See a Different Side of Berlin With These Unique Tours

Street art at Hackescher Markt, Berlin
Street art at Hackescher Markt, Berlin | © edpics / Alamy Stock Photo
Culture Trip Travel Team

Berlin has some sights that take a little more effort to discover than others. Culture Trip has curated a list of tours and experiences that will take you to the very heart of the city.

The German capital is renowned for its rich history, with tourists keen to see sights in both east and west, such as Checkpoint Charlie and the Brandenburg Gate. But the city also has a strong alternative culture that’s worth discovering. Take your pick from these tours to experience the city’s art, culture and cuisine in an original way.

1. Small-Group Berlin Street Art Tour and Graffiti Workshop

Tours

Learn the styles and techniques, the terminology and the rules. Then put it all together in an abandoned factory as you make your own piece of urban art.On this one-of-a-kind combined walking tour and workshop, our expert guides from within the scene teach you all you need to know about this most vital of underground cultures. See legendary pieces and learn how they were created. We will also take the time to stop, to tell stories of bravery and of idiocy, of art and of culture. And of people.The most imposing mural isn’t better than the scruffiest tag. The beauty in a jet of paint burst out under pressure from a fire extinguisher can be as glorious as the work of a Dutch Master. One man’s littering is another’s public-service announcement. One woman’s crime is another’s vital burst of creativity.

2. Berlin Fashion Tour by bike

Tours

Berlin makes it possible to have a cool urban lifestyle without buying from mainstream commercial brands. Meet the movers and shakers of Berlin’s sustainable scene and let them introduce you to their forward-thinking concepts. You’ll experience Berlin’s coolest green upcycled fashion stores, local designer ateliers, Fair-Trade and vegan products, edgy vintage shops and many more. Let’s cycle around Kreuzberg and Neukölln together, just like a Berliner does on a typical Saturday afternoon.

3. Berlin's Gay, Lesbian, and Queer Scene Walking Tour

Tours

A queer king, a gay mayor, Marlene Dietrich in Blue Angel, David Bowie in the ’70s, Audre Lorde in the ’80s: Berlin has long been a magnet for LGBTIQ icons and allies, from the wild days of the 1920s and the dark days of persecution under the Nazis through to the Cold War. Hear about the club scene of the ’90s, the unlikely queer icon Frederick the Great, and the life of the openly gay Nazi Ernst Röhm. Explore world-famous Schöneberg, once the central district of sapphic Berlin, home of philosopher and war journalist Erika Mann, chronicled by painter Otto Dix and writer Christopher Isherwood. Discuss the queer community of Berlin and all the communities it intersects with by visiting Kreuzberg, where, as far back as the 1600s, many waves of LGBTIQ and immigrant diasporas came to determine “Nobody flees without a reason”. On this tour we accept anyone that considers themselves LGBTIQ, an ally, or anyone who is just plain interested. Everyone is welcome!

4. Half-Day Berlin Alternative City Tour

Tours

Explore Berlin’s beloved underground in all its grit and graffiti. See the side of Berlin you won’t find in guidebooks while walking and traveling via public transportation between attractions. Find out what makes the Berlin underground scene the envy of other European capitals!

5. Berlin Live-Guided Self-Drive Trabi Safari Tour

Tours

Enjoy a 75-minute self-drive tour through Berlin in a retro-style Trabant. Following a guide, squeeze yourself behind the wheel of your own Trabi to explore the German capital in a unique way. You’ll see sights such as Potsdamer Platz and the Brandenburg Gate, and receive a souvenir Trabant driver’s licence at the end of the tour. Select a morning or afternoon tour when booking.

6. Private Berlin Photography Walking Tour with a Professional Photographer

Tours

Capture the best of reunified Berlin by taking a walk along the former border during this 3-hour photography-focused exploration. Shoot the Berlin Wall from Potsdamer Platz, past the Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag building and end up with some classic shots of Alexanderplatz with a professional photographer in tow to help you with all your technical settings and to unleash your creative side. From amateur to high-level enthusiast, this private tour will focus on your level to capture the best of Berlin and make sure you walk away with lessons that will last a lifetime.

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