Berlin in 3 days: itinerary, where to eat and what it costs
The city that reinvented itself after the Wall, in three days: history, museums and neighbourhoods, with the right transport tickets and checked 2026 prices.
In short. In three days you can see the Reichstag and the historic centre on the first, the Wall and the old East on the second, and Museum Island and Kreuzberg on the third. Excluding flights and hotel, budget around €80 per person per day. The Reichstag dome is free, but you must register in advance (October 2026 prices).
- single AB ticket for the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram and bus
- €4
- Reichstag dome, with online registration
- free
- per person per day, excluding flights and hotel (example)
- €80
Berlin is written on its walls. There’s the Wall itself, which fell in 1989 and survives in painted stretches; there are bullet marks on the façades of Mitte; there’s Norman Foster’s glass dome above a parliament that burned in 1933. Three days is enough to understand how it all fits together, and to discover that today’s city is one of the most laid-back in Europe.
For anyone coming from Lisbon, Berlin’s sums are curious: a simple meal costs the same as at home, but a metro ticket costs almost double, €4. That’s why the 24-hour ticket pays for itself here from the third journey.
Where should you stay in Berlin on a first visit?
In Mitte, or near a station on the S-Bahn line that crosses the city from east to west. Berlin is big and flat, and its neighbourhoods are far apart.
Mitte
The historic centre, from the Brandenburg Gate to Museum Island. Convenient for everything.
Prenzlauer Berg
Restored old blocks of flats, cafés and markets, north of Mitte. Quiet at night.
Kreuzberg
A Turkish and alternative neighbourhood, with restaurants and bars along the canal. Lively until late.
Friedrichshain
Next to the East Side Gallery, with the most intense nightlife in the city.
How do you get from the airport to the centre?
BER airport is in fare zone C, outside the city, and needs the €5 ABC ticket. The FEX train is the fastest link to the centre.
| Airport | How | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| BER, FEX train | To Südkreuz, Potsdamer Platz and Hauptbahnhof, every 15 minutes | about 23 min | €5 (ABC) |
| BER, S-Bahn | Lines S9 and S45, slower, on the same ticket | longer | €5 (ABC) |
Paper tickets must be validated before you board. Tickets bought in the app are already valid.
What can you do in Berlin in 3 days?
Register for the Reichstag dome as soon as you have your dates. It’s free, but without registration you only get in if there are places left on the day.
Morning
The Reichstag dome
Go up to the glass dome in the morning, having registered online. The spiral ramp takes you to the top, and the free audio guide explains the city you see outside and the plenary chamber you see below, through the glass.
Practical. Free, with advance registration (name and date of birth). Without it, try the visitor service up to two hours beforehand, if places are available.
Afternoon
The Brandenburg Gate and the Holocaust Memorial
Two minutes away, the Brandenburg Gate once marked the border between the two Berlins. On the other side, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe fills an entire block with 2,711 concrete slabs, which you walk through in silence. Then carry on along Unter den Linden.
Evening
Gendarmenmarkt
At the end of the day, the Gendarmenmarkt, with its twin cathedrals and the concert hall between them, is one of the loveliest squares in the city. Have dinner nearby or in Hackescher Markt.
Morning
The Berlin Wall Memorial
On Bernauer Straße, the memorial preserves a stretch of the Wall with its death strip intact and a watchtower, and tells the story of escapes through tunnels and from the windows of the buildings along the street. It’s free, and it’s the best place to understand what the divided city was like.
Afternoon
Alexanderplatz and the East Side Gallery
Head down to Alexanderplatz, the square of the TV Tower and the World Clock, and on to the East Side Gallery, the longest stretch of the Wall still standing, painted by artists from all over the world in 1990.
Evening
The Oberbaumbrücke
Cross the Oberbaumbrücke, the red-brick bridge over the Spree that was once a border crossing, and have dinner in Kreuzberg or Friedrichshain.
Morning
The Neues Museum and Nefertiti
On Museum Island, the Neues Museum holds the bust of Nefertiti, in a room of her own where photography isn’t allowed. The Pergamonmuseum is closed for renovation and won’t reopen until 4 June 2027.
Practical. Neues Museum: €14. Museum Island day ticket: €24.
Afternoon
Checkpoint Charlie and the Topography of Terror
The former Allied border checkpoint is now mostly a backdrop for photos. You’re better off walking on to the free Topography of Terror, built on the site of the former Gestapo and SS headquarters.
Evening
Kreuzberg by the canal
Finish in Kreuzberg, by the Landwehr Canal, among bars and Turkish restaurants. On Tuesdays and Fridays, the Maybachufer street market takes over the canal bank during the day.
Direct flight from Lisbon to Berlin: about 3h25. See the flight estimate for your dates.
What if you have one more day?
With a fourth day, head out into fare zone C, with the ABC ticket.
Potsdam
The palaces and gardens of Sanssouci, built for Frederick the Great, about half an hour by regional train.
Sachsenhausen
The former concentration camp, now a memorial, in Oranienburg. A hard visit, to be made with time and with respect.
Where can you eat well and cheaply in Berlin?
Berlin eats better on the street than at the table. Currywurst and the döner, which Turkish immigrants turned into a sandwich right here in Berlin, are the most Berlin meals there are. A meal at an inexpensive restaurant costs around €15, the same as in Lisbon.
