Want to do something different and interesting in Berlin? Check out this Berlin underground tour guide that gives you rich insights into Berlin's World War II history and how people survived in bunkers at that time.

Berlin Underground Tour: What To Expect?


Last Updated on October 8, 2024 by Soumya

On my recent trip to the German capital, I decided to take an underground tour of Berlin.

A Berlin Underground Tour with Berlin Unterwelten was one of the best things I have ever done in the city. This post is not sponsored, so you can be assured that I will give you my honest review here.

The underground tour gave me a totally different perspective of Berlin and how World War II affected its people and resources. It provided unique insights into what the people of Berlin actually went through during bombing raids.

Did they have enough space to huddle in? What about necessities like food, water, and toilets? Did they have enough air to breathe? Did the Third Reich keep up its promises? The tour will answer some of those questions.  

I hope you’ll find this post interesting and will try out this tour on your next trip to Berlin. If you love history and have been plagued by “WWII what ifs” (those are some big what ifs—mind you) quite often, then this Berlin Underground Tour is definitely for you.


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What are the Underground Tours of Berlin?

Air raid shelters in Berlin underground © Berliner Unterwelten e.V. / Holger Happel
Entrance to the air raid shelter at Gesundbrunnen Metro Station
© Berliner Unterwelten e.V. / Holger Happel

The Berlin Underworlds Association, or Berlin Unterwelten, organizes regular tours of Berlin’s underground world, including WWII bunkers and tunnels. These tours show how political, military, and economic decisions can affect the building of a city and help one imagine what could have been if!

The best thing about these underground tours is that they are rooted in research. Berlin Underworlds Association takes research very seriously, and much of it is documented on its website here.

I learned so much about Berlin during the underground tour. Our guide had to-the-point answers to all questions and supplemented them with facts and figures, which was really interesting.

What underground tours can you join in Berlin?

Replica of the entrance to ‘Tunnel 29’ on a scale of 1:1 © Berliner Unterwelten e.V. / Holger Happel
Pankstraße Civil Defence facility – Tour 3
© Berliner Unterwelten e.V. / Holger Happel

Berlin Unterwelten offers a variety of underground tours. You can choose one or do many of them. In fact, there was a couple in our group that does one tour every time they visit Berlin.

Here’s a list of the underground tours available in Berlin.

  • Tour 1 – Dark Worlds – This is the one I did
  • Tour 2 – From the Flak Tower to the Ruble Mountain
  • Tour 3 – Bunker, Subway, Cold War
  • Tour A – The AEG Tunnel
  • Tour D – Tunnel and Bunker Dresdener Strasse
  • Tour F – Fichtebunker Historical Repository
  • Tour M – Underground to Freedom
  • Tour O – Teichstrasse Operations Bunker

As you can see, there are eight underground tours to choose from. You can find details on them here. Note that not all tours are available in English, but the popular ones like tours 1, 2, 3, D, F, and M are. You can filter the tours by your preferred language and then book the one you like.

Berlin Unterwelten also have a ton of special tours going on but they are primarily in German.

Since this was my first time exploring underground Berlin, I went with Tour 1: Dark Worlds, which looked good for a beginner like me. Dark Worlds is also their most popular tour since it is budget-friendly.

What to expect on a Berlin Undergound Tour?

On a Berlin underground tour, expect to get under the city’s surface and explore the darkest period in Berlin’s history.

These tours may not be suitable for everyone, especially young children. So, use your discretion to decide if you want to go on them.

I went on Tour 1: Dark Worlds and discovered much about Berlin’s hidden bunkers and tunnels. We started the tour at the Gesundbrunnen Metro Station, where our guide led us past a green door (that usually remains shut) to a labyrinth of rooms used as air raid shelters during World War II.

Women's lavatory at at the air-raid shelter at Gesundbrunnen metro station © Berliner Unterwelten e.V. / Holger Happel
Women’s lavatory at the air-raid shelter at Gesundbrunnen metro station in Berlin.
© Berliner Unterwelten e.V. / Holger Happel

During the tour, we saw about 8-10 rooms, including a ladies’ toilet. I hadn’t even considered this aspect—people who spent days inside the bunkers had to relieve themselves somewhere! So, it was imperative to have toilets. Don’t expect luxury WCs. These basic pots got really stinky when the people were underground for several days.

