History school trips to Berlin
The centre of several key events of modern European history, Berlin offers your students rich insights into the Second World War, Cold War, and the reunification of Germany and is an excellent destination for a history school trip. Achieve GCSE learning objectives with excursions that allow students to immerse themselves in topics such as communism, propaganda and ideology, and how through time these each increased tensions both within the city and on an international scale.
SUGGESTED ITINERARIES
- Depart the UK and travel to Berlin
- Brandenburg Gate
- Guided walking tour
- Evening meal at accommodation
- Reichstag
- Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum
- Topography of Terror
- Memorial to Murdered Jews of Europe
- Evening meal at accommodation
- Cold War Museum
- DDR Museum
- Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial (former Stasi Prison)
- Evening meal at accommodation
- TV Tower
- German Spy Museum
- Deutschland Museum
- Shopping at Potsdamer Platz
- Depart Berlin for return to the UK
- Depart the UK and travel to Berlin
- Guided walking tour starting at Berlin Wall Memorial
- Brandenburg Gate
- Evening meal at accommodation
- Reichstag
- Palace of Tears
- Cold War Museum
- DDR Museum
- Evening meal at local restaurant
- TV Tower
- East Side Gallery
- The Wall Museum
- Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial (former Stasi Prison)
- Stasi Museum guided tour
- Evening meal at accommodation
- German Spy Museum
- Shopping in Potsdamer Platz
- Depart Berlin for return to the UK
- Depart the UK and travel to Berlin
- Brandenburg Gate
- Guided walking tour
- Memorial to Murdered Jews of Europe
- Evening meal at accommodation
- Reichstag
- Wannsee Conference Centre
- Sachesenhausen Memorial and Museum
- Evening meal at accommodation
- TV Tower
- Dark Worlds / Berliner Unterwelten
- Friedrichstrasse
- Topography of Terror
- German Spy Museum
- Evening meal at accommodation
- German Resistance Memorial Center
- Kurfürstendamm & Tauentzienstraße
- Depart Berlin for return to the UK
Features
ACCOMMODATION
Situated in an excellent location a mere stone's throw from Berlin's central railway station, the a&o Berlin Hauptbahnhof is ideally located for any school trip. Nearby, you'll find several of Berlin's major attractions, including the Reichstag and Victory Column.
- 24-hour reception
- Games room
- Sun terrace
- Library
Set overlooking Berlin's Kleiner Tiergarten park, Meininger Hotel Berlin Tiergarten is in an excellent location to the city's west. With the city's U- and S-bahn metro stops just a 10-minute walk away, the city centre and its attractions can be reached in under half an hour.
- Common room
- Luggage storage
- TV in room
- Breakfast buffet
Home to a fascinating history that spans from the Second World War all the way to the fall of the Berlin Wall, Potsdamer Platz is an ideal hub for your school trip. The Aletto Hotel Potsdamer Platz puts you right in the area's centre, located close to the Gleisdreieck underground station.
- 24-hour reception
- Free Wi-Fi
- Roof terrace with city views
- Foosball
Situated in an excellent location a mere stone's throw from Berlin's central railway station, the a&o Berlin Hauptbahnhof is ideally located for any school trip. Nearby, you'll find several of Berlin's major attractions, including the Reichstag and Victory Column.
- 24-hour reception
- Games room
- Sun terrace
- Library
Set overlooking Berlin's Kleiner Tiergarten park, Meininger Hotel Berlin Tiergarten is in an excellent location to the city's west. With the city's U- and S-bahn metro stops just a 10-minute walk away, the city centre and its attractions can be reached in under half an hour.
- Common room
- Luggage storage
- TV in room
- Breakfast buffet
Home to a fascinating history that spans from the Second World War all the way to the fall of the Berlin Wall, Potsdamer Platz is an ideal hub for your school trip. The Aletto Hotel Potsdamer Platz puts you right in the area's centre, located close to the Gleisdreieck underground station.
- 24-hour reception
- Free Wi-Fi
- Roof terrace with city views
- Foosball
Excursions
TV Tower Berlin
We can’t wait to show you Berlin from the top of the city’s TV Tower, which soars 368 metres above ground level to show you unparalleled views of Germany’s capital. Built during the DDR era, the TV Tower is also an excellent place to teach students about the reunification of the city after the fall of the Berlin Wall – the tower undergoing a significant symbolic transformation to reflect this change.
Brandenburg Gate
One of Berlin’s most iconic sites, the Brandenburg Gate is a neoclassical monument built during the 18th century which holds a wealth of history as a site for major historical events. Now considered as a symbol of unity and peace, the gate is an essential stop on any tour of Berlin – offering an excellent opportunity for students to contemplate the country’s tumultuous history within Europe.
