Berlin ★

May–September is the real season; the long grey winter dims the city's mood.

• Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag (free-booked dome)
• East Side Gallery — the longest Wall stretch
• Museum Island and the Pergamon
• Tiergarten and Berlin Zoo for families
• Ku'damm and KaDeWe for shopping

Mitte for first-time sightseeing, Charlottenburg around Ku'damm for families and shopping; halal is abundant (Kreuzberg, Neukölln, Wedding).

Berlin isn't 'pretty' in the classic sense — expect rawness and graffiti, not Vienna or Paris. Cash is still king at many restaurants, and every shop closes on Sundays.

Getting around: The BVG network (U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram, and bus) is dense and covers the sprawling city well; a single AB ticket for the inner city costs €4.00 (2026), the ABC ticket (needed for the airport) €5.00, and a short-trip Kurzstrecke ticket €2.80 — each valid for two hours with free line transfers. From BER Airport: the FEX express train reaches Hauptbahnhof in 23 minutes every 15 minutes, using the same ABC ticket with no surcharge. Uber/taxi from the airport to the city center runs roughly €50–70 (much higher at peak times).

Halal & prayer places: One of the densest halal scenes in Europe. Zabihah lists 382 verified halal restaurants and 59 prayer spaces across Berlin, with roughly 80 mosques and prayer rooms citywide. Kreuzberg alone has 50+ verified halal restaurants, and the heaviest concentration overall spans Kreuzberg, Neukölln, and Wedding — neighborhoods where a Gulf visitor can walk around with little concern about finding food.

Local safety: Same as country →

Cost figures: 2026 prices: casual meal €10–18, mid-range restaurant €20–35, single BVG inner-city ticket €4.00, Museum Island day pass (covers all its museums) €24 (reduced €12) — note the Pergamon Museum itself has been closed for renovation since 2023, with its temporary Das Panorama exhibit included on the same ticket.

3-4 days

Suggested plan:

1. Day 1: Brandenburg, Reichstag, Tiergarten
2. Day 2: Museum Island then East Side Gallery
3. Day 3: Charlottenburg and Ku'damm shopping
4. Day 4: The zoo or Potsdam