Cold War, Berlin Wall, Spies and the East Side Gallery
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Berlin, Germany
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Discover Berlin as the frontier of the Cold War on this guided historical walking tour. After World War II, Berlin changed from the capital city of Nazi Germany into the pivotal city in a struggle to control war-torn Europe. Retrace the trail of the “death strip” and the Berlin Wall. Visit some of Berlin’s most popular Cold War attractions, like the Berlin Wall Memorial, underground "ghost stations," and more. Learn about the history of Berlin, from its founding to this divided city of the Cold War.
- See the Berlin Wall, the Palace of Tears (Traenenpalast) and hidden areas of the Death Strip
- Learn about the military tension between the United States and its NATO allies and the Soviet Union and its allies
- Hear about the CIA, KGB and Stasi surveillance techniques
- Learn about daily life for Berlin's citizens during the Cold War
What's Included
- Local Expert Guide
- Berlin Transport daypass AB Zone ticket which can be purchased from meeting point€10.00 per person
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Reichstagufer 17, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Meeting point: outside FRIEDRICHSTRASSE TRAIN STATION, on the square beside the 'Traenenpalast' (Palace of Tears), Reichstagufer 17, 10117 Berlin. Our guides will be wearing a blue lanyard with a yellow name tag, holding yellow umbrellas!
End point
- East Side GalleryMühlenstraße, 10243 Berlin, Germany
The tour concludes at a strategic location surrounded by a multitude of transportation options, offering you seamless and convenient choices for your onward journey.
Start time.10:00 am
Itinerary
Begin this walking tour with a meet and greet outside Friedrichstrasse train station with an expert local guide, who will provide a detailed account of Berlin’s fascinating and oftentimes troubled history — specifically its place in the Cold War. After World War II, Berlin turned from its role as the capital city of Nazi Germany into the pivotal city in a struggle to control war-torn Europe. Berlin became the centerpiece of the Cold War, where the two superpowers collided.
Discover this divided city and retrace the trail of the “death strip” and the Berlin Wall. Walk along Bernauer Strasse, the site of many remarkable escape attempts, and the remains of the wall at the Berlin Wall Memorial and Former Stasi (DDR secret police). Walk under the famous Brandenburg Gate, one of Berlin’s most important monuments. It was a symbol of division between Berlin and Germany during the war, but it’s now a national symbol of peace and unity.
Learn about the history of Berlin, from its founding to this divided city of the Cold War, and get a fascinating insight into what it meant to live in the German Democratic Republic, the Eastern Bloc’s most heavily policed state. Find out what it was like to live behind the Berlin Wall.
Discover this divided city and retrace the trail of the “death strip” and the Berlin Wall. Walk along Bernauer Strasse, the site of many remarkable escape attempts, and the remains of the wall at the Berlin Wall Memorial and Former Stasi (DDR secret police). Walk under the famous Brandenburg Gate, one of Berlin’s most important monuments. It was a symbol of division between Berlin and Germany during the war, but it’s now a national symbol of peace and unity.
Learn about the history of Berlin, from its founding to this divided city of the Cold War, and get a fascinating insight into what it meant to live in the German Democratic Republic, the Eastern Bloc’s most heavily policed state. Find out what it was like to live behind the Berlin Wall.
1
Berlin Friedrichstrasse Station
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Admiralspalast Berlin
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
3
Palace of Tears
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Alexanderplatz
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Karl-Marx-Allee
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
6
East Side Gallery
25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Zone AB transportation ticket required
- IMPORTANT; Please be at meeting point 15 minutes before tour begins
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 22 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 1,107 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
The tour was worth it . Paul, the tour guide did a great job in summarizing the history in just few hours. He was also friendly and funny. We enjoyed our tour very much.
Xavier was a great guide. Very knowledgeable and took time to answer questions. Enjoyed the tour. Great information
Response from Host, Sep 2026
We really appreciate you taking a moment to leave this excellent review. It sounds like you had exactly the kind of experience we hope to create for our guests. Thank you for exploring our remarkable city with us. We wish you many more happy adventures wherever you go next.
Safe travels, Insider Tour
It was an interesting tour . Moves fast through Berlin . The guide was nice and knowledgeable . He did seem to only want to talk to certain people . The BIGGEST complaint is at one point the guide left half of the group of 27 at a traffic light and kept on walking . He never looked back . When we finally caught up with him ,and I said you didnt look back he said yea I didnt but you didnt miss anything. That was RUde . Knowledgeable about history . Lacking in manners .
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your feedback. We’re glad you found the tour interesting and the guide knowledgeable.
However, leaving part of the group behind and responding in that way when you raised the issue is certainly not the standard we expect. We completely understand why you found that rude, and we’ll be addressing this directly with the guide.
Thank you for bringing it to our attention.
