With only 2 days in Berlin, you have to choose your route carefully. So here’s our easy to follow to guide for a perfect 2 day Berlin itinerary.
Getting Around Berlin + Tips
Getting around Berlin couldn’t be easier. There are generally 3 options:
Before we start, if you’re looking for transfers from the airport to your hotel, you can secure a cheap and easy Tegel Airport (TXL) Private Transfer.
By Public Transport:
The most convenient way to explore Berlin, is to use the U-Bahn or underground railway.
You can buy a Berlin WelcomeCard, which allows unlimited use of the city’s metro, tram, and bus lines.
Berlin WelcomeCards are available for 48-hours, 72-hours, 4-day, 5-day, or 6-days at a time. Prices start at £24 per adult.
The Berlin WelcomeCard also gives discounts of up to 50% with over 200 partners, and a free pocket travel guide, so it’s certainly worth the investment.
By Hop On Hop Off Bus:
Standard buses are available around Berlin.
However, there is also of course the famous Berlin Hop-on, Hop-off Sightseeing Bus.
This bus lets you jump on and off throughout the city, and explore monuments such as the Kurfürstendamm, Potsdamer Platz, Checkpoint Charlie, Gendarmenmarkt, Alexanderplatz, Museum Island, and the Berlin Cathedral.
This option is always popular among tourists, and is a great way to see many famous landmarks around Berlin at ease.
By Tour:
Some of the best days out we’ve had in Berlin have been on private tours.
For those short on time, or that prefer everything to be organised for them, there are some awesome tours on Get Your Guide available to book in advance.
From food tours, to river cruises and history tours, there’s plenty to keep you busy in the German capital!
What To Pack
Day 1 Of Your 2 Day Berlin Itinerary
Berlin Cathedral
The easiest place to start your 2 day Berlin itinerary, is at one of the most popular attractions in the city.
Berlin Cathedral is Berlin’s largest and most important Protestant church. Not only that, but it makes for a beautiful photo, with its green copper domes and iconic architecture.
The Dome is open to the public every day from 9am – 8pm. However, there is an admission fee of €7.
Every 20 minutes there are guided tours of the Berlin Cathedral, which are included in the entrance fee.
A great way to see all of the major sights, from the Brandenburg Gate to Berlin Cathedral, is to explore Berlin on a comprehensive walking tour.
The Discover Berlin Walking Tour covers all of the central Berlin attractions, and is one of the most highly rated things to do in Berlin.
If you’re visiting the Cathedral alone, there are plenty of grassy areas surrounding the grounds, so we recommend heading down with some lunch or taking a seat to enjoying the surroundings with the locals on your 2 day Berlin itinerary.
Similar to Munich, the architecture in Berlin is beautiful!
Jewish Memorial
From the Cathedral it’s just a 20 minute walk, or 3 stops on the bus, to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.
Also known as the Holocaust Memorial, this memorial is in remembrance of the Jewish victims of the Holocaust that ran throughout World War 2, from 1933 – 8 May 1945.
Around 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust, and the mixed size grey pillars are designed to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere.
The whole sculpture aims to represent a supposedly ordered system that has lost touch with human reason.
Built precisely 60 years after the end of World War II, this haunting reminder of what happened not so long ago is an educational place to visit for any age tourist.
For those really interested in the history that affected Berlin, there are many guided tours available on your 2 days in Berlin such as:
Small-Group Third Reich and Cold War Walking Tour
Behind the Iron Curtain Private Walking Tour
Hitler’s Berlin The Rise & Fall Guided Walking Tour
Brandenburg Gate
Located just around the corner from the Jewish Memorial is the Brandenburg Gate, or Brandenburger Tor as the Germans call it.
The Brandenburger Tor is a monumental gate built in the eighteenth century as a symbol of peace, and is another of Berlin’s most famous landmarks.
Another monument that’s covered in the Discover Berlin Walking Tour, the Brandenburg Gate never closes – so you can visit it any day in the year.
Just be sure to choose your timings wisely. A peaceful place to go for sunrise, the opposite can be said for sunset. Either way it’s a must visit on your 2 day Berlin itinerary!
Explore The Rest Of The City
To end day 1 of your 2 days in Berlin, we recommend simply walking around the city and taking it all in.
As you’ve probably gathered, the most iconic things to do in Berlin revolve around it’s history.
With old colonial buildings scattered around the city, many of which are hundreds of years old, it’s definitely worth taking a walking tour if you have the time.
The majority of things you learn from the tours you would never realise, or find out yourself, until after leaving the capital.
