Berlin WelcomeCard 2026: Is It Worth Your Money?

The short answer: it depends on how you travel. The Berlin WelcomeCard can save you €50–100 over a long weekend—or cost you more than buying tickets separately. Here's how to figure out which camp you're in.

What the Berlin WelcomeCard Actually Is

The Berlin WelcomeCard is the city's official tourist pass, combining unlimited public transport with discounts of 25–50% at over 170 attractions, tours, and restaurants. It comes in three versions, each serving different travel styles.

Think of it as a bundled deal: you're paying upfront for convenience and betting you'll use enough discounts to justify the premium over regular transport tickets.

Over 15 million cards have been sold, which tells you two things. First, the marketing works. Second, enough visitors genuinely save money that it keeps selling. The question isn't whether the card is a scam—it's whether your specific trip makes it worthwhile.

The Three Versions (And What They Actually Cost)

Berlin WelcomeCard Classic

Starting at €28.50 (48 hours, zone AB)

This is the standard option most visitors consider. You get unlimited public transport plus 25–50% discounts at participating partners.

Duration	Zone AB (City)	Zone ABC (+ Airport/Potsdam)
48 hours	€28.50	€33.50
72 hours	€34.00	€40.00
4 days	€41.50	€47.50
5 days	€47.00	€53.00
6 days	€52.00	€58.00

Important: Zone AB covers central Berlin. Zone ABC adds BER Airport and Potsdam. You cannot extend an AB card with a single trip ticket for zone C—if you're flying into BER, start with ABC.

Berlin WelcomeCard + Museum Island

Starting at €62 (72 hours only)

Everything from the Classic version, plus free entry to all five Museum Island museums: Alte Nationalgalerie, Altes Museum, Bode Museum, Neues Museum, and Pergamonmuseum – Das Panorama.

Duration	Zone AB	Zone ABC
72 hours	€62.00	€68.00

Note: The Pergamon Museum's main building remains closed until 2027 for renovation. The "Das Panorama" exhibition with the famous Ishtar Gate panorama is included, but the full Pergamon experience isn't available yet.

Berlin WelcomeCard All Inclusive

Starting at €99 (48 hours)

The premium option includes free admission to 25+ attractions, a hop-on/hop-off bus tour, and all the Classic discounts.

Duration	Zone AB	Zone ABC
48 hours	€99.00	€109.00
72 hours	€129.00	€139.00
4 days	€159.00	€169.00
5 days	€179.00	€189.00
6 days	€199.00	€209.00

Free admissions include: TV Tower, Berlin Dungeon, Madame Tussauds, boat tours, walking tours, and select museums. If this sounds like your first-timer itinerary, the math can work out.

Berlin WelcomeCard Basic (New Option)

€10 for 72 hours / €15 for 6 days (no transport included)

Just the discount booklet, no public transport. Useful if you already have a travel pass or prefer walking and cycling.

The Math: When It's Worth It

Let's run the numbers for a typical 72-hour trip.

Public transport comparison:

• 24-hour BVG ticket (zone AB): €8.80

• Three 24-hour tickets: €26.40

• WelcomeCard Classic 72h AB: €34.00

• Premium for WelcomeCard: €7.60

So you're paying €7.60 for access to discounts. You need to save at least that much for the card to make financial sense.

Sample discount savings:

Attraction	Regular Price	WelcomeCard Price	Savings
TV Tower	€24.50	~€18.40 (25% off)	€6.10
DDR Museum	€14.00	~€10.50 (25% off)	€3.50
Berlin Dungeon	€28.00	~€21.00 (25% off)	€7.00
Boat tour (1 hour)	€19.00	~€14.25 (25% off)	€4.75

Visit the TV Tower and take a boat tour? You've already saved €10.85 in discounts—more than the €7.60 premium. Add the DDR Museum and you're at €14.35 saved.

