• Private Tour
• Family Friendly
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Discover East Berlin’s turbulent past on this private tour with me, a certified local tour guide. Explore an area which was once the capital of a totalitarian system and uncover what life was like behind the Iron Curtain.

Destination

Berlin, Germany

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

3.5 hours

Transport mode

Public Transport

Available languages

English, Français, Deutsch

Included

• Private guide

What you can expect

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with Martin .

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Alexanderplatz - Berlin to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Alexanderplatz

   Let’s check out this city hub, I’ll talk you through all the main buildings

4. One of Europe's grandest avenues

   Explore this prime example of Socialist Realist architecture

5. The Infamous Stasi HQ

   Still looking as grim as it did in the past. Find out what went on behind those grey and dreary walls

6. The Wall Memorial

   One of Berlin's largest and most poignant memorials. Especially haunting is the "Window of Remembrance", where I'll tell you more about some of the victims who died while trying to cross the Wall

7. Brandenburg Gate

   The most significant symbol for German division and German reunification. Find out more about its history and see the exact spot where US president Ronald Reagan gave his famous speech in 1987

8. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Yvette🇺🇸 United States

22 February 2025

Martin was fantastic. Provided us with insights into East Berlin and the political and social culture of the time. Brought the not so distant past into sharp relief with stories and interesting facts that we would never have had the chance to experience or understand. The private tour is well worth the money as we were able to ask lots of questions and interact with him. He made us feel comfortable right away. I did the tour mostly because of my husbands interest but I left feeling invigorated. Plan on watching all the movies he suggested and learning more about the Cold War because of Martin’s tour. His restaurant recommendations are also spot on. Highly recommend it. Thank you Martin. Converted me into a history enthusiast

Matthew

30 October 2024

Our understanding of the Cold War and Berlin was somewhat limited up to the point of meeting Martin on Monday morning. Having spent 3-4 hours visiting the key sights and listening to his encyclopedic knowledge of events, places and dates, we now have a thorough grasp of this complicated subject. Martin presents the information in an easy to understand way and is happy to be constantly interrupted by probing questions! I am always a bit hesitant to commit to paying for a local guide, having been bitten in the past, but this was worth every penny and I would happily recommend Martin for any tour of Berlin that you are considering. 10/10. An amazing morning in Berlin

Cornelia🇦🇹 Austria

13 May 2024

Fluent English speaking tour with a local who experienced Berlin`s change since 1989 in person. Great background and history knowledge. We did the tour "behind the iron curtain" and can totally recommend it. Thanks to Martin for the hours spent together.Tour with great insights

Johan🇸🇪 Sweden

2 November 2023

Leora🇺🇸 United States

20 June 2023

Martin is knowledgeable, makes the tour interesting and is thoughtful and authentic in his approach. Highly recommended.Great tour with Martin

Mara🇺🇸 United States

16 June 2023

I booked a tour with Martin on a solo trip to Berlin in November. Despite the freezing temperatures, it was 100% the highlight of my trip. Martin was great--super friendly, communicative and knowledgeable. He quickly adapted to my (rather niche) interests and tweaked the itinerary in real time. I ended up seeing some incredible things that I never would have found on my own. I would absolutely recommend Martin for your next trip to Berlin. Martin is the BEST

Kerryn🇦🇺 Australia

25 May 2023

Martín was very generous with his time and able to explain in detail everything that we saw and questioned him on. It was a pleasure to spend many hours with him over two days as he has a very warm personality. At our request, he brought his dog on the second day. Very happy to highly recommend Martin as he has so much to offer on numerous subjects.Wealth of broad knowledge

Timo🇳🇱 Netherlands

14 March 2023

We had a very interesting and educational tour with Martin who is a very eloquent and knowledgeable guide. Tour was tailored to our interests.Great Fun and Educational

Mike🇬🇧 United Kingdom

4 March 2023

The weather was bitterly cold, which seemed very fitting with the architecture we viewed and the stories we heard from Martin. Despite that, I never thought about the cold once as I was so engaged with the tour. The knowledge, first hand experience and enthusiasm Martin demonstrated was brilliant, I think you’d struggle to find someone who could deliver the information better, he brought photographs as well as his West Berlin passport, explaining the procedure he took travelling into East Berlin as a teenager - amazing. To add to that, he’s a very nice genuine guy! This was a brilliant start to our Berlin visit, I would highly recommend this tour, and especially with Martin. I was already fascinated with East Berlin and Cold War era prior to visiting, but now I am even more amazed. The visit to the wall memorial was a nice way to end the time we had together, this can of course be visited by anyone, but I have to say it’s touched me more after visiting with Martin, the stories will be with me forever. Thanks Martin for the tour and the company. What a brilliant tour!