All the best,
Insider Tour Berlin
Really informative and interesting tour. It’s a good follow on tour from the Third Reich tour, if you have time to do this. We were lucky enough to have Campbell (again! Campbell was our tour guide on the Third Reich tour as well). Campbell is knowledgeable, warm and funny. He was happy to answer any questions that people had and kept the tour engaging throughout. One thing that is helpful for people to know is that the tour covers a wide area of Berlin and as part of it, you travel on the train and tram. You will need a travel pass or ticket. This is relatively cheap to do and it was no problem to us as we already had 24 hour ticket passes. We would recommend this tour to anyone!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for this fantastic review.
It’s always rewarding to hear that our guests enjoyed their time with us.
We’re especially happy that Berlin’s history made such an impression.
We hope to welcome you on another tour in the future.
Thanks and all the best, Insider Tour
Martha was fantastic and loved all her jokes and stories throughout. Told us about the history and gave us movie reviews as well.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We’re so grateful for your wonderful feedback.
It’s fantastic to know that our guide made the experience special.
We’ll make sure your kind comments are shared with the team.
Have a brilliant time on the rest of your journey.
Safe travels, Insider Tour
Rohan was so enthusiastic. You could tell he loved history. I honestly wish he could have spent the day with us. My twenty year old and I throughly enjoyed it, but he even got my 13 year old daughter interested. He was so great I immediately signed up for the Third Reich Berlin: Hitler and WWII Walking Tour tomorrow. I just wish Rohan was going to be our guide because he really was fantastic.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
We couldn't be happier to hear you had such a positive experience. Thank you for choosing to explore Berlin with us and for sharing your thoughts. It means a lot.
Safe travels,
Insider Tour
This three-hour long walking tour was amazing, a lot to take it in. Our guide Campbell was amazing, used map, pictures to explain the subject and answered our questions.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Your kind feedback really made our day. We’re delighted you chose Insider Tour to be part of your Berlin adventure. Wishing you many more fantastic experiences ahead.
Safe travels,
Insider Tour
A very interesting tour during which we learned a lot and were very well looked after by our excellent guide Pip.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your generous review.
It's always rewarding to hear from happy guests.
We hope you visit Berlin again soon.
Thanks and all the best, Insider Tour
Xavier was a great tour guide, very knowledgable and took longer than the planned tour to make sure we didn’t miss any information. He checked the group had no plans later on in the day before starting the tour, would definitely recommend.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your lovely recommendation.
We're so pleased you had a memorable tour.
We hope to welcome you back in the future.
Thanks and all the best, Insider Tour
It was informative tour. The guide, Klaus, was able to share his own experiences of cold war. Detailed information was provided on the both east and west berlin. Klaus took the tour what I would call off the beaten, items related to the cold which I have never heard. Overall quite an enjoyable experience
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for your review.
We're delighted you chose to discover Berlin with us.
We hope to see you again.
Thanks and all the best, Insider Tour
Tina was so informative and has clearly done a lot of research on this and related topics. She was able to address any question we had and navigated us through the city quite easily. Fascinating to hear about and be in the places we think we know about but really have no idea.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for your lovely comments.
We're happy the tour left you with lasting memories.
Thank you for choosing Insider Tour.
Thanks and safe travels, Insider Tour
The small group was lovely. The guide very knowledgeable and interesting. Plenty to see and do. Thank you
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for your wonderful comments.
We're pleased the tour became a highlight of your stay.
We appreciate your support.
Thanks and all the best, Insider Tour
This was a great insight into history of Berlin. There were some great stories told by Emma, who was extremely enthusiastic about her role as guide.
There were lots of interesting facts about what went on during the Cold War. Even though I had a lot of knowledge about Berlin, the tour provided more information.
I now have places I want to go back to, to revisit. Those places you wouldn’t know about. The walking was ok, with going onto the S-bahn and tram, so you need a A/B zone day transport ticket.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
We're thrilled you enjoyed your guide.
Thank you for choosing us.
Thanks and safe travels, Insider Tour
We had an excellent tour guide, Joseph, who was so knowledgable and friendly! Well paced tour and learned a lot.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for your lovely feedback.
We're delighted the tour became a highlight of your trip.
Safe travels home.
Thanks and safe travels, Insider Tour
Enjoyed the walking tour.
We learned about
1) The 1974 East Germany versus West Germany match.
2) The KINO theatre on the day the wall fell
3) How to tell the difference between East Berlin and West Berlin by looking at the buildings and the roads.
etc etc etc etc.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for your lovely comments.
We're pleased the tour helped make your visit memorable.
We hope to see you again in Berlin.
Thanks and safe travels, Insider Tour
Fantastic tour. Would highly recommend. Very engaging with lots to see. Ending up at the East Side Gallery a particular highlight.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Your review made our day.
We're delighted you enjoyed learning about Berlin's history.
We hope you enjoyed the rest of your stay.
