My 15 Favorite Things to Do in Hamburg, Based on 4 Visits

I have visited Germany in general almost 10 times now, and I’ve been to several cities—big and small—across the country. This includes the three biggest ones: Hamburg, Berlin, and Munich. Of these, I can say with confidence that Hamburg is my favorite. 

Maybe the reason I like Hamburg so much is because it reminds me a bit of Scandinavia, where I now live. I managed to visit the city while I was still living in the UK, and now that I’m based in Copenhagen, it’s incredibly easy to take the train whenever I want an international weekend trip. Besides being an open-minded city, I love how Hamburg has a bit of everything. 

Even though I’m not a big drinker, Germany’s second-biggest city is the one place where I can’t say no to its nightlife. Beyond that, the overall atmosphere just clicks with my personality. You’ll find plenty of good places to eat, too, along with some cool architecture from different eras.

Besides my several visits to Germany, I have been to Hamburg itself four times now. I have every intention of coming back multiple times in the future, and based on my experiences, I’m putting together this detailed guide with my top things to do in the city. I have tried each of these myself, and I actually left out quite a lot of other recommendations because I didn’t quite feel like they made the cut. 

I’ve included something for multiple kinds of interests, whether you’re visiting as a solo traveler, with friends and family, or as a couple. The main reason why is that I’ve been to Hamburg for several kinds of trip types, and I therefore know that everyone has different needs and preferences.

1. Take a Boat Cruise Around the Harbor and River

The River Elbe is a big part of Hamburg’s personality, and I cannot believe that it took me until my fourth trip to finally get out onto the water. Better late than never, though, I guess. After not getting around to taking a boat tour on any of my previous trips to the city, I did that on a winter trip with some of my family. 

We took a 1.5-hour boat cruise, which went around the Speicherstadt and the River Elbe. The tour was in German, so I didn’t understand any of the commentary, but I didn’t really care as I was mainly there for the views. Even though it was a chilly day in January, or maybe because of that, I had fun. 

Besides going through the Speicherstadt and around the harbor area, we passed many of Hamburg’s most iconic buildings. One of these was the Elbphilharmonie theater, which I personally think is the coolest building in the city. We also got to see many of Hamburg’s churches, and even though it was “only” an hour and a half, we actually saw quite a lot. 

The church itself is quite interesting; today, you’ll see the remains of the building that was destroyed during World War II. You can walk around this part for free, but to access the tower’s observation deck, you need to buy a ticket. You can do this from the ticket office. 

From St. Nikolai Kirche, you can get some great views toward the City Hall, in particular. Beyond that, you can look out to the river and see some of Hamburg’s other nearby churches. I found it easier to take photos of sunset in the direction of the river, but I have to say that many of my pictures were quite flat when looking toward the City Hall, but there’s always next time, I guess. 😅

3. Go for a Walk or Run Around Binnenalster and Außenalster

Binnenalster and Außenalster are the two main artificial lakes in Hamburg’s city center, and they remind me a lot of The Lakes in Copenhagen. Each time I’ve been in Hamburg, I have gone for a walk around them. If you walk around both of them, you can do so in around three hours. You could do it in less, but let’s be honest… you’ll probably want to stop for photos on the way. 😛

Außenalster is much bigger than Binnenalster, which is the closest to the city center. From Binnenalster, you can get some really nice views toward the City Hall and also see some of the other spires in Hamburg. The areas around Außenalster are much less busy, and I quite enjoyed seeing the many different sides of Germany’s second-biggest city. 

If you want to bring your training gear, I can also recommend going for a run around these lakes. The loop is around six miles long, and if you ask me, it’s the perfect way to start the day before going out to explore. I went in the winter, and if you do that… you’ll want to dress up warm, let’s just say that. 

Coincidentally, most of the times I’ve been to the Speicherstadt have been when it’s raining. I’ve still had a good time, though, so it’s very much worth seeing even if the weather doesn’t play fair. Which, to be honest, it probably won’t for most of the time in Hamburg anyway. Plus, if it gets too much, you can always pay a visit to the Speicherstadt Museum. 

