Best of Berlin: A Small-Group Tour
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Port
Warnemunde (Berlin), Germany
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$389.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
12½ Hours
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Meals Included
Meals included
History unfolds before you as you set out for Berlin with a small group (maximum 25 privileged guests) for a more personalized experience.
A private coach is your transportation on the three-hour ride to the capital, with a breakfast snack and water served along the way.
Upon arrival in Berlin, meet your local guide. (S)he will narrate as you explore with the city a panoramic city drive. You will stop to photograph one of the few surviving pieces of the Berlin Wall.
You will drive past Checkpoint Charlie -- the checkpoint separating East and West Berlin. For some East Germans, this was the gateway to freedom.
Charming Gendarmenmarkt is a 17th-century square -- site of the twin French and German cathedrals and the Schauspielhaus Concert Hall. The latter is a masterpiece of German classical architecture.
Next, you'll pass along Unter den Linden -- the magnificent tree-lined, east-west thoroughfare through the city of Berlin. Watch for the State Library and Humboldt University -- Berlin's oldest university.
Driving past Bebelplatz, you'll see the square where the burgeoning Nazi Party held its infamous book burning.
Head to your lunch location, where an authentically German lunch awaits you.
Take photos at the Brandenburg Gate -- the only remaining city gate of Berlin and now a symbol of German unity. A short stroll away is the Reichstag. Originally constructed to house the parliament of the newly-founded German Empire, this landmark building now sports a fabulous glass dome designed by architect Sir Norman Foster.
You'll drive by the Victory Column, celebrating the historical military successes of Prussia over Denmark, and pass Bellevue Palace, the official residence of the President of Germany.
Now it's time to shop 'til you drop on the Kurfürstendamm, Germany's most famous shopping boulevard. You're free to stroll along the broad, tree-lined avenue, boasting luxury department stores, designer boutiques, shops, cafés, clubs and restaurants.
As your tour winds down, you'll board your mini-coach and pass the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church -- a monument to peace and reconciliation -- on your way to the Allied Museum. The museum commemorates the US, British and French presence in Berlin from 1945 to 1994, tracing the history of Cold War Berlin. Here you'll find the original Checkpoint Charlie guardhouse, a Berlin Wall watchtower, a plane from the Berlin Airlift, and an American spy tunnel.
When it's time to call it a day, you'll travel back to Warnemünde. On the coach, your host will hand out a snack box and water.
Notes:
The coach ride between Warnemünde and Berlin is approximately three hours each way and is escorted by an English-speaking escort. Your Berlin guide will join you in Berlin. Bring local currency, as many vendors do not accept credit cards or US dollars. Shopping location may vary as most shops are closed on Sundays. Wifi is not available on the coach. Tour includes numerous photo stops where guests get off and on the coach; not advisable for guests using a wheelchair.