Thanks and safe travels, Insider Tour
Ru our tour guide kept up the pace and provided excellent commentary.
I was good to see a different part of Berlin, rather than the usual centre.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for exploring Berlin with us.
We're delighted you had such a great experience.
Thanks and safe travels, Insider Tour
Fantastic tour! Learnt so much. Thanks to our brilliant guide Xavier! He deserves a medal! Amazing knowledge and pitched at the right level and well delivered.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your kind words.
We're thrilled the tour left such a positive impression.
Thanks and safe travels, Insider Tour
Our guide, Xavier, was a delightful host. He was very informative, had lots of knowledge about everything, and allowed enough time for everyone to take photos. He ensured everyone on the tour was comfortable at all times, considering it was quite hot.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your kind words.
We're thrilled you had such an enjoyable time.
Thanks and safe travels, Insider Tour
Paul was very knowledgeable and humorous and used tablet images to support his presentation. Bravo! ! I can’t imagine trying to explore Berlin without the excellent grounding his tour provided. Paul aside, a couple of suggestions for improving the tour: 1) how can any tour of the Cold War and the Berlin Wall not include Checkpoint Charlie and a mention of The Wall Museum? 2) use of a map to show where the wall was in relation to sights and neighborhoods would be very helpful.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for the lovely recommendation.
We're delighted you enjoyed your experience with us.
Thanks and safe travels, Insider Tour
Glenn did a wonderful job explaining the German history. Learning about the spots of the Cold War and the ease of getting on the trains and off the trains and getting through Berlin was great.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
We appreciate your kind feedback.
Our team is delighted to hear it.
Thanks and all the best, Insider Tour
Comprehensive tour in an easy not rushed way, eye opening and at times breathtaking. Highly recommend! Glen, our tour guide, helped us to bring dots together with his lively stories and factual information. Glen was a very caring person and accommodated our individual needs.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for joining our tour.
We're delighted it left a lasting impression.
Thanks and all the best, Insider Tour
Our guide, Glen, was great. Full of knowledge about the history of Berlin and enjoyed the stories he told.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for the great review.
We're delighted the experience was memorable.
Thanks and all the best, Insider Tour
What makes this tour special compared to a self-guided tour from a book is the extensive additional information provided by our guide - Ru - who had evidently done his own research which provided colour and context to life in old East Berlin during the cold war era. The itinerary is logically arranged and uses the bahn and tram system to facilitate wider area coverage. Ru was also able to provide an insight into Berlin life in general beyond the scope of this tour which enhanced my appreciation of the city.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
We appreciate your recommendation.
It's great to know you had a memorable day.
Thanks and safe travels, Insider Tour
Tina was AMAZING!!! She was fun, engaging, and so very knowledgeable. Some of her comments really made me think about Soviet East Berlin in ways I hadn’t before. Highly recommend.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your amazing review and support. We are delighted that you found the experience engaging, educational, and enjoyable. Your kind words encourage our whole team. All the best, Insider Tour
Top tour, plenty to see, learn about, easy to get around, lot's of valuable photo opportunities and a great guide in Klaus. 👌
Response from Host, May 2026
We really appreciate your lovely comments and thoughtful feedback. It is wonderful to know that our guide helped create such a memorable experience for you in Berlin. Thank you again for touring with us. Safe travels, Insider Tour
An excellent and informative tour. Our tour guide was highly knowledgeable and had some visual aids which really added further context to the locations we saw and the stories told. Would highly recommend. Be aware that you don’t end the tour where you start and you will likely want to spend some more time at the last stop after the tour ends to really get the most from it.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for your kind feedback and support. We are thrilled that you had such an enjoyable and memorable experience with us. Our guides work very hard to create tours that are informative and enjoyable for every guest. We are grateful that you chose to spend part of your time in Berlin with us. Safe travels, Insider Tour
Great experience. Very informative. Terrific guide. Got to see and hear about what life here was like during the Cold War.
Response from Host, May 2026
We really appreciate you taking the time to leave such a thoughtful review. It is fantastic to know that you enjoyed the tour and found it both informative and engaging. Hearing feedback like yours motivates us to keep delivering meaningful experiences every day. Thank you again for your support and kind words. Safe travels, Insider Tour
Great tour, excellent and knowledgeable tour guide. Detailed information insights into the culture and complex social dynamics of both sides
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thanks for your amazing review. We’re happy to hear the tour stood out for you. It’s always great to get such positive feedback. We hope to see you again. Safe travels, Insider Tour
Jamie G is an excellent tour guide. Great tour and you will see areas not on other Berlin tours. Very informative.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for your kind comments. We’re glad the tour met your expectations. It’s always rewarding to hear this. Your feedback is valued. Safe travels, Insider Tour
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up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Cold War, Berlin Wall, Spies and the East Side Gallery
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