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Best Things to do in Hamburg (2026)

Many of the best things to do in Hamburg cost little or nothing and revolve around the river and the lakes. The St. Pauli Landungsbrücken, a listed floating pier complex with a tide-gauge clock tower, is where harbour tours and public HADAG ferries leave, and a ferry ride is one of the cheapest ways onto the water. At the western end of the piers, the domed entrance building leads down to the Old Elbe Tunnel, a tiled tunnel from 1911 that pedestrians and cyclists can walk through for free to a view back across the river.

Timing matters for some experiences. The Fish Market only runs on Sunday mornings and closes at 9:30, so it suits early risers and night owls finishing a long night out. The Reeperbahn is quiet by day and comes alive in the evening, when theatres, clubs and bars fill up; read the tourism office's advice on the weekend glass ban before you go. For a calmer afternoon, stroll Jungfernstieg on the Binnenalster, stop at the Alsterpavillon and take a boat out on the lakes. Combining the Landungsbrücken, the tunnel and the Fish Market makes an easy morning on foot.

5 places · Updated November 12, 2026

Our top 3 things to do in Hamburg

  1. St. Pauli Landungsbrücken Historic harbour piers and ferry station, St. PauliHamburg's floating harbour station, a listed 1900s pier complex with a tide-gauge clock tower, where harbour tours and public HADAG ferries set off along the Elbe.
  2. Old Elbe Tunnel (St. Pauli Elbtunnel) Historic river tunnel walk, St. PauliA tiled 1911 tunnel 24 metres beneath the Elbe, reached by lift cages under a copper dome, which pedestrians and cyclists can cross free to views of the city skyline.
  3. Hamburg Fish Market (Altonaer Fischmarkt) Sunday morning market, Altona / St. PauliA Sunday-morning market on the Elbe running since 1703, where market criers sell fish, fruit and flowers and live bands play in the 1896 fish auction hall.