The Ultimate Berlin Bucket List
Discover the essential and unique experiences that make Berlin unforgettable.
Tourist Must-Sees
Brandenburg Gate
Symbol of unity and Berlin's most iconic landmark
Reichstag Dome
Glass dome with panoramic city views (free, but book ahead)
East Side Gallery
Walk the open-air Berlin Wall gallery
Berlin TV Tower (Fernsehturm)
360° view from Alexanderplatz
Museum Island
UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to Pergamon & Neues Museum
Checkpoint Charlie
Cold War relic (crowded but historic)
Holocaust Memorial
Thought-provoking and powerful site
Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom)
Climb to the dome for stunning views
Tiergarten
Berlin's Central Park, great for walks and picnics
Victory Column (Siegessäule)
Iconic column with 360° lookout tower
Local Living & Urban Culture
Tempelhofer Feld
Picnic, cycle, or skate on a former airport runway
Mauerpark Flea Market
Sundays, with open-air karaoke & vintage finds
Späti Crawl
Grab a drink at a Späti and bar-hop Berlin-style
Badeschiff
Swim in a pool floating on the Spree river
Markthalle Neun
Thursday street food night in Kreuzberg
Hidden Gems & Alternative Berlin
Teufelsberg
Abandoned Cold War spy station on a manmade hill
Spreepark Plänterwald
Eerie abandoned amusement park
Liebermann Villa
Art museum by Lake Wannsee with garden views
Silent Green Kulturquartier
Events and culture in a former crematorium
Café Pförtner
Dine in a converted bus garage
Green Escapes & Nature Moments
Pfaueninsel (Peacock Island)
Ferry ride to a whimsical island with peacocks
Schlachtensee or Krumme Lanke
Swim in clean lakes within city limits
Botanical Garden (Botanischer Garten)
Among Europe's biggest
Gardens of the World (Gärten der Welt)
Japanese, Balinese, and other world gardens
Grunewald Forest
Hike to Teufelssee, Grunewald Tower, or the old US Listening Station
Only-in-Berlin Cultural Experiences
Sisyphos
Berlin's favorite outdoor club / hippie wonderland
Funkhaus Berlin
Attend a concert in this East German broadcasting building
Kino International or Babylon
Retro cinemas with German flair
Dinner at Clärchens Ballhaus
Historic ballroom with dining & dancing
Monsterkabinett
Creepy mechanical monster art under Hackesche Höfe
Instagrammable Berlin Spots
Oberbaumbrücke
Fairytale bridge at sunset
Molecule Man
Sculpture in the Spree
House of Small Wonder
Spiraling staircase & cozy brunch
RAW-Gelände
Industrial aesthetic & endless graffiti
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
Ruined church meets modernist glass
Food & Drink: Essential Berlin Bites
Curry 36 or Konnopke's Imbiss
Classic Berliner Currywurst
Mustafa's Gemüse Kebap
(if the line's not insane) iconic Berlin döner
Zula
Israeli street food with legendary hummus in Prenzlauer Berg
Sasaya or Dudu
Fresh and elegant Japanese/Asian fusion
Shiso Burger
East meets West burger twist
Festivals & Events (Plan by Season)
Karneval der Kulturen
Multicultural street festival (May/June)
May Day in Kreuzberg
Wild mix of protest, party, and chaos (May 1)
Fête de la Musique
Free concerts all over Berlin (June 21)
Open Air Cinemas
Watch films under the stars (Freiluftkino Kreuzberg or Rehberge)
Berlin Art Week
Contemporary art, performances, and pop-ups
Nostalgia & Vintage Berlin
DDR Museum
Hands-on glimpse into life in East Germany
Stasi Museum
Spy history in the real Stasi HQ
Trabi Safari
Drive an East German Trabant car around the city
Vintage Photoautomaten
Take B&W photos in analog booths all over the city
Yorck Kinos or Kino International
Retro cinemas with red velvet interiors
Day Trips from Berlin (All within 1–2h)
Potsdam & Sanssouci Palace
Berlin's Versailles
Spreewald
Canoe through magical forest canals & eat pickles
Werder an der Havel
Cute village and wine/fruit festival in spring
Beelitz Heilstätten
Abandoned sanatorium with a treetop walk
Brandenburg an der Havel
Quaint town with river views