This shore excursion is our flagship experience, and is designed to show you the very best of Berlin in the time that you have ashore. The German capital’s recent history is tumultuous and complex, and now the city boasts one of the richest and diverse cultural scenes in Europe. On this tour you can sit back, stress free, and have one of our expert guides give you the inside track on one of the most exciting cities on the planet.
You will be greeted in front of your cruise ship as soon as it docks and shown to a modern, comfortable and air-conditioned bus. Your professional driver will then transfer you through the picturesque flatlands of former East Germany to Berlin. The journey takes roughly three hours.
When you reach the city you will be met at the stunning Schloss Charlottenburg by a professional English speaking tour guide. We will take this opportunity to get off the bus for you to stretch your legs and take in an introduction to the city that will set you up for the rest of the day. You will then once more board the bus and drive through the heart of former West Berlin, heading along the Kurfürstendamm and passing the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church – the ruined spire standing as a testament to the devastation caused by Allied bombing raids in World War II.
Driving via the Tiergarten and the stunning Victory Column, you will then make your way toward the historical city centre in the former East. You will see the Reichstag, burned down after Hitler’s rise to power and now a bold symbol of modern German democracy and pass through the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin’s most iconic landmark. You will then journey through the iconic concrete stelae of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe before visiting the site of Hitler’s Bunker, where history’s most notorious criminal committed suicide.
After a short lunch break we drive toward the UNESCO-listed Museum Island, via the Nikolaiviertel, Alexanderplatz and the Television Tower, and down Unter den Linden to marvel at the splendour of two of Berlin’s most beautiful squares: Bebelplatz and Gendarmenmarkt. Next we cross the border at Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous crossing point over the Berlin Wall and frontier of the Cold War. Finally we spend some time walking in the shadow of a remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall – the Cold War’s most brutal symbol.
Your guide will provide an in-depth historical and cultural commentary on all the sites visited, and then accompany you back to the Schloss Charlottenburg at the end of the Berlin portion of the tour. You will then be driven back to port.
All of our shore excursions are adjusted to each ship’s docking times and each starts promptly after your vessel’s arrival, returning with plenty of time to spare before its departure. We have been organizing shore excursions for nearly a decade and have never missed a cruise ship’s departure.
Sights include: Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Holocaust Memorial, Site of Hitler’s Bunker, Museum Island, Charlottenburg Palace, Gendarmenmarkt, Bebelplatz, Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Tiergarten, Victory Column, Kurfürstendamm, Alexanderplatz, TV Tower, Unter den Linden, Former Nazi Government Quarter and much more…
The tour begins with a pickup directly at your ship’s docking port. You will be escorted to a modern, air-conditioned bus and driven to Berlin – the journey takes roughly 3 hours.
Arriving at the palace you will be met by your professional, English-speaking tour guide who will take you off the bus to give you an introduction to Berlin and the tour, and an opportunity to stretch your legs.
Driving through the former British Sector, you will then cruise down the Kurfürstendamm – Berlin’s Champs-Élysées.
Next we witness the devastation caused by US and British bombing raids during WWII as you drive past the preserved ruins of this late 19th-century church.
You will then be driven through the lush greenery of Berlin's vast central park.
Make sure to have your camera ready to catch the sun glinting on the golden angel Victoria, goddess of victory, as you circle around Prussia's emphatic monument to its triumphs in the Wars of Unification.
When we reach the German parliament building – burned down after Hitler’s rise to power, now a bold symbol of modern German democracy – we will exit the bus and spend the next portion of the tour on foot.
Take a moment to pay tribute to those persecuted as Gypsies under Nazism.
Next we walk through the gateways of Berlin's most iconic monument and find out what makes the Gate the most important cultural monument in Germany.
After we leave Pariser Platz plenty of time will be taken to journey through the iconic field of concrete blocks, and bear witness the atrocities of National Socialism.
A short walk takes us to the site of the bunker where history's most notorious criminal committed suicide at the end of WWII.
We will take a short lunch break of roughly 45 minutes. This will not be a sit-down meal. You will stop somewhere with plenty of quick food options and access to bathrooms.
Back on the bus we’ll drive past the oldest district in Berlin.
Next we pass the second tallest building in Europe, built as a symbol of the East German state’s power and modernity in 1969.
Pass by the heart of pre-WWII Berlin and see the Old and New Town Halls and the Church of St. Mary.
Next we stop to marvel at the stunning structures and imperial splendor of this UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site. See the Old Museum, the Berlin City Palace, the Berlin Cathedral and more.
Back on the bus you will cruise down Berlin's most important historical boulevard – the city’s royal mile.
Exiting the bus once more we will then head into the heart of one Berlin’s stunning squares to visit the site of the Nazi Book Burning that took place on the 10th May 1933.
Next we drive on to bathe in the architectural splendor of Berlin's most beautiful square. See the French and German Domes and the Concert House.
Next you will have the chance to cross between East and West at the most famous border crossing point over the Berlin Wall, frontline of the Cold War, where spies roamed and US and Soviet tanks faced off in 1961.
At our last stop you will see the dark heart of Nazi Germany at the former headquarters of the SS and Gestapo and come face-to-face with the Cold War's most brutal symbol: The Berlin Wall. Time will be taken here to use the bathrooms before you board the bus for the last time.
On the way back to the Charlottenburg Palace you will be driven through the heart of modern Berlin, all constructed since 2001.
We then end the Berlin portion of the tour back at the Charlottenburg Palace. Your guide will leave you at this point and you will be driven back to port.
The tour finishes back at port in plenty of time for your ship’s departure.
Starting times in the 2024 season:
Sunday, September 8, 2024 7 : 00 - Norwegian Dawn
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 7 : 30 - Oceania Sirena
Thursday, September 19, 2024 7:30 - Norwegian Dawn and Oceania Sirena
Friday, September 20, 2024 8:30 - Oceania Sirena
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 7 : 30 - ms Rotterdam
Friday, October 4, 2024 7 : 30 - Oceania Sirena
Tuesday, October 15, 2024 6 : 30 - Norwegian Star
Cancellation policy:
- For groups of 1-6 people: free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.
- For groups of 7+ people: free cancellation up to up to 7 days ahead. From 6 days in advance to 24 hours in advance, a 50% fee will apply. /unless cancellation is due to the ship's itinerary change, in which case it can be done free of charge up to 48 hours ahead
- Cancellations less than 24 hours ahead or no-shows result in no refund.
Shared bus transfer from and to the shore, and your own private vehicle and guide in Berlin.
What makes Denmark the happiest nation on earth? Find out on our shore excursion of Copenhagen! Our expert team has led thousands of passengers through the city and never missed a departure!
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