Theresa🇨🇦 Canada

19 December 2022

Martin was an excellent guide sharing his extensive knowledge about Berlin, GDR, the Cold War and any other questions we had about this country! He is friendly, engaging and considerate. Even though it was a bitterly cold morning as we walked around, we loved our time with Martin! Thank you and we hope to return for another tour. An expert guide!

Unknown

19 December 2022

Martin made our tour so memorable and he did this through one of the coldest days all winter. He is so knowledgeable and has a wonderful way of conveying the information of Berlin’s history. My family enjoyed his sense of humor and candor. We will be back in the spring over the next year or two hoping we can meet up with Martin again!!!Martin is THE BEST!!!

Dave🇳🇱 Netherlands

10 May 2022

We as a family of three had a impressive DDR tour with Martin. In a very personal way he took us to the highlights of Berlin. Thank you once Again Martin! Tour DDR with Martin

hans🇳🇱 Netherlands

12 April 2022

Very interesting tour with lots of information about the way people lived in east Berlin before 1989 and the way they live today. Martin explains the ideology behind the communism, highlight the meaning of the surrounding buildings and their impact on the people. We really did enjoy this 3.5 hr tour, unfortunately it was over before we knew it. Really recommended! travel trough the unknown!

Richard🇺🇸 United States

18 October 2021

Martin provided an outstanding walking tour of the former East Berlin for us. His excellent knowledge of history and willingness to share his personal experiences and perspectives as a German and a Berliner made the tour special for us. He was prompt, organized and not in a hurry. An excellent tour guide. The Withlocals.com app worked great for communicating prior to our meeting. We will use this service again. Martin - Excellent Berlin Guide

Debbie🇬🇧 United Kingdom

24 August 2021

Martin is a charming and oh-so-knowledgeable guide. The weather wasn't exactly our friend that day but nothing through Martin off track. He filled in the many gaps in my knowledge about Berlin during the Cold War. We visited buildings that had caught my interest on a previous trip and now I can slot them into the story of Berlin. I thoroughly recommend this tour - and do it it early in your trip if you can as it will help put everything else you do into its place in the story of Berlin. Highly recommended tour - I challenge you to think of a question he can't answer!

Alan🇩🇪 Germany

17 August 2021

We had a great time exploring with Martin, his knowledge of the topic is second to none. We had been to Berlin a few times before so knew the highlights already and were looking for something more in depth. Martin was able to provide that in abundance, and when supplemented with his measured opinions on a variety of topics created a very educational experience. On top of that Martin was great fun with a great sense of humor. Highly recommend this tour. Awesome Tour with Martin

Maria 🇸🇰 Slovakia

17 February 2020

Martin had great knowledge, sense of humor and is very opened to conversation and answering our questions. He was very flexible to fit the tour within the time we had and gave us amazing tour that was well worth it. Great tour

Ian🇬🇧 United Kingdom

2 February 2020

Had an absorbing afternoon catching up on the sights and history of east Berlin. A real insight into that part of historyLovely tour

Rohan🇦🇺 Australia

9 January 2020

We did the Behind the Iron Curtain with Martin. What a great introduction to Berlin. Martin regaled us with stories of life in Berlin pre and post the wall and interspersed those stories with his own personal experiences and views, which made the whole tour so much more relatable. We also liked the fact that Martin was able to adapt the tour to suit us. And, for an added plus, Martin recommended a few restaurants to us - Zenkichi (Japanese) was a particularly memorable experience. Knowledgable and passionate

Annemarie 🇪🇸 Spain

29 December 2019

Martin gave us, a group of ten, an excellent overview of life behind the Iron Curtain. We were very impressed with the breadth of his knowledge and particularly enjoyed the trip the Stasi museum. Would highly recommend.Very informed guide

Patricia🇫🇷 France

25 October 2019

Tour très intéressant. Martin est un fin connaisseur du sujet, il explique très bien et d'une manière attractive. Top

Vincent🇺🇸 United States

14 September 2019

We just got to Berlin and Martin made our first day amazing. We did the communist East Berlin tour. Martin was friendly and so knowledgeable about the history of the city and German culture. We would definitely get another tour with him next time we are here!! An amazing tour with Martin!!

