How You Should Spent Your 72 Hours in Berlin

Yes, you heard it right!  You have just 72 hours (3 days) to spend in Berlin, Germany before moving on to your next city in Europe. Here is a guide on how you should make use of your 3 days. . .

#1: Get a Berlin Welcome Card

One can get it from various Tourist Information Center located in places like the Brandenburg Gate, in the Park Inn at Alexanderplatz and the Europa-Center. If you are arriving by air, there are 2 airports in Berlin. If you are flying in from Asia, you are most likely to land at Tegel Airport. Head to the tourist information center there and get your Berlin Card. Travel freely through Berlin city on public transport while gaining free or discounted entry to more than 200 popular sights with a single Berlin Welcome Card! Wise choice of the many travellers getting the card at the airport, before taking bus into the city.

#2: Alexanderplatz TV Tower 

With plenty of trams, public buses and trains plying on this route , head to the center of Berlin: Alexanderplatz. This should be one of your main starting point to explore Berlin. Major tourist attractions are in the vicinity.

#3: Join a free walking tour

One of the best activity to kick start of a city in Europe is to join one of the many free walking tours available. Having said that, at the end of the tour, do offer your tip to the guide depending how well you think it is worth. Most free walking tours starts from Alexanderplatz TV tower. Typical tour takes around 3 hours, depending which tour you choose. One of the better tour is the one offer by Alternative Berlin , with a strong focus on street art, offering you otherwise another perspective of Berlin through the expression of arts.

#4: Berlin Wall (East West Gallery) 

Coming to Berlin, divided city for nearly thirty years without visiting Berlin Wall has got to be the biggest joke. From 13 August 1961 until 9 November 1989, the Berlin Wall divided the city into East and West Berlin. Witness history yourself by heading to the Berlin Walls (1.3km long left standing) whereby artists from more than 2o countries were invited to give life on the walls.  If you notice carefully, walk down the streets of Berlin and you could see double row of cobblestones at some section of the road.

#5: Street Art  

Explore Berlin beloved underground, in all its grit and graffiti. Street art at its prettiest, never seen before in other city! Yes, you may call it vandalism, but you may call it as an art too. Street art have given Berlin a new lease of life. With interesting drawings while some images had a political message behind it, many have stories behind of the gang who are doing it, their purposes and messages they want to bring across. Look out for these arts, you will only fall deeper in love with Berlin!

#6: Berlin Cathedral 

Located in the heart of the capital at Lustgarten, one should not miss this out.

#7: Museumsinsel 

Nearby to Berlin Cathedral, there lies Museumsinsel (UNSECO World Heritage) where one can find numerous museums in the area. If you think museums are boring with historical stuff, think again. These museum are certainly worth the time. But with so many museums and so little time, which one to go? Read on to find out more.

The museums are namely as follow:

Altes Museum: First exhibition venue to go up on the Museumsinsel, houses the works of Greek, Roman and Etruscan art.

Alte Nationalgalerie: It display pictures, sculptures of 19th Century from the idealism of early Neoclassicism and Romanticism to great European movements.

Bode Museum: House collections of old master paintings and sculptures of Christian era.

Pergamonmusuem: Museum of Islamic art boasting exhibits in the form of Pergamon Altar.

Neues Museum: Display artefacts from ancient Egypt, cultural history of Europe & Asia from Stone Age to Middle Ages.

The best museum might be the Neues Museum as I had visited the Cairo Museum before in Egypt and I could say the artifacts display in Berlin Neues Museum come close, around 80% resemblance.  Certainly very enriching, not boring for a single moment. I had spend close to 2 hours in it!

#8: Brandenburg Gate

A must-see sight in Berlin with the iconic gate symbolize Berlin’s Cold War division into East and West. Go early in the day to avoid huge crowd. I arrived at about 8am in the winter and almost had the whole place to myself. When I get back to the area around 12pm, it was full of tourist crowd.

#9: Charlie Checkpoint 

Given by the Western Allies to the best-known Berlin Wall, crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War.

#10: Olympiastadion Berlin 

 Berlin Olympic stadium a must see for visitors. Experience the exciting story from the local free guide at certain time of the day, English speaking tours was conducted at 11am when I was there during winter. Visit the site on your own, multimedia guide available or take in behind the scene tour of this five star stadium where major games like World Cup is being held as well.

#11: Reichstag (Parliament) 

Free entry to dome to view city skyline, however do note one need to do prior reservation online before places are snatched up.

#12: Charlottenburg Palace 

Largest palace in Berlin, Germany. It includes much lavish internal decoration in baroque and rococo styles.

#13: Potsdamer Platz 

Important public square and traffic intersection in the centre of Berlin. It is basically a shopping and nightlife district. The Sony Center is famous for its beautiful architectures and lights.

#14: Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

A famous landmark of western Berlin, the Protestant church was badly damaged in a bombing raid in 1943. Damaged spire of the old church has been retained and its ground floor has been made into a memorial hall.

Below is an itinerary of how to explore 72 hours in a relaxing way yet covering all the important key attractions:

Day 1: Alexanderplatz , Street Art Tour, Berlin Wall 

0800H: Redeem Berlin Welcome Card at Tourist info booth at Tegel Airport

1030H: Head to Alexanderplatz

1100H: Everyday either 11am or 3pm. 3 Hours tour; join the Alternative Berlin offers free walking tours with a strong focus on street art as well: https://alternativeberlin.com/tours/

*Meet at Alexanderplatz TV Tower  next to the tower entrance in front of Starbucks

1400H: Tour Ends

1500H:  Visit Berlin Wall / East Side Gallery Berlin

1630H: Back to rest for the night

Day 2:  Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, Charlottenburg, Check Point Charlie

0800H: Head to Brandenburg Gate

0930H: Visit Reichstag aka Parliament (Free entry to dome to view city skyline)

1200H: Charlottenburg Palace

1400H: Checkpoint Charlie

1530H: Visit Museumsinsel area; Especially Neues Museum

1730H: Visit Potsdamer Platz (Sony building) during evening

Day 3:  Berliner Dom , Olympic Stadium

0900H: Visit Berliner Dom

1000H: Explore Mauerpark (biggest and busiest Sunday flea markets in Berlin)

1130H: Olympic Stadium

1400H:  Take a short ride from there on the U7 metro, directly to AdenauerplatzKaiser (most famous shopping street). Locate Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche (Memorial Church) on Breitscheidplatz.

Categories: Europe Region