer this type of experience not only in Berlin but in many other cities with the intention of taking tourists to enjoy an authentic nightlife experience in the city.
Berlin is a city famous for its intense nightlife and the immense variety of club and bar alternatives available in the city. Consequently, if you don't want to waste time planning, book an organised Berlin Pub Crawl experience and join the fun in the company of other travellers to unveil the mysteries of the city at night.
And if you want to do the experience on your own, here are some of the best bars in Berlin:
3. Enjoy the best view of the illuminated city at the Berlin TV Tower
Known as the Berlin Fernsehturm, the TV Tower is one of the best places to get a panoramic view of the city. To get to the top of the tower you can climb the 986 steps or take the lift. At the top of the tower, just above the visitor's platform, is the Telecafé restaurant, one of the most beautiful and luxurious in the city. It is a good plan to climb to the top of the observation deck to watch the sun set over Berlin and then go to the restaurant for an evening.
The Berlin TV Tower was originally intended as a symbol of communist power, but today it is more representative of the power and influence of the city itself. It stands at a height of 368 metres, making it the tallest structure not only in the capital but in the whole country.
- Where is it and how to get there: Located at Panoramastraße 1A, the nearest metro station is S+U Alexanderplatz Bhf.
- Opening hours: The monument is open to the public until midnight Monday to Friday; from March to October it opens at 9am and from November to February at 10am.
- Admission fee: You'll have to pay around €23 for the entrance ticket.
4. Explore Museum Island at dusk
The museum complex in the heart of Berlin, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is known as Museum Island. It's worth taking a night tour of the island to admire the beautiful illuminated architecture after visiting one of the museums.
On the island you'll find the Bode Museum, the Berlin National Gallery, the New Museum, the Altes Museum and the Pergamon Museum. This part of the city is considered Berlin's Acropolis of the arts and the treasures on display here are a priceless cultural and architectural legacy to the world. Here are some of the museums you can visit on the Museum Island as well as other, in my opinion, must-see Berlin attractions.
-
Tickets for the Neues Museum Berlin, from £16: A 19th century museum with more than 6,000 archaeological pieces, including the sculpture of Nefertiti.
-
Tickets to the Berlin Wall Museum, from £11 Although it is not located on Museum Island, in my opinion, it is a must-see Berlin attraction where you can explore the history and anecdotes of the Berlin Wall.
-Whereis it and how to get there: The Island is located directly on the river Spree in the heart of Berlin; to get there I recommend taking the S-Bahn to Alexanderplatz or Hackescher Markt.
5. Don't miss the Ice Bar
And if you are looking for an original night out, I recommend you to visit the Berlin Ice Bar, a place whose temperature is around -10 ° C and is located next to Alexanderplatz.
The Berlin Ice Bar is divided into two areas:
- The tavern: located in the entrance area and specially designed for the coldest of the cold, as the ambient temperature is normal.
- The Ice Bar: where you can see a giant ice sculpture of almost 70,000 kilograms of ice.
With your ticket to the Berlin Ice Bar you will be given three tokens that can be exchanged for drinks, one of them to be consumed in La Taberna, and the other two for the Ice Bar. In addition, you will receive the Seaman's Book, a book where you can document your polar expedition.
6. Discover the beauty of Berlin at dusk
As in most European cities, there are many things to see in Berlin, and to get to know all the ins and outs of Berlin, it's best to explore it on foot. But the most important thing to do is to explore it at night, as its charm is multiplied: its charm, its life, its people, its spirit? You should not miss a tour of the old town and the emblematic buildings of the city at nightfall.
You can choose to take a tour on your own or you can book a tour so that an expert guide can take you through the points of greatest interest and also tell you about all the aspects linked to the history of each of the points of interest. Depending on the company you choose for your tour, you can find a variety of different formats, the most enjoyable of which are as follows:
- Berlin Walking Tour: This type of experience usually has a high focus on getting to know the most classical and artistic part of Berlin. An expert guide will take you through various points of interest, which can include visits to places such as the beautiful 18th century German cathedrals, the State Opera, Humboldt University, Pleasure Garden and many more.
- Berlin bike tour: A fun and comfortable activity, even more so if it takes place in a city as organised as Berlin. A Berlin bike tour will include an expert guide. What I like about this tour is the possibility to cover long distances in short periods of time, making it ideal for people who will only be in the city for a short time.
