On this full day tour, in groups of no more than 30 guests, you will explore Berlin’s former Soviet Sector – a cold war battle ground and the foundation of Communist East Berlin. You will also learn more about the general life behind the Iron Curtain, and get to know how Stasi, the largest spy agency network the world has ever seen, kept the entire population under observation. You will learn of the CIA and KGB spy stories at the US, North Korean, and massive Soviet Union Embassies, and much, much more. Your tour will depart from the port about 30 minutes after your ship arrives, and there will be a driving time of about two and a half hours until you arrive in Berlin. Buses have restrooms and a stop will be made to stretch, use public restrooms or purchase a snack.

After reaching the city, you will first tour the former East Berlin area, then continue to the new center of Berlin, the Potsdam Square, and after that finish your long day in the former West Berlin side at the famous Kurfurstendamm.

You will see the Brandenburg Gate, the location where Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Regan visited. Today the gate, and the nearby Reichstag, Parliament Building, are the real symbols of the German reunification. You will also see the last remaining parts of the notorious German wall, called the East Side Gallery, and learn the dangerous and colorful history of it. A photo stop will be made there.

Driving along the Unter den Linden Boulevard, the former East German street for parades of the socialist army, before a stop is made at the Opera Square, where the famous historical book burning took place in 1933. The World War II Memorial will be the next stop in order to get a deeper view and understanding of Germany’s history, and the haunting influence of the presence of the Soviet Army and government.

Then, continue on to the Alexander Square, the former City Center of East Berlin, where you will pass the Jewish Quarter, and the Humboldt University (founded in 1810), where many world famous scholars worked, among them Albert Einstein, before his immigration to the USA.

Your guides are ready to answer any questions about the life, propaganda and education during the East German years.

Your next highlight will be the newly constructed, super modern Potsdam Square, where your tour will take a break, and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch, continue on to the former West Berlin side for a panoramic drive. Some of the highlights you will see are the Charlottenburg Palace, the Kurfurstendamm Street with the famous KaDeWe, and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, another famous landmark of Berlin known all over the world. During the tour you will also see theEurope Center, the Tiergarten Park, the Victory Column, the Bellevue Palace, and Check Point Charlie, which Hollywood has made immortal.

If traffic and crowds allow, there will be approximately 30 minutes free time at the end of the day’s touring program, so that you may explore independently the Kurfurstendamm area, the most fashionable center of Berlin, on your own.

Please Note: Due to traffic conditions or other unforeseen obstacles the day of the tour, the sights may be seen in a different order than listed above. Photo Stops wil be made at the following sites: Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, East Side Gallery, Opera Square. WWII Memorial, Charlottenburg Palace, Checkpoint Charlie, Kurfurstendamm.