Berlin

A visit to Berlin enables students to see the visible scars of the Cold War as well as experience sites of historical importance from the Holocaust and Nazi dictatorship. With museums, memorials and bunkers there is something to engage all students. Travel by coach or air to suit your budget.

Curriculum Links:

Linked to Languages, Culture, Art, History KS4 & KS5 (Rise of Nacism and Third Reich, The Cold War and fall of Communism)

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PLACES TO VISIT

German Resistance Museum

The Memorial Centre is a site of remembrance and follows the rise and fall of Nazi Germany.

Cruise on the River Spree

View Berlin from a different perspective with a peaceful cruise along the River Spree, taking you through the centre of Berlin past such famous sights as Potsdamer Platz, the Reichstag, Museum Island, Berlin Cathedral and much more.

Brandenburg Gate

The main entrance to the city is the trademark of Berlin and, along with the Berlin Wall, is a symbol of the division of the city and of the world into two power blocs.

Jewish Museum, Berlin

A memorial to the Holocaust, the museum is one of Berlin’s prominent landmarks. It was constructed to tell the powerful story of the Jewish people in Germany.

Sachsenhausen Memorial Centre

Located 50km north of Berlin, this Memorial Centre acts as a reminder of the darkest days in Berlin’s history. By the end of WWII over 50,000 people had died at the concentration camp.

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Charlottenburg Palace

The largest palace in Berlin has many rooms and galleries with first class art collections, and is surrounded by extensive landscaped gardens in the baroque style.

Checkpoint Charlie Museum

Checkpoint Charlie was the monitoring tower used to control the area around the Berlin Wall. The museum documents the Wall’s history and contains original artefacts from successful escapes.

Reichstag

One of Germany’s most historical landmarks was opened in 1894 and housed the Parliament until 1933, when it was burnt down. Reconstructed in 1999, it is once again the seat of the Bundestag.

Holocaust Memorial

Consisting of many stones without inscriptions, visitors can navigate their way through the tilting featureless stones.

House of the Wannsee Conference

The Wannsee Conference was where the senior officials of the Nazi German Regime agreed their plans for the ‘Final Solution’. The Memorial has a permanent exhibition and educational department.

Topography of Terror

An outdoor museum on the site of the headquarters of the Gestapo and the SS, the principal instruments of repression during the Nazi era.

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Itinerary Examples

6-Day Berlin History & Cold War Focus (Coach Travel)

Designed for History, Politics, and German Language travellers. This comprehensive residential explores 20th-century European history, covering the rise and fall of the Third Reich, the Cold War division, and modern reunification.

Day 1: Journey to the Coast & Overnight Travel (Outward Journey)

Day 1

Morning/Afternoon: Depart your pickup location by executive coach and travel to the channel coast for your ferry or Eurotunnel crossing to Calais.

Evening/Night: Board the coach for overnight travel across France, Belgium, and Germany toward Berlin.

Day 2: Arrival in Berlin, Check In & City Orientation (Cold War Context)

Day 2

Late Morning: Arrive in Berlin and head directly to your accommodation centre for a welcoming group lunch.

Afternoon: Check into your rooms and unpack. Enjoy free time to explore the immediate local area using Berlin's public transport network.

Evening: Group dinner at the accommodation centre (or dine out in local restaurant) followed by an evening briefing on the historic sites ahead.

Day 3: Guided City Walking Tour, Third Reich & Cold War Sites (History Focus)

Day 3

Morning: Meet your professional local guide for a comprehensive 4 hour walking tour covering the Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag Building, and Checkpoint Charlie.

Afternoon: Visit the moving Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust Memorial) and explore the underground information centre.

Evening: Group dinner followed by an optional evening visit to the illuminated Reichstag Glass Dome for city panoramas.

Day 4: Topography of Terror, East Side Gallery & Spree Cruise (Totalitarianism & Division)

Day 4

Morning: Explore the Topography of Terror exhibition, located on the former SS and Gestapo headquarters site, examining Nazi state repression.

Afternoon: Travel by coach to the East Side Gallery to analyze preserved sections of the Berlin Wall covered in political street art, followed by an optional scenic Spree river cruise.

Evening: Hot group meal at a central Berlin restaurant.

Day 5: DDR Museum, Public Transport Exploration & Overnight Return (Life in East Germany)

Day 5

Morning: Use public transport for a driver rest day. Visit the interactive DDR Museum to experience daily life under communist rule in East Germany.

Afternoon: Free time for shopping along Kurfürstendamm or visiting Museum Island galleries.

Evening: Enjoy a farewell group meal in Berlin before boarding your coach for the overnight drive back to Calais.

Day 6: Channel Crossing & Homeward Journey (Return to your organisation)

Day 6

Morning: Arrive in Calais for a breakfast time channel crossing to Dover or Folkestone.

Afternoon: Complete the return drive back to your organisation, bringing home deep historical reflections and memories.

4-Day Berlin History Express (Flight Option)

Designed for your organisation groups seeking a fast, high-impact flight itinerary that maximizes sightseeing time in Germany's capital while minimizing travel duration.

Day 1: UK Flight to Berlin & Introductory Sightseeing (Arrival & Orientation)

Day 1

Morning: Fly from your local UK airport to Berlin Brandenburg Airport. Transfer by private coach to your accommodation.

Afternoon: Check in and stretch your legs with an introductory walking tour around Alexanderplatz and the TV Tower (Fernsehturm).

Evening: Group dinner in central Berlin followed by a night walk to view the illuminated Brandenburg Gate.

Day 2: Guided Walking Tour, Holocaust Memorial & Topography of Terror (20th Century History)

Day 2

Morning: Depart after breakfast for a 4 hour guided walking tour detailing WWII history, Prussian heritage, and Cold War secrets.

Afternoon: Reflect at the Holocaust Memorial before visiting the Topography of Terror exhibition to study WWII state security archives.

Evening: Group dinner at a local restaurant followed by an evening debrief session.

Day 3: Checkpoint Charlie, DDR Museum & Spree River Cruise (Cold War & Division)

Day 3

Morning: Visit Checkpoint Charlie and the Wall Museum to study famous escape attempts from East to West Berlin.

Afternoon: Explore the DDR Museum or take a scenic Spree river cruise to observe Berlin's modern architectural transformation.

Evening: Hot group dinner followed by optional tenpin bowling or a group social activity.

Day 4: Berlin Wall Memorial & Return Flight (Homeward Journey)

Day 4

Morning: Check out after breakfast. Visit the Bernauer Straße Berlin Wall Memorial to view surviving border fortifications and watchtowers.

Afternoon: Private coach transfer to Berlin Brandenburg Airport for your return flight back to the UK, arriving home with rich learning outcomes.

Optional En Route Visits & Extensions

Depending on your your organisation's location, budget, and travel schedule, popular add on stops for Berlin routes include:

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial: Located just north of Berlin, offering a solemn and deeply educational study of Nazi concentration camps.

Olympic Stadium (Olympiastadion): Explore the site of the 1936 Olympic Games to discuss Nazi propaganda and modern sports architecture.

Story of Berlin & Story of the Wall: Interactive subterranean bunker tours exploring Cold War nuclear shelter design.

Potsdam & Cecilienhof Palace: Visit the site of the famous 1945 Potsdam Conference where Allied leaders reshaped post war Europe.

Note on En Route Timings: Flight itineraries are subject to airline timetables, and visit sequences will be tailored around your exact arrival and departure flight times.