Berlin is an awesome city with plenty of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, museums, markets, colorful houses, tours, attractions, and actually everything you could wish for in a big modern city.
I have been to Berlin 4 times. The first time was with Roman a few years ago and the second time was not long ago by myself in September and also we’ve been in Berlin twice for the ITB tourism convention. When we came for the convention we’ve stayed for the weekend in Berlin.
There are probably more cool things to do in Berlin, but here are my top 17 for 2024:
Tips before flying to Berlin
SIM card
On previous occasions I purchased a Sim card for 20 Euros in the Alexanderplatz area. This time we found a shop in the Kreuzberg neighborhood where we bought a Sim for 10 Euros with 4 Gb of data for a period of up to one month. Arrival instructions. Please consider the first time there is a registration process where you need to be authenticated with your passport by an employee. This is why I personally recommend using an ESIM, which is an electronic SIM, and recommend Airalo. I was very satisfied with their user experience (simple tutorial videos for operating the SIM card) and everything worked without any special problems. I wrote more about them in an extended post on the subject of taking a SIM card abroad and also about other options such as buying a local SIM card.
Blog followers have a 15% discount code for the Airalo company to purchase an ESIM – to redeem the discount, click on this link. The discount code is already included in the link. See it at checkout.
The biggest drawback at the moment is that some devices do not support an electronic SIM. How can you know if your device supports the electronic card? Very simple: go to this link and you can see. Link to which devices support ESIM.
Where to sleep in Berlin?
Berlin has many cool neighborhoods to sleep in. We liked the Kreuzberg Neighborhood which is a fun and young neighborhood. There are also the areas of Alexanderplatz
And a bed that is very comfortable for those who want to explore Berlin.
When I traveled alone I stayed at the Circus Hostel which was amazing and in an excellent location. I found a pretty good price for it; 50 euro per night for a single room (tips on how to find cheap hotels). Crossing the street they also have the Circus Hotel.
To search for a hotel or apartment in Berlin
Car rental in Berlin
Berlin and Germany in general have very convenient public transportation. But for those who want to explore the suburbs or reach more distant attractions like the Tropical Islands, I recommend renting a car. You can search for a car in the search engine Papam Papam. Personally, I really like to search through it because it saves me time (instead of going to several websites) and it also has the option of filtering out non-recommended rental companies.
How to get from Schoenfeld Airport to the city center?
When we landed, we went to the WelcomeBerlin stand to collect our transport ticket which we received courtesy of Visit Berlin. The Berlin Welcome card can be purchased from the stand before leaving the airport. This is a card that reduces the costs of public transportation in the city, according to the number of days you plan to spend in the city. You can buy an ABC card that also includes the trip from the airport to the city.
Once you have this card, you only need to use it once at the machine next to the train or on the bus and from that moment just make sure the card is with you at all times, thus allowing you to travel freely by public transport.
From the airport we took the S9 train and after 9 stops we switched to the subway u3 to the area of our apartment. I recommend using Google Maps to see which public transit is best for your route. There are trains every few minutes and it’s very simple to use public transport in the city.
You can also ask at the booth you buy the ticket from which train you need to get to your hotel or apartment. You can even ask at the airport information stand and buy a ticket at it, if you do not want to purchase the ticket for multiple trips.
Attractions & Activities in Berlin
There are many more cool things to do in Berlin that I did not do and do not appear on the list. You can get ideas for other cool things you can do on the various attraction sites and even order through them (sometimes at a discounted price). The first attraction site is called tiqets, the second is the site Get Your Guide or via Viator.
Go to a hilarious standup show
One of my favorite entertainments are standup shows , so when I found an ad about a standup show that cost 18 euro (including pizza) and had great reviews, I knew that I had to go there – Cosmic Comedy show.
Every Thursday and Saturday they have an open mic night. It means that eight different comedians (some with a lot of experience and some that are pretty new) star for about 10 minutes each. They open the doors at 8pm (I recommend to go early in order to get a good seat), at 8:30 they serve the pizza and at 9pm they start the show.
I enjoyed the show so much. Some of the comedians really made me laugh out loud and some of them less, but they were all good and the host was really funny too. At the end of the show my cheeks were in pain because I had laughed so much.
They also have nights on which only two experienced comedians appear for about 40 minutes each. I wanted to go to that night too but I had so many things to do that I didn’t have the chance to go there again.