Covered markets such as Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg bring together food stalls from all over the world. And many places still only take cash: always carry some.
- Currywurst
- Sliced sausage in a curry-spiced tomato sauce, served with chips. Born in Berlin in 1949.
- Döner
- Turkish bread stuffed with meat from the spit, salad and sauces. The queue outside is the best guide.
- Eisbein
- Boiled pork knuckle with sauerkraut and pea purée. A winter dish.
- Schnitzel
- A thin breaded cutlet of veal or pork, with potatoes and cucumber salad.
- Pfannkuchen
- The jam doughnut the rest of the world calls a Berliner. In Berlin nobody calls it that: it’s simply a ‘Pfannkuchen’.
- Berliner Weisse
- A sour wheat beer, sometimes served with raspberry syrup or with green woodruff syrup.
How much does a trip to Berlin cost?
Berlin is one of the most affordable capitals in these guides for eating, and an expensive one for single transport tickets. The city’s great memorials (the Wall, the Holocaust Memorial, the Reichstag) are free.
| What | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Transport | ||
| Single ticket, AB | €4 | VBB |
| Four-trip ticket, AB | €12.40 | VBB |
| 24-hour ticket, AB | €11.20 | VBB |
| Single ticket, ABC (airport) | €5 | VBB |
| Entry fees | ||
| Reichstag dome, with registration | free | Deutscher Bundestag |
| Neues Museum | €14 | Staatliche Museen zu Berlin |
| Museum Island, one day | €24 | Staatliche Museen zu Berlin |
| Eating and drinking (averages) | ||
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | €15 | Numbeo |
| Dinner for two, mid-range restaurant, no drinks | €70 | Numbeo |
| Cappuccino | €3.87 | Numbeo |
| Draught beer, 0.5 l | €4.90 | Numbeo |
Berlin next to Lisbon
| What | Berlin | Lisbon |
|---|---|---|
| Cappuccino | €3.87 | €2.70 |
| Draught beer, 0.5 l | €4.90 | €3 |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | €15 | €15 |
| Dinner for two, mid-range restaurant | €70 | €55 |
A day in Berlin, per person
| 24-hour ticket, AB | €11.20 |
|---|---|
| Mid-morning coffee | €3.87 |
| Lunch at an inexpensive restaurant | €15 |
| Dinner (half of a dinner for two) | €35 |
| One entry ticket (Neues Museum) | €14 |
| Total per person | €79.07 |
Example for one adult, using the prices in the table. Excludes flights, hotel and shopping.
Single, four-trip or 24-hour ticket?
The 24-hour ticket (€11.20) pays off from the third journey of the day, because three single tickets cost €12. If you don’t travel much, the four-trip ticket (€12.40) works out at €3.10 a journey and can be used on different days.
What mistakes should you avoid in Berlin?
- Travelling without a validated ticket: inspections are frequent and the fine is hefty.
- Using the AB ticket to get to the airport. BER is in zone C and needs the ABC ticket.
- Expecting to pay for everything by card. Many bars and restaurants only take cash.
- Turning up at the Reichstag dome without registering, counting on a free place.
- Crossing cycle lanes while only looking out for cars.
- Planning a visit to the Pergamonmuseum: it’s closed until 4 June 2027.
When is the best time to visit Berlin?
May to September: long days, outdoor terraces and the lakes around the city for hot days. Winter is cold and dark, but it has the Christmas markets, which open at the end of November.
On 9 November, Berlin remembers the fall of the Wall. In February, the Berlinale brings cinema to the whole city.
Frequently asked questions
- How many days do you need in Berlin?
- Three days is enough for the centre, the Wall and the museums. With four, you can add Potsdam.
- How do you visit the Reichstag dome?
- For free, by registering in advance on the Bundestag website (name and date of birth). Without registration, you can try the visitor service up to two hours beforehand, if places are available.
- Which ticket do I need from Berlin airport?
- The €5 ABC ticket, because the airport is in zone C. The FEX train reaches the Hauptbahnhof in about 23 minutes.
- Is the Pergamonmuseum open?
- No. It’s closed for renovation and reopens on 4 June 2027; tickets go on sale in December 2026.
- Is Berlin more expensive than Lisbon?
- For food, it’s almost the same: €15 for a simple meal in both cities. Transport costs more, €4 a journey, and so does beer, €4.90 against €3.
Sources and price dates
All prices were checked on 2 October 2026 on the pages below. Restaurant and café averages come from Numbeo, which collects prices submitted by people who live and travel there.
- VBB: new fares from 1 January 2026
- BER Airport: public transport
- Deutscher Bundestag: dome and roof terrace
- Staatliche Museen zu Berlin: Neues Museum tickets
- Staatliche Museen zu Berlin: Pergamonmuseum reopening
- Numbeo: prices in Berlin (updated 2 October 2026)
- Numbeo: prices in Lisbon (updated 2 October 2026)
Lisbon → Berlin, return flight with hotel.
If you don’t have a flight or hotel yet, ask for a quote for your dates. It arrives on WhatsApp within minutes.
Direct flight estimate based on recent market searches. The final price, with hotel, is confirmed by the consultant.