Jewish Museum Berlin
Opened in 2001, this huge museum spreads across two buildings and displays exhibits that document more than two millennia of German-Jewish history. During your visit, students can view the museum’s vast collections, enter the library and develop their understanding in the museum’s Rafael Roth Learning Centre.
Berlin Wall Memorial
Once a border dividing the city in two, the remains of the Berlin Wall are now a symbol of peace and remembrance. At the memorial and documentation centre, let your students uncover the story behind the construction of the wall in 1961 during the Cold War era, and the events that led to its fall in 1991.
Reichstag
One of the most frequently visited sights in Berlin, the Reichstag is the current home of the German parliament and a global symbol of democracy. An excellent excursion for students to learn about German politics both present and past, the Reichstag also houses a walkway inside its glass dome, which spirals to the top of the Reichstag and boasts spectacular panoramic views of Berlin.
Allied Museum
Students can learn all about the military commitments of the Western Allies in Germany at this museum, which documents Berlin’s political history from the Second World War until the fall of the USSR. Here, groups can view a British Airlift plane, contemplate moving photographs from the Soviet period in Germany, and visit a guardhouse from Checkpoint Charlie. An excellent learning opportunity for students about Germany in the Cold War era.
Checkpoint Charlie
The most well known crossing between East and West Berlin from the Berlin Wall era, Checkpoint Charlie was used by Allied guards to register members of the American, British and French forces before they crossed into East Berlin. Today, the Checkpoint is a popular sight where your students can have their photo taken with the dressed up “soldiers”, who stand with American flags.
DDR Museum
Students can learn all about life in East Germany at this fascinating museum, which encompasses everything from the Berlin Wall and the Stasi to the Cold War. School groups are encouraged to touch, feel and interact with the museum’s interactive features, which we’ve seen boost their understanding of the DDR.
German Spy Museum
An excursion that we guarantee will excite and captivate your students. At the German Spy Museum, your group will learn about the history and secrets of espionage as they view hundreds of tools of the trade, and take part in several interactive exhibits. We know they’ll love recreating favourite movie scenes in the laser labyrinth and, who knows – maybe you will too.
Topography of Terror
Located close to Checkpoint Charlie, on the former site of the headquarters of the Gestapo, Topography of Terror is an outdoor history museum that documents the crimes and persecution committed by the Third Reich between 1933 and 1945. With numerous documents, photographs and other material evidence of the terror and crimes that occurred here, we’ve seen school groups stunned by the museum’s permanent exhibition.
German Resistance Memorial Centre
Set in the rooms where high-ranking officers plotted the failed assassination attempt on Hitler in 1944, the German Resistance Memorial Center pays tribute to those who risked their lives opposing the Nazi regime from 1933 to 1945. Here, students will gain perspective through the documented tales of those who spoke against the regime – whether for ideological, religious or military reasons.
Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum
Head north by coach from Berlin for about 45 minutes, and you’ll stumble across Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum – one of our must-sees for history students learning about Nazi Germany. Historically one of the largest concentration camps in the country, Sachsenhausen is now a memorial and museum to remember and educate others about the Holocaust. A truly humbling experience.
Memorial to Murdered Jews of Europe
Located close to Brandenburg Gate, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is a moving tribute to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. In total, there are 2,711 concrete slabs of varying heights dotted around 19,000 square metres, with paths to allow your students to slowly make their way through and remember the Jews who were persecuted in Europe.
Dark Worlds / Berliner Unterwelten
On this tour of Berliner Unterwelten e.V. (Berlin Underworld), expert guides will lead your school group around one of the few remaining bunkers from the Second World War. Here, your students will learn about the life of the average Berlin citizen during air raids from Allied forces, viewing countless artifacts from the war as they walk through the incredible underground labyrinth.
Palace of Tears
The Palace of Tears is an excellent excursion for school groups who are learning about the division of Germany, featuring original objects, photographs and historical footage from just after the Second World War to the fall of the Berlin Wall. In this border-crossing pavilion, students can examine the exhibits to understand the social impact the Cold War had on the daily lives of Berliners, and the process which led to the reunification of the country.
Stasi Museum Berlin
Students can delve into the political system of former East Germany in this museum, which is located in the original Stasi headquarters. Within the labyrinth of buildings, school groups can explore the secret police’s working quarters, which once featured a supermarket, cinema, clinic and more.
Stasi Prison-Hohenschönausen Memorial
Feared throughout Germany for the psychological and physical torture that occurred here, Stasi Prison gained a notorious reputation during the DDR era in East Berlin. Students can learn about Berlin’s dark past as they explore this memorial museum, uncovering tales of the political prisoners that were held here from 1951 to 1989.
