Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [94]
BUS 100 & 200
One of Berlin’s best bargains is a self-guided city tour aboard public buses 100 or 200, whose routes check off nearly every major sight in the city centre for the price of a standard bus ticket (€2.10, day pass €6.10).
Bus 100 travels from Bahnhof Zoo to Alexanderplatz, passing by the Gedächtnis-kirche, Tiergarten (with the Siegessäule), the Reichstag, the Brandenburger Tor and Unter den Linden. A tour on bus 200 also links Bahnhof Zoo and Alexanderplatz but takes a more southerly route via the Kulturforum and Potsdamer Platz. Without traffic, trips take about 30 minutes. These buses get crowded, so watch out for pickpockets.
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Bike Tours
Companies listed below operate various English-language tours. Reservations are recommended.
Berlin on Bike (Map; 4373 9999; www.berlinonbike.de; Knaackstrasse 97; tours incl bike €17, with own bike €12, discounts available for children, students and Berlin Welcome Card holders; Apr-Oct)
Fat Tire Bike Tours (Map; 2404 7991; www.fattirebiketoursberlin.com; Panoramastrasse 1a; tours incl bike & insurance adult/student €20/18)
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Boat Tours
A lovely way to experience Berlin on a warm day is from the deck of a boat cruising along the city’s rivers, canals and lakes. Tours range from one-hour spins around the historic centre (from €7) to longer trips to Schloss Charlottenburg and beyond (from €16). Most offer live commentary in English and German. Stern & Kreisschiffahrt (www.sternundkreis.de) is one of the main operators. The season runs from April to mid-October. Our maps indicate embarkation points.
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Walking Tours
Several walking-tour companies run introductory spins that take in both blockbuster and offbeat sights, plus themed tours (eg Third Reich, Cold War, Sachsenhausen, Potsdam). Guides are fluent English speakers, well informed, sharp-witted and keen to answer your questions. Tours don’t require reservations – just show up at one of the meeting points. Since these change quite frequently, keep an eye out for flyers in hotel or hostel lobbies or at the tourist offices or contact the companies directly. Some tours are free (well, the guides work for tips, so give what you can) but most cost between €10 and €15.
Berlin Walks ( 301 9194; www.berlinwalks.de) The first English-language walking-tour company founded after the fall of the Wall, and still tops.
Brewer’s Berlin Tours ( 0177-388 1537; www.brewersberlintours.com) Home of the epic all-day Best of Berlin tour (foot massage not included) and shorter free tour.
Insider Tour ( 692 3149; www.insidertour.com) Also does bike tours and a pub crawl.
New Berlin Tours ( 0179-973 0397; www.newberlintours.com) Pioneered the concept of the ‘free tour’ and the notorious pub crawl.
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Speciality Tours
Berlinagenten ( 4372 0701; www.berlinagenten.com) Get under the skin of Berlin’s lifestyle scene with clued-in guides that whisk you off the beaten track and into unique bars, boutiques, restaurants and clubs, even private homes. For an insider’s primer on the culinary scene, book their Gastro-Rallye, where you enjoy one course each at three or four restaurant stops. Four-course dinner tours cost €160 per person for groups of two, less for bigger groups; advance booking required. Also see our interview with company founder Henrik Tidefjärd Click here
Berliner Unterwelten ( 4991 0518; www.berliner-unterwelten.de; adult/concession €9/7) Explore Berlin’s dark and dank underbelly by picking your way past hospital beds, wartime helmets and filter systems on a tour of WWII-era underground bunkers.
Fritz Music Tours ( 3087 5633; www.musictours-berlin.com; bus/walking tour €19/12) Berlin music expert Thilo Schmid gives you the low-down on Berlin’s legendary music history – from Iggy and