Travel itinerary · May 2026

Berlin

Friday 1 – Sunday 3 May
Travellers
2 adults · vegetarian
Outbound
Fri · easyJet EJU5262
CPH 07:45 → BER 08:50
Return
Sun · Norwegian D8 3305
BER 22:40 → CPH 23:40
Base
Schoenhouse · Lottumstraße 28
10119 Berlin · Prenzlauer Berg
Pace
Relaxed · no early starts
Focus
Tango · art · markets · slow walks
01 · Overview

The shape of the weekend

What to know before you fly
May 1 is Tag der Arbeit. Most retail closed. Two demonstrations to be aware of: a peaceful DGB trade-union march at 11:30 from Strausberger Platz to Rotes Rathaus (could affect Alexanderplatz around 11:30–13:00), and the Revolutionary 1 May demo at 18:00 from Oranienplatz through Kreuzberg/Neukölln. Plus informal gatherings around Kottbusser Tor in Kreuzberg. We're staying north of the canal on Friday for that reason. Restaurants and cafés open as normal.
Boros Collection booked Sun 14:00. Sunday is built around this — the day flows from your apartment to Hauptbahnhof bag-drop, to Boros, to Helmut Newton, to dinner in Mitte, to FEX to BER.
Total budget
~€470
For two · excl. flights & hotel
Walking
8–12 km/day
Comfortable shoes essential
Weather forecast
20–28 °C
Sunny, warm · UV 5 · Sunday peaks ~28°C
Sunset
19:44
May 1 · daylight until ~20:30
02 · Luggage

Where the bags go

Both spots locked in — no calls needed
FRI
10:30–15:00

Radical Storage · Torstraße 98

10119 Berlin · Rosenthaler Platz (U8) · ~6-min walk from apartment

€5/bag/day · €10 total. Pre-book online at radicalstorage.com with a QR code. No size limits.

Drop on arrival from BER, retrieve at 15:00 on the way to apartment check-in. It's between you and where you'll be brunching anyway.

Pre-book €10
SUN
13:15–19:30

DB Gepäckschließfächer · Berlin Hauptbahnhof

2nd basement level · signposted "Schließfächer" · backup bank near platforms 13/14

Medium locker (24 × 42 × 76 cm) €6/24h · €12 total for two, or share one large for ~€10. Card or coin at the terminal. 24/7 access.

Drop after check-out, retrieve before FEX to BER. Boros is a 5-min walk from Hauptbahnhof — the locker is on your route both times.

Walk-up €12
Day 1 · Friday May 1

Arrival & first milonga

Tag der Arbeit · stay north of the canal
08:50
~10:15

BER → Radical Storage, Torstraße 98

Drop bags · 10119 Berlin · Rosenthaler Platz · ~1h25 door-to-door

Buy your ticket first. At the BER S-Bahn level (under Terminal 1–2), buy an ABC single ticket from a yellow BVG machine — €5.00 pp, one-way, ~2h validity including transfers. Covers airport zone C → city zone A.

Pick whichever train comes first:

  • FEX (Airport Express) — direct to Hauptbahnhof in 23 min, every 15 min. Then tram M5 to Hackescher Markt + 6-min walk.
  • S9 toward Spandau — to Alexanderplatz (~44 min), every 20 min. Transfer to U8 toward Wittenau, 2 stops to Rosenthaler Platz.

At Radical Storage: show the QR code from your booking, drop bags, leave in 5 min. Bags stay here all day — you'll collect them ~14:30 on the way to apartment check-in.

Pre-booked €10 storage + €10 transit
11:00
12:30

Brunch · Café Anna Blume

Kollwitzstraße 83 · ~25-min walk from Radical Storage, or M2 tram to Senefelderplatz + 10-min walk

Classic Prenzlauer Berg café — generous vegetarian breakfast, garden seating. The Anna Blume platter for two is the move (~€26).

Why this

A real local institution, not a tourist spot, vegetarian-natural, and the pace is slow.

Backup

If Anna Blume is full, walk to Kollwitzplatz market stalls (open Sat mornings — note: not Friday) or hop in to Bonanza Coffee on Oderberger Str 35 for pastries + flat white.

