This post compares the various Berlin hop-on hop-off bus tours available in the city.
These are the double-decker, open-top bus tours offered by different companies with their own city sightseeing buses circling the city along a particular route all day long.
There are designated stops and riders can use their ticket to jump off the bus at any stop and get back on at the same or a different bus stop.
ROUTES
Most companies offer a few different routes and you can buy a ticket for one route, two routes, or however many they sell as a combined ticket.
But all include a basic route with the following stops:
- Brandenbrug Gate
- Reichstag Building
- TV Tower
- Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
- Victory Column
- Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
- Checkpoint Charlie
- Museum Island
- Berlin Cathedral
- Potsdamer Platz
The second route usually includes spots on the eastern side of the Spree River, including the East Side Gallery, Ostbahnhof, and the neighborhood of Friedrichschein.
All offer a River Spree boat cruise in some ticket types.
Before buying a Ho/Ho tour ticket, you should note that many of these companies' tours are included in the various tourist passes.
Our post Which is the Best Berlin Tourist Pass? can help you decide if getting a pass is the right thing for you.
A hop-on-hop-off Berlin bus tour will take approximately 2 hours if you constantly stay on the bus from the starting point to the finishing stop.
Prices may vary as per your choice of how many days of tour you want to have.
For a one-day hop-on-hop-off Berlin bus tour, the cost per adult is around €30-€47 and per child is €12-€20.
There are a few companies to choose from, and each offers something slightly different.
I've listed the companies in order of the quality of their online reviews.
Big Bus Tours
If you’re looking for a reliable hop-on-hop-off tour company, few are more popular and well-known than this international company.
Big Bus Tours in my opinion has the best overall online reviews, averaging at least 4 out of 5 stars on Google and TripAdvisor (a bit lower on Trustpilot).
The other companies mentioned below aren't even close.
There are currently 2 routes: 1 red route with 17 stops and the other recently added blue route with 4 stops.
Click here or on the map to enlarge it.
Guests can expect to visit Berlin's top attractions such as Potsdamer Platz, Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, Victory Column, and more.
If you complete the routes without getting off (other than to switch routes), this city sightseeing Berlin tour will take a total of 2 hours to complete.
That said, each ticket is valid for an entire day, so you can hop on and off at your leisure from 9:20 a.m. to 16:40 (4:40 p.m.).
No matter where you decide to hop off, you can expect another bus to come around again within 15-20 minutes on average.
This hop-on-hop-off tour is available for either 1 or 2 days. Depending on your purchase ticket, you may also be admitted to additional activities.
There is a Big Bus Tours Mobile App that will let you know about all the stops and locations of active buses.
TICKET PRICES:
NOTE: If you are considering purchasing the Berlin WelcomeCard, note that the Disover, Essential, and Explore ticket options are included at 25% off the prices below.
Discover Ticket | 24-Hour Hop-on-Hop-off Tour
- €29/Adults | €16/Children
- Includes a free currywurst.
Essential Ticket | 48-Hour Hop-on-Hop-off Tour
- €37/Adults | €19/Children
- Includes everything from the Discover Ticket
- Also includes a digital and a guided walking tour.
Explore Ticket | 48-Hour Hop-on-Hop-off Tour
- €44/Adult | €22/Child
- Includes everything from the Essential Ticket
- Also includes an evening tour bus tour.
Berlin Evening Tour
- €27/Adult | €18/child
- includes a 75-mins live-guided evening tour
- Explore Berlin at dusk
Purchase tickets or learn more.
Depending on when you visit, the Explore ticket will either include a river cruise or an evening tour. The river cruise is usually offered during the spring and summer.
Tickets can be used anytime within 6 months of purchase, so you can get them well ahead of your vacation without any fear.
CITY SIGHTSEEING BERLIN TOUR
This bus tour company offers the red, double-decker buses that are seen on city streets throughout the world.
This double-decker hop-on-hop-off tour company offers several tour routes you can build into a package.
Several extra features make these tours an excellent choice.
Like with Big Bus Tours, there are two main bus routes, in this case, red and green.
The routes are almost identical to those offered by Big Bus, however, the CitySightseeing extends its green route more north than Big Bus.
With CitySightseeing's green route, you could visit the following extra locations:
- Orianienburger Strasse
- the Hackesche Höfe and the Spandauer Vorstadt
- Berlin Wall Memorial
- Mauerpark (Wall Park)
- Prenzlauer Berg
These extra stops are probably the company's standout feature.
As for the pre-recorded commentary, most people found it informative but average.
They have over 4000 reviews on Get Your Guide with over with a good average ranking.
However, their review profile isn't as good as Big Bus's, averaging just over 3 out of 5 stars on both Tripadvisor and Google.
Consistent complaints deal with long wait times, crowded buses, and malfunctioning or overall poor audio, something that plagues all of the hop-on-hop-off bus companies to varying degrees.
Tour features:
Pre-recorded commentary in several languages on most tours
You'll get a set of headphones at the start of the tour so you can listen in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish, Arabic, Hebrew, Russian, Polish, Chinese, and Japanese.
