Bike tours
Biking tours are very popular in Berlin as distances between east and west can add up quickly, and because Berlin is an exceptionally bike-friendly city, with fantastic provision for bike lines and very considerate drivers. Fat Tire Bike Tours offer some very interesting routes, including a ‘Berlin Wall & Cold War Tour’ and a ‘Nazi Germany Tour’.
Telephone: (030) 2404 7991.
Website: www.fattirebiketoursberlin.com
Boat tours
Berlin’s Spree River runs through the centre of the city and many of the German capital’s must-see sights are right on it, from the Museum Island to the Berliner Dom. The place to pick up tour boats is at the far end of Unter den Linden where the Spree meets the western end of Alexanderplatz. Compare prices and check what languages the commentary is offered in – not all offer English.
Bus tours
A cheap and simple way for visitors to see the sights in Berlin is to board bus 100 as the bus journeys from the centre of west Berlin to the east, travelling through the Tiergarten and passing the Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate. Guided bus tours are available from a number of companies, which are significantly more expensive for a hop-on, hop-off tour. Pick them up from Alexanderplatz, outside the Park Inn Hotel.
Walking tours
Walking tours are a great way to see the historical centre of Berlin. Insider Tour offers three- and four-hour daily walking tours that cover all the major sites, such as the Victory Column, Brandenburg Gate, Potsdamer Platz and the Reichstag.
New Berlin Tours offers free walking tours, using local students to act as guides on a tips-only basis. It also offers paid-for Alternative Tours, which educate you about Berlin’s street art and subcultures, while taking you around the city’s back streets and squats.
Telephone: (030) 692 3149 ; (030) 5105 0030.
Website: http://www.insidertour.com; http://www.newberlintours.com.
