
Well, let me do the hard work and plan the best day for you! You can just relax, follow this list, and see exactly what Hamburg has to offer. (Which is a lot!)
I’ve spent a total of 4.5 months in Hamburg so far (1.5 in the spring and 3 in the fall) so I’ve gotten around to exploring the city quite a bit. And, I had some help – I made friends with some locals and expats who showed me some insider spots, as well!
Here’s how I’d recommend spending one day in Hamburg:
BONUS: START YOUR DAY AT THE FISCHMARKT!

It usually lasts until about 9/10AM if you don’t want to get up THAT early, but you miss all the fun shouting! In the early morning, lots of vendors will be yelling about the items they’re selling and prices at the tops of their lungs to eager buyers who then bid on them. It’s quite exciting, from what I’ve heard (unfortunately I am team #SleepIn and arrived around 8AM).
Don’t forget to grab a fishbrötchen (one of Hamburg’s specialities) if you eat fish. There are lots of fun fruit and veggie baskets for purchase, too, as well as other non-food items.
BREAKFAST

If the weather is not so nice (which can be typical for Hamburg), you can grab breakfast at Café May. I really enjoy their buffet style breakfast, and you have to try a Franzbrötchen (a traditional Hamburg breakfast pastry that looks like a squished croissant, but tastes a little like a cinnamon roll). I’m not the biggest fan, but that’s mainly just because I don’t really like cinnamon rolls to begin with haha. But other people rave about them!

There are multiple locations, so I’m sure you’ll find one near you no matter where you’re staying. They also have plenty outside, too, if it’s a nice day and you want to go anyway!
Other great breakfast spots include Pauline, Café Johanna, and Balz und Balz (lol about the name on that last one, but I’ve heard it’s quite delicious LOL).
SEE SOME TRAINS AT MINIATUR WUNDERLAND

Let me start this off by saying I was not at all excited to go to Miniatur Wonderland. I was convinced (dragged) by my German friend. I’m really not a train person – I do love miniature things, but I just kind of thought it would be a bunch of miniature railroads or something…Like can’t I just look at photos online?
Well, this place far, FAR exceeded my (admittedly very low) expectations. I would highly recommend it!


It also gets dark for a few minutes every 20 minutes or so and all the lights in the cities come on! They even do it gradually, so it really feels like you’re going from day to sunset to night to sunrise. It’s really really cool.


But even if you don’t, it just makes the whole thing really fun! I ended up spending about 2 hours there, but could have easily spent 3.
SEE A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE

The buildings are all constructed in a neo-gothic style of brick architecture along the Elbe river. Be sure to also stop by the Wasserschloss (water castle) for a beautiful view!
GET THOSE VIEWS IN


LUNCH

StrandPauli is a really cool city “beach” bar with actual sand! And lounge chairs! They serve food and drinks, and you have a pretty view of the harbor, too.
WANDER THE LANDUNGSBRÜCKEN HARBOR AREA


ELBE TUNNEL

It basically connects Hamburg with other docks and shipyards on the other side of the river, which made things very convenient for local workers living on the north side of the Elbe River. And it was a HUGE DEAL because it’s built under the river, which was very difficult to do at the time it was built in 1911.
TAKE A WALK OR A PADDLE

If you end up paddling around and are there in the spring/early summer, you’ll see LOTS of ducklings and goslings about. I was even lucky enough to see some Coot chicks (my first time and I just about died from excitement). Tons of cool nests, too!

