Cheap things to do in Berlin
Street food, free culture and proper local bars across the German capital
This is Berlin for the traveller who wants the real thing without the bill to match: döner over white tablecloths, stelae fields over souvenir shops, and a grungy bar over a hotel cocktail. Three days cover Mitte, Museum Island and Charlottenburg on foot and by U-Bahn, with barely a euro wasted.
Day 1: Government District and Mitte at night
Start with the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and the Reichstag dome in the morning, fuel up on one of the city's best döners, and end the day with Syrian street food and a lived-in neighbourhood bar.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:15 AM
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Powerful stelae field plus the free underground documentation centre, unmissable and a short walk away.
Map - 12:30 PM
Pergamon Döner
Döner stand under the S-Bahn arches near Museum Island: a long queue for a crisp, well-stuffed bread.
Map - 2:00 PM
Reichstag Building
Norman Foster's glass dome over the parliament; free, but register online days ahead and bring ID.
Map - 7:30 PM
- 9:00 PM
Kunstfabrik Schlot
Jazz club in an old Chausseestraße factory courtyard; check the night's gig, the cover is usually modest.
Map
Day 2: Museum Island, then local Mitte
The Neues Museum earns the morning, Hackesche Höfe earns a wander after lunch, and Schokoladen earns the last drink of the night.
- 9:30 AM
House of Small Wonder
Cosy café right in Mitte for a morning coffee before hitting the museum island.
Map - 10:15 AM
Neues Museum
Nefertiti and the Egyptian collection in Chipperfield's rebuilt museum; book a timed ticket online.
Map - 12:30 PM
- 2:00 PM
Hackesche Höfe
Wander the eight interconnected Jugendstil courtyards, free to walk through and endlessly photogenic.
Map - 7:30 PM
Hi! Chili
Fiery Sichuan at a price that won't hurt, one of the best cheap spots in the neighbourhood.
Map - 9:15 PM
Schokoladen
Grungy local bar in Mitte, cheap drinks, no tourists, exactly the kind of place Berlin regulars drink.
Map
Day 3: Charlottenburg on a budget
Konditorei Buchwald sets the tone, the bombed-out Gedächtniskirche stops you in your tracks, and a top-rated gemüse kebap and a neighbourhood nightcap close it all out.
- 9:30 AM
Konditorei & Café Buchwald
Baumkuchen specialist since 1852, by the Spree: layered cake and coffee in an old-fashioned salon.
Map - 10:15 AM
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche
Free to enter and hauntingly striking, the bombed-out Kaiser Wilhelm church is one of Berlin's most iconic landmarks.
Map - 12:30 PM
Rüya Gemüse Kebap
Top-rated chicken gemüse kebap with grilled vegetables and feta on pide without the queue.
Map - 2:15 PM
Karl-August-Platz
Free neighbourhood square a few steps away, a gentle post-lunch stroll to walk off the kebab.
Map - 7:30 PM
- 9:00 PM
Café Keese
Old-school Charlottenburg dance hall with a live band, famous for letting the women ask first.
Map
Where to stay
Titanic Chaussee Berlin
Budget-friendly, sits north of Mitte and puts Days 1 and 2 within easy walking distance.
Hotel AMANO Grand Central
Cheap for central Berlin and right on the doorstep of Museum Island and the Government District stops.
Make Berlin your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Reichstag Dome: weeks ahead
- Neues Museum: a few days ahead
- Boros Collection: weeks ahead
- Berliner Philharmonie: a few days ahead
- Berliner Unterwelten: weeks ahead
- Vabali Spa Berlin: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Checkpoint Charlie is a replica guardhouse and photo touts. Spend the history hour at Bernauer Strasse or Topography of Terror.
- The TV Tower restaurant means paying to queue and eat mediocre food at height. Use the Reichstag Dome for views.
- East Side Gallery takes 20 to 30 minutes. Fold it into a Spree walk, do not give it half a day.
- Mustafas queue is the trap, not the kebap. Ruya by Zoo station serves the top rated version fast.
The full Berlin travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around