The 15 Boat Trips in Hamburg That Earn Their Price

1.1.5-Hour Harbor and Speicherstadt Day Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 14,200 reviews · 1h 30m · from $40Our pick

1.5-hour Hamburg harbor cruise through Speicherstadt and HafenCity, with German live commentary and a stop at Elbphilharmonie pier.

“All in German, so a bit tough for language learners or English speaking passengers. Audio guide is good but can’t really listen while on tour. Too difficult to hear with the live narration. Recommend listening to audio guide before or after the tour. Bring your camera. Get to the boat a bit early for better seats. Have fun!”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.90-Minute Evening Lights Harbor Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 7,728 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $27

See Hamburg at night from the water on a traditional barge, with live captain commentary, Speicherstadt views, and massive port scenes.

“Beautiful but tourguide spoke in German; no English translation.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.2-Hour XXL Port of Hamburg Cruise Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 6,979 reviews · 2 hours · from $47

2-hour guided Port of Hamburg cruise with close dock views, HafenCity and Elbphilharmonie from the water, plus a ride through locks.

“We were on the 2-hour tour that departed at noon on Monday, 23 October. I wish I had gotten the name of our tour guide, because he was excellent! He knew so much about the ships in the harbor, which was the best part of the trip. Look at the tide charts before you go, because the canals can get very low when the tide is out. Book your tickets online. It was 22 Euro cheaper for 1 adult and 1 teen online than it was if we had paid on the dock. If the weather is nice, get there a little early so you can sit outside. If the…”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.1-Hour Evening Harbor Lights Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 5,073 reviews · 1 hour · from $30

1-hour evening harbor cruise in Hamburg from St. Pauli, past lit Speicherstadt and HafenCity, with port cranes and ships for $30.

“Fabulous tour of the canals and port. A rare opportunity to see the port working. The highlight of our quick trip through Hamburg. The live guide is in german so we did not understand but unlike most tours you could hear him clearly from outside. We were given a guide pamphlet in english. Highly recommended.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.1-Hour Harbor Sightseeing Cruise with HafenCity

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 3,067 reviews · 1 hour · from $30

A 1-hour harbor cruise from Hamburg’s St. Pauli past Speicherstadt, HafenCity, Elbphilharmonie, and container terminals, with audio guides.

“Very much enjoyed the tour. The weather was great and the guide was knowledgeable and very funny. Loved seeing the containers, Elbphi and most surprising - a Russian submarine. Would definitely recommend”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.1-Hour Harbor Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,283 reviews · 1 hour · from $28

1-hour Hamburg harbor cruise with live German narration and an English audio app, passing Speicherstadt, HafenCity, shipyards, and terminals.

“only problem i had was i booked english commentary but when i arrived to go on cruise all english tours had finished for the season , i bit of a let down”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.1.5h Grand Harbor Evening Lights Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 1,316 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $28

90-minute Hamburg harbor cruise with German commentary, blue-lit Speicherstadt, views of the Elbphilharmonie, and great night photos.

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Hop-On Hop-Off Bus with Harbor Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 930 reviews · 1 day · from $50

Double-decker bus Line A plus a harbor cruise gives you an easy 1-day loop of Hamburg, with multilingual audio and flexible stops.

“Enjoyed the combo pass. City and harbor tour. But I wish they took mobile ticket.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Harbor Cruise with Wine and Cheese

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 795 reviews · 1h 30m · from $49

90-minute Hamburg harbor cruise with 3 wine glasses, regional cheese, and live German commentary, plus sunset views over Speicherstadt.

“Great experience. Wine and cheese was lovely and plentiful. The crew were helpful and attentive. Commentary was German only but didn't detract from the trip, this is explained before booking.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Harbor Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 666 reviews · 1 hour · from $22Best value

1-hour Hamburg harbor cruise from Speicherstadt to HafenCity, with Elbphilharmonie views, working ships, and port history for $22.

“Trotz Schneetreiben war die Schifffahrt spannend. Nur sind die Fenster andauernd beschlagen, dadurch hat man nicht gut gesehen. Mussten selber mit Taschentüchern immer wieder frei wischen.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.1.5-Hour Evening Lights Harbour Cruise on a Ship

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 601 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $29

Take a 1.5-hour Hamburg evening lights harbor cruise with German live commentary, an open deck for photos, and views of Elbphilharmonie.

Check availability →Read our full review

12.City Cruise on Alster Lake

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 533 reviews · 1 hour · from $29

50-minute Alster Lake cruise in Hamburg past the Alster Fountain, Lombards Bridge, and city sights, with German live commentary and English audio.

“Our guide/captain was 1st class - a great communicator and entertainer which made the trip around Lake Alster that much more interesting.”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Line F Hop-On Hop-Off Bus and Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 520 reviews · 3 hours · from $43

Hamburg hop-on hop-off bus and harbor boat tour on Line F with English audio, Speicherstadt, St. Pauli piers, City Hall, and Alster views.

“Super netterBusfahrer und dann noch einen „lebenden“ Guide an Bord, der uns Hamburg in sehr kompetenter Weise nahe gebracht hat. Wir machten zuerst eine komplette Fahrt mit dem Bus und fuhren anschließend nochmal mit, um an den Sightseeing Points auszusteigen. Alles in allem eine tolle Gelegenheit, eine Stadt kennen zu lernen. Vielen Dank an die beiden super netten Hamburger Jungs …”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.2-Hour Harbor Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 504 reviews · 2 hours · from $40

A 2-hour Hamburg Harbor Cruise along the Elbe, through HafenCity and Speicherstadt, with views of the Elbphilharmonie and industrial port.

“schöne, unterhaltsame 2 Stunden auf dem Wasser im Hamburger Hafen.”

Check availability →Read our full review