Weekend In Hamburg: Things To Do & Where To Stay
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Hamburg is an amazing city to visit, and it’s very easy to reach too.
This makes spending a weekend in Hamburg easy for anyone in Europe.
Before booking your trip, you need to know what there is to do, where to say and some top Hamburg tips.
Luckily for you, I’m a full-time traveller and have spent time in Hamburg to create this guide to spending a weekend there.
🇩🇪 When planning a trip to Hamburg, I recommend using:
✈️ Flights: Skyscanner
🏨 Hotels: Booking.com
💵 Hostels: Hostelworld
🗺 Tours & Activities: Viator and GetYourGuide
🚗 Car Rental: Discover Cars
🚌 Transport: Flixbus
🏥 Travel Insurance: Safetywing
📱E-SIM: Airalo
💻 VPN: Surfshark
Weekend In Hamburg
A weekend in Hamburg is an unforgettable experience. I would recommend it to anyone.
You can cram a lot into the 2 or 3 days you spend in the city, especially as so many of the sights and attractions are close to each other. In fact, I usually recommend 3 days as the best amount of time to spend in Hamburg.
It’s really easy to get to Hamburg and flights from Europe are really cheap and really quick. For example, I got return flights from Dublin for €30 and the flight takes about 1 hour 40 minutes. Having cheap flights is one of the reasons backpacking Hamburg is a great idea.
Top Tip: Use SkyScanner to find the cheapest flights for your weekend trip to Germany and for any flight you ever book.
Another reason why a weekend in Hamburg is so great is because of the excellent nightlife in the city. Hamburg is known for its music scene and there’s no better way to experience it than with a weekend trip.
Already starting to get excited about your trip? Let’s dive into some of the things you can do during your time in Hamburg.
Things To Do During A Weekend In Hamburg
Here are some of the 20 best things you can do during a weekend in Hamburg. Of course, there are many more things to do in the city, but these are just 15 ideas.
1) Take a boat tour: Hamburg boat tours are a must-do during any trip to Hamburg, whether you stay for a day or a year. They offer a unique perspective of the city, as well as an insight into Hamburg’s harbour which is one of the most active in the world. It’s one of the best things you can do in Hamburg and you should make sure to fit it into your trip.
2) Visit Miniatur Wunderland: Miniatur Wunderland is one of Germany’s biggest tourist attractions. Ironic, as it’s a miniature railway museum. Even more ironic, it’s the biggest in the world. You can visit multiple countries and places all over the world in Miniatur Wunderland. I can’t recommend it highly enough, you are guaranteed to have a great time!
3) Make chocolate at Chocoversum: Hamburg’s chocolate museum, Chocoversum is another fun thing you can do during your time in Hamburg. You are able to tour the factory to see the process of how chocolate is made, as well as make your very own chocolate bar. I had such a good time on the tour, plus, the chocolate is delicious!
4) See St. Nikolai Memorial: Once a church, now a memorial, St. Nikolai offers a time to reflect on the 2 World Wars. The church got bombed during WW2 with the steeple and some walls remaining. The bells continue to sound as normal, and if you visit at the right time you can enjoy a free 2-3 minute concert.
5) Take a Beatles Tour: Did you know that Hamburg is the city in which The Beatles did lots of their earliest professional gigs? As a result, the St. Pauli district is overflowing with Beatles statues, signs, and more. They even have their own square: Beatles-Platz! Taking a Hamburg Beatles Tour is recommended for anyone, fans and non-fans of the band.
6) Go inside St. Michel’s Church: St. Michel’s Church is the most iconic church in Hamburg but you probably only recognise the outside. Arguably, the inside is even prettier. You can also go up to the top of the church to enjoy a beautiful view over Hamburg. It’s the highest viewpoint you can get over the city. Speaking of viewpoints…
7) Enjoy the view from Elbphilharmomie Plaza: One of the most popular sights in Hamburg is Elbphilharmonie, but even more impressive than the building itself is the view from the plaza. You get a 360° view with the harbour on one side and the city on the other. In my opinion, it’s the best view you can get. The best bit? It’s completely free!
