Where to stay · Hamburg · Germany
Where to stay in Hamburg
8 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Frank Nocke, CC BY 3.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Altstadt and Neustadt. City Hall, Jungfernstieg and shopping streets beside the Binnenalster. Best alternatives — families: HafenCity and Speicherstadt; budget: St. Pauli; nightlife: St. Pauli.
Key facts
- First visit
- Altstadt and Neustadt
- Families
- HafenCity and Speicherstadt
- Budget
- St. Pauli
- Nightlife
- St. Pauli
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Altstadt and Neustadt | City Hall, Jungfernstieg and shopping streets beside the Binnenalster |
| Families | HafenCity and Speicherstadt | Brick warehouses, canals and new waterfront architecture around the Elbphilharmonie |
| Couples | HafenCity and Speicherstadt | Brick warehouses, canals and new waterfront architecture around the Elbphilharmonie |
| Budget | St. Pauli | Reeperbahn neon, harbour piers and the city's football club |
| Luxury | Altstadt and Neustadt | City Hall, Jungfernstieg and shopping streets beside the Binnenalster |
| Nightlife | St. Pauli | Reeperbahn neon, harbour piers and the city's football club |
| Food lovers | Sternschanze and Karoviertel | Alternative cafés, street art and independent shops north of St. Pauli |
| Solo travellers | St. Pauli | Reeperbahn neon, harbour piers and the city's football club |
| Shopping | Altstadt and Neustadt | City Hall, Jungfernstieg and shopping streets beside the Binnenalster |
| Quiet stays | Altona and Ottensen | Former fishing and industrial suburb turned café quarter near the Elbe |
Hamburg neighbourhoods in detail
$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping and luxury
Altstadt and Neustadt
Hamburg's commercial centre runs from the Hauptbahnhof along Mönckebergstraße to the neo-Renaissance City Hall and the Jungfernstieg promenade on the Binnenalster. Hotels range from grand lakeside addresses to business chains, and the Speicherstadt, St. Michael's Church and the Landungsbrücken are 15–20 minutes' walk away.
- Good
- Central for sightseeing and shopping; Excellent U-Bahn and S-Bahn links; Alster boat piers on the doorstep
- Watch out
- Quiet and corporate in the evening; Expensive lakeside hotels
- Nearby
- Hamburg City Hall, Jungfernstieg, Binnenalster, Hamburger Kunsthalle
$$$ · Best for first-timers, families, culture and couples
HafenCity and Speicherstadt
The 19th-century Speicherstadt warehouses hold museums, coffee roasters and Miniatur Wunderland, while next door HafenCity is a modern district of glass offices, apartments and promenades ending at the Elbphilharmonie. Hotels here are mostly new and well equipped, with harbour views.
- Good
- Walk to the main harbour sights; Modern hotels with water views; Quiet at night
- Watch out
- Can feel sterile after dark; Fewer neighbourhood restaurants
- Nearby
- Elbphilharmonie, Miniatur Wunderland, Internationales Maritimes Museum Hamburg, Speicherstadt
$$ · Best for nightlife, solo travellers and budget
St. Pauli
St. Pauli runs from the Landungsbrücken piers up to the Reeperbahn, Hamburg's famous entertainment mile of clubs, theatres and bars, and the Beatles-Platz. Away from the main strip it is a lively residential area, and the Sunday fish market and Elbe tunnel are close by.
- Good
- The city's nightlife on your doorstep; Close to the harbour and ferries; Good-value hostels and hotels
- Watch out
- Noisy and rowdy on weekend nights; Litter and red-light scene around the Reeperbahn
- Nearby
- Reeperbahn, St. Pauli Piers, Elbe Tunnel (1911), Hamburger Fischmarkt
$$ · Best for food lovers, nightlife, budget and solo travellers
Sternschanze and Karoviertel
The Schanzenviertel around Schulterblatt and the Karolinenviertel around Marktstraße are Hamburg's creative quarters, with Portuguese cafés, vintage and design shops, bars spilling onto the pavements and the squatted Rote Flora theatre. It is young, informal and well connected by U-Bahn and S-Bahn.
