Hamburg Hop-On Hop-Off Buses

If you are planning to visit Hamburg and want to organise an itinerary, you will find that many of the city's attractions are located in different parts of the city, which could cause delays during your trip if you use public transport. However, a good alternative to save time on transfers is to opt for the city's hop-on hop-off tourist bus services.

The flexible option

Hamburg Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour

Explore Hamburg at your own pace with the tourist bus

24-hour ticket with unlimited rides on all 20 stops on Line A, audio guide included.

From €21 at Hellotickets

With this 24-hour ticket for the Hamburg tourist bus, you can move around the city comfortably and decide how much time to spend at each attraction. Line A makes a complete circuit of 20 stops covering all the must-see sights — from the harbour and Speicherstadt to the Town Hall and Lake Alster — and you can hop on and off as often as you like. The pass is activated when you first board and is valid until the end of service on the same day.

You can enjoy the tour from either of the two floors of the bus while the audio guide (in several languages) tells you the history, anecdotes and curiosities of each neighbourhood. If you do the whole route without getting off, it will take about 90 minutes, but the ideal thing is to personalise the route and make the most of each stop.

Recommended if... you are looking for a practical and economical way to see the best of Hamburg in a single day, with complete freedom of timetables and commentary in your language.

The hop-on hop-off tourist bus that covers the Line A route is the most traditional in Hamburg. This transport, which includes 20 stops throughout the city, allows you to hop on and off as many times as you like during the 24-hour validity of the ticket. During this time, you can move around the city at your leisure and visit the most emblematic monuments and attractions.

During your trips on this popular double-decker bus , you will have access to an audio guide in several languages, and you can choose which stops you want to get off at or continue with the tour. Keep in mind that this means of transport is designed to drop you off near the points of interest and the best museums in Hamburg, so you will never have to walk more than a block or two to the tourist attraction once you get off the bus.

Although the bus has a suggested route and a starting and ending point, you can start the tour wherever you want, and if you choose to go through the entire circuit on the bus, it will take approximately 2 hours. The service runs approximately every half hour.

This bus is the most popular because it takes you around the city's main circuit, which includes the Elbe Philharmonic Hall and the Kunsthalle Museum, but also because it is usually included in the Hamburg City Pass tourist card. You can also combine this bus tour with a trip on the city's best cruises or a tour of Lake Alster, activities that you can access at significant discounts.

Stops included on this tour

• Landungsbrücken, an iconic pier in Hamburg offering stunning views of the harbour.
• Elbe Philharmonic Hall, a building that houses a world-class concert hall.
• Überseequartier, a contemporary area with shops, restaurants and modern architecture.
• Hamburg Dungeon, a unique and interactive experience that recreates Hamburg's dark history using special effects and actors.
• HafenCity, an innovative urban district with modern architecture.
• Speicherstadt, the world's largest historic red-brick warehouse district.
• Kontorhausviertel, a historic office district.
• Hamburg, the city itself, with its characteristic charm, parks, shopping streets and a unique blend of history and modernity.
• Kunsthalle Museum, one of Germany's most important art museums.
• Lake Alster, a beautiful artificial lake in the heart of the city.
• University of Hamburg, a leading academic institution.
• Hamburg Dammtor, a major railway station.
• Planten Un Blomen, an extensive urban park offering botanical gardens, dancing fountains and cultural events.
• Hamburg Messe, an internationally renowned convention and trade fair centre.
• Esplanade, an elegant tree-lined avenue with exclusive boutiques and cafés.
• Innenalster, the inner part of Lake Alster.
• Hamburg City Hall, an impressive historic building in the city centre that houses the municipal government.
• Großer Burstah, a lively shopping street with shops and restaurants.
• St. Michael's Church, a Baroque church offering impressive panoramic views from its tower.
• Reeperbahn, Hamburg's famous red-light district, known for its lively nightlife and theatres.