Address
Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße 41, 10178 Berlin, Germany
Cool Food tour
Before we arrived in Berlin, we checked with Visit Berlin about things we could do in town and one of the recommendations was a food tour. We always like to do food tours on our travels because it’s a great way to see the city and taste the local food, so of course we thought it was a good idea. We received a recommendation for the tour with Fork and Walk Berlin tours and were very pleased. The tour was about 4 hours in East Berlin on Saturday. We got to know a really cool area we hadn’t known much about previously, and also to visit special local places and eat great food. Our guide Dov was really charming and interesting. In short, we highly recommend this tour.
Markthalle neun erste Market
I love markets, and somehow had never previously visited this one. I recommend coming hungry, as it has a ton of food stalls, but it’s also nice to simply wander around and have a coffee, especially when it’s raining outside. It has many local produce stalls as well, offering cheeses, sausages, beers and more. For those with small children, it also has a cute corner with wooden toys. Directions.
Berlin Cathedral
I think this is one of the most beautiful cathedrals I’ve ever seen. Its structure and turquoise domes make it very special (directions). Although it was a gloomy day and a little rainy we decided we would not give up on going to see it. When it started to rain we decided to enter the Allegretto cran cafe. A refined and prestigious cafe where we drank cappuccino and enjoyed the warmth. We waited until the rain stopped and then we went on walking around town.
In addition, there is a whole area of museums near the cathedral. Our last time in Berlin, we were at the Pergamon Museum. Due to the uniqueness of its exhibits, UNESCO decided that this museum, together with other museums on Museum island, would constitute a World Heritage Site. The museum contains a collection of antiquities from ancient times (ancient Greece and ancient Rome), a Museum of Ancient Eastern Antiquities and a museum of Islamic art. We spent a whole day in this museum and it was very fascinating. We took an audio guide and covered the museum part by part. The area of ancient Greece impressed me the most.
Victoria park
This is a park in the Kreuzberg neighborhood. It’s a very lovely park and also has a pretty waterfall, which unfortunately was dry this time, but I got to see it on my last visit when it was flowing and it’s a location not many tourists know about. The park itself is large and filled with greenery, while also offering a good vantage point over the city. Directions.
It’s a great place to go for a walk in or even have a picnic. By the park is a high-quality café, Café Freiraum. We had lasagna and a vegetable casserole with cheese there, and they were both delicious. They also have great looking cookies, so it’s worth a try. Directions.
Vivid Grand Show
Content update – this show is no longer available – you can find other shows options here
A few years ago, while visiting Berlin, we got to watch two shows and had a great time, we thought this could be a good recommendation for those looking for something to do on an evening in Berlin. We’ve come across many recommendations for Vivid Grand Show, and to our delight, Friedrichstadt-Palast theatre wanted to host us for the show. The theatre itself is impressive and very prestigious. Beyond that, the show was amazing. Some parts were funny, while others left us astonished. The set was also really high-quality and the dancing and acrobatics were amazing. We left the show very excited, and I definitely think it’s something worth going to see if you’re in Berlin.
Tropical Island
I was looking online for things to do in winter in Berlin and then I came across something that looked really cool. Tropical Islands (to the official website or through the Get Your Guide attraction reservation website which allows you to reserve without payment in advance and free cancellation up to three days before) at a distance of 60 km from Berlin.
It’s actually a huge dome-shaped structure that has an artificial beach, a rain forest, a water wave, a hot air balloon, a spa, restaurants and even a resort where you sleep. We drove to search and when we arrived, we felt like we had entered another world. Outside it was snowy and terribly cold and inside we were suddenly wearing a bathing suit in tropical weather.
There is a complex for adults only that includes saunas and a jacuzzi (note, you can only enter there fully naked. It was very strange at first but then I got used to it). There are restaurants there. Hot air balloon and all kinds of facilities for children.
Enjoy a drink on a rooftop bar – Klunkerkranich Bar
I really like bars that are on rooftops. This way you can drink wine and enjoy a nice view, with a good breeze. A girl that I met in a bike tour (Chi-An) told me that her Airbnb host recommended her a bar, so we decided to go there together and check it out.
We went there around 6pm, which was a great time before the sunset. The bar is a big roof with many tables and places to sit and there is also a covered area with a DJ and place to drink. I chose a rosé and Chi-An had a beer.
