Tour operator
Rainer Abicht Elbreederei
A long-established Hamburg shipping company with a fleet of 31 vessels, running harbour tours, evening light cruises and charters from the Landungsbrücken all year.
Die Roten Doppeldecker
Hamburg's red double-decker sightseeing buses, in business since 1978, with a hop-on hop-off line of 20 stops from the Landungsbrücken and Hauptbahnhof.
At a glance
- Type
- Hop-on hop-off bus tours
- Area
- St. Pauli (Landungsbrücken) / Hauptbahnhof, Hamburg, Germany
- Official site
- die-roten-doppeldecker.de
Good to know
- 20 stops
- Audio guide in 11 languages
- Open top in summer
- Heated in winter
- Combination tickets
Why we recommend it
Die Roten Doppeldecker, the red double-deckers, have been showing visitors around Hamburg since 1978, when the company started out with the Hamburger Hummelbahnen sightseeing trains. Today it runs open-top double-decker buses, with the roof open in summer and heating in winter, and the company uses Mercedes-Benz buses with Euro 5 engines and exhaust after-treatment.
The main product is City Tour Line A, a hop-on hop-off route with 20 stops. A day ticket lets you get on and off as often as you like, so you can use the bus as transport between sights as well as a guided tour. The two main starting points are the St. Pauli Landungsbrücken, at bridges 1 and 2, and the Hauptbahnhof on the Kirchenallee side. A second route, Line C, is also offered, and timetables are published on the company's website.
Commentary is played through speakers in German, and a GPS-controlled audio guide offers 11 languages through headphones, including English, French, Spanish, Italian, Danish, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese and Arabic. Simple in-ear headphones are handed out free on board, but the company asks passengers to bring their own headphones with a standard jack plug if possible.
Combination tickets are good value if you plan to do more than one thing. The Entdecker Tour combines Line A with both a harbour tour and an Alster boat trip, and there are cheaper combinations of the city bus with either a one-hour harbour tour or a one-hour Alster steamer trip. Tickets can be bought through the company's online shop, and gift vouchers are available. The company also hires out buses for groups and events, with or without a guide, and runs transfers and shuttles.
The buses suit first-time visitors who want an overview on day one, families with children who would struggle to walk between sights, older travellers and anyone visiting in poor weather. Sit upstairs at the front for the best view in summer, and use the hop-off stops to explore the places that interest you most. The head office is on Hammer Deich, but tours start from the Landungsbrücken and the Hauptbahnhof, and the Hauptbahnhof stop is convenient on arrival day.
Die Roten Doppeldecker FAQs
Where do the red double-decker tours start?
At St. Pauli Landungsbrücken (bridges 1 and 2) and at the Hauptbahnhof on the Kirchenallee side.
How many stops are there?
City Tour Line A has 20 stops and you can hop on and off as often as you like with a day ticket.
Is there commentary in English?
Yes, a GPS audio guide offers 11 languages through headphones, including English.
Do I need my own headphones?
Simple in-ear headphones are free on board, but the company asks passengers to bring their own if possible.
Are the buses open-top?
The roof is open in summer, and the buses are heated in winter.
Are there combination tickets?
Yes, with a harbour tour, an Alster boat trip or both.
How long has the company operated?
Since 1978, originally with the Hamburger Hummelbahnen sightseeing trains.
Can you hire a bus?
Yes, buses can be hired for groups and events, with or without a guide.