TWO DAYS IN HAMBURG
On Tuesday I went to Hamburg for two nights with my blogger bestie Kassi. We were invited over to explore the city and to see what it had to offer. Our trip consisted of sightseeing tours, water buses, incredible views from rooftop bars, A LOT of photo-taking, the right amount of cherry blossoms, pink cocktails and amazing food. I haven’t been to Germany in a few years, my last trip was to Munich and I really enjoyed it so I could not wait to be let loose in another German city.
FLIGHTS
We caught an early flight on Tuesday morning and flew back on Thursday afternoon – flights were relatively cheap. We flew with Ryanair and it was about €52 for a return ticket. The flight was just under 2 hours long so I was there in no time. Tip: Try and book a few weeks in advance for cheaper flights.
[Jacket – custom-made – New Look | Jeans – River Island | Runners – Littlewoods]
ACCOMMODATION
I stayed in Superbude which is located in St. Pauli. This is by far one of the coolest places I have stayed in. I honestly haven’t seen anything like it. Superbude is next to the Bernstorffstrasse bus stop and only about a 10 minute walk to two train/metro stations.
Their incredibly arty rooms offer free Wi-Fi, flat-screens and en suite bathrooms. The walls were plastered in newspaper cuttings and the beds had cool netting and magazine holders on either side. Not forgetting the cool quotes on the walks and the insanely unique decor and furnishings.
They have a self-service breakfast buffet in a colorful (homey) dining room with a 24/7 drinks fridge and a gaming area. It’s not often I get this excited about a hotel, it is definitely a must if you’re going to Hamburg. The entire building has a creative/arty vibe about it and the staff were so helpful and accommodating too.
TRANSPORT
The Hamburg card is the way to go. You can get around easily by bus, train and harbour ferry (HVV) and save money at more than 150 tourist attractions! You can travel throughout Hamburg with the discovery ticket.
- 2 day ticket is €18.90
- 3 day ticket: €25.50
THINGS TO DO
VISIT REEPERBAHN
This is one of Hamburg’s most famous streets and it is know as the red light district. The Reeperbahn is a street and entertainment district in Hamburg’s St. Pauli district, one of the two centers of Hamburg’s nightlife. It is lined with restaurants, night clubs, and bars. There are also strip clubs, sex shops, brothels, and similar businesses.
HAFEN CITY RIVER BUS
This is a city cruise on land and in water in one bus. The River Bus passes through Speicherstadt, Hafen City and the authentic Rothenburgsort district. After a 25-minute drive through Speicherstadt and HafenCity, you then reach the Entenwerder peninsula in Rothenburgsort, one of Hamburg’s oldest districts. Once there, you end up in the water (it was such a laugh). The journey takes about 70 minutes (40 minutes on land and 30 minutes on the Elbe).
Tickets: €29.50
CITY BUS TOUR – LINE A SIGHTSEEING TOUR
We did the sightseeing tour on our second day because we walked a lot on our first day so we decided to take it easy for a few hours. I enjoyed this because we covered a lot in a short space of time.
The Line A sightseeing tour takes you to Hamburg’s highlights: Along the Speicherstadt and through the Hafencity to the city’s shopping districts. You also pass Alster, the town hall, various museums, the famous Reeperbahn and the harbour. With a day ticket for the Line A sightseeing tour, you can get on, get off or change bus at 29 stops (hop on – hop off).
Day tickets: €17.50
SPEICHERSTADT
The Speicherstadt is the warehouse district in Hamburg and it is the largest warehouse district in the world where the buildings stand on timber-pile foundations. It is located in the port of Hamburg – in the HafenCity quarter.
RATHAUS
The Hamburg Rathaus is the Rathaus (town hall)—of Hamburg, Germany. It is located in the Altstadt quarter in the city center, at the Rathaus markt square, and near the lake Binnenalster and the central station. The area surrounding Rathaus is worth exploring. There are plenty of shops, coffee spots and restaurants. We stopped off in a small cafe across the way for tea and pastries – it was divine!
HAFEN CITY
Hafen City is a quarter in the district of Hamburg-Mitte. It is located on the Elbe river island Grasbrook, on former Port of Hamburg area. We passed through here on our sightseeing tour and learnt a lot about the area.
The Elbphilharmonie is a concert hall in the area and it really stood out to me because its structure and overall look is unique. It is one of the largest and most acoustically advanced concert halls in the world. It is nicknamed Elphi.
Depending on how many days you go for you can always visit the Miniatur Wuderland and the Maritimes museum too.
The weather in Hamburg can be quite unpredictable so make sure you prepare for cold, rain and sunshine. I ended up packing 2 jumpers, a hat and an oversized scarf and I certainly didn’t regret it.
TOP FOOD AND DRINKS SPOTS
Clouds bar and restaurant is one of my favourite spots in Hamburg for two reasons – the view and the drinks. This restaurant and bar overlooks Reeperbahn and the views really are incredible. We stopped off here on our second night and it’s only about 15 minutes away from where we were staying.
Sky bar 20Up is another favourite because the view is unforgettable. We finished off our first night here. It was surprisingly busy for a Tuesday night, there was a buzzing atmosphere and the cocktails were perfect!
Christiansen’s bar in St.Pauli is a really nice cosy spot for drinks. We stopped off here on our first night, we got chatting to the bar man and he was telling us all about the city and good places to visit. We have some delicious cocktails to kick-start our night – my Singapore Sling was delish!
ALEX Hamburg is a lovely spot we found by the lake and just across from Rathaus. We stopped off here for a coffee because the views were something else. While it is a bar and restaurant they make amazing coffee too.
Ban Canteen was just a 10 minute walk from our hotel and it was an ideal spot for dinner. If you like Vietnamese food then this is the place to go. From the fresh home made lemonade and spring roll starter to the spicey beef main and prosecco dessert. Definitely a must when you’re in Hamburg!
Who doesn’t love burgers? Our first foodie stop was the Better Burger Company and boy was it worth the wait. They serve some seriously tasty burgers – I had extra bacon and a fried egg on mine. Such a good spot and the portion kept us full for hours. Just what you need when you’re walking around all day.
Overall, I had an amazing two days in this beautiful city. Kassi and I managed to cover a lot in the short time we were there which was great but I would love to see and do more when I next visit. The sights were worth seeing and the overall trip won’t be forgotten any time soon. Are you planning a trip over soon? If so let me know! 🙂 #ComeToHamburg
also shot some street style looks when I was over there so will have those written up soon. If there is anything in particular you’d like me to blog about next let me know. You can catch me on Snapchat: duffyloikes, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! 🙂
Thanks for reading!
Until next time…
Note: This was a press trip and this post is not sponsored*
Join me for updates on my #BOSS life…
