Best Historical Tours in Berlin

Considered one of the best things to do in Berlin, the city's history tours are designed to give the traveller a much more holistic view that unites today's Berlin with its historical version.

You will discover the city, as well as its many places of interest, on a guided tour that will allow you to really learn about the events that once took place in these spaces as well as their political and social context.

As you will see, the options for historical tours in Berlin are plentiful, interesting and above all, diverse!

If you are passionate about history or, specifically, historical events related to the Second World War, the historical tour of the infamous Third Reich is a tour you simply cannot miss.

Often rated by travellers and locals alike as one of the best things to see and do in central Berlin, this tour will take you through the highlights of Berlin's Nazi past, accompanied at all times by a guide who specialises in history.

Although the specifics of the tour may vary slightly depending on the tour operator you hire, this type of excursion usually takes the group of travellers to iconic sites such as Hitler's own bunker, the former Gestapo barracks, Anhalter Bahnhof station (now in ruins) and much more.

If your stay in the city is going to be short, 3 days in Berlin or less, you should seriously consider dedicating part of your itinerary to an experience like this. You will be pleasantly surprised.

Useful Information.

• Opening times: Available at various times.
• Price: Around €25 per traveller for group tour options.
• Duration of tour: Depending on the company you choose, the tour can take between 3 and 4 hours to complete.
• Means of transport: These tours are done on foot in small groups of travellers.

The Berlin Cold War Historical Tour is a historical tour designed to introduce you to a much more recent stage in the history of this German city.

You'll find numerous local companies in the city offering the experience. Led by a local expert guide, you will have the opportunity to learn the facts in a different way than the history books tell it. All this while strolling through Berlin.

Although the itinerary may vary slightly depending on the company you hire for the experience, in general terms you can expect to experience several of the following: Visit the Berlin Wall, Charlie Checkpoint, tunnels 57 and 29, visit Admiralspalast, learn about the Palace of Tears and much more.

This list includes only a few key landmarks to understand the historical period after World War II, but thanks to the guide's explanations you will be able to get a pretty accurate idea of what happened during that period.

Useful information.

• Timetable: These tours usually take place in the morning to make the most of the day. If you are staying for 4 days in Berlin, you can accommodate the experience without major problems.
• Price: Around €20 per participant.
• Duration of tour: The tour usually takes 3 hours or a little more to complete.
• Means of transport: This is a walking tour through the city of Berlin. You will have to walk and stand for a long time so comfortable shoes are essential.

With this tour option you will be able to take an original historical tour that takes a group of travellers around Berlin on board one of their favourite means of transport: the bicycle.

This type of experience is one of the best bike tours in Berlin due to the extensive itinerary it includes. Among other things, you will learn about Nazi Germany's 3rd Reich, see the most important monuments of the Cold War and cycle through the city's most popular historic districts.

The tour is offered by many local companies in small groups of no more than 10 participants. With the help of a local historical guide, you get to know the historical side of Berlin, but also experience the everyday life of the people.

Walking and cycling are together the best ways to get to know Berlin. The city's topography is not very hilly and the wide, tree-lined pavements make it easy to get around even during the summer, one of the busiest times of the year for tourists in Berlin.

Useful information.

• Timetable: The tour can take place at various times, although the organising companies generally choose the morning timetable to take advantage of the cooler temperature.
• Price: Around €40 per participant. The price includes the rental of all the equipment necessary for the experience.
• Duration of the excursion: The experience can last between 3 or 4 hours. I recommend reserving half a day of your itinerary for this tour.
• Means of transport: The entire tour, from the meeting point to the last stop, is done by bicycle.

With this historical tour option you can enjoy Berlin's Jewish culture, learn about the most important aspects of its history and, of course, about the dark times of Nazism.

With an expert guide you will get to know the best of Berlin's Jewish Quarter, including sites like the New Synagogue or the Jewish cemetery, but also the effects of numerous historical events like the famous "Night of the Broken Mirrors".