At the entrance we paid 3 euro each. They charge 3 euro after 4pm because after that hour they bring a DJ and need to cover this expense. I really loved this bar. It’s a popular place among the locals and it’s highly recommended.
Address
Karl-Marx-Straße 66, 12043 Berlin, Germany
Go to the Blue Man Show
Content update – this activity is no longer available – you can find other shows options here
If you are looking for another great idea for a fun evening I highly recommend the Blue Man Show. It’s a very elaborate show that’s very funny and enjoyable. It’s fit for both kids and adults. I went there with Roman the first time I visited berlin and we really liked it.
Sit in good coffee shops
In Berlin there are so many good coffee shops that every few steps you want to stop and sit in one, to relax in between the different activities. There are healthy coffee shops, ones with special designs, fancy ones, and coffee shops that are great for just working on your laptop or reading a book. I wrote about my favorite place in the post “Trendy coffee shops in Berlin”.
Go to a huge flea market on Sunday
Every Sunday there is a huge flea market in Mauerpark. Even if you don’t plan to buy anything, it’s really nice to wander around there and be impressed by the cool things they sell like: furniture, bags, clothes, souvenirs, tools, wallets, and more.
Another great thing to do is to sit in the park itself and enjoy the street performances there are there.
In the market itself there are many drinks and food stalls so my recommendation is to wander around and then to buy some food and drinks and have a little picnic on the grass in the park and enjoy the shows.
Go on awesome tours
I love tours – special tours are my favorite activity to discover any city and honestly in Berlin is where I have done the most. One of the main reasons is because I travelled solo and tours are a great way to meet people. I chose different and unique tours like a self-guided food tour, a beer tour, an abandoned places tour and a bike one.
Beer tour
I must admit that I’m more of a wine and cocktail person and less a beer one, but I love to learn about the drink’s history and how they make it and I love to try new things. So when I saw that there’s a beer tour that includes tasting unique beers and that you can learn about the beer’s history, I decided to give it a try.
The tour was through the company Sandemans Europe (I had already done a great tour with them in Jerusalem, in Israel). The tour starts at 6pm.
We were a pretty small group of only seven people and the guide. The guide was from Chile and already from the beginning I liked him. Because he started to tell interesting facts about beer and to ask us questions that no one knew the answer to, like, in which country do people consume the most beer?
Turns out it’s in the Czech Republic (surprising, isn’t it?).
During the tour we passed through old breweries and tasted different kinds of beers. We learned about the preparation process and the things you can learn about beer before you even taste it. The tour was easy-going and fun, and the other guys were super nice.
The tour lasted 3 hours and we finished it in a cool bar with great music and special beers, like strawberry beer which was really good. Also when the tour ended, we all stayed there to drink and afterwards went to eat something.
The tour was really awesome and I really liked hanging out with the other participants. I highly recommend this tour even if you are not a big beer drinker.
Sights bike tour
The last time that I’d been in Berlin it was with Roman in the winter and we did the free tour in order to get to know the city and learn about its history. This time I traveled alone and I wanted to see the sights on a bike. The tour was through the company Berlin on Bikes and I booked it from the website Get your guide.
I was a little bit worried about the bikes tour because I thought that the roads would be too crowded but it turns out that Berlin is a great city for cycling. Most areas have cycling trails and, if not, you can cycle on the road and there are not too many cars, especially during the weekend.
The tour included stopping in some of the most famous sights in Berlin and at each spot that we stopped, the guide told us about the place.
We were a group of 12 people and in the middle of the tour we had a break in a coffee shop which was nice.
The tour was supposed to last 3.5 hours but on the way back we ran into a huge parade against racism (which was a fascinating thing to see), so many roads were closed and the guide had to take us through improvised ways back, so the tour was about 4 hours. But I can’t complain about having to cycle more, it was so much fun.
The cycling is mostly on flat roads and there are many stops, but if you are not used to riding, it could be too hard for you. The tour was very interesting and fun. The bikes are well-maintained and easy for riding. If you are a cycling lover I’m sure you will love this tour.
Abandoned places tour
I booked this tour through the local Guddy website (This tour and website are permanently closed by now). It was a great site that offers different types of tour with local people; it’s not with a guide from a company but with someone that’s a local.
