The Perfect 3-day Berlin Itinerary

Whenever I have friends and family coming to Berlin, they always ask for my top recommendations and tips for their stay. In general, I think the best way to experience Berlin is to have a balance between visiting the famous sights and slowly exploring different local neighbourhoods. Berlin is big, and things are spread out, so my #1 tip is to wear comfortable shoes – you’re bound to come across many of Berlin’s unique bars, cafes, shops, parks, architecture, and street art as you walk around, giving you a real feel for the city.  

But if you like to have more of a plan in place, I’ve put together this 3-day itinerary to explore Berlin and help you get the most out of your stay.  

Day 1: History 

Highlights 

• Free walking tour (including several sites) 

• Tiergarten 

• Topography of Terror / Jewish Museum 

• Holzmarkt 25 

Start your day off with a free walking tour to get your bearings and learn about Berlin’s fascinating history. You’ll learn about Nazi Germany, the impact of the Cold War, and how both have shaped Berlin’s geography, architecture, and culture. You’ll also see some of the city’s top sites, like the Jewish Memorial, Brandenburg Gate, and Checkpoint Charlie, and get local tips and recommendations for places to eat, shop and visit.  

If the weather is nice, I’d suggest following your tour with a stroll through the Tiergarten – one of Berlin’s biggest public parks. It’s a great spot to stop for a picnic lunch, or alternatively, you can head back towards the Unter den Linden and try one of the lovely cafés and restaurants in the area.  

To delve further into Berlin’s history, spend the afternoon at one of the city’s history museums. My top picks are the Jewish Museum and the Topography of Terror. You could try to squeeze both in, as they’re quite close to each other, but I think it’s best to dedicate the afternoon to one and really immerse yourself in the exhibitions.  

Finish off the day with a drink and some food at Holzmarkt 25 – one of my favourite places to hang out in Berlin. If you’re game enough, you can also kick on through the night and enjoy Berlin’s famous club scene.

Day 2: East Berlin 

Highlights 

• The Berlin Wall/East Side Gallery 

• Boxhagener Platz 

• Kreuzberg 

• Hobrechtstraße 

Begin your second day with the Berlin Wall. You can either visit the Berlin Wall Memorial by Nordbahnhof to learn more about the wall and see a part of it that’s been preserved. If you’re more interested in what life was like for locals during the Cold War, you can opt for the Tränenpalast (Palace of Tears), a free exhibition with an audio guide exploring how people’s lives were affected by the wall.

After your exhibition of choice, you can head to the East Side Gallery, where part of the wall has been transformed into an open-air street art gallery. You can walk from Ostbahnhof station to the Oberbaumbrücke (a beautiful bridge over the river) to see the full length of it.  

For lunch, walk north-east towards Boxhagener Platz. The streets around this park are fun to hang out in, especially in the afternoon on a market day. If you’ve got time, I’d recommend coming back in the evening, because they really come alive at night, but make sure to bring cash, as many of the best local bars don’t accept card payment! 

Once you’ve refuelled, head south and cross the bridge towards the neighbourhood of Kreuzberg – you’ll then be in former West Berlin. Head to one of my local favourites for food: Alt Berliner Wirtshaus Henne, which does excellent chicken and has more of a local pub vibe. There’s plenty to find in this neighbourhood, so take your time exploring the many bookstores, vintage shops, cafés, bakeries, wine bars and more – some of my favourites are mentioned here.  

After an afternoon of perusing in Kreuzberg, I’d recommend continuing a bit further south to Hobrechtstraße, named after the man who planned the City of Berlin in 1862. There are lots of fun bars to explore in this area.  

Day 3: Old and new Berlin 

Highlights 

• Museum Island 

• Hackeschen Höfe (courtyards)

• Kaiser Wilheim Memorial Church 

• Charlottenburg Palace 

Before heading to Museum Island, explore the area around the Hackeschen Höfe, just north of the island. This part of Berlin is considered to be the ‘old city’, despite being largely rebuilt after WWII. You can still find many original Berlin tenement house buildings with their interconnected courtyards filled with cute shops, local brands and cafés. My personal favourite buildings are: Heckmann Höfe, Hackeschen Höfe, Kunsthof, and Sophienstrasse 21. Pick up a pastry and a coffee for breakfast from BEN RAHIM, a little café tucked away in one of the courtyards.  

Next, walk down to Museum Island and take your pick of the five incredible museums, such as the Old Museum (first museum to be built by the Prussian Kings) or Neues Museum (with its amazing Egyptian collection). You could easily spend a whole day on Museum Island if that’s your thing, in which case I’d recommend buying a 1-day museums pass. For lunch, stay in the Hackescher Markt area and choose one of the great cafés and restaurants!  

For your final afternoon, I’ve got two architectural proposals: you can either visit the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (which was partly bombed during WW2, then left in its half-broken state) and see the four brutalist buildings that were constructed around it. You can follow this up with some shopping in the KaDeWe department store or Bikini Berlin. If you prefer grand opulence, take the train from Alexanderplatz to Charlottenburg Palace. You can explore the grounds or go inside the museum to visit the palace, which was modelled after Versailles. The gardens are gorgeous in the warmer months, and the palace interiors are stunning.  

To wrap up your trip, head back to whichever neighbourhood you liked best for dinner and try out one or two other venues in the area. Generally, when it comes to Berlin, the standards for food and drink are pretty high, so if you find a good spot, chances are there’s another great place around the corner.  

Some helpful things to know before you go: 

• Supermarkets and most retail stores are closed on Sundays. Some supermarkets at major train stations are still open, but nearly all shops will be closed. Restaurants and souvenir shops are open. 

• Some public markets are open on Saturday/Sunday, which I’d definitely recommend if you’re visiting on a weekend. 

• Most Museums are closed on Mondays, and some are also closed on Tuesdays, so be mindful and shift the itinerary around to suit your dates.