Another option, if you still have the energy, is to head to the Berlin TV Tower to close your evening.
Offering breathtaking views over the German capital, the TV Tower cuts a striking image against the Berlin skyline.
A Berlin TV Tower Fast View Ticket can be booked in advance, to bypass the infamous queues of people lining up outside.
Day 2 Of Your 2 Day Berlin Itinerary
East Side Gallery
Opening up day 2 of your 2 day Berlin itinerary, and you’re probably going to want to see some of the Berlin wall!
Well the East Side Gallery is the best way to do it. This stretch of open air gallery in Berlin is possibly the most famous of its kind in the world.
Quite a walk from the city centre, your Berlin WelcomeCard will come in handy as the best option is to jump on the underground to Warschauer Straße. From here it’s just a 10 minute walk.
If you’re looking for the artsy things to do in Berlin, then The East Side Gallery runs along what used to be part of the Berlin Wall, and is covered in all sorts of different street art.
At 1316m long it is definitely the largest open air gallery on the planet, and some of the graffiti has become pretty famous on social media.
If you’re looking for a guide to the East side of the city then the East Berlin and the Wall: Walking Tour is probably your best option.
On this tour you’ll learn about the daily life of divided Berlin, and how east Berliners lived the existence and the fall of their country.
Visit The Many Museums
Back into the city from the East Side Gallery, and another of the most popular attractions is Museum Island.
Museum Island is the name of the northern half of an island in the Spree river in the central Mitte district of Berlin.
If you are a museum fan and plan on visiting a couple during your 2 days in Berlin, then we recommend the Museum Pass Berlin: 3-Day Entry to Over 30 Museums.
The pass allows you to enjoy free entry for 3 days to over 30 museums and exhibitions.
The five museums on Museum Island are:
- Pergamonmuseum (Pergamon Museum)
- Bode-Museum
- Neues Museum (New Museum)
- Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery)
- Altes Museum (Old Museum)
Our favourite was Bode Museum, not only for the amazing sculptures inside, but for the views from the outside/river front.
Also if you head down to Museum Island in the evening you may even find tourists sat on the steps admiring the sunset and listening to local buskers.
Eat & Drink Local
Finally after all this exploring on your 2 day Berlin itinerary you’re going to need refuelling!
Wherever you choose to dine on your 2 days in Berlin, food and beer are one of the largest parts of German culture. So you’re going to want to get fully immersed amongst it.
With plenty of tours and taster sessions available, here are a couple of the most popular:
Berlin: 3-Hour Secret Food Tour
Berlin: 3-Hour Beer Tasting Tour
If you want to try the real traditional food whilst visiting Berlin, we recommend you grab yourself a currywurst.
With the word ‘Wurst’ translating directly to sausage, you can only imagine how good these steamed (then fried) curry covered sausages taste!
This typical dish originating from Berlin, can be found on every street corner in the city.
They even have veggie and vegan options available such as tofu or seitan Currywursts. Add a side of fries and you’re good to go!
Where To Stay In Berlin
Luxury – Radisson Blue Hotel
This unique hotel features a spa area with pool and free WiFi.
It is centrally located opposite Berlin Cathedral, 750 yards from Alexanderplatz Square.
The Radisson Blu Hotel, Berlin offers stylish, air-conditioned rooms with flat-screen TVs and laptop safes. High-quality toiletries and a hairdryer are provided in the modern bathrooms.
All rooms are non-smoking and many have a balcony. Guests can enjoy drinks at the Atrium Bar.
The elegant HEat restaurant serves international dishes and a daily breakfast buffet, and also has a terrace.
Mid-Buget – NH Collection Berlin
This 4-star-Superior hotel enjoys a prime on the world-famous Friedrichstrasse in .
It is next to and only a from the .
All at the NH Collection Berlin Friedrichstrasse offer a flat-screen TV, a marble-finish , hypoallergenic bedding and hard floors.
All rooms have a minibar, satellite TV, a , complimentary high-speed WiFi, and soundproofed windows.
Budget – Generator Berlin
Centrally located in Berlin, this hostel features a , a 24-hour front desk, and free throughout the property.
Oranienburger Strasse S-Bahn and Oranienburger Tor U-Bahn are within 550 yards.
Generator Berlin Mitte offers brightly decorated rooms with en suite bathrooms. On-site laundry facilities are available at a fee.
Additional conveniences include luggage storage and safety deposit boxes.
Guests at Generator Berlin Mitte can order a continental breakfast at the hostel. Local bars and restaurants are within a 5 minute walk.
For more places to stay in Berlin, you can check the latest prices on Booking.com.
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