There’s also a cafe you can actually paddle up to, and order right from your boat! This is in the northern section of the Alster’s tributaries, called Café Canale, but I also thought that area was the prettiest, as well. So, if you have time to go all the way up there – I absolutely recommend it!
DINNER
There are SO MANY good places to eat in Hamburg that you really can’t go wrong! Burgerlich is cool, and yes, they have veggie options!
Or, if you want some traditional German food, I’ve eaten at and liked Hatari (multiple locations). You can also check out Hofbräu House, which I’ve heard is cool although quite touristy. It’s set up to look like traditional German beer tents like you’d find at Oktoberfest! I unfortunately haven’t tried a ton of strictly German restaurants, as I’m a vegetarian and they often have mostly meat meat and more meat!
Then, if you’d like to go out and grab drinks, here are my recommendations:
SKYLINE BAR 20UP


I got the Piña Colada and it did not disappoint 😉
REEPERBAHN
Afterwards make your way over to Reeperbahn! You have to see it at least once – it’s basically the Vegas of Europe IMO (I found it similar to Amsterdam’s red light district, but without the legal shrooms and “coffee shops”.). It’s located in St Pauli, known for being the party district. People also sometimes call it “Kiez” which is a German word for a neighborhood. But solo female travelers, don’t fear – even though it’s a huge party spot, I also find it to be really safe.
You’ll also find Europe’s biggest sex shop, called the Boutique Bizarre, on Reeperbahn. It’s pretty unique, that’s for sure.
For going out, I love Sommersalon. I find they have good music and fun vibes. I always end up there when I go to Reeperbahn. Thomas Reed Irish Pub is also pretty cool, just because it’s HUGE. There are so many different rooms to check out!
Make sure to get an Astra beer, if you haven’t already! It’s brewed in Hamburg and so quite famous there. I’m not a huge beer drinker, but I do really enjoy an Astra. Plus alcohol in Germany is stupid cheap. I also really like the half lemon half beer ones, known as “Radlers” and sold under the name Astra Kiezmische. It tastes a little like Sprite and beer mixed together! Mixing lemon/soda with beer is quite popular here, and you can even get something called a “wine schorle” or wine and carbonated water or lemonade!
Although Hamburg allows open containers (SO weird for me to wrap my head around coming from the US), know that there are no open glass containers allowed in Reeperbahn! You can have plastic ones, but no glass. And that’s JUST in the Reeperbahn – everywhere else, glass is fine!
SOFA BAR


If Sofabar isn’t your thing, not to worry – there are PLENTY of bars to choose from nearby! Other popular ones are Katze (although I have yet to figure out why – apparently they have really great drinks? However, I tried one and it tasted like any old drink to me…but it’s always sooo CROWDED), Goldfischglas is another popular one.
Also, be aware that many bars will charge about €1 extra for your glass (as people will often just take them home, which is totally fine!) So, if you don’t want to keep the glass, be sure to go up to the bar and return it after you’re finished with your drink!
***BONUS!! CHRISTMAS MARKETS

- City Hall Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt) – One of my favorites as it is beautifully decorated, and is the most traditional, but it gets CROWDED and is probably the most expensive.
- Jungfernstieg Christmas Market (AKA “White Magic” or Weisser Zauber) – This one was pretty, as it was on the water, but the booths were white tents, not really cute booths like the City Hall or Ottensen Christmas Markets. It’s also the coldest as it’s right on the water.
- Fleet Christmas Marekt (Fleet Weihnachtsmarkt) – This was my least favorite. The booths were just tents and it was the smallest of the markets I attended.
- St. Pauli Christmas Market (Santa Pauli – lol get it, “Santa Pauli”) – This one is good if you want to party or just be entertained by some, well, interesting booths (it’s in the Reeperbahn area and is nicknamed ‘The Horniest Christmas Market”). There’s also a free strip club. So, there’s that. We pretty much just walked through it just to see it.
- Ottensen Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt Altona Ottensen) – I loved this one! It’s Scandinavian themed so it has cute red wooden booths everywhere. It was also surprisingly big (it’s not wide but it’s pretty long) and felt very festive.
Takeaway? My favorites were the City Hall and Ottensen Christmas Markets; the St. Pauli one is cool to at least see; then go to the others if you have time.
For more info on Christmas Markets in Hamburg, including hours, opening dates, and location, go here.

