Top 10 Things to Do in Hamburg During Your Home Swap: A Local's Guide

The first time I woke up in Hamburg, I thought I'd made a mistake.

It was 6 AM, gray drizzle streaking the windows of my home swap apartment in St. Pauli, and I could hear seagulls screaming like they had personal vendettas. I'd just arrived from Barcelona—all sunshine and sangria—and here I was in Germany's second-largest city, wondering why I'd traded Mediterranean warmth for what looked like a perpetual November.

Then my host's note caught my eye: "Walk to the Fischmarkt. Trust me."

Three hours later, I was elbow-deep in a Fischbrötchen (that's a fish sandwich, and yes, at 9 AM), watching fishmongers auction off everything from eels to exotic plants, surrounded by locals who'd clearly been out all night and tourists who'd woken up way too early. The energy was chaotic, joyful, and completely unexpected. That's when Hamburg clicked for me.

So here's the thing about planning a home swap in Hamburg—you're about to discover one of Europe's most underrated cities. Not the polished, Instagram-perfect kind of underrated. Hamburg is grittier than that. It's a port city with a rebellious streak, world-class museums that don't take themselves too seriously, and a food scene that goes way beyond bratwurst. After three separate home exchanges here over the past four years, I've put together my definitive list of the top 10 things to do in Hamburg that'll make your stay unforgettable.

1. Explore the Speicherstadt: Hamburg's UNESCO-Listed Warehouse District

Let's start with the obvious—but for good reason. The Speicherstadt is the world's largest warehouse district built on timber-pile foundations, and walking through it feels like stepping into a steampunk novel. Red-brick buildings rise straight from the canals, connected by iron bridges that clang underfoot.

Here's what most guides won't tell you: skip the daytime crowds and come at dusk. Around 8 PM in summer (earlier in winter), the warehouses light up in amber and gold, their reflections doubling in the still canal water. I've done this walk maybe a dozen times, and it still makes me stop mid-step.

While you're there, the Miniatur Wunderland is genuinely worth the hype—it's the world's largest model railway, but calling it that undersells the insanity. There's a functioning miniature airport, a Scandinavian fjord, and over 1,000 trains running simultaneously. Book tickets online at least a week ahead; walk-up waits can hit 2-3 hours. Entry costs €20 ($22 USD) for adults. For something quieter, duck into the Speicherstadt Kaffeerösterei, a coffee roastery tucked into one of the warehouses. Their espresso is strong enough to wake the dead, and the smell alone is worth the detour—a cappuccino runs about €4.50 ($5 USD).

2. Wander Through the Neighborhoods That Define Hamburg

One of the best things about a home swap in Hamburg is that you're not stuck in a hotel district. You're actually living somewhere. And Hamburg's neighborhoods? They each have distinct personalities.

St. Pauli is where I've stayed most often—it's the old red-light district, but these days it's more hipster than hedonistic. The Reeperbahn still has its neon-lit clubs, but walk a few blocks and you'll find vinyl record shops, third-wave coffee roasters, and some of the city's best street art. My favorite spot is the Flohschanze flea market on Saturdays—vintage clothes, DDR-era cameras, and the occasional taxidermied animal.

Ottensen feels like a village that accidentally got absorbed by a city. Tree-lined streets, independent bookshops, young families everywhere. The Ottenser Hauptstraße has a bakery called Dat Backhus where the Franzbrötchen (Hamburg's cinnamon pastry, sort of like a croissant had a baby with a cinnamon roll) are still warm at 7 AM. That's €2.20 ($2.40 USD) for breakfast perfection.

Blankenese is where you go when you want to pretend you're on the Mediterranean. This former fishing village on the Elbe has steep staircases, whitewashed houses, and views that make you forget you're in northern Germany. Take the S-Bahn to Blankenese station, then just... wander. Get lost. That's the point.

3. Take a Harbor Boat Tour (But Not the Tourist Trap Kind)

Hamburg's port is massive—one of Europe's largest—and you can't really understand the city without getting on the water. But here's where I'll save you some disappointment: those big tour boats with the loudspeaker commentary? Skip them.

Instead, take a regular HADAG ferry. Line 62 runs from Landungsbrücken to Finkenwerder, and it costs the same as a normal public transit ticket—about €3.50 ($3.80 USD) with a day pass, or free if you already have one. You'll pass container ships the size of apartment buildings, see the Elbphilharmonie from the water (the best angle, honestly), and share the deck with commuters rather than tour groups.

If you want commentary, the Barkassen-Centrale runs smaller boats through the Speicherstadt canals—they squeeze under bridges with inches to spare, and the guides actually know what they're talking about. Tours start around €18 ($20 USD) and last about an hour.

