Only have one day in Berlin? Make the most of your flying visit by following one of these itineraries! I’ve provided THREE different itineraries, so even if you’ve been to Berlin before I’ve got you covered.
This post contains affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links. You can read our full affiliate disclosure here.
With a sprawling footprint of about 892 square kilometers and a rich history dating back to the 13th century, it’s safe to say that one day in Berlin is NOT enough time to see and do everything the city has to offer.
However, speaking as someone who has lived in Berlin since 2019, trust me when I say that you can see a lot of the top attractions in a single day — so long as you’re willing to follow a strict itinerary and make some tough decisions when deciding what to do.
This guide includes three separate 1-day Berlin itineraries (the city center, the former East, or the ritzy West). If you’ve been to Berlin before or wanted a local’s recommendations on what to see beyond the Brandenburg Gate, I wanted to make sure you had options.
Tip: If possible, spend the night in Berlin and follow one of these itineraries beginning on the morning you wake up in the city. If you’re taking the train to and from Berlin and are making it a true day trip, try to arrive no later than 9am so you can enjoy a full day here.
Table of Contents
Click “show” to see the full table of contents for this post. You can jump around the post as desired by clicking on the individual sections listed below.
1-Day Berlin Itinerary (Three Options) show
Getting Around Berlin – What Ticket to Buy
Each of these one-day itineraries keep you within the AB Zone of Berlin. Make your life easy and purchase a 24-hour AB Zone public transportation ticket at one of the ticket machines.
The machines are clearly labeled and can be found in an U-Bahn or S-Bahn station. You might see ticket machines at the central station (Hauptbahnhof) with both the red Deutsche Bahn “DB” emblem and the green “S-Bahn Berlin” emblem. So long as the machine says it sells “VBB-Fahrkarten,” it should sell 24-hour tickets.
A 24-hour AB Zone ticket costs 9.90 Euros.
Map for Each Itinerary
The map below is color-coded to differentiate between itineraries 1, 2, and 3. If you open up the map, I’ve listed each attraction in order that it appears on the itinerary.
Itinerary 1: Berlin’s Top Attractions (Best for First-Timers)
If you’ve never been to Berlin before, I suggest staying mostly in the Mitte neighborhood. This is where the city’s top attractions are located and, yes, it’s a more touristy area.
However, these sites are touristy for a reason! You’ll see some Cold War sites, some WWII sites, and squeeze in some good views, to boot.
Stop 1: Reichstag
Time needed: 90 minutes
You’ll be kicking off your day in Berlin at the Reichstag, which is the seat of the German Bundestag (parliament). The Reichstag is a 5-minute subway journey from the central train station (remember to buy that 24-hour AB zone ticket first!).
Entrance to the Reichstag is free, but for security reasons you’ll have to register in advance to receive a timed ticket. Be sure to bring your passport with you as well or else you won’t be allowed in.
A visit to the Reichstag includes a self-guided audio tour of the magnificent glass dome — from which you’ll also get an incredible view of the city center! The original dome was destroyed in the Reichstag Fire of 1933 (you can thank the Nazis for that), and was rebuilt in the 1990s following the reunification of Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Step 2: Brandenburg Gate
Time needed: 15 minutes
You can’t visit Berlin and miss the Brandenburg Gate! The gate was completed in 1791 and was originally intended to impress visitors entering the elegant boulevard Unter den Linden on their way to the royal palace.
You might recognize the Brandenburg Gate as the backdrop for US President Ronald Regan’s famous 1987 speech, during which he proclaimed, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
Stop 3: Museum to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Time needed: 20 minutes
A few blocks down the street from the Brandenburg Gate is one of the most sobering — and important — memorials in all of Germany. 2,711 concrete slabs spanning 19,000 square meters commemorate the millions of Jews who were murdered by the Nazis.
Please note that you may walk amongst the concrete slabs as a means of encouraging reflection, but you may not stand or sit on them.
Stop 4: Unter den Linden
Time needed: 1 hour
Return to the Brandenburg Gate, pass through it, and begin your stroll down Berlin’s best-known boulevard. Unter den Linden once connected the royal hunting grounds (the Tiergarten) with the royal palace (now Museum Island).
Along the 1.5-kilometer walk from the Brandenburg Gate towards the Cathedral (Berliner Dom), you’ll see the following:
- The public library (Staatsbibliothek) — you can’t enter without a library card, sadly.
- Bebelplatz — go to the center of the square and look down through the inset window to see the memorial to the Nazi book burnings.
- Humboldt University — directly across from Bebelplatz. Again, you can’t go in but the building is gorgeous and worth snapping a photo of.