For these tours, be sure to get on the red buses.
Hours of operation: The first tour departs at 10:00 a.m. and runs every 30 minutes until 4:00 pm.
Ticket prices:
For either of the above tours, you can buy tickets on the bus but if you purchase your tickets online, you will save money.
- 24-Hour Ticket - from €27/Adult | €13/Child
- 48-Hour Ticket - from €29/Adult | €14.50/Child
- Children under 6 years of age are free of charge
- Click here to purchase tickets.
Tip: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before your tour.
TEMPLEHOFER BUS TOURS
You’ll see this company’s all-white double-decker buses circling Berlin all day long, with live guides providing entertaining commentary to the riders.
They cover one route that can be taken as a hop-on-hop-off tour with a ticket that lasts for one day or as a stay-on tour, in which case the whole route takes around 2 hours.
This bus tour is definitely more affordable than the previous two options, often offering discounted tickets.
Part of the reason is its route doesn't include Friedrichschain and the East Side Gallery, nor does it include Prenzlauer Berg and the Berlin Wall Memorial.
As is the case with CitySightseeing, reviewers have a love-hate relationship with this company.
It too suffers from consistent complaints about long wait times, crowded buses, and malfunctioning or overall poor audio, all the more so during peak season.
Hours of operation:
Tours start every day at 09:30 from all stops. The end time is based on the season.
From 01 November to 31 March, city sightseeing buses run until 17:00 (5 pm), every 20-30 minutes (every 15-20 minutes on Saturdays).
Start your tour no later than 14:30 (2:30 pm) to make sure you have time to enjoy the full length of the hop-on-hop-off tour.
Ticket Prices:
(Payment can be made in Euros, Dollars, and Pounds). Bookings are handled through Get Your Guide. These are the prices when you book online:
- from €21/Adult | €19/Children
- from €15/Youth (12-17 yrs)
- from €15/Child (3-11)
- Children under 3 free
- More information or to purchase.
Tip: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before your tour.
CITY CIRCLE SIGHTSEEING
These yellow (and pink) double-decker city sightseeing buses are operated by a local company under the Grayline brand.
They have one bus route that covers all of the main sights that the above mentioned buses cover, including the East Side Gallery and Friedrichschain.
And for €11/child and €20/adult, you could add on a River Spree boat cruise.
Like its competitors, this company has a good overall review profile (read the reviews), but the reviews are mixed, so do take a read.
Tour Features:
Their Discover Berlin route covers the standard tourist sites with 18 stops.
They advertise that buses leave every 10-15 minutes, which is a fairly short interval between buses.
None of their tours have live guides, however, their pre-recorded audio comes in 20 languages.
Exclusive to City Circle is there special audio tour for kids (only in German and English).
Be warned that some of the biggest complaints in reviews are over the poor quality of the audio system.
This company’s hop-on-hop-off tours might be worth it if you are a family with young children since you can purchase a 2-day family ticket for €56 total and cover two adults and three children (14 years and under).
In this case, you would be paying about €11 per person for two days of hopping on and off.
The little ones might also appreciate that the buses offer a children’s audio channel in German and English.
24-Hour Ticket
- €37 - Adult (15 years and up)
- €21 - Child (7–14 years)
- Free - Small Child (0–6 years)
48-Hour Ticket
- €42 - Adult
- €26 - Child
- Free - Small Child
72-Hour Ticket
- €47 - Adult
- €31 - Child
- Free - Small Child
Learn more or book your tickets.
NOTE: This bus tour is included at no extra cost with the All-Inclusive Berlin Welcome Card.
And for €11/child and €20/adult, you could add on a River Spree boat cruise.
DEALS AND COMBO DEALS
This section will provide all the details you need to get a deal either with a tourist pass or a combo package.
Tourist Attraction Passes
Purchasing a tourist pass is a great way to save money on bus tours. In addition, some passes include a metro card which you can use to get around town.
These passes bundle tickets to popular attractions and tours at one low price. You can save up to 55% off the retail prices.
They can also save you time, as many of the tours and attractions offer skip-the-queue privileges to cardholders.
The Berlin Welcome Card
You can use this card to get a free one-day hop-on-hop-off tour from City Circle Sightseeing.
The Berlin Welcome Card is available as either an all-inclusive pass or an a-la-carte option.
This means that you can pay one flat price for many different services or pay for only the activities you want.
Berlin's top attractions include free admission to popular museums, boat tours, and public transport.
Easy City Pass
Rather than offering a bus tour, this pass will give you a travel card that you can use on the subway, bus, tram, and regional train.
In addition to the travel card, you will also receive deals at several popular attractions throughout Berlin.
Receive up to 50% off at dozens of notable attractions, tours, restaurants, and bars.
Combo Packages
The most common combo package available in Berlin is a bus + boat tour.
This deal includes both a hop-on, and hop-off bus tour, and a cruise down the Spree river.