Interesting details

• Price: from €21 per person for the self-guided tour, valid for 24 hours from activation.
• Duration: the entire tour will take you around 2 hours, but the ticket will be valid for a whole day.
• Advantages of this option: it is the best alternative for getting to know the main circuit of Hamburg.

Although several of the different sightseeing bus routes overlap, each one has a main focus, and the hop-on hop-off service on Line D is geared towards a quick tour that not only covers the attractions of the historic centre and the port area, but also other important sites in the area such as the Mosque and the Fish Market.

During the bus tour, you can use any of the 14 stops on the circuit to explore the buildings and monuments at your own pace, and you can also access an audio guide that will provide you with information about each site in several different languages. Please note that if you want to do the entire tour from the top of the bus, it will take you just over an hour, making it the fastest of all in this regard.

The hop-on hop-off bus tours on Line D start at Hamburg Central Station and end at the same place, forming a circular route. You can hop on or off at any point in the city for 24 hours from the time of activation, and you can combine this activity with a trip on one of Hamburg's tourist cruises.

If you are planning to visit the city during Christmas, this bus is ideal for visiting the market in front of Hamburg City Hall and the Fish Market, where traditional local fish auctions are usually held.

Stops included on this route

• Hamburg Central Station, the city's main railway hub.
• Spitalerstraße, a bustling shopping street in the heart of Hamburg.
• Alsterufer, picturesque paths along the Alster River.
• Hamburg Mosque, an impressive example of Islamic architecture.
• Altersperle, a cosy café or "old pearl" offering a charming atmosphere.
• Hamburg City Hall, an imposing Renaissance building that houses the city's government administration.
• Rödingsmarkt Station, the railway station.
• St. Michael's Church, also known as "Michel".
• Reeperbahn, a famous nightlife street.
• Fish Market, a traditional market in the city.
• St. Pauli Pier, a picturesque spot along the Elbe River, ideal for relaxed walks and attractive views of the city.
• Speicherstadt, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• HafenCity, a modern and thriving urban district.

Details of interest

• Price: approximately €18 per person for the self-guided tour, valid for 24 hours from activation.
• Duration: the entire tour will take you about 1 hour, but the pass will be valid for a whole day.
• Advantages of these alternatives: you will see not only the old town and the port area but also the city's surroundings, on a quick tour that is ideal if you are planning a short stay.
• Disadvantages of these alternatives: there are not many stops in the areas near the museums, which are among the city's main attractions.

The hop-on hop-off tourist bus route Line F allows you to combine the city's most famous attractions, such as St. Michael's Church and Hamburg City Hall, with other lesser-known sites such as Marco Polo's Terraces in HafenCity and Gänsemarkt, making it one of the most comprehensive options for this type of excursion.

Like the other hop-on hop-off tourist bus tours, Line F allows you to hop on and off as many times as you like during the 24-hour validity of your ticket. Thanks to the route it offers, you will have time to visit the Hard Rock Café on the St. Pauli docks and nearby exhibitions, such as the Miniatur-Wunderland models.

In St. Pauli, you can also visit the popular Beatles Platz, which pays tribute to the Beatles' stay in Hamburg in the 1960s, and stroll along the Reeperbahn, the district famous for being home to the city's red-light district, which is also one of the most popular in the world.

Stops included in this tour

• Hamburg Central Station, a central transport hub with rail connections.
• Marco Polo Terraces / HafenCity, viewing platforms offering spectacular views of the modern HafenCity district.
• Kehrwiederspitze, a charming spot on the banks of the Elbe River.
• St. Pauli Quays, a lively area on the banks of the river.
• Reeperbahn, famous nightlife street.
• St. Pauli Quays, a historic area with restored warehouses.
• St. Michael's Church, a church offering panoramic views from its tower and regular cultural events.
• Reesendamm, a street with charming architecture.
• Gänsemarkt, an elegant square surrounded by luxury shops and high-quality restaurants.
• Hamburg City Hall, an impressive Renaissance building.
• Gerhardt Hauptmann Square, a lively public space with cultural events and activities.
• Hamburg Central Station / East Side, a side of the central station that offers a different perspective.
• Holzdamm, a street offering a unique shopping and dining experience.
• Lake Alster, a beautiful artificial lake surrounded by green areas and walking paths.
• Hotel Alster Perle, a boutique hotel with exclusive amenities and a convenient location.