- Royal Opera House (Staatsoper) — If you’re spending the night in Berlin, try to score tickets to an opera at this historic venue.
- Neue Wache — it’s free to enter; inside is a memorial to the victims of war and dictatorship.
- German History Museum — the bubblegum pink building was once the former arsenal building. Entrance to the museum is free and I highly recommend it, BUT you won’t have time to go through the exhibits if you’re only in Berlin for one day. Note that there’s a fantastic art market by the German History Museum that takes place every Saturday and Sunday.
Stop 5: Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom)
Time needed: 1 hour to 90 minutes
Don’t be fooled by the opulent design of the Berlin Cathedral — it’s a Protestant church, not a Catholic one!
The 10 Euro entry fee includes a visit to the nave, access to the Hohenzollern crypt (closed for renovations until spring 2025), an exhibit on the first floor detailing the architectural plans on the church, and yet another STUNNING view of Berlin from the top of the dome.
The climb up to the dome and the view from the top is something I do with every friend and family member who visits me in Berlin. It’s absolutely worth the money!
The Berlin Cathedral sits on Museum Island, and it’s both cheaper and requires less time to visit than even just one of the museums in the area. That’s what I suggest going into the Cathedral rather than spending 2 to 4 hours in one of the museums, but you may adjust this itinerary to your particular tastes if desired.
Stop 6: Museum Island
Time needed: 45 minutes (if just walking around)
Museum Island is a UNESCO World Heritage site made up of five world-class museums, each more beautiful than the next. Since you’re in Berlin for just one day, I don’t recommend entering any of the museums on Museum Island. With that being said, you should definitely still walk around the island and take in the architecture.
If you make adjustments to this itinerary or are dead set on visiting one of the museums, I suggest the Alte Nationalgalerie (paintings and sculptures from the Romantic to Neoclassical periods) or the Altes Museum (the first ever public museum in Berlin, now housing the collection of classical antiquities).
Set an alarm and give yourself 2 hours to see as much as you can in whatever museum you pick, then keep exploring Berlin!
Stop 7: Alexanderplatz
Time needed: 1 hour to 90 minutes (more, if ascending the TV tower)
As the former center of East Berlin during the Cold War era, there’s quite a bit to do and see around Alexanderplatz, but the main attractions I recommend are:
- World Clock — shows the 24 time zones of the world are represented on the clock. When the Soviets originally commissioned the clock, a few of the time zones were listed incorrectly!
- Rotes Rathaus (Red Town Hall) — Berlin’s city hall. You can visit for free from Monday to Friday between 9am and 6pm.
- St. Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church) — pop inside to see the 15th century fresco titled the “Dance of Death.” It’s located just beyond the front doors.
Alexanderplatz is one of the busiest transit stations in the city. From here you can travel pretty much anywhere in the city. The subway ride back to the central train station takes 6 minutes. If you have enough time for dinner, take the S-Bahn to Hackescher Markt to get something to eat in that area.
Itinerary 2: East Berlin Cold War Sites
The area east of the Brandenburg Gate was formerly East Berlin, with Alexanderplatz at its center. There are many important Cold War sites located in the former East, and — surprise! — you can’t see them all in a single day.
However, this one-day itinerary takes you to some of the most important Cold War sites as well as the parts of Berlin that locals adore today. The East (especially the Prenzlauer Berg and Friedrichshain neighborhoods) is one of the most popular areas to live in and there’s lots to do and see!
This itinerary is especially perfect for Sundays since that’s when the Mauerpark flea market is open. However, you can use this itinerary any day of the week!
Stop 1: Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauer Straße
Time needed: 1 hour 30 minutes
From the central train station, take the M10 tram (direction S+U Warschauer Str.) to the “Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer” stop. The journey lasts about 10 minutes.
The Berlin Wall Memorial is a 1.4km-long piece of the Berlin Wall with the original border strip still intact. There are open-air exhibits onsite that detail the history of the Berlin Wall and stories relating to the residents who lived along Bernauer Straße.
After working your way through the exhibits aboveground, head into the Nordbahnhof underground station to see the free exhibit titled “Border Stations and Ghost Stations in Divided Berlin.” You’ll learn about the history of the Nordbahnhof train station, including the stories of East Berliners who tried to flee to the West via the train tunnels and the measures taken by the GDR government to prevent such escape attempts.
