Things to Do in Hamburg
Explore Hamburg’s rich history and iconic sights on this free walking tour. We'll see the Speicherstadt district, the Elbphilharmonie, and St. Michael’s Church!
• Relive true, chilling stories as you watch live shows with special effects.
• Enjoy close encounters with pirates, ghosts, and dark historical figures from the past.
Welcome to Hamburg, a city shaped by water, trade, and an unbreakable spirit of resilience! This is where history and modernity coexist, making it a magnet for merchants, travelers, and dreamers alike. With its bustling port, historic canals, and stunning architecture, Hamburg is truly unique. From the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Speicherstadt, which echoes with the whispers of ancient merchants, to the stunning Elbphilharmonie, a modern marvel redefining the skyline, this city seamlessly blends past and present.
Join us on the Hamburg Old Town Tour for an unforgettable journey through 1,200 years of history, from the time of Charlemagne to the vibrant port city of today. Here are some of the highlights you'll experience:
- The Rise and Fall of Hamburg : Relive the city's glory days as the heart of the Hanseatic League and discover how it recovered from the Great Fire and World War II.
- Little Venice : Stroll along the picturesque canals of the Alster and be captivated by its beauty.
- The impressive City Hall : An architectural masterpiece that will leave you breathless.
- The most important churches : Explore the majestic churches that have witnessed the city's history.
- The Kontor Houses : Symbols of Germany's economic boom and its role in world trade.
- St. Nikolai World War II Memorial : A poignant reminder of difficult times.
- Deichstrasse : A street full of charm and nostalgia that will make you feel like you've stepped into a fairy tale.
- The Elbphilharmonie : The city's new icon, a must-see, with stunning views and modern architecture.
- St. Michael's Church : Hamburg's former symbol and the best vantage point for spectacular views of the city.
Join us for an unforgettable experience in the historic heart of Hamburg! Please note that groups of 8 or more are not permitted on the free tour. For larger groups, please consider booking a private tour by visiting our website at www.robinandthetourguides.de.
• Enjoy live, captivating commentary in German led by the expert skipper, or take advantage of the readily available downloadable audio guide.
• Glide past the Elbe Philharmonic Hall and the historical Speicherstadt and admire the colossal vessels docked at the Blohm and Voss shipyard.
• Whether you prefer to start in the heart of the harbor, venture south to the container terminals, or head straight to the Speicherstadt, there's a perfect cruise for you.
• Did you know? Hamburg was once a pirate haven. Check out the statue of the city’s most famous pirate, Klaus Störtebeker, at the maritime museum.
Shaped by water, trade, and resilience, Hamburg is a city like no other. With its bustling harbor, historic canals, and striking architecture, it has long been a meeting point for merchants, travelers, and dreamers. From the UNESCO-listed Speicherstadt to the futuristic Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg blends past and present seamlessly. But beyond its landmarks, the city has fascinating stories to tell—join our Hamburg walking tour and hear them all!
This 2-hour 15-minute tour starts at the Lessing-Denkmal (Lessing Monument) on Gänsemarkt before taking you along the scenic Alster Lake, a spot that has inspired poets and painters for centuries. We’ll walk down Deichstraße, Hamburg’s oldest street, and explore the Speicherstadt, the world’s largest warehouse district. You’ll visit the haunting ruins of St. Nikolai Church, a reminder of wartime destruction, and see how Hamburg has transformed with a visit to HafenCity, a sleek modern waterfront district. The tour ends at the spectacular Elbphilharmonie, an architectural masterpiece offering breathtaking views over the city.
Hamburg is a city of contrasts—where history and modernity collide. This tour offers the perfect mix of culture, architecture, and fascinating stories, making it ideal for first-time visitors and returning travelers alike.
Tour Highlights:
✔️ Rathaus (Town Hall)
✔️ Alster Lake
✔️ St. Nikolai Church
✔️ Deichstraße
✔️ Speicherstadt (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
✔️ St. Michael’s Church
✔️ HafenCity
✔️ Elbphilharmonie
✔️ …and much more!
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Welcome to Hamburg! If you're ready to leave the typical tourist trail behind and dive headfirst into the city's most electrifying district, put on your comfy shoes! It's time to explore Hamburg's alternative side!
Come discover the secrets of St. Pauli with our guided tours in English or German. Our guides will take you on a journey through the harbor and the famous red-light and party district. Get ready to discover a world of artists, anarchists, political activists, dreamers, misfits, prostitutes, refugees, and former sailors. They're all part of the colorful cast of this unique neighborhood!
Imagine this: Hamburg's port, a bustling gateway to the world for centuries, has seen it all: sailors with sea legs, merchants with dreams, and immigrants with stories that have shaped the soul of this city. And just a stone's throw away is St. Pauli, the neighborhood that never sleeps, where dock workers once ruled the streets and the legendary Reeperbahn became Hamburg's very own "Sinful Mile."
Our tour highlights include:
- Landungsbrücken : Where millions of emigrants left to start a new life in the New World!
- The Fish Market : Discover how the sale and auction of fish turns into an incredible party!
- Hafenstrasse : Relive the history of the occupations of the 1980s!
- Alternative urban development : Park Fiction, a place for debate, protest, and community!
- The famous Reeperbahn : Learn about Hamburg's "most sinful mile" before heading back to the party later!
- Grosse Freiheit : Where the liveliest clubs are!
- Beatles-Platz : How and where the Beatles became famous in the 60s!
- Davidwache : Hamburg's most famous police station!
