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school trip activities IN Berlin
This list of top things to do during a school trip to Berlin is designed to help make your Berlin visit unforgettable! As a provider of the “Spy & Escape at the Berlin Wall” treasure hunt, we’re sharing our insider tips for free and cheap things to do in Berlin that are typically only passed around in teacher networks.
On the map, you’ll find student-friendly activities and cheap things to do in Berlin to make planning of your school field trip easier. The list also shows you how early you should book these school trip activities in advance, to secure your spot.
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Play the “Spy and Escape at the Berlin Wall” Treasure Hunt
The interactive, digital treasure hunt offers school classes a unique opportunity to explore Berlin and learn more about the history of the GDR. In small groups, students receive clues and puzzles via smartphone, which need to be solved in order to help their friend, art dealer Siegfried Kath, escape to the West. The story is based on true events. The tour goes along the wall strip and takes around two hours. The students can learn something about the history of division on their own in a fun way and experience what it must have felt like to live in Berlin during the GDR era, and the teachers can either also indulge in the fun of playing or simply take a break in the café for a while.
Visit the roof terrace of the Parliament building
The roof terrace and dome of the Reichstag building offer students an impressive view of Berlin. There are special audio guides for the class, which explain how the Parliament works and how laws are created in a youth-friendly way. Here, students can explore the city and its political institutions from above while strolling through the dome and using the audio guide — allowing them to experience politics at their own pace and for themselves. The experience lasts around one and a half hours and takes place in the Parliament building in Berlin.
Discover GDR history
There are interactive exhibitions about life in the GDR here. Here, school classes can playfully explore the history of former East Berlin, for example through a Trabi driving simulation and a faithfully furnished prefabricated flat. In this way, students experience everyday life under socialism in an authentic way and can try out numerous exhibits themselves, making this activity an active learning journey into the past. Teachers also benefit from the interactive experience, which they themselves are unable to provide in this form in school, and which ideally stimulates their students' curiosity. The museum is located opposite Berlin Cathedral and the visit usually takes around two hours.
Take an escape tunnel tour
Here, school groups can explore the city's hidden history. "Tour M", which provides a deep insight into former escape tunnels and the GDR state security, is particularly recommended. Students not only learn more about the stories of the escape tunnel, but also learn about topics such as haunted stations and the division of Berlin. After the tour, a guide will be available to answer any questions you may have. The Tunnel 57, which you cross during the “Spy and Escape” scavenger hunt, is shown here as a replica in the cellar of a residential building. Here, teachers are relieved of the role of providing information. The tour lasts around two hours and ends at the Berlin Wall Memorial.
Go on a bike tour
This bike tour is ideal for first-time visitors to Berlin who want to explore the main sights in an active and environmentally friendly way. The bike tour for school classes starts in trendy Prenzlauer Berg and takes you through historical and cultural hotspots such as Museum Island, the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag and the government district. The tour lasts between one and three hours. With experienced guides who tell stories and share insider tips, this tour provides an insight into Berlin's past and present. This activity is perfect for a school trip, where students can get to know Berlin and learn about the history of the capital city at the same time.
Take a graffiti tour through Berlin
Street art tours through Berlin's trendy neighbourhoods are particularly suitable as an activity for young school classes because they show corners of Berlin that you may have never seen before. Here, students discover works of art that have been painted, glued or sprayed onto houses, walls, and tunnels by artists from all over the world. The tour is an interactive and entertaining way to learn more about Berlin's art scene. This class trip activity shows the relevance of art as a means of expression and offers the opportunity to research the social significance in history and politics. Teachers don't have to organise anything themselves here, as the tours are guided and carried out by competent guides. They start at Hackescher Markt in Berlin and usually last two to three hours.
