How to Spend 1 Day in Berlin: *Three* Unique Itineraries (From a Local!)

Morning 

If you’re trying to see Berlin in a day, I strongly suggest booking a guided tour to maximize your time. The walking tour I recommend is this 4-hour guided tour by Original Berlin Walks, which is the oldest walking tour company in the city. 

The walking tour costs just 20 Euros per person, which is incredible value for money considering you’ll see pretty much all of the most famous sites in Berlin in just a few hours. 

The walking tour starts at Hackescher Markt (which is in the Mitte neighborhood smack in the middle of Berlin), and it usually ends at Checkpoint Charlie. Along the way you’ll see the following sights: 

• The site of Hitler’s bunker — This location is not on public maps, for obvious reasons. I “discovered” this spot on this very guided tour, actually, and I was amazed to learn that Hitler’s bunker is still buried beneath our very feet…
• Checkpoint Charlie — One of several checkpoints between East and West Berlin. Checkpoint Charlie is the most famous because a tank standoff took place here in 1961 between American and Soviet forces, sparking fears that WWIII was imminent.   

Claire’s Tip: The guided walking tour I recommend has several starting times throughout the day. I suggest choosing the 9am or 10:30am timeslot to make the most of your day in Berlin. 

Afternoon 

After 4 hours of walking, I’ve no doubt you’re starving! From Checkpoint Charlie, walk 5 minutes to U-Stadtmitte and ride the U2 five stops to Alexanderplatz. Disembark and make your way to Curry 61 (Alexanderplatz 2) to order a plate of currywurst.  

Currywurst is THE street food in Berlin and within the city it’s almost as iconic as the Brandenburg Gate. It’s grilled sausage that’s been sliced and smothered in mild curry-infused ketchup. Always, always, always order it with fries (because, duh) and for the true Berlin experience order your fries “rot weiß” aka with both regular ketchup and mayo. 

After tanking up on currywurst, give yourself 45 minutes to an hour to explore the main sights at Alexanderplatz: 

• The TV Tower — Since you’ve got just 24 hours in Berlin, I don’t suggest ascending the Soviet-built TV tower. But if that’s of interest to you (the view is amazing!), book your tickets in advance so you can skip the line. 
• World Clock — This futuristic-looking clock was installed by the GDR government in the 1960s. The problem? They put some of the cities in the wrong time zones! 
• St. Mary’s Church — I know, I know, another church to visit in Germany. But this one is free to enter and it has a stunning 22-meter-long fresco by the main entrance that dates back to the 1480s. Do not miss it!! 

Once you’ve had your fill of Alexanderplatz, head back to the subway station and ride the S3, S5, or S7 two stops to “Ostbahnhof.” From this station, it’s a 5-minute walk to the world famous East Side Gallery. 

The East Side Gallery is the longest surviving section of the Berlin Wall, which divided the city between East and West for nearly 30 years. This part of the Wall runs parallel to the Spree River and has been transformed into an open-air art gallery with pieces from over 100 artists from around the world. 

Evening 

Before you can eat dinner at Berlin’s most famous market hall, you have to walk just a little longer. (But the views will make up for it, I promise!) 

Your 1.3-kilometer walk along the East Side Gallery should have deposited you on the East side of the double decker, red brick Oberbaum Bridge. This was once one of the most heavily guarded crossing points between East and West Berlin, so remember that as you’re crossing the bridge to the other side of the Spree River. 

Claire’s Tip: When you’re halfway across the bridge, stop to take a photo of the Berlin skyline along the Spree River. This is one of my favorite views in the city! 

Then, it’s just a 15-minute walk to Markthalle Neun. Once one of Berlin’s hidden gems, “Market Hall Nine” is now one of the most popular hangout spots in the city. It’s packed with vendors selling everything from bbq to spätzle (German mac and cheese, kind of), pizza, and more. 

Claire’s Tip: Weekly events to know in advance include Street Food Thursdays which occur every Thursday night, and the weekly market on Fridays and Saturdays. 

If you’ve still got some time and energy to burn after your market hall dinner, ride bus #140 to drop you as close as possible to Holzmarkt 25 (shown above). It’s a cultural venue with food and drink stalls, performances, and (most importantly) tons of riverside seating. 

