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Walking Tours

The Streets Of Cold War And East Berlin Half-Day Walking Tour

Enjoy this guided tour of former East Berlin and discover the story behind a power struggle of the late 20th century.

Highlights

  • Go on a guided tour that takes you around what was once East Berlin.
  • Explore the many monuments that were erected to signify the importance of the city’s split.
  • Learn of Berlin’s story and how it became the epicenter of the clash of ideologies.
  • See the Palace of Tears, the Chapel of Reconciliation, Tunnel 57, and other landmarks.
  • Stand at the ‘Death Strip’, a patch of land that divided a historic capital into two factions.
  • Walk around the vestiges of the Berlin Wall and discover how its fall led to the collapse of the East.
  • The tour is limited to a maximum of 20 participants as social distancing measures are in place.

Inclusions

  • Admission ticket
  • English-speaking guide

Exclusions

  • Tickets for public transportation are not part of the tour ticket
  • Hotel transfers

Cancellation policy

You can cancel these tickets up to 1 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

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Experience the story of East Berlin and take a look at a city that became the battleground between the USA and USSR. The guided tour takes you through the city’s many monuments and buildings that serve as reminders of a time when communism, the secret police, and the Berlin wall existed. See the Brandenburg Gate - once a symbol of Berlin and German division during the Cold War, now a national symbol of peace and unity.

Stop by The Palace of Tears, a former border crossing point at Friedrichstrasse Station in East Berlin and the only one still standing today. Learn about the significance of its name and what it meant to Berliners. See ghost stations on Berlin's U-Bahn and S-Bahn metro networks that were closed during the Cold War because they were an integral part of a transit line mostly located on the other side of the Berlin Wall. Follow your guide to Tunnel 57, a tunnel under the Berlin Wall that was the location of a mass escape by 57 East Berlin citizens. See the “death strip," the belt of gravel-covered land between the two main barriers of the Berlin Wall. Fleeing citizens who initially avoided being detected could be tracked down by following their footprints in the death strip. Visit the Chapel of Reconciliation and the Berlin Wall Memorial, the central memorial site recalling German division.

Your guide will answer some of history’s most debatable questions, was East Germany the most spied on society in the world? And did the Berlin wall fall by accident? The tour will conclude at the Bornholmer Strasse, the iconic location where the Wall was torn down by thousands of East Berliners.

COVID-19 Safety Measures

  • Guides required to regularly wash hands.
  • Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms.
  • Social distancing enforced throughout the experience.

Important Information

  • The tour will operate irrespective of weather conditions.
  • An AB Day Pass is required to use public transport.
  • There are two museum visits whose passes are not included in the admission ticket.
  • This tour is pram/stroller accessible.
  • Photography and outside food are allowed.

Itinerary

  • Start at Neue Promenade 3
  • Hackescher Markt Stop: 5 minutes
  • Berlin Friedrichstraße Station Stop: 5 minutes
  • Friedrichstraße Stop: 5 minutes
  • Palace of Tears Stop: 20 minutes
  • Russische Botschaft Stop: 5 minutes
  • Brandenburg Gate Stop: 5 minutes
  • Pariser Platz Stop: 5 minutes
  • Memorial of the Berlin Wall Stop: 60 minutes
  • Platz des 9. November 1989 Stop: 10 minutes
  • End at Alexanderplatz

Timings

The tour runs daily at 9:45 AM.

Discounted Tickets

Children aged 0-11 go for free. Youths aged 12 to 26, as well as seniors aged 64 and above, enjoy reduced ticket pricing (carry a valid photo ID).

  • Your voucher will be emailed to you instantly.
  • Please display your mobile voucher along with a valid photo ID at the meeting point.
  • If you have purchased reduced-price tickets, please carry your valid photo ID proof for verification.
  • Kindly ensure that you arrive 10 minutes before the start time of your tour to avoid any delays.

Meeting Point

Getting There

The following S-Bahn trains and trams stop at Hackescher Markt:

  • S-Bahn: S5, S7, S75
  • Tram: M1, M4, M5, M6, 12

Validity

This ticket is valid for the date and time selected during checkout.

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