What are the top 3 things I can't miss in Berlin?

Hi Gordon, 

I visited Berlin on a budget as a backpacker. I invested my time to head out on a free walking tour with Sandeman's which took us to all the iconic destinations, meeting at the Brandenburg Gate. This will set you up for the rest of the days to spend in Berlin as you will be able to navigate to all the great spots after your tour guide shows you the ropes. You will visit the Holocaust Memorial, Berlin Wall Checkpoint Charlie a few hot spots for food, before ending at the Berliner Dom. The tour guides are students of history and are very knowledgable teaching you the ins and outs of Berlin's history, and work hard for a tip at the end - as much as you think is deserved for their guidance. If I could recommend anything, spend half a day and visit Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, you can do this with the same tour company, Sandeman's for a small cost. This visit changed my life. 

The tours are designed for backpackers from all over the world, so it is a great spot to meet new people and ask questions to benefit the rest of your trip, as well as see all the landmarks Berlin is known for. You could easily do it on your own travelling by foot, or by metro. 

Hi Gordon!

This is a tough one...there is so much to do in Berlin, it's hard to pick just 3, but I'll try.

If you want the must-do typical tourist sights, then Holocaust Memorialand the museum inside, Bundestagand Berliner Dom. If you're looking for something a little different, I would recommend going to MauerPark flea marketon Sunday, Badeschiffif you're here during the summer, and grabbing a drink or a bite to eat at NENI Restaurant Berlin or Monkey Bar (they are across the hall from each other) in the brand new 25 Hours Hotel for the beautiful 365° view of Berlin and down into the zoo.

Hope this helps! Anymore questions or clarifications, I'd be happy to help :)

Sophie

H2 Hotel Berlin Alexanderplatz, Park Inn by Radisson Berlin Alexanderplatz, Winters Hotel Berlin Mitte

There is a bike tour company (Fat Tire Bike Tours) that offers great tours as well as rents bikes.  The tours are super easy to do (anyone can complete them) and they cover a lot of ground.  Typically you ride about 10 minutes and the tour stops and explains the site then you get back on and go to a different spot.  It is a guided tour but since you are on bikes you cover a lot more ground.  And you are not on a bus so you can actually get to the sites rather than just looking at them through a window.

This is one of my favourite questions as I fell in LOVE with Berlin! One post of mine which you may find helpful is about their Welcome Card which I highly recommend you look into - plus it's cheap! 

http://giveforgranted.com/2014/06/the-berlin-welcome-card-is-it-worth-it/

Here are my three suggestions: 
1. Unterwelten Tour - http://giveforgranted.com/2014/06/so-youve-seen-the-berlin-wall-whats-next/
2. Berlin Wall Memorial
3. Jewish Museum Berlin & Brandenburg Gate

Best, 
Jenna 

Berlin is my favorite city in the world as well. The history surrounding that city and town is incredibly powerful. Three things to experience? That's tough. Walk from Brandenburg Gate, past the Holocaust Memorial, and on to Checkpoint Charlie. As others have stated, there are tours that can take you to these and other places. I haven't taken any tours, but I would imagine they are worth it to learn more about the history.

But that walk in and of itself shows you some preserved landmarks that you've seen in black-and-white photographs. There's a timeline wall by Checkpoint Charlie that explains a lot of the events leading up to and including WWII and it's a powerful experience to know you are standing in the very spot depicted in the photographs on the wall.

We took a river boat tour once which was pretty neat. You can see quite a bit and learn a lot about the city that way as well.

I would also suggest the TV Tower which offers an incredible 360 degree view of the city. From there you can actually almost see a physical difference between east and west Berlin. And since you're over there, you might as well go walk Alexanderplatz which offers quite a few cultural, dining, and shopping opportunities.

Walk down Unter den Linden (which takes you past some really neat cathedrals, museums, and restaurants), and you've come full circle. If you have time, the tour of the Bundestag to the north of the Brandenburg Gate is really neat as well.

There are so many things to do in that city and that area. Good luck with just three! 

The Topography of Terror (one of many wall memorials), the Bundestag and Museum Island were definitely our favourites. For the museums, if you want to go to the Pergamonmuseum you should go really early or just before they close otherwise you'll spend quite a bit of time in a line up to get in. We really liked the Neues Museum if you don't have time to go to all of them/wait for pergamon. You'll definitely be able to see Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate and others while you walk to the Topography of Terror, it's along the same path. 

Berlin is definitely my favourite city in the world. There's so much to see and do in Berlin, my recommendations would really depend on your interests. Putting that aside, no matter what your like, I would definitely recommend using a day to take in all the world-famous sites (the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall, the Topography of Terror, Museum Island, the Bundestag, Checkpoint Charlie, etc.). If you're really interested in history, I would definitely recommend getting a guide - it can be so much more rewarding and there are so many amazing hidden stories and legends (there are all kinds of tours offered at all price ranges - I can personally recommend Vive Berlin as I have been on two of their tours).

What to do on your other two days really depends on your interests. If you're into museums you can't beat Museum Island; if you love sports go to the Olympiastadion Berlin and see a Hertha Berlin match; if you love food and culture get yourself into some of the neighbourhoods (Kreuzberg, Prenzlauer Berg, Kurfürstendamm, etc.) and try some amazing food (there's a Thursday food market at Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg), drink some amazing beer, and meet some interesting people; If you like politics, you can get very interesting tours of the Bundestag if you register in advance. Plus there's amazing nightlife, great beerhalls, and tons of cool street art throughout the city. 

Hope this at least gets you started, as you can see there is endless possibilities. 

make sure you go to the Mauerpark on a sunday afternoon, it's a really fun place to relax.

The best thing is to go on the hop on hop off bus. There are many companies. But to answer your question don't miss The wall, the Berliner Dom(go up in the dome), and the Wittenberg tour. 

Brandenburg Gate, Bundestag, and the TV Tower.

For us Berliners, you must see the part of the Berlin Wall Memorial that’s left from when it was torn down in 1989, most specifically, the East Side Gallery where the wall is covered in art work. I would also see the TV Tower which will give you an amazing 360˚ view of the city.