View the Holocaust Memorial
This is a central memorial for the murdered Jews of Europe. School classes can be informed about the horrors of the Holocaust here in an age-appropriate manner. The activity starts with a tour of the Stelfeld, followed by a visit to the underground Information Center, where you'll discover interactive exhibitions and moving stories. The whole thing is, of course, a highly emotional and profound experience that gives depth to the theoretical lessons learned. Teachers appreciate the well-structured information here and the opportunity to deepen their students' historical education and bring a sensitive topic to them, with the certainty that this is done in an appropriate way. The memorial is located in the heart of Berlin and a visit usually takes around two hours.
Explore espionage methods
This museum offers students a unique insight into the world of espionage. Here, school classes can interactively discover the methods and technologies used by agents and secret services from various epochs and regions of the world. Students can expect activities such as deciphering secret codes and going through a laser course, which introduces them to the practice of espionage in a fun way. But the handling of your own data on social networks and technical options for espionage are also covered. In this way, there is also something for teachers, and the sensitivity of students and teachers with regard to data protection can be sharpened. The museum is located on Potsdamer Platz in Berlin and the visit takes about an hour and a half.
Admire star shows
The Science Theatre uses the latest technology to introduce students to astronomy and science. For school classes, it offers special programmes that impress with immersive full dome projections and 3D sound systems. Here, the class experiences a journey through the universe, explores planets and stars and learns more about scientific phenomena. Students enjoy an interactive presentation that explains astronomical connections to them in an understandable way — and teachers may also be able to learn a new thing or two here. The planetarium is located on Prenzlauer Allee in Berlin and the events usually last around an hour.
Party at a student disco
This evening activity gives students a sure taste of the nightlife in Berlin's clubs. Especially organized for school classes, this student disco allows young people to dance and enjoy good music in a trendy club. There are differently coloured wristbands that show whether and how much alcohol consumption is permitted. Students can enjoy a night full of music and fun in a protected setting, while teachers have the opportunity to relax in a separate lounge and can be sure that the evening will not escalate. The duration of the experience is around four hours and takes place directly at the “MATRIX” club in Berlin.
Enjoy artists & street food
The park is a popular green area and former border area between Prenzlauer Berg and Wedding. For school groups, the park offers open space for exercise, entertainment by street and graffiti artists, who can legally create art there. Students can find historical remains of the Berlin Wall on the grounds and experience the hustle and bustle of the flea market on weekends. The park offers a good time to relax in nature or to have lunch. This makes it a good place for activities and free time in Berlin. Teachers can also indulge in the selection of activities here and meet with the students again afterwards. The Mauerpark is located on Eberswalder Straße in Berlin and the visit can be arranged flexibly, often between one and three hours.
Take a Stasi prison tour
This is a historic site that houses the former central Stasi remand centre. For school classes, the memorial offers especially designed guided tours, which are led by historians and contemporary witnesses, and are dedicated to political persecution and imprisonment in the GDR. Students experience first-hand the conditions and fates of detainees through tours and interactive formats. They learn about the mechanisms of state repression and reflect on the importance of freedom and human rights today. The visit therefore offers a profound examination of the story, which gets under your skin and deals with a sensitive topic. This is why this place is also one of the most visited school trip activities in Berlin. The memorial is located in Berlin-Hohenschönhausen and the guided tours last around two hours.
Take an SS and Gestapo guided tour
In this documentation centre, the history of the National Socialist reign of terror in Germany is examined. There are guided tours and exhibitions about the structures and crimes of the Nazi regime. This tour takes students through the former headquarters of the SS and Gestapo and shows the systematic persecution and murder of millions of people. This class trip activity offers an experience that vividly depicts the horror and mechanisms of terror for young school classes. Teachers can see the museum as a supplement to the curriculum, which deepens historical knowledge about the Nazi era and makes theoretical knowledge tangible. The centre is located near Potsdamer Platz and a visit takes about one to one and a half hours.
Interactive light installation
In the multidimensional parallel world of light, space and sound, school classes are guided through seven fascinating light installations. Each room has its own individual atmosphere, which merges into light choreographies through movement and sound. The installations are a true backdrop for beautiful photos. Students are immersed in a surreal environment that challenges their senses and stimulates their creativity. Teachers can see this experience as an opportunity to introduce students to art and technology, and also marvel at the light shows themselves. Dark Matter is located on a former factory site two tram stops from S Rummelsburg, and offers an approximately one-hour experience that both fascinates and educates.
