Things to do in

Hamburg Metropolitan Region

See Hamburg’s harbor-side attractions from a unique perspective, float past impressive container ships, and discover the historic Speicherstadt District aboard a 1.5-hour cruise featuring live commentary from a German-speaking guide and an exclusive stop at the iconic Elbphilharmonie. Start your harbor adventure on land as you cross the famous "Überseebrücke" bridge to reach the pier where you will board a traditional Hamburger boat referred to as a Barkasse. Listen as your captain decides on which route the boat will take based on weather conditions, the water tides, or, if for example, a really exciting and interesting container ship or a special boat is visiting the harbor. Set off and glide into the narrow waterways of the largest warehouse district in the world known as Speicherstadt. Take in the stunning architecture of buildings standing on timber-pile foundations and oak logs. Sit back and relax as you go past Hafen City. Explore the open decks and feel the cooling sea breezes as you wait for perfect photo opportunities from the boat’s many vantage points. Cruise past rows of massive container ships as the boat makes its way into St. Pauli’s Pier and the Hamburg Port. Learn the history of the many important landmarks from your German-speaking expert guide. As your trip comes to an end, disembark right in front of the Elbphilharmonie or you can choose to get off back at where the cruise initially took off.

Discover Hamburg’s wild side on this sex and crime walking tour in the St. Pauli district. Hear interesting anecdotes and details from your guide about the lives and loves of the red light district as you visit its legendary spots. On your tour visit the “Zur Ritze” bar and learn how it got its name. Head down to the boxing club in the basement, where Mike Tyson and the Klitschko brothers trained. Find out where the famous local boxer disappeared to and why so many celebrities come to this rustic bar. See how women can walk down Herbertstrasse, and learn about the Nutella gang and its rivals, the GMBH gang. Discover who controls St. Pauli, who was the godfather in the neighborhood, and how the legal system works here. Find out if Jack the Ripper or someone similar was in Hamburg, and get entrance to a premier show club at the end of the guided tour.

Enjoy a guided tour on the double-decker Line A sightseeing bus in Hamburg. Travel along the Speicherstadt (warehouse city) and harbor city to the shopping areas of the town. Gain valuable insights into the city and its history. Hop aboard with your day ticket that enables you to hop on and hop off at 20 bus stops. See the wonderful villas in Harvestehude, the Outer Alster lake, the city hall, museums, the famous Reeperbahn, and the harbor. Get information in your own language with a GPS steered audio system that offers crystal-clear narration in 11 languages via headsets. Lean back and enjoy the all-around view. In nice weather, the bus goes open top to allow you unobstructed views.

Enjoy the unique maritime flair and colorful crowds at the Port of Hamburg on this daily cruise that loops the docks. Thanks to your guide, learn about the history of the port and the city and take an exciting ride through the locks. Discover this gateway to the world up-close onboard a little ship, equally suited to a fleet. Find out just how huge the Port of Hamburg, the second-largest port in Europe, is. Hardly another city in the world is so tied to its port; Hamburg truly developed because of it. The most important sights and the skyline are inextricably linked to it. Experience the contrast between past and present, commerce and culture, the little fishing town along the Elbe, and the state-of-the-art container complexes. You'll also learn about the sinful stretches and fish market, old cutters, and massive cruise and container ships. Our onboard guide provides live commentary in German. For commentary in other languages, please download the 'Rainer Abicht' app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app offers audio tours of the harbor cruise in six different languages.

Are you ready for the ultimate goosebump experience in October only? In the temporary additional show ‘The Exorcism’, you'll experience the eerie rituals of the 18th century up close - exclusively from 01 October until 31 October. An empty sanatorium, an exhausted clergyman and a possessed woman who embodies all that is evil awaits you. Step into the gruesome scenario in which the line between good and evil becomes blurred. Who will face the final exorcism?  The Hamburg Dungeon brings the darkest period's of the city's history to life in an entertaining way. The state-of-the-art special effects and professional actors provide a very special kind of live entertainment. The live actors step into historical roles and take you on a journey through 600 years of Hamburg's murky past in interactive shows. The visitor attraction in the historical Speicherstadt district presents thrilling live shows based on true stories and offers plenty of action on 2 fun rides. Visitors can embark on an unusual journey on the "Elevator of Doom". You can also discover the dark years of the Plague or try to save the pirate Klaus Störtebecker from execution. Among other unfriendly hosts, the torturer welcomes suspicious villagers inside his Chamber of Torment. Defend yourself before the mercy of the inquisition and face the revenge of a restless spirit - with a twinkle in the inquisitor's eyes and the opportunity for lots of fun. At the end of the journey, the lucky survivors will take a seat in Hamburg’s unique freefall tower to escape the depths of the dungeon – good luck…

