Guided tour

Berlin Insider's Cold War Walking Tour

Activity provider: Insider Tour Berlin
Guided tour

Berlin Insider's Cold War Walking Tour

Activity provider: Insider Tour Berlin

From US$ 20.65 per person

Get an insider’s look at the Cold War on a walking tour around Berlin. Discover how it came about, what life was like behind the wall, how it crumbled down, and much more on a fascinating journey into one of the most intriguing episodes in history.

About this activity

Free cancellation
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Covid-19 precautions
Special health and safety measures are in place. Check your activity voucher once you book for full details.
Duration 3 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide
English, German
Pickup optional
You will be picked up from your accommodation when the tour starts. Please wait in the hotel lobby 5 minutes before your scheduled pickup time. Once you are dropped off, meet in front of the Tourist Information at the Brandenburg Gate at Pariser Platz 1, 10117 Berlin Look for the guide with a yellow name badge.
Private group available

Experience

Highlights
  • Get an insider's glimpse at the history of the Cold War in Berlin
  • Learn about the life behind the Berlin wall and retrace the route of where the wall once stood
  • Visit the Palace of tears (Tränenpalast) and hear why it was important during the cold war
  • See hidden areas of former death strips and espionage points and hear about incredible escape attempts from the GDR
  • Marvel at the bustling Alexanderplatz
Full description
Follow the ghost-like trail of the death strip and wall, and discover everything there is to know about the Cold War on a fascinating walking tour around Berlin. Learn about where the cold war powers formerly confronted each other, the routines and duties of border guards, Soviet and allied forces, the Stasi and the CIA. Get an extraordinary insight into what it was like to live in the eastern bloc, and hear about failed escapes, and how the border command was ordered to shoot to kill anyone who would dare attempt the heinous crime of emigration, known as “flight from the Republic.” Learn about how the M16 and the CIA tunnelled under the Wall into the Soviet Zone and tapped into the Red Army’s secret communications, about the methods used by Stasi to control the East German population, and what happened to the leaders of the GDR when the wall fell. Discuss the state of the present German society and the plight of former East Germans. Learn about the changes that German society went through, from shopping to daily life and work, and what the future holds. Explore sites such as ghost stations, former guard towers, and hidden areas of the death strip, espionage points of the CIA and KGB, and much more. The tour finishes at Ruschestraße 103.
Includes
  • 4-hour tour with English-speaking guide
  • Free map of Berlin
  • Public transportation tickets
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Gratuities
  • Food and drink

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

Meet your guide outside the Friedrichstr. train station, on the square beside the 'Traenenpalast' (Palace of Tears) to begin the tour. Look for the guide with a yellow name badge.

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Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes
  • Comfortable clothes
  • Weather-appropriate clothing

Know before you go

  • The tour proceeds regardless of the weather
  • Comfortable shoes are recommended as the tour involves a lot of walking
  • As of April 1st 2020, tours will meet outside Friedrichstr. train station, on the square beside the 'Traenenpalast' (Palace of Tears), Reichstagufer 17, 10117 Berlin
Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.8 /5

based on 127 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.9/5
  • Value for money
    4.8/5
  • Service
    4.9/5
  • Organization
    4.7/5

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I had a great travel guide ,Mychal (might be butchering the spelling) but it was spelt different . Anyways, he knew a lot and was very nice and friendly. It’s a 3 hr guide but went fast with the way it was broken up and inside and outside places . Which helped out because it was freezing .

April 1, 2023

Such an incredible tour with Nikolai - a very personal history of what life was like behind the ‘iron curtain’, with a lot of great links on how WW11 decisions created the Cold War, and how the fall out from the Cold War has created the political situation today. 10/10 could not recommend this tour enough.

April 1, 2023

This was so fascinating to see how the city had changed. Interesting how the city has left things to memorialize some of the worst moments of its past history. The guide I had grew up in communist East Germany. His first hand experience last were invaluable!

April 1, 2023

Product ID: 11531