It is a short historical tour that you can do even on a quick trip to Berlin. If you are staying for 2 days in Berlin and want to do something different, sign up for this experience.

Useful information.

• Timetable: Available at various times throughout the day.
• Price: Varies depending on the company you book with but you can budget around €18 per participant.
• Duration of tour: Reserve at least 3 hours of your itinerary for this experience.
• Means of transport: This tour takes place on foot through the streets of Berlin's old Jewish quarter.

Just 1 hour from the German capital is one of the most famous concentration camps of the Nazi regime: Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg. It is estimated that around 200,000 prisoners passed through its terrifying rooms.

Excursions to visit the Sachsenhausen concentration camp are organised from the city. If you are a history buff or simply want to learn more about the events that shaped modern-day Germany, this is a visit not to be missed.

On your visit you can explore each of the camp's rooms with an expert historian guide and hear incredible stories about the prisoners who lived there, the many acts of bravery that took place and the many atrocities.

For this and other reasons, a visit to Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg is considered by tourists and locals alike to be one of the best tours and excursions from Berlin.

Useful information.

• Time: These tours usually leave Berlin in the morning.
• Price: Around €35 per participant.
• Duration of the tour: The tour lasts approximately 6 hours.
• Means of transport: To get to Sachsenhausen from Berlin you will have to take a minibus. Inside the facility the tour is on foot.

Travellers with a darker sense of humour and an appreciation for experiences outside the traditional norms will enjoy the rude bastards tour of Berlin, a historical tour full of swear words and bad jokes.

If your city holiday takes you to Berlin for 5 days or more, I recommend this experience as a fun way to get to know Berlin and to complement any of the other historical city tours.

The tour leader is an expert local guide who takes travellers around the historical landmarks, but adds elements of irony and humour that you won't find on a traditional tour.

The experience has a limited number of participants, so it is advisable to book in advance, especially if you are going to Berlin in June or August, which coincides with the peak tourist season.

Useful information.

• Timetable: Available at various times.
• Price: This is an inexpensive tour at approximately €5 per participant.
• Duration of tour: You should allow about 3 hours for the experience.
• Means of transport: This tour takes place on a walking tour through the streets of the city.

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, getting to know the city of Potsdam from Berlin is an adventure for lovers of history and architecture.

Tours are organised from Berlin that allow travellers to see the highlights of the city in a single day tour.

Explore the historic area of northern Germany that was once under the control of the formerPrussian Kingdom. Although it became part of the new German state, Prussia was once the most economically and militarily powerful.

As you explore the historical facts of the past, you will marvel at the impressive architecture of the Sanssouci Palace, the beautiful accompanying gardens and the particularities of the mythical Dutch Quarter.

Useful Information.

• Time: These tours leave the German capital early in the morning to take advantage of the best times of the day.
• Price: Around €55 per participant.
• Duration of the tour: Varies depending on the company you hire, between 4 and 6 hours on average.
• Means of transport: You will take private transport from Berlin and make numerous stops to see the highlights of Potsdam.

Another Berlin history tour alternative is one that provides an immersive tour of the city, as well as the highlights that every traveller should know about, especially those visiting Germany's capital for the first time.

The experience is offered by local tour operators, with a qualified native guide who is an expert in German history. The tour takes you around iconic landmarks of the city, such as the Brandenburg Gate, Museum Island and even Checkpoint Charlie.

It is one of the most comprehensive historical tours, but the approximately 7-hour itinerary makes it ideal for those planning to spend 7 days in Berlin or more.

Useful information.

• Schedule: Usually starts in the morning so you can make the most of the day and see all the best of Berlin in a single day tour.
• Price: Around 150€ per participant.
• Duration of tour: Approximately 7 hours.
• Means of transport: The tour takes place on a walking tour through the city, interspersed with walking and relaxing moments.