Germany's capital: the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag's glass dome, Nefertiti on Museum Island, what is left of the Berlin Wall, Sanssouci Palace. For history, museums, nightlife and street food; most museums are free for children. MIAT flies Ulaanbaatar–Frankfurt non-stop, then it is ~4 h 20 min to Berlin by ICE train. Mongolian citizens need a Schengen visa.
🛂 Visa: Visa required · 90 days✈ Flight: 14h☀ Best months: May, June, July, August
#history#museums#the Wall#nightlife#street food#Schengen visa
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: May, June, July, August, September.
Things to see (12)
🧸 for kids
Brandenburg Gate and Tiergarten
CityFree24 hours
The 18th-century gate that became the symbol of German unity, at the start of Unter den Linden. Behind it lies Tiergarten, the huge central park — walk or cycle to the Victory Column.
The glass dome on top of the Bundestag: walk up the spiral ramp for views over the whole city, with a free audio guide. Register your name and date of birth on bundestag.de and bring your passport.
Travel guide
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goStarting the Schengen visa early matters most: VFS appointments fill up and a decision takes weeks.+
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Schengen visa: German Embassy, VFS Global
Mongolian citizens need a Schengen short-stay (C) visa. Fill in the form online in VIDEX, book a VFS Global appointment and go in person to the embassy premises to give fingerprints. Fee €90 (ages 6–11 €45, under 6 free) plus a 100,000₮ VFS service fee. Apply between 6 months and 4 weeks before travel; processing takes at least 15 days. If Germany is your main destination, apply to Germany.
Tip: Buy the ticket after the visa is issued, or attach a refundable booking.
Medical insurance valid in all Schengen states with cover of at least €30,000 is mandatory. Attach a return ticket, hotel bookings, bank statements and an employment letter — incomplete applications are usually refused. Your passport must be valid for more than 3 months after you leave.
Instead of passport stamps, Europe's EES system now records your fingerprints and face at the border (in Germany since 12 October 2025). The first entry may take longer at passport control. ETIAS is for visa-exempt travellers, so it does not apply to Mongolians with a Schengen visa.
🛬Landing and getting to the cityLand in Frankfurt with MIAT and take the train to Berlin; via Istanbul or other hubs you land directly at BER.+
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From Frankfurt by ICE train
A direct ICE from Frankfurt Airport's long-distance station (Fernbahnhof) reaches Berlin Hauptbahnhof in ~4 h 20 min. Book in the DB Navigator app or on bahn.de in advance for cheap 'Sparpreis' fares; a Lufthansa flight takes ~1 h 10 min.
Tip: Frankfurt is your Schengen entry point, so passport control happens there — leave 2–3 hours before your ICE.
The Airport Express (FEX) runs from BER to Potsdamer Platz and Hauptbahnhof in ~23 minutes. You need an ABC single ticket at €5.00 — an AB ticket is not valid and the fine is €60. Buy it from the machine or in the BVG app.
If your phone supports eSIM, buy and install a travel eSIM from Airalo, Holafly or similar before you leave: unlike a German SIM it needs no passport verification and works as soon as you land in Frankfurt. Pick a Europe-wide plan and it works in the next country too.
Tip: Download Berlin in Google Maps and German in Google Translate for offline use.
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German prepaid SIM
German law requires Telekom, Vodafone and O2 prepaid SIMs to be verified with your passport — in store or by video ident in the app. You enter your hotel address. Worth it for a long stay or if you need a German number; for a short trip an eSIM is enough.
🚇Getting aroundU-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses all share one ticket. There are no gates but frequent inspections — no ticket means a fine.+
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Tickets and zones
Within the city you need zone AB: a single ticket is €4.00 (2 hours, one direction), a short trip €2.80, a 24-hour ticket from €11.20. Potsdam and BER airport are in zone C — buy ABC. Validate paper tickets in the machine before boarding; app tickets are valid at once.
A monthly ticket for unlimited local transport and regional trains across Germany for €63 (since January 2026). It is a subscription, so remember to cancel before the end of the month; not valid on ICE trains.
The WelcomeCard (48 hours to 6 days) bundles public transport with museum and tour discounts; worth checking if you will see a lot. Berlin is flat with plenty of bike lanes: rent bikes and scooters by app. When walking, stay off the red bike lanes.
💳Money and taxes+
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Card or cash
Most shops and restaurants now take cards, but cash is still common in Germany: small cafés, döner shops, markets and bars sometimes take cash only. Withdraw euros from bank ATMs (Sparkasse, Deutsche Bank); tourist ATMs such as Euronet charge high fees.
Tip: If the ATM offers to charge you in tögrög, say no — choose euros.
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City accommodation tax
Since 1 January 2025 Berlin's accommodation tax is 7.5% of the net room price. It may not be included in your booking and is charged separately at the hotel.
Non-EU visitors who spend more than €50.01 on one receipt in one shop can reclaim the 19% VAT. Ask the shop for a Tax Free form, get it stamped by customs at the airport where you leave the EU, then collect the refund.
🍜FoodBerlin eats multicultural: Turkish, Vietnamese and Arab food is cheap and good, and German classics are easy to find.+
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What to eat
Döner kebab — said to have been invented in Berlin; currywurst — sausage with curry sauce; schnitzel and Eisbein (pork knuckle); Turkish, Lebanese and Vietnamese food in Kreuzberg and Neukölln. With children, pizza, Vietnamese pho, fresh bakery bread and pretzels are everywhere.