Roland🇨🇭 Switzerland

11 September 2019

Nachdem wir aufgrund unserer letzten Berlin-Besuche meinten, diese Stadt schon zumindest oberflächlich zu kennen, wollten wir mit Martin tiefer in die Geschichte und Soziologie Berlins eintauchen. Wir hatten die «Iron Curtain»-Tour gebucht. Martin hat uns mit seinem schier unendlichen Sachverstand begeistert und ist in der Lage, sein Wissen auf äusserst angenehme Art zu vermitteln. Martin nimmt Rücksicht auf die individuellen Wünsche und stellt die Tour massgeschneidert zusammen. Martin hat uns nicht nur tiefgehende geschichtliche Informationen vermittelt, sondern dies auch noch mit vielen persönlichen Erfahrungen und Anekdoten angereichert. Martin kam top vorbereitet und hatte diverse Karten und Fotos im Gepäck. Hier wurde nicht einfach irgend ein Programm abgespult. Wir hatten woanders schon diverse geführte Touren mitgemacht. Aber von keiner konnten wir so viel mitnehmen wie bei Martins Tour! Wir können Martin wärmstens empfehlen! Wer von den typischen Touristenfallen wie Brandenburger Tor etc. gelangweilt ist, kommt an Martin nicht vorbei. Fünf Sterne mit Zusatz-Stern :)Ausgezeichnete Tour mit bleibender Erinnerung

Hans🇳🇱 Netherlands

20 August 2019

We had a great time with Martin during Behind The Iron Curtain: East Berlin tour. Martin really is an history expert. Very knowledgeable about the many places we visited, some well known but many not so well known. We learned a lot about Berlin. We also very much appreciated the customizing of our tour, and the recommendations he made for other places to visit. He's a great storyteller and best of all, a very nice guy. Highly recommended! Thank you very much Martin.Great tour with a great guide

Shannon🇺🇸 United States

7 March 2025

Martin is a great guide and great guy. My husband, son and I were lucky enough to spend two days with Martin during our visit to Berlin. We saw a lot, learned a lot, and had a great time. Our time in Berlin was significantly enhanced by touring the city with Martin. We all three give him our highest recommendation for tours in Berlin. Great experience with Martin

Mary

1 February 2025

Touring Berlin with Martin was an absolute DELIGHT!! I booked five hours with him and the time flew by. He is extremely knowledgeable, great company, a wonderful storyteller, and answered my myriad of questions in a thorough and thoughtful way. He could tell what my interests were and customized the tour accordingly. I truly felt like I was exploring the city with an old buddy of mine. By the time our tour ended, I felt like I gained a deep understanding of the culture, both past and present. I wish I was in Berlin for a longer amount of time so that I could book additional tours with him! I will recommend him to everyone I know!!!The best tour guide EVER!!

Susan🇦🇺 Australia

2 January 2025

Martin is super friendly, knowledgeable and kind. Really knows his stuff and I loved my David Bowie tour! Thanks for a memorable tour, Martin! Awesome tour guide!

Jeff

15 December 2024

We booked the David Bowie/Marlene Dietrich tour as part if our visit to Berlin. The whole booking process was easy and the ability to tailor your tour fantastic. Martin met us at the prearranged location and began our private tour promptly. Martin gave us another perspective of Bowie and his time spent in Berlin. It was fascinating and very interesting to see and hear about Bowie's time in the city and how it influenced his life. Martin not only took us to places that both Bowie and Dietrich lived and worked but brought photos along to help illustrate and set the scene for two of Berlin's most famous people. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience and highly recommend this tour if you are a Bowie fan or Dietrich affectionado. Bowie/Dietrich tour

Simon

18 November 2024

We really enjoyed our tour with Martin. He was kind enough to create a custom tour for us. Martin is extremely knowledgeable and he was great at answering all of our questions and engaging with us in many very interesting conversations. He was fantastic at painting a picture of the different historical sites we visited and at providing the context for us to gain a better understanding of what we were seeing. We highly recommend a tour with Martin.

