Hamburg TOP 10

8:00 - 10:00 a.m. (open only on Sundays)

Every Sunday morning, the Hamburg Fish Market by the Elbe attracts thousands of visitors, night owls and early birds alike! You could just have breakfast, or you could also buy your first souvenir of Hamburg here. The Fish Market has way more than fish to offer, is a market full of life, a whole variety of different vendors and the atmosphere of a festival. 

10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Explore the most important German port and take a harbour cruise for about 25 €. If you would like me to, I can come with you on your boat tour and translate for you. The captain usually only entertains his guests in German. 

Alternatively, I offer what I call my Hamburg Crash Course - a harbor bike tour on rented bicycles. 

On this tour we will follow the path of the development of the Port of Hamburg, from its origins to the present. We’ll start in the Historic District (Old Hamburg, Altstadt), at the first port used in the early Middle Ages (9th c.), go on to the Alster Port of the Hanseatic period (beginning in the 12th c.), inspect the Inland Port (Binnenhafen, beginning in the 14th c.) and move on to the Low Port (Niederhafen, beginning in the 16th c.).  

From there we will cross the Elbe through the Old Elbe Tunnel, a technical sensation built in 1911. On the south shore we will experience the exciting contrasts of modern Hamburg.

On the one hand, we will see the musical theater complex found on this side of the port, home to The Lion King and Pretty Woman. Alongside these structures are perhaps the most beautiful views of the harbors edge, as the north bank of the Elbe is referred to.

On the other hand, we will take a route off the beaten track and away from the regular tourist scene, to explore the everyday life of the cargo ships, cranes and the docks. Adjacent to this part of the harbor we will see the world of houseboats and perhaps the hottest social focal point of the city. 

The Hamburg Crash Course bike tour ends with a visit to the Speicherstadt (the old warehouse district of Hamburg) and a look at the postmodern architecture found in Hafen City. Travel Distance: 20 kilometers. Duration: 3-4 hours. 

11:00 - 12:00 a.m.

Saint Michael's is Hamburg's most beloved landmark, and likely the most beautiful baroque church in all of northern Germany.  

While there I will tell you the history of the crypt and church. For 5€ you can visit to the observation deck (a height of 109 meters) and enjoy a wonderful 360° view of the Elbe and harbor area. The climb to the top takes about 12 minutes, or of course you can take the elevator, and on a good day you can see up to 15 km. From there I will show you the sights of the city from the sky. 

As we leave the church I will show you the neighborhood around the Michel, the Krameramtsstuben (Grocers' Apartments), significant because the oldest row houses in the world are found there. The small timber-framed houses made in the 17th century were home to the widows of Hamburg merchants. 

12:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Historic Hamburg reveals how man, history and nature have mutually influenced each other over the course of time. 

I will show you here the historical architecture of the St Nikolai Memorial, the Old Port and the last ancient town houses built in the 17th and 18th centuries.

To round off the experience on this part of the tour we can have lunch in one of the oldest restaurants in Hamburg (12.30 a.m. - 1.30 p.m.).

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Next we'll go to the Speicherstadt, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.

Even though it's called a "Stadt", which means city, it was never actually an independent city, but rather the largest warehouse complex in the world combining the practical with beautiful, seen in its architecture.

After that we'll be off to the latest, most modern and futuristic district of Hamburg, the HafenCity. It is considered the largest urban redevelopment project in Europe by landmass.

Hamburg has set here new standards of architecture (keywords: historicism, super modernism, reflexive modernity). 

Its main landmark, the Elbe Philharmonic Hall, is one of the most acoustically advanced concert halls in the world.

Curious about my recommendations for after our rickshaw tour? Visit Miniatur Wonderland - the largest model train track set up in the world, or dive off into the International Maritime Museum and get the full story on old and modern ocean travel.

Enjoy a tea tasting at Wasserschloss, a cup of hot chocolate at Chocoversum or a coffee at Dialog im Dunkeln (Dialogue in the Dark).

Make sure to order tickets to any of these events in advance!

3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

In 2015 the Kontorhausviertel also became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On the one hand it embodies the greatest brickwork expressionism created, on the other hand it is the economic counterpart to the Speicherstadt.

Here we will visit the buildings that housed the largest businesses in Hamburg during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Here we will see such locales as the Chilehaus, the Sprinkenhof, and the Levantehaus, all buildings which showcase the influence trade had on Hamburg's history and architecture.

We’ll discover the oldest work of art in Hamburg and go underground to see the foundations of city—the exact place where Hamburg began.

Then we will head over Mönckebergstraße to City Hall, a castle-like building complex that is still the primary seat of Hamburg's government today.

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Unpretentiously elegant or exclusive and luxury? Sporty, vintage and hip?

Timelessly hanseatic or maybe you prefer preppy? Hamburg’s best shopping addresses promise you the ultimate shopping experience. With an enormous choice of brand names and endless freedom, you can shop as long as your credit cards can take it.

Be it the already mentioned and frequently visited Mönckebergstraße, the historic Colonnaden, connecting the inner city, the Opera and the Botanical Gardens, the Passagenviertel, the five shopping passages with Flagship Stores under their rooves combined, or the Neue Wall, these all belong to the one of the Top 10 luxury shopping centers in all of Europe. Every neighborhood in the inner city of Hamburg has its own charm, its own character, each calling out to different kinds of people, so there is something for everyone.

I will accompany you on your Shopping Tour, not just to find that perfect something you’ve been looking for, but also to tell you about the background of what makes Hamburg’s shopping miles special. 

5:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Time for tea. In the sea of flowers, that is the Old Botanical Gardens, we will relax from our shopping joys with a Japanese tea ceremony by the calm of a small pond.

Further physical relaxation can be found by visiting the tropical greenhouse at the university. Entrance is free of charge in both locations.

Want some further recommendations for what to do while visiting here in the summer months? Take your better half on a romantic visit to the lake in the park for a Water-Light-Concert. These concerts are a combination of lake-fountain-displays, light show and classical music. They take place every evening at 10 pm until August and after September at 9 pm. Bring a picnic, or maybe just some wine, but make sure to bring a blanket to sit on, and come early to get a good spot. There can be crowds, especially on beautiful summer nights.

6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Time for dinner.

This district is a hip neighborhood, a laboratory of different subcultures. Its revolutionary past is still seen in its present, in the squatters and the burning of cars.

We’ll dive into Hamburg’s highest concentration of hipsters, Bobos (bourgeois bohemians) and radically free thinkers. We’ll girl- and boy-watch, and see popular recreation of traditional consumer and counterculture practices. 

Keywords: Neighborhood market, Vinyl Records, Urban Gardening, Eco Fair Fashion, Streetfishing, Public Coffee Roasting and Craft Brewing. Biking in their path, following the footsteps of all revolutionaries of the 21 st century, the rickshaw is both environmentally friendly an a technical breacktrough. I would happily take you to a local bar or an innovative restaurant.

9:00 p.m. - open end

The Red Light District. The immense temptation. This is where we bring light to the economic underbelly and criminal underground. - If you so desire, I will ensure that you enjoy the pleasures of life to the fullest in this, one of the most well known neighborhoods of Hamburg and still get back to your accommodations safe and sound.