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THE FINAL DAYS IN HITLER’S CAPITAL

The BATTLE OF
BERLIN Tour

6

hour
private van tour
– max 6 person group

1000€

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

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

Retrace the route of the Red Army advance into Berlin’s central district – Defense Sector Zitadelle – from the arrival of the first Soviet troops on the city’s outskirts to the surrender of the city and final Nazi capitulation on May 8th 1945 in the suburb of Karlshorst.

Explore what remains of this urban battlefield and follow in the footsteps of the bloody ‘Race to the Reichstag’. Seventeen decisive days that ensured the defeat of National Socialism and end of WWII in Europe – in the largest confrontation between Allied and Axis forces on German soil.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

…the main sites of Defence Sector Z, the Humboldthain Flak Tower, the site of the German surrender in Karlshorst, Tempelhof Airport, the ‘first liberated house’, the Soviet War Memorials, and much more…

TOUR GUIDES

Matt

Jim

Forrest

Nick

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

Visit what remains of the major and minor locations of this epic battle; from the ‘first liberated house in Berlin’ to the former SS/Gestapo headquarters, site of the Rote Burg police station, Tempelhof airport, and the Spittelmarkt that would become chokepoints over the course of the brutal fighting.

Follow the path taken by the remaining members of Hitler’s entourage in escaping through the frontlines, the gauntlet-like frontal assault that Red Army troops carried out while fighting through the current government district and learn about the controversy surrounding the iconic photo of those same Red Army troops raising the Soviet flag over the main Soviet objective – the Reichstag building.

This tour is an opportunity to discover the story of the Battle of Berlin through the eyes of the defenders, the Soviet personnel tasked with attacking the city, but also the millions of civilians who would share the burden.

Explore the former Nazi government quarter and Defence Sector Zitadelle, the site of Adolf Hitler’s Führerbunker and command centre for the last days of his life. Hear the stories of the reluctant commander of the Berlin Defence Area who narrowly escaped execution for treason, the fanatical resistance from French and Swedish SS fighters, and the tragedy of young boys and old men forced to act as cannon fodder to blunt the Soviet assault.

The result would be a decisive Soviet victory – the death of Adolf Hitler and the coup de grâce to National Socialism. This bitterly contested battle, however, would leave Berlin almost unrecognisable to visitors fortunate enough to have witnessed the German capital in its pre-war splendour. A city that still today bears the scars of the street-by-street, house-by-house, cellar-by-cellar fighting that would become emblematic of the most symbolic battle of the war.

More than 80,000 Soviet soldiers would die before this battle was over and this tour includes access to two huge Soviet memorials – Treptower Park and the Tiergarten – that were established after the war to commemorate these dead. We additionally visit the German Russia Museum in Karlshorst, where less than a week after the end of the Battle of Berlin the instrument of surrender of Nazi Germany was signed.

BERLIN HISTORY Tour Sites

The Soviet War Memorial in the Tiergarten

The Brandenburg Gate/Pariser Platz

The Reichstag

The Moltke Brücke

The Siegessaule

Bendlerblock/German Resistance Museum

Last Headquarters Of The Berlin Defensive Area

The Site Of The Führerbunker

The Site Of The New Reich Chancellery

The Former SS-Gestapo Headquarters

The Route Of The Martin Bormann/Artur Axmann Escape

The Route Of The 11th SS Panzergrenadier Division Nordland

Shrapnel Damage On Georgenstrasse

The Former Nazi Parade Ground Of Lustgarten/Museum Island

The Former Hitler Youth Headquarters

The Humboldthain Flak Tower

The Groterjahn Brewery

Frankfurter Allee

The First Liberated House In Marzahn

The Site Of The German Surrender

The Soviet Memorial In Treptower Park

Tempelhof Airport

The site of the surrender of Berlin

The Site Of The Sergeant Makarov Rescue Story

Anhalter Bahnhof

HISTORY BEYOND THE MYTH

Beyond visiting the locations where the Battle of Berlin took place we will also discuss the myths and realities of this era-ending engagement, such as:

What were the key events of the Battle of Berlin?

Why didn’t the British and Americans take Berlin in 1945?

Did Hitler escape to Argentina in 1945?

Did women serve in combat roles in the German army?

Did any leading Nazis escape Berlin in 1945?

Why was there a British WWI tank in Berlin in 1945?

Were there foreign fighters in Berlin in 1945?

What was controversial about the Soviet flag being raised over the Reichstag in 1945?

What remains of Hitler’s Welthauptstadt?

How close did the Nazis come to developing an atomic bomb?

Did Hugo Boss design the Nazi uniforms?

Are there any Nazi statues left in Berlin?

Why did the Nazis use the swastika?

Who were the last defenders of Hitler’s bunker?

