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THE RISE & FALL OF THE THIRD REICH

The Capital Of Tyranny Tour - Berlin Experiences

The CAPITAL OF
TYRANNY
Tour

5

hour
private van tour
– max 6 person group

925€

per group

includes 19% VAT, guide fee, booking fee, admin fee, transportation and driver costs, and tourism insurances

Our Capital Of Tyranny Tour can start wherever is best for you – at your accommodation or elsewhere

The Holocaust Memorial
The Holocaust Memorial
Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium
German Resistance Museum
German Resistance Museum

Discover the history of the Third Reich beyond the pulp mythology – follow the path of Hitler’s Machtergriefung (rise to power); learn about the personal tragedies behind the catastrophic events; the dominant personalities within the Nazi party; and the courageous individuals who stood up against totalitarian rule.

Venture into the heart of the ‘Capital of Tyranny’ to explore what remains of Hitler’s grand project, Welthauptstadt Germania (World Capital Germania), and the so-called ‘Thousand Year Reich’.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

…the former Nazi government quarter, the site of Adolf Hitler’s Führerbunker, the German Resistance Museum, the Olympic Stadium, the Haus der Wannsee Konferenz, the Gleis 17 memorial and much more…

TOUR GUIDES

We also offer private walking tour variations of all our famous private transportation tours

Get in touch for bigger groups tours – we also offer bus tours for companies and schools

English language tours with native English speakers – in other languages on request

Book directly with a local company – 18 years experience offering guided tours of Berlin

Pay online with any major credit card – VISA/Mastercard/Amex or direct bank transfer

There is an undeniable mythology surrounding the Third Reich; National Socialism grips the public imagination the world over. So, too, does it retain its hold on the collective memory of today’s Berliners. And how could it not?

The Second World War irrevocably changed the face of the city; a city which is tied up with Hitler’s plans for world domination like no other.

What is gone of Hitler’s regime lives on through memory; what remains stands as a testament to the necessity of confronting tyranny.

Aerial photo of Berlin after the bombing showing the area on which the memorial "Topography of Terror" was built - 1948/Jean-Pierre Dalbéra
Berlin, Parade zum Jahrestag der Wehrfreiheit/Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-C03964 / Müller / CC-BY-SA 3.0

Although not the birthplace of National Socialism, Berlin would serve as the nerve-centre of Hitler’s regime following the Nazi seizure of power in 1933. Fitting now that the country’s present-day parliament convenes within walking distance of a collection of memorials established for the victims of National Socialism.

The current movement to confront the country’s past is best summarised as a respectful observation of uncomfortable history. Germany’s willingness to openly face these issues providing any serious student of European History the opportunity to study the factors and events that led to the country’s descent into totalitarian madness and genocidal dictatorship.

This Capital of Tyranny tour is an opportunity to address the many aspects of life in the Third Reich, while following the path of Hitler’s Machtergreifung (rise to power). Revisit the catastrophic events; the dominant personalities of the Nazi Party and Adolf Hitler’s inner circle; and consider the acquiescence, either criminal or passive, that allowed National Socialism to flourish and maintain its hold on German society until the end.

From the former Nazi government district and the surviving former ministry buildings to the site of Adolf Hitler’s Führerbunker to discuss his final days. Beyond Berlin’s central Mitte district this tour also ventures west to the Olympic Stadium – site of the 1936 ‘Nazi Games’ and the Gleis 17 Deportation Station memorials before continuing to one of the most important sites in Holocaust history – the Haus der Wannsee Konferenz – where in 1942, Nazi functionaries met and coordinated the ‘Final Solution to the Jewish Question’.

Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, 1945. On the left the Columbushaus, on the right the ruin of Hotel Fürstenhof. Canadian soldiers in the jeep/Public Domain

BERLIN HISTORY Tour Sites

Berlin, NS-Kundgebung im Lustgarten/Bundesarchiv, B 145 Bild-P022065 / CC-BY-SA 3.0

The Reichstag/German Parliament

Former Prussian/Nazi Government Quarter

Site of Hitler’s New Reich Chancellery

Site of the Führerbunker

Former Nazi Propaganda & Public Enlightenment Ministry

Georg Elser Memorial

Former Nazi Airforce Ministry

Former SS-Gestapo Headquarters

Topography of Terror Museum

Brandenburg Gate

Former Charlottenburger Chaussee

Site of the British Victory Parade and Allied Victory Parade in 1945

Ruined Anhalter Bahnhof Diplomatic and Deportation Station

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Memorial to the Roma & Sinti

Memorial to the Persecuted Homosexuals

Soviet War Memorial in the Tiergarten

Siegessaule (Victory Column)

Japanese & Italian Embassies

T4 Memorial for the Euthanasia Victims of National Socialism

Bendlerblock/German Resistance Museum

Ruined Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche

Kufürstendamm

Olympic Stadium (Site of the 1936 Nazi Games)

Gleis 17 Deportation Memorial

Haus der Wannsee Konferenz

FEATURED BERLIN EXPERIENCES

TOUR TESTIMONIALS

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

View From The Siegessäule

Booking a tour via our website is simply a matter of navigating to the tour page and choosing the date you would like to tour and starting time via the calendar panel on the page.

You will then be taken to a booking form, where you enter your personal details and can then choose your payment option.

Once you complete your tour booking it will then enter our system as pending until confirmed on our side (this usually takes less than an hour depending when we see the booking request).

Then within the next 24 hours we will contact your directly via the email you supply during the booking process to say hello and confirm the booking.

If you have any special requests or requirements, please add them to your booking during the checkout process and we can finalise these details via email.

Through our booking platform (Rezdy), we accept all major credit cards – VISA, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, and Diners Club card.

If you would prefer to pay via bank transfer or Paypal, we can also arrange this.

Contact us via email (info@berlinexperiences.com) with any payment questions you might have.

We find that as many of our clients are holidaying in Berlin that starting slowly in the morning for our Full Day Experiences is both recommended and most rewarding.

A relaxing 10am start for our five/six hour tours also means that we can integrate a short coffee/snack break or lunch around 12:30pm.

For the Half Day Experiences, we would also recommend the same – although along with the One Hour Experiences there is more flexibility due to the reduced length of the tours.

When booking your tour, you will find the options for starting times in the booking window.

If you don’t find the time you are looking for – get in touch (info@berlinexperiences.com) and we can work something out! 

For all of our Full Day Experiences, it is possible start and finish the tour at your hotel/accomodation. Depending on the location in the city and its distance from the areas we will be exploring, it may be more advisable to start at a centrally located landmark (within the Mitte district) such as the Brandenburg Gate or Museum Island.

Our One Hour Experiences are designed with specific starting point and end points in mind – for each of these tours there is a train station nearby which is easy to reach for travellers wishing to arrive by public transportation. Check the description on the tour pages for these One Hour Experiences to see exactly where the meeting points are.

For the Half Day Experiences, it may be possible in some cases (such as the Bitesize Berlin 3 Hour Private Van Tour) to start at your accomodation also. The other tours listed have specific starting points – be they the Berlin Brandenburg Airport for the Airport Transfer Tour or the Brandenburg Gate for the Berlin Explorer Tour.

While each of our tours have been designed to approach a certain historical theme or aspect of the city, we can always tailor your time in the city further. Berlin is not laid out chronologically, so when exploring it is only natural that we will pass landmarks and locations that are from different periods or are worth mentioning for certain events that have taken place there.

If there is any aspect of Berlin’s history or theme that you would like to explore further we can always work on integrating relevant parts of the city into a tour you book – or suggest another tour that might be more relevant.

Don’t hestitate to get in touch if there is something you would like to explore that you don’t see as part of our catalogue of tours. Send an email to info@berlinexperiences.com and we can discuss how to best make the most of your time in our extraordinary city. 

As referenced in the Terms & Conditions page, we do not offer refunds on bookings made closer than one month of the tour date.

For example: if you book a tour on January 1st for July 1st, the same booking cancelled after June 1st is by that point non-refundable.

Bookings cancelled up to one month before the tour date will be refunded at 75% of the cost (100% of the booking cost minus a 25% administration fee).

