Berlin in 2 Days: everything you need to know

Ranked in the top 10 of the most visited cities in Europe, Berlin has a charm that makes you fall in love; if you only have a few days to explore this wonderful destination it is necessary to carefully organise the most important activities to make the most of the city and see everything Berlin has to offer.

The first day of your Berlin sightseeing tour is to explore the most important historical monuments. I recommend you to walk around the central area visiting squares, boulevards, museums and government buildings.

Unter den Linden

Start the morning of your first day in Berlin by walking along one of the most important avenues in the city and where many of its most representative historical buildings are located; many of which have suffered damage and consequent renovations throughout the conflicts that have plagued the capital. Some notable buildings along Unter den Lindenson Boulevard: the New Guard building, the Berlin Opera House, Humboldt University and others.

Brandenburg Gate and Pariser Platz

At the end of the Unter den Linden boulevard you will come across one of Berlin's main landmarks, the famous Brandenburg Gate. The monument that was once one of the main gateways to old Berlin is located at the foot of the Paiser Platz, one of the most important historical squares.

German Parliament Tour

It is only a four-minute walk from Paiser Platz to the entrance of the former Reichstag building. This is the best time to get to know the current seat of the German Parliament. Arrange an excursion to visit the glass dome and the famous museum; in this space you can enjoy an important and modern historical museum, the glass structure is designed to function as a lookout point from which you can see fantastic views of the centre of Berlin.

• Opening hours: Every day from 8am to midnight.
• Admission fee: Free but you must book tickets to the Reichstag in advance.
• Duration of visit: 40 minutes to 1 hour.

Take a lunch break at the Reichstag Restaurant

During your visit to the Reichstag you can take the opportunity to have lunch at one of Berlin's most emblematic restaurants, the Reichstag Restaurant. Located on the roof of the building right next to Norman Foster's glass dome, it is a fantastic roof garden offering a breathtaking view of the city.

• Speciality: Modern German cuisine made with fresh regional products.
• Reservations required: Yes, especially during the busy summer months in Berlin.

Holocaust Memorial

Walking south along Ebertstraße you will come across the Holocaust Memorial after a 10-minute walk. Consisting of 2711 concrete blocks, it is a memorial to the Jews murdered in Europe during the Second World War.

• Opening hours: From April to September the official opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 8pm; from October to March from 10am to 7pm.
• Entry fee: Admission is free.
• Duration of visit: You should allow one hour for the tour.

Potsdamer Platz and the Panorama Punkt viewpoint

Once the centre of Berlin's activity, the square and its surroundings were destroyed by bombing during the Second World War. During the Cold War it was split in two by the Berlin Wall; remnants of this historic past still remain, and the Kollhoff Tower and the Panoramapunkt viewing platform on the square are worth a visit, offering some of the best views of central Berlin.

• Opening hours: The viewing platform is open to the public from 10am to 10pm.
• Admission fee: Admission to the Panorama Punkt observation deck starts at €7.50 for an adult ticket.
• Duration of the visit: You can spend 1 to 2 hours touring the square, the viewing platform and some of the surrounding buildings.

Checkpoint Charlie

The name given to the most famous crossing point at the former Berlin Wall that divided the capital in two during the Cold War. This point became famous for the creative and curious escape attempts of citizens who fled East Berlin by fooling the military guarding the point.

Evening: Dinner and concert night at Charlottenburg Palace

If you want to make the most of your two days in Berlin, I recommend spending the evening of the first day getting to know one of the city's most visited tourist sights, which is a bit out of the city centre.

The beautiful Charlottenburg Palace is the venue for the Berlin Resident Orchestra and offers a wonderful dinner and concert plan at sunset. The three-course dinner is followed by an exquisite musical selection that includes the likes of Bach, Handel and Mozart. My recommendation? Arrive as early as you can and take a tour of the beautiful Charlottenburg Gardens.

• Opening hours: Closed on Mondays, the palace opens its doors for tours from 10am. From April to October it closes at 6pm and from November to March it closes at 5pm.
• Ticket price: The Dinner and Concert evening is available from €85 per person.
• Duration of visit: The dinner and concert starts around 6pm and lasts on average 4 hours in total.

