In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The dome and the roof terrace are free, with a registration on the Bundestag’s own form, which takes dates only in the current and following month. Everyone in the party gives a name and date of birth. Unfilled places for the same day and the next two are issued at the service centre in front of the Reichstag, at least two hours ahead, to those with a passport or ID card. The dome is closed 19 to 30 October 2026, and the Bundestag can cancel a confirmed visit at the last minute. Or book a tour: the Reichstag and government district tourad is from €16, runs about 2.5 hours and includes the registration.
The free registration
The Bundestag runs the dome and takes the registration on its visit pages. Search results for “Reichstag dome tickets” include sites with the Reichstag’s name and the word tickets in their web addresses that are not the Bundestag, and the visit they describe is free.
| Route | Who it suits | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Online form | Anyone with a date in the current or following month | Free. Surname, first name and date of birth for everyone |
| Service centre, Platz der Republik | The same day and the next two days | Only if places are free, at least two hours ahead |
| Fax or post | A written request | The Bundestag does not take bookings by phone |
| Guided tour | A date the form cannot give | From €16 and includes the registration |
- The month rule. Dome requests can only be submitted for the current month and the following month. A request made in October can name dates in October and November, not December.
- A request is not a booking. The Visitors’ Service sends a confirmation by email, fax or post, and the visit is only booked once it arrives.
- A confirmation does not guarantee the visit. Parliamentary business, special events, the weather and the security situation decide whether the dome and the roof terrace open. The Bundestag says a visit may be cancelled at the last minute even when confirmed, with no notice by email, phone or fax.
- Photo ID. The confirmation is personal and cannot be passed on. Identity is checked when the places are issued and again at the main entrance.
When the dome is closed
- 19 to 30 October 2026: closed for cleaning and maintenance. It was also closed from 28 September to 2 October.
- The roof terrace stays open during those closures, but the audio guide is not available.
- 24 December: closed all day.
- 31 December: closed from 16:00, with the last admission at 14:30.
Further closures are given by the Visitors’ Service on +49 30 227-32083.
Places on the day
The service centre is on Platz der Republik, in front of the Reichstag. It issues personal entry permits for the same day or the next two days if places are free, at least two hours before the visit. It does not take requests for later dates.
- Hours: 8:00 to 20:00 from April to October and 8:00 to 18:00 from November to March. At weekends it is open 10:00 to 18:00 all year, and on Tuesdays in sitting weeks it closes at 14:00.
- ID: everyone aged 16 and over shows a valid passport or national ID card, and copies are not accepted. Ages 14 and 15 show any ID with a name and a photo.
- Names: every visitor gives a surname, first name and date of birth.
From the north, past the Paul-Löbe-Haus, access to the centre is restricted by building work.
The west front of the Reichstag from Platz der Republik. Photo: Ansgar Koreng, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE.
Tours worth paying for
A guided tour is the way in when the form has no dates left, and it also puts a guide on the government district around the building. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
Reichstag, dome and government district tour
From €16 · 2.5 hours · 21,463 reviews
Berlin: Reichstag, Dome and Government District Guided Tourad is run by Paaßens & Kniestedt Berlin kompakt GmbH in English and German, with a live guide. It meets at Paul-Löbe-Allee and Konrad-Adenauer-Straße, covers the political history of Berlin, the parliament district and a visit to the Reichstag with the dome, and the booking includes the registration. The start time can move by up to 2 hours either side. Cancel up to 4 days ahead for a full refund. The Bundestag’s rules still apply: a visit to the dome can be cancelled at short notice, and everyone brings a passport or national ID card.
What to see
The visit is self-guided. The dome and the roof terrace are open every day, and the audio guide is the only commentary.
The view east from the Reichstag roof terrace, with the TV Tower on the skyline. Photo: Singlespeedfahrer, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
- The roof terrace. The audio guide is handed out here, free, in 12 languages including English. It runs for 20 minutes and covers the Reichstag building, the Bundestag, parliamentary work and the sights of Berlin. A children’s version for ages 6 to 13 is in German.
