Reichstag and Underground tours recommendations

You will need a reservation if you want to climb the dome on your own. (The included audio guide is quite good-not the same as a tour guide but still very interesting.) When looking at the Bundestag website I did not see any availability until July 29; either they are fully booked or the building is closed to the public until then. You could look up contact info and inquire about opening dates on the official website or see if an independent tour company can help you. Berlin is a great city-enjoy your visit!
Edit: If the Bundestag Dome is open, you may be able to visit last-minute if there have been cancellations. Be sure to have your passport with you, as it is required for ID.

I believe there is a place across the street(?) where they could try and sign up for tickets to the Reichstag dome. You must apply in person and be ready to come at any time of the day.

Thank you Den. That's a great reminder about ID. I had read that a while ago and forgot about it so I'm so glad you reminded me!

And Heather, thank you for the info about across the street, that's great news about the last-minute option. I reached out to the two tour companies to see if they might have spots they reserved for last-minute Private Tours so we'll see...if that doesn't work I'll check out the last minute tickets you suggested, great idea.

OP- I have a link that gives more information about tour options and shows the location of the Service Center where you can get same day tickets.

https://freetoursbyfoot.com/visit-reichstag-berlin-dome/

Enjoy, it's an amazing building and very cool dome but dress accordingly as the dome is open to the elements.

On Berlin Underground (Berliner Unterwelten) tours,,,

I've only done the Dark Worlds tour (Tour 1), which takes you into a WWII bomb shelter. I thought the tour was excellent and well worth the time/money. I coupled it with a visit to the Myth of Germania exhibit before the tour and a trip to the partially-collapsed Flakturm (anti-aircraft tower) in nearby Volkspark Humboldthain after the tour.

All about visitng the Dome is standing on this official website - also for late people. Recommend the audio guide.

Info. Reichstag was neither really a building of WWII nor a symbol of Nazi regime - it has a fully different meaning and context. They just abused the building by putting on fire.

WWII is a typical surfacial tourist headline for three very different main topics (Nazi terror, Holocaust, the real war). What do you mean precisely? With each of the topics you can quickly fill 2-4 days. Based on what you seem to know I would start with a visit in German Historic Museum to get some basics and an understanding why this could happen (start with epoch 1871 or minimum 1918). VisitBerlin provides a list of Third Reich Memorials.

Has anyone mentioned Postsdam?- That's another Original Berlin Walks but you can travel there easy enough by train for a day trip. You can tour the Palace where the Allies signed their post war treaty-Churchill, FDR, Stalin. And if you're into the Cold War spies, you can see the Bridge of Spies where East and West spies were exchanged.

Dave, thank you for the info on the Dark World Tour. That's the one I was leaning toward but wanted to hear from someone who had done it.

MarkK, I think you're spot on with the Historic Museum. Indeed there are so many aspects of World War II. We are planning to do an original Berlin walking tour (yes Doug Spindler!) as well a Sachsenhausen tour. Good question about which aspect of aspect of the war he's interested in. I haven't thought to ask him that, but now I will.

Doug Spindler, wow thank you so much. Excellent and interesting suggestions. I will print out this list, and he loves movies what a great idea too. I will check those movies out.

Heather, my friend had mentioned going to Potsdam and I am interested even more now that you mention that the Palace is where the Allies signed their treaty.

Last question: I've heard great things about both Original Walking Tours as well as Insider Tours. I figured I'd split the difference and give them each our business for different tours. (Insider for ww2 walking tour, and original berlin walks for Sachsenhausen, for example.) Any reason why not to?

This is such a great Community thank you so much everyone!

As long as there is not a significant difference in cost, I vote for splitting the tours between the two companies, just to see if there is a difference in ease with working with the companies or in guide quality.

Movies are often mentioned here. But please have in mind that a movie is a movie means ficion; it is not a history documentation.

Feedback on "Bridge of Spies" show that the still living people of the historic context were not even contacted.

Similar is the feedback of Stauffenberg historian Hoffmann to movie "Valkyrie" (another interview).

A movie stays a movie.