5. Take Your Own Architectural Walk in Hamburg

If you’re a fan of architecture, Hamburg is a great city for you, in my opinion. The city has a mixture of buildings from the Hanseatic era, along with newer buildings that have sprung up in the past 30-40 years, and plenty in between as well. It sometimes looks a bit chaotic, to say the least, but it works. 

Since Hamburg’s architecture is so diverse, one of my favorite things to do is see it all. Even if I have seen it multiple times, it’s still fun. For example, you’ll find more modern buildings in the HafenCity district, which itself isn’t too far from the Speicherstadt. Elsewhere, you’ll find canals that look like you’ve been transported to a different time altogether. 

Rather than following any particular route, I’d recommend just going for a walk in whatever place takes your curiosity. I would say, however, that the City Hall is a must-see. This is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, and since it’s so easy to reach, there’s no excuse not to. 

I also think that the Heinrich Hertz Tower looks quite cool, even though you can’t go inside. That said, it does look more interesting from afar than when you go up close. The Chilehaus is worth your time, too, and so are the Gotenhof and Sprinkenhof buildings. I personally also like the Der Spiegel headquarters, though it’s a bit polarizing. 

6. Visit Miniatur Wunderland

While Miniatur Wunderland is mainly something that’s popular with kids, I still think it’s worth seeing even if you don’t have your own. I first went here on my initial trip to Hamburg, and since then, I’ve had the privilege to go back and refresh my memory. It’s a great activity if you happen to be in Germany’s second city on a rainy day—which is highly likely—and usually when I go there. 

Miniatur Wunderland is basically what the name suggests. At this museum, you’ll see several places around the world in miniature form. It’s incredibly creative, if you ask me, and also quite interactive. I think that the Scandinavian section looks cool, unsurprisingly, and the Italian and Austrian parts were also pretty interesting. 

7. Check Out the Portuguese Quarter

On my third trip to Hamburg, my girlfriend and I were randomly on an evening walk and looking for some food. We ended up at the Portuguese Quarter (Portugiesenviertel), which I have to say was a very pleasant surprise. Since I am a big fan of Portuguese cuisine and culture, the area was a nice place to spend some time. 

The architecture is very much “Hamburg” and not “Porto”, but the main reason to go here is for the number of Portuguese bars, cafés, and restaurants. When we came here, it was heaving it down with rain to the point that even I—someone who loves rainy weather—started to think “ngl we should probably go inside somewhere”. 

In the end, we went to a nice place called Cafe Sul (Google Maps location here 📍). As you should always do whenever you go to a Portuguese restaurant or café, we of course got pastel de nata. If you’re asking me, pastel de nata is in the top five pastries on the planet.  We stayed here for a few hours, and it was a really cozy way to spend the evening. 

If you’re looking for meals, Cafe Sul offers that, too. You can always try out a few different places if you’re feeling hungry, too. But in general, the Portuguese Quarter is one of my favorite areas in Hamburg, and it’s worth spending some time in when you visit. 

8. Go for Brunch at Mit Herz Und Zucker

I hate the word “brunch”, but you came here to read Hamburg travel tips and not my personal annoyances. Either way, it is a useful word and I very much like the concept. We went to Mit Herz Und Zucker on a previous trip to the city; it was very close to our hotel, and it had good ratings, so we figured that it would be worth our time. I can confirm that it was indeed worth our time. 

The main thing I liked about this café was that the food was fresh. We got a mixture of main dishes and some pastries on the side, along with coffee. It was the ideal way to start our day before going out and walking 20,000+ steps around Hamburg. It’s a little bit outside the city center, but you can easily get here on the U-Bahn. Lübecker Straße Station is a short walk away. 