Tip: In restaurants it is customary to round the bill up by 5–10% as a tip.
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Markets and groceries
Markthalle Neun (Kreuzberg) — local produce, with street food on Thursday evenings. Buy cheap groceries at Lidl, Aldi, Rewe and Edeka. Most shops close on Sundays — only station shops and 'Späti' corner shops stay open.
From late November to late December, Christmas markets fill Charlottenburg Palace, Gendarmenmarkt, Alexanderplatz and more: hot Glühwein, roasted almonds, gingerbread, and rides for children. Crowds are big, so mind your pockets.
Police 110, ambulance and fire 112 — free, 24 hours; 112 answers in English. For non-emergency illness (fever, flu) call the out-of-hours doctor service on 116117.
Pickpockets work Alexanderplatz, Warschauer Straße, Hauptbahnhof, crowded U-Bahn trains and Christmas markets. Don't leave your phone on the table and carry your bag in front. Avoid 'petition' signers and shell games. At night avoid walking alone around Görlitzer Park and Kottbusser Tor.
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Hospitals and the Mongolian Embassy
Charité university hospital has emergency departments on several campuses. A pharmacy is an 'Apotheke'; a duty pharmacy is open at night. If you lose your passport, report it to the police and contact the Embassy of Mongolia in Berlin.
Be quiet and respectful at the Holocaust Memorial and the Berlin Wall Memorial: no climbing on the slabs or jokey selfies. Showing Nazi symbols or salutes, even as a joke, is a crime in Germany.
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Noise and Sundays
Germans respect rules and quiet: no noise in apartments on Sundays or late at night. Don't cross on a red light (especially in front of children). Sort your rubbish; bottles carry a deposit (Pfand) — return plastic and glass bottles to the machine in a supermarket for cash.
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Everyday contact
Say 'Hallo' or 'Guten Tag' entering a shop or restaurant and 'Tschüss' when leaving. Germans are direct — don't take it as rudeness. In restaurants you pay at the table and say the total including the tip.
📱Useful apps+
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Transport
BVG app — Berlin routes and phone tickets. DB Navigator — the ICE from Frankfurt, regional trains to Potsdam and delay information. Google Maps works very well in the city.
Google Translate's camera mode translates German menus and signs on the spot. The visitBerlin site covers museums, events, Christmas markets and the Welcome Card. Register for the Reichstag dome on bundestag.de.
The ICE from Berlin to Frankfurt Airport takes ~4 h 20 min and German trains are often late — plan an hour of buffer on top of being at the airport 3 hours before the MIAT flight, or stay the night before in Frankfurt. Allow time for the EES exit check and the customs stamp for your VAT refund.
Leave the Schengen area no later than the date on your visa — EES records your exit day automatically, and an overstay will hurt your next application. Carry Tax Free goods unopened in your hand luggage and show them to customs before check-in.
Culture€14 (free under 18)Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, Thu until 20:00; closed Mondays
The Egyptian collection on Museum Island: the 3,300-year-old bust of Queen Nefertiti, mummies, Troy. The Pergamon Museum is under renovation and partly reopens in June 2027.
CultureFreeOpen-air exhibition daily 8:00–22:00; visitor centre Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00
An intact stretch of the Wall with the 'death strip', a watchtower and the stories of people who tried to escape. The viewing platform shows how the city was split — start your Berlin history here.
A 1.3 km stretch of the Wall along the Spree with over 100 murals by artists from around the world — including 'the Fraternal Kiss'. Walk from Warschauer Straße station and cross the Oberbaum Bridge into Kreuzberg.
CultureFreeField 24 hours; information centre Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00
A field of 2,711 concrete slabs by the Brandenburg Gate, with a Holocaust exhibition underneath. A place for respect — no climbing or running on the slabs.
The 368 m tower on Alexanderplatz with an observation deck and revolving restaurant at 203 m. Timed tickets bought online mean a short queue; sunset is best.
Culture€12; charlottenburg+ €19, family €45Tue–Sun 10:00–17:30 (Nov–Dec 16:30); closed Mondays
Berlin's largest Prussian palace (1700): baroque state rooms, the Porcelain Cabinet and a big riverside garden behind. The garden is free and good for a family stroll.
Culture€14; sanssouci+ €22, family €49Tue–Sun 10:00–17:30 (Nov–Dec 16:30); closed Mondays
Frederick the Great's summer palace and terraced vineyard garden — UNESCO. Reach it from Berlin by S-Bahn or regional train on an ABC ticket; entry is by timed ticket, so book ahead. A full-day trip.
KidsFrom €16 online / €25 at the gate (ages 4–15 €7.50 / €12.50); with aquarium from €24Daily from 9:00 (closing time varies by season)
One of the world's most species-rich zoos: pandas, elephants, hippos, apes. The aquarium next door is the rainy-day option. Booking online early is cheaper.
FoodFree entry (food €5–15)Closed Sundays; Street Food Thursday in the evening
A 19th-century market hall: local cheese, bread and international street food. All over Kreuzberg, döner kebab, currywurst, Turkish and Vietnamese food are cheap and good.
City€26.90 (ages 6–14 €14.50, under 6 free)Late March to December, many departures a day
A one-hour trip from Friedrichstraße past Museum Island, the Bundestag and the Chancellery, with English commentary. A rest for tired feet that children enjoy.