Vegetarian €26
12:30
14:30

Kastanienallee stroll + light shopping

Independent boutiques · drift toward Mauerpark

Walk Kastanienallee south. VEB Orange (Oderberger 29) for GDR-era design objects. Goldhahn & Sampson for kitchen design + cookbooks. Coffee at Bonanza Roastery (Oderberger Str 35) — best espresso for blocks.

Walk ~€10 coffee
14:30
15:00

Retrieve bags · check in

Radical Storage · then Schoenhouse, Lottumstraße 28

Walk back via Torstraße 98 to grab bags, then ~6 min north to the apartment for self check-in.

15:30
17:30

KW Institute for Contemporary Art

Auguststraße 69 · 12-min walk · €10 pp

Mid-sized contemporary space — the antidote to a long museum day. Conceptual + sharply curated. Hours typically 11:00–19:00.

Bonus: Auguststraße is gallery row. Window-shop Eigen+Art, Galerie Crone, Galerie Neu on the way back.

Art €20
17:30
19:30

Rest at the apartment

Shower · gather tango shoes · regroup.

19:30
21:00

Dinner · Chutnify

Sredzkistraße 43 · 12-min walk · +49 30 44010795

South Indian, dosa-focused. Reservation required for Friday evening.

Order: Pani Puri to start · one Masala Dosa + one Mysore Dosa to share · papadums · mango lassi or chili cocktail.

Reservation needed Vegetarian-strong €55–70
21:30
01:00

Friday milonga · Nou Tango "Die Freitags Milonga"

Chausseestraße 102, 10115 Berlin Mitte · Fri 21:00–03:00 · all levels

Recurring Friday weekly milonga in central Mitte. Singles and couples, all levels. ~25-min walk from your apartment, or tram M8 to Naturkundemuseum + 5-min walk.

Optional pre-dinner add

Strandbar Mitte open-air tango — Monbijoustraße 3, every Friday 17:00–21:00 in summer. Outdoor on the Spree across from Bodemuseum, donation entry €5+. Weather-dependent, but forecast supports it. 10-min walk from apartment. You could drop in for an hour, then dinner at Chutnify, then Nou Tango at 21:30.

Avoid

Mala Junta and any festival-scale events on May 1 weekend — they'll be packed.

Tango ~€10–15 entry, cash
Day 2 · Saturday May 2

Galleries, Mitte, Tadshikische

A full day, lighter than it looks
10:00
11:30

Brunch · House of Small Wonder

Auguststraße 11–13 · in the former Jewish Girls' School · 15-min walk · Sat hours 9–17 brunch

Japanese-leaning brunch in a beautiful spiral-staircase space. Now in the same building as Mogg.

Backups

Father Carpenter (Münzstr 21) — sleek Hinterhof brunch. Distrikt Coffee (Bergstr 68) is the reliable Plan C.

Veg-friendly €40
12:30
14:30

Hamburger Bahnhof + walk back through quiet Mitte

Invalidenstraße 50/51 · 15-min walk or one M5 tram stop · €16 pp

Permanent + rotating contemporary. Two hours is plenty — go for the rooms that catch you, leave when you've had enough.

Walk back via Invalidenstraße past Museum für Naturkunde, into Mitte's quieter quarter around Tucholskystraße and Linienstraße — small galleries, vintage shops, tile cafés.

Art €32
14:30
15:30

Late lunch · Mogg

Auguststraße 11 · former Jewish Girls' School

Excellent veg sandwich options in a striking restored space.

Quick alt

Dada Falafel (Linienstr 132) — standing falafel if you'd rather snack & shop.

Vegetarian €30
15:30
18:00

Mulackstraße / Auguststraße shopping

The small-fashion strip you'll like
  • Apartment (Memhardstr 8) — minimalist concept store
  • Voo Store nearby
  • Andreas Murkudis — Potsdamer Str showroom, slightly out of the way but worth it
  • Buchhandlung Walther König — best art bookshop in Berlin
Shopping
19:30
22:00

Dinner · Tadshikische Teestube

Oranienburger Straße 27 · 2nd floor in courtyard · +49 30 2041112

Reservation essential — book 2–3 days ahead minimum (their stated policy). You sit on cushions; tea ceremony; vegetarian-friendly small plates. The atmosphere is the meal.

