Berlin 2025 Pt.6: Tips for Visiting Berlin

Knowledge is Power

Do your research. There are heaps of things to do in Berlin. From art galleries, museums, parks and just about anything else you could think of. Let alone all the kink and fetish fun to be had.

To research my three week trip I looked at YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and Reddit at a high level. Then dug deeper as I found things which fitted my own interests. I also looked at Fetlife and JoyClub for events listings.

Through the Netflix show Risqué Business I discovered the amazing BDSM Studio Lux and from there I managed to find not only the available courses which were being held when I was there but also the opportunities for 1-2-1 coaching they offer.

I also looked at other events held throughout October and found that both the Berlin Burlesque Festival and Berlin Porn Festival were scheduled for the same time I was due to be there.

I initially used a planning board such as Trello to help work out my plan and once I had plotted everywhere I wanted to go on Google Earth I split up the map into sections and then allocated a day to each of them.

I’m a planning nerd as you can tell. However as I was travelling on my own I wanted to have a plan and to get the most out of having to motivate myself daily.

Make a plan but be realistic

Have an idea but be flexible.

I didn’t do all the things I planned to do. Especially around events.

I went to an event at Insomnia the first night I was there and was very disappointed in the experience. You hear all about not being able to get in to some of these places without making an effort, in fact I was checked on the way in. But this doesn’t apply to everyone and seeing guys in just shirts unbuttoned down to the navel is not the same as being expected to be as revealing as possible as a female.

Also a lot of the events marketed as kink are essentially just swingers in pvc parties. So after speaking with a few of the Dominatrices at Lux I changed my plans.

I also chatted with the people who work in places like Blackstyle Latex and Butcherei Lindburger. Get a locals perspective on where to go and where to avoid proved to be invaluable and helped me get the most out of my trip. So be open and friendly. Knowledge is power but you won’t find it all on the internet.

Get Out There!

I limited myself to a couple of places to visit in each of the areas of the city but made sure to just walk around it as much as possible. I gave myself a reason to be in that part of town, but with enough flexibility and curiosity to discover other things too.

One of my favourite days of my trip was a spontaneous visit to the Berlin Zoo after visiting the Museum fur Fotografie. So have a plan but don’t be too concerned if you have decide on the spot to adapt or change them.

On another occasion I had planned to go to a munch and meet people but I found it to be incredibly clicky and so I jumped on the tram and landed at a Lesbian Night at Tipsy Bear. This was an awesome night and met some genuinely fun and friendly people and this turned into my regular Wednesday night outing.

It also led me to discover some other places and things to do from locals. So don’t be afraid to find your tribe.

The same can be said of the kink and fetish stores I visited. I found the level of customer service to be amazing and again by taking the time to not just rush in, purchase my goodies and leave I discovered a whole range of local information about clubs and parties.

Learn the lingo

If you are heading to Berlin you will be very fortunate to find that a lot of people speak some level of English. Obviously this makes things easier but it’s also good to be able to at least give it a go.

This can be really useful when using the excellent public transport network, shopping in supermarkets and using checkouts or just to be polite.

Berlin is one of the most friendly cities I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. So make an effort and you’ll find the experience even better. It’s also fun. Especially when they throw you a curve ball by responding in German with something completely outside of what it taught on Duolingo.

“Entachuldige, mein Deutsch ist mist.”

Use Public Transport

I bought a ticket online to cover me for the month. It meant I didn’t need to worry about having to work out which ticket I needed to buy each day depending on the zone I was planning on travelling to and it meant I could jump on and off as much as I needed to. It also meant I could be flexible in where I went.

Download the BVG journey planner app and away you go. Really simple and easy to use.

Bringing back your kinky purchases

If you are travelling back from overseas and have a vast amount (nearly 20kg) of kink and BDSM equipment then be prepared to be pulled over by customs.

Best way to approach it is to be open and honest about what you have in your cases, especially if you are carrying anything sharp or prickly as the last thing you want to do is injure the customs officer.

On my recent return from Germany I had packed in a whole heap of latex, floggers, crops and various other implements of fun. All were fine and caused no issues.

One of the things I was nervous about was the needle and blood play equipment I was bringing back which included scalpels and various sizes of needles. I pointed these out specifically to the customs officer. He told me that because of the size of the blades and the medical usage of such items that they tend to sit in the grey area, however as I had been open about it and what my intentions were he said it was fine.

An area I would shy away from though is if you are a sex worker as there is still a stigma around this profession and it’s probably best to say that these are purely for lifestyle and personal pursuits.

Otherwise, as in my case, you should be good to go.