Street Art Tours in Berlin
4.7Street art is flexible and pushes creative boundaries, making it difficult to define. In Berlin, street art ranges from commissioned murals that consume a full side of a building to illegal graffiti tags making political statements. Many works are simply meant to bring joy.
The beauty of street art is that it isn’t static. While the most iconic creations will be maintained, there is constant evolution of the art scene as more artists add their mark to this European metropolis. Take a street art tour in Berlin for a fanciful outing filled with the unexpected.
Street art is flexible and pushes creative boundaries, making it difficult to define. In Berlin, street art ranges from commissioned murals that consume a full side of a building to illegal graffiti tags making political statements. Many works are simply meant to bring joy.
The beauty of street art is that it isn’t static. While the most iconic creations will be maintained, there is constant evolution of the art scene as more artists add their mark to this European metropolis. Take a street art tour in Berlin for a fanciful outing filled with the unexpected.
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Street art is flexible and pushes creative boundaries, making it difficult to define. In Berlin, street art ranges from commissioned murals that consume a full side of a building to illegal graffiti tags making political statements. Many works are simply meant to bring joy.
The beauty of street art is that it isn’t static. While the most iconic creations will be maintained, there is constant evolution of the art scene as more artists add their mark to this European metropolis. Take a street art tour in Berlin for a fanciful outing filled with the unexpected.
Here's all you need to know about street art tours, one of the most captivating sightseeing tours in Berlin.
What are the best street art tours in Berlin?
Start your exploration of Berlin’s urban art and counterculture on a guided tour that hits the must-see attractions as well as points out pieces that you would otherwise miss. Your passionate guide will certainly be able to point you in directions to continue your tour on your own.
Self-guided street art tours
Download a guided tour to your smartphone for an independent street art experience. Complete with maps and facts, enjoy the flexibility of moving at your own pace, lingering where you’d like and the privacy of touring on your own or with a small group.
Free walking street art tours
Led by guides with impressive pedigrees, see East Berlin’s street art with the dazzling expertise of art and social science scholars on a Berlin free walking tour.
Guided street art tours
Discover urban art and counterculture on a guided street art of East Berlin’s eclectic neighborhoods. On this Berlin walking tour, witness how the strife of the Cold War, lingering Naziism and systemic poverty inspire artistic communication in the forms of murals, graffiti, guerilla gardening and 3-D installations.
Bike street art tours
Bike tours in Berlin are a great way to cover more ground, and seeing street art from a bike is an eco-friendly way to view the best creations without having to take public transportation.
Street art and gallery tours
Combine formal and informal art on a street art tour that takes you to four or five of the best galleries in Berlin. Chosen weekly by ART Magazine editors, the selection of galleries changes with the changing exhibits. You’ll also see the most famous street art works, including those at East Side Gallery and Kreuzberg’s many pieces.
Private street art tours
Spend 2 to 4 hours with an expert guide just for you and your group. Establish your own pace, ask every question and even customize your tour as you take in commissioned art, illegal graffiti and unexpected, covert creations.
What will you see?
Different art genres and techniques
Berlin’s bare city walls don’t stay that way for too long. The city has become a magnet for international artists wanting to leave their stamp behind. The techniques vary, with many being traditional or spray painting, but they also appear as plant installations, sculptures, stickers, posters and stencils.
See realistic and cartoon animals, portraits of the famous, characters from pop culture and sociopolitical statements. Some artists make their work jump off the walls with trompe-l’oeil and 3D effects.
Stealthy urban farmers have created food and flower gardens in derelict areas, further expanding the idea of street art.
East Berlin neighborhoods
The former GDR, or German Democratic Republic, is rife with Cold War-era buildings, many of which have been left to crumble since the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall.
The empty structures in East Berlin neighborhoods attracted squatters that included struggling artists, punks and society members who were marginalized during the Cold War.
