Historical Berlin: 15 September 2022

Description

Discover Historical Berlin. Our tour includes four-nights in historical and cultural city of Berlin allowing you to immerse yourself in Germany’s rich historical history.

Berlin is a dynamic and cosmopolitan city, and is one of Europe’s most exciting destinations.  The city offers a myriad of things to do and see.  Stay in the centrally located 4* NH Berlin Kurfurstendamm Hotel. As part of your tour, you will see the city sights on a guided city tour visiting the Topography of Terror Museum and enjoy an historic excursion to Potsdam  and the Cecilienhof Palace.  We also visit Charlottenburg Palace and gardens and the Berlin Wall Memorial, the only original bit of the Berlin Wall still remaining today.  We also have included our ‘Jewish Berlin’ guided walk visiting the Otto-Weidt workshop.  Finally we visit the interesting DDR (GDR) Museum) where you will have a guided tour exploring everyday GDR life.

In your free time, enjoy the many museums and galleries on offer, do some shopping or simply relax and enjoy a coffee and cake at one of Berlin’s many cafés.   Closer to the departure date, we will also offer the option of optional evening tickets for one of Berlin’s opera houses.

Program

Day 1 – Thursday 15 September 2022

Your tour will start with a morning flight to Berlin airport. Flight times will be announced in June 2021 once the airlines announced the April schedule. (please note that flight times are subject to change at airlines discretion)
On arrival, meet your local guide for coach transfer to the 4*NH Berlin Kurfürstendamm where you are booked for four-nights on a bed and breakfast basis.

Your hotel: NH Berlin Kurfürstendamm
Grolmanstr. 41-43, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, 10623 Berlin

The 4-star NH Berlin Kurfürstendamm is located an approximate 200 m from Berlin's Kurfürstendamm shopping street with local bars and restaurants juts a short walk away.. Rooms at the hotel are warmly decorated. Hotel facilities include a lobby bar and spa and fitness area.

On arrival, a welcome lunch will be served in the hotel restaurant. After lunch, see the city sights on a guided city tour by coach.

Your City Tour will take you past the famous sights of Berlin including; The Kurfürstendamm, the most popular boulevard in Berlin; The Emperor William Memorial Church, a monument to peace and reconciliation, and the internationally famous symbol of Berlin's desire to rebuild itself in the aftermath of the war; The Brandenburger Tor, (The Brandenburg Gate), Berlin's most famous landmark, The Reichstag; the seat of the German Bundestag or federal government and The Gendarmenmarkt, considered to be one of the most beautiful squares in Europe.

Visit the Topography of Terroir museum. During the “Third Reich”, the headquarters of the Secret State Police, the SS and the Reich Security main office were located at the site. With more than a million visitors each years, it is one of the most frequently visited museums and memorial centers in Berlin Today, it stands as a place of remembrance. “A place where terror is tangible, a place of remembrance and a warning from history, the “Topography of Terror” exhibition is located on the site where between 1933 and 1945 the principal instruments of Nazi persecution and terror were located: the headquarters of the Gestapo, the high command and security service of the SS, and from 1939 the Reich Security Main Office”. Visitberlin.de

Dinner this evening will be in the hotel restaurant.

Day 2 – Friday 16 September 20
Breakfast at your hotel. Then transfer by coach to Charlottenburg Palace for a guided tour of the New wing. Afterwards, you will have free time for coffee and cake or lunch (at own expense).

Built in the 17th and 18th centuries, Charlottenburg Palace combines rococo and baroque decor and architecture, and is surrounded by landscaped gardens in the manner of Versailles.

Today also includes a visit to the Berlin Wall Memorial. What was once the border strip is now a place of remembrance. The Berlin Wall memorial gives you a moving insight into the division of Berlin.“ A GDR soldier jumping over the fence at the last moment. People jumping out of windows into sheets held out by West Berlin firemen – images of Bernauer Straße in August 1961 were seen all over the world. Today this historic location is the site of the Berlin Wall Memorial where the partition of Berlin is remembered.“visitberlin.de

Dinner this evening will be in the hotel restaurant.

Day 3 – Saturday 17 September 2022

Breakfast at your hotel. Full day excursion with guided tour of Cecilienhof Palace, short tour of Potsdam and brief visit of Sanssouci gardens, with lunch included.