Stop 2: Mauerpark
Time needed: 45 minutes to 90 minutes (take your time on Sundays; there’s a flea market and karaoke)
A 15-minute walk down the street from the Berlin Wall Memorial is Mauerpark (“Wall Park”). From 1961 to 1989, Berlin’s hippest park served as a border strip for the Berlin Wall – a no man’s land where anyone trying to flee could be shot on sight.
Mauerpark is no beauty, but it’s one of the most popular gathering spots in the former East. On Sundays, there’s a large flea market-slash-arts and crafts fair from 10am until 6pm.
If you’re visiting on another day of the week, wander around the park to get a feel for the place. There are Spätis (convenience stores) nearby where you can grab a drink or snack to enjoy on the grassy hill in the park. How very Berlin of you!
From 3pm onwards (give or take), locals gather to sing karaoke at the stone amphitheater in Mauerpark. If singing karaoke in front of a crowd isn’t for you, grab a drink or snack from one of the food trucks at the flea market and claim a spot to cheer on the singers.
This itinerary has you arriving at Mauerpark in the morning, so you’ll likely miss the karaoke. But I wanted to mention it should you want to shuffle things around!
Stop 3: Museum in der KulturBrauerei
Time needed: 1 hour 30 minutes
After exploring Mauerpark, walk or take the tram to the KulturBrauerei (“Cultural Brewery”). It’s a sprawling complex located within a former brewery; there are clubs, a grocery store, a movie theater, and a museum here.
On Sundays, food trucks line up to serve a variety of street foods. In the winter, the Lucia Christmas Market takes place here.
I highly recommend visiting the creatively named “Museum in der KulturBrauerei.” It’s a small but informative museum that provides an overview of everyday life in the GDR. There are lots of original objects on display, including a Trabant car (produced by the East German government and considered to be one of the worst cars of all time).
The museum is free to enter and is just as good as the more touristy (and more expensive) museums in the city center with exhibits on East Germany.
Stop 4: Kollwitzplatz
Time needed: 1 hour (lunch break!)
Kollwitzplatz is located in the heart of Kollwitzkiez, a popular residential neighborhood that’s known for its beautiful architecture and weekly markets.
On Thursdays beginning at noon, there’s an “Eco-Market” with roughly 50 stalls selling fresh fruit, vegetables, cheeses, meats, and handmade products. A larger market opens on Saturdays from 9am to 5pm, and in addition to the usual selection of fresh produce, meats, and cheeses, you can also purchase ready-made drinks and meals, fresh pasta, oils, and more.
Kollwitzplatz is one of the prettiest squares in Berlin; if you’re visiting on a Thursday or Saturday, I suggest fueling up at the market (bring cash!). Otherwise there are lots of cafes in this area. I suggest:
- Grindhouse Burgers (Kollwitzstraße 50) — great burgers and fries
- 44Brekkie (Rykestraße 44) — popular place for egg drop sandwiches
- ABC Allans Breakfast Club & Wine Bar (Rykestraße 13) — one of my favorite brunch spots in the city
- Café Anna Blume (Kollwitzstraße 83) — cozy spot for basics like soups, salads, and eggs. This is also a good place to come if you just need a slice of cake and a cup of caffeine.
Stop 5: Wasserturm (Water Tower)
Time needed: 30 minutes
Around the corner from Kollwitzplatz is an equally lovely square, with a dark history.
The stunning 19th century brick water tower was shut down in 1914 and later served as a soup kitchen, a fish processing site, and in 1933 the storage facilities and engine rooms served as a “wild concentration camp” to intern and murder Communists, Jews, and anyone else the Nazi Party deemed “undesirable.” Today the water tower serves as a residential building.
Take a walk around the water tower; there’s a man-made hill in the center of the square. In the summer, it’s bursting with roses and there’s a nice view of the immediate area from the top.
Stop 6: East Side Gallery
Time needed: 45 minutes
The East Side Gallery is the longest continuous section of the Berlin Wall in existence. Once the Berlin Wall fell, a group of 118 artists painted this section of the wall and within a year it was listed as a protected memorial site.
At 1.3 kilometers, it’s now the longest open-air gallery in the world, and the artwork is continually being repainted to preserve it for future generations.
To reach the East Side Gallery from the Water Tower, walk to Prenzlauer Allee and hop on the M2 tram (direction S+U Alexanderplatz). Transfer to S-Bahn lines 3, 5, 7, or 9 and get off at the Ostbahnhof Station. The East Side Gallery runs along Mühlenstraße.
Stop 7: Oberbaumbrücke (Oberbaum Bridge)
Time needed: 10 minutes
Once you reach the end of the East Side Gallery, you can’t miss the imposing double-decker, red brick bridge crossing the Spree River — that’s the Oberbaumbrücke (Oberbaum Bridge). You’re going to cross the bridge, and in doing so you’ll be leaving the former East behind you and you’ll be entering what was once West Berlin.
