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Free Walking Tours Berlin

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This is an overview of the free walking tours in Berlin that are available to you, including pay-what-you-wish, self-guided, as well as GPS-led audio tours. (auf Deutsch)

We are local walking tour guides who want to share our inside knowledge and the history of Berlin and Germany with you.

In the video below, Steve, a local tour guide with us, Free Tours by Foot, gives a virtual tour of the Brandenburg Gate.

While you can find 100% free, self-guided, or audio-guided tours in Berlin, what most people think of when they hear free tours are actually pay-what-you-wish guided tours.

These tours are free to sign up for and are technically free to take.

However, it is recommended that you pay your guide what you felt the tour was worth, or what you could afford, at the end of the walk.

In Berlin, you can find free tours not just for a city orientation, but also on topics such as street art, the Third Reich, and the Cold War.

There is even a free bike tour (sort of).


Free Tours with Tourist Passes and Bus Tours

Keep in mind that if you are considering purchasing a tourist attraction discount pass, several of these passes include free (not pay-what-you-wish) walking tours. 

Likewise, the major hop-on-hop-off bus companies in Berlin also offer free walking tours (not pay-what-you-wish) with paid tickets.


BERLIN CITY CENTER (INTRO TO BERLIN TOURS)

These pay-what-you-wish walking tours concentrate on Berlin’s Friedrichstadt neighborhood with the Mitte district.

They are the go-to tours to get your feet wet and to see the top sights in the capital of Germany.

Brandenburg Gate

Top Attractions on the Berlin City Centre Tour

  • Reichstag
  • Brandenburg Gate
  • Unter den Linden
  • Holocaust Memorial (Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe)
  • Checkpoint Charlie
  • Potsdamer Platz
  • The Topography of Terror
  • Humboldt University
  • Bebelplatz
  • Museum Island
  • Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral)
  • The Berlin Palace

Every tour company in Berlin offers tours here and most cover all of these stops and more. Starting points and times vary.

Holders of either the Berlin Pass or the Welcome Card All-Inclusive already have a free tour of this area included.


Walkative

This company with its yellow umbrellas offers a tour every day, usually 3x a day. The tour starts in Alexanderplatz and ends at the Brandenburg Gate.


New Berlin Tours

New Berlin offers a pay-what-you-wish Berlin city center tour.

Clocking in at approximately 2 ½ hours, this excursion will take you past locations such as TV Tower, Luftwaffe HQ, and Brandenburg Gate. 

This walking tour is offered in English, German, and Spanish.  

Availability: Daily (fewer tours may be offered due to the Covid-19 pandemic)

  • 10:00 am
  • 11:00 am
  • 12:00 pm
  • 13:00 (1 pm)
  • 14:00 (2 pm)
  • 16:00 (4 pm)
  • Check the calendar for an updated schedule.

With a 5 out of 5 stars rating on TripAdvisor, New Berlin Tours is quite popular despite often having very large group sizes. 

They also offer a wide range of Berlin tours, including the Third Reich, Cold War, and Royal Potsdam Tours.


FREE STREET ART TOURS - ALTERNATIVE BERLIN

These pay-what-you-wish walking tours concentrate on Berlin’s alternative scene with a focus on street art and graffiti.

These tours tend to visit parts of the city less frequented by visitors.

Many are led by single tour guides who promote their tours in various locations.

Berlin Street Art Haus Schwarzenberg Stinkfish

It's best to consult our calendar above for the most up-to-date schedule.

There is even one graffiti and street art workshop.


Top Attractions and Artworks on the Berlin Street Art Tour

  • Hackescher Markt
  • Dead Chicken Alley
  • Kottbusser Tor
  • RAW
  • SO36
  • Astronaut - Space Crusader 

Small-Group Tours

And as with most free tours, this tour can get very crowded, particularly in the tourist high season.

You might consider a small-group tour which costs around €14 per adult.

We also offer a free Berlin street art tour that is self-guided.


FREE THIRD REICH (WW2) TOURS BERLIN

These pay-what-you-wish walking tours concentrate on the Nazi and World War II era of Berlin.

There is currently one company offering regularly scheduled pay-what-you-wish tours.

As we mentioned earlier, if you are considering either the Berlin Pass or the Welcome Card All-Inclusive, you already have a completely free tour included in both passes.

Top Attractions on the Third Reich Tour

  • Reichstag
  • Brandenburg Gate
  • Unter den Linden
  • Holocaust Memorial (Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe)
  • Sinti Memorial
  • Ministry of Propaganda
  • The Topography of Terror
  • Memorial to Soviet Soldiers
  • Bebelplatz (Location of the Book Burnings)
  • Monument to Homosexuals Persecuted under National Socialism
  • Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral)
  • The Location of Hitler's Bunker

Small-Group Tours

And as with most free tours, this tour can get very crowded, particularly in the tourist high season.

You might consider a small-group tour which costs around €14 per adult.


Self-Guided Exploration Games

These games are an excellent alternative to tours, allowing you to solve a mystery using clues that will take you to some of the most notable WW2 landmarks in the city.

Berlin War Tour

Although this game isn't free, at under €10, the price is about what most people would tip their guide during a pay-what-you-wish walking tour.


Related Posts:


COLD WAR (GDR) TOURS BERLIN

These pay-what-you-wish walking tours concentrate on Berlin's GDR era, Soviet rule, and the Cold War.

Many are led by single tour guides who promote their tours in various locations.

DDR Museum Berlin

It's best to consult our calendar above for the most up-to-date schedule.

As we mentioned earlier, if you are considering either the Berlin Pass or the Welcome Card All-Inclusive, you already have a completely free tour included in both passes.


Top Attractions on the Cold War Tour


Small-Group Tours

And as with most free tours, this tour can get very crowded, particularly in the tourist high season. You might consider a small-group tour which costs around €14 per adult.


Self-Guided Exploration Games

If you're looking for an interesting way to discover East Berlin or learn the history of the Cold War, there are two games available that allow you to solve a mystery using clues from around the city.

These outings are not free, but at €10 or less, they cost about as much as you might tip your guide for a pay-what-you-wish walking tour.


Related Posts:


FREE TOURS WITH TOURIST PASSES

If you are considering purchasing one of the tourist attraction discount passes in Berlin, then keep in mind that they already include free walking tours (not pay-what-you-wish) with small groups.

These passes work by bundling together entry fees for popular tours and attractions and can save you up to 50% off the retail prices.


Walking Tours Included in Each Pass

Both the Berlin Pass and the Berlin Welcome Card All-Inclusive include the following free tours

  • Berlin Orientation
  • Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp
  • Potsdam

The Berlin Pass also includes the following:

  • Cold War Berlin
  • Third Reich Berlin
  • Street Art and Graffiti
  • Queer Berlin
  • Jewish Berlin

In addition to free walking tours, these passes also include bike and bus tours as well as boat cruises, not to mention numerous attractions.

Learn more about how you could save money with a tourist pass.


OTHER TYPES OF TOURS

In addition to walking tours, there are other ways to explore Berlin - by bus, boat, bike & more.

And much, much more

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