Questions from a solo traveler covering Berlin in a single day

Berlin is a particularly difficult city for a one-day visit if you happen to like both political-history and art sights. I hope you are lukewarm about at least one of those! You're smart to figure things out ahead of time. Get a map and mark locations of things you want to see so you can figure out what is geographically possible.

Some random thoughts since your target list is quite different from my 2015 list, though I visited the Topography of Terror (10 AM - 8 PM at this time of year) and found it very interesting. From experience I can tell you that they do shoo visitors away from even the outdoor part of the display just before closing time.

I've mentioned some other possibilities below just because they might give you something to do early or late. There's no end of interesting places to see in Berlin.

The Museuminseln museums are huge; you can spend 3-5 hours in each one and not see everything. They often have hour-long lines during peak vacation season. (I don't know what happens at other times.) I'd be tempted to skip that on a one-day trip. At most, you might be able to see one section of the museum that interest you most. (I'd suggest the Pergamon Museum unless you are a big painting fan.) I think you'll find that the museums open at 10 AM, but I haven't checked.

You can Google the name of the attraction and easily find its official web site, where the opening hours will be given (usually under "Visit"; perhaps under "Contact Us"). Be careful about seasonal hours. Visiting hours may be cut back at the end of September. And be aware that some places stop selling tickets/allowing entry 30 or 45 minutes before closing time. This is normally mentioned on the website.

Without exception, every government-run museum I visited in Berlin required me to check my standard-size purse. So I would assume that any object you are carrying must be checked. There will be lockers and/or a staffed counter. In my experience there's no charge at the counter but the lockers require 1-euro or 2-euro coins. No change is given for 2-euro coins, so be sure have several 1-euros.

Your best bet for something that opens before 10 AM or stays open late is probably a non-government-run sight, i.e., a commercial, money-making one. The House at Checkpoint Charlie is a small (tourist-mobbed at times) museum-like space that I found extremely interesting. It's open daily 9 AM to 10 PM at this time of year. The equally crowded DDR Museum (life in the DDR) is open 10 AM till 8 PM except on Saturdays, which are 10-10.

I'll bet someone does evening walking tours. There are at least two companies offering "free" introductory walking tours (tip the guide, they must pay the owner for each person who shows up), plus regular companies. A variety of walking tours is available, but I don't know what goes on at night. I'd prefer to do that rather than take a hop-on/hop-off tour, but plenty of folks like HOHOs. Just be sure you know how frequently the buses run. I've seen long lines of people waiting for them in some cities, and that's the last way you want to spend your time on a one-day visit. Berlin's sights are very spread out, and unless you're very lucky in the location of your chosen destinations, the S-Bahn/U-Bahn will be a faster way to move around.

There are boat rides on the river; not sure about their schedule but there's probably something at night.

The Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauerstrasse has a major outdoor component. The Open Air Exhibition and Memorial Grounds are open 8 AM - 10 PM. The Documentation Center has more limited hours, 10 AM to 6 PM.

The outdoor (memorial) part of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is open 24 hours a day. The visitor center is 10-8 through September, then 10-7.

I agree with MrsEB. With all there is to see in Berlin, an aquarium and a wax museum wouldn't be part of my first week, much less my first (and only) day. I spent six days in Berlin and had a long list of places still to see.

Your time is so limited, I wouldn't want to spend much of it in restaurants. I'd be getting grab-and-go stuff. Sausages are a classic, typically sold with a hard roll. Curry-wurst has a curried-ketchup sauce, but mustard is more originally German. The city is full of places to grab a (decent) pre-made sandwich with some combination of cheese, ham, salami, chicken, turkey, even veggies. Those places often sell cups of cut-up fruit, which is healthy and refreshing on a hot day. And Berlin has many foreign restaurants with reasonably authentic food; nice if you're ready for a change. But that will take time you don't have unless you go to one of the many Middle Eastern/Turkish fast-food joints.