8) Explore Speicherstadt: Hamburg has a few UNESCO World Heritage Sites but I would say the best is Speicherstadt. The 130+-year-old warehouses are some of the largest historic port warehouses in the world. Not to mention how beautiful they are. The area is so pretty, especially at night time when the warehouses are lit up and have a nice glow.
9) Use the City Bikes: If you are visiting Hamburg on a budget, you’ll particularly enjoy this one. You can use Hamburg’s city bikes completely free of charge for 30 minutes. So you can get anywhere in the city for free! After this, it’s only €0.08 per minute, so it may as well be free. Hamburg is really cycle-friendly and it can be fun to explore on bikes.
10) Enjoy the nightlife: Hamburg’s nightlife is known to be really good. Hamburg and Berlin are some of the best in Germany. The Reeperbahn is famous for its world-class bars, restaurants and clubs. You are guaranteed to have a great night out. And if you are wondering if Hamburg is safe, the answer is yes.
11) See Nikolaifleet: Nikolaifleet is a gorgeous canal in Hamburg near St. Nikolai Memorial, hence the name. It was the buildings along this canal that caused Hamburg’s Great Fire of 1842 so the area carries a lot of history. Aside from this, it’s a really pretty canal and the curved buildings make for a really unique picture.
12) Attend a concert/opera/performance: As I said, Hamburg is famous for its music scene. During a weekend in Hamburg, you should definitely try to attend an opera or concert of some kind. There are so many opera houses across the city, with the most known being of course Elbphilharmonie.
13) Go through Old Elbe Tunnel: A more unique thing to do in Hamburg is to walk/cycle through the Old Elbe Tunnel. The tunnel is over 400 metres long and runs underneath the River Elbe, Hamburg’s famous river. It’s pretty cool to go through a tunnel underwater, I have to say.
14) Relax by Alster Lake: It can be tiring cramming a lot of things into a short period of time, which you will do while spending a weekend in Hamburg, so why not take some time to relax? There is no better place than Alster Lake. Especially in summer. In fact, one of the most relaxing things to do in Hamburg is to enjoy a sunset sail on the lake.
15) Visit Hamburg Rathaus: The city hall of Hamburg, Hamburg Rathaus is one of the largest in the world and boy is it impressive. Personally, I prefer copper on old buildings as it has been oxidized creating a gorgeous greeny-blue-emerald colour. It makes the Rathaus one of my favourite buildings in Hamburg. You can also go inside and even have a meal!
16) Go to Tierpark Hagenbeck: Hamburg’s zoo, Tierpark Hagenbeck, is a top-quality zoo, it has some really unique animals like polar bears, for example. But one of the biggest selling points about a visit to the zoo is that you can hand-feed some animals like giraffes for only a few Euros. You simply buy a bag of food on the way in and you are free to feed them.
17) Walk around Planten un Blomen: Another way to relax in Hamburg is to take a peaceful walk through Planten un Blomen, the botanical gardens of Hamburg. There are thousands of flowers and plants to see as you stroll along the paths, as well as ponds with ducks, and if you visit in winter, the opportunity to ice skate too.
18) Visit some museums: There are museums in Hamburg for literally everything. From the International Maritime Museum and Dialoghaus being some of the most popular to more niche museums like the Museum for Popcorn or the Police Museum, Hamburg really has a museum for everyone, so you are guaranteed to find one you are interested in.
19) Visit some galleries: And there are also loads of art galleries in Hamburg too, some are really impressive too. The most popular are the Hamburger Kunsthalle, Deichtorhallen Hamburg and Bucerius Kunst Forum. You can see some amazing art in any of the galleries, and they also have really cheap entry fees too which is another advantage.
20) Shop at Fishmarkt: Hamburg Fischmarkt is a place that words struggle to describe. The market sells everything you could possibly think of, not just fish. You could spend hours exploring the market stalls. It’s a great place to try some cheap but authentic German dishes like Königsberger Klopse or Fischbrötchen.
Where To Stay For A Weekend In Hamburg
The best area to book your hotel for a weekend in Hamburg is near Hamburg HBF, Hamburg Central Station.
As you don’t have too much time in the city (although I do say that 2-3 days are enough days in Hamburg), you won’t want to waste time travelling each day.