Explore the Secret Service Visitor Centre
Visit the German foreign intelligence service. At the BND Visitor Centre in Berlin, school classes receive a special tour, during which they learn how the Secret Service works and its control mechanisms. Visiting BND is a quickly sold out and popular activity for school trips to Berlin. During the 90-minute visit, the class experiences a presentation and an interactive exhibition, which vividly presents the tasks and working methods of the BND. This gives students insights into how Secret Service works and what significance it has for the country's national security and democracy. The visitor centre is located on Habersaathstraße in Berlin-Mitte and lasts one and a half hours.
Visit the GDR detention centre
This documentation centre was a detention centre between 1951 and 1990 in the GDR. Today, the area serves as an educational institution that enables school classes to deal with the reasons and conditions of detention. In learning workshops and guided tours, students learn for themselves how pre-trial detention worked in the GDR and what conditions the detainees experienced. Teachers can rely on well-prepared materials that give students an insight into the political system of the GDR and its effects on society. Depending on the activity and topic intensity, the visit, including the learning workshops, lasts between one and a half to six hours and takes place directly in the historic premises of Keibelstraße. The tour alone lasts an hour and a half.
Travel back in time for 2000 years
The museum offers a journey through 2000 years of German history in an immersive interactive exhibition. Here, life-size, detailed worlds are created that bring historic places to life using cutting-edge technology such as 4D effects, ambient sounds and smells. Here, students experience history interactively by wandering through different periods and learning about the development of Germany in a playful way. Teachers can rely on didactically thought-out guided tours and offers that are tailored to curriculum topics — from antiquity and the Middle Ages to the Empire and the Nazi era to the GDR and reunified Germany. Depending on the program and interest, visits last between one and a half and two hours.
Be deceived by optical illusions
This interactive museum invites you to deceive your senses and be amazed by optical illusions. Here, students can cross the Vortex Tunnel, which simulates a world in which everything rotates around them. In the Ames Room, they can watch people shrink or grow depending on where they stand. In an inverted room, the class outsmarts gravity and appears to be running on walls or on the ceiling. For a school class, the illusions are definitely a cool class trip activity that playfully teaches them how easily the brain can be deceived through visual tricks. There are also workshops for school classes on various topics such as origami, tape art or anamorphoses. The Illuseum is located on Karl-Liebknecht-Straße in Berlin and the visit, including the workshop, takes around two hours.
Play retro games
It's not just video game geeks who get their money's worth here. For school groups in particular, the museum offers a great opportunity to learn about the development and diversity of computer games in an interactive environment. Here you can see over 300 exhibits, including original game consoles, computer systems and media art objects, which provide a comprehensive insight into the history and cultural significance of computer games. First and foremost, the exhibition is of course fun, and teachers interested in technology in particular should not miss out on this experience. The museum is located on Karl-Marx-Allee in Berlin and the visit usually takes around one and a half to two hours.
Take Instagram photos
The photo studio in the Mall of Berlin offers a unique world of photo experiences. There are over 30 colorful photo sets available here that promote creativity and collaboration. Students can let their imagination run wild with group photos and selfies. During this activity in Berlin, school classes not only learn original photography techniques, but also how visual tricks and perspectives influence image design. Teachers can treat themselves and their students to a fun experience here and also take a photo or two themselves. It is located on the 2nd floor of the Mall of Berlin and the experience here lasts about an hour and a half.
Spray wall graffiti
Legally learn the craft of spraying directly on the wall together with experienced graffiti artists. School classes from 7th to 13th grade have the opportunity to develop and spray their own graffiti images in a creative and supportive environment. Under guidance, students learn various spray techniques and design options to express their ideas. The workshop thus offers an exciting class trip activity to express your own creativity and try out the art of graffiti writing within a legal framework. The workshop takes place in Mauerpark and lasts around three hours. All necessary materials such as spray cans, protective clothing and paper are provided.
