Berlin itinerary for first-timers
The classic neighborhoods in an order that works, with a 4K street walk for every stop. Watch your trip before you take it.
Day 1: Mitte, east to west
Alexanderplatz and the TV Tower, Museum Island and the cathedral, Unter den Linden and Gendarmenmarkt, and the Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag in the evening.
- 1
Morning
Alexanderplatz & the TV Tower
The wide square of East Berlin, with the World Clock and the 368-metre TV Tower, the tallest structure in Germany, rising above it.
- World Clock
- TV Tower
- Red City Hall
Book a TV Tower time slot in advance; the view takes in the whole flat city.
Walk west past the Red City Hall, about 10 min.
- 2
Late morning
Museum Island & the Cathedral
Five museums on an island in the Spree, a UNESCO site, beside the domed Berlin Cathedral and the rebuilt Berlin Palace that now houses the Humboldt Forum.
- Berlin Cathedral
- Altes Museum
- Humboldt Forum
One museum is enough for a first visit; the Pergamon is partly closed for renovation, so check what is open.
Walk along Unter den Linden and south to Gendarmenmarkt, about 15 min.
- 3
Afternoon
Unter den Linden & Gendarmenmarkt
The lime-tree boulevard of Prussian Berlin, with the State Opera, Humboldt University and Bebelplatz, and a block south the twin cathedrals and concert hall of Gendarmenmarkt, the city's finest square.
- Bebelplatz
- State Opera
- Gendarmenmarkt
Walk west along Unter den Linden, about 15 min.
- 4
Evening
The Brandenburg Gate & the Reichstag
The gate that stood behind the Wall for 28 years, with the Holocaust Memorial beside it and the glass dome of the Reichstag parliament building a few minutes north.
- Brandenburg Gate
- Holocaust Memorial
- Reichstag dome
The Reichstag dome is free but needs online registration a few days ahead.
Day 2: The Wall & Kreuzberg
Checkpoint Charlie, Potsdamer Platz, the painted Wall of the East Side Gallery, and an evening in Kreuzberg.
- 1
Morning
Checkpoint Charlie
The best-known crossing between East and West Berlin, now a replica guardhouse on Friedrichstraße with an open-air exhibition on the Wall along the street.
- Guardhouse replica
- Wall exhibition
- Friedrichstraße
Walk west, about 15 min.
- 2
Late morning
Potsdamer Platz
A no-man's-land in the Wall years, rebuilt in the 1990s as a quarter of glass towers, with the Sony Center's tented roof and segments of the Wall on the pavement.
- Sony Center
- Wall segments
- Kollhoff Tower
Berlin: Europe's Most Unique Capital
Video by Walking OZ on YouTube
S-Bahn or U-Bahn to Warschauer Straße, about 25 min.
- 3
Afternoon
The East Side Gallery
The longest surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall, 1.3 kilometres along the Spree, painted by more than a hundred artists in 1990, next to the red-brick Oberbaum Bridge.
- Painted Wall
- Oberbaum Bridge
- Spree riverside
Berlin Wall: Full East Side Gallery Walk
Video by Walk and Look on YouTube
Walk over the Oberbaum Bridge into Kreuzberg, about 20 min.
- 4
Evening
Kreuzberg
Berlin's alternative quarter, Turkish and punk by turns: Oranienstraße's bars and kebab shops, the canal, and the small squares around Oranienplatz.
- Oranienstraße
- Oranienplatz
- Engelbecken
Kreuzberg Walk: Görlitzer Bahnhof, Oranienplatz and St. Michael's Church
Video by Walk & Tour 4K on YouTube
Jump to
Day 3: Charlottenburg & old Berlin
The Kurfürstendamm and the Memorial Church, the Nikolaiviertel by the Spree, and Friedrichstraße at dusk.
- 1
Morning
The Kurfürstendamm & the Memorial Church
The grand shopping boulevard of West Berlin, with the KaDeWe department store at Wittenbergplatz and the bombed tower of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church kept as a war memorial.
- Memorial Church
- KaDeWe
- Kurfürstendamm
Charlottenburg Walk: Wittenbergplatz, Kurfürstendamm and the Memorial Church
Video by Walkoholic on YouTube
S-Bahn from Zoologischer Garten to Alexanderplatz, about 20 min.
- 2
Afternoon
The Nikolaiviertel
The rebuilt medieval quarter by the Spree around the twin spires of St. Nicholas' Church, Berlin's oldest, a few steps from the Red City Hall.
- St. Nicholas' Church
- Red City Hall
- Spree riverside
Walk west along the river and Unter den Linden, about 20 min.
- 3
Evening
Friedrichstraße
The shopping and theatre street that crosses Unter den Linden, with the Friedrichstadt-Palast revue theatre and the riverside along the Reichstagufer as the evening sets in.
- Friedrichstadt-Palast
- Reichstagufer
- Unter den Linden crossing
Travelling with someone?
Send them this 3-day Berlin plan, videos included.
Planning your first trip to Berlin
How many days?
Three days covers Mitte, the Wall and Kreuzberg, and the west. Two days is enough for the main sights if you skip Charlottenburg.
Where to stay
Mitte puts the sights on your doorstep; Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain are the nightlife quarters; Prenzlauer Berg is leafy and relaxed; Charlottenburg is elegant and quieter; Neukölln is young and cheap. Compare areas →
Getting around
Walk within each day, and use the S-Bahn and U-Bahn between them; a day ticket covers everything, and tickets must be validated before boarding.
Berlin is big and spread out, but its history lines up along one axis. In the old centre, Mitte, the boulevard Unter den Linden runs from the Brandenburg Gate past Museum Island to Alexanderplatz. South of it are Checkpoint Charlie and Potsdamer Platz, where the Wall once ran; east along the river is the painted stretch of Wall at the East Side Gallery and the bars of Kreuzberg; and in the west, the Kurfürstendamm and the Memorial Church were the heart of West Berlin.
Every stop comes with a walking video filmed on those streets, so you can see the gate, the museums and the neighbourhoods before you arrive. Use the buttons under each video to jump to the landmark, or press Preview to watch a whole day in a row.
Berlin itinerary: common questions
How many days do you need in Berlin?
Three days is a good first visit: one for Mitte, one for the Wall sites and Kreuzberg, and one for Charlottenburg and the old quarter. Two days covers the main sights.
Is Berlin a walkable city?
Within Mitte, yes: the sights line up along Unter den Linden and are flat and easy. Between neighbourhoods the distances are large, so plan on the S-Bahn and U-Bahn, which run late and often.
Where can you still see the Berlin Wall?
The East Side Gallery has the longest painted stretch, Potsdamer Platz keeps a few segments, and the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße preserves a section with the death strip. Checkpoint Charlie has an outdoor exhibition.
When is the best time to visit Berlin?
May to September is warm and the city lives outdoors; late spring and early autumn are the most comfortable for walking. Winter is grey and cold, but the Christmas markets in December are worth the trip.
Travel times are approximate. Check opening days and any booking requirements before you go.
Where to stay in Berlin
6 areas compared, each with a street walk so you can see the neighborhood before you book.
Read the guide →Keep exploring Berlin
More 4K walking videos, top sights, food markets and dishes to try.
Berlin city guide →