When you’re halfway across the bridge, stop to take a photo of the Berlin skyline along the Spree River. This is one of my favorite views in the city!
Stop 8: Markthalle Neun
Time needed: 1 hour to 90 minutes
After you cross over the Oberbaumbrücke, walk the 15ish minutes down Skalitzer Straße and across Wrangelstraße to reach Markthalle Neun. It’s the final stop of this Berlin one-day itinerary and where I suggest grabbing some dinner.
Once upon a time, Berlin had 14 large market halls — now there are only a handful that have survived, with Markthalle Neun (“Market Hall Nine”) being the most popular. The market is packed with vendors selling everything from bbq to spätzle (German mac and cheese, kind of), pizza, and more.
Weekly events to know in advance include Street Food Thursdays which occur every Thursday night, and the weekly market on Fridays and Saturdays.
If you need to catch an evening train, give yourself around 40 minutes to return to the central train station. I suggest taking the U3 or U1 subway lines from Görlitzer Straße; then, change to the S-Bahn line 3, 5, 7, or 9 and ride all the way back to the central station.
If you’ll be spending the night in Berlin and aren’t ready to go back to your hotel, I suggest heading to Holzmarkt 25. It’s a unique hangout spot where you can buy inexpensive drinks and enjoy riverside views in the open air. If you’re traveling with kids, don’t take them here 🙂
Itinerary 3: West Berlin
Following WWII, West Berlin was occupied by the French, American, and British. More money went into rebuilding this area, and as such it’s one of the prettier parts of the city.
This itinerary takes you to some of Berlin’s most luxurious destinations, including a grand shopping boulevard and a former royal palace.
Stop 1: Victory Column (Siegessäule)
Time needed: 1 hour
You’ll be kicking off your 24 hours in Berlin with a truly epic view of the Brandenburg Gate and the surrounding Tiergarten. The Siegessäule is an unconventional place to start a day in Berlin, but we’ve got to make the most out of the time you’ve got!
To reach the Victory Column, ride the S-Bahn from the central train station to the Bellevue station. From there, you can walk through the outskirts of the Tiergarten towards the Victory Column. Along the way, you’ll pass by the teahouse in the English garden (it’s not authentic, but it’s especially pretty in the spring and summer!).
The Victory Column opens at 9:30am and costs 4 Euros. You’ll get to see the intricate murals decorating the base of the column up close and personal as you make your way up to the primary viewing platform.
Stop 2: Tiergarten
Time needed: 1 hour
The Tiergarten is Berlin’s sprawling central park. It’s filled with open green spaces, manicured gardens, statues, and more. It originally served as the royal hunting ground for King Friedrich III and was opened to the public in the 1830s.
You can’t see all of the Tiergarten during your visit, but I suggest walking from the Victory Column to the S-Tiergarten subway station. If you walk to the station directly along the road, it will take about 20 minutes.
However, I recommend meandering into the park a bit while still heading roughly in the direction of the S-Tiergarten station. This way, you can enjoy more of the park itself and not just see it from the road.
Tip: If you’re visiting Berlin on Saturday or Sunday, check out the flea market on 17. Juni Straße once you arrive at the S-Tiergarten station. It’s the oldest flea market in the city and is my personal favorite.
Stop 3: Savignyplatz
Time needed: 90 minutes (lunch break!)
Savignyplatz is one of the prettiest squares in Charlottenburg, Berlin’s ritziest neighborhood.
I suggest eating lunch in this area; there are lots of cafes and restaurants here, and neighboring Kantstraße is known for its plethora of Asian restaurants (Berlin has large Thai and Vietnamese communities, and Kantstraße is a good place to try either cuisine).
My top lunch recommendations around Savignyplatz are:
- Dicke Wirtin (Carmerstraße 9) — comforting German fare.
- Zeit für Brot (Savignyplatz 9) — a beloved local bakery chain that sells light bites like sandwiches. Treat yourself to one of their cinnamon buns; they are to die for!
- A Never Ending Love Story (Kantstraße 25) — popular brunch spot. You’ll have to fight locals for a table. Everything I’ve tried here has been great.
- Saigon Green (Kantstraße 23) — a no-frills Vietnamese restaurant. Order a plate for yourself or split Vietnamese-style tapas to try lots of different dishes. This place is cash only.
