Berlin: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus & Brandenburg Gate with River Cruise

Red Route, Blue Route, Evening Tour: Berlin's Three-Day Bus Pass Explained

You ride an open-top double-decker bus with unlimited hop-on hop-off access across Berlin's main landmarks (Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, East Side Gallery, Checkpoint Charlie) with audio commentary in 14 languages and a live 90-minute walking tour covering Cold War and WWII history. Evening and Wall Tour options let you explore Berlin after dark or focus on Berlin Wall sites. The mobile app tracks buses in real time and stores your ticket, so you activate it on your phone and board whenever you're ready.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Explore Berlin by Hop-On Hop-Off Bus

• Start at Alexanderplatz
• Visit Museum Island
• Stop at Friedrichstrasse
• See Brandenburg Gate
• Visit Reichstag
• Stop at Hauptbahnhof
• View Haus der Kulturen der Welt
• See Schloss Bellevue
• Visit Siegessäule (Victory Column)
• Explore Ku'Damm
• Shop at KaDeWe Department Store
• Stop at Lützowplatz
• Visit Potsdamer Platz
• See Berliner Mauer (Berlin Wall)
• Stop at Checkpoint Charlie
• Visit Gendarmenmarkt
• End at Rotes Rathaus

Day 2: Discover East Side Gallery and Karl-Marx-Allee

• Start at Alexanderplatz
• Visit Karl-Marx-Allee
• See East Side Gallery
• Stop at Ostbahnhof

Day 3: Enjoy Berlin Evening Tour

• Redeem ticket at Alexanderplatz
• See Brandenburg Gate illuminated
• View Berlin Wall landmarks
• Visit East Side Gallery at night

The experience

The red bus pulls up to Alexanderplatz and the doors hiss open. You climb the spiral stairs to the open-top deck, and the city spreads out in front of you: no windscreen, no barrier between you and the sound of the streets. The hop-on hop-off format means you're not locked into a schedule. You ride the Red Route past the Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, and Checkpoint Charlie, then step off whenever something catches your eye. The Blue Route branches east toward the East Side Gallery and Karl-Marx-Allee, so if you want to spend an hour with the Wall murals, you don't have to rush. Audio commentary plays in 14 languages, and it's actually informative, not just names and dates, but the weight of what happened in each place.

Most people do the bus tour over two days, which gives you time to walk around Museum Island or grab lunch without feeling like you're racing the clock. The 90-minute guided walking tour digs into the Cold War years and the Third Reich. The kind of history that needs a human voice, not just a recording. If you pick the 48-hour ticket with the Evening Tour option, you get a souvenir shopping bag (worth €10) and your choice: either the Panoramic Evening Tour, which shows Berlin lit up after dark, or The Wall Tour, which focuses on Cold War landmarks and the Berlin Wall itself. Currywurst is included with certain ticket levels, which sounds small until you're standing on a street corner eating the thing Berlin's actually famous for.

The app matters more than it sounds. You download it, activate your mobile ticket, and track the buses in real time so you're not guessing when the next one arrives. Stops are numbered and easy to find: Stop 2 is Museum Island, Stop 4 is the Brandenburg Gate, Stop 15 is Checkpoint Charlie. You can hop off, spend as long as you want, then catch the next bus when you're ready. Infants under 4 ride free, and the buses are wheelchair accessible, which is worth knowing if you're traveling with someone who needs it. The whole thing is built around the idea that you're not on a tour. You're just using the bus as your spine and deciding what matters to you.

What’s included

• Unlimited hop-on hop-off access on Red Route (17 stops including Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, Museum Island), Blue Route (East Side Gallery, Karl-Marx-Allee), and selected Evening Tour.
• 90-minute live guided walking tour covering Cold War and WWII history.
• audio commentary in 14 languages.
• choice of Panoramic Evening Tour or The Wall Tour with selected tickets.
• complimentary Currywurst with selected tickets.
• souvenir Berlin shopping bag (€10 value) with 48-hour Evening Tour option.
• Big Bus Tours app for ticket storage, live bus tracking, and mobile ticket activation.

Options for this experience

5 options

Evening Tour18:00Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes. Redeem your ticket at Stop #1 (Alexanderplatz), Alexanderstrasse 3-5.

24-hour hop-on hop-off ticketNo fixed timeDuration: 1 day. Red Route only: unlimited hop-on hop-off access for the length of your ticket.

24-hour ticket and walking tourNo fixed timeDuration: 1 day. Red and Blue Routes: unlimited hop-on hop-off access for the length of your ticket. Live-guided walking tour exploring the history of World War II, the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall. A free Currywurst is included.

See 2 more options

48-hour ticket and night tourNo fixed timeDuration: 2 days. Red and Blue Routes: unlimited hop-on hop-off access for the length of your ticket. Live-guided walking tour exploring the history of World War II, the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Evening tour or Wall tour: the evening tour departs at 6 PM, the Wall tour departs at 11:30 am. Departs from Alexanderstraße 3-5 (Stop #1, Red Route). A free Currywurst is included; vouchers are redeemable at Curry Wolf.

24 hours and river cruiseNo fixed timeDuration: 1 day. Red Route only: unlimited hop-on hop-off access for the length of your ticket. River cruise: a 1-hour River Spree boat cruise with audio commentary in 14 languages and free headphones.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 18:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (16 and older) · Child (5 to 15 years) · Under 5: can't be booked

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Swedish and Turkish

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Big Bus Tours Berlin Gmbh

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to see Berlin's main landmarks without planning a route or buying separate transit tickets: the hop-on hop-off format and app tracking mean you move at your own pace and never wonder when the next bus arrives.

Traveler reviews

4.06★★★★★★★★★★

976 verified traveler reviews

5 ★545

4 ★179

3 ★98

2 ★70

1 ★84

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 15 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long is the complete Red Route?

The full circuit takes around 90 minutes without stops. You can hop off at any of the 17 stops and catch the next bus when you're ready.

Is the walking tour included in all ticket options?

The 90-minute guided walking tour is included with selected ticket options. Check your specific ticket level to confirm it's part of your package.

Can I use the ticket on both the Red and Blue routes?

Yes, hop-on hop-off access covers all routes within your ticket validity: Red Route, Blue Route, and the Evening Tour if selected.

What's included in the 48-hour ticket with Evening Tour?

The souvenir Berlin shopping bag (€10 value), your choice of either the Panoramic Evening Tour or The Wall Tour, and complimentary Currywurst with selected tickets.

Do I need to download an app to use the ticket?

The Big Bus Tours app is included and recommended. It lets you store your ticket, activate it on your phone, track buses in real time, and board using your mobile ticket, but you can also use a printed ticket.

Is the bus accessible for wheelchairs?

Yes, the buses are wheelchair accessible, and public transportation options are available nearby. Service animals are allowed.

Where do I pick up the souvenir bag?

If your ticket includes the free souvenir bag, you can redeem it at the Touristic Point, Karl Liebknecht Strasse 5, near Stops 2 and 17.