This is one of my favorite places to watch the sunset in Berlin, and it’s the perfect spot to rest your feet and unwind after a long day of exploration. 

Morning 

This next 1-day itinerary moves you out of the city center and into former East Berlin. You’ll be starting your day at the S-Nordbahnhof station. 

Claire’s Tip: If you need caffeine to wake up, right around the corner is Oslo Kaffeebar (Eichendorffstraße 13) which is a favorite of mine. 

The Berlin Wall Memorial (shown above) begins at the intersection of Gartenstraße and Julie-Wolfthorn-Straße. It’s a 1.4km-long piece of the Berlin Wall with the original border strip still intact. There are open-air exhibits onsite that detail the history of the Berlin Wall and stories relating to the residents who lived along Bernauer Straße. 

Make sure to pop into the Berlin Wall Documentation Center (Bernauer Str. 111). It’s free to enter and has lots of information about the Wall. The exhibits are great, but since you’re just in Berlin for 1 day I suggest skipping them (since you’d have read everything in the open-air portion of the memorial anyway) and heading straight to the roof terrace. 

From the roof terrace, you’ll be able to look down at a preserved portion of the death strip, complete with a guard tower, barbed wire, and part of the Wall. You can’t see this from the street, you have to go onto the roof of the Documentation Center for the full view! 

After you’ve finished at the memorial, either walk 15 minutes or ride the M10 tram to Mauerpark (“Wall Park”). From 1961 to 1989, Berlin’s hippest park served as a border strip for the Berlin Wall – a no man’s land where anyone trying to flee could be shot on sight. 

In all honesty, Mauerpark is no beauty, but it’s one of the most popular gathering spots in the former East. 

Claire’s Tip: On Sundays, there’s a large flea market-slash-arts and crafts fair from 10am until 6pm at Mauerpark as well as karaoke!

After exploring Mauerpark, walk or take the M10 tram to the KulturBrauerei (“Cultural Brewery”). It’s a sprawling complex located within a former brewery; there are clubs, a grocery store, a movie theater, and a museum here. 

On Sundays, food trucks line up to serve a variety of street foods. In the winter, the Lucia Christmas Market takes place here. 

I highly recommend visiting the creatively named “Museum in der KulturBrauerei.” It’s a small, free museum that provides an overview of everyday life in the GDR. There are lots of original objects on display, including a Trabant car (produced by the East German government and considered to be one of the worst cars of all time). You’ll need an hour to 90 minutes, max! 

Afternoon 

I pinky promise there are no more museums or exhibits for the rest of your day in Berlin! Instead, you’ll be exploring some of the prettiest and most popular areas of the city from here on out. 

You should be good and hungry by this point in the day, so I suggest staying in gorgeous Prenzlauer Berg (where the KulturBrauerei is located) for lunch. My favorite lunch spots in the area are: 

• Grindhouse Burgers (Kollwitzstraße 50) — great burgers and fries 
• 44Brekkie (Rykestraße 44) — popular place for egg drop sandwiches 
• ABC Allans Breakfast Club & Wine Bar (Rykestraße 13) — one of my favorite brunch spots in the city  
• Café Anna Blume (Kollwitzstraße 83) — cozy spot for basics like soups, salads, and eggs. This is also a good place to come if you just need a slice of cake and a cup of caffeine. 

After lunch, keep exploring Prenzlauer Berg. It’s one of my all-time favorite places in Berlin, and I frequently meet friends here on the weekends. 

Be sure to visit Kollwitzplatz, which is one of the prettiest squares in Berlin. On Thursdays beginning at noon, there’s an “Eco-Market” with roughly 50 stalls selling fresh fruit, vegetables, cheeses, meats, and handmade products. 

A larger market opens on Saturdays from 9am to 5pm, and in addition to the usual selection of fresh produce, meats, and cheeses, you can also purchase ready-made drinks and meals, fresh pasta, oils, and more. 

Around the corner from Kollwitzplatz is an equally lovely square, with a dark history…

The stunning 19th century brick water tower was shut down in 1914 and later served as a soup kitchen, a fish processing site, and in 1933 the storage facilities and engine rooms served as a “wild concentration camp” to intern and murder Communists, Jews, and anyone else the Nazi Party deemed “undesirable.” Today the water tower serves as a residential building. 