By the way, be sure you have either a valid day-pass or a valid ticket when on public transportation. Inspectors do come around randomly to check tickets. I saw it twice during my 6-day visit, and I wasn't on the S-Bahn and U-Bahn very much.

Do a walking tour or bike tour instead of the ho ho bus. Better value, way better tour.
Drop the wax museum and aquarium. I like the cathedral, but would drop it in your case as you have too much anyway. It isn't that outstanding of a church. Beautiful, yes, but nothing outstanding.
Leave the laptop in a locker at the bus station if possible. Most museums have either lockers or check rooms for bags of this size.

Almost all of your bucket list items are covered by public buses. Just buy a day ticket on the first bus and you are good for the day.

The central bus station (ZOB) is on the west end by the Funkturm, but I doubt it will be open at your arrival time.
Take the M49 bus from the ZOB to Zoo-Garten station. Then take the 100 bus toward Alexanderplatz. along the way, pass through the Tiergarten, past the Victory Column, past the Reichstag, onto Unter den Linden just past the Brandenburg Gate, (Topography of Terror, just a couple of blocks south) to the Museum Island and the Cathedral, by the SEA LIFE, finally Alexanderplatz and the Fernsehturm. Return with the 200 bus which retraces some of the route, but cuts south to Potsdamerplatz and by Philharmonie then along the south of the Tiergarten past the Aquarium and back to Zoo-Garten. I think that covers everything except Madame Tussauds, which is around somewhere. The 100 and 200 buses are double decker and have good views from the upper.

Be sure to arrive at the Reichstag with plenty of time before your booking. You have security and it can be confusing with many group tour check-in locations.

Another interesting walk is to see the wall exhibits along Bernauerstrasse. From Alexanderplatz take the U8 north 3 stops to Bernauerstrasse. Walk along the path of the wall, which is now a park with exhibits to the west. You end up at the Wall Museum, and a short stretch of the original still standing. The Nordbahnhof S-Bahn station is right there and you can take the S-Bahn south to Brandenburg gate or Potsdamerplatz.

As far as local cuisine, stop at a street stand and have a Currywurst. British occupation troops favored curry sauce on their sausages and a Berlin fushion cuisine was born. Next would be a Doener Kebab, also at street stands. Turkish kebabs and sandwiches that have become part of the culture. Berlin has a zillion restaurants. I'll just mention the Dicke Wirtin (The Fat Lady) off Savignyplatz (along the M49 bus route). Typical Berlin German food and beer.

I agree - too much for one day, unless you're just passing outside some of the places and not trying to go in. You'll need to allow time for transit (Berlin is very spread out), getting lost/turned around, plus you have to go through security at Reichstag so allow an extra 20 minutes for that (you go through airport style security/metal detectors). As has been mentioned, depending on when this trip happens, 10 a.m. opening time for most sites is the best you can expect. Also, if you're planning this on a Monday you should reconsider - many things are closed.

Some of your sights are really spread out - I'd suggest concentrating on the central area to minimize travel time. I assume you have the Funkturm on your list because it's near the bus station where you arrive at 6:30 a.m.? If you're instead arriving at the main train station, I'd skip the Funkturm - way too far out of your way. Same for the Philharmonie. I personally would skip the Topography of Terror in favor of the outdoor Berlin Wall memorial (see here). The outdoor exhibits open at 8 a.m. you could head there first, walk around, and then hit the indoor exhibits at 10. Then work your way back to the center. The suggestion above to see the DDR museum (late in the day if possible) is a good one - very crowded mid-day.

As for recommended food - I thought Kase Konig am Alex decent spot near Alexanderplatz - old school cafeteria style (has currywurst and pork knuckle) . A short walk or train nearby is Aufsturz (Oranienburger Strasse 67) which has great food and good pub atmosphere.

Good luck!