7. Get a taste of beer culture
It's no secret that for Germans beer is a serious and important matter. As a result, a large number of tourists visit Berlin in October to attend the iconic Oktoberfest. Equally, no matter what time of year you travel, you can't leave the city without experiencing some of the beer culture so beloved by locals and foreigners alike.
As you would expect, there are several ways to enjoy this activity and they range from booking a beer tour of Berlin with an expert guide, to visiting some of **Berlin'**s best biergartens or beer gardens on your own. Here are some of my favourites.
8. Dinner and concert evening at Charlottenburg Palace
A classical evening at Charlottenburg Palace will include a three-course dinner in the Palace Orangery and a classical concert with the Berlin Orchestra. The talented musicians, in addition to performing Mozart, are often dressed in period costumes with large, elaborate white wigs - a spectacular setting.
No visit to Berlin would be complete without a visit to Charlottenburg Palace and gardens. As well as being the largest palace in the city, it is one of the masterpieces of German baroque and rococo style, so I recommend completing the experience with a tour of Charlottenburg Palace and grounds during daylight hours.
The palace complex was built in the late 17th century as a summer residence for Sophie Charlotte.
- Where is it and how to get there: Located on Spandauer Damm, the nearest metro station is Richard-Wagner-Platz.
9. Visit the Parliament building and its imposing dome.
Sunset at the Reichstag is unlike any other building you have ever seen. The huge mirror fountain in the centre of the dome is designed to reflect the sunlight in a spectacle. You can visit the Reichstag at night, watch the sun set over the streets of Berlin, dine in the restaurant and admire how the beautiful historic buildings in the centre are illuminated in the dark. If you want to follow this plan, make sure you get your tickets for the Reichstag.
The Reichstag is one of the most famous buildings in Berlin for many reasons: its architecture, its history and its symbolism for all of Germany. It is the seat of the German parliament and a recognised symbol of democracy for this country. Its interior houses a marvellous glass dome that serves as a viewpoint from which to appreciate the architecture of central Berlin.
The building, like the German people themselves, has an interesting and turbulent history. Its initial construction was completed in 1894, a terrible fire completely collapsed the central dome in 1933. During the war it was brutally attacked and completely rebuilt, except for the dome, in the 1960s. After German reunification in the 1990s, the beautiful modern dome with the wonderful panoramic view we enjoy today was built.
- Where is it and how to get there: The Reichstag is located on Platz der Republik, the nearest metro station is Bundestag, line U55.
- Opening hours: Every day from 8am to midnight.
- Admission fee: Free, but you must book tickets to the Reichstag in advance.
10. Explore the best of German cuisine
Experts in the field say that the innovation of Germany's nightlife culture has successfully translated into emerging gastronomy. As a result, the best time to book a food tour of Berlin is when the sun goes down. Food lovers find this city and German gastronomy a true paradise due to the variety of local and international dishes beyond what any major capital city in the world has to offer.
While the variety of alternatives is the most interesting thing about Berlin, it is also a factor that can work against you, especially if you want to try the best in a few days. Fortunately, several tour operators offer gastronomic tours of up to 4+ hours that will take you through the most exclusive venues to enjoy spectacular tastings and the casual local atmosphere that characterises Berlin's nightlife.
Note that the options may vary depending on the season or the company you book with, but generally, food tours in Berlin include a combination of traditional German cuisine and international dishes.
11. Have a night of flea market and karaoke at Mauerpark
Among the many activities to enjoy in and around the centre of Berlin, a visit to Mauerpark is a must. It is a large green area in the form of a linear park located in the Prenzlauer Berg district, one of the most famous parks as well as one of the favourite recreational spots for locals. On Sunday afternoons there is a charming flea market where tourists and locals alike come to shop for vintage clothing and accessories or sample delicious food.
You can have a fun afternoon of treasure hunting at the many and varied stalls here or you can head to the area where independent musicians perform spontaneous shows for visitors to enjoy.
The park's amphitheatre hosts fun karaoke sessions known as Bearpit Karaoke, which start at 3pm and run until the early hours of the morning. Don't be embarrassed and get up on stage to sing!
-Whereand how to get there: The park is located in the Prenzlauer Berg district. The nearest underground station is Eberswalder Straße, a 10-minute walk away.