48 HOURS
In Berlin
Visiting Berlin for a weekend
Our guide on what to do when you have one weekend or 48 hours to visit Berlin. Where to stay and what to do and see in the German capital.
48 Hours in Berlin
The Best Areas to stay in
Getting to your hotel
Getting into the city from either of Berlin’s airports is easy enough. There is public transportation both by bus and train. We suggest getting on the S-Bahn just make sure you get an A-B-C zone ticket as the airports are located in zone C.
If you came by train into any other stations (Hauptbahnhof, and Gesundbrunnen) Jump on the S Bahn with a simple A-B ticket.
There is no need to get a car in Berlin just get to your hotel and your set with public transport.
What to Do in Berlin
Berlin offers so many things to visitors that many people come here with different goals in mind about how to spend their time. We will try to cover some of the most popular things.
History, Highlights & Landmarks
Berlin is filled with history, monuments, art, and amazing buildings. It would take years to see it all but there are some good ways to get a start and some things that everyone wants to see. We would always suggest jumping on an expert tour as you can see the most in the shortest amount of time. An expert guide will not only lead you through the city to the major areas but also point out some amazing history and sights along the way you might have missed. If you are going solo, start in Mitte as you can see the most for the first time there. Here is a list of “some” of the most visited landmarks you should also see.
- Brandenburg Gate
- The Reichstag
- Mesuem Island
- The Berlin Wall Memorial
- East Side Gallery
- Berlin Cathediral
- The T.V. Tower
- Nikolivertil
- Unter Den Linden
Outside of Mitte
Outside of Mitte and the above-mentioned Major landmarks, there is still plenty to see. A trip to Schloss Charlottenburg is a good way to relax and get out of the dense crowds. Visit some beautiful green spaces that we will list below, or find an event that going on in the city. There are hundreds of historic places to see and thousands of museums and memorials. This site the museum portal lists them all. Oh and don’t forget about the food and drink in the city. We will get into that later in the post!
Quick Day Trips
Berlin also offers many quick half-day getaways. You can take a quick trip out to Wannsee or Mugelsee for a swim (Check out our full Berlin Swimming Guide Here) Or head down to the royal city of Potsdam and check out all the castles. A tour would help you see it all quickly, but you can also walk around yourself. You can also head north on a Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial Tour. We don’t know if your 48 hours would allow for any of these but they are all great things to do when visiting Berlin.
Shopping
Berlin offers many unique shopping options. Of course, there are major stores and brands like in other places, but even these places offer a unique experience. Alexanderplatz offers the T.V. Tower as a backdrop to your normal shopping stores. While “Kudam” or Kurfurstendamm is a luxury and window-shoppers dream. Block after block of some of the most well-known brands in the world. Small boutique designers and brand name departments stores line this famous shopping street.
If that sort of shopping is not your thing don’t worry Berlin offers much much more. To find the little markets and local places isn’t hard either. Head over to Prenzlauerberg for some great locally made clothes, jewelry, art, and well everything else. And definitely don’t forget the street markets, we are famous for them. If you are visiting in winter look for Christmas markets. Any other time of the year lookout for the Sunday market at Mauerpark, the Bite Club Street Food Market, and even Markethalle Neun ( one of the last original Berlin markets). But there are also many more have a look at Visitberlin to find out what’s happening during your visit.
What about the food?
Berlin is massive and great food spots are spread out everywhere. So it’s best to keep a lookout around your accommodation and when you’re out exploring. Keep in mind that the Cafe culture here is especially awesome during the summer. Fresh bread and baked goods are everywhere along with great coffee and unique atmospheres. Try out Prenzlauerberg for a hipster coffee feel and Kreuzberg for a more urban look. When grabbing a quick bite you can keep a lookout for one of Berlin’s many food trucks or sample some of the more famous snacks like a Döner Kebab or Currywurst. Mustafhas Donner kebab by the zoo and Konnopke’s Imbiss under the Schonhauser Alle Ubahn are two famous places easy to get to or pass by on your visit. There are also some areas like Hackescher Markt or along Eberswalder Str by Mauerpark that offer various options. The food scene is always changing here and a lot depends on the weather. If you see a good-looking spot.. make a note of it and try it out!
Berlin Beer’s, Beer Gardens, and what to drink.
Oh the beer, don’t forget the beer. Germany is famous for it and Berlin is no different. beer brewing is a pastime in Germany and many older pubs in Berlin have their own house beer. Combine this with the recent craft beer boom scene through the city and the Berlin Beer scene is truly booming. From large breweries moving in like stone brewing, to microbreweries and craft beer pubs opening up seemingly every month. There is no shortage of good beer here or cool places to enjoy them. Our awesome team of Berlin Beer Guides keeps up with all the happenings in the Berlin beer world and stuff it into one of our unique Berlin Beer Tours. We highly recommend you check it out. We have also a nicely written article describing the beers in berlin here. For our guide on Brewing craft beer and breweries check back we are working on it!
Berlin Culture is one of Kind
When exploring the city you may notice some unique things. From our massive wall murals to our uniquely Berlin urban areas. We highly suggest actively searching some of these areas out because it’s what makes Berlin so great.
Street Art– Street art is everywhere in Berlin. Many of the most famous street artists known today have worked the walls of Berlin. We suggest taking a street art tour with a guide who knows where it’s all at, but you can also explore solo, we suggest starting in Kreuzberg.
Other Art– Berlin has hundreds of art galleries, museums, and live art events. If your looking for a particular type google is your best friend there. but check out Berlin Art Link for what’s going on during your visit. They do a great job of offering a starting point to the immense Berlin art scene.
Green Spaces, Nature, Parks, & Gardens- Berlin loves to be creative with its space, especially green space. There are so many beautiful places to see in Berlin that trying to see them all would be overwhelming. rather take note of where some are and if your find yourself in the area have a look. here’s a small list of some of our favorites.
Tiergarten
Princess Garden
Lustgarten
Cafe am Neun See
Humboldthain Rose Garden
Garten Der Welt
Monbilou Park
Korner Park
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