Get a guided tour of the opera
School groups can experience the musical theatre up close and get a glimpse behind the scenes, as you can take a one-hour guided tour of the historic opera house, which gives you insights into the world of opera. You can then take part in a workshop session designed for students, where you'll learn more about staging, costumes, and music. In this way, you will learn which artistic elements must work together to create an opera performance. The whole thing is located right in the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and takes a total of around two hours. However, as a school class, you can also attend an opera performance, school performance or children's opera on a regular basis. This is interesting for both students and teachers.
360° panoramic view of Berlin
Experience a view of Berlin from a height of 203 meters. The observation deck of the famous television tower offers school groups a unique 360-degree panoramic view. From here, all famous landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag can be seen from a new perspective. This highlight of class trip activities in Berlin is exciting for both students and teachers and may even be a bit of a thrill. The activity on the viewing platform takes around an hour and takes place right in the center of Berlin, at Alexanderplatz.
Exhibition about the division of Berlin
Here, at one of Berlin's most important border crossings during the East-West division, school classes experience more than 550 objects and documents in a permanent exhibition that tell stories of separation, flight and surveillance. Eyewitness reports enable students to gain personal insights into the turbulent history of the Friedrichstraße border crossing. The experience lasts around two hours and takes place in the historic building on Reichstagufer 17 in Berlin.
Social media workshop & photo shoot
The “Selfie Museum” provides you with over 30 interactive installations for great photos and videos on Instagram, TikTok and more. For school classes, there are even special workshops here to promote media literacy, where students learn how to use social media creatively and safely. Here, for example, you can test backdrops that otherwise only well-known influencers use and learn more about self-presentation on the Internet as well as image rights, privacy and data protection. This is particularly ideal for teachers who value conscious use of social media, but who also enjoy photography. The gallery is located in the East Side Mall in Berlin. The duration of the experience varies depending on the size of the group and the interest of the participants, but usually takes three to four hours.
Listen to live audio shows
Here you can watch live audio plays on stage. Mystery and crime pieces as well as musical and improvisational performances await you. You can finally see the faces of audio production, who otherwise remain hidden. This gives students an insight into how audio production actually works behind the scenes, and the teachers have a relaxed end to the evening. A great evening activity for a school trip to Berlin. Maybe there's even an audio drama about something from class. The topics change seasonally. The screenings take place on various stages throughout Berlin and usually last one to two hours.
Enjoy open-air cinema
At the open-air cinema, you can watch various original films with subtitles every day. The shows take place in all weathers and tickets are available both online and at the box office. For both students and teachers, this is a special class trip activity that is a great way to relax. You might also learn a thing or two about international film culture in the process. A film usually lasts around two and a half hours and there are many different offers, so there is something for everyone. In this way, you can relax in the courtyard of the Bethanien Art Quarter and enjoy Berlin's summer.
Experience boat trips on the Spree
Boat trips on the Berlin Spree offer a relaxing way to discover the capital and its sights, such as the Parliament, the government quarter and the Berlin Cathedral. The boat trips for school trips start at the Friedrichsstraße pier, lead along the Spree, past important landmarks such as the main train station and Museum Island and offer enough space for all passengers. For students, a boat trip is of course an exciting experience and as long as no one goes overboard, the teachers can sit back and relax for an hour and be infused with the information. In this way, you can get an overview of Berlin and learn something about the history of the city.
Take a hike
The Hike brings participants closer to the local flora and fauna. Students can discover the forest or flowing water ecosystems, urban nature or wild animals in Berlin. The whole activity can be combined with interactive learning modules, in which students identify trees and birds, for example, or collect and analyse herbs and insects. The exciting outdoor learning experience helps to understand biological relationships. Here, students acquire practical knowledge about ecology and nature conservation and at the same time practice teamwork and observation. The hike on the Tegeler river takes about one to one and a half hours.
