If you only have two days in Berlin, you can still cover a lot of ground. We spent our time visiting memorials, museums, and the Wall, with a few lighter stops for our 12-year-old. It wasn’t all serious, but it was a lot. From the game museum to the cathedral dome, here’s what stood out and what we’d do again.
Spree River Boat Tour
A boat tour might feel like a tourist trap, but in Berlin, it works. We booked a one-hour ride on the Spree that left from near Museum Island. The route takes you past a mix of government buildings, modern glass towers, museums, and graffiti-covered walls. The audio guide was simple but informative. It was cold up on the open deck, but we had coats and the views made up for it. It’s a good way to orient yourself, especially if you’re visiting for the first time.
Details:
📍 Boats leave from various spots near Friedrichstraße and Museum Island
⏰ Daily, seasonal schedule
🎟️ Around €18 for adults
🔗 Website
💡 Sit on the upper deck, even if it’s cold. The views are better.
Tiergarten
We rode explored Tiergarten, which is Berlin’s version of Central Park, but quieter and less manicured. It was full of yellow leaves, winding dirt paths, and just enough people that it never felt deserted. We walked for nearly two hours, stopping to let our dog sniff everything in sight while we followed paths that crisscrossed through trees and small monuments. You could easily spend a whole morning here, especially in the fall when the air is cool and the colors are changing. We also rode bikes through the park the first afternoon.
Details:
📍 Straße des 17. Juni, 10785 Berlin
⏰ Open 24 hours
💡 Start at Brandenburg Gate and walk straight in. There are plenty of benches if you need a break.
Checkpoint Charlie
We visited the area around Checkpoint Charlie, which is one of the most well-known Berlin Wall crossings. The outdoor signage tells the story clearly, with photos and explanations in English and German. We didn’t go into the museum, but the street itself makes an impression. You’re standing where East and West once met, surrounded by fast food and souvenir stands. It’s disorienting, but that contrast is part of the experience.
Details:
📍 Friedrichstraße 43-45, 10117
⏰ 9:00–22:00 daily
🎟️ €17.50 adult / €9.50 child
💡 Walk around and read everything outside first. It might be enough without going in.
Berlin Zoo
We weren’t planning to visit the zoo, but it ended up being one of our favorite stops. The layout is smart, the exhibits are large and clean, and the animals actually looked well cared for. There were pandas, elephants, monkeys, and a big indoor aquarium. The best part was the playground, which was massive and beautifully designed. Dylan could have stayed there for hours. We all could actually.
Details:
📍 Hardenbergplatz 8, 10787 Berlin
⏰ 9:00–18:30
🎟️ €17.50 adult / €9 child
🔗 Website
💡 Arrive right at opening if you want to avoid the school groups.
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
From the street, it looks like a grid of gray columns. But once you step in, the ground dips and the blocks get taller, and it becomes something else entirely. It’s quiet in the middle. We spent time walking through it before going downstairs to the free museum, which is small but incredibly moving. While we were there, a group of kids were playing hide and seek between the columns. It felt strange and a little uncomfortable, but also honest. This is a memorial in the middle of a city that’s still very much alive.
Details:
📍 Cora-Berliner-Straße 1, 10117
⏰ Memorial is open 24/7, Museum open Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00
🎟️ Free
🔗 Website
💡 Go early in the day if you want time and space to walk slowly and read.
Brandenburg Gate
We passed through Brandenburg Gate a few times. It’s one of the most recognizable spots in the city, but there isn’t much to do here except take it in. It stands at the edge of Tiergarten and near several other major sights. The gate itself is impressive, especially at night when it’s lit up. You won’t spend long here, but it’s worth seeing.
Details:
📍 Pariser Platz, 10117 Berlin
⏰ Always open
🎟️ Free
🔗 Website
💡 Best visited early morning or late evening when the crowds thin out.
DDR Museum
This one is cramped and chaotic, but also one of the most hands-on museums we’ve visited. You can sit in a Trabant car, explore a reconstructed apartment, and dig through drawers of objects from East German life. It’s not curated in a sleek way, but it gives you a real feel for how people lived under the regime. Dylan liked it more than we expected.
Details:
📍 Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 1, 10178
⏰ 9:00–21:00 daily
🎟️ €13.50 adult / €7.50 child
🔗 Website
💡 Get there right when it opens. It fills up fast and gets hard to move around.
Berlin Cathedral
We went inside, and it’s worth it. The main hall is grand without being overdone, and the climb to the top isn’t too bad. The views from the dome give you a wide look over Museum Island and beyond. We didn’t stay long, but it was worth the stop.
Details:
📍 Am Lustgarten, 10178 Berlin
⏰ Mon–Sat 10:00–18:00, Sun 12:00–18:00
🎟️ €10 adult / €7 reduced
🔗 Website
💡 Do the dome climb. It’s not too hard, and the view is worth it.
East Side Gallery
This is the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall, now covered in murals. It feels less like a gallery and more like a reminder. Some of the paintings are funny, some are dark, and a few are instantly recognizable. We walked the entire length, stopping often. Dylan loved the section with handprints and bold colors. The whole thing felt alive.
Details:
📍 Mühlenstraße 3-100, 10243 Berlin
⏰ Always open
🎟️ Free
🔗 Website
💡 Go early or late in the day for better light and fewer people in your photos.
Museum of Computer Games
This place is for gamers and nostalgia lovers. They’ve got every console you can think of, from Atari to Super Nintendo to PlayStation 2. You can play dozens of old games and walk through the full history of gaming, including some truly strange inventions that never made it mainstream. It’s quiet, organized, and surprisingly fun even if you’re not a big gamer. Dylan was in heaven.
Details:
📍 Karl-Marx-Allee 93a, 10243 Berlin
⏰ Mon–Fri 10:00–20:00, Sat–Sun 11:00–21:00
🎟️ €12 adult / €7 reduced
🔗 Website
💡 Go on a weekday if you want space to actually try the games.
What We Ate
Berlin is easy when it comes to food. There’s something for everyone, it’s affordable, and there’s no pressure to book in advance or dress up. We kept it casual and still ate well.
- Mogg – Housed in a former Jewish girls’ school, this was our best lunch. The pastrami sandwich and matzo ball soup were perfect for a cold day.
📍 Auguststraße 11–13
🔗 Website - Aroma – Fast, hot noodle soup and dumplings near Hackescher Markt. Not fancy, but perfect when you need something quick and warm.
📍 Rosenthaler Str. 5
🔗 Website - Brammibal’s Donuts – Vegan donuts that didn’t taste vegan. We stopped here twice. Enough said.
📍 Multiple locations
🔗 Website
There are coffee shops on every corner. You’ll find something.
Where We Stayed
We booked a family room at Hotel Berlin, Berlin. It wasn’t fancy, but it was clean, centrally located, and well-priced. The Murphy beds made it easy to spread out, and there were bikes and scooters available right outside. The gym was decent, and breakfast was solid.
The only issue was the Wi-Fi, which didn’t work well in our room. But everything else made up for it, and the location was ideal for walking or hopping on public transit.
Details:
📍 Lützowpl. 17, 10785 Berlin
🔗 Website
💡 If you’re traveling with kids or need extra space, ask for the family room.
Planning More Time in Europe?
Check out our other favorite cities and stops:
Vienna – grand cafés, museums, markets, and a few surprises
Prague – castles, cobblestones, and cold beers in a beautiful city
Amsterdam – canals, museums, bikes, and casual day trips
Oktoberfest – tents, beers, outfits, and everything we packed for Munich
Or listen to The Getawayz Podcast for more behind-the-scenes stories from our European travels.