HOW TO GET AROUND

You can download the HVV app to find trains or just use Google Maps. However, I’ve found that Google Maps is sometimes incorrect as it doesn’t update with closures or late trains. I’d definitely recommend getting the app (although I admit I’ve been using Google Maps most of the time until recently haha, but I was never in a hurry to get anywhere so I didn’t mind waiting…)

You do have to do a €5 deposit when you first sign up, but the first 30 minutes of each ride is free and there are stations all over the city! So, it’s quite worth it even if you only use it for a day, IMO.
WHERE TO STAY

AirBnb’s are few and far between, and can be quite expensive in Hamburg! I’ve been lucky enough to mostly stay with friends or have found house sits there. Personally, my favorite areas to stay would be:
- Sternschanze – Cool alternative scene, lots of bars, restaurants, and cute shops; very hipster
- Altona/Ottensen – Nice area, a little quieter, but still has good connection to the rest of the city
- Jungfernstieg – This is near the harbor and where all the shopping is; I’d stay here instead of near Hauptbahnhof as it’s a little nicer (but will also be pricier)

I house sat for someone in Sternschanze for 3 months and loved it. While it’s known for being a bit of a party area, I would often take the train there and then walk home alone late at night and never felt unsafe.
So, while I haven’t actually stayed at any of these places myself, based on their location and reviews here’s what I’d recommend:
- BUDGET: Backpacker’s St. Pauli is a hostel with great reviews and is located between Sternschanze and Reeperbahn, and easily walkable to either location. I’ve also biked/walked past the hostel many times myself (it was on the route to the gym I joined haha), and can attest that it’s a safe area. And, while it’s in the middle of two party places, its actual location is quiet!
- UNIQUE: Want to see what staying on a ship is like? Try out Das Feuerschiff! While I haven’t personally stayed here myself, it sure looks cool! The food was rated really well, as were the views of the Elbphilharmonie and harbor in the dining area.
- TRENDY: East Hotel has really cool interiors and a beautiful looking courtyard! It’s located near Reeperbahn, so ideal if you’d like to experience some night life.
- MID-RANGE: Hamburg is not known for being cheap, but Hamburg Room will give you pretty good value for your money. It’s kind of close to Hauptbahnhof so not my FAVORITE place, but if saving money is what you’re after, this is a good option!

Want to see why I love Hamburg so much? Check out my other Hamburg-themed post, Why You Need to Visit Hamburg (Like, Now)!
Hamburg looks like such a lovely city! That shot of the Docklands office building at sunset is stunning! I love that there are canals you can paddle around! So cute!
It really is! I think people often go to Berlin over Hamburg (at least those I know from the US) but I think Hamburg is prettier and has more to offer (just my opinion, of course!) The canals were so fun – I hope I get to do it again next spring 🙂
I never knew there were so many things to do in Hamburg! Speicherstadt is so picturesque, although it is sad that people had to leave their homes. Hamburg is definitely a place I’d like to explore in the future!
Right, I wouldn’t have either had it not been for a house sit I landed there. I’d highly recommend it!
Oooh this looks like a fab way to spend your time in Hamburg! I do love the city, but I missed most of this (oops!!) I looove the look of Miniatur Wunderland. The details are brilliant!
Yeah there’s a lot to do! I was lucky enough to have friends as my guides or else I wouldn’t have seen it all, either, haha. And yeah I was so impressed with Miniatur Wunderland – definitely didn’t expect to like it as much as I did.
Wow Hamburg looks lovely. Would love to go there before Christmas next year! Love the restaurant that looks like the inside of a train, would love to go there!
Yes it’s such a cool city! And yeah, Miniatur Wunderland is awesome 🙂
Love all the info about Hamburg Kelsey! The miniature museum actually looks pretty cool! Mini Venice looks awesome!
Looks like you had a great time and got to explore some pretty fun places! I feel like Hamburg probably has some great Christmas markets as well.
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 And yes, it was so cool haha. I would happily visit again!
Yes, the Christmas markets are SO GOOD! I’m already counting down the days until next year lol.
Hamburg has many beautiful parks it has so many of them, that the city is known as one of the greenest cities in Europe (Hamburg in one day)
Yes, absolutely! I really, really enjoyed all the parks 🙂