From the water tower, make your way to the U-Rosenthaler Paltz station. I recommend spending the rest of the afternoon window shopping your way down Rosenthaler-Straße, which is lined with local boutiques. (My favorite is Kauf Dich Glücklich.) 

Evening 

At the very end of Rosenthaler-Straße, tucked away from the bustling sidewalk, are the Hackescher Höfe. They’re a series of courtyards filled with more shops, cafes, and souvenir shops. 

While you’re here, be sure to see the former factory of Otto Weidt. He hired blind and mute Jews to work in his factory to prevent them from being deported during WWII. 

Claire’s Tip: If you either a) still have energy at this point (go you!) or b) the Hackescher Höfe are too crowded for your liking, turn the corner and walk down Oranienburger Straße until you reach the Heckmann-Höfe. It’s another series of pretty courtyards with shops and cafes, but despite being just 10 minutes from Hackescher Markt most tourists don’t know about them, so they’re much less crowded! 

For dinner, I suggest hitting up Curry 61 (Oranienburger Str. 6) to try Berlin’s most famous street food: the currywurst. I prefer mine “mit darm” (in casings) and I always order my french fries with both ketchup and mayo, just like the good Berliner I am. 

Round off your day in Berlin with a soda or beer from a Späti (these drink-focused convenience stores are open until the wee hours of the morning and are a huge part of the local culture) and take it to James-Simon-Park. You’ll have an epic view of the Spree, the cathedral, and Museum Island. The perfect way to end the day! 

Afternoon 

For a taste of “local Berlin,” exit the palace gardens from the east side onto Luisenplatz and walk across the Schloßbrücke (Palace Bridge) and up Mierendorffstraße. You should end up at Mierendorffplatz, a pretty little square next to the U7 subway station. 

Before hopping on the subway, fuel up at one of the cafes on the square. My favorite is Cafe Friedrichs (Mierendorffpl. 2), which serves super fresh bowls, sandwiches, and brunch dishes. They have tons of outdoor seating, so nab a table in the sunshine if you can!   

After you’ve eaten, ride the U7 from Mierendorffplatz to Wilmersdorfer Straße and transfer to the S3, S5, S7, or S9 to reach Savignyplatz (shown above). It’s one of the prettiest squares in Charlottenburg, Berlin’s ritziest neighborhood. 

Evening

By late afternoon / very early evening, you’ll want to leave the Ku’damm and start moseying your way towards the Victory Column. The prettiest route there is through the Tiergarten, Berlin’s sprawling central park.

It’s filled with open green spaces, manicured gardens, statues, and more. It originally served as the royal hunting ground for King Friedrich III and was opened to the public in the 1830s. 

You won’t have time to see much of the Tiergarten, but you’ll want to prioritize ascending the Victory Column (shown above) for an unparalleled 360º view of Berlin from above. 

The Victory Column was built to commemorate Germany’s victories over Denmark, Austria, and France in the 1860’s. The base is decorated in intricate murals, and if you look closely you’ll see that the entire column is decorated with actual cannons preserved from those wars! 

Claire’s Tip: There’s no elevator inside the Victory Column. To reach the viewing platform at the top, you’ll have to climb a spiral staircase with 285 steps. The view is worth it, promise!  

For dinner, make your way to Zollpackhof (Elisabeth-Abegg-Straße 1). You’d think that this beautiful German restaurant on the banks of the Spree River would feel super touristy since it’s within walking distance of the central station, but it’s more of a “locals only” place that I love taking my friends and family to when they visit! 

In the spring and summer, Zollpackhof opens its beer garden out back. The food at the beer garden is just as delicious as its indoor restaurant but is much cheaper, plus you get an incredible view of the Spree while you eat. (Otherwise eating inside the restaurant is a good option too, it’s just pricier. But the food is great!) 

Enjoy Your 24 Hours in Berlin! 

I meant to keep this guide short and sweet, but when it comes to planning a day trip to Berlin I figured more details were better than not enough!

If you have any lingering questions about these itineraries or what you can realistically do and see in Berlin in 1 day, leave me a comment below and I’ll try to help as best I can.

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