Stop 4: Kurfürstendamm
Time needed: 45 minutes (longer if you actually do some window shopping)
To reach the Kurfürstendamm from Savignyplatz, walk south along Bleibtreustraße and then turn left on Kurfüstendamm and walk straight until you reach Wittenbergplatz.
Known as the Ku’damm to locals, this shopping boulevard gives you a taste of pre-war Berlin. At one end of the Ku’damm, you’ll find luxury stores like Louis Vuitton and Hermés, but as you get closer to Wittenbergplatz you’ll pass more affordable chain stores like Uniqlo, Muji, & Other Stories, Zara, and more.
Keep an eye out for the ruins of the Kaiser-Wilhelm Memorial Church. The main spire and roof were badly damaged in WWII and the church was never fully rebuilt. Today it serves as a memorial against war. In December, there’s a nice Christmas market on the square in front of the church.
Near Wittenbergplatz, you’ll pass the now-bankrupt Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe). It was founded in the early 1900’s and is the second-largest department store in the world – visit it while you still can!
Stop 5: Charlottenburg Palace
Time needed: 3 hours
From Wittenbergplatz, take the U2 (direction Theodore-Heuss Platz) to Sophie-Charlotte Platz, then walk 15 minutes up Schloßstraße until you reach Charlottenburg Palace. Trust me, you can’t miss it!
Charlottenburg Palace was built in 1699 as a summer residence for Queen Sophie Charlotte. It’s the largest palace in Berlin, and is one of my personal favorite attractions in the city.
During your self-guided tour of the palace, you’ll see the 18th century porcelain cabinet, the rococo ballroom known as the Golden Gallery, the Baroque parade rooms, and more.
Some key things to keep in mind when planning your day in Berlin: Charlottenburg Palace closes at 5:30pm (4:30pm November to March) BUT the gardens and park remain open until sunset.
You don’t need a ticket to visit the grounds, so I suggest touring the main part of the palace — you likely won’t have enough time to tour the New Pavilion, sorry! — and then walking around the formal gardens before heading back to the central train station.
If you need food before heading back to the train station, Schloßstraße has some good options and is right by the palace.
To get back to the central train station, you can either take the bus to Jungfernheide station and catch a regional train to the main train station (you can ride an RE train using your AB zone ticket!) OR take the bus to the S-Charlottenburg station and then ride the S-Bahn to the main train station from there. Give yourself 35 minutes either way, just to be safe.
Have More Than 1 Day in Berlin?
If you have more than one day in Berlin, check out my detailed 3-Day Berlin Itinerary for my suggestions on what to do and see during your stay.
FAQs About Visiting Berlin
Is 1 day enough time in Berlin?
Nope! Ideally you’d have at least five full days in Berlin to see the sights and possibly take a day trip to see more of the area. If you’re only in Berlin for 24 hours, make as many reservations in advance as possible, come armed with an itinerary, and take advantage of public transportation when you can to maximize what little time you have!
What’s the best place to stay in Berlin?
If you’re only in the city for a day, it doesn’t make sense to book a hotel far from the central train station. Yes, you’d get a better feel for “local Berlin” but ultimately I think it would be too stressful to visit all the spots on this itinerary, then travel back to wherever you left your luggage, head back to the train station, etc.
As such, I recommend staying near the central station, Friedrichstraße, or Alexanderplatz (both of which are major transportation hubs with quick access to the central station).
My top hotel recommendations are:
- Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz
- B&B Hotel Berlin-Mitte
- Hotel AMANO Grand Central
- Leonardo Hotel Berlin Mitte
- Holiday Inn Express – Alexanderplatz
What’s closed in Berlin on Sundays?
Shops and grocery stores, but everything else remains open! Here’s what to do in Berlin on a Sunday (although you shouldn’t need this list if you’re following one of the provided itineraries).
What’s the best day of the week to visit Berlin?
Weekends are typically the busiest, but that’s also when lots of farmers markets, flea markets, and special events take place. As such, I suggest visiting on a Saturday or Sunday!
Monday’s are the toughest since that’s when more museums, attractions, etc. are closed.
Enjoy Your 24 Hours in Berlin!
I meant to keep this guide short and sweet, but when it comes to planning a trip to Berlin I figured more details were better than not enough! If you have any lingering questions about these one-day itineraries, please leave me a comment below. Have fun in Berlin!
Don’t forget to follow me onInstagramto keep up with my daily adventures in Berlin and beyond!
More Things to Do in Berlin:
- 25+ Truly Unique Things to Do in Berlin
- 20 Great Indoor Activities in Berlin
- The 15 Best Free Museums in Berlin
- All of my Berlin recommendations!