Were the Anglo-American air raids on Berlin war crimes?

How many times did Hitler survive assassination?

How many key Nazis escaped to South America?

What was the relationship between Nazi Germany and the Vatican?

Did Rudolf Hess commit suicide?

What happened to the Nazi gold?

Was Hitler inspired by the conquest of the Americas?

Who really raised the Red Banner on the Reichstag in 1945?

Was Berlin’s first Soviet commandant murdered?

FEATURED BERLIN EXPERIENCES

Walk Through The Brandenburg Gate

Explore The State Musems On Museum Island

Visit The Site Of Adolf Hitler’s Führerbunker

Explore The Reconstructed Berlin Palace

Visit The Reichstag Cupola At Night

Explore The Forum Fridericianum

Shop At The Humboldt University Book Sale

Journey Into The Memorial To The Murdered Jews Of Europe

Step Inside The Neue Wache

Explore The Topography Of Terror

Climb The Prussian Victory Column – The Siegessäule

Step Inside The Berlin Olympic Stadium

Explore The Berliner Dom

Walk Through The Ruins Of Anhalter Bahnhof

Visit The German Resistance Museum

Visit The Soviet War Memorial In The Tiergarten

See The Georg Elser Memorial On Wilhelmstrasse

Step Inside The Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtnis Kirche

TOUR TESTIMONIALS

"Matthew was an excellent guide for our family of four. He was very affable and caring, and extremely knowledgable. We couldn't have engaged a better guide to show us Berlin's sights and history. His previous career as a journalist shows through during the tour as he gave in depth illustrations and narrations of Berlin's role in WWII and the unification of Germany. His partnership with Markus as the driver added an extra special touch to the day. Will highly recommend Matthew as a guide for Berlin!"

"Matthew was a very informed, professional, and yet personable and energetic guide for our day in Berlin! He is a truly amazing guide, with a breadth of understanding of Berlin, its past, relevancy for the present, and potential to impact the future. He also explained both macro and micro moments in history with amazing clarity. We would very highly recommend him for small group or even family travel. If there were 6 stars, that's how we would rank him and Markus his driver."

"Matt is undoubtedly the top guide we have ever had. Matt guided us for three days in Berlin and Potsdam and every moment was great. His depth of knowledge is impressive on its own. However, Matt has a unique ability to tell stories and use language and historic photos to create experiences that made us 'feel' like we were a part of the history in the moment. Matt was also very flexible and tailored our experience to our needs."

"Matt Robinson is, simply put, a fantastic tour guide. His knowledge of World War II & the Cold War is exceptional & he is a great storyteller. Matt has the wonderful ability to put political, cultural, social & military history into context as he guides you through the streets of Berlin. Matt made the history of Berlin come alive."

"Matthew provided an excellent five hour tour of the highlights of Berlin. His use of a tablet with photos, maps & videos added another level of understanding to the sites. Our group would definitely contract with Matthew on any future visits."

"Matthew was prompt, friendly and extremely knowledgeable about Berlin and historical facts contributing to why it is the city it is today. We were a group of nine friends and he started the tour at the hotel where most of us were staying. Very accommodating! I would highly recommend Matthew, especially if you are first-timers to Berlin as we were."

"Matthew was a great guide, very thorough on historical knowledge. We let him suggest a restaurant for lunch, and he made a great choice. His driver Markus was also great at getting us up close to the venues before we walked. Markus had his own fascinating story to tell about his escape from East Berlin. Matthew made sure we had plenty of time at each stop. We are only in Berlin 3 days, so his City Tour was awesome for hitting many high points. We definitely recommend Matthew and Markus !!"

"What a wonderfully informative and enjoyable day! Matthew was a brilliant guide, providing all the historic background to this intriguing city. Best of all was his story telling - the human side of Berlin, with a combination of tragic and positive stories, brought it all alive. We also enjoyed the little hidden coffee and local food gems! And the combination of driving, then walking for periods, was perfect. Well worth a price premium for this level of personalised tour. Thanks, Matthew!"

"Spent a really special day with Matt and our Driver Markus during a recent 5 day visit to Berlin. It's possible we could have taken a tour, even two, a lot less costly for just 2 people, but we were in a very comfortable van and Matt took us to locations I doubt we'd have seen on a typical tour. They made it effortless for us, a nice day of just relying on Matt and Markus. It was amazing that Markus actually escaped East Berlin during the Cold War! Thanks to both of them for a lovely day."

"It was a wonderful day trip with a lot of exciting facts, incredible sightseeing and several handy points for our further staying in Berlin. Mattew combined all our wishes - a walking tour, a bicycle ride, a panorama overview - in a solid and fascinating journey through old times, recent history, and nowadays Berlin. Our high recommendations!"

