Our three-hour Walking Tour of Berlin with Glen on the hottest day of the summer was absolutely the…read morecoolest activity in which we engaged during our whirlwind four days in the City. From the moment Glen introduced himself, he shepherded our group from site to site, finding us shady spots whenever he could whilst sharing his voluminous historical, cultural, and cultural knowledge of Berlin and Germany. He also used multimedia very effectively to explain the sites and sights. His knowledge of Berlin and Germany is matched perhaps only by his love and respect for both--the latter of which was particularly manifest when he explained the book burning site, the location of Hitler's bunker, and the Holocaust memorial. Not only do my partner and I recommend the Original Berlin Walking Tour, but we also strongly recommend you ask to be in a group led by Glen.

Benny did a fantastic job with our tour group. He was engaging, informative, insightful and…read moreentertaining. He gave us great insight of both sides of the east and west Berliner perspectives through history.

I wanted to get an overview of Berlin on my first day and all of the hop on/ hop off busses got…read morenegative reviews and frankly looked way too touristy for me. I was delighted when I found the reviews for Jens' magic bus berlin business. I was able to book a 2+ hour tour of the city with Jens for myself, my sister and my Mom. It was so fun driving around in his 1970s restored van and getting a personal tour of the city from someone who was knowledgeable about the city's history and could give us his own stories about growing up in Berlin when the wall was still up. Jens started the tour with a brief history of the city and then we took off. Along the way he did a great job of showing up photos of "before" photos to give us a sense of how much the city has changed. He also pointed out all the places where the wall had previously stood as we drove around. I highly recommend that instead of going on the hop on/ hop off bus you hire Jens instead!

Amazing experience. Jens was very knowledgeable. The bus provided the perfect lens to view the…read morecity. We only had one day in Berlin but this allowed us to see so much and learn about the history. Highly recommend.

Can't recommend The Berlin Expert highly enough to everyone who is thinking of going to Berlin…read more Hands down this was the best tour guide experience ever. Jeremy is indeed a masterful story teller with great insights on the city and its history. I learned there were 2711 blocks in the Holocaust Memorial which ironically are the same as the pages in the Talmud. Jeremy has a very easy going style and pays close attention to feedback which is so rare and important. I've had other experiences where I simply wasn't heard and that is Jeremy's special sauce... an ability to listen and carve out parts that appeal to travelers. He has an easy going style and goes at a pace that is energetic yet mindful. A pure delight and he's simply awesome.

We had a wonderful private tour of Berlin with Jeremy, with a focus on the history of Jews in…read moreBerlin. He is incredibly knowledgeable about all aspects of the city, and did a great job tailoring the tour to our interests. He was very attentive to our needs and pacing of the tour. We highly recommend him for anyone looking for an insider's tour of the city.

I did the Berlin Highlights and Iconic Sites tour with Ru in late September. Ru was a good mix of…read morekeeping things educational but used humor when appropriate. It's clear he loves his adopted hometown and was full of recommendations for things to explore on our own, and kept the tour moving at a good pace. There's so much to learn and Ru was honest that we were just scratching the surface, but I got a lot out of the tour.

It takes a great guide to make a great tour. I took two tours with Insider (Explore Berlin and…read moreThird Reich Berlin), and both were guided by Hannah. She is one of the best tour guides I've yet encountered and I've taken a hell of a lot of tours. She speaks very clearly (we're both native speakers of American English, so that helped as well), projects her voice well, and almost always speaks with clear intention. I never felt she was wasting our time with too much detail or circular talking; the pacing of the route and stops worked very well. She did a great job managing the group, making clear where we were going and where we should stand to see and hear everything while not blocking pedestrian traffic. She encouraged questions and made the experience interactive, which kept us fully engaged the whole time. At no point was I bored or wondering when the tour would end; in fact, I was surprised at the end of both tours that 3 hours had already flown by. Hannah did a great job of demonstrating the modern relevance of history and exploring the conflicting interests and biases of the people involved in historical events. A lot of this history is very heavy, particularly on the Third Reich tour, and she gave it all the gravity and respect it deserves. I highly recommend these tours, especially for history-lovers.

Birchy's Historic Pubs tour is an absolute must. It's not your typical pub crawl--this is history,…read morehumor, and great beer all rolled into one. Birchy is an incredible storyteller who knows Berlin inside out. We visited pubs with real character--some over a century old--and heard the wild, often hilarious stories behind them. The group was small and friendly, and the vibe was relaxed but super engaging. You'll laugh, learn, and drink some top-notch local beers in places you'd probably never find on your own. Highly recommend if you want to experience Berlin's nightlife and understand the city on a deeper level. 10/10, would do it again.

I highly recommend these folks! We booked the private walking tour of Berlin. My 12 year old is a…read morehuge history buff and we figured this would work better for us. Our guide Paul did not disappoint. He was knowledgeable, friendly and great with kids.

This will be short. Right near each other you can go here and see the old apartment building where…read moreDavid Bowie had an apartment while living in Berlin recording his Berlin trilogy - Low, The Lodger, and Heroes - and then you can walk over and see the outside of the studio where he recorded those albums. You can't go in the apartment - it's still apartments rented out, but there is a small memorial to David outside including a drawing and plaque where people leave flowers. You also can't just walk into the studio nearby because it's still a working music studio, but a sign in the window says you can pay for a tour through certain companies. They at least have some cool Bowie photos filling the windows. If you love Bowie why wouldn't you go? It is free and you can take a picture and it takes a second.