By staying near the central station, you can get to and from the airport really conveniently, but you are also in a great location for seeing the sights. Everything is within walking distance.
The Reichshof Hotel Hamburg, a highly rated (8.3/10) hotel right beside the central station, is one of the best hotels in the area. From your hotel window, you have a view of the station, you can’t get much closer than that! I really recommend booking a stay at the Reichshof Hotel, you can’t go wrong with it. It’s tried and tested.
If you are a solo traveller or visiting Hamburg on a budget, A&O Hamburg Hauptbahnhof is a really good hostel option. As a backpacking site, I know what makes a good hostel and this is definitely one of the good ones. The facilities are modern, the rooms are clean and it’s in the perfect area. It even has the central station in the name! I enjoyed my time here so much I wrote a full A&O Hostel Hamburg Hauptbahnhof review.
➡️ Best hotel in Hamburg: Reichshof Hotel Hamburg
➡️ Best budget-friendly hostel in Hamburg: A&O Hamburg Hauptbahnhof
How To Get Around Hamburg
If you choose to stay near the central station, you are in a very good area to use as a base camp. Pretty much all of the main tourist sights and attractions are within walking distance of the central station.
For example, Hamburg HBF to Miniatur Wunderland is only a 20-minute walk. That’s a great way to save money on transport.
Another good option is to use the city bikes I mentioned before, which are completely free for the first 30 minutes. You can cycle anywhere in Hamburg from the central station in 30 minutes, more or less.
If you are unable to walk for long distances or cycle, the public transport in Hamburg is really good. There are lots of different options to choose from but you will most likely use the Bus, Subway or Train.
Hamburg does have Uber, but it’s not as popular in Germany and it’s really expensive too, so I personally wouldn’t recommend it.
Hamburg Travel Tips
Before visiting anywhere in the world, it’s useful to have some top tips from someone who has been there. To help you make the most of your trip, I have come up with 5 helpful tips for your weekend in Hamburg.
Lots of things close on a Sunday. This is the most important thing to know when visiting Hamburg over a weekend. Plan to do the bigger attractions on a Sunday as they are still open, like Miniatur Wunderland and Chocoversum, for example.
The best way to get from Hamburg Airport to Hamburg HBF is by getting the train. The train takes about 30 minutes and costs €3.90 so it’s the best and most affordable way of getting from the airport to the centre of the city. And hopefully, very close to your hotel.
You can drink tap water in Hamburg. By drinking tap water instead of buying bottled water, you can save a good amount of money. It’s completely safe to drink and it actually tastes quite nice too.
You can do a lot in a short time. As you are only there for 2-3 days, you may not consider it possible to see much. Sure, you won’t see every museum and every gallery, but you can definitely see the main sights and do quite a few tourist attractions like Miniatur Wunderland or Chocoversum as well as take a few tours like a boat or Beatles tour.
The Hamburg Card can save you money. Since you are cramming a lot of things into a short period of time. The Hamburg Card can be a good way to get free entry into lots of attractions as well as reduced entry to others.
Weekend In Hamburg: FAQ
Below are some questions related to spending a weekend in Hamburg, along with my answers.
Yes, Hamburg is very good for a weekend trip. You can see all of the city’s sights as well as visit many of the attractions in 2-3 days, meaning a weekend in Hamburg makes for the perfect trip.
Spend a weekend in Hamburg by seeing the sights, taking a boat tour and visiting some of the most popular attractions. It’s possible to see a lot of what Hamburg has to offer for tourists in a short period of time so a weekend is a good amount of time.
You can fit a lot into a small amount of time. You can definitely see main sights like Elbphilharmonie, St. Michel’s Church and more as well as visit the main attractions like Miniatur Wunderland and Chocoversum.
As a lot of things are closed in Hamburg on a Sunday, you’ll want to go to the most popular tourist attractions, as these are still open. Miniatur Wunderland and Chocoversum to name two that are still open on Sundays.
Weekend In Hamburg: Conclusion
And there you have it, a complete guide to spending a weekend in Hamburg.
The city has lots to offer, but you can fit more than enough of it into two or three days.
It’ll be a weekend not to forget! Make sure to follow my tips to make the most of your trip.
Enjoy your time in Hamburg, it’s an extraordinary city 🙂
