One day in Hamburg

Day by day

1. Day 1: Elbphilharmonie and Plaza and Speicherstadt

   Elbphilharmonie and Plaza, Speicherstadt, Miniatur Wunderland and Harbour boat tour and ferry 62, then Reeperbahn and Beatles-Platz in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Elbphilharmonie and Plaza

      Plaza tickets on the day are free at the entrance; book a timed slot online for a small fee if you visit at weekends. Allow 1 hour (Plaza).

   2. Late morning

      Speicherstadt

      Walk it at dusk, when the warehouses are lit and the canals reflect the lights. Allow 1–2 hours.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Fish sandwich

      Kiosks along the Landungsbrücken, the Sunday fish market and fishmongers across the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Miniatur Wunderland

      Plan at least three hours; the detail is enormous and children rarely want to leave. Allow 3–4 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Harbour boat tour and ferry 62

      Smaller barge tours can enter the Speicherstadt canals at high tide; larger boats cannot. Allow 1–2 hours.

   6. Evening

      Reeperbahn and Beatles-Platz

      Explore the side streets such as Hamburger Berg and Große Freiheit for live music and bars.

Before you go

• Elbphilharmonie and Plaza: Concert tickets sell out months ahead; check the official site for returns and less popular dates.
• Miniatur Wunderland: Reserve a timed entry online, especially for weekends and school holidays.

If it rains

• Swap in St. Michael's Church (Michel) (Neustadt): Combine it with the Krameramtsstuben, a courtyard of 17th-century almshouses just around the corner.
• Swap in Hamburg City Hall (Altstadt): Join a guided tour of the interior; tours in English run on most days when parliament is not sitting.
• Swap in Hamburger Kunsthalle (St. Georg): Head straight to the Caspar David Friedrich room before it fills.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 8–13 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 7.5 hours in December to 17 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Metro. Four U-Bahn lines and the S-Bahn network connect the centre with St.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Hamburg
• 3 days in Hamburg

Questions travellers ask