Party boat, pub crawl or club night in Hamburg: which one suits you?
4 min read
The short answer. If you want to meet people and finish in a club, book a pub crawl: the Big Hamburg Pub Crawl is the one our recommendation box points to, from €10 per person, rated 4.6 from 217 reviews. If you would rather sit, eat and dance on the water, the Saturday boat party is the other format. The pub crawls and the boat party list children under 18 as not suitable; for the Olivia Jones cruise, ask the operator about age limits.
| Option | Format | From | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party harbour cruise with Olivia Jones | 1.5 hours on a harbour boat, DJ, German | €45.80 | 4.7 | 299 |
| Saturday Night Boat Party | 3 hours, every Saturday, buffet and DJ | €99 | 4.1 | 443 |
| Big Hamburg Pub Crawl | 3.5 to 4 hours, Thursday to Saturday, bars and clubs | €10 | 4.6 | 217 |
| Original Hamburg Pub Crawl | 4 hours, English guide, 3 bars and a club | €18 | 4.7 | 110 |
| Party Walk through St. Pauli | 4 hours, 4+ venues, German or English | €17 | 5.0 | 105 |
On the water
The Olivia Jones party cruise is a 90-minute harbour trip with an onboard DJ and a Landratten-Likör, a spirit, according to the listing. It leaves from the Fischauktionshalle, runs in bad weather on a covered boat, and the commentary is German. Free cancellation applies up to two days before. Ask the operator about a minimum age before you bring anyone under 18.
The Saturday Night Boat Party is the longer, sit-down version: three hours on a passenger ship from Sandtorhöft, with a hot and cold buffet, unlimited beer, wine, water and soft drinks, and a DJ. Whether cocktails, long drinks or shots are included is stated on the booking page. It runs on Saturdays, and the listing lists children under 18 as not suitable.
On foot, bar to bar
The pub crawls share a formula: a few bars and free shots; the Big and the Original Hamburg Pub Crawl add club entry without queueing. The differences are the language, the start and how loose the evening is.
- The Big Hamburg Pub Crawl runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday, each with its own theme, and starts at Beatles-Platz and ends at Große Freiheit. The listing promises skip-the-line entry to three bars and two clubs (its list of inclusions says two to three bars) and says English is the main guide language on public tours.
- The Original Hamburg Pub Crawl is guided in English, meets at Generator Hostel, takes up to 100 people and lists children under 18 and people over 70 as not suitable. It warns that some clubs refuse sandals and tank tops for men.
- The Party Walk is the looser format: it starts at Hans-Albers-Platz, with free shots at each venue per the listing. Bring ID and cash; the listing says not every bar takes cards, though it has set the tour up so that at least every other venue does. Pregnant women are listed as not suitable.
Who should pick what
Pick the party cruise for a short, silly start to the night. Pick the boat party if you want food and a fixed place to sit for three hours. Pick a pub crawl to meet strangers and get into clubs. Pick the Party Walk if you would rather not follow a fixed itinerary. For what is allowed on the Kiez itself, read our St. Pauli guide, and see the Reeperbahn and St. Pauli category for guided walks.
Our recommendation
For most people the Big Hamburg Pub Crawl is the straightforward pick: English-speaking guides, a fixed route, and clubs at the end. For a sit-down night on the water, choose the boat party.