Unknown

18 November 2024

Martin our guide was warm n humble. we got along well. Martin is well read n very informative with a good understanding of the history. He took us around with ease. finally helping us find an Indian restaurant at the end of the tour. I would highly recommend Martin. He is very passionate about his job .10

Satish🇮🇳 India

8 November 2024

A quick Historical tour of Berlin

Abe

1 November 2024

We started with a tour guide and ended with a friend who has an amazing understanding of the history of Germany and in general world; Martin takes his job seriously, so it's loaded with knowledge, fun, laughter, and engagement. The kids loved it, and we will surely recommend Martin to others.What an amazing time, Martin is the best!

Joni🇺🇸 United States

14 October 2024

Martin is a fantastic tour guide and is eager to impart his knowledge to his clients. He is prompt and extremely well prepared. Regardless of the tour you choose, you will be impressed with Martin’s in-depth knowledge of Berlin’s history. He customized a walking tour for us and it felt like a stroll with a friend. He adjusts the pace (and if necessary content) as needed. Book Martin and be ready for a history lesson!Berlin with Martin

Jacob

1 October 2024

Martin was an excellent guide! He had a good suggestion about which train station to meet at, which made meeting up and getting out to Potsdam easier and quicker. He was very knowledgeable and personable. He knew how to maximize the time without making it feel rushed or hurried at all. Highly recommend!Excellent Experience!

Tina🇬🇧 United Kingdom

25 August 2024

What can we say about Martin - other than a HUGE THANKYOU! Martin’s enthusiasm & knowledge is absolutely amazing as well as speaking perfect English. His love of history is obvious and we learnt so much from him during our tour. Martin also grew up in Berlin before the wall came down and has so many tales of what life was really like in West Berlin as well as being happy to talk about what he was taught in school about WWII etc. His communication style is very relaxed and happy to answer any questions. In fact, the time when by so quickly, walking along and chatting that we were disappointed when the tour came to an end! We cannot recommend Martin highly enough. Worth every penny as truly makes the tour individual to you and gives you 100% his attention during the whole tour. You would be mad not to choose Martin. Thank you Martin for making our tour perfect. Amazing, knowledgeable tour guide

Catherine🇺🇸 United States

11 July 2024

Martin is an exceptional guide who opens doors to the history and culture of Berlin. The city comes come alive in his narrative and accessible for visitors. The tour picks up on the details what it means and how best to take advantage of living in a historical and culturally rich city— I absolutely adored his cultural anecdotes . Would absolutely book him again when I am back next time. Exceptional “New + Old Berlin”

Owen🇺🇸 United States

8 July 2024

As we had previously been to Berlin, we were looking for something a bit different and Martin provided us with a real jewel of a tour. We enjoyed an amazing and entertaining tour of some of Berlin's lesser known, but truly interesting historical sites. Martin was happy to curate a tour that addressed our specific request to visit a cemetery, as well being so knowledgeable to modify the tour on the fly when we were running up against a time deadline. Martin clearly loves Berlin and loves showing it off. We cannot recommend Martin enough and assure all that you will not be disappointed. Berlin's History Hidden in Plain Sight

alexandra

7 June 2024

I recently had the pleasure of exploring Berlin with Martin, and it was an incredibly enjoyable experience. Martin's deep, local knowledge of the city brought hidden gems to life in a way that a typical tour never could. His passion for history and attention to the details that matter made each stop fascinating and memorable. Martin's charm and engaging storytelling made the tour both educational and entertaining. He has a knack for uncovering the stories behind Berlin's iconic and lesser-known sites, making the city's rich history accessible and intriguing. If you're looking to see Berlin beyond the usual tourist spots and want to learn about the city's hidden gems, I highly recommend Martin. His tours offer a unique perspective that history enthusiasts and curious travellers alike will appreciate. A highlight of our 72 hours in Berlin

Susan🇺🇸 United States

28 May 2024

Martin was Awesome! Martin understood exactly what we wanted in a tour. He has very deep knowledge and you can ask him anything. I learned so much and had an enjoyable time conversing with him. I strongly recommend Martin as someone who was on time and on topic. You will not go wrong choosing him as your guide in Berlin. I hope to visit again and when I do I will choose Martin as my guide. Delightful guy. Impressed and Satisfied

Morgan

27 May 2024

Hello Martin, I hope you are well, I'd like to come back and leave you a review. The visit was perfect, my guests were very happy and delighted with the visit. Thank you for your professionalism and your help! Guided visit of Berlin