4. Experience the Elbphilharmonie (Even If You Don't Attend a Concert)

Look, I'm going to be honest: I'm not a classical music person. I can't tell Brahms from Beethoven, and I once fell asleep during a symphony in Vienna. But the Elbphilharmonie—Hamburg's wave-shaped concert hall perched on an old warehouse—is something else entirely.

You don't need concert tickets to experience it. The Plaza level is free to visit (grab a timed ticket online to skip the line), and the view from up there is spectacular. You can see the whole harbor, the city skyline, and on clear days, ships heading out to the North Sea. The curved glass windows create this weird acoustic effect where you can hear conversations from surprisingly far away—it's like the building is eavesdropping.

If you do want to attend a performance, book early. Way early. The acoustics in the main hall are genuinely world-class—even I could tell the difference—and tickets start around €15 ($16 USD) for some performances, though popular shows sell out months ahead.

5. Discover Hamburg's Underrated Museum Scene

Hamburg doesn't get the museum cred of Berlin or Munich, which is honestly their loss. The Kunsthalle Hamburg is one of Germany's best art museums, with everything from medieval altarpieces to contemporary installations. The Caspar David Friedrich collection alone is worth the €16 ($17.50 USD) entry—his moody Romantic landscapes hit different when you've been walking through Hamburg's gray drizzle all morning.

But my personal favorite? The Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe (Museum of Arts and Crafts). It sounds dry, I know. It's not. They have an entire room dedicated to Art Nouveau furniture, a collection of vintage posters that includes original Toulouse-Lautrec prints, and a photography archive that spans 150 years. Entry is €12 ($13 USD), and there's a café in the courtyard that serves excellent cake.

For something completely different, the Internationales Maritimes Museum is housed in the oldest building in the Speicherstadt and contains 10 floors of ship models, naval history, and maritime artifacts. I spent three hours there once without meaning to. If you've ever been curious about how container shipping actually works (and it's weirdly fascinating), this is your place.

6. Eat Like a Hamburg Local

Here's a food truth: Hamburg's culinary identity is built on fish, and specifically on the humble Fischbrötchen. These fish sandwiches—usually herring, salmon, or shrimp on a crusty roll—are sold from stands all over the city, and they're the ultimate cheap lunch. Brücke 10, right at the Landungsbrücken, has been serving them since forever. A classic Bismarck herring roll costs about €4 ($4.40 USD).

For something more substantial, try Portugiesenviertel (the Portuguese Quarter) near the Landungsbrücken. It's a few blocks of Portuguese restaurants, grocery stores, and bakeries—a remnant of the sailors who settled here in the 1960s. Sagres is my go-to; their grilled sardines with potatoes and salad run about €14 ($15 USD) and come with enough food for two meals.

If you're staying in St. Pauli, Café Gnosa is a neighborhood institution—rainbow flags, mismatched furniture, and all-day breakfast that'll cure any Reeperbahn hangover. The Bauernfrühstück (farmer's breakfast) is €9.50 ($10.40 USD) and includes enough potatoes to fuel a week of sightseeing.

And for the love of all things good, get a Franzbrötchen. Multiple Franzbrötchen. I've already mentioned Dat Backhus in Ottensen, but honestly, any bakery will do—this cinnamon-butter-sugar pastry is Hamburg's gift to breakfast, and I've never had a bad one.

7. Find the Hidden Bars and Speakeasies

Hamburg's nightlife reputation centers on the Reeperbahn, but the best bars are the ones you have to look for.

Le Lion, hidden behind an unmarked door in the city center, is regularly ranked among the world's best cocktail bars. The bartenders wear vests, the drinks are €15-18 ($16-20 USD), and you'll need a reservation on weekends. It's the kind of place where you order a Negroni and they ask you three follow-up questions about your preferences. For something less formal, Christiansen's in St. Pauli has been mixing drinks since before "craft cocktails" were a thing. It's tiny, loud on weekends, and the bartenders have seen everything. Cash only, drinks around €10-12 ($11-13 USD).

If you're more of a beer person, Gröninger Privatbrauerei is Hamburg's oldest brewpub, tucked into a Speicherstadt cellar. They brew their own pilsner on-site, and you can watch it happen through glass windows while you drink. A half-liter is about €4.50 ($5 USD).

8. Day Trip to the Beach (Yes, Really)

One of the best-kept secrets for visitors doing a home swap in Hamburg: you can be at the beach in under an hour. The North Sea coast is closer than you think, and Germans take their beach time seriously.

Cuxhaven is the most accessible option—about 90 minutes by train from Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, tickets around €25-30 ($27-33 USD) each way. The beach itself is wide, windswept, and dotted with Strandkörbe (those iconic hooded beach chairs). You can rent one for about €10-15 ($11-16 USD) for the day.

Closer to the city, Övelgönne has a small beach right on the Elbe—not swimming quality, but perfect for an afternoon with a book and a view of passing ships. Take the ferry from Landungsbrücken and walk along the Elbstrand. There's a café called StrandPauli that serves drinks in the sand.

9. Explore Hamburg's Parks and Green Spaces

For a major port city, Hamburg is surprisingly green.

Planten un Blomen is the big one—a sprawling park in the city center with Japanese gardens, a tropical greenhouse, and free concerts in summer. The water-light shows happen every night from May to September at 10 PM, and they're genuinely magical (and genuinely free).

But my favorite green space is the Alster Lakes. The Inner and Outer Alster are right in the city center, surrounded by walking paths, and you can rent a rowboat, kayak, or paddleboard from several spots around the shore. Rentals start around €15-20 ($16-22 USD) per hour. On a sunny day, the Outer Alster is dotted with sailboats and surrounded by some of Hamburg's fanciest real estate—it feels like you've accidentally wandered into a much more expensive city.

For something wilder, the Stadtpark in Winterhude has an outdoor pool (Naturbad Stadtparksee) that's basically a lake with a sandy beach. Entry is about €5 ($5.50 USD), and on hot summer days, it's packed with locals.

10. Experience Hamburg's Music Scene Beyond the Elbphilharmonie

Hamburg has serious musical credentials—the Beatles spent their formative years playing clubs in St. Pauli, and the city's live music scene is still thriving.

The Indra Club, where the Beatles played their first Hamburg gig in 1960, is still open and hosting bands. Cover charges vary, usually €5-15 ($5.50-16.50 USD). For jazz, check out Cotton Club near the Reeperbahn—it's been around since 1959 and has that smoky, timeless vibe. Shows most nights, cover around €10-15 ($11-16.50 USD).

And if you're into electronic music, Hamburg's club scene is smaller but more focused than Berlin's. Uebel & Gefährlich, set in a World War II bunker, hosts everything from techno to indie rock. The rooftop bar has panoramic city views, and the sound system in the main room will rearrange your internal organs. Entry varies by event, typically €10-20 ($11-22 USD).

Making the Most of Your Hamburg Home Swap

Here's the thing about Hamburg that took me a few visits to understand: it's not trying to impress you. Unlike Paris or Barcelona, Hamburg doesn't have a checklist of must-see monuments. Instead, it rewards the slow traveler—the person who has time to discover that perfect café, to walk along the Elbe at sunset, to get lost in a neighborhood and find something unexpected.

That's exactly why home swapping works so well here. When you're staying in someone's actual apartment, you're not just visiting Hamburg—you're temporarily living in it. You learn which bakery has the best Franzbrötchen, which U-Bahn station has the broken escalator, which bar the locals actually go to.

I've used SwappaHome for all three of my Hamburg exchanges, and the credit system makes it beautifully simple: host someone at your place, earn credits, use those credits to stay in Hamburg (or anywhere else). My St. Pauli apartment came with a handwritten guide from my host that included her favorite Fischbrötchen stand (Brücke 10, obviously), the code to the building's bike storage, and a warning about the seagulls. That kind of local knowledge doesn't come with a hotel room.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best time of year to visit Hamburg?

May to September is when Hamburg really shines—temperatures hover around 15-25°C (59-77°F), and outdoor events like the Hafengeburtstag (harbor birthday) bring the city to life. Summer means long daylight hours, with sunset after 10 PM in June, perfect for exploring. Winter gets gray and rainy, but the Christmas markets (especially at the Rathaus) are genuinely atmospheric if you don't mind bundling up.

How many days do you need to explore Hamburg?

Four to five days is ideal. That gives you time for the major attractions—Speicherstadt, Elbphilharmonie, harbor tours—plus neighborhood wandering and maybe a day trip to the coast. A week-long home swap lets you truly settle in and discover hidden gems beyond the tourist trail.

Is Hamburg expensive compared to other German cities?

It's moderately expensive—cheaper than Munich, pricier than Berlin. Budget around €80-120 ($87-130 USD) per day for food, transport, and activities. A home swap eliminates accommodation costs entirely, making Hamburg significantly more affordable. Restaurant meals average €12-20 ($13-22 USD), and public transit day passes cost €8.20 ($9 USD).

What is Hamburg best known for?

Its massive port (Europe's third-largest), the Beatles' early career at St. Pauli clubs, the stunning Elbphilharmonie concert hall, and the historic Speicherstadt warehouse district. It's also famous for the Fischbrötchen fish sandwich and the vibrant Reeperbahn entertainment district.

Is Hamburg safe for tourists?

Very safe, including for solo travelers. The Reeperbahn area can get rowdy late at night, but violent crime against visitors is rare. Standard city precautions apply—watch your belongings on public transit and in crowded areas. The home swap community adds an extra layer of trust, as you're connecting with verified members who've been reviewed by other travelers.