Issue 69 / Explore 48 Hours in Hamburg With Our Hourly Travel Guide!

by Vallisa Chauhan

Explore 48 Hours in Hamburg With Our Hourly Travel Guide!

Feb 21, 2017

Headed to Hamburg, Germany? Check out our totally efficient 48-hour travel guide which will get you all the history that this city offers.

Hamburg-downtown travel — **Map of Hamburg.** Photo Credit: www.zonu.com

Hamburg, Germany is a brilliant place to spend 48 hours as everything is within walking distance.

Our suggestion is to book somewhere close to the main station Hauptbahnhof Nord as this is very central and eases your travel.

Depending on the time of year there are different things you can add to your visit. For instance, the German markets in December or Hafengeburtstag in May, a celebration of a maritime heritage dating from 1189, claiming to be the world’s greatest port festival.

Day 1

9 am – Most Hamburg hotels will have their own restaurants for breakfast, although there are a vast amount of places to grab something to eat within the main train station.

10 am – Go to church.

There are many churches dotting Hamburg and one that stands out is Michaeliskirche. This church was built Protestant unlike many of the other churches in Hamburg which were actually built by the Roman Catholics. The present building is the third on the site and is a survivor. For 4 Euros you can climb the tower for views of the city.

travel Hauptkirche St. Michaelis in Hamburg im Volksmund der Gro§e Michel genannt — **St. Michaelis in Hamburg.** Photo Credit: www.beyerdynamic.com

11 am – Take a stroll.

Start walking towards St Pauli. On the map this may seem far but it really isn’t. St.Pauli is situated on the right bank of the Elbe river and contains the famous Red Light district. This is also where the football stadium is situated which you may remember from the FIFA world cup in 2006.

You will also find the Bismarck Monument in St.Pauli standing near the jetties of the Hamburg port.

12.30 pm – Lunch

The Hard Rock Cafe is situated at the port of Hamburg so grab a seat and chow down on some great food and awesome cocktails.

hard_rock_cafe_hamburg_germany_06 travel Hamburg — **Hard Rock Cafe in Hamburg.** Photo Credit: www.wikimedia.com

2 pm – After lunch you are already in the best place to start the next part of your tour. From Landungsbrücken you can catch an array of harbour and river cruises. The cheapest and most practical is Ferry 62 which leaves every 15 minutes and is part of the Hamburg transport system therefore covered in your Hamburg Card if you have purchased one. If you do not have a ticket you can buy one from a machine. It takes just 11 minutes to the pretty village of Ovelgönne where you can hop off and walk around.

3 pm – Take an airbus tour.

Climb back onto the ferry and let it take you to Finkenwerder at the end of the line to the Airbus factory where you can experience the production and assembly of the Airbus and have an official tour. The last tour starts at 4.30 pm and is around 2.5 hours.

Hamburg travel — **Airbus Tour.** Photo Credit: www.visitfactories.com

7.30 pm – Dinner

If you are staying near the main station then head down Kirchenallee where you will find The King of India restaurant. This fine little restaurant is tucked away in a corner of the street but as soon as you walk towards it you will see the bright blue lights illuminate you to the door.

Day 2

9 am – Breakfast

If you’re not having breakfast at your hotel head down to the station and pick up something from the cafes or McDonald’s.

10 am – Visit the car museum.

Start your day by heading to the Auto Museum Prototyp. Here you’ll see an array of sports cars and prototypes as well as some beautifully designed art BMWs. This tour won’t take too much time but it’s definitely worth a look.

11.30 am – Visit the International Maritime Museum.

This museum is a short walk away from the last and is based in a listed heritage building. There are 3,000 years worth of maritime history on display with exhibits, model ships and paintings.

1 pm – Lunch

Walking around the area you will find a number of Italian restaurants or cafes for you to pick from for lunch.

2 pm – Visit Miniatur Wunderland.

Time to take in another of Hamburg’s museums, this time it is full of miniature people and miniature buildings. You will be taken back by the amount of effort that has been put into creating all the different aspects of these wonderful miniature structures, cities, towns and so much more.

4 pm – Go for a walk.

Time to get those walking shoes on as you head towards Hamburg’s town hall.

On the way you will pass a number of churches. In the winter this area near the town hall is dedicated to a major Christmas market and the streets are filled with people wandering around. If you’re visiting in the summer, take a stroll through the numerous shops around the town hall. You will be baffled by the number of historic buildings in and around Hamburg as you walk through the streets.

7 pm – Dinner

There are so many restaurants to choose from depending on the type of cuisine you are after. If you haven’t already tried some traditional German meat then head to one of the more traditional pubs.

Vallisa Chauhan

Author

Vallisa Chauhan (@vallisachauhan) presents the Flagship breakfast show on Lyca Radio 1458. She has scripted and produced a full feature film called "Those 4 Walls" and is currently working on other projects. She loves travel and movies and tries to fit in both as much as she can.