German Language Trips to Berlin | Educational Trips from Rayburn Tours

Language Highlight:
Insider Walking Tour of Berlin

This 3-hour tour led by humorous and informative guides is a great introduction to Berlin, allowing your students to see some of the city's most famous landmarks including the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. A highly recommended excursion for any school group visiting Berlin, it is an essential introduction to the language, culture and history of the city.

Berlin Wall

No trip to Berlin would be complete without a visit to see the remains of the Berlin Wall at both Potsdamer Platz and the East Side Gallery. After the collapse of the wall in 1989, artists came from all over the world to paint murals on the section of the wall now known as the East Side Gallery and, having recently been restored, this open-air art exhibition is an impressive visual reminder of the former division between East and West Germany.

Story of Berlin Museum

The multimedia format of this museum allows visitors to see, hear and smell 800 years of the city's history in less than two hours and will give your students a great chance to use their German in an interactive environment. The highlight of the museum is the underground nuclear bunker, which was built in the 1970s to protect residents against the effects of a potential nuclear attack.

Sanssouci Palace, Potsdam

Frederick the Great's summer residence is a UNESCO World Heritage site and visitors can enjoy a relaxing and picturesque guided tour of the entire estate. Take a moment to reflect on the vineyard terraces and marvel at the elegance of this grand palace.

The Reichstag

Completed in 1894, this building was badly damaged by fire in 1933 before being completely destroyed in World War II. After being rebuilt, the Reichstag became the focal point of reunification celebrations in 1990, with the German Parliament taking seat here again from the 4th November that same year. The London architect, Sir Norman Foster, has since redesigned part of the building, creating a glass dome and a roof terrace, both of which can be visited on a guided educational tour.

Charlottenburg Palace

Surrounded by baroque gardens, this magnificent palace presents majestic rooms and saloons containing world class art collections. Both artistically and historically impressive, the palace is a living testimonial of courtly culture and life from baroque times until the early 20th century.

Olympic Stadium

Having recently undergone an extensive renovation, groups can explore the exhibition which charts the planning and building of the stadium for the 1936 Olympic Games and the development of the stadium in post-war Berlin. The architecture here is characteristic of that of the Third Reich and, now, the stadium is an impressive athletics venue and host to major concerts and events.

TV Tower ‘Fernsehturm’

This 365m high television tower is Berlin’s tallest structure. It contains a viewing tower and café with splendid views of the city by day or night.

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

We highly recommend a visit to this moving Holocaust memorial site. It is not only one of the most fascinating architectural projects ever designed but it is also home to a hidden, underground Information Centre. Exhibitions focus on the personal experiences of Jewish families and lighting, temperature and sound effects create an incredibly powerful atmosphere.

Checkpoint Charlie

The Haus am Checkpoint Charlie museum is located a few metres from where the legendary checkpoint stood. The exhibitions cover the history of the Berlin Wall and demonstrate how people were smuggled across the border. Visitors can also view a film about the Cold War era and the Third Reich.

Berlin Zoo

The world’s largest number of species are housed here, in Germany’s oldest zoo. Feeding time is one of the main attractions, along with the predator house, the hippopotamus aquarium and tropical monkey house.

DID Institut, Berlin

DID Deutsch-Institut was established in 1970 and has been offering language instruction to school groups, adults and businesses ever since. The institute was awarded the Language Travel Magazine Star Award in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012 having been voted for by thousands of travel agencies worldwide. Today, they have 4 schools across Germany and we work closely with those located in Berlin and Munich. The teachers, who are all native speakers, will plan the programme around your specific wishes, allowing for a combination of lessons in and outside the classroom suitable for the varying abilities of your students.

Location – 10 minutes nearest U-Bahn station.
Lesson duration -typically 45 minute sessions.
Maximum class size - 15 students.

LOtC Activities

• Tour of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews with pre and post-visit discussion.
• Trip to Checkpoint Charlie.
• Guided visit to the Pergamon Art Museum.
• Boat trip along the River Spree with German commentary.

All of our tours are bespoke, therefore the itinerary below is simply an example; the duration, educational visits, leisure excursions and accommodation centre used will be selected to match the requirements of your group. Please contact us to discuss your bespoke itinerary.

Day 1

Early morning departure by coach for Berlin, arriving at your accommodation centre in time for an evening meal.

Day 2

After breakfast, travel to the Berlin language school for morning tuition which can focus on travel and tourism vocabulary. After a spot of lunch by the Brandenburg Gate, take the Insider Walking Tour of the city. After returning to the hostel for dinner, head back out to the bustling Alexanderplatz for a trip up the TV Tower with spectacular views of the metropolis below.

Day 3

Tuition on your final morning at the Berlin language school forms a discussion of where you have been and what you have seen so far on the trip – great for practising those past tense forms! An afternoon visit to Sansoucci Palace and Potsdam is the perfect relaxing excursion before an evening trip to the Imax 3-D cinema.

Day 4

For your final excursion, why not go for a tour of the Olympic Stadium? This can be followed with some free time on Berlin’s famous shopping street, the Kurfürstendamm, before a mid-afternoon departure for the UK.

Day 5

Arrive back in UK

A&O Hostel Friedrichshain

This hostel is located in a spacious park and provides good access to public transport as it is situated close to the Ostkreuz S-Bahn station.

• Students accommodated in multi-bedded rooms with en suite facilities
• Restaurant and bar with a pool table, karaoke and table football
• Teachers’ lounge
• Garden, volleyball court and BBQ facilities