There are a number of festivals, holidays and other events celebrated in Hamburg each year. The main ones are listed below.
January 1: New Year - (Neujahrstag - national) March or April: Good Friday (Karfreitag - national event) March or April: Easter Monday (Ostermontag - national holiday) May 1: Labour Day (Tag der Arbeit - national holiday)On the first of May, it is customary to offer a sprig of lily-of-the-valley to close ones. Many vendors occupy the pavement on that occasion!
May 5-8: Hamburg Port Anniversary (Hafengeburtstag - local)The world's biggest port festival, paying tribute to the city's emblem founded in 1189. The event includes many cultural and historical celebrations on land and water.
October 3: Day of German Unity (Tag der Deutschen Ein-heit - local)On this holiday, the inhabitants of Hamburg commemorate, as elsewhere in the country, the reunification of Germany in 1990. It is the only common state holiday fixed by federal law—all other holidays are governed by regional law.
December 25: Christmas (Weihnachtstag, national)Like the rest of Germany, Hamburg has several traditional Christmas markets during the Christmas season. The atmosphere is especially magical in the historic market at town hall square with, among other events, Santa's sleigh thrice-a-day flyby. Children will enjoy the fairy-tale boats, which sail on the Binnenalster, one of the city's two lakes.
December 26: Boxing Day (Zweiter Weihnachtsfeiertag – national)In Hamburg, December 26 is an officially recognized Christian holiday.
December 31: New Year's Eve (national)The best place to ring in the new year is at the port of Hamburg, which is lit up by a giant fireworks display along the Elbe.
| Month | Min. Average Temperature (°C/F°) | Max. Average Temperature (°C/F°) | Average Rains (MM) | Best Time to Travel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -2/28 | 3/37 | 61/2.4 | Not the best period to go |
| February | -2/28 | 4/39 | 41/1.6 | Not the best period to go |
| March | 0/32 | 7/44 | 56/2.2 | Not the best period to go |
| April | 3/37 | 12/53 | 51/2.0 | Not the best period to go |
| May | 7/44 | 17/62 | 57/2.2 | Not the best period to go |
| June | 10/50 | 20/68 | 74/2.9 | Good period to go
|
| July | 12/53 | 21/70 | 74/2.9 | Good period to go
|
| August | 12/53 | 22/72 | 70/2.7 | Good period to go
|
| September | 9/48 | 18/64 | 70/2.7 | Good period to go
|
| October | 6/43 | 13/55 | 63/2.5 | Not the best period to go |
| November | 3/37 | 8/46 | 71/2.8 | Not the best period to go |
| December | -1/30 | 4/39 | 72/2.8 | Not the best period to go |
The Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel airport is 8.5 kilometres (5 miles) north of the city centre.
The Hamburg Helmut-Schmidt International Airport is located 8.5 kilometres (5 miles) north of the city centre.
Hamburg is fairly spread out but has an extensive and well organised public transport network composed of U-Bahn (underground), S-Bahn (suburban trains), buses, and water buses that run down the Elbe river.
Traffic is generally very fluid in Hamburg, but it is often difficult to park in the centre or the port-especially at Teufelsbrück. If you manage to find a parking space, it will cost you EUR 2.50, limited to 1 hour. In limitless parking lots, price varies from EUR 2.50 to EUR 4.50 per hour. Traffic jams are common in the city centre: avoid peak periods (morning, late afternoon, and festival periods). The best solution is to park outside the city and use public transport.
Hamburg's self-service StadtRAD bicycle system and many bike paths make cycling an enjoyable way to explore the city. Bikes are free for the first 30 minutes and EUR 0.10 per minute after that, with a maximum fee of EUR 15 per day.
Four subway lines (U-Bahn) run from 4:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. U-Bahn, S-Bahn and buses run all night on weekends. A one-way ticket is EUR 3.30.
Six ferry lines cross the Elbe. It's a nice ride: you can, for example, start at St. Pauli Landungsbrücken and reach the pontoons. Public transport tickets are valid on board. In high season, a ferry line also runs on Alster Lake.
The Hamburg CARD provides unlimited travel by bus, train, and public boat:
1 day EUR 10.50; 2 days EUR 19.90; 3 days EUR 25.90; 4 days EUR 34.50; 5 days EUR 41.90. The card also offers discounts on some museums, restaurants, and guided tours.
Taxis are easy to hail in Hamburg and cost around EUR 2 per kilometre.
Once you arrive in Hamburg, don't hesitate to get in touch with tourism professionals for information and help in organising your stay.
Hamburg Tourist BoardOffers sightseeing recommendations, tourist information and brochures.
The tourist office has several branches in the city:
The head office is inside Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Sundays and holidays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.)
Another branch is located on the harbour at Landungsbrücken, between pontoons 4 and 5 (Sunday to Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Thursday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.)
The third is at the airport in the Airport Plaza, between terminals 1 and 2 (daily from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.)
In order to travel in the best conditions and for your health and safety, we invite you to check all information regarding preventive measures and best practices to be respected, available on the official website of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs: https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-files/
Your comfort, well-being and health are at the heart of Air France's concerns, and we want to help you prepare for your trip in the best way possible. Find out more about the measures taken to ensure safe travelling on our website: https://www.airfrance.fr/FR/en/common/page_flottante/information/coronavirus.htm#notre-engagement-sanitaire
See your doctor before you travel. It is also recommended to take out insurance covering medical expenses and repatriation before your trip. Hamburg counts several hospitals and medical institutions, as well as quality medical practitioners and health specialists.
For stays of less than three months, travellers from the Schengen area, as well as those from the countries of the European Union not included in the area, need only be in possession of a national identity card or a passport valid for the duration of their stay.
As a general rule, travellers from all other countries are subject to visa requirements, although foreign nationals from certain countries may enter Germany for up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes.
For further information, visit the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees: www.bamf.de
To enjoy peace of mind during your stay in Hamburg, visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your country.
Here are a few basic German phrases that will make your stay in Hamburg a little easier:
Hello / Good morning / Good afternoon: Guten Morgen (morning) / Guten Tag (during the day)
Good evening: Guten Abend
Goodbye: Auf Wiedersehen
Yes: Ja
No: Nein
No, thank you: Nein, Danke
Thank you very much: Vielen Dank
Please: Bitte
I don't understand: Ich verstehe nicht
Could you repeat ?: Können Sie bitte wiederholen?
What time is it ?: Wie spät ist es?
Sorry: Entschuldigung
Airport: der Flughafen
Train station: der Bahnhof
Taxi: das Taxi
Hotel: das Hotel
Hospital: das Krankenhaus
Bank: die Bank
Telephone: das Telefon
I'm (…): Ich bin (…)
I'm looking for (…): Ich suche (…)
How much is (…)?: Wie viel kostet es?
Do you have (…)?: Haben Sie (…)?
Where can I find (…)?: Wo kann ich (…) finden?
Where can I buy (…)?: Wo kann ich (…) kaufen?
I'd like (…): Ich hätte gern (…)
Tipping
In Germany, leaving a tip is recommended and always appreciated. An appropriate tip in this case is anywhere between 5 and 10% of the bill at restaurants or bars. Do not leave the tip on the table, but give it at checkout.
