Bowie's Berlin Tour: Cold War Music Inspiration

Explore how the Cold War influenced David Bowie’s iconic Berlin albums on a 3-hour guided tour. Follow in the footsteps of Bowie and discover the historical sites that inspired his music.

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

When David Bowie moved to Berlin in 1976, he found an island of Cold War angst, “cut off from its world, art and culture, dying with no hope of retribution.” This tour takes you back to the decadent 1970’s city that inspired Bowie’s classic Berlin albums Low, Heroes and Lodger. Starting at Cold War West Berlin’s decadent heart, Zoo Station, we follow…

What's Included
  • Tour guide expertise provided by historian, professor, doctoral student, journalist, or published author
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Transportation to/from attractions: You will need to use public transport a few times, since the distances between some key sites would be too far to walk. If you will not have a few days visitor’s transit pass to Berlin already, we suggest that you purchase the day metro pass. If you cannot purchase it in advance, your guide will help you purchase it at the first metro station on the tour
Additional Information

Uncover how the Cold War era of the 1970s instigated the creation of Bowie’s renowned Berlin records. Embark on a 3-hour journey around Berlin, a city Bowie referred to as “isolated from its world, art and culture, perishing with no chance of recompense,” guided by an expert. Trace Bowie’s footsteps to the building he lived in with Iggy Pop, and saunter…

Location
Schiffbauerdamm 8
Schiffbauerdamm
Please meet your guide in front of Ständige Vertretung, a memorabilia-filled cafe. Schiffbauerdamm 8, 10117 Berlin.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(135 Ratings)
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Eva_d
Sep 20, 2025
Interesting and... - Interesting and informative walking and transit tour by Lee. Lee has a deep knowledge of Berlin history and music and was filled with Bowie info. Really enjoyable for both die hard and novice Bowie fan. So interesting to learn how the changes that Berlin was going through formed his musical inspiration.
Review provided by Viator
Tracy_n
Aug 22, 2025
Amazing! - Fantastic tour for David Bowie fans and even non-Bowie fans alike! Dan was very knowledgeable and took us around places that we weren’t expecting, ending up near where Bowie lived and his favourite bar. We travelled on foot, metro and bus seeing lots of interesting places around Berlin.
Review provided by Viator
Brendalee_a
Aug 19, 2025
Excellent Bowie walking tour with Dan - Excellent walking tour with Dan. We learned a lot about Bowie’s life and music in Berlin; Dan is very knowledgeable; he shared facts and trivia, and used music and photos at various sites. This was a fun and very interesting tour, and it gave us another perspective on Berlin’s music and culture in the 1970s. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Lisat1725
Aug 14, 2025
Great for Bowie enthusiasts! - We booked, as both of us are big Bowie fans. It was a fantastic tour, Dan was extremely knowledgeable and engaging. It was a healthy mix of Berlin’s and Bowie’s history. Would recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Quentin_l
Aug 9, 2025
Scholarly and sensitive visit! - Beautiful walk rich in history and told with great sensitivity! To do and recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Anitagv596ak
Aug 5, 2025
David Bowie guided tour in Berlin - Martin, our tour guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. It was good to get a sense of what it was like living in Berlin in the 70s, walking through the different areas.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
13blane2016
Jul 31, 2025
Time well spent - highly recommended - Highly informative not just about Bowie but on the history of Berlin in general. Rachel was engaging and knowledgeable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Heather
Jul 13, 2025
Fun and educational, highly recommend - I visited Berlin with my family of four, including our two teenage boys, and did the David Bowie walking tour with Lee. He was entertaining, super knowledgeable about David Bowie and Iggy Pop and the history of Berlin in the late seventies and eighties, and even shared his first-hand experience from living in Berlin when the wall came down. Lee did a great job painting us a picture of Berlin through Bowie’s lens and gave us a new appreciation of his influence beyond the music. This was an awesome tour and unique perspective (a nice balance to churches and castles) and a definite highlight of our trip to Germany.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nicola
Jul 1, 2025
A must do for anyone with an interest in pop & rock culture. - Very informative and entertaining tour without too much walking. All of the main sights of interest were covered as well as some interesting facts about Berlin and Bowies German influences.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cynthiaa_n
Jun 28, 2025
We’ve always enjoyed... - We’ve always enjoyed David Bowie’s music so it was great to see some of his Berlin’s influences. We saw some interesting Berlin history and loved listening to the music as we walked.
Review provided by Viator
From $122
up to 8 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).