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East Berlin: City of Shadows Walking Tour

11 Reviews 4.82 out of 5 stars Based on 11 reviews collected by City Balloon Tours and TripAdvisor | Recommended by 91% of reviewers | Berlin, Germany
Don't miss out!
On average, this is booked 28 (0) days in advance.

3 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English
Instant confirmation

Overview

This 3­ hour tour explores the surviving monuments of the East German regime including the infamous Berlin Wall and Stasi headquarters. A historian will reveal the dialogue between modern Berlin’s built environment and its dark and often hidden history. You’ll hear about life under Communist rule, the East Germans’ growing discontent and their government’s brutal suppression.

What's Included

  • Local guide
  • Food and drinks
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Transportation to/from attractions: You will need to use public transport a few times, since the distances between some key sites would be too far to walk. If you will not have a few days visitor's transit pass to Berlin already, we suggest that you purchase the day metro pass. If you cannot purchase it in advance, your guide will help you purchase it at the first metro station on the tour. Berlin Transit One Way Tarif AB Ticket 2.8 Euro, Senior Discount 1,70 EUR Berlin Transit Day Ticket for one Person 7 Euro, Senior Discount 4,70 EUR
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Meeting Location

Meeting point

Unter den Linden 42
10117 Berlin, Germany

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Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

End point

Berlin
Germany

What To Expect

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Brandenburg Gate

A historian will reveal the dialogue between modern Berlin’s built environment and its dark and often hidden history. You’ll hear about life under Communist rule, the East Germans’ growing discontent and their government’s brutal suppression. The tour begins at the Brandenburg Gate where, in June 1987, President Ronald Reagan famously called on Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev to, “tear down this wall!” Nearby is the former Soviet Embassy, a grandiose monument built in 1945 amid the rubble of World War II as a bold declaration of Stalin’s ambition to control all of Berlin. We will discuss how the Allies’ post­war division of Germany into four parts led to decades of Cold War tensions.
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20 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Friedrichstrasse

Friedrichstrasse train station, a key crossing point between East and West Berlin. When families were torn apart by East Germany’s ironfisted immigration laws, they said their sad goodbyes here in the office known as the Palace of Tears.
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15 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Park am Nordbahnhof

At Nordbahnhof, we’ll explore how Berlin’s division created “ghost” stations, unused but heavily guarded stops on West Berlin’s subway lines that lay in East German territory.
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10 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Karl-Marx-Allee

We visit the grandiose mile-­long housing complex known as Karl Marx Allee and consider how East Germans’ dreams for a Socialist paradise turned into a nightmare of deprivation, suppression and paranoia.
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10 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Memorial of the Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall memorial allows you to experience the notorious Death Strip and hear stories of East Berliners whose attempts to escape led to their tragic deaths.
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15 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Stasimuseum

East Germany’s secret police, the notorious Stasi, coerced neighbors and family members to spy on each other. At the former Stasi headquarters, you’ll learn how its feared leader Eric Mielke recruited a massive network of spies and created innovative surveillance techniques.
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10 minutes Admission Ticket Free

Alexanderplatz

We will visit the center of public life in East Berlin, Alexanderplatz, which was rebuilt in the 1960s with monuments like the futuristic parliament building and the iconic TV Tower. In 1989, this symbol of East German pride was the setting for massive demonstrations that led to the regime’s downfall and brought 40 years of Communist rule to an end.
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10 minutes Admission Ticket Free

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Additional Info

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers

Frequently Asked Questions (7)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the East Berlin: City of Shadows Walking Tour?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (CET). Read more Apr 2025

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.

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Activity code: C-10847P19

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.82
11 reviews

Average 4.82 out of 5 stars based on 11 traveler reviews collected by City Balloon Tours and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor

5 stars
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4 stars
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1 star
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Don't miss out!
On average, this is booked 28 (0) days in advance.

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What's Included

Activity name

  • Local guide
  • Food and drinks
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Transportation to/from attractions: You will need to use public transport a few times, since the distances between some key sites would be too far to walk. If you will not have a few days visitor's transit pass to Berlin already, we suggest that you purchase the day metro pass. If you cannot purchase it in advance, your guide will help you purchase it at the first metro station on the tour. Berlin Transit One Way Tarif AB Ticket 2.8 Euro, Senior Discount 1,70 EUR Berlin Transit Day Ticket for one Person 7 Euro, Senior Discount 4,70 EUR

Additional Info

Activity name

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers

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