Compare Berlin: Two Pasts, One Present by Road Scholar

Day 1 In Transit to Program In Flight

Day 2 Arrival in Berlin, Check-in, Orientation, Welcome Dinner Berlin

Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m. Luggage can be stored at the hotel if you arrive early.

Orientation: 4:30 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures including contact numbers for key staff, and answer any questions you may have. Please note that in Germany it is often expected to pay for using public restrooms with small change; we advise to carry 50c pieces with you during field trips. We have set aside some free time in the schedule for your personal independent exploration. Please note that program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

At the hotel restaurant, enjoy a plated meal featuring a starter, main course of meat, fish, or vegetarian options, and dessert, plus a welcome drink and water; other beverages available for purchase.

Day 3 Berlin Past-Present-Future, City Motorcoach Field Trip Berlin

Getting on/off motorcoach several times; short walks to and standing at field trip sites; cobblestones. The specific sites seen during our motorcoach field trip will depend on schedules and local conditions at the time of the program. Please note that breakfast might not be served in the form of a buffet due to corona restrictions. This also applies to the following days and different hotels.

We are joined by an expert, a local historian, who will give a presentation on Berlin’s problematic past, it’s vibrant present, and potential future. We’ll then board a motorcoach with another expert for a field trip to see some of the city’s highlights including the Berlin Wall Monument, Checkpoint Charlie, Gendarmenmarkt Square with the restored Konzerthaus and the French and German churches, Paris Square and the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, Holocaust Memorial, Potsdamer Square (the new and old), Memorial Church, and new architecture.

Our expert-led field trip continues aboard the motorcoach with stops at key sites.

At leisure.

In the hotel dining room, the breakfast buffet offers choices such as breakfast meats, egg dishes, fruit, cheese, yogurt, bread, croissants, plus milk, juice, coffee, tea, water.

At a pleasant spot during our field trip, we’ll stop and have packed lunches with sandwich, yoghurt, fruit, and beverage.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Day 4 Hohenschönhausen Memorial, Bundestag Berlin

Walking up to 2 miles, extensive standing at Hohenschönhausen and Bundestag and climbing flights of stairs.

We will board the motorcoach for a field trip to the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial. In 1945 the building was converted into a Soviet Secret Police prison for detention and interrogation in East Germany. In 1951, the East German Ministry of State Security (Stasi) took over the prison, added a new prison building in 1961 and, until 1989, used the site as its main remand center. Thousands of political prisoners passed through this jail, including nearly all the prominent figures opposing the GDR regime. The site formed a kind of headquarters of communist repression in East Germany.

We will take a walking field trip this afternoon to one of the city’s most famous landmarks, the former Reichstag building that is now the seat of the Deutscher Bundestag, the German Federal Parliament. As we see and appreciate the magnificent architecture, we will also learn more about Germany’s turbulent political past — and that mysterious 1933 fire! — before ascending to the recently rebuilt glass cupola. From here, you can enjoy spectacular views of the parliamentary and government district and Berlin’s sights. We’ll then have an opportunity to venture behind the scenes of German politics and discuss current issues with a political expert.

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

We will take the motorcoach back to the city and have lunch at a restaurant near the Bundestag. We’ll have a 2-course plated meal including water; other beverages available for purchase.

On your own to enjoy local fare. The group leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Day 5 Discover modern Berlin in Kreuzberg and the Jewish Berlin Berlin

Walking up to 2 miles, cobblestones, climbing flights of stairs.

We will ride by public transport to "Kreuzberg" - a borough of Berlin - to explore the modern day Berlin. Kreuzberg has developed from one of the poorest boroughs of West Berlin to a cultural and artistic hotspot of Berlin. During the division it was faced on three sides by the Berlin wall and after reunification it has gone through a significant gentrification process. We will explore the borough with a local expert and talk about the history and current topics of the borough.

We will go by public transport to the Jewish quarter of Berlin and have a guided walk through Jewish Berlin.

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

At a local restaurant.

On your own to enjoy what you like and sample local fare.

Day 6 Museum Island, Free time, Performance Berlin

Walking up to 2 miles; cobblestones.

We will begin the morning with a lecture by a knowledgeable local expert who will introduce the history of Berlin's famous Museum Island. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Museum Island complex is home to five internationally acclaimed museums. After the lecture, we will go to Museum Island by motor coach and see one of the exhibitions led by the local expert.

Free Time. Take this opportunity to see and do what interests you most. You are welcome to remain and continue exploring the treasures of Museum Island.

Attend an evening performance.

Hotel buffet.

At a restaurant near Museum Island we will enjoy a 2-course plated meal with water included; other beverages available for purchase.

On your own to enjoy what you like and sample local fare.

Day 7 Potsdam, Sanssouci Gardens, New Palace, Cecilienhof Palace Berlin

Getting on/off a motorcoach; walking up to 2 miles, standing around Sanssouci Gardens and the New Palace, climbing stairs.

Our morning field trip via motorcoach takes us to Potsdam and the amazing Sanssouci Palace that has been called the “Prussian Versailles” for its magnificent architecture, rich decoration, beautifully landscaped gardens, and lavish waterworks. An expert will lead our exploration of the splendid park surrounding the palace that served as Frederick the Great’s summer residence and relaxing getaway from the protocol of his royal court in Berlin. Sanssouci means without concern, i.e., carefree, in French. It was built from 1745-47 above a terraced vineyard following the King's own ideas and sketches. The palace is considered a major work of Rococo architecture in Germany.

We’ll continue our explorations at the Cecilienhof Palace, the last palace built by the ruling Hohenzollern family from 1914-17 for Crown Prince William and his wife Cecilie von Mecklenburg-Schwerin. World history was forged when Allied leaders Truman, Churchill, and Stalin met here for the Potsdam Conference in 1945 to discuss the partition of Germany. We’ll then return to Berlin.

At leisure.

Hotel buffet.

We’ll ride to a local restaurant in Potsdam for a 2-course plated meal with water included; other beverages available for purchase.

On your own to enjoy local fare. The group leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Day 8 Allied Museum, Free time, Farewell Dinner Berlin

Walking up to 2 miles and standing in the museum.

Learn about how friends became enemies during our field trip via motorcoach to the Allied Museum. First, we will assemble in a room at the museum for a lecture on German-American relations from 1945 to the present by an expert on German-American relations. After this, our expert will lead us through the exhibition. Dedicated to the 50-year Allied presence in Berlin, we will explore the museum's permanent exhibits with a focus on the large-scale objects such as the Hastings plane, the French military train and the original Checkpoint Charlie. We also check out the espionage tunnel of "Operation Gold". We'll then return to the city center.

Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities at the end of the daily schedule. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.

At leisure. Say farewell and prepare for departure in the morning.

Hotel buffet.

On your own.

We’ll take a walk from the hotel to a popular restaurant in the vibrant center of Berlin and enjoy a 3-course plated meal, plus a farewell drink and water; other beverages available for purchase. Share your favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends.

Day 9 Program Concludes In Flight

Hotel check-out by 12:00 p.m. See the Travel Information section regarding transfers. If you are an independent traveler (POP status), see “Ground Transportation from Last Location".

Hotel buffet. This concludes our program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!