When the WelcomeCard makes sense:

• You're visiting 2–3+ paid attractions

• You'll use public transport multiple times daily

• You're traveling with children (up to 3 kids aged 6–14 ride free with each adult card)

• You want the convenience of not buying separate tickets

When it doesn't:

• You prefer walking and only take 1–2 transport trips daily

• Your attractions are mostly free (Reichstag, East Side Gallery, Topography of Terror, memorials)

• You're visiting on a Sunday when many museums offer free entry anyway

The Alternatives

Berlin Museum Pass

€32 for 3 consecutive days

Grants entry to 30+ museums, including all State Museum locations (Museumsinsel, Hamburger Bahnhof, Neue Nationalgalerie, Gemäldegalerie). No transport included.

If you're serious about museums, this often beats the WelcomeCard + Museum Island option. The Museum Pass covers more venues and costs less than the €62 WelcomeCard Museum Island variant—though you'd still need to buy transport separately.

Best for: Art and history enthusiasts planning 3+ museum days.

Berlin CityTourCard

From €22.90 (48 hours, zone AB)

The WelcomeCard's cheaper cousin, offered by BVG. Same unlimited transport but only ~30 discount partners (versus 170+). Discounts max out at 40% rather than 50%.

Best for: Budget travelers who want transport + a few discounts but don't need extensive options.

Just Buy Regular Tickets

This option gets overlooked. A 7-day BVG ticket costs €36 for zone AB—unlimited transport for a week at less than the 6-day WelcomeCard Classic.

Combine with individual attraction tickets and you might come out ahead, especially if you're selective about paid attractions.

Best for: Longer stays, travelers who don't need many discounts.

How It Works (Practical Details)

Purchasing: Buy online at berlin-welcomecard.de, at Berlin Tourist Info centers (Brandenburg Gate, Hauptbahnhof, BER Airport, Humboldt Forum), BVG ticket machines, or many hotels.

Activation: Paper tickets must be stamped once before your first journey. Online tickets are pre-validated for your selected date and time.

Validity timing:

• 48h/72h cards: Valid for exactly 48 or 72 hours from activation. Start at 2pm Saturday? Valid until 2pm Monday/Tuesday.

• 4–6 day cards: Valid from first use until midnight on the final calendar day. Start Tuesday morning? A 4-day card expires Friday at midnight.

Using discounts: Present your card at partner locations before purchasing. Discounts are listed in the free CityGuide booklet and Berlin WelcomeCard app.

Children: Each adult card allows up to 3 children aged 6–14 to travel free. Kids under 6 always travel free.

Refunds: None. Cards cannot be cancelled, rescheduled, or refunded once purchased.

Where to Buy Each Option

WelcomeCard Version	Best Place to Buy
Classic (transport + discounts)	BVG ticket machines, Hauptbahnhof, BER Airport
Museum Island	Berlin Tourist Info, visitberlin.de
All Inclusive	visitberlin.de, Tourist Info centers
Basic (no transport)	berlin.de, select Tourist Info locations

The Berlin Reality Check

The WelcomeCard's marketing promises savings, but it also subtly steers you toward a specific kind of tourism—the TV Tower, the hop-on bus, the Dungeon. These aren't Berlin's most interesting experiences; they're its most commercial ones.

The city's free attractions (Reichstag dome, memorials, parks, street art, markets, neighborhood wandering) often tell you more about Berlin than anything requiring a ticket. The WelcomeCard won't help you there.

Buy it if the math works for your trip. But don't let a discount card determine what you see.

Quick Decision Guide

Get the WelcomeCard Classic if: You're visiting 2+ paid attractions, using public transport 3+ times daily, and staying 2–4 days.

Get the Museum Island version if: You want both Museum Island access and citywide discounts, and 72 hours is enough time.

Get the All Inclusive if: You're a first-time visitor who wants to hit the major tourist spots without planning each ticket separately.

Get the Museum Pass instead if: Museums are your priority and you'll visit 3+ in three days.

Skip it entirely if: Your trip focuses on free attractions, you prefer walking, or you're staying 7+ days (regular weekly ticket is cheaper).

Practical Tip: Calculate your personal break-even point before buying. List the paid attractions you actually plan to visit, look up their WelcomeCard discount, and compare against buying transport + individual tickets. Ten minutes of planning can save (or cost) you €30+.