On my leg of my trip to Europe while staying in Berlin I ran across this fun funky place and…read moredecided to check it out. This place is hard to miss, they have a chain link fence you can see what they have going on. Plus there was a giant ballon right next to this place screaming "come look at me". They do have some cars on the side walk for people to take pictures should they like. Unfortunately it was closed when I arrived and I was not able to visit the next day due to time restrains.

Driving a Trabi is just plain fun. This business is…read moreproviding exactly what they promise: you drive a Trabi though the streets of Berlin in an exhaust producing parade of old Trabant cars. The cars are well maintained & have seat belts. There is a practice area where you can ensure you understand the column shifting pattern, which is pretty quick to master. The lead car/tour guide has a 1-way radio into your car & remains in direct communication with you the entire trip. Was it the best cultural tour of Berlin? No, but that's not why you came: you came to experience what millions of East German's did - driving this funny little, historically important car. I expected the steering and breaking to be difficult: they weren't. You can trade drivers half-way through your ride, but for the same price you can drive your own darn car: this is one time where sharing is not caring - drive your own car & make double the fun. The reviewer who downgraded the business because she showed up without a reservation & didn't get to drive is doing this business a disservice. They're doing exactly what they say they will, their website is clear & up to date, and booking your experience is easy.

Urban Nation is an amazing place for art lover…read more I"ve been here couple times and never got bored or disappointed. The gallery offer many amazing works from different artists. I love most the style they presented and great to get some new inspiration. It is free to visit and they usually change each exhibition between 1-3 months period of time. So visitors can have more time for the exhibition they interested at. They also paint the wall of the building outside time to time, very cool and camera ready.

Great museum that has an amazing art- graffiti/street art style…read moreInteresting stories behind pieces You can make some pretty cool photos there And the best part that it's free!

Small but worth going to even if just to pop in for hour or so to see in person esp given how…read morepertinent the motivations of her work are again in todays world The location is also nice & -the last time I was there at least- quiet & calm

Of all the museums in Berlin - and that's a whole lot of museums - my friend had this one on her…read morelist. It's a small, private museum that I'd heard nothing about. My guidebook also didn't play it up as a must-see so I went with tempered expectations and what I discovered was a perfect bookend to the experience of touring Berlin. Set in West Berlin, on a charming Paris-esque street, the intimate (though multi-story) Käthe-Kollwitz-Museum features works by this Berlin artist so closely associated with the Berlin-during-wartime experience. After you've seen all of the war-related memorials, toured the nearby concentration camp (Sachsenhausen), and drank in the whole divided city thing come here. Kathe Kollwitz was a politically radical artist in Prenzlauer Berg who tragically lost her son to war and later her grandson, to more war. In the process, she became a Pacifist, something she described as the most difficult thing one can ever do. Through her art, Kollwitz continually questioned the senselessness of mothers offering their sons to the war machine and their unspeakable grief at the consequences. She found no comfort - only tragedy - in the corruptness of the then popular message that it is honorable to sacrifice your life for your country. Frequent themes of Kollwitz' work include mothers trying to protect their children and parents grieving over the loss of their children. One of her most powerful works is a self-portrait of she and her husband crushed with grief at the loss of their son. Her work profoundly captures the trauma, senselessness, and evils of war. Come to the Kathe Kollwitz Museum, on this peaceful, graffiti-free street, for a bit of reflection on the tragedy of war. Kollwitz' iconic works might move you towards Pacifism or tears or both. Kollwitz' work is also the sole feature of Berlin's WWII Neue Wache Memorial featuring a mother cradling her dead son in her arms. If this sculpture moves you in any way, a visit to the Kathe-Kollwitz Museum should be high on your list. Kathe Kollwitz was an incredible artist with a powerful message that I can get behind: Never Again War. While in Berlin, make time for this special, powerful, under-the-radar museum.

**STREET ART WORKSHOP & TOUR**…read more WHERE: Met at noon (plenty of time to grab breakfast beforehand) at Alexanderplatz TV TOWER next to entrance of Starbucks. However, the tour ends at the workshop in Lictenberg. DURATION: 3.5-4 hour tour and workshop. COST: 18 euros per person and can book online. PART 1 ======= Took the back streets and discovered some of the latest, greatest, and oldest examples of street art, graffiti and mural art. Our guide, a street artist/expert on the scene, showed us some of the best: - stencil art - throw ups - mural art - tagging - ad busting - heaven spots - burners; and - installations while teaching us who was who and their motivations behind their artwork. PART 2 ======= We then visited their workshop in a former abandoned margarine factory in Lictenberg we were instructed how to stencil and spray paint. Yes, we took our piece home as well. So much fun. PRO TIPS: - Make sure to tip your guide. - Purchase an AB transport ticket for this tour. HIGHLY RECOMMEND for those who like street art, graffiti, and history of Berlin.

Today I took the alternative Berlin tour. Fabulous. It wasn't about putting a visual to textbook…read morehistory. We went into neighborhoods and saw an discussed their tolls before the wall, during and how they transitioned after the wall went down. This is the tour that puts life into Berlin. Colan ( I mai have gotten name wrong) was the best