Thank you all for the detailed information. I really appreciate the fact that you put some time and thoughts to help me out :)
I will be on a business trip to Frankfurt this month and i can travel only on weekends. That is why i thought of covering Berlin and Munich, giving each a day only. I am fine with skipping museums and most of the Indoors. I am more interested in grand structures and complexes.
I will be carrying a laptop bag but it would be empty, will only have the documents i need to carry. I guess i would prefer outdoors more than anything else. Here is a rough plan i made:

1) Kurfürstendamm street in early morning. Maybe have my breakfast there.

2) Fernsehtower as it opens at 9 AM (as per google)

3) Reichstag dome – Timings taken are – 9:45, 01:30 and 18:45

4) Topography of terror

5) Jew memorial

6) Alexanderplatz, Brandenburg Gate and anything which i can see from outside and can cover in late evenings.

I would begin at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the very early morning is best and you will likely have it all to yourself. You can have breakfast nearby, lots of places are open by 8am.

If you can give it a weekend, that is what I would do, and skip Munich unless there is something you must see there. I've been to Berlin three times, will go back; Munich once, enough.

After visiting Brandenburg Gate, you may want to grab a coffee from Starbucks at Pariser Platz. The servers speak English and you'll probably get to meet other travelers from around the world. A lot of 'free' walking tours start from that location ( I took one at 2 pm). A good number of them are in English - usually conducted by university students. Our guide kept mentioning his bad luck eg car broken down, roommate left - probably hoping for a good 'tip' at the end.

You do not mention what day you will be visiting, that makes a big difference as some places close on Sundays, others on Monday, others different days of the week.

Germans are not really breakfast people, particularly that early, you might look for a pastry shop (Ich ein Berliner!) a bit later you might be able to find a Bavarian themed place that has Weisswurst and Heffeweissen.

I too would question devoting time to Madame Tussauds and the aquarium, not uniquely Berlin for the time you have unless you are seriously into aquariums as a hobby or profession.

Early on, the Brandenburg gate is easy to do with no opening time, Alexanderplatz as well depending what you want to do, you will have to wait until 10:00 am for the Funkturm if your plan is to go up to the observation deck, same for the Fernsehturm, though do you really need to do both towers? Otherwise just a walking tour in central Berlin will keep you busy.

Use the day pass, a HOHO tour is expensive and not conducive to just zipping on public transport to where you want to go when you want to go.

The only other place I would try to fit in is a Berlin Wall site.

The bag should not be an issue, you might have to check it in a rare place.

Berlin itself seems to have no specific food, other than Currywurst. I would try to get a Berlinerweisse beer.

Schwarzes Cafe is open 24-7 and has breakfast (Fruehstueck in German). It is on the M49 bus route you would use coming into Berlin from the Bus Station. Get off at the first stop after you pass Savignyplatz at Uhlandstrasse. Walk back one block crossing Uhlandstrasse along Kantstrasse. It is mid block on the same side of the street the bus dropped you.
http://www.schwarzescafe-berlin.de/www.schwarzescafe-berlin.de/Fruhstuck.html

@ contact...."local specialties (food and drink) to try?" There are two typical Berlin choices. The dish is Berliner Eisbein, copious portion. The drink is the beer "Berliner Weisse mit rot" (that's the shot of raspberry syrup with the beer). I much prefer that over the green. Now, if you just want regular Berlin beers , try Berliner Kindl and Schultheiss.

You initially mentioned the Berliner Philharmonie, but it was dropped in your revised itinerary. While there are performances every weekend in September, if you’re lucky you might include an evening performance in your schedule. What better note (pardon the pun) to depart Berlin on? My wife and I experienced a performance by Anna-Sophie Mutter and it was marvelous. We did, however, make reservations several months in advance. You might check the box office to see if there are any ‘no shows” for the evening you are there. You also mentioned you’re traveling by bus. Isn’t the driving time from Frankfurt to Berlin almost 5 hours? Also, if you’re there for one day only, is the laptop a “must”? Hope you enjoy wherever you decide to visit.