No reservation?

District Mot (Rosenthaler Str 62) — Saigon street-food vibe straight off your inspiration list.

Reservation needed Vegetarian-strong €60
21:00
02:00

Saturday milonga · Tangoloft Berlin

Pfuelstraße 5, 10997 Berlin · Kreuzberg, by the Spree · Saturday traditional tango from 21:00

Industrial-loft venue, candle-lit, grand piano, traditional ronda. Typical 50–80 dancers — exactly the scale you wanted. Strong dancers, real ronda, no festival energy.

Alternative: the established classic

Walzerlinksgestrickt · TangoNacht — Am Tempelhofer Berg 7d, Kreuzberg (U7/U8 Mehringdamm). Berlin's flagship Saturday milonga since 1997, hosted by Michael Rühl. Beautiful old ballhaus. Bigger crowd than Tangoloft but still well below festival scale.

Bonus afternoon option (16:00–20:00)

Tangocafé at Bebop — same building as Tangoloft (Pfuelstr 5, different room). DJ Thomas, 50% traditional / 50% alternative, view of the Spree, homemade cake. €6/€4. A relaxed Saturday afternoon if you want to slow the day down.

Avoid · note re: Tango Rouge

Roter Salon at Volksbühne (overwhelmingly crowded). Tango Rouge at KitKatClub does NOT run on May 2 — they skip every first Saturday of the month.

Tango ~€10–15 entry, cash
Day 3 · Sunday May 3

Boros · Helmut Newton · home

A relaxed day with airport timing in mind
09:30
10:30

Slow start

Coffee at the apartment or step out to Bonanza Coffee (Oderberger Str 35).

10:30
12:00

Trödelmarkt am Arkonaplatz

Sundays only · 10:00–17:00 (summer) · ~10-min walk

The local-secret flea — much smaller and friendlier than Mauerpark. Mid-century design, prints, vinyl, vintage. Skip Mauerpark; this is the better one.

Market
12:00
12:45

Pack & check out

Schoenhouse check-out is typically 11:00 — message ahead if you want a slightly later out.

12:45
13:15

Bags → Hauptbahnhof DB lockers

Easiest: Uber/Bolt ~€12–15 (10 min). Or: 8-min walk to U2 Senefelderplatz → Friedrichstraße (3 stops), 7-min walk to Hauptbahnhof. ~25 min.

Drop in 2nd basement lockers · €12 total.

13:30
13:55

Quick lunch near Boros

  • Distrikt Coffee (Bergstr 68) — light brunch, salads, vegetarian. 8-min walk from Hauptbahnhof.
  • Brammibal's Donuts at Hauptbahnhof — vegan donuts and coffee, fastest option.
  • Café Einstein branches inside Hauptbahnhof — quick sit-down option.
€20
14:00
15:30

Boros Collection

Reinhardtstraße 20 · 5-min walk from Hauptbahnhof · €18 pp

WWII bunker turned private contemporary collection · 90-min guided tour · English available.

Booked €36
15:30
17:30

Helmut Newton Foundation

Jebensstraße 2 · S5/S7 from Hauptbahnhof to Zoologischer Garten (1 stop) · €12 pp · Sun 11:00–19:00

Verify before you go: the Foundation was closed Feb 16 – Apr 16, 2026 for construction work. They should be reopened by your visit on May 3, but check helmut-newton-foundation.org the day before in case the reopening was delayed.

Off your inspiration list. Perfect indoor cap to the day — exactly your taste.

Low-energy alt

Tiergarten walk from Hauptbahnhof down to Brandenburger Tor — gorgeous in May, free, ~45 min.

