Germany · HISTORICAL TOURS
The 15 best history tours you can book right now, with what each costs, how long it runs and who it suits. Number one is top for a reason; start there.
70-minute motorboat tour from Leipzig harbor, past Plagwitz, textile mills and flood defenses. Guided views, German live commentary.
“Very nice trip, the guide was fabulous. It was a cozy sailing trip, nice area but also a little bit the same all the way.”
Skip the ticket line at Berlin’s Museum für Naturkunde. See Giraffatitan, the wet collection, biodiversity wall, and a T. rex audio guide.
“Quite a large museum with lots of interesting species as well as a wide range of large-scale recreations for close-looking. English translation available for most (if not all) of the display cases. Great for all ages too!”
A 1.5-hour German walking tour through Leipzig’s main sights, with funny, story-rich commentary at Mädler Passage, Old Town Hall, and St. Thomas Church.
3-hour Havel River cruise from Wannsee to Potsdam. Pass UNESCO gardens, Prussian sights, and bridges with bilingual commentary for about $25.
“Nice relaxing boat trip drinks and some food available on board”
A 1.5 hour Night Watchman walking adventure in Heidelberg. Meet at Market Square, explore streets below the walls, and hear medieval stories.
“Nachtwächterin Marie hat uns tolle Geschichten erzählt! Informativ und unterhaltsam zugleich. Die Tour hat sich definitiv gelohnt und wir würden es jederzeit weiterempfehlen.”
A small English walking tour of Hamburg’s historic centre, from Rathausmarkt to Speicherstadt, the WWII memorial, and St. Michael’s Church.
“It was fine, nothing special. Covered the basics. Fine. Was expecting to go closer to the Elbphilharmonie”
2-hour historical walk in Dresden, from Dresden Castle and the Church of Our Lady to the Zwinger and Theater Square.
“Our Guide was the best in my whole life. Sooo many Information. Really nice. I would recommend to everyone comes to Dresden.”
Walk Berlin’s Third Reich sites with an English guide in 2 hours, from Luftwaffe HQ to the Soviet memorial. Includes a mid-tour break.
“So this tour was made basically on the strength of the guide Daniel. Initially i was concerned because the tour should have bèen half the number it was , because the other guide was sick it was a very large group. However the knowledge and enthusiasm plus the strong way he handled and led such a large group meant it was one of the highlights of our holiday. He chronologically led us through how the third reich established power and explained how they were able to carry out the atrocities they did. The guide took us to areas we wouldnt have visited alone and help us appreciate the history of…”
Walk Bamberg’s beer history in 1.5 hours, see UNESCO sights like Eisgrube and Domberg, and add optional €5 tastings.
“Pünktlich, sehr netter Guide mit viel Fachwissen, toll erklärt!”
1.5-hour guided walk through Trier, from Roman Porta Nigra to Trier Cathedral and Karl Marx’s home, with a friendly German guide.
“Patrick hat uns unterhaltsam an seinem großen Wissen teilhaben lassen.”
Walk Berlin’s most important sights on a guide-led route from Potsdamer Platz to Unter den Linden, with Cold War stops and WWII memory.
“Tour molto ben curato da Paolo nonostante la bufera di neve, ha gestito la situazione nella maniera migliore, persona molto preparata e disponibile.Consigliato”
Boutique 1-hour electric steamship cruise from the Reichstag, with quiet views, snacks, and calm bilingual narration.
“The boat is marvellous and most of the time I was thinking about how lucky I was to have booked such an elegant one, compared to the other boats in the city. I wasn't too much interested in the sightseeing comments, as it's not my first time in Berlin, but the recordings were not all too boring so it was nice to hear some interesting new details. The service was absolutely friendly and accommodating. Something to eat would have been nice.”
Ride Erfurt Electric Tram on an 80s-speed city tour of key sights and Art Nouveau districts with a German guide. 90 minutes, $25.
Berlin WWII and Cold War sights, on foot with a private guide. From Brandenburg Gate to Checkpoint Charlie, 6 hours of context.
“Learning about the history of Berlin, from a knowledgeable and experienced guide was fantastic. I can’t imagine visiting this city without knowing the details of it’s complex history.”
Taste Bamberg’s brewing legends on a 2-hour walk: smoked beer, Bamberger Hörnla, local bites, and a guided old-town history tour.
Every kind of German day out, and the best of each.
