All of Germany
Hamburg
Germany / Hamburg & the North / Hamburg

Hamburg

Port City of Canals, Warehouses and the Elbphilharmonie

Plan this trip
2 daysIdeal stay₹10,120From / night₹3,200Food / day₹2,660Entry

Germany's second city and its great port: the red-brick Speicherstadt warehouse district (UNESCO), the Elbphilharmonie concert hall with its public Plaza and harbour views, Miniatur Wunderland, the world's largest model railway (book a time slot), harbour boat tours, the Sunday-morning fish market, the Alster lakes in the centre, and the Reeperbahn by night. The harbour ferries are part of the public-transport network, so a day ticket covers a cheap harbour cruise. Lübeck is 45 minutes away; Berlin under two hours by ICE.

Highlights

  • Speicherstadt canals and warehouses
  • Elbphilharmonie Plaza
  • Miniatur Wunderland
  • Harbour cruise on the public ferry 62
  • Sunday fish market at dawn
  • Alster lakes
  • St Michael's Church tower

Things to do

  • Speicherstadt and HafenCity walk to the Elbphilharmonie PlazaMorning · 3h
  • Miniatur Wunderland (timed ticket)Afternoon · 3h
  • Harbour boat tour from LandungsbrückenAfternoon · 1h 30m
  • Sunday fish marketMorning · 2h
  • Alster lakes walk or boatEvening · 2h

Tours & tickets

Tours & tickets in Hamburgvia GetYourGuideTours & tickets in Hamburgvia Klook

Tourisma may earn a small commission if you book — it never changes your price.

When to go

Best time: May – September

Heads up

Christmas: Shops and Sights Close 24-26 December

Christmas Eve afternoon, Christmas Day and 26 December are Germany's quietest days: shops, most museums and many restaurants close, the Christmas markets end on or before the 24th, and trains run a holiday timetable. Plan arrivals and sightseeing around them. Shops are closed every Sunday too.

Heads up

Summer Heat and Few Air Conditioners

Heatwaves of 30-35°C come most summers, and many German hotels, flats and older trains and trams have no air conditioning. If you sleep badly in the heat, filter for air-conditioned rooms when booking for July and August.

  • Christmas markets across Germany — From late November to about 23 December almost every town holds a Christmas market: Rothenburg's Reiterlesmarkt in its medieval square, Berlin's many markets (Gendarmenmarkt, Charlottenburg Palace), Lübeck's and Hamburg's by their town halls, Stuttgart's large market by the old castle. Opening days vary by town and most close on or before Christmas Eve: check before you plan a December trip around one.
  • Hamburg Port Anniversary (Hafengeburtstag) — A long weekend in May when the harbour celebrates with a parade of ships, tall ships and naval vessels, fireworks and stalls along the Landungsbrücken. Free; hotels fill.