- Good
- Lively bar and café scene; Independent shops; Good value for food and drink
- Watch out
- Few hotels; Crowded and noisy on summer weekends
- Nearby
- Sternschanze, Planten un Blomen, Messe Hamburg
$$ · Best for first-timers, budget, nightlife and solo travellers
St. Georg
East of the Hauptbahnhof, St. Georg combines the café-lined Lange Reihe, the centre of Hamburg's LGBTQ+ scene, with a stretch of the Außenalster shore. It has many hotels at every price, though the streets right next to the station feel rougher.
- Good
- Next to the main station and airport train; Good restaurants on Lange Reihe; Walk to the Alster
- Watch out
- Area around Steindamm and the station feels gritty; Busy traffic on main roads
- Nearby
- Außenalster, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg Hauptbahnhof
$$ · Best for food lovers, families and quiet stays
Altona and Ottensen
Ottensen's narrow streets around Ottenser Hauptstraße are full of cafés, small restaurants and boutiques in old factory buildings, and the Altonaer Balkon looks over the river. The Elbe beach at Övelgönne and the fish market are a walk away, and Altona station has direct trains towards Sylt and Kiel.
- Good
- Neighbourhood feel with good food; Close to the Elbe beaches; Less touristy
- Watch out
- About 15–20 minutes by S-Bahn from the centre; Limited hotel choice
- Nearby
- Övelgönne, Hamburger Fischmarkt, Altonaer Balkon
$$$$ · Best for luxury, couples and quiet stays
Uhlenhorst and Rotherbaum
The elegant districts on the Außenalster's shores have 19th-century villas, consulates, boutique hotels and lakeside cafés with sailing-boat views. The 7-km path around the lake is popular with runners, and the University quarter in Rotherbaum adds cafés and bookshops.
- Good
- Calm, leafy and safe-feeling streets; Lake walks and boat rentals; Upmarket boutique hotels
- Watch out
- Expensive; Quiet in the evenings
- Nearby
- Außenalster, Planten un Blomen, Hamburg Dammtor station
$$$ · Best for families, food lovers and quiet stays
Eppendorf and Winterhude
North of the Alster, Eppendorf and Winterhude are prosperous residential districts with Art Nouveau streets, canal-side cafés and the Isemarkt, a long covered market beneath the elevated U-Bahn. The large Stadtpark with its planetarium is close by.
- Good
- Local, leafy atmosphere; Excellent markets and cafés; Parks for children
- Watch out
- U-Bahn ride to the main sights; Few hotels
- Nearby
- Isemarkt, Stadtpark, Außenalster
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Altstadt and Neustadt | $$$ | Hamburg City Hall, Jungfernstieg, Binnenalster, Hamburger Kunsthalle |
| HafenCity and Speicherstadt | $$$ | Elbphilharmonie, Miniatur Wunderland, Internationales Maritimes Museum Hamburg, Speicherstadt |
| St. Pauli | $$ | Reeperbahn, St. Pauli Piers, Elbe Tunnel (1911), Hamburger Fischmarkt |
| Sternschanze and Karoviertel | $$ | Sternschanze, Planten un Blomen, Messe Hamburg |
| St. Georg | $$ | Außenalster, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg Hauptbahnhof |
| Altona and Ottensen | $$ | Övelgönne, Hamburger Fischmarkt, Altonaer Balkon |
| Uhlenhorst and Rotherbaum | $$$$ | Außenalster, Planten un Blomen, Hamburg Dammtor station |
| Eppendorf and Winterhude | $$$ | Isemarkt, Stadtpark, Außenalster |
Getting to your hotel
Hamburg Airport is about 9 km north of the centre; the S1 S-Bahn reaches the Hauptbahnhof in about 25 minutes. A taxi takes about 25–35 minutes depending on traffic.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Hamburg for first-time visitors?
Altstadt and Neustadt. Hamburg's commercial centre runs from the Hauptbahnhof along Mönckebergstraße to the neo-Renaissance City Hall and the Jungfernstieg promenade on the Binnenalster.
+Where should families stay in Hamburg?
HafenCity and Speicherstadt: Walk to the main harbour sights.
+Which area of Hamburg is best for a budget stay?
St. Pauli ($$): Reeperbahn neon, harbour piers and the city's football club.