Queer City Tour Berlin – with drag queens through the Rainbow Quarter
140 years of queer history. Legendary bars. Hidden places. And stories you will not find in any guidebook.
Pick a date & book Request a private tour Give a voucher
18+ · meeting point by email after booking · runs in almost any weather · pay online
Every Thursday at 5:30 pm our KiezTour starts through the oldest queer neighbourhood in Europe. Immerse yourself in 140 years of history and get to know queer culture and subculture. Accompanied by one of our drag queens, who knows the neighbourhood inside out, you will learn more than you could read in any history book — and along the way, more than one delicious surprise is waiting.
So put on some comfortable shoes and join us on our KiezTour!
See it before you book
84 seconds on a real KiezTour.
The venues, the stories, the group – and the little surprise along the way. Filmed on one of our Thursday tours, guided by one of our drag queens.
The next dates
Thursday, 8. October
17:30
KiezTour - Nollendorfplatz (🇩🇪)
3–4 hrs German from €39 18+
Book this dateThursday, 15. October
17:30
KiezTour - Nollendorfplatz (🇩🇪)
3–4 hrs German from €39 18+
Book this dateNot just through the quarter. Into the quarter.
Most city tours show you facades. We go through the doors: into bars, into bookshops, into places that exist only here. Our partners in the quarter make that possible – they know us, and they let us in.
And most importantly: with us there is no barrier to entry. You do not need to know anything, prove anything or belong to anything. Queer, ally, visitor to Berlin or simply curious – you walk in with people who are at home here. That takes the threshold out of every door.
What guests say after the tour
"Really enjoyed it! Insightful tour, lots of fun and free drinks :) I highly recommend it."
Augusto J. · ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ on Google
"Great experience! Super fun and instructive. Thank you Jacky you were great."
Federica S. · ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ on Google
"We recently moved into the Nollendorf quarter with our company and booked this tour as part of our summer event to get to know the area better."
Jeni · company event · ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ on Google
"A really great and intense tour with Margot Schlönzke, who guided us through this unique quarter with enormous knowledge and humour."
Marga M. · ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ on Google
The queer city tour in Berlin
Our KiezTour is for everyone — Berliners, newcomers and visitors alike — who want to experience Europe's oldest queer quarter and its 140 years of history in an entertaining way, with the occasional culinary surprise. On our four-hour walk we take you through the Rainbow Quarter (Regenbogenkiez) around Nollendorfplatz, in the heart of Berlin-Schöneberg.
- Europe’s oldest queer quarter – around Nollendorfplatz in Berlin-Schöneberg
- 140 years of history – from the founding years to today
- Guided by Berlin drag queens – not a rehearsed script
- Inside bars, shops and the scene – not just past them
Read more
We pass legendary places, explore quirky scene bars, take a look inside fetish stores, cross the paths of "Emil and the Detectives", taste a few local treats, and travel through history — from Berlin's founding years and the first German gay rights movement, through the golden 20s, life under the Nazi dictatorship, the iconic 80s and on to the present day. We show you how vital queer venues have been as safe spaces — and why this warm, open, tolerant neighbourhood is worth protecting.
We tell you stories you won't find in any history book, and turn the evening into something genuinely memorable — funny, sociable, and a little bit cheeky. Because some bars and venues only allow visitors aged 18+, all participants need to be of age at the start of the tour.
Our guides are well-known Berlin drag queens — either born and raised here or so deeply connected with this city that they bring the neighbourhood to life. The tours are currently led by Margot Schlönzke, Anna Klatsche, Victoria Bacon and Helen de Nore, among others. Best to book your ticket early — places per tour are limited.
What makes the KiezTour special
Berlin from people who really know this quarter
Real Berlin drag personalities guide you – not trained-up tour staff. They are at home here and tell the quarter first hand, with knowledge, humour and attitude.
Places other city tours never walk into
We do not just walk past. We go in: into queer bars, fetish shops and Berlin classics. One single quarter, done properly – instead of all of Berlin at speed.