A few rooms displayed used weapons, war scrap, images, and maps. They are part of the Berlin Underground Museum.

Our guide also explained that Berlin once had many underground breweries, the evidence of which can still be seen in a bunker here.

He also demonstrated how Berlin’s pneumatic post system worked, which was quite interesting. Have you seen pneumatic posts in real life? They are still used a lot in hospitals to transfer medicines.

Our guide pointed out the use of fluorescent green lines on the bunker walls to guide people to toilets and pantries when there was no light.

These bunkers were designed to hold 20-30 people standing at a time. As the war dragged on and hiding places became scarcer, these bunkers started accommodating 70-80 people at one time. Even the thought of that is pretty scary because space, food, and even fresh air were in short supply!

A room with fluorescent paint at Air-raid shelter at Gesundbrunnen metro station © Berliner Unterwelten e.V. / Holger Happel
A room with fluorescent paint at the air-raid shelter at Gesundbrunnen metro station.
© Berliner Unterwelten e.V. / Holger Happel

Practical Information for Booking a Berlin Underground Tour

How to book a Berlin Underground Tour?

You can book an underground tour on the Berlin Unterwelten website here. Before making the payment, be sure to select the tour in your preferred language.

Tours sell out quickly, so it is smart to book your tour as soon as you know your travel dates.

However, remember that you can only book a tour up to 30 days in advance.

How much does an Underground Tour in Berlin cost?

Underground Berlin tour prices can vary from 15-25€ per person per tour. The Dark Worlds tour was priced at 16€ when I took it.

Honestly, they are very good value for money, and the knowledge you gain on these tours is immense.

Flak bunker ruins on Tour 2  © Berliner Unterwelten e.V. / Holger Happel
Flak bunker ruins that you get to see on Tour 2.
© Berliner Unterwelten e.V. / Holger Happel

Can you take kids on a Berlin Underground Tour?

Young kids (under the age of 7) are not allowed on Berlin underground tours. The minimum age for some tours is 18 years. Read the age requirements for different tours here.

The association lets parents decide for kids between 7 and 13 years. I took my 11-year-old son—he is geeky and has been reading up on WWII for a while now. Yet, I think a few instances were uncomfortable for him, though he assured me they were not. I am a paranoid mom, hahaha.

What to know on the day of your Berlin Underground Tour?

Berlin Underground Office near the Gesundbrunnen Metro Station
Berlin Underground Office near the Gesundbrunnen Metro Station

Since a Berlin Underground Tour is not your regular walking tour of the city, there are a few things that you need to be aware of as you get ready for your tour.

  • Berlin Unterwelten’s underground tours begin outside the Gesundbrunnen Metro Station (Google Maps). If you have any questions, there is a Berlin Unterwelten office right there.

  • Photography and videography are not allowed on the tours run by Berlin Unterwelten. That’s why I have no pictures from this tour and am using copyrighted images from the Berlin Unterwelten team. However, if you want to be a little proactive and get photos for your articles/videos on Berlin Underground, you can raise a filming request on their website here.

  • The tour lasts approximately 1.5 hours and involves walking and climbing stairs. Be sure to put on your best walking shoes.

  • For most of the tour, you’ll be under the Berlin streets. The bunkers are lighted but may trigger claustrophobia in some people. In such a case, Berlin Unterwelten volunteers will assist you outside. Our guide told us that we were only 90 seconds away from the closest exit at any point during the tour. So, don’t forget to ask for help.

  • You will not be able to use your phone throughout the tour. There’s no network under the streets, anyway. So an hour and a half of zero connectivity with the rest of the world.  

Soumya is an acclaimed travel writer who has traveled to 30+ countries and lived in 8 while pursuing her passion for history and culture. Her writings have been published in BBC Travel, Architectural Digest, National Herald, and many more. She loves exploring world heritage sites and has a deep affinity for everything ancient, especially the lost civilizations of Mesoamerica!

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