Private tour in Berlin Lee E
5.0
(1) review
1
1
Lee E.
5.0
Guide rating
8
Reviews
Tours delivered
12 hrs
Avg. response time
Welcome to Europe's greatest city! Some people read about Berlin's history. I watched it happen — and I've been here so long, the city has stopped feeling like my adopted home and started feeling like my accomplice. Bertolt Brecht said it best: "You are never born a Berliner, you become one." By that measure, I'm about as Berliner as it gets. I was here before the Wall came down — and I was here the day it did. I've watched this city transform from the front lines of the Cold War into the cultural capital of Europe, and I've made it my life's work to share that story with travelers who want more than a selfie at the Brandenburg Gate. My credentials are a little unusual. Rick Steves personally trained me as a guide and travel writer — I led tours for his company and spent years researching his Germany guidebook. I still contribute regularly to the Fodor's series, covering Eastern and Northern Germany. Before all that, I spent eight years running the German Railroad's Eurail Aid Office, untangling the chaos of European rail travel for thousands of visitors. I hold an MA in Contemporary European History, studied Art History in Florence, Jewish Studies in Munich, and attended Charles University in Prague. I'm a certified guide at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial, served as a Board Member of the Berlin Historical Association, and the founder and first President of the Berlin Guide Federation — because I care enough about this craft to have built an organization around improving it. Several embassies trust me to quietly guide their VIP guests through the city. I'll leave it at that. But here's what none of that paperwork tells you: I'm genuinely fun to spend a day with. History doesn't have to be a lecture. Berlin's story is wild, strange, tragic, and triumphant — and I know how to tell it. Every tour I run is tailored to you: your interests, your pace, your questions. I don't do cookie-cutter. Time is precious, and I treat it that way. A few practical notes: I am not a driver, but I can join you in your vehicle or arrange a car and driver separately. Berlin gets hectic in summer — please reach out before you book so we can make sure we're a great fit.
Have a question or want to customize this tour? Message Lee E.
Berlin was the front line in a war of nerves and no other city symbolizes the secrecy, tyranny, and double-face of the Cold War. As one of the few guides who experienced Berlin, I'll lead you from the island of freedom in West Berlin, across the death strip, into the capital of Central Europe's most Stalinist state. Follow a trail of ghosts through a Berlin where two superpowers met head-to-head. See where Soviet and American tanks stood on the brink of a nuclear war and experience what life was really like behind the iron curtain. Explore the Stalin Allee, a street designed to be one meter wider than the Champs Elysees and a masterpiece of Socialist architecture. See the Bernauer Strasse, where the Wall separated East and West often through the houses themselves. We'll see how and why the Wall was built and talk about life on both sides. Find out about Berlin, the espionage capital of the world and how the CIA and MI6 tapped Eastern Europe's communication network in a service
Confronting Berlin's history is more than a list of sites, it is a collection of stories and events that shape the city. We'll typically hit the sites below. Your time with me is tailored to you personally. On this tour we cover: - Berlin wall escape - Life in East Berlin then and now - Checkpoint Charlie - The Secret Police, the dreaded Stasi - Soviet War Memorial - Socialist architecture and city planning - Alexanderplatz - TV tower - Stalin Allee now Karl Marx Allee - Stalin's mustache & Left ear - Soviet embassy & Aeroflot office I am more than willing to customize this tour according to your preferences, please contact me for a customized tour
Tell your guide which places matter to you, skip what doesn't, and tailor the experience for your group's needs. Not finding what you want? Message your guide to build something unique.
Berlin is best seen on foot. This gives us the opportunity to get under the skin of the city. Like most real Berliner, we'll use public transportation. *private vehicles can be arranged at an extra fee.
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Airport: ,Cruise: ,ByGuide: this is a private tour, we can start at any time and at any place in Berlin: usually in front of your hotel.
1 reviews
Who is this private tour in Berlin best suited for?
Can this private tour in Berlin be customized to focus on what I want to see and skip places I've already visited?
How long is the tour, and can the start time or duration be adjusted?
Where does the tour start and end?
Is transportation included?
What languages is this tour offered in?
What's included in this private tour, and what should I budget for separately?
Is this a private tour? What is the maximum group size and the starting price?
AI-generated. Please confirm details with your guide
1
1
If your tour is valued over $200 USD and booked at least 45 days before the tour date, you can book with a deposit!
How it works