Are you planning one day in Hamburg and want to make the most of your short stay? Then look no further! I’m lucky enough to call northern Germany home, and one of the even luckier ones who can visit one of Germany’s hippest cities, Hamburg, with regularity.
During my one-day trips, I’m always looking for exciting new activities to make my 24 hours as memorable as possible. And with a city like Hamburg, this is never a difficult task.
This blog post is here to provide you with an exciting itinerary, so that you can experience all that one of Germany’s coolest cities has to offer, taking advantage of the free walking tour, enjoying the spectacular views from Elbphilharmonie Plaza public viewing platform or savoring a delicious fish roll at Brucke 10 – this one day in Hamburg will be full of fun activities. So get ready for a memorable 24 hour adventure!
Table of Contents
Hamburg Walking Tour
Pro tip 💡: If you happen to be starting your one day in Hambur early on a Sunday morning, you have to check out the St Pauli fish market! From 5am every week, you’ll find a wide variety of fresh seafood, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and other goods. The market is known for its lively atmosphere, with live music, street performers, and vendors hawking their wares.
The morning kicks off with the fish auction, which attracts large crowds of visitors who come to watch the bidding and purchase fresh fish directly from the sellers. Another popular attraction is the variety of food stalls that sell a range of traditional German breakfast dishes.
In addition to the food and goods, the market is also known for its unique atmosphere and the many characters that can be found there. It is a place where locals and visitors alike come to socialize and soak in the good vibes, making it a true icon of Hamburg’s cultural scene.
From my experience, a walking tour is one of the best things you can do when you only have limited time in a city. It’s a great way to get your bearings, quickly learn where all the best tourist attractions are, and learn lots of history and insider tips along the way.
Unfortunately, my usual go to Sandemans is not running in Hamburg at the moment (though check their website just in case it’s back on when you read this!). However, Robin and the Tour Guides offers a fantastic alternative with their Historic City Centre free walking tour.
Over two hours, your guide will take you through one of the oldest parts of the city and some of its main attractions. The guided tour includes stops at some key historical sites, such as St. Michael’s Church, one of the oldest and most important churches in Germany, and St. Catherine’s Church and Monastery which dates back to 1240. You’ll also see a number of other landmarks from different periods, including some from World War II.
As you make your way around these historic sites, your knowledgeable guide will provide an in-depth look at Hamburg’s history, from its beginnings as a fishing village in the 13th century to its growth into one of Europe’s chief trading ports and major industrial centers in modern times. The tour does not just delve into the past though; it takes in some of the city’s most iconic modern landmarks too.
This includes visits to Chilehaus, one of Germany’s most famous buildings due to its unique brick architecture; Elbe Philharmonic Hall – one of Hamburg’s flagship cultural projects that has won numerous architectural awards since opening in 2017; and a stroll along one of Hamburg’s many canals for spectacular views over the city skyline.
Alongside all this you will get an insight into daily life in Hamburg today with stops at many popular parks, squares and markets where locals come together for festivals or just to enjoy simple pleasures like an evening drink or snack together on a summer night.
Tours run every single day in both English and German and meets in a convenient location just outside Hamburg city hall (just look out for the yellow umbrellas). Though it is advertised as free, it’s of course customary to give your guide a tip that you believe reflects your tour experience.
Prefer to explore Hamburg from the water? Check out my post: The 6 Best Hamburg Boat Tours (For English Speakers)
Elbphilharmonie Plaza (Public Viewing Platform)
Visiting the Elbphilharmonie Plaza in Hamburg is a great place for any first-time visitor! Located 37 metres above ground level, the Plaza offers sweeping views of the historic Speicherstadt warehouse district, the River Elbe and parts of HafenCity. It’s the perfect spot to get some photos from your one day in Hamburg.
Apart from the breathtaking views, visitors to the concert hall can explore a varied program of musical events, including concertos, workshops and children’s concerts. For one day, however, a visit to the plaza will probably have to do!
It’s possible to get free tickets for the plaza on the day you visit, but as the free tickets are designed to regulate the number of people, it means that you might be in for a long wait. Just to give you a sense of how busy it can get, the Elbphilharmonie Plaza has a comparable yearly number of visitors to the Sistine Chapel!
If you don’t mind paying a small amount and getting a guaranteed timeslot, tickets for individuals or small groups of up to 6 people cost €2 (definitely recommended if you’re only visiting Hamburg for one day). Groups of 7 people or more cost €6 per ticket and must be booked at least one day in advance. Plaza Tours cost €10 per ticket and can be booked online or at the Ticket Shops in the Elbphilharmonie and Brahms Kontor. The Plaza is open to everyone from 10:00 to 24:00 daily (last admission 23:30).
Get your Elbphilharmonie Plaza tickets here: Plaza Tickets
Miniatur Wunderland
If you’re only in Hamburg for one day, you shouldn’t miss a trip to one of the city’s highest rated attractions.
This miniature world encompasses over 1,500 square meters and features detailed reproductions of real-world locations from around the world. Made up of nine different sections, Miniatur Wunderland displays an incredible level of detail with over 219,000 tiny citizens and detailed landscapes that include countless moving parts to create highly realistic scenes.
