Our 3 Days Family Holiday in Hamburg, Germany
Hamburg is a port city in the northern part of Germany. The Elbe River cuts through the town, connecting it to the North Sea. We were lucky to have a short holiday in this city during the Christmas Vacations of 2019 before the pandemic started. The trip to Hamburg was part of our ten-day holiday, during which we visited Nuremberg, Ingolstadt, Berlin, and Hamburg. Hamburg was the last leg of our journey.
The city is unique and reminded us of our trip to Venice in Italy a few years back.
Because streams of the Elbe River crisis cross through the city, buildings have come up along the river banks, creating a beautiful harmony between land and water. Hamburg is not a tourist hotspot like Venice but offers a similar experience. In Hamburg, you will find many interesting places to see and things to do, especially with kids.
We had a great time in Hamburg and welcomed the new year 2020 in this lovely city. This trip is also close to my heart as it was our last long holiday before the Coronavirus Pandemic began. By February 2020, the pandemic had hit Germany, and then a period of extended lockdowns began, which meant no travelling!
I’m glad that time is over now and that we are back to travelling and adding new experiences to our lives! You can check out my articles about other travel destinations we have visited here.
Here is the itinerary that we followed in Hamburg:
Day 1: Reach Hamburg; Explore the surroundings.
Day 2: Hamburg Hafenrundfahrt ; Visit Elbphilharmonie ; St. Nikolai Memorial
Day 3: Chocolate museum, Miniature Wonderland
Day 4: Return to Darmstadt
Before I get into the details of the places we visited, let me briefly describe our stay, accommodation, travel within the city, etc.
Reaching Hamburg:
By Train:
Hamburg was the third leg of our ten-day holiday in Germany. We visited Nuremberg, Berlin, and Hamburg as part of that trip. We reached Hamburg using the Deutsche Bahn (Train) from Berlin. It took approximately two hours. So, we left Berlin in the afternoon and reached Hamburg around the early evening.
The tickets for Deutsche Bahn trains can be bought on their official website:
If you are in another country, you can check out all the public transport options to reach Hamburg on Omio.
By Car:
Reaching Hamburg by road is the most convenient way. If you don’t have a car, you can consider booking a SIXT rental car on their official website. We have used SIXT on our trips and found their cars to be of excellent quality, their service fantastic, and their prices reasonable.
Accommodation in Hamburg:
Since we are a family with kids already in their teens, having enough space for each of us is essential. Hotel rooms are not spacious, and everyone is restricted to a small room. So, off late, we have started booking apartments. We usually reserve a flat or house, preferably with an equipped kitchen and a minimum of two bedrooms, so that each of us has our own space and there is always an option of cooking something.
As a family, we like having a good breakfast and starting our day, and a homestay allows us to make simple meals at home. We also like exploring the local supermarkets, finding what’s new, and trying out foods and drinks that are locally available. Homestays are an excellent option for all those who want to add this to their holiday experience.
For this trip, too, we booked a homestay, and as usual, the experience was great.
You can check out accommodations as per your preference here:
Note: When we visited, accommodation in Hamburg city was quite expensive. So we booked our accommodation in a nearby town. The prices were much more reasonable, and the connectivity by public transport was quite good.
Travelling within the city
Public Transport
In Hamburg, we used public transport to travel around places.
We purchased the Hamburg card for three days from the main railway station on the day we reached. This card allowed us to use any public transport in Hamburg for three days and discounts on some attractions. You can also buy the tickets online to avoid waiting in queues, which are common during peak tourist season.
Hop On Hop Off Bus:
If you want to avoid the hassle of checking maps, looking for public transport, and travelling with crowds, you can opt for a Hop-on, Hop-off Bus. This covers most of the Hamburg tourist destinations and includes an audio guide that provides information about the places.
Our 3-Day Holiday Itinerary in Hamburg:
Day 1:
Since our accommodation was on the outskirts of Hamburg, it took us some time to reach it, check-in, and get freshened up. We explored the place a bit, visited some local shops, and then called it a day.
Day 2 :
Our first destination for the day was the harbour, and we planned to walk along the harbour and take a ship tour.
About Hamburg Hafenrundfahrt:
From the harbour, many tourism companies organize ship tours ( called hefenrundfahrt in German), which explain and show (using an audio guide) important city landmarks, the various cargo and container ships, and interesting information about them.