Mit Herz Und Zucker is incredibly popular, and we had to wait in quite a lengthy line outside. So, I recommend arriving as early as possible and being prepared to stand for a long time. You may also want to bring an umbrella. 😄

9. Try the Cinnamon Buns at Zeit Für Brot, Altona

Despite having Zeit Für Brot on my list of places I’d like to visit on one trip, I never got around to it. Thankfully, I had the chance to right that wrong later. The long wait was worthwhile, let’s just say that. 

10. Get More Views of Hamburg at St. Michael’s Church

If you were going to ask me what my favorite church in Hamburg is, I would a) wonder why you were asking such a specific question, and b) say St. Michael’s Church. I really, really like the architectural style; it feels a bit Scandinavian, but also European. The views from the top are also pretty good. 

I’d recommend St. Michael’s Church mainly for the views of the river and port area. You’ll also see toward St. Pauli and Rotherbaum. I have been here twice, and on both occasions, I was—besides the people I was traveling with—the only person on the observation deck. 

11. Grab Some Beers at ÜberQuell

I was recommended to go to ÜberQuell by a German friend of mine, and trusting his judgment was a good idea. While we originally wanted to go here for dinner and drinks, there was sadly an issue with the kitchen when we went. Still, we stayed for some beers before getting dinner elsewhere.

ÜberQuell is in St. Pauli and within walking distance of the fish market and riverfront. As usual, I went for a stout, and I can confirm that it was very good. You’ll find numerous other beers on the menu, and there’s quite a lot of space for seating, too. 

12. Visit the Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall

I briefly spoke about the Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall earlier, and besides seeing it from afar, the building is well worth actually going to. Even if you don’t actually watch a concert, it’s a cool place to visit. Both tourists and locals go here, so it’s pretty busy, but I still think you’ll enjoy your time here. 

From the observation deck here, you can get some excellent views of the river and port area. You’ll also see toward St. Michael’s Church and various other parts of Hamburg. You can either get tickets online or when you arrive at the ticket booths.

Tickets used to be free if you bought them there until October 2026, but now you need to pay a fee. Even though it’s no longer free to visit, I still think the views from the plaza are worth your time. While the queues moved quickly when I was there on both occasions to buy tickets, purchasing them in advance makes more sense if you know you want to go. 

If you’d like to see a performance, you can check what’s going on here. To get to the concert hall, you can take the U-Bahn to Baumwall and walk from there. 

13. Take a Walking Tour in the City

One of my favorite things to do in a new city is to take a walking tour to get my bearings, and when I visited Hamburg for the first time, that is precisely what I did. Even though I wasn’t so bothered about meeting other people on the tour, it was a great way to get my bearings with the city. Hamburg is interesting in the sense that it’s pretty big but also not particularly large, and once you have a basic introduction, it’s much easier to get around. 

Besides figuring out how to navigate Hamburg (and where things are), I think that walking tours are great for learning more about the place you’re visiting. When I took a walking tour in Hamburg, I felt like I had a much better understanding of Germany’s second-biggest city and its complex history. 

You can join multiple pub crawls in the city, and I think it’s worth doing at least once. I went on a pub crawl that offered access to different bars, along with a club. We also got free shots, and it was a fun way to spend a cold January evening. I then got on a four-and-a-half-hour train after one hour of sleep the morning after, which I can’t say I recommend too much 🤣. 

Breakfastdream is in the Rotherbaum district, and I went here on a trip to Hamburg with some of my family. My sandwich tasted amazing, and the portion sizes were pretty generous. We also had some cakes, which were pretty good as well. 

All of My Top Things to Do in Hamburg in One Place

Whether you’re visiting for a weekend or going somewhere else in Germany/Europe after, Hamburg is a great place to spend a few days. The city has some excellent food, along with lively nightlife and lots of interesting architecture. It’s a place I love coming back to, and I think it offers something different from other German cities. 

Despite being expensive by German standards, Hamburg is reasonably priced compared to many other cities—especially those a bit further north. You can have a good time without spending a huge amount of money, and there’s something for all types of travelers.