Hamburg is the perfect city for a short break or weekend getaway, but with so many fun things to do, it’s easy to feel a little lost as to what you should do with your little time. In this Hamburg guide I share my 48-hour itinerary so you’ll know exactly what to do in Hamburg. Those of you heading to Hamburg soon will also be happy to hear that you will be able to download my guide to Hamburg as a free printable!
I spent exactly 48 hours in Hamburg, give or take a little time to get to and from the airport, and found that a little research of what to do and see in the city went a long way. My friends and I definitely made the most of our limited time there, and when I got on the plane back to Norway I knew the weekend had been a success. I want you to feel as if your weekend in Hamburg is just as fruitful, and hope this guide will help you achieve just that!
// My trip to Hamburg was sponsored by the Come to Hamburg project
Heading to Berlin as well? Don’t miss the best things to do in Berlin at night or this itinerary for 3 days in Berlin!
I was invited to explore Hamburg by Come to Hamburg and was extremely excited to do so. They hooked me up with some fun activities, but also allowed me to browse and find things to do on my own. The perfect weekend, I’d say. While visiting Hamburg I was surprised at all the things I learned and never knew. For example, did you know that the Beatles lived in Hamburg for a while?
The first thing you need to make sure you have is the Hamburg Card. The card allows you unlimited travel within the Hamburg city limits, which is absolutely genious.
We had our Hamburg cards ready for the weekend, which saves a lot of time purchasing tickets before each tube or bus ride. In addition, the Hamburg card gets you a 50% discount on lots of famous Hamburg attractions!
Side note: it also allowed us to focus all our time on pronouncing some of the insane street names. See the photo above and try saying Kellinghusenstrasse fast 5 times.
There are also a bunch of other benefits to the Hamburg Card, such as discounts to restaurants, museums and musicals.
Table of Contents
Guide to Hamburg in a weekend
Below I will share a 48-hour Hamburg itinerary, so you’ll be able to spend the perfect weekend exploring Hamburg. If you are heading to Hamburg anytime soon, I’d love for you to let me know in the comments below if this Hamburg guide was helpful!
I’ve included some of the best things to do in Hamburg, and my favourite places to eat and drink.
Please also note that this itinerary can be pushed according to your arrival and departure time. The schedule below is based om my flight times, but the whole Hamburg itinerary will be fine if you have an earlier or later flight. It can all be done in 48 hours, trust me.
If you want to visit Hamburg on a budget, here are some of the best hostels in Hamburg!
Day 1 in Hamburg
Getting from the airport in Hamburg to the city center
First things first. When arriving at the airport in Hamburg, you’ll be happy to hear that you can take the S-bahn straight to the city center! Route S1 departs from the airport every 10 minutes during the day, and takes you straight to the city center in less than half an hour!
If you have made sure to get the Hamburg Card in advance, you can just jump on the train without worrying about tickets.
14:00-15:00 – Hotel check in
After arriving at the airport, head to your hotel for check-in. Spend a little time freshening up, depending on how long your travel time was, and get ready to head out for lunch.
During my latest trip to Hamburg, I stayed at the Ruby Lotti Hotel & Bar, and absolutely loved it. The room was small, but very cleverly designed to make the most of the space, and I had a view of the canal below! My favourite thing about the hotel was their dedication to sustainability, and you get the option to trade your housekeeping services for a free cocktail in their (impressive) bar! Safe to say, I opted for the cocktail.
Haven’t booked your hotel yet? Have a look at some great hotels in Hamburg, or perhaps check out this list of unique boutique hotels in the city.
15:00 – Lunch and drinks at Bok (followed by champagne at Petite Tortue)
This is a chain of restaurants serving Asian cuisine, where you are bound to find something you enjoy. Whether you like sushi, pad thai or chicken tikka, you’ll find a favourite at Bok. There are several throughout the city, which also makes it easy to head for lunch.
After lunch, head to Petite Tortue for some champagne! This beautiful champagne bar is located just a short walk from the Ruby Lotti hotel.
Looking for an alternative place to eat? Here’s a great Hamburg restaurant guide!
17:30 – Miniatur Wunderland
Miniatur Wunderland is the world’s largest model railway, and if you (like me) think that this is ‘just a train’ – think again! You can literally spend hours walking around the 2 floors (seriously!) looking at all the fun, little details to be discovered. They have created extremely true-to-life worlds portraying several European countries and areas (Scandinavia included!).
In the information booklet you receive at the entrance you’ll find some of the extra special details to look out for throughout the exhibition. We went a little crazy looking for ‘corpse in the water’ and ‘couple having sex in flower field.’ So no, not everything was rated PG!
Miniatur Wunderland is open every day of the year, and you can find more information about their prices and opening hours here.
20:00 – Dinner in the Sternschanze neighbourhood OR at XO Seafoodbar
Sternschanze is an extremely cool and laid-back neighbourhood where you are bound to meet some locals and get to know the *real* Hamburg. So if you are looking to relax, have some great food and see what true ‘Hamburgers’ are up to, this is where you’ll want to make sure to eat. Head to Käpt’n Ahab for the best sweet potato fries in town!
A little south of the Sternschanze neigbourhood you will find XO Seafoodbar (just a stone’s throw from the apartment where the Beatles lived during their time in Hamburg). If you are a seafood lover, this is not a restaurant to be missed!