The tour lasts for about 2 hours and is quite interesting. If weather permits, it is best to take a window seat on the ship or move to the deck. Food and drinks are also available on the ship, which makes the overall experience quite enjoyable. I would quite recommend this tour as it is very unique to Hamburg. There are multiple options. You can take a 1-hour tour/2 hour tour ( like we did) or even a special twilight tour. Check out the below-given website:
https://www.hamburg.de/hafenrundfahrt/868760/hafenrundfahrten-hamburg/
Or check out these links:
1-Hour Tour ; 2 Hours Tour ; Twilight Tour
Compare the prices and buy what’s best for you.
We alighted right in front of Elbphilharmonie. This was the next place we visited.
About Elbphilharmonie:
Elbphilharmonie is a concert hall on the banks of the river Elbe. Its unique design stands out, and you cannot miss this massive structure if you are anywhere near the area. The glass building resting on a concrete structure resembles a colossal wave and harmonizes with the backdrop of the harbour and the river.
Every day shows and concerts are organized here, which can be booked on their official website:
https://www.elbphilharmonie.de/de/ or using Tiquets.de. Compare the prices and buy what suits you.
Alternatively, you can book an Elbphilharmonie Plaza Guided Tour, in which you can go around with a guide and understand more about this important landmark in Hamburg.
Even if you don’t watch a show, climb the terrace to get a top view of the city below. Climbing to the terrace is free and is a must-do activity if you are nearby. The views of the port city from the terrace of Elbphilharmonie are fantastic and offer great photo ops.
After visiting Elbphilharmonie, we made a short lunch stop and explored the city on foot.
The next destination we saw was the Saint Nikolai memorial. It wasn’t planned, but we were glad we chanced upon it while exploring the city.
About St. Nikolai Memorial:
This was the site of a Gothic cathedral built entirely in wood in the early 12th century. Later, in the 14th century, its reconstruction was done in brick. Then, in the great fire of 1842, it was greatly destroyed. It was rebuilt, but the Allied bombings during the second world war destroyed significant parts of the cathedral, leaving it in ruins like many other parts of the city. Due to its height, its visibility was good, so it became one of the primary targets during the air bombings. Many years after its destruction, it was revived.
Today, it is a memorial. It houses an information centre, and one can also use the elevator inside the tower to reach the viewing platform, from which one can enjoy panoramic views of Hamburg. Anyone interested in history will find this place fascinating.
We were glad we visited this place. It gave us a glimpse into Germany’s dark past and made us appreciate how the city rose from the rubble and revived itself.
Their official website is:
https://www.mahnmal-st-nikolai.de/
This was the last place we visited on this day. After that, we headed to our apartment and called it a day.
Day 3:
Today was a fun-filled day for the kids. We started with a visit to Chocoversum.
About Chocoversum:
Chocoversum is an interactive museum showcasing the entire process of chocolate making, from cultivating cocoa beans to making delicious chocolate bars.
Here, we attended a chocolate-making session in which, under a guide, the entire chocolate-making process was explained and showcased. After that, we all got to make chocolate on our own. We tried different flavours, and it was super fun for the kids. At the end of the tour, we were given the chocolates we had made.
The museum also houses a shop where various chocolates are sold. These are great souvenirs from Hamburg.
Their official website is:
You can buy tickets at the entrance or online. Please note that the tour allows a limited number of people at a time. Therefore, it is best to book your ticket in advance to avoid waiting times and postponement.
It was time for lunch after an enjoyable experience at the Chocolate Museum.
After lunch, we headed to another fun destination- Miniature Wonderland.
About Miniature Wonderland:
Miniature Wonderland is a model railway attraction. It has many interactive models based on different countries and important landmarks of the world. It also has a mini airport that showcases a flight launch. More than 1000 mini trains with train tracks, carriages, lights, trees, and miniature human figurines have been used to make beautiful displays. Miniature Wonderland is a major attraction in Hamburg and the largest worldwide. So, if you are in Hamburg, do visit it.
I have posted many more pictures of Miniature Wonderland on my gallery page. Do check them out.
The official website of Miniature Wonderland is:
https://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/
With this visit, we ended our Hamburg holiday.
On the night of 31st December, we witnessed fireworks in the city. It was a fantastic end to our ten-day family holiday—our first after we moved to Germany.
The next day, we took a train back home, i.e., to Darmstadt.
Read about our first leg of the holiday- Nuremberg and Ingolstadt and the 2nd leg of the holiday in Berlin.
To read about our other family holidays, click here.
Also, don’t forget to check out my gallery page. There, you will find beautiful pictures of various places I have visited.
Happy Reading!
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