If you’re visiting a few museums a day, a Berlin Tickets Pass will usually save you money compared to purchasing individual tickets.
The city’s 9 subway and U-Bahn lines crisscross the capital, and some go to other parts of Brandenburg. Single tickets are valid for 2 hours in one direction. Daily, weekly and monthly passes are also available.
City Tour Card
The Berlin City Tour Card—also called the Berlin Welcome Card or the Berlin Pass—is a discount pass that saves travelers money on transportation, sightseeing, culture, restaurants, and entertainment. It includes a public transport ticket and discounts on museum admissions, tours, boat cruises, and other top attractions. It also provides fast-track entry to some museums and attractions.
The pass is available in several versions, including options with 48 or 72 hours of validity and fare zones AB or ABC. The City Tour Card can be purchased in the city center at a number of information centers or online. It must be validated at a ticket validation machine on the subway, city railways, or in the bus and trams.
The passes are designed to be more flexible than a hop-on hop-off tour bus or bus-tour company, as you can use the pass at any time during your stay in Berlin. The price of the City TourCard is slightly higher than a standard public transportation day ticket, but many travelers feel that it is still good value for money.
Sightseeing Pass
The Sightseeing Pass is a great option for travelers who plan on visiting a few popular attractions but want to avoid paying for individual tickets. This discount pass includes skip-the-line admission to many top sights, including the Berlin TV Tower for a view that will take your breath away and the Pergamum Museum. It also includes a travel card with 2 or 3 days of unlimited public transport (bus, metro & U-Bahn) in the zones A, B and C. A 95-page travel guide with tips for a city walk and a Berlin map is included.
You’ll save more money if you opt for the longer-term passes, which will give you access to more attractions and tours. The Go City Berlin Pass, for example, offers a selection of over 100 attractions and tours and is available for 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10 consecutive days. Its ticket-configurator makes it easy to choose the best pass for you.
The Museum Pass Berlin gives you access to over 50 museums in three consecutive days for a very reasonable price. The pass includes a handy guide with information on each of the museums and helpful tips to make sure you get the most out of your experience.
Potsdam & Oranienburg Tour
Discover two of the best day trips from Berlin with this affordable tour that includes transport. Visit the Sachsenhausen Memorial and explore the historic city of Potsdam on this guided experience. You’ll be taken on a thorough tour of the concentration camp, gaining insights into the horrors that took place here, while also learning about the rich history of Potsdam, which was once a Slavic village and now boasts royal palaces, gardens and parks.
The first stop is the Sachsenhausen concentration camp memorial site. Your guide will lead you around the site, explaining how the camp was run and discussing the different jobs that were forced upon prisoners here, such as digging trenches for the Wehrmacht or repairing buildings. You’ll also learn about the atrocities that took place here and hear stories from survivors.
From here, you’ll board a bus and head towards Potsdam. During the trip, your guide will explain the history of the city and its transformation from a Slavic town to a royal residence. Then you’ll enjoy a tour of Potsdam’s palaces and gardens, before boarding the bus again and heading back to Berlin.
If you’re not able to join the tour, it is possible to visit the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp on your own. To do so, you’ll need to purchase an ABC Train Pass from ticket machines in Berlin’s train stations, then catch the regional train line RE 5 from Sudkreuz, Central (Hauptbahnhof) or Gesundbrunnen Stations and travel to Orangeburg. The journey takes about 1 hour 12 minutes.
Day Pass
This pass is another one that offers an all-inclusive option, and it’s a great choice if you want to take a look at everything that Berlin has to offer. It includes a day ticket for the city’s public transport system (trains, metro, and buses) along with discounts for several popular attractions.
The pass also includes skip-the-line access to two of the city’s main observation decks, giving you a chance to enjoy a great view of the capital from different locations. It also covers admission to all of the museums on Museum Island, so you can experience a range of cultural venues with this pass.
There are many different types of Berlin Welcome Card available, with varying prices and duration. You can choose the AB zone variant or opt for a longer option that includes a city tour, Berlin Walking Tours, and more.
If you decide to go with this pass, it’s a good idea to read up on the city’s tariff zones ahead of time. Basically, the city is divided into a number of different areas that have different entrance fees and prices for public transit. For instance, if you want to visit the area around the airport and Potsdam, you’ll need an ABC zone ticket. You can purchase tickets online, in advance, or from a Deutsche Bahn customer center or station.