History without the history lesson
More than 140 years: from the founding years through the golden twenties and the Nazi dictatorship to Pride, the AIDS crisis and today's community. Memorial sites are part of it – without pathos, but with the seriousness they deserve.
You can meet the drag queens who will guide you on our guides page.
What you'll experience on the tour
The KiezTour does not have a fixed route — like a living neighbourhood, it changes.
Some bars are part of every tour, others depend on the date, season and mood. These themes and places, however, come up regularly:
- Nollendorfplatz. The historical centre of queer Berlin — including the memorial plaque for homosexual victims of the Nazi regime at the U-Bahn station.
- Motzstraße & Fuggerstraße. Two streets where queer bars, cafés and shops cluster like almost nowhere else in Germany.
- Queer bars and scene classics. We visit places that have been home to queer Berlin for decades — including stories about owners, regulars and legendary nights.
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- Fetish shops and specialist stores. The quarter is home to some of Europe's most well-known leather and fetish stores. We go in, look around, and explain why all of this exists in such a small area.
- Memorial and remembrance places. Squares, plaques and references to what the quarter went through in the 20th century.
- Traces of Christopher Isherwood and "Emil and the Detectives". Schöneberg is a literary and film backdrop — we show you where that becomes tangible.
- Today's community. The quarter is no museum — it is alive. We also talk about how Schöneberg is changing right now.
Who is the KiezTour for?
The KiezTour brings together a fairly mixed crowd — that's part of the design.
On a typical tour you'll find Berlin visitors next to long-time Schöneberg residents, queer travellers next to allies, birthday groups next to culture lovers. It works precisely because the Rainbow Quarter has always been a place where very different lives existed side by side.
- Berlin visitors who want more than the Brandenburg Gate and Mauerpark.
- Queer travellers who want to know where queer Berlin actually started.
- Groups of friends looking for a sociable, slightly different evening in Berlin.
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- Locals who want to really get to know the neighbourhood on their doorstep.
- Birthdays, private groups and private groups — book a private tour and have the quarter to yourselves.
- Companies and teams for whom diversity is not just a marketing label.
- Allies who want to do more than post their solidarity.
You don't have to be queer to join the KiezTour — being respectful and curious is enough. If you'd like to give the tour as a present, you'll find a gift voucher option here.
Who will guide you through the quarter?
Our tours are led by real Berlin drag queens – Margot Schlönzke, Anna Klatsche, Victoria Bacon, Helen de Nore and Harpy.
Which queen takes your tour stays a small surprise until the start: each of them tells the quarter differently. On private tours you can request a particular guide.
Common questions about the KiezTour
How long is the KiezTour and when does it start?
The KiezTour runs every Thursday at 5:30 pm, plus selected special dates, and lasts three to four hours. A ticket costs from €39 per person. You'll receive the exact meeting point by email after booking.
What does the KiezTour cost?
A ticket for the public KiezTour costs from €39 per person. English-language tours and special dates may differ – the price is always shown on the date itself. Payment is online via PayPal, which also covers credit card payment, usually without a PayPal account of your own.
Where do we meet?
We start in the Nollendorf area in Berlin-Schöneberg, close to the Nollendorfplatz U-Bahn station. The exact meeting point is included in your booking confirmation.
Who guides the tour?
The tour is led by one of our Berlin drag queens — currently Margot Schlönzke, Anna Klatsche, Victoria Bacon or Helen de Nore, among others. Who guides which date depends on the schedule. Meet the guides here.
Do I have to be queer to join?
No. The KiezTour is open to anyone who wants to discover the Rainbow Quarter respectfully — queer, ally, Berlin visitor or curious local. The only requirement is that you are 18+, since some venues we visit are 18+ only.
How do I book a KiezTour?
You'll find the next dates on our tours page — book directly online. If you'd like the tour as a gift, check our vouchers. For private groups, companies or private groups, look at exclusive tours.
More background on the quarter: queer locations · our drag queen guides · all FAQs · queer Berlin blog