Experience Hamburg's Harbor by the evening light on a traditional barge. Take a romantic round-trip voyage through the Hamburg Harbor and enjoy a cozy atmosphere with the illuminated silhouette of the city as your backdrop. Travel through the historic Speicherstadt (depending on the tide) and along the impressive illuminated container terminals. Hear interesting stories of the harbor's history with live moderation from the captain, while relaxing with a drink. Alternatively, pick one of the special tours that take place only occasionally. Choose the special Queen Mary II cruise to accompany Queen Mary II at the Cruise Terminal and then follow her along the River Elbe. During the boat ride, learn all about the ship from the professional guide. Or, celebrate the Anniversary of Hamburg Harbor onboard a traditional barge. Watch the opening parade to the festival unveil, as the weekend of celebrations will then follow.

Experience Hamburg's Red Light district with Reeperbahn experts on a guided tour of the St Pauli area. Encounter people like Udo Lindenberg’s legendary bodyguard, Eddy Kante, or iconic Red Light bouncers like Fabian Zahrt. Meet drag queens, like Barbie Stupid, or local historian, Doc Eva Decker. Experience a guided walking tour through St. Pauli featuring the perfect mix of information, entertainment, sinful stops and sights, and a crazy sightseeing show. Pass by the world-famous Herbertstraße and the Davidwache police station, or visit a BDSM dungeon or a sex shop. Learn more about the rich LGBTQ+ heritage of the area, and gain an insight into legendary clubs and celebrity hotspots. Depending on the option selected, each tour will have a slightly different focus and route, where you'll be guided by a true local expert.

Embark on a roundtrip evening cruise from the historical and romantically-illuminated Speicherstadt through the Hamburg harbor's sea of light. Enjoy a boat tour through the Speicherstadt canals and discover the highlights of Hamburg from the water. Learn about the history behind this intriguing city. See the Zollkanal, Wasserschloss, and the International Maritime Museum, and cruise along the modern HafenCity, the newest district in the Hanseatic city. See the HafenCity University, the Marco Polo Tower, the Elbe Philharmonic Hall, and the panorama of the district.  Catch a breathtaking view of St. Pauli Piers all the way to Überseebrücke with the museum ships Rickmer Rickmers and Cap San Diego. Sail through the port's sea of light again and witness the activity around the container terminals.

Enjoy a guided tour of the Chocoversum in Hamburg and discover the entire process of making delicious chocolate. Taste the chocolate at every stage of its journey and become a chocolate maker as you craft your own bar to take home with you. Meet your guide and follow the cocoa beans on their exciting journey from cultivation to the finished chocolate bar. Sample the exquisite delicacies at every stage of production. Experience how the delicate glaze and the fine taste develop into the end product. Absorbs the sights, smells, and sounds of creating delicious sweet chocolate throughout the entire process. Discover all of the production steps and taste the chocolate at multiple points throughout. As your tour comes to an end, become a chocolatier and try your hand at creating your own delicious chocolate bar to take home with you.

Enjoy a unique city tour with the traditional night watchmen around the largest entertainment and red-light district in Europe. Your German-language guide will meet you at the Landungsbrücken and showcase all that St. Pauli has to offer. Your guide will take on the role and uniform of the original St. Pauli night watchman, who represents the notorious district of Hamburg. He will discover the Große Freiheit ("The Great Freedom”) with you. Satisfy your curiosity and learn all of the local secrets. Hear about what it's like inside the Davidwache Police Department, how the rope-making industry carved out the path the Reeperbahn, Joe Cocker's incident, the mysterious Herbertstraße, and legendary stories involving Paul McCartney.