Visitors can explore places like the Netherlands’ flower fields, the Swiss Alps and even Antarctica! The experience is made extra special with features such as night lights which light up certain regions of the miniature city. Not only that but visitors can also get a birds eye view of all the action thanks to several hidden cameras strategically placed throughout the area.
Miniatur Wunderland also features several large-scale interactive attractions such as a water lock and an avalanche tunnel. Visitors can also control the model trains, planes, and boats with a hand-held remote.
One of the largest attractions of its kind in the world, Miniatur Wonderland really is something to behold for kids and adults alike. This attraction is very popular, so it’s definitely recommended to buy tickets in advance. Adult tickets cost €20, with tickets for children under 16 setting you back €12.50 (children smaller than 3 feet tall go free).
Get your tickets here: Miniatur Wunderland.
Brücke 10
After all that walking you’re bound to be peckish, so it’s time to stop off for lunch at Brücke 10. Brücke 10 in Hamburg is a popular, informal fish restaurant located on the St. Pauli-Landungsbrücken, a series of footbridges near the harbor that connect the Elbe river with inland areas of Hamburg.
It’s a long way down (perhaps unsurprsingly, on bridge number 10), sso I probably wouldn’t have discovered it on my own, but it was recommended to me by our walking tour guide as the place to get some of the best ‘fischbrotchen’ in the city.
Northern Germany is known for its ‘fischbrotchen’, or fish rolls, typically made with bread, fish, onions, and sometimes pickles, remoulade, creamy horseradish sauce, ketchup, or cocktail sauce.
Commonly, it is made with bismarck herring or soused herring, but other varieties of fish can also be used, such as Brathering, Rollmops, European sprat, salmon, smoked Atlantic mackerel, and fried Atlantic cod.
At Brücke 10 you’ll find a wide variety of delicious, fresh fish rolls to enjoy in its casual surroundings. Inside has a maritime feel, with whitewashed wooden seating and tasteful decorations, while if the weather is good you’ll want to find a seat on the terrace and enjoy the view out over the water.
If you don’t mind spending a little extra, I’d recommend trying the ‘Krabbenbrötchen’, a crispy roll absolutely packed with succulent shrimp. However, if you want to give it a try but aren’t a huge fish fan, then give the ‘backfisch’, it’s a white fish fillet deep fried in breadcrumbs, and doesn’t have quite as strong a flavour as some of the other options on offer.
Whatever you choose, you should wash it down with a cold bottle of Astra Urtyp, a mild, refreshing beer brewed right in the heart of Hamburg.
St. Michael’s Church
St. Michael’s Church (“Michel” to the locals) is one of the most iconic and beloved places of worship in Hamburg, Germany, and I recommend heading back to it after seeing it on your walking tour.
Located on St. Michael’s Square in the Neustadt area, the spot where St. Michael’s Church now stands has seen its share of trouble. A lightning strike and then a catastrophic fire centuries later destroyed the first and second churches that were built on this site.
This Protestant church was originally built in the 12th century as a Romanesque-style church, but was later reconstructed in the 19th century in the Gothic Revival style that you’ll see standing today. St Michael’s is regularly listed among Northern Germany’s most beautiful churches and important landmarks, famous for its baroque design as well as its interior adorned with stuccos, frescoes and red marble altars. The interior also boasts five different organs, and in the crypt below, 2,000 people have found their final resting places.
St Michael’s is the tallest church in Hamburg, standing at 132 metres, and its distinctive copper roof and church bell can be spotted far across the city. If you fancy getting another great view over Hamburg you can even walk the 453 steps (or get the lift!) to the observation deck at 82 metres.
I’ll be honest, I couldn’t quite face heading up to the top, so while I waited for my travel partner I sat and enjoyed a glass of wine outside Gibbon Deli and Cafe, right opposite the door to St. Michael’s. Though some reviewers have complained about the service, I found my waiter to be very friendly, so I guess it might be luck of the draw as to who is working that day. At any rate, it’s an ideal place to sit for half an hour or so and rest your legs.
St Michael’s is open daily from 9am-7.30pm (May-September), 9am-6.30pm (October and April), and 10am-5.30pm (November-March). To go inside, the church asks for a donation of just €2, though you’ll have to buy tickets if you want to climb the tower, visit the crypt or check out the exhibitions.
Just bear in mind that the tower and the crypt have slightly different opening times, so take a look at the website first to make sure you won’t be disappointed.
Planten un Blomen Park
If you need a bit of a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, then it’s well worth making your way over to the city’s Planten un Blomen Park.
Centrally located and easily accessible by pubilc transport, Planten un Blomen Park is a 450,000 sqm park in the heart of Hamburg, linking the Outer Alster lake with the Elbe river. In addition to a rose garden and a botanical garden with a tropical greenhouse, this beautiful green space also has a Japanese garden, designed by Yoshikuni Araki in 1988.
It is a true embodiment of East Asian aesthetics and philosophy, with its waterfalls, ponds, rock formations and exotic plants. The centre of the garden is a lake with an original Japanese tea house on its shore.
