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Experience Hamburg free of charge
March 27, 2025
Hamburg is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Germany, after all it has more bridges than Venice and attracts many tourists every year who want to discover the Hanseatic metropolis. However, Hamburg is not exactly known for its low prices, but that doesn’t mean that a visit has to break the bank. So today we would like to introduce you to a few things you can do in Hamburg completely free of charge.
6 free experiences in Hamburg
- Sightseeing tour or harbor cruise:
Anyone visiting the Hanseatic city will want to go on a sightseeing tour or a harbor cruise. After all, this is simply part of the tourist program.
If you prefer to save money on expensive excursions, you can fall back on this tip: buy a day ticket for €6 and explore the city until the following day. With the yellow U3 you can see all the sights and get off whenever you want to take a closer look. Most of the time, the U3 line runs above ground as a streetcar and covers all the sightseeing hotspots: Alster, Stadtpark, St. Pauli, the harbor, the Landungsbrücken and much more. But that’s not all!
The best thing is that the day ticket is also valid for the harbor ferry. Keep your eyes peeled for the HVV sign (Hamburger Verkehrsverbund) and take the boat with the number 62 towards Finkenwerder. From the ferry you can see the renovated warehouses, the Övelgönne museum harbor, the fish market and much more. After a short break in Finkenwerder, the ferry simply returns, so you don’t even have to get off.
- The old Elbe tunnel:
You can find the entrance to the old Elbe Tunnel directly from the Landungsbrücken. From here you can enter the tunnel, which was opened in 1911 and made it possible for Hamburgers to walk under the Elbe for the first time. As a new, larger Elbe tunnel has since been built, the old one is now used for walking and is still very popular with Hamburgers today. Entry is free, and there is the other side of the Elbe to discover and a view of Hamburg’s skyline.
- Planten un Blomen:
Once in Hamburg, a visit to the Planten un Blomen park is a must. Like any park, it invites you to sunbathe and relax, but it also offers its visitors a number of attractions, some of which are free. We recommend a visit to the tropical house, where you can discover turtles and exotic plants as well as fragrant flowers. In winter, this is also a good place to warm up a little. Like a short vacation in the tropics.
- Zoological Museum:
If you are thirsty for art and culture, you can take a look around one of the many museums. How about the Zoological Museum, for example? Admission is free and there are over 90,000 animal specimens to marvel at on 2,000 square meters. There is everything from small insects to tigers. The entrance area shows the extent of man’s influence on the environment and habitats. A topic that could not be more topical.
- The fish market:
Also free of charge is a walk through the fish market, which is the most traditional market in Hamburg and is incredibly popular with locals and tourists alike. But beware, it’s not for late risers. It starts at 5 a.m. every Sunday from April to October and from 7 a.m. from November to March. Amidst the maritime charm of Hamburg and the Nordic repartee of the market criers, this breakfast is an unforgettable experience. At 9:30 a.m. the doors are closed again. Instead, there is freshly caught fish and a great atmosphere.