After dinner – Drinks at the Reeperbahn
If you’re up for it after dinner, head to the Reeperbahn, also known as the world’s most sinful mile. This is where you’ll find most of Hamburg’s restaurants, bars and nightlife, and you are bound for a wild time.
Just off the Reeperbahn you’ll find Hamburg’s Red Light Districts (I didn’t even know they had one until I arrived!). This includes the infamous Herbertstraße (pictured below), where women aren’t allowed to enter! My friends and I found this extremely peculiar and still insisted on having a tiny peek inside, though.
Day 2 in Hamburg
10:00 – Enjoy a late hotel breakfast
Depending on how late the evening before was, head to breakfast whenever you feel like it. You have all day today to explore, so might as well enjoy the best type of breakfast in the world; buffets.
12:00 – Head out for some sightseeing
Head to the St. Pauli neighbourhood, or simply back to Sternschanze for a stroll. Walk around, take in the urban vibes around you and see what you can find along your way. Do make sure to grab a pretzel, out of all the things to eat in Germany, this is a staple!
13:00 – City Bus Tour with Die Roten Doppeldecker OR Boat Ride on the Alster Lake
After using your feet for a couple of hours, you’ll want to sit down. But it’s too early to end the sightseeing! Head to St. Pauli Landungsbrücken 1-2 to get your tickets to the tour of the city with Die Roten Doppeldecker, plug in your earphones, sit back and relax. There are several daily departures, and you are bound to learn something about the city!
Another alternative is to head on a lovely boat ride on the Alster, letting you gawk at some of the beautiful homes along the city.
14:30 Lunch at Hobenköök
Hobenköök is both a market hall with loads of local and regional items for purchase (I was drooling in the wine aisle for a long time before I had to admit defeat – I was travelling hand-luggage only), and a lively and busy restaurant. Head to this unique place for lunch, and bonus points if you walk there (a great way to explore the city)!
16:00 – Beer Tasting Tour with Alternative Hamburg
This is the good stuff. Can you really go to Germany and not have beer? I think not.
Alternative Hamburg took us on a fun beer tasting tour around the city, and we got to try so. much. beer. This is especially hilarious since I actually don’t drink beer (my fellow wine ladies, raise your hands! I much prefer drinking German or Austrian wine). All the beer was finished, however, and I ended up discovering a few sorts that I actually enjoyed! My friend Ida is a proper beer lover, on the other hand, and she sailed through the whole tour on a pink cloud of foam.
There are plenty of cool walking tours to join in Hamburg, depending on whether you are a beer lover or not. There’s even a bike tour for those who find walking to be a bit slow.
20:00 – Dinner at Heimat
There are several great restaurants in Hamburg, and a quick TripAdvisor search will show you the vast options you have when heading for dinner in the city. Whether you are a lover of Italian food or sushi, you are bound to find a new favourite restaurant in Hamburg.
Heimat serves traditional German food with a modern twist (and also Austrian and Swiss dishes), and is a great option for dinner. They also have an extensive wine menu, which you know I loved. Their menu changes with the season, and during our visit we got to sample several of their amazing dishes. My favourite was definitely the Käsespätzle – a German pasta dish with local cheese!
22:00 Post dinner drinks at Puzzle Rooftop Bar
You can’t miss after-dinner drinks when you are in a city like Hamburg, and at Puzzle Rooftop bar you can take in all the views of the city. Their cocktail menu is innovative in both recipe and presentation, and you’ll have a great time exploring all the options.
Day 3 in Hamburg
07:30 – Early breakfast to get the most out of the day
Your last day in Hamburg is not the day to sleep in, so make sure you get up and get out as soon as you’ve had your breakfast. It’s time to do some more exploring!
09:30 – Chocoversum
The Chocoversum is basically a chocolate museum, where you’ll be taken on a guided tour at set times throughout the day. Make sure to check in advance so you know what time the English tour is, but you can also participate in any of the guided tours using your own guidebook. The guidebooks can be borrowed (for a deposit) or purchased.
13:00 – Harbour Boat Tour with Barkassen Meyer
After walking around the Chocoversum for a little while, it’s time for some more city sightseeing – this time by way of water! Going on a Harbour Boat Tour of Hamburg is a great way to relax while still taking in the sights of the city. One huge plus of the tour; they serve alcohol onboard.
14:30 – Explore Ohlsdorf Cemetery
If you still have some time before you have to head to the airport, spend an hour before lunch exploring the Ohlsdorf Cemetery. This is the world’s largest rural cemetery and the world’s fourth largest cemetery. There is lots to see, so if you are into this kind of thing (like I am), it’s worth a visit!
16:00 – Hamburger at Better Burger Company
You can’t go to Hamburg and not have a hamburger, so I’ve saved this for last. At the Better Burger Company, they really do serve a better burger. Once you’ve picked your style (simplicity is key here, your choices are beef, vegetarian or chicken), you get to pick your sauces and toppings – as if you were at a frozen yoghurt shop!
17:00 – Head to the airport
I’m afraid the weekend has come to an end, and it’s time to leave Hamburg and head home. Hopefully this guide has made your weekend a little easier!