Queer Berlin Tour: Birthplace of LGTBQ Movements
Overview
Available languages
3 hours
Mobile ticket
Berlin may rightly be called the birthplace of today’s LGBTQ+ movements. Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, pioneer of the modern Gay Rights Movement, distributed his essays on male-male love as early as 1862. He cleared the path for the world’s first gay magazine, Der Eigene (The Self-Owning), which came out of Berlin in 1897. No wonder that, by the 1920s, a liberal attitude made interwar Weimar Berlin an international magnet for creative individuals, including W.H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood, who authored the novel, Goodbye to Berlin (on which the musical Cabaret is based). In such an dynamic atmosphere, the Institute for Sexual Science was founded by Magnus Hirschfeld, who initiated the first campaign to abolish the legal persecution of homosexuals. This 3-house tour takes you to sites that illuminate Berlin’s many queer trailblazers, while you stroll through Schöneberg, discovering the world’s first gay ghetto.
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Schoneberg
Explore the world's first gay ghetto, Schoneberg, a neighborhood that featured legendary lesbian bars, you'll see Christopher Isherwood's former flat and learn how his Weimar-era adventures inspired the musical Cabaret. Passing by nightclubs he frequented, we'll see a rent-boy dive that remains gay-run to this day. Outside the infamous El Dorado Cabaret, we'll learn of notable regulars like Ernst Rohm, the openly gay head of the Sturmabteilung (aka, the Nazi Brown Shirts). While discovering sites connected to the post-WWII rebirth of Schoneberg as the gay-heart of the city, we pay particular homage to the city's most iconic nightclub of the 70s, Chez Romy Haag.
Unter Den Linden
On the historic boulevard Unter den Linden, you will meet early gay Berliners such as the Prussian King Frederick the great and explorer Alexander von Humboldt and find out how they disguised their sexuality.
What‘s Included
Expert Licensed Guide
Metro tickets - 24 hour ticket - 10 EUR
Options
Queer Berlin Tour: Birthplace of LGTBQ Movements
Reviews
12 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Excellent tour
236laurazz,,Dec 12, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Excellent tour with the funny, smart and entertaining Dan. We learned a lot and enjoyed it all. We appreciate the detailed stories that Dan presented about queer life in Berlin.
Super informative!
awctan,,Nov 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We booked this tour to learn more about queer history in Berlin and Justin was an amazing font of knowledge! It felt super comfortable and exactly like we were on a stroll with a friend... We learnt so much and are very pleased we chose this tour!
Amazing tour great people wonderful curator yes please go again
E848OBdanielg,,Sep 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00it was a really beautiful experience, as a history nerd I learned so much about the history of queer berlin and its various chapters. our tour guide justin was also so knowledgeable!!! I would recommend it to anyone interested in these subjects
Best Queer Tour I ever had!
justinp19,,Sep 18, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide was so knowable and really was deeply studied in queer history and lived in Berlin as a queer person so it was full of life stories too. It was really great because it is was not just the queer neighborhoods but also some of biggest sites in Berlin which we wanted to see and the old former East Berlin, it covered so much Berlin history and what makes the city great today.
Incredible tour and information!
gerilynnc2025,,Sep 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had an incredible experience on Justin’s LGBTQ+ history walking tour in Berlin. He was extremely knowledgeable and shared such a rich, engaging overview of the city’s queer history. Justin was professional yet approachable, with a great sense of humor that kept the tour lively and interesting. We also appreciated that he followed up afterward with answers to our questions and extra resources to explore further. His passion and expertise really came through, and this tour was truly a highlight of our trip. Highly recommend to anyone visiting Berlin!
Great Tour in Berlin, not touristic and focus on early queer culture developing in the town.
Fred B,,Sep 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The guide is very educated and showed vast knowledge. I am happy to learn so much more about our own history! Would join again even with my parents.
Fabulous tour ! Don’t miss!
851DavidK,,Jul 26, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The tour was great. Very interesting. Very informative about Berlin during the 20’s and 30’s and saw so many things. Dan, the tour guide, really knew so much and made a great presentation
Uncover a different side of Berlin - a great time!
carlyinatunnel,,Jul 10, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very knowledgeable and fun guide, learnt so much about the culture of Berlin through the lens of queer history. Go on this tour, you won't regret it!
A witty and personal tour of LGBTQ Berlin for cinema + music lovers or anyone who wants to have fun in good company!
P1077LUkatiev,,May 13, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A witty and personal tour of LGBTQ Berlin, interweaving the lives and frequented locales of figures like Christopher Isherwood, Marlene Dietrich, Magnus Hirschfeld, Jean Ross, David Bowie, Romy Haag and many others. In this personal tour, Amidst architectural gems, Dan shares his own anecdotes as a Berliner of over 20 years, infusing the tour with the sights, sounds, and cinematic references of the 1930’s-90’s. Highly recommended! I loved this tour and so enjoyed meeting everyone who joined as well.
3 hour tour went by too fast
C1579EMisabelb,,May 6, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00i learned so much of Berlin that i didn‘t know before! Dan is a charming tourguide because he has a lot of knowledge of the history of gay berlin and also adds personal touches by telling personal stories. he gives interesting details without sounding like a teacher (the storys about bowie and marlene dietrich were my favorite part!) i also enjoyed that he added a soundtrack to the highlights of the tour by playing songs on his phone while taking us to the various places. the 3 hours flew by way too fast. i would highly recommend this tour.
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