- The dome. The climb is on a ramp of 230 m, with the government district below. The children’s guide names the Chancellery, the Victory Column and the Brandenburg Gate among the views.
- The rooftop restaurant. Käfer needs a table reservation at feinkost-kaefer.de or on +49 30 227-9220 (10:00 to 16:00), and a reservation does not replace the dome registration. The restaurants of Berlin beyond the roof are in where to eat in Berlin.
The mirrored cone at the centre of the dome. Photo: Ank Kumar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What to skip: the paid tour, if the form or the service centre has a date you can use. The tour does not charge for the dome. It pays for the guide.
The Brandenburg Gate
The Gate on Pariser Platz is an open-air landmark with no entry and no hours, reached on foot from Unter den Linden. It was built from 1788 to 1791 to a design by Carl Gotthard Langhans, and Johann Gottfried Schadow’s Quadriga on top dates from 1793. It is 26 m high. A visitBerlin tourist information centre stands at the Gate. The square can be closed for events, such as the New Year’s Eve party.
Rules at the door
- Luggage: larger items of luggage are not taken in, and there is no left-luggage on site. Bags, coats and other items go through an X-ray, and visitors through a metal detector.
- Prohibited: knives and tools, whistles, bottles, pepper spray and laser pointers, among other items on the Bundestag’s list.
- Clothing: nothing with racist, antisemitic or extremist slogans or symbols.
- Names: the entry permit is personal and cannot be transferred.
Hours and getting there
- Hours: the dome and roof terrace are open daily, with admission every quarter of an hour and the last at 21:45.
- Where: Platz der Republik 1. Hauptbahnhof is a walk of about 10 minutes.
The Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust Memorial and the Topography of Terror (see best museums in Berlin) lie on one line, and all four are free. What to book before you go to Berlin has the closed days for every sight, and free things to do in Berlin lists the rest of what costs nothing. 3 days in Berlin puts the registration first. To stay near the Gate, see hotels near the Brandenburg Gate and where to stay in Berlin. Berlin walking tours lists the guided walks through the government district, and the Spree boats from Hauptbahnhof pass the Reichstag: see Spree river cruises. From the airport, BER to the city reaches Hauptbahnhof in 22 to 23 minutes.
Common questions
Is the Reichstag dome free?
Yes. Admission to the dome and the roof terrace is free, but only with a registration. The Bundestag takes it on its own online form, by fax or by post, with the surname, first name and date of birth of everyone in the party. It does not take bookings by phone.
How far ahead can I register for the Reichstag dome?
The form takes requests only for the current month and the following month. A request made in October can name dates in October and November, not December. A request is not a booking until the Visitors' Service sends a confirmation by email, fax or post.
Can I visit the Reichstag dome without booking?
Sometimes. The service centre on Platz der Republik, in front of the Reichstag, issues places for the same day or the next two days if any are free, at least two hours before the visit. Everyone aged 16 and over shows a passport or national ID card; copies are not accepted.
When is the Reichstag dome closed?
For cleaning from 28 September to 2 October and from 19 to 30 October 2026. The roof terrace stays open then, but the audio guide is not available. The dome is also closed all day on 24 December and from 16:00 on 31 December. The Bundestag can also cancel a confirmed visit at the last minute.
What can I not take into the Reichstag?
Larger items of luggage, and there is no left-luggage on site. Bags, coats and other items go through an X-ray and visitors through a metal detector. Knives and tools, bottles, whistles, pepper spray and laser pointers are on the prohibited list, and so are clothes or accessories with racist, antisemitic or extremist slogans or symbols.
Is a guided Reichstag tour worth paying for?
It is from €16 on GetYourGuide, takes about 2.5 hours and includes the dome registration, so it is the way in when the free form has no dates left. The tour is in English or German, and free cancellation runs to 4 days ahead.
