Sightseeing Tours

Sightseeing Tours

Boat Tours

There are few better ways to get to know the city than by taking a trip around the massive harbor. The HADAG line and other companies organize round-trips in the port, lasting about one hour (EUR 10). Between April and October, excursion boats and barges leave every half hour from the Landungsbrücken -- Piers 1, 2, 3, and 7 -- between 10 AM and 5:30 PM. From early November through March, departures are at 11, 12:30, 2, and 3:30 on weekends. From March through November, an English-language tour leaves at noon daily from Pier 1.

From April through October, Alster Touristik operates boat trips around the Alster Lakes and through the canals. There are two tour options; both leave from the Jungfernstieg promenade in the city center. The Aussenalster 50-minute lake tour (Alster-Rundfahrt) costs EUR 9.50 to EUR 10 (depending on the season) and leaves every half hour, April-October 3, daily 10-6. A two-hour-long Fleet-Fahrt costs EUR 14 and explores the canals of the historic Speicherstadt (late March-November, daily at 10:45, 1:45, and 4:45). From May through September there's also the romantic twilight tour, called Dämmertour, every evening (Wednesday-Saturday in September) at 8 (EUR 15).

Information

Alster Touristik (040/357-4240). Bordparty-Service (Landungsbrücken, Pier 9, St. Pauli. 040/313-687). HADAG (040/311-7070; 040/313-130; 040/313-959; 040/3178-2231 for English-language tour).

Orientation Tours

Sightseeing bus tours of the city, all with guides who rapidly narrate in both English and German, leave from Kirchenallee by the main train station. A bus tour lasting 1¾ hours sets off at varying times daily and costs EUR 13. For EUR 20, one of the bus tours can be combined with a one-hour boat trip on the Alster Lakes or the harbor. For EUR 25, you can combine a city bus tour, the Alster Lakes, and the harbor boat tour. Departure times for tours vary, according to season. City tours aboard the nostalgic Hummelbahn (a converted railroad wagon pulled by a tractor) start from the Kirchenallee stop. They run daily April-October. The fare is EUR 13 for 1¾ hours (children under 12 are free).

Information

Hummelbahn (040/792-8979. www.hummelbahn.de).

Walking Tours

Tours of downtown, the harbor district, and St. Pauli are offered from April through November, weekdays at 2:30 by the Hamburg Tourismus GmbH. All guided walking tours (EUR 6) are conducted in German and start at different locations. Downtown tours by Stattreisen Hamburg are held on Saturday (February-November) and are conducted in German only. Tours of the historic Speicherstadt district are conducted by the Speicherstadtmuseum (Sunday at 11, EUR 7).

Information

Speicherstadtmuseum (St. Annenufer 2, Block R, Speicherstadt. 040/321-191. www.speicherstadtmuseum.de). Stattreisen Hamburg (040/430-3481). Hamburg Tourismus GmbH (Steinstr. 7, Altstadt, D-20015. 040/3005-1144).