This tour is designed to show you the very best of the German capital in comfort and luxury, and on your own terms.
You will be greeted in front of your cruise ship as soon as it docks and shown to your own private vehicle with a professional driver. You will then be driven through the picturesque flatlands of former East Germany to Berlin.
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 out of the vehicle 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 get back into your vehicle 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.
If there is somewhere you’d like to go, or somewhere special you’d like to eat, just let us know – this tour is tailored to you, and we can adjust the itinerary to your wishes.
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… If you have somewhere you would like to go, just tell us – we can adjust the itinerary to your wishes.
The tour begins with a pickup directly at your ship’s docking port. You will be escorted to your own, private vehicle and be driven in comfort and luxury to Berlin – the journey takes roughly 3 hours.
Arriving at the palace you will be met by your professional, English-speaking tour guide for an introduction to the city and the tour.
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 vehicle 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 lunch break of approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. If you would like to have a sit-down meal your guide can arrange this. Alternatively can stop somewhere with plenty of quick food options and access to bathrooms.
Back in your vehicle 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 in the vehicle you will cruise down Berlin's most important historical boulevard – the city’s royal mile.
Exiting the vehicle 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 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.
The provided prices include the following vehicles:
For a group of 1-2 people: Mercedes E-Class or similar
For a group of 3-7 people: Ford Transit, Mercedes Viano, V-Class or similar
For a group of 8-16 people: a 16-seater mini-bus
For larger groups: a 48-seater coach with a restroom
*should you have any special vehicle requirements, please contact us via email prior to booking.
You will be picked up directly in front of your cruise ship.
Tour times are adjusted to your ship’s docking times. In the event of heavy traffic, road blockages, special events, or unforeseen circumstances the tour itinerary may be subject to change. We cannot take responsibility for such incidents and refunds will not be provided.
At the end of the tour you will be dropped off back at your cruise ship.
Cancellation policy:
- For groups of 1-6 people: free cancellation up to 48 hours in advance.
- For groups of 7+ people: free cancellation up to up to 7 days ahead. From 6 days in advance to 48 hours in advance, a 50% fee will apply.
- Cancellations less than 48 hours ahead or no-shows result in no refund.
Set off on an exciting shore excursion to the heart of Berlin. Explore the German capital with a professional, local guide, seeing the very best the city has to offer before returning to port with plenty of time before your ship’s departure.
Shared bus transfer from and to the shore, and your own private vehicle and guide in Berlin.
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