Patricia🇩🇪 Germany

27 May 2024

Nous avons passé une excellente journée à Postdam, joyau de l'Allemagne à visiter impérativement car la ville est sublime! Si vous avez la chance de visiter avec Martin, cela rendra votre visite magique. Non seulement nous avons été émerveillées par les lieux mais nous avons fait une très belle rencontre et appris tant de choses. Mille mercis MartinVisite privée de Postdam

Brigitta🇩🇪 Germany

11 May 2024

Wir hatten eine wunderbare Führung mit Martin und haben dabei sehr viele interessante Informationen erhalten und einige Spots abseits der Touristenpfade erkundetSuper Führung

Marlies🇳🇱 Netherlands

3 May 2024

It was incredibly inspiring to cross Berlin with Martin, following the trail of persons resisting the national-socialist ideology and instead chose to do the right thing in the 1933-1945 period! Martin has extensive knowledge about this part of German history and shared this with stories, a nice list for further reading and recommendations for films and documentaries. In summary: highly recommended if you want to learn a about this less known part of Berlin history!Inspiring, informative and pleasant!

Regine🇧🇪 Belgium

22 April 2024

We discovered with charming Martin the heart of Kreuzberg, SO36 : streetart "Nature Morte" of ROA (Belgian streetartist, thx, Martin!) en other local streetartists; Rüdesheimer Platz: a lovely place to come back in summer to taste the good wines of the Rhine region, sous les platanes. He introduced us the Oranienstrasse, a little deviation by the VOOstore & The Orania Hotel. A meeting with "the Grenzgänger" (Stephan Balkenhol) at the Axel Springer-Haus. The Sugar Walhalla (House of Sweets Berlin) or the Lindner Esskultur? Les gouts et les couleurs ne se discute pas :) Thanks, Martin, you were the cherry on the cake on this birthdaytrip for Inge! To choose for Martin is to choose for "les finesses de la vie"'!Martin, man of the world

Houda

23 March 2024

We had an amazing time with Martin visiting Berlin! What a great experience and city. Martin also recommended us some great movies about Berlin. We highly recommend him, and we cannot wait to come back when it is warmer Fabulous Tour of Berlin

Yuko

17 March 2024

Ich kann Martin nur jedem ans Herz legen und empfehlen. Höchste individuelle Zusammenstellung interessanter und relevanter Orte und Gebäude. Keine Oberflächenputzerei, sondern wirkliche Geschichts-, Architektur- und Ortskenntnisse. Dabei menschlich sehr sehr sympathisch und mittendrin im Geschehen. Ganz, ganz super, wir bedanken uns sehr! Absolut top!!! Absolute Weiterempfehlung!

Thomas🇺🇸 United States

21 January 2024

My wife and I took the Jewish Resistance tour with Martin and found it a thought-provoking and in-depth overview of those who participated in the resistance against the nazis. His knowledge, expertise, and passion for the subject matter is fantastic. More than a tour guide, Martin is a true intellectual and uses his deep understanding and extensive knowledge to explain the very complicated mechanisms at work in the resistance. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!A must see tour!

Drew & Mardi

2 January 2024

We were a group of 11, so opted for a private tour with a local rather than joining an even larger tour group. Martin was amazing! A seasoned tour guide, who had the gift of making the tour feel personalized and authentic. His personal experience was so insightful and became the take-home memory for most of us. We were able to customize what sites we wanted to visit and really feel like we were seeing Berlin through the eyes of a local. Highly recommended!Best way to tour Berlin!

Amy🇺🇸 United States

4 December 2023

We had a great into tour with Martin. He is very knowledgeable and friendly, and we loved the fact that he has lived in the city for a great number of years and present during the time that the wall came down. He is a rich understanding of the area.Great overview of the city

Malcolm

2 December 2023

We met Martin on a cold, late November morning, but time flew by on his interesting and insightful tour. We walked and heard about the history of Berlin from the time of its Prussian heyday to current times but with a focus on WW2, the partition to east and west, then reunification, Nazi rule and the holocaust. Martins depth of understanding of these times was more than we would expect from a tour guide, and he discussed issues with sensitivity as well as knowledge. We enjoyed our time in his company and also enjoyed his recommendation of a warm cafe after the tour! Berlin highlights