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East Side Gallery
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East Side Gallery: Tours & Tickets

See all tours & things to do in East Side Gallery

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Berlin

See all 461 tickets & tours

East Side Gallery Berlin: Top 5 fascinating facts

The East Side Gallery is the longest remaining strip of The Berlin Wall and the longest outdoor gallery in the world. Immediately after the fall of the “iron curtain,” 118 artists from 21 different countries reinterpreted East Side Gallery history forever.

“The Death Strip”
Photo: ristian Iohan Ştefănescu@flickr (CC BY 2.0)

“The Death Strip”

The East Side Gallery borders what used to be its “death strip,” a highly patrolled area where anyone trying to cross from East to West Berlin was immediately shot.

Controversy Over East Side Gallery Restoration
Photo: Mike Steele@flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Controversy Over East Side Gallery Restoration

Since 1990, many murals deteriorated. Restoration, however, has been filled with roadblocks like funding issues and even a lawsuit from artists who felt their work was altered.

Avignon Flash Mob
Photo: Mike Steele@flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Avignon Flash Mob

German pop artist Jim Avignon painted over his original painting “Doin’ it cool for the East Side” with a group of art students in 1990—without authorized permission.

Development Over Culture
Photo: Tony Webster@flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Development Over Culture

A six-meter gap was put in the East Side Gallery in 2013 to make room for the construction of high rise apartment buildings. Protestors gathered, but the construction went on.

East Side Gallery Film
Photo: Rae Allen@flickr (CC BY 2.0)

East Side Gallery Film

“Berlin East Side Gallery” is a 2015 documentary that records the changes since the 2009 restoration in hopes of deterring vandalism and promoting preservation.

Our insider tips

Enjoy the surroundings

Located along the Spree river, the area around the gallery is filled with sand-filled beach bars that can make for a relaxing, sunny evening when the weather is in your favor.

Visit at off-peak times

Crowds can be dense; arriving earlier or later in the day is advisable. It’s open 24 hours a day.

Kiss your loved-ones at the East Side Gallery Kiss

One of the most famous murals is entitled “My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love” and sometimes called the “Fraternal Kiss” by Dmitri Vrubel. It is a reproduction of the real event of Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker sharing a socialist fraternal embrace.

Good to know

  • When should I visit?
    The East Side Gallery is open all day, everyday.
  • Is it expensive?
    It's free to walk the Gallery, but tours of the area cost extra.
  • Will I need a guide?
    A guide can certainly make the artwork come to life, with stories about the artists, and life before and after The Wall.
  • How to get there
    Take the S5, S7 or S75 to either Warschauer Str. or Ostbahnhof, or the U1 to Warschauer Str.
  • Additional information

    • Please remain respectful, and do not add your own artwork over an artist's work.

What people are saying about East Side Gallery

Overall rating
4.6 / 5
based on 4,399 reviews

Swen is a fantastic, friendly and knowledgeable tour guide.

Swen was great with our group. Our group were mostly blind/partially sighted but this didn't phase Swen, as it had done with other guides we have had in Berlin. His description of everything was clear, and the many various food stops along the way were wonderful. Some food tours flatter to deceive, but we were well and truly stuffed by the end and impressed all the way through. I would recommend this tour, and Swen, to any future groups.

Berlin: 3-Hour Culinary Tour with East Side Gallery Reviewed by

Brilliant tour, so much fun, lots to see and very friendly guides

There was a mess up with our tour time but the guys there were more than accommodating. They took us out on our own little tour twice and did everything they could to make sure we still had a great time which we did. It is an awesome way to see the city and the tour guys are very friendly and knowledgeable. It was great fun and a once in a lifetime experience, I would highly recommend, worth every penny.

Trabi Safari Berlin: The Wall Ride Reviewed by

Whow....amazing guide and learnt so much

Every step of this tour is a learning moment with moments of the satirical and moments for tears. Sarah our guide was so generous with her knowledge, her passion to share this tragic part of history and with other aspects of Berlin life. Sarah thank you I have taken so much away with me...and am reading more and more. An enlightening roller coaster of a tour

Red Berlin: Secrets of the Communist Capital Reviewed by

Good way to get around and get a base feel for Berlin

We managed to get through both tours A and B on the one day so we could figure out where to focus on the next day as we had a 48 hr ticket. The buses were good but the constant stopping for breaks (usually smoke breaks by drivers) was annoying. The commentary was only so so and didn’t often match up to where we were. What was good was the frequency.

Berlin Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour: 24 or 48-Hour Ticket Reviewed by

Easy way to see main landmarks if you have time constraint

I had only 1 day in Berlin and in addition to that some mobility constraints due to my health issues. Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour is the easiest way to see the most interesting parts of the city. The tour was accompanied with live comments in English and German. I would recommend it to everyone who wants to see the city but has some time limitations.

Berlin Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour: 24 or 48-Hour Ticket Reviewed by

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