Throughout the summer, various events take place here, such as traditional tea ceremonies, Japanese drum art and calligraphy taster courses, giving visitors a chance to experience the Japanese lifestyle in its entirety.
The rest of Planten un Blomen is just as beautiful, with magnificent plant borders and flower beds, wide lawns and idyllic streams. If you want something a bit more interactive than a simple stroll through the park, there is also a mini golf course and, in winter, Germany’s biggest outdoor ice skating rink.
Just like the Japanese garden, you’ll find lots of events in the rest of the park, including concerts in the music pavilion in the warmer months and light concerts on the park lake. Equally inviting for both locals and visitors, if the sun is shining you can’t miss a visit to this unique city space.
Das Dorf
By now you’ll probably be feeling a little peckish, and while there are lots of great restaurants to choose from in Hamburg, Das Dorf is one of my personal favourites.
In a blink-and-you’ll miss it location underneath a pharmacy, Das Dorf serves up classic northern German cuisine, like original veal Wiener Schnitzel with deliciously crispy fried potatoes, Hamburger labskaus, beef roulade and fine venison goulash.
If, like me, you don’t eat meat, there are always a couple of vegetarian options on the menu, with everything made from locally sourced, market-fresh ingredients.
The inside of Das Dorf is as cosy as can be, thanks in part to its basement location (built all the way back in 1848), but also its traditional decor of dark, aged woods and ambient lighting. I’ve eaten both inside and outside depending on the season, and both times were as enjoyable as each other.
The cherry on top of the cake at Das Dorf is the excellent service, which makes the delicious food all the more enjoyable. Check out the Google reviews and you’ll find that many people described their meal at Das Dorf as the culinary highlight of their trip.
If you’d like to see for yourself, make sure to book a table. The restaurant seats only 60 or so people so it’s not always easy to get in. Luckily, you can easily book online directly on their website. Bon appetit!
Should you walk or get the train for your one day in Hamburg?
Though it’s fairly easy to walk between many of the places included in this itinerary, public transportation can sometimes the best way to get around the city. Let’s take a look at the different stops you’ll need to get to and whether it’s quicker to walk or to hop on a train.
- The Hamburg walking tour meets outside Hamburg town hall. From Hamburg central station (Hamburg Hbf), you may as well go by foot, as it’s a short walk of around 11 minutes. If you’d rather get the train, you can get on the U-Bahn at Hamburg Süd. Get on the US3 get off at Rathaus. It should take around 7 minutes including walking, and the train will only go 2 stops.
- If it follows a similar route to the Sandemans tour, you should end your walk in the Speicherstadt, fairly close to the Elbphilharmonie, so should be easily walkable. For reference, the tour I went on ended opposite the Speicherstadt Kaffeerösterei, which is just a 6 minute walk.
- Again, Minatur Wunderland is very close to the Elbphilharmonie, so no train required here. Just set aside 7 minutes for the stroll.
- You can walk from Minatur Wunderland along the water to Brücke 10 in around 25 minutes. However, the stretch of the river in between the two is often very busy with tourists. For that reason you may prefer to jump back on the U3. There is still a bit of walking involved, as there no shortcut past the other 9 bridges, but you should be able to make it in around 16 minutes. The nearest station to the Miniatur Wunderland is Baumwoll, where you’ll travel for just a couple of minutes before getting off at Landungsbrücken.
- Brücke 10 to St Michael’s Church is a bit of an awkward one, as there’s no train connection that really makes sense here. There is a bus, but to be honest I would just walk it, clocking in at 16 minutes with a scenic section through the Alter Elbpark.
- Again, to head to Planten un Blomen Park I would definitely walk, as getting public transport won’t save you much time and the walk itself is only 20 or so minutes. Plus, most of it is through the picturesque Große Wallanlagen state park.
- Finally, to get to Das Dorf, head to Hamburg Dammtor train station where you’ll find a large choice of trains heading back to Hamburg Hauptbahnhof. Make sure you get on the S11 rather than one of the regional (RE) or long-distance (ICE) trains, as these will cost you extra. Once you arrive back at the central station, the restaurant is only a 5 minute walk away.
What train ticket do you need for one day in Hamburg?
The easiest way to cover your transport for this one day itinerary is to get your hands on a Hamburg Card. Not only will it cover all your journeys on the U-Bahn and S-Bahn, but it will also give you money off at St Michael’s church and Miniatur Wunderland.
📣Buy your Hamburg Card here.
Summary: Your one day Hamburg itinerary
Now you should have a good idea of how to spend one day in Hamburg, Germany. From the breathtaking views of the Elbphilharmonie Plaza to the delicious fish roll at Brücke 10 and all the other amazing attractions, there is so much that this city has to offer.
Of course, there is so much more for you to explore than you could possibly cover in one day, so I encourage you to take a look and see what else might tickle your fancy (perhaps the Hamburger Kunsthalle or the International Maritime Museum?)
Wherever you end up, there’s one thing for sure – you’ll want to book another trip to this fantastic city.If you want to learn more about what to do in the hanseatic city of Hamburg, make sure to check out my other posts:
