What To Do In Berlin? | 2 Day + 3 Day Berlin Itinerary (+ MAPS)

Planning a 2-day or 3-day weekend trip to Berlin and want to see everything? Well, obviously not everything! But you want to see and do the top tourist attractions on your trip.

Here is my ultimate 2-day + 3-day itinerary for what to do in Berlin, Germany

I’ve tailored this itinerary to include all the must-see things to do in Berlin. But I’ve also included a few suggestions if you want to deviate from the norm and try a few alternative things on your Berlin trip too.

This itinerary is perfect for your first time visiting Berlin. Hopefully, it will save you time (and walking miles) to make the most of your 2 or 3-day weekend break.

Still, need to book accommodation for Berlin? Register now to save £25 off your first Airbnb stay.

Here’s my ultimate 2-day + 3-day itinerary for Berlin

What To Do In Berlin, Germany

Firstly, let me be honest, I spent 7 days in Berlin. Yes, there’s really that much to do there.

But if you’re short on time or away for a weekend break then I’ve picked all my favourite things to do from my trip and created the ultimate itinerary for your 2 or 3 days in Berlin.

How nice am I, saving you all the hard work!

For those of you lucky enough to be staying for 3 days in Berlin (or even more!) I’ve added some other suggestions at the end of the itinerary, including a day trip to Spreewald (if you have the time it’s a must-visit place). 

Here you can read details of my day trip to Spreewald, including things to do there and how to get there from Berlin. Click here to read next – Spreewald day trip from Berlin

For all my top tips on what to see and things to do in Berlin, Germany, (including alternative things to do, visiting abandoned buildings and where to stay). Click here to read everything.

Itinerary for Day 1 in Berlin

I have included seven stops for your day 1 itinerary of what to see and do in Berlin. This may seem a lot to do in one day in the city but as you can see from the map below they are all close together.

You’ll notice I’ve also given the option to move your visit to the Holocaust Memorial to the second day in Berlin if you feel you don’t have enough time on day 1.

Scroll down for more information about each place. Each includes the costs for each Berlin attraction (some are free). Plus some useful tips for your visit.

1. Berlin TV Tower at Alexanderplatz
2. Explore Alexanderplatz
3. Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral Church)
4. Reichstag building (German Parliament)
5. Brandenburg Gate
6. Tiergarten
7. Holocaust Memorial to the Murdered Jews

Walking distance: 5 km/ 3 miles

Walking time: 60-90 minutes (not including time stopping!)

• All the itinerary stops are marked below on Google Maps

Berlin TV Tower at Alexanderplatz

Cost: Free to view from the outside or pay to go up to the top from 15.50 EUR!*

If you’re like me when you arrive at a new city I tend to find the biggest and most obvious landmark to give me a sense of direction.

Did I mention that I get easily lost haha! In Berlin, the TV Tower at Alexanderplatz is impossible to miss and can be seen all over the city.

Take note because I also mention this for your day 2 itinerary ideas!

Short on time on your Berlin trip? 

• I skipped going up to the viewpoint in the TV Tower on this 2-day itinerary. Even though I’m sure it is very pretty, time can be spent better elsewhere and money.
• But if you have time (and the weather is clear) then it’s worth heading up to the top – the photos look amazing.

I skipped going up to the viewpoint on this 2-day itinerary

Costs for the TV Tower

• *Adults tickets are 16.50 EUR, students 13.20 EUR and children 9.50 EUR (Free under 4s)
• The fast-view ticket cost from 21.00 EUR for adults and 12 EUR for children.

How to Save Money in Berlin?

• Remember if you have purchased the Berlin WelcomeCard for your travel for 2-days you can save 25%

More time in Berlin?

Tours are great when visiting Berlin, especially the free ones but they can restrict your itinerary if you are short on time.

Free walking tours with Alternative Berlin leave daily from the TV Tower at 11 am and 1 pm. The tour lasts 3 hours but it is well worth doing.

Read more about them here in my alternative things to do in Berlin post.

• If you decide to so the free tour please note it ends near the East Side Gallery so I’d recommend jumping to my day 2 itinerary in Berlin.

Explore Alexanderplatz

Cost: Free (donation if you go inside the church)

This is a huge square, with shops restaurants and cafes. But it also has a wonderful water fountain, known as the Neptune Fountain built-in 1891 it’s a magnificent piece of architecture although difficult to capture in a photo.

A must-stop on your Berlin itinerary (and it only takes a few minutes), you can walk around looking at all the detail, crocodiles, snakes and naked women this fountain has it all and to top it all is the Roman God Neptune (hence the name!)

On your right is the beautiful Evangelical Church, St Mary’s, step inside and you can admire the stunning architecture as the light floods in through the tall windows.

Donations accepted.

Visit Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral Church)

The third stop on my day 1 itinerary is about 5-10 minute walk, over the bridge across the River Spree, the Berliner Dom.

This is a stunning building and wonderful to admire from the outside from the Lustgarten, which also has the Altes Museum at the other end.

More time or looking for things to do for a 3-day itinerary?

You can do tours inside the Berliner Dom, more information here from Visit Berlin.

• If you have the Berlin WelcomeCard then you get a 28% discount off the entrance price. (Click to order your card before your trip from Get Your Guide)

Book a Tour at Reichstag Building (German Parliament)

A popular place to stop on every Berlin itinerary! Maybe even have a picnic on the grass outside the Reichstag building.

Optional Itinerary Stop…

You can also do tours inside the building, right up to the dome at the top which you can see in my photo.

The tours are extremely popular and you must book in advance to guarantee entry (and also to fit at the right time on your itinerary to save you from walking extra miles).

Coffee stop

If you fancy a coffee or some food there’s a great coffee shop called The Visit Coffee. It’s about halfway between Berliner Dom and the Brandenburg Gate, down a little alley next to the Nivea Shop!

It’s marked on the map above so you can see where it is 🙂

See the Famous Brandenburg Gate in Berlin

From the Berliner Dom, it’s about a 20-minute walk (1.5 km/ 1 mile) to Brandenburg Gate. It’s one road straight up so you can’t get lost. But if you want to rest your feet you can catch the number 100 bus that goes up the main road.

Walking down the road you’ll go past the Berlin Opera House on your left.

Brandenburg Gate is a magnet for tourists, as you would expect. But it’s a pretty big gate so you should be able to find a spot for a photo.

Chill out at Tiergarten

As you walk through the Brandenburg Gate, cross the road you’re now in Tiergarten, Berlin’s largest inner-city park.

Both locals and tourists flock here on hot sunny days to relax, play games or read a book.

You could literally spend an entire day exploring this park. I will let you decide how long you spend here on your Berlin trip, with so many things to do in Berlin it’s hard to pick and choose what to miss out.

Of course, I’m sure that will depend on what the weather is doing, but on a lovely sunny day, it would be worth buying a few snacks and having a picnic in the park.

Visit the Holocaust Memorial to the Murdered Jews

(Day 1 or Day 2 depending on how much time you have)

Cost: Free (it’s a memorial)

This sends shivers through me typing the words and remembering how it felt walking around the dark, cold and very symbolic memorial. Ensure you plan enough time in your day to spend at the Holocaust Memorial without rushing.

The idea of the memorial is that you walk, sit and think about those who lost their lives.

It is not a place for selfies, as I saw numerous people doing. It is my opinion but I feel strongly about photos of places where you should be respectful.

Itinerary for Day 2 in Berlin

My itinerary for day 2 does involve more travelling around in Berlin. But it’s a great way to explore more of this amazing city. (I’m sure you’ll see now why I recommend longer than 2 days in Berlin!)

The U-Bahn is a great way around Berlin, it also simple to use (and included with the Berlin WelcomeCard).

Check options here for which WelcomeCard is best for you.

1. East Side Gallery
2. Kreuzberg
3. Checkpoint Charlie
4. The Topography of Terror Museum

Walking distance: 3-5 km/ 2-3 miles (depends how much exploring in Kreuzberg you do)

Walking time: 60-90 minutes (not including time stopping!)

• Itinerary stops below on Google Maps

Walk along the East Side Gallery, Berlin

Cost: Free

For me, this is a must-see place on your Berlin Itinerary. Start your day with a lovely walk down the East Side Gallery (the light is also better in the morning).

If you look on Google Maps it is simply a point on the map, when actually the gallery is 1.3 km long (the longest outside gallery in the world). It took me a good hour to walk the entire length and enjoy the many different and thought-provoking pieces of art.

Before you leave, enjoy a cup of coffee alongside the river.

• 2-day itinerary time saver – From the East Side Gallery, take a train (U-Bahn) from the nearest station which is Schlesisches Tor to Kreuzberg as it’s a little walk.

Visit Kreuzberg Area

Cost: Free (unless you go shopping or visit the cafes)

Want to see the more hip side of Berlin on day 2? Kreuzberg with its street art and graffiti is certainly the place to stop.

It’s great to walk around and explore, plus there are some great cafes and places to stop for a drink. Above is one of the coolest cafes that I visited whilst on the Berlin Walking Tour.

How to get there?

From East Side Gallery, you can jump off at either Kottbusser Tor or Hallesches Tor stops in Berlin to spend as little or as long as you want to explore. It’s worth wandering up and down the side streets too looking out for different styles of street art and graffiti.

Want to do a full tour? Check out my 5 alternative things to do in Berlin for more ideas and info.

• After you’ve done exploring Kreuzberg (and stopped for some lunch). There are so many great restaurants here, maybe worth popping back in the evening on day 2 or 3?
• Next, you can then either jump back on the U-Bahn from Hallesches Tor (5 mins) or walk the 1 km to Checkpoint Charlie.

Stop off at Checkpoint Charlie Berlin

Cost: Free (Museum entry costs apply)

Everyone raves about Checkpoint Charlie and you will find it included on most Berlin itineraries. I found it a little disappointing. A fake stand has been put up, where you can pay for the ultimate Checkpoint Charlie photo. Hmm not for me, but again it’s personal preference.

However, there is loads of great information right next to Checkpoint Charlie so it’s still worth visiting, plus a museum you can go in to and read more information about the history of Berlin.

Go to the Topography of Terror Museum

Cost: Free

This is an indoor and outdoor museum, which has a wealth of information and photographs sharing the history of Berlin. There is also remains of the Berlin wall, bare and unexposed as it was for all those years.

It’s powerful, shocking but a must-do stop on your Berlin trip.

There’s is so much information you could literally spend several hours, reading and learning about the past of Berlin. Again I feel this is a personal preference so take as much time that suits you, there’s no right or wrong for how much time you spend.

Top Tip

• Check the weather on your trip. If it’s raining then maybe swap your itinerary to visit when it’s dry

More ideas for your Berlin Itinerary

2-days or 3-days in Berlin, Germany

Are you staying for 3 days in Berlin or maybe longer?

Here are some of the alternative things I did on my trip to Berlin and also my day trip to help plan your itinerary! There are so many things to do in Berlin, I’d recommend booking longer if you can.

Berlin Walking Tours

I tried a couple of the Berlin Walking Tours including a great one that included a Street Art Workshop as well. You can even attempt to create your own masterpiece!

Read here all the tours I did here, with my personal recommendations for which ones to book (free + paid options).

Visit an Abandoned Spy Station

Alternatively, there’s an abandoned Spy Station, a short train ride away from Berlin city centre. If you have longer to spend in Berlin then I’d recommend going to visit and take a picnic to have on the hill too.

A unique place to visit for a morning or afternoon on your trip. I’ve shared here my tips on how to get there, costs, plus other useful tips for visiting Teufelsberg on your own instead of taking a tour.

Read my guide next – Visiting Teufelsberg

Go to the Gardens of the World

I spent 5 hours here, exploring the beautiful gardens, jumping on the cable car, getting lost in the maze. You might not want to spend a full day here but if you are spending longer in Berlin, it’s great to visit for a half day.

Read my full guide here about my 5 alternative things to do in Berlin which includes visiting the gardens, plus other places I’ve mentioned here.

Visit Templehof Airport

Another abandoned site in Berlin but this one was full of life when I visited. The airport is now perfect for fitness lovers as you can run, walk, cycle around the old airport runways!

You can also do a tour of the airport, which is when I took this photo, as the tour included going up to the roof of the airport.

Take a train for a day trip to Spreewald

Want to plan something different to do on your itinerary. Why not take a train to Spreewald, go punting or even hire a kayak to explore the waterways!

Here is my day trip from Berlin to Spreewald Biosphere Reserve which includes details on what to do there, plus how to get there on a day trip from Berlin.

Where to Stay in Berlin?

During my Berlin trip, I stayed at a couple of different places, two hostels and a hotel.

• Huttenpalast Hotel
• EastSeven Hostel
• 36 Room Kreuzberg

Budget accommodation in Berlin

For those travelling on a budget, you could try one of the many hostels in Berlin. These are the ones I stayed at during my trip, EastSeven Hostel and 36 Rooms Kreuzberg, click each link to read my personal reviews to help you decide.

EastSeven was a backpacker hostel and felt very friendly and welcoming, whereas 36 Rooms was located in Kreuzberg, a cool place to base yourself.

36 Rooms Hostel was also the lower budget option but it had a mix of people staying (backpackers and workers) so it had a different vibe to EastSeven Hostel.

I would personally recommend EastSeven Hostel. Ask me any questions in the comments.

Quirky Accommodation in Berlin

But are you looking for some more luxury on your holiday? My favourite place to stay in Berlin was at Huttenpalast Hotel (and I would 100% stay here again).

It’s a hotel made of caravans and huts (yes, seriously). You can read my review of my stay at Huttenpalast Hotel, with all the cool photos I took!

More fun places to stay in Berlin? – Check out these 5 cool and hip places to stay in Berlin

Do you need help planning your itinerary and deciding what to do in Berlin on your visit?

Do you have any more questions about my 2-day or 3-day itinerary for Berlin? Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments below.

Save to your Berlin Pinterest Boards

*Becky the Traveller participates in the Amazon Services Associates Programme, as well as other affiliate programmes. If you make a purchase through these, I earn from the qualifying links. This is at no extra cost to you. Read more here.