In Potsdam, we visit the Cecilienhof Palace, the last palace built by the House of Hohenzollern, the dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Prussia and the German Empire until the end of World War I. The Palace is best known for the role it played as the location for the Potsdam Conference of 1945, during which the leaders of the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States (The ‘Big Three’) negotiated the terms for the end of WWII. Marvel at the impressive rooms where the conference took place and learn about the history of this historic building.

Dinner this evening will be in the hotel restaurant.

Day 4 – Sunday 18 September 2022

Breakfast at your hotel.

Today, join your local guide for our guided walking tour of Jewish Berlin.
Jewish life in 'Scheunenviertel' This morning, visit the Jewish quarter in Berlin and learn about the city’s Jewish heritage from the 17th century to today. Learn about past and present Jewish life and see the New Synagogue, one of Berlin’s most significant Jewish landmarks. See landmark sites like the “Block of Women” Memorial, the Old Jewish Cemetery, the New Synagogue and much more. Visit the Blindenwerkstatt Otto Weidt, a 1940s-era factory where workshop owner Otto Weidt protected his blind and deaf Jewish workers from persecution during the Holocaust.

Today, you will also visit the DDR Museum. Discover interesting facts about The Wall and the Stasi, learn about Stasi surveillance techniques, the history of East Germany, and about the everyday life of people in the former Soviet occupied zone.

Please note that the majority of this day will be on foot. Return to hotel via coach at the end of the day.

Dinner this evening will be in the hotel restaurant.

Day 5 – Monday 19 September 2022

Breakfast at your hotel.

Coach transfer with your local guide to Berlin airport for your return flight. Flight times will be advised once released by the airline.

(Please note that flight times can be changed at airlines discretion).

Note on departure date: please note that the flight dates and times for September 2022 have not yet been released by the airlines. We reserved the right to change the departure date to a day either side in accordance with airline schedule and rates. Any change to departure date will be communicated to you by February 2022. Tour schedule may vary slightly depending on museum opening times in September 2022

Price includes

• Return flight from Dublin, taxes and transfers
• Four-nights in the 4*NH Berlin Kurfürstendamm with breakfast
• Welcome lunch
• Dinner x 4 in the hotel restaurant
• Guided coach tour of Historic Berlin with visit to the Topography of Terror Museum
• Excursion visiting the Berlin Wall Memorial and Charlottenburg Palace and Gardens
• Excursion to historic Potsdam with guided tour of Cecilienhof Palace
• Walking tour of ‘Jewish Berlin’ visiting the Otto-Weidt Workshop and the DDR (GDR) museum
• Private coach and guide assistance as per the programme

Price does not include

Travel Insurance
IFC strongly recommends travel insurance and can offer a competitive quotation if not already purchased. The EHIC is a European Healthcard available to all EU citizens and is recommended to carry for travel within Europe. Please check www.ehic.ie for more information. IMPORTANT: If you have purchased travel insurance with IFC. If you or any person travelling has a pre-existing medical condition then you must declare that condition to Health Check

Booking Deposit
Booking deposit is €150 pp. Second deposit of €150 due 01Janaury 2021. Remaining balance due 8 weeks prior to departure date. No credit card charge on deposit payments.

Hotel Rating
Please note that our hotel rating is a reflection of how the property compares to the industry standard in Berlin in relation to when it comes to price, facilities and services offered by the hotel.

Tour Activities
Please note that there is a fair amount of walking on this tour. Ours are active holidays. Walking, stair-climbing and standing around for periods are unavoidable aspects of this tour. This tour is suitable for those of a normal fitness but may not be suitable for those who need support. Walking and getting on and off a coach several times a day is part of the tour. Please note that we reserve the right to amend the timings of the tour itinerary in line with supplier requests and included excursions may take place on different days.

Hand Luggage
One standard piece of luggage is included in your tour price. (10 kilos). Extra luggage is available to purchase prior to travel, prices may vary. Please note this must be booked with a minimum of 14 days prior to travel. Bags booked within 14 days prior to travel will incur an administration fee of €25 per piece.

Passport
It is your responsibility to ensure your passport will be valid for your holiday. Please contact IFC should you have any queries regarding your passport. EU passport holders do not require a visa to travel within the EU. As a rule of thumb for European travel your passport should be valid until your intended date of return to Ireland. For travel outside the EU a validity of a minimum of 6 months beyond your return date is required. A visa may be needed for your holiday and information regarding this will be sent closer to travel.



Please note that dates are provisional and that the itinerary is subject to change until airline flights are released by the airline.

Itinerary

Accommodations provided in each place