Art €24
17:30
19:00

Early dinner · Mitte

Stay close to Hauptbahnhof for stress-free transit
  • Mogg (Auguststr 11) — 12-min walk, beautiful restored space, Sun 10–22
  • Hummus & Friends (Oranienburger Str 27) — vegetarian Israeli, daily 11–23
  • Note: Cocolo Ramen is closed Sundays — drop from list.
Vegetarian €55
19:00
19:30

Retrieve bags · Hauptbahnhof

12–15-min walk from any of the dinner spots, or one tram stop (M1 / M5).

19:45

FEX → BER

30 min direct from Hauptbahnhof, 5 trains/hour. ABC ticket €5.00 pp = €10. Arrive BER ~20:15. Comfortable time for 22:40 short-haul.

Transit €10
03 · Bookings & reservations

Lock these in

In priority order
Booked

Boros Collection

Sun May 3 · 14:00 · Reinhardtstraße 20
Confirmation email
To do

Radical Storage · Friday luggage drop

Torstraße 98 · €10 for two bags
radicalstorage.com
QR code on phone
To do

Tadshikische Teestube

Sat May 2 · 19:30 · Oranienburger Str 27
+49 30 2041112
2–3 days ahead minimum
To do

Chutnify

Fri May 1 · 19:30 · Sredzkistraße 43
+49 30 44010795
Verify

Friday + Saturday milongas

Confirm events 2–3 days before
tango.berlin
+ Facebook
04 · Packing

What to bring

Berlin in early May, with tango

Tango (carry-on, never check)

  • Tango shoes for both
  • Small towel — milongas warm up fast
  • Cool, breathable shirts
  • Mild scent (close embrace)
  • Cash in small bills (€5/€10) — most milongas are cash-only

Weather (forecast 20–28 °C, sunny)

  • Warm and sunny — Sunday peaks ~28 °C
  • Light, breathable clothing for daytime
  • One thin layer for evenings (drops to ~12–15 °C overnight)
  • Comfortable walking shoes (8–12 km/day)
  • Sun protection: sunglasses, sunscreen (UV index 5)
  • One smart-casual outfit for Tadshikische + milongas — choose breathable, milongas get hot fast
  • Refillable water bottle (Berlin tap is excellent — important on warm days)

Practical

  • EU Type F adapter
  • Reusable water bottle (Berlin tap is excellent)
  • Small backpack
  • BVG Fahrinfo or Jelbi app installed
  • Cash + card — Berlin still has cash-only spots
  • Headphones
05 · Etiquette & language

Local norms

Berlin-flavoured

Etiquette

  • Don't jaywalk — wait for the green Ampelmann.
  • Tipping: round up or 5–10%. Tell the server the total ("Vierzig" if bill is €37.50). Don't leave it on the table.
  • Cards: improving, but always have €50 cash. Spätis and milongas: cash only.
  • Quiet hours 22:00–07:00 in residential PBerg.
  • Sundays: most shops closed (Spätis, bakeries, station shops open).

Milonga etiquette

  • Cabeceo is standard — eye contact + nod, not walking up to ask.
  • If declined, do not press.
  • Berlin has a strong solo-dancing culture; if you're dancing only with each other, sit close together so the cabeceo signal is clear.

Useful German

Hallo / Tschüss
Hi / Bye
Danke / Bitte
Thanks / Please
Entschuldigung
Excuse me
Ein Tisch für zwei
Table for two
Vegetarisch, bitte
Vegetarian, please
Ohne Fleisch
Without meat
Zahlen, bitte
The check, please
Auf Wiedersehen
Goodbye (formal)
06 · Emergency

If something goes wrong

Numbers and addresses · save offline
All-purpose
112
Police, fire, ambulance · works EU-wide
Police
110
24h doctor on call
+49 30 31 00 31
Tourist medical hotline
Pharmacy hotline
0800 00 22 833
Emergency service · rotating 24h pharmacies
Nearest ER
Charité Mitte
ER entrance: Philippstraße 10, 10117 · ER phone: +49 30 450 531 000 · ~10 min by taxi · English-speaking ER
Danish Embassy
+49 30 50 50 20 00
Rauchstraße 1, 10787 Berlin · Consular: Mon–Thu 11–12 & 13–14, Fri 9–12
Out-of-hours: +45 33 92 11 12 (MFA Copenhagen)