The picture you saw on Pinterest is a picture from a tour I took to abandoned places in Berlin. During the tour we visited an abandoned hospital and school. This tour was in 2017 and unfortunately it is no longer available (also the website through which I booked the tour has already closed).
As this tour is not available any more, you can look for other cool graffiti and art tours in Berlin.
Self-guided food tour
I did this tour through the BiteMojo Application. This app offers self-guided food tours and the price included the food (5 different dishes). They offer this tour in some big cities in Europe.
In the beginning I looked for a group food tour but the prices were too expensive for me, until I found this kind of tour, which’s prices were much more affordable and it sounded like a nice experience.
The tour is through a map which directs you each time to a new landmark. Some of the landmarks are really cool places like hidden courtyards or special shops and some are restaurants or food stalls where you get a dish to taste.
BiteMojo offers some different food tours in Berlin. I chose the one in the Kreuzberg neighborhood, because the bites looked good and it was a neighborhood that I wanted to explore.
As this tour is not available any more, you can look at this food to Kreuzberg and Neukölln Walking Food Tour in Berlin.
Visit cool Neighborhoods
Berlin is full of cool Neighborhoods that are worth visiting. You can wander for hours and stop to eat in a nice restaurant or a coffee shop.
I liked the hipster neighborhoods Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain. In Kreuzberg I wandered a lot during my self-guided tour. It’s a lovely neighborhood with so many beautiful buildings and good places to eat at. Friedrichshain is full of street art and cool shops.
Eat yummy food – Recommnded Restaurants in Berlin
In Berlin there are endless restaurants with all the cousins in the world. There are many local traditional restaurants, Asian ones, Mediterranean ones, and more. There are also many street foods like Currywurst which is the most popular food. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should.
Currywurst – Bergmann Curry
Currywurst is one of the most popular street foods in Berlin. Everywhere you go you will find a Currywurst stall. This is a great dish if you are looking for something fast, cheap, and yummy to snack on. I really liked a stall that I visited during a self-guided food tour that I did.
When I arrived to this place I was already pretty full, so I ate only half of the dish, but it was really good. Both the wurst and the fries were so delicious.
They also have a vegan option.
Address
Bergmannstraße 88, 10961 Berlin, Germany
Vietnamese restaurant- Monsieur Vuong
I went to this restaurant the previous time I had traveled with Roman to Berlin and already then we had claimed that this is the best Vietnamese restaurant in Europe. So, when I traveled now to Berlin there was no way I was going to give up on this culinary experience.
From the moment you enter the restaurant you feel like you step into Vietnam. This is a very popular restaurant and I recommend you book a table before you go. Since I went alone I was lucky to get a seat.
The menu is pretty limited, but each dish is excellent.
Ramen restaurant- Cocolo Ramen Mitte
During the bike tour that I did, I met two nice guys, one from Japan that had moved to Berlin a month ago, and a girl from Chicago, and we decided to go to a restaurant together. The guy said that he missed Japanese food and that he wanted to eat ramen. I’m a ramen lover, so of course I wanted some too.
We looked for a recommended restaurant. We saw a few options but we chose the one that was located pretty close to us and had really good reviews.
We had to wait a bit for a table (so I recommend to book one before going). For my first dish I ordered dumplings filled with shrimp. Is was really good. The guy said that it’s a high standard for dumplings.
For main dishes we ordered a ramen soup (of course). I ordered a spicy minced meat one, and they ordered the belly pork one. Both of the soups were excellent (I preferred my version because I don’t like fatty meat). My soup was really tasty but this version came without an egg. So I ordered an extra egg (it’s one of the things that I like the most in ramen soup).
The ramen’s price range is 7.5-9.5 euro.
Address
Gipsstraße 3, 10119 Berlin, Germany
German restaurant- Weihenstephaner
This is a traditional German restaurant which is also a famous brewery in Berlin. I visited this restaurant during a beer tour that I did, so after the tour I went back there to have a late dinner.
The design of the place and the waiter’s uniforms immediately will insert you into a happy, German atmosphere.
I ordered a grilled sausages with steamed cabbage dish and an award-winning beer – Vitus spicy single- bock. The sausages were very good. Sometimes I don’t like sausage too much but those were great.
The cabbage was ok and the beer was excellent. Unique flavors. I didn’t feel the spiciness too well, but it’s definitely a good beer that’s worth the try.
