Berlin in a hurry

History: Take the U-8 one stop north of your hotel to Bernauer Strasse, then walk to the west through the park along Bernauer Strasse. This marks the path of the Berlin Wall with many signs (in English) explaining the history of The Wall (Berliner Mauer). There is a museum at the end with more exhibits if you care to see. You end at the Nordbahnhof S-bahn station. Learn about the "ghost" stations of Berlin, where train and U-bahn lines cut through the old East Berlin.

Get reservations for an English tour of the Reichstag building.

Ancient Art: The Pergammon Museum. Other art museums next door on the Museum Insel.

People: They're everywhere.

Thanks Sam.

Is there anything in Berlin that we should do that will take reservations several months in advance?

We are doing in Sept. What will the crowds be like?

Reichstag (Bundestag now) reservations can be made for the current month and the following month.
https://visite.bundestag.de/BAPWeb/pages/createBookingRequest.jsf?lang=en

There are lots and lots of separate national art museums in Berlin covering different media and eras. You won't be able to visit them all, so pick the one that looks best:

On Museum Island:
Altes Museum: Ancient Greece and Rome
Pergamon Museum: Ultra-large exhibits from Ancient Greece and Rome, Ancient Middle East, Islamic cultures (currently significant parts closed due to reconstruction)
Neues Museum: Prehistory, Ancient Egypt, further Ancient Greece and Rome exhibits.
Bode Museum: European sculpture from the Middle Ages to 1800, Byzantine artifacts, coins and medals.
Alte Nationalgalerie: Nineteenth-century European art

In Culture Forum area (near Potsdamer Platz south of the Tiergarten):
Gemaeldegalerie: European painting from the Middle Ages to 1800
Kunstgewerbemuseum: Decorative arts and design from the Middle Ages to date.
Kupferstichkabinett: Drawings, watercolours and sketches.
Neue Nationalgalerie: Twentieth-century art (now completely closed for renovation)

In Dahlem (SW suburbs, U-Bahn line 3):
Ethnological Museum
Museum of Indian Art
Museum of East Asian Art
Museum of European Culture (folk art and culture)

Isolated near the Hauptbahnhof:
Hamburger Bahnhof Museum: Contemporary art.

I strongly recommend you take a walking tour. There are several companies, and each of them do a general tour, Third Reich walk, Communist Berlin walk, gay Berlin walk, etc. Start with a general walk, which is a great orientation to this multi-layered city, then take any others than interest you.

If you are interested at all in German history, the German History Museum is a must, and could take all day (not an exaggeration - I spent a half day there and only left because of other commitments, but missed a lot).

I particularly enjoyed the DDR museum, especially the simulated Trabi drive experience. The museum presents a nice balance of everyday life, politics, economics and of course, the Stasi. Interesting look at a former failed state with a small touch of nostalgia without overlooking it's much larger deficiencies.

But make no mistake... the main attraction of Berlin isn't it's history (it's one of the least historically preserved cities in the country), but rather, Berlin's vibrant present.

"But make no mistake... the main attraction of Berlin isn't it's history (it's one of the least historically preserved cities in the country), but rather, Berlin's vibrant present."

I would put it differently: Berlin is living history. The Reichstag (Bundestag) is a prime example for this. Foster's renovation was done under this theme - and done extremely well! One of the reasons I think a guided tour is a must-do for anybody visiting Berlin.

"...one of the least historically preserved cities in the country." That's one way one can look at it. For me I totally dissent from such a view.

I love Berlin. Near the Berlin Wall exhibitions is Topography of Terror, a museum plus outdoor site. I like the Potsdamerplatz area, Unter den Linden for people-watching.

Are you planning on taking the bus to the airport?

Really recommend going on a walking tour your first day. You will get a fabulous orientation to the city as well as learn lots of interesting facts. My favorite tour company is Insider Tours. Have gone on 5 of their tours and always consider it money well spent. Hard to beat the price of 12 € for a 4 hour tour.
http://www.insidertour.com/

It's a while from now so it's hard to know which exhibit and shows are going to be on.
You should definitely go to Potsdam, and to the Pergamon Museum which is great and also the Egyptian Museum is great.
But really you should look at what galleries and exhibits will be on those dates in a few months.
Other than that you should go to Alexanderplatz for clothes, the Mitte for shoes, and The Garage for some great Vintage.
And if you want to see a good movie in English go to The Sputnik theater.
Have fun!

You should go to the Natural History museum! They have a Huge Dinosaur skeleton there! It's incredible!!