Or you may also be interested in taking one of the best cruises in Berlin. Cruising along the river Spree you can discover some of Berlin' s most popular districts and it's a great way to end your first night in the German capital with dinner on board of one of these boats.

Spend your second day learning about art and history; the German capital is the perfect place to do this, as well as being the site of important historical events, its museums hold collections of art from all corners of the world.

Morning: Head to Berlin's Underworld Museum.

Start the morning of your second day by visiting an underground museum that explores life in the bunkers used in the city during the bombing raids of World War II. This is a unique tour and one of those activities you can only do in Berlin. The quickest way to get to this area of the city is to take the Berlin underground (line U8). The nearest stop is Gesundbrunnen station.

• Opening hours: From 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday and until 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
• Admission fee: Adult tickets are available from €15. All tours are the same price except for the "Escape under the Berlin Wall" tour, which starts at €18.
• Duration of visit: You should allow at least 1.5 hours to visit the museum.

Take a lunch break

After your visit to the Berliner you can take an early lunch break in the surrounding area to recharge your batteries for the rest of your tour. Although in this area of the city the gastronomic offer is not as wide as in the centre of Berlin, some interesting places you might consider are:

• Reis Mama Restaurant specialising in Vietnamese food just a few minutes from the Berliner.
• Nguyen Kitchen Modern Asian food with sushi, noodle dishes and more on the menu.
• The Bird One of the best burger restaurants in the area. The speciality is the New York style burger.

Afternoon: Explore the highlights of Museum Island

To get to this area of the city I recommend taking the Berlin light rail (line U8) from Berlin Gesundbrunnen station, just a few minutes from the Berliner; get off at Alexanderplatz station and head to the Rathausbrücke bridge walking through St. Mary's Church Park; the idea is to enjoy an afternoon of art and architecture on Museum Island.

On your walk you can admire two interesting Berlin landmarks: the beautiful Neptune Fountain and the Wasserspiele.

Once you are on the Museum Island, be aware of the closing times of the museums. I recommend you to visit three important locations on your tour.

1st - The New Museum of Berlin: The Neues Museum is considered one of the best museums in the city for housing in its collection such important treasures as the bust of the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti, along with one of the largest collections of Egyptian treasures in Europe.

• Opening hours: 10am-6pm; extended opening hours on Thursdays until 8pm.
• Admission fee: Approximately €12 per visitor.
• Length of visit: We recommend approximately 2 hours to see the museum, but if you are in a hurry you can see the highlights in 45 minutes.

2nd - Berlin Cathedral: Near the Rathausbrücke bridge you will find the most important religious building in the German capital, built between 1894 and 1905 in a distinct renaissance-baroque style. The cathedral is worth a visit for two reasons: for its imposing copper dome and for the Hohenzollern Crypt, which houses 90 tombs of the imperial family.

• Opening hours: From April to November the opening hours are from 9am to 8pm; from October to March the opening hours are from 9am to 7pm. These opening hours apply every day except Sundays and public holidays when the cathedral opens its doors at 12 noon.
• Admission fee: Approximately €7 for an adult ticket.
• Duration of visit: You will need 1.5 hours to explore the interior of the temple.

Sunset at the Berlin TV Tower

If you finish your tour in plenty of time consider bidding farewell to your last day in Berlin by climbing to the top of the TV Tower to watch the sun set over the city. Built in 1969, this fantastic 368-metre high monument-viewpoint offers the best panoramic views of the entire city. Want to take pictures of Berlin? This is the perfect place.

From your location on Museum Island you only need to go back to St. Mary's Church Park, the tower is located right on the main square.

• Opening hours: The monument is open to the public until midnight from Monday to Friday; from March to October it opens at 9am and from November to February at 10am.
• Entry fee: You will have to pay around €23 for the entrance ticket.
• Length of visit: 45 minutes is the average time visitors spend at the observatory, but you can stay as long as you like.

You can get to the TV Tower on one of Berlin's best sightseeing buses, an option I highly recommend for your two-day trip to the German capital, as you can buy a 24 or 48-hour pass and during the different routes you can hop on and off as many times as you like to see the sights along the way.