"What an incredible introduction to Berlin! Matthew led us on a 6-hour tour (assisted by a van with driver) of Cold War history and sights, World War II landmarks, the German capitol center, and neighborhoods in the center. He story-told history in a super engaging way and with a book of visual aids - maps, photos, articles. He introduced us to the Turkish contribution to German lunch (the Doner kabob) and dropped us off at his favorite Biergarten a lovely 20-minute walk back to our hotel. A great day!"

"We booked Matt online for a walking tour of the Third Reich and Cold War sights of Berlin. We were not disappointed. Matt is friendly, extremely knowledgable, super attentive to his clients’ needs and flexible. We spent a fascinating 3 hours with him and packed in a lot. There ywas no question to which he didn’t have the answer. I would highly recommend Matt if you want to get under the surface of Berlin with a guide who has a deep understanding of the history of this fascinating city."

"My wife Rhonda and I spent 2 days with Matt Robinson covering various highlights of Berlin including The Third Reich, The Cold War and Contemporary Berlin. Matt's knowledge of history is outstanding, and his story telling is fascinating and unique. From the booking procedure, to then meeting Matt at our hotel, the tour organisation was effortless, professional and nothing was too much trouble. Matt was also extremely helpful & considerate of my limited mobility and offered to organise a driver to accompany our tour."

"Our Tour Guide Matt was Absolutley AMAZING, he gave very good insight in and around Berlin as well as other historic events, He was kind enough to show us some of the most amazing things as well as good places to eat in the Area, He is very knowledgeable and was a great catch, I highly recommed him as a tour guide for a one of a kind experience!"

"I am sure there is no one better to experience all the history and fun facts about Berlin than Matt. It was 1st class service since the 1st email, he was so helpful and made it the best ever tour. He makes learning fun. 100 % worth having a private tour. Thanks for everything Matt, the Canadians loved both tours, and thanks to your driver, also the best."

"Our tour was lead by Matt. He is English speaking, having grown up in England and then relocated to Germany. This man is a wealth of knowledge that far exceeds what you would expect on a standard tour. Matt was never at a loss for information when our group of 10 threw questions at him. It is hard to quantify how much he knows, but we were unable to stump him on anything we asked about. Matt is passionate about the history, but not one of those who is forcing his opinions or views down your throat. He would give us his take on it and actually encourage we formed our own thoughts. Truly a class act. I highly recommend the Berlin Experience."

"My family spent two days touring with a Matt and the two of us did another long bike ride along the Berlin Wall trail. It is a misnomer to call Matt a tour guide. It was a long conversation with an experienced journalist who will give you a highly nuanced look at the city. We used a car and driver who picked us up between stops. It was a good investment in the blistering heat. Matt also arranged our airport transfers and even found a friend ho accompanying me to inline skate at Flaeming Skate south of the city. He has a range of ideas for every interest. Native English speaker but long time resident of Berlin who is fluent in German."

"Matt Robinson was an excellent guide. Not only did we efficiently experience many top sites but the historic background information provided by Matt made our visit very meaningful. His language skills are excellent and he is humorous with quick responses. I would love to do another tour with him again."

"We recently had a financial conference in Berlin and I was tasked with arranging a tour for our clients. Matt was incredibly professional and helpful, and tailored the tour for our exact requirements. In the lead up to the tour, Matt was fast at responding to mails, he helped plan the route, he advised on drinks (saving us money) and literally thought of everything! On the day, he was an absolute hit with our guests. Matt you a dream to work with, thank you for all of your help and making our event go so smoothly. Best of luck with your company and we will definitely be sending recommendations your way!"

"My son (20yr old History student) and I spent several days in Berlin this week, part of our tour of Germany and Austria this week. On a day of sleet and even snow in April Matt was great and informative company, the Passport office was an authentic touch, and tip for dinner at Reichstag most useful, all this and some of the key spots via foot train and bus for a meaningful and insightful local experience - the view of the Wal and its area to cross, the denouement of a car park for The 3rd Reichs final rites really interesting If you want to get a First class experience tailored to your needs with people who are smart, passionate about Berlin and great company then sign up you won’t regret it"

"We did a private tour with a car of Berlin with Matt. It was a 5 hour tour which is basically highlights of Berlin tour. He is well versed with the WW-II history and beyond. Our time hours with him went way to quick. He did take us to a special cafe that has a roof top terrace where you could get the best views of Berlin which include the iconic TV tower in the back drop. I would recommend you look no further for a private guide and book him. Ps: He is booked out probably 2-3 months out."