Address
Neue Promenade 5, 10178 Berlin, Germany
Local German restaurant Max und Moritz
If you are craving local and delicious German food, then this restaurant will suit you perfectly. This is a restaurant with really good dishes and the truth is also really big and satisfying (I took half a takeaway portion). Roman ordered a potato and meat soup for a starter and a pork dish for the main and he said that both dishes were successful. I took sausages in apple sauce with potatoes which was excellent. Directions.
Amrit Indian Restaurant
At first, we thought it was a palace (the entrance and interior are very impressive and golden) but it turned out to be an Indian restaurant. I do not usually like big restaurants but this one had good reviews and we decided to try it. The prices at the restaurant are very worthwhile because the dishes also include rice and a large salad.
We ordered a vegetarian dish of Paneer cheese in a tomato and cashew sauce that was really tasty and a serving of chicken in a curry sauce that was also great. The dishes arrived within a few minutes (quite rare in Indian restaurants) but they were also very tasty, so the speed wasn’t detrimental to the flavor. In short, if you are looking for an Indian restaurant, this is a recommended restaurant. Amrit restaurant. Directions.
Mercosy Korean Restaurant
A small restaurant with six tables serving one dish of Bibimbap with various additions such as salmon or beef or pork or tofu.
This is a bowl full of sticky rice with a rich selection of stir-fried vegetables and, above it all, chili sauce. The dish is large and very satisfying. I got a bowl with salmon and Roman chose pork and we were both satisfied. Great option for anyone looking for a different and tasty dinner. Mercosy. Directions
PHO – Noodlebar Vietnamese Restaurant (Kreuzberg)
As you can see, we are fans of Asian food. It is light and usually healthy and very tasty. On one of the evenings we decided to eat Vietnamese food and found the Pho-noodles bar. This was a charming restaurant with courteous and good service. We ordered a Vietnamese roll, a salad off the specials with strips of meat and a hamburger in a steamed bun. All the dishes were delicious and we had a great time at the restaurant. PHO – Noodlebar . Directions
Chai Ji Indian Restaurant
Indian food is among my favorites and when I was walking around the hipster neighborhood Friedrichshain I came across this restaurant and decided to try it.
I ordered one of my favorite dishes Palak paneer which is a spinach stew with Indian cheese. In addition, I ordered naan (Indian flat bread in a pan) with garlic, rahita which is yogurt with tomatoes and cucumber that is delicious to eat with flak cheese on the naan and I ordered mango chutney sauce.
Address: Rigaer Str. 30, 10247 Berlin, Germany
Yorckschlösschen, great Jazz Bar
We went to this bar with someone who was our guide in Swiss Franconia. She saw on Instagram that we were in town and suggested we meet for dinner. She got a recommendation for this bar from a friend of hers living in Berlin and it turned out to be a good one. This is a bar that has live jazz concerts. It is recommended to book a table in advance, when we arrived we were lucky there was one table available.
The show costs EUR 4 per person. We also ordered beer and wine and a portion of curry sausages with French fries and a local version of Macaroni and cheese. The music was excellent and it was a very nice evening and definitely a place that is recommended both as a place to eat and as a place to spend an evening. Bar Yorckschlösschen. Directions
Wander around the city
The public transportation in Berlin is very simple and makes it easy to move around, but I recommend you to sometimes give up on using the train and to walk instead. You’ll be surprised how much it is fun to walk on Berlin’s streets. You will see lots of street art and graffiti and discover some cool parks and hidden gems. Walking in Berlin is addictive; you can spend hours without noticing, so walk with comfortable shoes.
Go shopping
Usually I don’t shop while traveling, but I found the store Primark in Alexander Platz. I must admit that I had never been in a store of this chain but I had heard a lot about it, so when I saw it, I decided to go in. The store was three floors with clothes and accessories.
At one point I got a headache but I found two cute sweaters, a coat, and a hat. I barely managed to close my suitcase after this unpredicted buying, but after sitting on it and with a lot of strength I was able to close it eventually.
There are many other shops and malls in Berlin so if you are looking for a shopping experience, don’t worry; you will find it. For me one store was enough 🙂
I hope my post helped you. If so, I would very much like you to respond here in the comments, and if you have any more questions, then you are also welcome to ask them in the comments or on the blog’s social networks: Facebook and Instagram. Looking for more information about Berlin ? I have in the blog more posts about Berlin and posts about Germany.
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