Details of interest

• Price: approximately £18 per person for the self-guided tour, valid for 24 hours from activation.
• Duration: the entire tour will take you about 1.5 hours, but the pass will be valid for a full day.
• Advantages of these alternatives: you can combine the main city circuit with other lesser-known sites in this destination.
• Disadvantages of these alternatives: some famous points of interest in the city, such as the Elbe Philharmonic Hall, will be somewhat far from the stops included in this circuit.

If you want to enjoy a different experience that also combines a local experience in Hamburg, you can opt for the comedy tour bus, a 1.5-hour tour of the city's main attractions that will not only show you the sights of this destination, but also some comedy theatres. In these activities, historical anecdotes are intertwined with monologues and spontaneous jokes.

Although this tour will take you to famous sites such as St. Michael's Church, Jungfernstieg, Reeperbahn and St. Pauli, the comedy bus does not include stops or hop-on hop-off service, so you will only be able to see the buildings and monuments from inside the bus. On these excursions, the focus is on comedy shows performed by local comedians.

The only stops on this alternative tour are at the theatres in St. Pauli, to learn about the origins of the comedians who will be performing on board, and at the bars on the Reeperbahn for a beer. Please note that the monologues will be in German, although you will have access to an audio guide to enjoy anecdotal commentary on the main buildings and monuments.

Details of interest

• Price: approximately £33 per person.
• Duration: around 1.5 hours.
• Advantages of these alternatives: you can get to know the city from a different perspective while enjoying a typical local show.
• Disadvantages of these alternatives: the monologues are only available in German, so if you do not speak the language, you will only be able to access the audio guide in different languages about the history of the places you visit.

The routes of Hamburg's tourist buses overlap, as they all cover, to a greater or lesser extent, the main points of interest in the city, which are located around the historic centre and the port. However, each service has its own particularities, as they focus on different circuits.

If you choose the Line A tourist bus, you will be able to see the city's main attractions, which is why it is the most popular option. The comedy bus, on the other hand, covers a similar route, but without stops. If, on the other hand, you choose Line D, you can combine the most important points with those located on the outskirts of the city, on a route that is also the fastest of all, ideal for visitors who are planning a short stay.

Line F offers the most varied alternative, as it adds some of the less popular attractions on the outskirts of the city to the main circuit . However, you should bear in mind that some of the most popular buildings, such as the Elbe Philharmonic Hall, are not included in this route, so you should take this information into account when choosing the ideal option for your travel plans.

Hamburg is a very large city with many attractions, buildings and monuments scattered throughout different areas, so sightseeing bus tours are useful for saving time on transfers and organising a suitable itinerary. You can also make the most of your visit by discovering places along the way that you hadn't originally planned to visit.

On the other hand, many of these tourist services, such as the hop-on hop-off buses on Line A, will allow you to access discounts on some of the best cruises in Hamburg or bike rides around the city, among other activities, so you can also save money during your trip. Please also note that some of these tours are included in the Hamburg City Pass.

The buses generally run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, with departures approximately every half hour. However, in some cases, departures may be every 15 to 45 minutes.

Please also note that timetables may be modified or reduced on public holidays . This information will be useful if you are planning to visit Hamburg during the winter or at Christmas.

Hamburg's sightseeing buses have a fixed route and pre-designated stops, which vary depending on the line you choose to use. The price of each service is for a 24-hour ticket, so for the entire day after activation, you can hop on and off as many times as you like at each stop on the circuit.

Please note that the ticket is activated from the moment you first use it and is valid for 24 consecutive hours, so I recommend activating it early in the morning to better organise your itinerary and avoid the ticket expiring in the middle of the following day.