Hamburg harbour cruise: 1, 1.5 or 2 hours, which one should you book?
4 min read
The short answer. For most first-time visitors the 1.5-hour harbour and Speicherstadt day cruise is the sensible middle: €34 per person, rated 4.5 from 15,805 reviews, the most reviewed of the harbour cruises we list. Take a one-hour trip if time is short, and one of the two-hour trips if the working port matters more to you than the canals.
| Cruise | Length | Boarding | From | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-hour harbour cruise (Barkassen-Meyer) | 1 hour | Landungsbrücken, Brücke 2 | €24 | 4.5 | 2,473 |
| 1-hour harbour cruise with HafenCity (Rainer Abicht) | 1 hour | Landungsbrücken, Brücke 1 (barge) or Brücken 4–9 (large ship) | €26 | 4.4 | 3,275 |
| 1.5-hour harbour and Speicherstadt day cruise | 1.5 hours | Überseebrücke | €34 | 4.5 | 15,805 |
| 2-hour XXL port cruise | 2 hours | Landungsbrücken, Brücke 1 | €40 | 4.7 | 7,626 |
| 2-hour harbour cruise (Barkassen-Meyer) | 2 hours | Landungsbrücken, Brücke 2 | €34 | 4.6 | 698 |
What all five have in common
The live commentary is in German on every one of them. English comes through an audio app: the listings for the three Rainer Abicht cruises name English among the app languages, and the Barkassen-Meyer cruises list an English audio-guide app. You need your own smartphone and headphones; one listing even puts both on its packing list. If you do not speak German, that is the main thing to know before you book.
All five show free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
The Speicherstadt depends on the tide
Whether a harbour tour goes into the Speicherstadt depends on the water level, says Hamburg Tourismus; at high or low water boats cannot get into the narrow canals. The listings say the same: the route is set by the water level, and the Speicherstadt is not guaranteed on the 1.5-hour cruise, where an alternative route is sailed if the tide changes. If the canals are the reason you are booking, ask the operator or look at the tide table before you pick a date. Our Speicherstadt and Elbphilharmonie category lists the other ways to see the quarter.
Boats, piers and waiting
The boat type changes the experience. The 1.5-hour cruise runs on a traditional Barkasse; the Rainer Abicht one-hour listing offers either a barge or a large passenger ship with a sun deck and a lounge with panoramic windows. On that listing boats leave every 5 to 15 minutes in summer and autumn in good weather and with high demand, and every 30 to 40 minutes in moderate or bad weather.
The 1.5-hour cruise lets you leave the boat at the Elbphilharmonie pier or stay aboard to the start, according to the listing. See what the Elbphilharmonie visit involves if you do.
Who should avoid which
The two-hour Barkassen-Meyer cruise is listed as not suitable for wheelchair users. The 1.5-hour cruise lists wheelchair users as not suitable and says strollers cannot be taken on board; the Rainer Abicht one-hour listing says wheelchairs can only be taken on the large passenger ship and asks you to contact the operator. The 2-hour XXL cruise recommended below is also listed as not suitable for wheelchair users, and the 1.5-hour cruise as not suitable for babies under 1 year. Always ask the operator before you book if mobility is a question.
Our recommendation
Book the 1.5-hour cruise for the canals and the port in one go. Choose the one-hour trips for a quick look, and the 2-hour XXL cruise if the port itself is your interest; its listing mentions the locks. All cruises are in our harbour cruise category.