Wannsee Conference Centre
Revisit Germany’s darkest times at the Wannsee Conference Centre, where the Nazis met in 1942 to discuss the Holocaust and plan the genocide of Jewish people across Europe. Here, your students can wander the exhibition and learn about this criminal meeting through the use of original documents and audiovisual presentations, which demonstrate how anti-semitism and racism grew in Germany from the 1920s until the events of the Second World War.
Friedrichstrasse
A major cultural and shopping street in Berlin, Friedrichstrasse offers an excellent opportunity for students to discover local goods, practice their language skills with shop owners and do some souvenir shopping. We can’t wait to show it to you!
KaDeWe (Kaufhaus Des Westens) Department store
Kaufhaus des Westens (Department Store of the West), or KaDeWe, is an excellent option for some retail therapy during your school trip to Berlin, featuring eight floors of merchandise to appeal to every shopping need. The second largest department store in Europe, the retail giant attracts 40,000 to 50,000 visitors daily, and is easily found on the famous shopping street of Tauentzienstraße.
Kurfürstendamm & Tauentzienstraße (shopping streets)
Treat your group to a couple of hours on Berlin’s most famous and elegant shopping boulevard, where students can search for souvenirs, explore fashion trends and people-watch in cafes. Marked by KaDeWe department store on its eastern end, and luxury boutiques throughout, the street comprises almost five kilometres of retail paradise – the perfect winding-down activity for students after a day of learning.
TV Tower Berlin
We can’t wait to show you Berlin from the top of the city’s TV Tower, which soars 368 metres above ground level to show you unparalleled views of Germany’s capital. Built during the DDR era, the TV Tower is also an excellent place to teach students about the reunification of the city after the fall of the Berlin Wall – the tower undergoing a significant symbolic transformation to reflect this change.
Brandenburg Gate
One of Berlin’s most iconic sites, the Brandenburg Gate is a neoclassical monument built during the 18th century which holds a wealth of history as a site for major historical events. Now considered as a symbol of unity and peace, the gate is an essential stop on any tour of Berlin – offering an excellent opportunity for students to contemplate the country’s tumultuous history within Europe.
Jewish Museum Berlin
Opened in 2001, this huge museum spreads across two buildings and displays exhibits that document more than two millennia of German-Jewish history. During your visit, students can view the museum’s vast collections, enter the library and develop their understanding in the museum’s Rafael Roth Learning Centre.
Berlin Wall Memorial
Once a border dividing the city in two, the remains of the Berlin Wall are now a symbol of peace and remembrance. At the memorial and documentation centre, let your students uncover the story behind the construction of the wall in 1961 during the Cold War era, and the events that led to its fall in 1991.
Reichstag
One of the most frequently visited sights in Berlin, the Reichstag is the current home of the German parliament and a global symbol of democracy. An excellent excursion for students to learn about German politics both present and past, the Reichstag also houses a walkway inside its glass dome, which spirals to the top of the Reichstag and boasts spectacular panoramic views of Berlin.
Allied Museum
Students can learn all about the military commitments of the Western Allies in Germany at this museum, which documents Berlin’s political history from the Second World War until the fall of the USSR. Here, groups can view a British Airlift plane, contemplate moving photographs from the Soviet period in Germany, and visit a guardhouse from Checkpoint Charlie. An excellent learning opportunity for students about Germany in the Cold War era.
Checkpoint Charlie
The most well known crossing between East and West Berlin from the Berlin Wall era, Checkpoint Charlie was used by Allied guards to register members of the American, British and French forces before they crossed into East Berlin. Today, the Checkpoint is a popular sight where your students can have their photo taken with the dressed up “soldiers”, who stand with American flags.
DDR Museum
Students can learn all about life in East Germany at this fascinating museum, which encompasses everything from the Berlin Wall and the Stasi to the Cold War. School groups are encouraged to touch, feel and interact with the museum’s interactive features, which we’ve seen boost their understanding of the DDR.
German Spy Museum
An excursion that we guarantee will excite and captivate your students. At the German Spy Museum, your group will learn about the history and secrets of espionage as they view hundreds of tools of the trade, and take part in several interactive exhibits. We know they’ll love recreating favourite movie scenes in the laser labyrinth and, who knows – maybe you will too.
Topography of Terror
Located close to Checkpoint Charlie, on the former site of the headquarters of the Gestapo, Topography of Terror is an outdoor history museum that documents the crimes and persecution committed by the Third Reich between 1933 and 1945. With numerous documents, photographs and other material evidence of the terror and crimes that occurred here, we’ve seen school groups stunned by the museum’s permanent exhibition.