"Had the great pleasure of spending the day with Matt on our tour of Berlin. My son is a fanatic on military history, so this tour was one he was particularly excited about. I also had my wife, mother-in-law and daughter (studying film in Bonn). The day was nothing short of spectacular! Matt did a fabulous job explaining the history of the city. We also enjoyed a nice mix of humor: Matt shared a great story about the granite bowl at the museum (why it's not indoors and extracurricular uses by the locals), certain visitors "recognition" for Hitler's bunker and the night job for the "sentries" at Checkpoint Charlie.”

"I contacted Matt Robinson at Berlin Experience having read a favourable review in Conde Nast Traveller. I was promptly send a choice of interesting themed tours but with his help I selected from them the things that I most wanted to see. Matt then provided a Mercedes with driver and was our Guide. Andreas, the driver, was helpful and Matt was charming and answered all of our questions so we had a most instructive and enjoyable afternoon which provided a perfect foundation for the rest of our week in Berlin."

"My friends and I had an incredible day touring the city of Berlin with our tour guide Matt. An English ex-pat who has called Berlin home for over a decade he knew the city inside and out. What we really appreciated was that he didn't regurgitate a script but that he tailored it by putting an emphasis on our fascination of Cold War Berlin. He gave us a lot of tips about what we could do for the rest of our time as well as great restaurant recommendations. I miss Berlin already!"

"My tour was with Matt, who I think is actually the founder of the company - I was so impressed by the depth of knowledge he had about the political history of the country, and of Berlin itself... historical knowledge, but also recent history, bits of weird trivia, which museums to go to, day trips out of the city, where to eat, cool areas to visit, etc...literally a wealth of knowledge. I was lucky to get to chat to him a bit on the tour, it was such a brilliant orientation / insight into the city - and it's such a an amazing city - I would recommend it to anyone."

"We booked a private tour with Berlin Experiences without any expectations and we were more than pleasantly surprised! The knowledge of our guide Matthew was beyond what your usual tour guide could offer. Not only was he able to provide extensive knowledge of the city and its different layers of history but his synthesis of different points of view gave us a different outlook of Berlin, which made us feel like we were let in on a secret a few people have a chance to know about or even experience."

PHOTO CREDITS

The iconic ‘Raising a flag over the Reichstag’ by Yevgeny Khaldei/Mil.ru
Volkssturm soldiers with Panzerfausts in Berlin/Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-J31320 / CC-BY-SA 3.0
Brandenburg Gate in 1945/Bundesarchiv, B 145 Bild-P054320 / Weinrother, Carl / CC-BY-SA 3.0
Red Army victory celebrations on a Berlin street/Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-E0406-0022-018 / CC-BY-SA 3.0
Red Army soldiers gather for an announcement on May 1st 1945/Public Domain
Soviet tanks on a street in Berlin/Public Domain

BOOK ONLINE

THE FINAL DAYS IN HITLER’S CAPITAL

The BATTLE OF
BERLIN Tour

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

TOUR GUIDES

Matt

Jim

Forrest

Nick

BERLIN HISTORY Tour Sites

HISTORY BEYOND THE MYTH

FEATURED BERLIN EXPERIENCES

Walk Through The Brandenburg Gate

Explore The State Musems On Museum Island

Visit The Site Of Adolf Hitler’s Führerbunker

Explore The Reconstructed Berlin Palace

Visit The Reichstag Cupola At Night

Explore The Forum Fridericianum

Shop At The Humboldt University Book Sale

Journey Into The Memorial To The Murdered Jews Of Europe

Step Inside The Neue Wache

Explore The Topography Of Terror

Climb The Prussian Victory Column – The Siegessäule

Step Inside The Berlin Olympic Stadium

Explore The Berliner Dom

Walk Through The Ruins Of Anhalter Bahnhof

Visit The German Resistance Museum

Visit The Soviet War Memorial In The Tiergarten

See The Georg Elser Memorial On Wilhelmstrasse

Step Inside The Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtnis Kirche

TOUR TESTIMONIALS

PHOTO CREDITS

ONE HOUR
EXPERIENCES

HALF DAY
EXPERIENCES

FULL DAY
EXPERIENCES

Our
Top Articles

BOOK ONLINE

THE FINAL DAYS IN HITLER’S CAPITAL

The BATTLE OF BERLIN Tour

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

TOUR GUIDES

Matt

Jim

Forrest

Nick

BERLIN HISTORY Tour Sites

HISTORY BEYOND THE MYTH

FEATURED BERLIN EXPERIENCES

TOUR TESTIMONIALS

PHOTO CREDITS

ONE HOUR EXPERIENCES

HALF DAY EXPERIENCES

FULL DAY EXPERIENCES

Our Top Articles

The BATTLE OF
BERLIN Tour

ONE HOUR
EXPERIENCES

HALF DAY
EXPERIENCES

FULL DAY
EXPERIENCES

Our
Top Articles