Finding countless swaths of concrete on buildings and the remnants of the Berlin Wall itself, the area’s resident creatives availed themselves of the huge “canvases” to express their sociopolitical beliefs and artistic skills.
Landmark artworks
No Berlin street art tour would leave out the most iconic installations that make this city famous. Marvel at Victor Ash’s enormous “Astronaut Cosmonaut,” currently the world’s largest stencil drawing. Take in Blu’s “Pink Man” near the Oberbaumbrucke Bridge and ROA’s multi-story “Dead Animals” in Kreuzberg.
RAW Gelände
Originally built as a train repair station in the late 19th century, RAW Gelände is a collection of once-derelict structures that became a counterculture hub.
Nearby bunkers, tunnels and other Soviet-era structures that were left empty in the ‘90s harbored punk and artistic communities. RAW Gelände is now home to cafes, galleries and of-beat attractions.
East Side Gallery
Artists from Germany and around the world have beautified a once-hideous reminder of the Cold War with the creation of the East Side Gallery. It is the longest standing remnant of the Berlin wall at 1.3 kilometers in length, making it the largest open-air gallery in the world.
Because the art is constantly changing, you won’t know what to expect on a visit to the East Side Gallery.
Urban National Street Art Museum
Built within the last decade, the Urban National Street Art Museum is a free attraction on Bulowstrasse in West Berlin. Thrill at works by Banksy, Brittany Williams and native sons the Berlin Kidz and 1UP.
Galleries
Potsdamerstrasse is a hotbed of contemporary and street art galleries. Though tours change up their destinations according to evolving exhibits, some of the possible stops are BERLINARTPROJECTS, Daimler Contemporary Berlin and Jarmuschek + Partner.
How much do street art tours in Berlin cost?
Walking street art tours in Berlin cost from €20 per person. If you decide to take a free street art tour, it is customary to tip between €10 per person to €20 per person. Bike street art tours cost €30 per person. Street art and gallery tours cost €80 per person.
Private Berlin street art tours cost from €110 per person to €250 per person, depending on group size and duration of the tour. Some private tour packages include the price of entry to galleries.
All bike tours require a purchase of a metro pass for use on the U-Bahn subway system. One-way tickets cost between €3 per person and €4 per person, and a 24-hour pass costs around €9 per person.
What is included?
Berlin street art tours include the navigation and commentary from an expert guide with a background in street art, classical art or social sciences.
Bike tours provide bike and helmet rental. Bikes come equipped with a basket, and some bike tours also provide gloves, trouser clips and a rain poncho if necessary.
Gallery tours and some private tours provide entry tickets to galleries and other attractions.
Where does it start?
Street art tours in Berlin at the epicenter of its street art scene — East Berlin. Tours meet up in front of centrally-located stores, restaurants, museums or metro stations in the Kreuzberg or Friedrichshain neighborhoods. Gallery tours meet across the street from the Wintergarten Berlin Theater.
How long does it last?
Street art tours in Berlin last from 2 to 3.5 hours.
When is the best time for a street art tour in Berlin?
Street art tours in Berlin are enjoyable at any time of year. Tours occur rain or shine, and Berlin’s best weather is from May through September. Taking a street art tour at the beginning of your visit to Berlin is a great way to get to know the town and to hear expert advice from your guide on how to fill the rest of your stay.
Are there any combos available with street art tours in Berlin?
Street art plus food tours
The artsy Berlin neighborhoods that draw artists also have thriving immigrant communities who continue their food traditions in their new homes. Get your fill of local beers, sweets and fusion specialties like currywurst on this combined street art and food tours in Berlin.
Tour guides point out street art highlights and hidden works with stops at food trucks, breweries and “spatis,” convenience stores filled with ethnic treats.
What are the other sightseeing tours in Berlin?
Travel tips
- Wear shoes and clothing that’s appropriate for an active outing.
- Bring sun protection.
- Carry a well-charged camera or smartphone for the countless photo ops.
- Bring a bottle of water.