- Adult (15 years and up) 1 Day ticket €44
- Youth 1-day ticket €30
- Students with student ID €37
- Children €19
- Children 0–6 years free
- Day Ticket: €55/Adults | €30/Children (7-14)
- 2-Day Ticket: €60/Adults | €35/Children (7-14)
- 1 or 2-day hop-on, hop-off bus tour
- 1 boat tour on river Spree
In addition to these options, Templehofer tours also provide combos that include Berlin's top attractions such as Madame Tussauds, the Berlin Dungeon, and the German Spy Museum.
POTSDAM BUS TOURS
If you’re considering a day trip to Potsdam, you may want to take a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of the area.
City Sightseeing offers a service that has 12 different stops.
This is a great option for people who are short on time and want to see all of the popular attractions in Potsdam.
Here are some of the historic sites you can see on this tour:
- Sanssouci
- Orangerie
- Alexandrowka
- Cecilienhof Place
- Filmmuseum Potsdam
- The Dutch Quarter
- Marmorpalais
- And More!
Tickets for this hop-on, hop-off tour are very affordable. Your ticket will be valid for use at any time within 3 months of the purchase date.
The tour is offered in a total of 7 different languages.
For more details, make sure to read this Potsdam bus tours post.
ALTERNATIVE BERLIN BUS TOURS
If a hop-on-hop-off tour isn’t your style, you may still want to consider another service.
It’s important to note that most of these alternative bus tours will not allow you to jump off at specific sites and take a look around.
Instead, you can expect to stay on the bus for most of your trip as a professional guide provides information about Berlin.
Ticket prices are usually pretty affordable, and some options even give the hop-on-hop-off companies a run for their money.
You can expect a variety of services including a comedy bus tour, VW bus tour, video bus tour, and even a karaoke bus tour.
If you’re interested in a private outing, you can also get a private bus or limousine tour around the city.
Click here for a full list of alternative Berlin bus tours.
BERLIN 100 AND 200 FREE BUS
For those travelers on a tight budget, Berlin’s public bus routes 100 and 200 are a dream come true.
Both bus routes stop in front of (or within easy walking distance to) many popular sights in central Berlin.
If you don’t mind forgoing live or recorded tourist commentary, you can save big and see lots with this resourceful self-made hop-on-hop-off bus tour.
You will need a regularly priced bus ticket.
A single ticket for zones A&B costs €3.70 (€2.20 concession) and is good for 2 hours from the time you purchased it.
However, these single tickets allow you to travel only one way.
This means that, even if your trip lasts less than 2 hours, you will need to buy another single ticket to go back in the other direction, if you need to (unless you have a daily/weekly travel pass).
Since you are probably spending all day sightseeing, it might be worth getting a day ticket for €11.20 (€7.40 concession) for zones A + B.
See our post, Tips on Public Transportation in Berlin, to find out about fare options available.
Click here for an interactive map.
Both the 100 and 200 buses depart from the Zoologischer Garten station approximately every 10 minutes (though you could also start this tour from Alexander Platz and do the tour in reverse order).
Both buses follow the same route at first, passing by Breitscheidsplatz where what’s left of the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche (Memorial Church), serves as a reminder of the destruction caused by World War II.
Shortly thereafter, the buses part ways and continue along different routes.
Bus 100 goes through Tiergarten Park, while Bus 200 travels along the park's southern edge and past the kurfürstendamm and Potsdamer Platz.
They converge again near Alexanderplatz.
They both travel past many places you will want to see, such as Gendarmenmarkt, Museum Island, the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral), and many other attractions.
The 100 bus terminates at Alexanderplatz. The entire journey takes approximately 30 minutes if you don't get off.
Bus 200 has a stop at Alexanderplatz but does not terminate there.
The 200 continues another 15 minutes on the border between the Prenzlauer Berg and Friedrichschain neighborhoods and what used to be communist East Berlin and then terminates at Michael Angelostraße.
Tips From Locals and Travelers
While we do our best to remain unbiased, it's always a good idea to get a variety of perspectives before deciding whether or not to take any tour.
That's why we also have a Facebook Group called Berlin Travel Tips, where you can see the opinions of over 40,000 members.
Our group consists of locals, like us tour guides, who moderate the group, expats, regular visitors, as well as newbies to Berlin.
You don't need to join the group in order to search for and read the posts, comments, and suggestions on all things Berlin travel related.
Here are some of the thoughts our group members have shared about hop-on hop-off bus tours in the past:
As you can see, it's actually quite common for someone to ask whether or not Berlin bus tours are worth the price, because there is a bus line that many consider to be just as good.
That said, a lot of people still recommend taking a hop-on hop-off tour, insisting it's a great way to become familiar with the city and find all the best attractions with ease.
It seems that most people who do suggest a hop-on hop-off Berlin tour insist that it's good for first time visitors, but if you're already familiar with the city, the public bus might be a better option.
Whether it's to save some money or simply because you already know your way around the city, a lot of our group members do recommend using the 100 and 200 bus lines to see the best attractions in Berlin.
For more advice, or to ask your own question about Berlin bus tours, please visit our Berlin Travel Tips group on Facebook.
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