Berlin WelcomeCard

Berlin's official visitor ticket, from the city's tourism office

The Berlin WelcomeCard is a tourist ticket for Berlin, Germany, that combines a public transport pass with discounts at attractions, museums, restaurants and shops. The site calls it "Berlins offizielles Touristenticket" (Berlin's official tourist ticket), and the footer states it is a product of Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH, the company behind visitBerlin, which backs up the "official" label. It does not run tours or attractions; it gives discounted or free entry to venues run by others and works as a ticket on the BVG and S-Bahn network. It covers Berlin itself, with an optional wider fare zone that reaches BER airport, Potsdam and Oranienburg. The site says the card has been sold "über 15 Mio mal" (more than 15 million times) and is available in German, English, Spanish, French and Italian. Prices are in euros.

The card variants

The comparison table sets out the main versions side by side. The classic Berlin WelcomeCard, "Der Klassiker", starts at 28,50 € and includes public transport across Berlin's AB fare zone plus "170+ Rabatte", discounts at more than 170 attractions. The Berlin WelcomeCard Museumsinsel starts at 62,00 €, is listed as valid for 72 hours, and adds free entry to the Bode Museum, Neues Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Altes Museum and Pergamonmuseum - Das Panorama on Museum Island. The Berlin WelcomeCard all inclusive starts at 99,00 € and swaps the discounts for "25+ freier Eintritt inklusive" (25+ free entries) and a hop-on hop-off bus, described as "Ideal für Berlin-Begeisterte, die sich keine Gedanken machen wollen", ideal for Berlin fans who do not want to think about it.

The ABC fare zone is an optional upgrade on each card. The table also shows an option without a transport ticket ("Ohne Fahrschein") for 72 hours or 6 days, and a newer Berlin WelcomeCard BASIC is pitched at visitors who already hold a public transport ticket.

Discounts and what they cover

The homepage says the card saves "zwischen 25% und 50%" at the most popular sights and features partners at 25% off, including the Deutsches Spionagemuseum (German Spy Museum), the Berlin City Circle Sightseeing hop-on hop-off bus, the Fernsehturm with its revolving restaurant and viewing platform, and Madame Tussauds Berlin. The tours page adds that cardholders get free or reduced entry "bei kürzeren Wartezeiten", with shorter waits, at many partners, and it names the DDR Museum, the Berlin Wall Memorial and Schloss Charlottenburg among the sights on its suggested routes. The full partner list sits under the Rabattpartner menu and in the app.

Suggested tours

The site groups its partners into 6 self-guided theme tours: Berlin Indoor for rainy days, Berlin ist grün for parks and gardens, Berlin mit Kindern with Madame Tussauds and the Berlin Dungeon, Berliner Highlights auf einen Blick for the main sights in one day, Berliner Mauer & geteilte Stadt on the divided city, and Unterwegs in Potsdam for the palaces and parks of the UNESCO World Heritage site. The tours page also mentions a route through Mitte and Kreuzberg by kick scooter and a City West route. These are suggestions for using the card, not guided tours.

The homepage and tours page also double as a short city guide. They suggest starting at the Fernsehturm on Alexanderplatz, which the site calls the tallest structure in Germany, then the Hackesche Höfe, 8 linked courtyards of shops, galleries and clubs, Checkpoint Charlie on Friedrichstraße, and the East Side Gallery, described as a 1.3 km stretch of the Wall along the Spree with more than 100 murals. The tours page counts "über 175 Museen" in the city and points to the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag building and the Tiergarten. A customer quote on the homepage, from a visitor from Dortmund, recommends the Museumsinsel version to history fans on a short stay; it is the company's chosen testimonial.

How the card works

Validity is chosen at purchase: the homepage lists 48 hours, 72 hours, 4 days, 5 days or 6 days, and the transport part runs "ab Entwertung", from validation. The site puts it simply: "Ein Mal entwerten und für den gesamten Zeitraum nutzen", validate once and use it for the whole period. The transport covers U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram, bus and BVG ferries. On children, the homepage says each ticket lets up to 3 children aged 6 to 14 ride free with an adult, and the tours page says they also get reduced entry at many sights.

The card can be bought online and printed ("Online Buchen und ausdrucken") or bought at sales points listed under Verkaufsstellen. A free Berlin WelcomeCard app for iOS and Android shows all partners and discounts and offers recommendations. A ticket configurator on the site helps choose between the variants. The footer has a separate section for business customers, a newsletter and a feedback form, and the site runs a survey for visitors with a prize draw.

What it leaves open, and who it suits

The homepage and comparison pages do not publish a cancellation or refund policy; the footer links to the AGB (terms and conditions), which are worth reading before buying, and to a contact page for questions. The discount percentage for most of the 170+ partners is only visible in the partner list or the app, so estimating savings means checking the venues planned. The site does not say which attractions need a time slot booked ahead. The site itself offers accessibility tools, including easy-language and sign-language versions and a way to report barriers, but it does not describe step-free access at partner venues.

The card suits first-time visitors who will ride public transport daily and plan to visit several paid sights, and families, since up to 3 children ride free. The Museumsinsel version is the natural choice for a culture-heavy trip centered on Museum Island, while the all inclusive version fits visitors who want many entries and a sightseeing bus without comparing discounts. Visitors who walk everywhere or who already have a transport ticket will get more from the BASIC card or from single tickets. Because the card comes from the city's own tourism company, the partner list and app are also a practical way to find out what is open and discounted during a stay.