But wait, there's more! St. Pauli isn't just wild nights and neon lights. Oh no, it's a place where history takes a rebellious turn. Imagine young men from Liverpool, known as The Beatles, playing their songs in smoky clubs, unaware that they would soon conquer the world. St. Pauli influenced their style, and they gave it a place in rock history.
And let's not forget the St. Pauli spirit: this place has heart, determination, and a whole lot of attitude. It's where activism meets community, where resistance is as much a part of the culture as music and fun. So, if you're ready for a tour that's as informative as it is entertaining, join us. Let's explore the stories, sounds, and soul of Hamburg's most iconic district.
This guided tour is available in English and German. Groups of eight or more people must book a private tour with us and cannot participate in the public tour. To book a private tour, please visit our website at www.robinandthetourguides.de. It's going to be an unforgettable experience!
• Get insider details about the buildings in the company of an expert English or German-speaking guide.
• The tour includes a visit to the plaza from where you will be able to bask in brilliant views of Hamburg.
• The tour lasts for about 1 hour but still covers all the important sights of the Elbphilharmonie and you can upgrade your ticket to include scrumptious French rolls & coffee or Störtebeker beer!
• Did you know? The Elbphilharmonie is not only a concert venue and a hotel but also a residential building. There are a total of 44 luxury apartments in Elphi!
Starts every hour at 11:00 am (Italian) and 1:30 pm (German); duration approx. 90 minutes (one hour)
The nearest S-Bahn station is Stadthausbrücke, accessible with lines S1 or S3.
The tour is a walk in the park (so we walk), even if it rains 😀.
Start Michaelisstrasse 5 Hamburg-Neustadt (in front of the statue of Emperor Charlemagne, which stands in front of the Catholic church Kleiner Michel - Sankt Ansgar, the church is on the opposite side of the main road from the Großer Michel).
Then we go along Erste Brunnenstrasse to Großneumarkt, then continue along Alter Steinweg towards the town hall.
The tour ends at the Petrikirche corner of Domstrasse.
We will meet Saint Ansgar more often and explore some parts of the history of this settlement (Hammaburg to Hamburg) using special “traces”.
Let yourself be surprised!!!
• Watch the movement of cranes and container ships in the bustling harbor from a spacious barge or passenger ship with an open deck, as live German commentary tells you about the port’s history.
• Glide past the Elbphilharmonie, with its shimmering glass facade and striking sail-like design, and HafenCity, Hamburg’s lively waterfront urban redevelopment project..
• For a glimpse into Hamburg’s maritime, opt for the cruise that takes you through the narrow canals and centuries-old warehouses of the UNESCO-listed Speicherstadt, also known as the ‘Venice of the North’.
New from May 2025
We start our walk through the history of Hamburg’s Speicherstadt at the birthplace and nursery of Hamburg’s port,
Take a critical look at the founding charter of our port and discover one or two contradictions.
Afterwards we continue our tour towards the Elbphilharmonie, admiring the great history of the place where this building stands today.
We look at how the port changed during industrialization in the 19th century.
And how the movement of goods was revolutionized in the 20th century.
We delve into the Speicherstadt, into the red brick canyons and the history of its workers and employers, clarify what Westphalia has to do with Hamburg and why workers lived in a castle there.
We find out what barge pushers, barge captains, winch keepers and coffee readers actually did and why there are coffee barons and Persians in Hamburg.
At the end you can enjoy the most beautiful view of the Speicherstadt with a coffee.
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New from May 2025
You start our walk through St.Georg at the forecourt of the Trinity Church, where St.Georg was founded,
find out how St. George got its name.
Take a journey between the light and shadow of humanity.
Why there were and are marginal tax revenues, real estate speculation ruins social peace.
Find out why tolerance and helpfulness have a long tradition at St. Georg.
Hearing about dreams, castles in the air and nightmares for Hamburg's city planners.
Get an insight into the history and present of Hamburg's LGBTQ movement, take a journey between Orient and Occident.
Learn about the most modern hospital of its time and how AIDS changed society.
a journey through over 800 years of district history.
• Enjoy admission to landmarks such as Elbphilharmonie and Speicherstadt with free access to public transportation like trains, buses, subways, and harbor ferries.
• Choose from a 1/2/3/4/5-day Hamburg CARD to visit as many attractions as you like while taking your time.
• With the Hamburg CARD, spare yourselves the trouble of printing out tickets **by downloading the free Hamburg app** and instead avail of the benefits directly from your phone.
We start our walk through Hamburg's Neustadt in front of Dammtor station near the Wallanlagen and take a trip to Hamburg's oldest green space.
There, in this peaceful urban idyll, we explore the military past of this park and its importance for Hamburg's rise to a metropolis on the Elbe.
We look at Hamburg's urban planning in the 18th and 19th centuries and talk about the housing shortage then and now.
Explore the consequences of these wrong decisions, admire the visionary urban planning of the post-war period and the result of the last Gängeviertel renovation.
We will talk about what it takes to be a Hamburger and to be able to call yourself one.
Looking at the bourgeoisie and their privileges,
the arrogance of Hamburg politics.
The opportunities for advancement of rich and poor in 19th-century Hamburg.
I'll tell you about two well-known people from Hamburg whose life stories couldn't have been more different.
We'll break down Hamburg clichés and have a conversation about Hamburg originals and the story behind these "model citizens" with you.
Come with me through the New Town,
into the small town in the big city with all its contrasts.