Experience the tour “Berlin divided by the Wall”
This city tour offers a guided tour along the former border between East and West Berlin. Especially for school classes, there are youth-friendly explanations and stories that vividly present the topic. Here, students learn what life was like in divided Berlin while an expert guide takes them through historic places. This is a class trip activity that brings history to life and thus represents an educationally valuable experience outside the classroom. The tour lasts around one and a half hours and takes place on the grounds of the Berlin Wall Memorial and the former border strip. You learn a lot about the history of the division of Berlin and life on the border.
Admire works of art on the Berlin Wall
The longest surviving piece of the Berlin Wall, which was painted by artists from all over the world and now serves as an open-air gallery. For school classes, this is a vivid opportunity to experience history and art up close. Students can discover the impressive wall paintings, which artistically depict the themes of freedom and reconciliation. The art here also offers great photo opportunities for both students and teachers can use this excursion to illustrate the division of Germany and the significance of reunification. The East Side Gallery is located on Mühlenstraße in Berlin and a visit takes around one to two hours.
Experience politics and democracy
The German Parliament offers school classes a fascinating tour through the heart of German politics. Guided tours especially designed for students offer insights into the Parliament building, including a visit to the Parliament dome and a representative office. The tour ends with a quiz that tests the students' acquired knowledge and is therefore a well-thought-out activity for school trips to Berlin. For young people, the visit is an exciting opportunity to understand how the Parliament works, and its historical and political connections. The duration of the tours varies depending on the programme and is around two hours for the 7th and 8th grade student seminar, while the 9th and 10th grade seminar with lunch and a visit to the dome lasts around three hours.
Thrilling experience
Here, school classes experience a one-hour scary journey through 600 years of gloomy Berlin history. With professional actors, you will dive into historical periods, from medieval torture chambers to the secrets of the city palace. Students experience the past interactively with scary stories that are peppered with special effects and authentic backdrops. For students, it is an educational combination of hands-on history lessons and terrifying theatre that they won't soon forget. Through eerie fun that is combined with learning, the experience also has educational added value. The Berlin Dungeon is centrally located in Berlin and takes around an hour.
Watch shows for children and young people
The children's and youth theatre offers theatre education programs that consist of workshops on social topics such as cohesion or exclusion, playful follow-up talks on plays and guided tours of the theatre premises and backstage. Here, students can experience socially relevant plays, discuss them, play for themselves and get to know the various departments and professions in theatre. Teachers can also actively participate and learn more about the art of theatre. The main theatre is located on Hansaplatz, the studio stage in Podewil, and the performances usually last around an hour and a half.
Explore art exhibitions
In addition to guided tours, this art museum also offers workshops and project days tailored to school classes in the fields of archaeology, art and ethnology. Students can thus gain deeper insights into 19th and 20th century art and its historical and social background, while teachers can transfer the educational mandate for art and culture to capable hands for a while. A great activity for a school trip to Berlin. It is located on Museum Island, and a visit usually takes one to two hours.
Take a night tour in the dark
The guided evening tour takes you through the historic Nikolaiviertel and Old Berlin and the night guards will provide you with old legends, stories and legends of Berlin. You can gain insights into Berlin's medieval history during this class trip activity. With anecdotes about places such as the ruins of the Grey Monastery, the Gerichtslaube and the Lessinghaus, the tour is an eerily beautiful experience in which students and teachers dive into the world of old Berlin and experience historical events up close — a welcome change and a gruesome addition to history lessons. The tour always starts at 22:00 at St. Nicholas Church and lasts about an hour and a half.
Selfies with celebrities
The well-known wax museum is world-famous and is represented in many major cities. Here you can marvel at a collection of over 100 wax figures of famous people from politics, history, art, music, film and sports. Students can pose with the wax figures and take selfies — teachers too, of course. You'll discover politicians, artists and historical icons that are otherwise only known from film and television. The lifelike exhibits arouse students' interest and encourage them to look more intensively at the backgrounds of the individual personalities. The wax museum is centrally located, within walking distance of the Brandenburg Gate. A visit usually takes around one and a half to two hours.