German Resistance Memorial Centre
Set in the rooms where high-ranking officers plotted the failed assassination attempt on Hitler in 1944, the German Resistance Memorial Center pays tribute to those who risked their lives opposing the Nazi regime from 1933 to 1945. Here, students will gain perspective through the documented tales of those who spoke against the regime – whether for ideological, religious or military reasons.
Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum
Head north by coach from Berlin for about 45 minutes, and you’ll stumble across Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum – one of our must-sees for history students learning about Nazi Germany. Historically one of the largest concentration camps in the country, Sachsenhausen is now a memorial and museum to remember and educate others about the Holocaust. A truly humbling experience.
Memorial to Murdered Jews of Europe
Located close to Brandenburg Gate, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is a moving tribute to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. In total, there are 2,711 concrete slabs of varying heights dotted around 19,000 square metres, with paths to allow your students to slowly make their way through and remember the Jews who were persecuted in Europe.
Dark Worlds / Berliner Unterwelten
On this tour of Berliner Unterwelten e.V. (Berlin Underworld), expert guides will lead your school group around one of the few remaining bunkers from the Second World War. Here, your students will learn about the life of the average Berlin citizen during air raids from Allied forces, viewing countless artifacts from the war as they walk through the incredible underground labyrinth.
Palace of Tears
The Palace of Tears is an excellent excursion for school groups who are learning about the division of Germany, featuring original objects, photographs and historical footage from just after the Second World War to the fall of the Berlin Wall. In this border-crossing pavilion, students can examine the exhibits to understand the social impact the Cold War had on the daily lives of Berliners, and the process which led to the reunification of the country.
Stasi Museum Berlin
Students can delve into the political system of former East Germany in this museum, which is located in the original Stasi headquarters. Within the labyrinth of buildings, school groups can explore the secret police’s working quarters, which once featured a supermarket, cinema, clinic and more.
Stasi Prison-Hohenschönausen Memorial
Feared throughout Germany for the psychological and physical torture that occurred here, Stasi Prison gained a notorious reputation during the DDR era in East Berlin. Students can learn about Berlin’s dark past as they explore this memorial museum, uncovering tales of the political prisoners that were held here from 1951 to 1989.
Wannsee Conference Centre
Revisit Germany’s darkest times at the Wannsee Conference Centre, where the Nazis met in 1942 to discuss the Holocaust and plan the genocide of Jewish people across Europe. Here, your students can wander the exhibition and learn about this criminal meeting through the use of original documents and audiovisual presentations, which demonstrate how anti-semitism and racism grew in Germany from the 1920s until the events of the Second World War.
Friedrichstrasse
A major cultural and shopping street in Berlin, Friedrichstrasse offers an excellent opportunity for students to discover local goods, practice their language skills with shop owners and do some souvenir shopping. We can’t wait to show it to you!
KaDeWe (Kaufhaus Des Westens) Department store
Kaufhaus des Westens (Department Store of the West), or KaDeWe, is an excellent option for some retail therapy during your school trip to Berlin, featuring eight floors of merchandise to appeal to every shopping need. The second largest department store in Europe, the retail giant attracts 40,000 to 50,000 visitors daily, and is easily found on the famous shopping street of Tauentzienstraße.
Kurfürstendamm & Tauentzienstraße (shopping streets)
Treat your group to a couple of hours on Berlin’s most famous and elegant shopping boulevard, where students can search for souvenirs, explore fashion trends and people-watch in cafes. Marked by KaDeWe department store on its eastern end, and luxury boutiques throughout, the street comprises almost five kilometres of retail paradise – the perfect winding-down activity for students after a day of learning.
Trip details
All Equity packages are tailor-made to suit the needs of our groups. Here are our standard package inclusions:
- Return travel by air or coach (air packages include overseas airport transfer. Coach to UK airport from school is available as an optional extra)
- All security charges, airport and local taxes
- 1 free staff place for every 10 full paying passengers by air OR 1 free staff place for every 8 full paying passengers by coach
- Half-board accommodation
- Excursions
- Full use of your coach in resort (this applies to coach groups only and is subject to EU drivers hours regulations)
- 24-hour emergency service support
- All travel documentation, luggage labels and resort information
- Lunches
- Meals en-route. While travelling to and from your destination you need to consider meals. These are not included in the package prices
- Air passenger duty. Any paying passengers over the age of 16 at time of travel will be charged a small tax fee
- Tourist tax
- Damage deposit
Prices are subject to change based on intended dates of travel and final numbers, the Equity team are here to offer you advice and guidance from start to finish, ensuring your school trip runs smoothly and is a great success.
Travel by: Air
Nearest airport: Berlin Brandenburg (BER)
Transfer time from airport: 45mins - 1hr
Coach transfer time from Calais: Around 14.5hrs
Best times to travel: Year round
Suggested tour length: 4 days, 3 nights