If you would prefer to amend the tour date for another date this can be done at no additional cost.

As we accepted bookings through credit card payment, any cancellations made last minute due to cancelled/delayed flights or emergencies may be covered by your credit card company.

We do advise our clients to consider travel insurance to cover for unforseen circumstances. Our issued invoices can be then used to receive a refund from your insurance company or banking institution.

Cancellations can be made via email to info@berlinexperiences.com

Absolutely.

You can do this either by booking tours individually through the booking platform we used or by adding tours to the shopping card system and booking multiple tours together.

Due to the high number of tours we have booked during the high season (April-December), we have a one week limit on our booking platform. 

This means that you cannot automatically book any tour that would take place within the next 7 days through the platform.

If you would like to book a last minute tour – just because we do not list availability on our booking platform does not mean that one of our guides is not available – do get in touch via email (info@berlinexperiences.com) and we will see what we can do!

I (Matt) endeavour to lead all the tours I offer, but depending on availability may already be booked with other clients. In which case, I have a team of the best professional guides in Berlin, all with years of experience and dedication to their work, that I work with. All are members of the Berlin Guides Association, an organisation known throughout the world for its guiding excellence.

When you book you will receive a confirmation email within 24hrs to follow up on your booking and present which guides might be available and best suited for your tour/s.

The sights listed in the itinerary sections of our tours are a general guide to what may be covered when booking those particular tours and not necessarily what we may be able to cover during that day.

Particular factors such as official state visits, political demonstrations, reconstruction – and even the odd bomb disposal of Second World War ordnance – can shape & reshape our path through the city.

We appreciate that every guest is different and approaches the city with different expectations and interests – and we tailor our tours accordingly. If you find something in particular that interests you then please do refer to this when contacting us so we can arrange your day accordingly. 

Our professional drivers are also available for airport transfers – provided with either Mercedes Benz V-class or Volkswagen Caravelle vans.

This service is for up to 4 people – including a moderate amount of baggage (one large bag and one small bag per person).

You can book directly via the private BER airport transfer item in our booking platform.

If you are looking for a private airport transfer and require a larger vehicle for a bigger group – get in touch via email (info@berlinexperiences.com).

If you are having issues booking through our booking platform – please get in touch via email ASAP (info@berlinexperiences.com) so we can see what we can do to fix the problem.

If you receive a particular error message that might be due to our booking system please do take screenshots (photos of your screen with the error) if possible.

We also accept alternative forms of payment through bank transfer/Paypal or cash on the day for clients who would prefer these methods.

As we are based in Germany, we charge the official 19% VAT (sales tax) – already calculated as part of the cost of our tours and the price that you see when you pay.

Additionally, we include the booking fee, guide fee, admin fee, driver and transportation costs (where applicable), and the mandatory German tourism insurances as part of the costs we present.

We aim to be 100% transparent with our services – offering a fair price for a fantastic day’s exploration!

CONTACT FORM

Get in touch and book a tour

Matt Robinson - Berlin Experiences Owner

If you have any questions about our tours – or Berlin in general – we are here to help. 

You can either use the contact form provided or send an email (info@berlinexperiences.com) directly. 

For last minute booking and priority requests, we are also available on Whatsapp (+4917624162526).

PHOTO CREDITS
  1. Ruins of the Reichstag in Berlin, 3 June 1945/Public Domain
  2. Aerial photo of Berlin after the bombing showing the area on which the memorial “Topography of Terror” was built – 1948/Jean-Pierre Dalbéra
  3. Berlin, Parade zum Jahrestag der Wehrfreiheit/Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-C03964 / Müller / CC-BY-SA 3.0
  4. Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, 1945. On the left the Columbushaus, on the right the ruin of Hotel Fürstenhof. Canadian soldiers in the jeep/Public Domain
  5. Berlin, NS-Kundgebung im Lustgarten/Bundesarchiv, B 145 Bild-P022065 / CC-BY-SA 3.0
  6. Berlin, Lustgarten, Rede Goebbels/Bundesarchiv, B 145 Bild-P046287 / CC-BY-SA 3.0