Things to do in St. Pauli

See Hamburg’s harbor-side attractions from a unique perspective, float past impressive container ships, and discover the historic Speicherstadt district aboard a 1.5-hour cruise with live commentary from a German-speaking guide. The tour includes an exclusive stop at the Elbphilharmonie pier, where you can disembark to visit the iconic concert hall or walk to the new Westfield Center Hamburg, the city's latest shopping highlight. Start your harbor adventure on land as you cross the famous "Überseebrücke" bridge to reach the pier where you will board a traditional Hamburger boat referred to as a Barkasse. Listen as your captain decides on which route the boat will take based on weather conditions, the water tides, or, if for example, a really exciting and interesting container ship or a special boat is visiting the harbor. Set off and glide into the narrow waterways of the largest warehouse district in the world known as Speicherstadt. Take in the stunning architecture of buildings standing on timber-pile foundations and oak logs. Sit back and relax as you go past Hafen City. Explore the open decks and feel the cooling sea breezes as you wait for perfect photo opportunities from the boat’s many vantage points. Cruise past rows of massive container ships as the boat makes its way into St. Pauli’s Pier and the Hamburg Port. Learn the history of the many important landmarks from your German-speaking expert guide. As your trip comes to an end, you can disembark at the Elbphilharmonie pier, located just a 10-minute walk from the Westfield Center Hamburg, or choose to stay on board and return to the original departure point.

Discover Hamburg’s wild side on this sex and crime walking tour in the St. Pauli district. Hear interesting anecdotes and details from your guide about the lives and loves of the red light district as you visit its legendary spots. On your tour visit the “Zur Ritze” bar and learn how it got its name. Head down to the boxing club in the basement, where Mike Tyson and the Klitschko brothers trained. Find out where the famous local boxer disappeared to and why so many celebrities come to this rustic bar. See how women can walk down Herbertstrasse, and learn about the Nutella gang and its rivals, the GMBH gang. Discover who controls St. Pauli, who was the godfather in the neighborhood, and how the legal system works here. Find out if Jack the Ripper or someone similar was in Hamburg, and get entrance to a premier show club at the end of the guided tour.

Enjoy a guided tour on the double-decker Line A sightseeing bus in Hamburg. Travel along the Speicherstadt (warehouse city) and harbor city to the shopping areas of the town. Gain valuable insights into the city and its history. Hop aboard with your day ticket that enables you to hop on and hop off at 20 bus stops. See the wonderful villas in Harvestehude, the Outer Alster lake, the city hall, museums, the famous Reeperbahn, and the harbor. Get information in your own language with a GPS steered audio system that offers crystal-clear narration in 11 languages via headsets. Lean back and enjoy the all-around view. In nice weather, the bus goes open top to allow you unobstructed views.

Experience Hamburg's Red Light district with Reeperbahn experts on a guided tour of the St Pauli area. Encounter people like Udo Lindenberg’s legendary bodyguard, Eddy Kante, or iconic Red Light bouncers like Fabian Zahrt. Meet drag queens, like Barbie Stupid, or local historian, Doc Eva Decker. Experience a guided walking tour through St. Pauli featuring the perfect mix of information, entertainment, sinful stops and sights, and a crazy sightseeing show. Pass by the world-famous Herbertstraße and the Davidwache police station, or visit a BDSM dungeon or a sex shop. Learn more about the rich LGBTQ+ heritage of the area, and gain an insight into legendary clubs and celebrity hotspots. Depending on the option selected, each tour will have a slightly different focus and route, where you'll be guided by a true local expert.

Enjoy the unique maritime flair and colorful crowds at the Port of Hamburg on this daily cruise that loops the docks. Thanks to your guide, learn about the history of the port and the city and take an exciting ride through the locks. Discover this gateway to the world up-close onboard a little ship, equally suited to a fleet. Find out just how huge the Port of Hamburg, the second-largest port in Europe, is. Hardly another city in the world is so tied to its port; Hamburg truly developed because of it. The most important sights and the skyline are inextricably linked to it. Experience the contrast between past and present, commerce and culture, the little fishing town along the Elbe, and the state-of-the-art container complexes. You'll also learn about the sinful stretches and fish market, old cutters, and massive cruise and container ships. Our onboard guide provides live commentary in German. For commentary in other languages, please download the 'Rainer Abicht' app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app offers audio tours of the harbor cruise in six different languages.

Enjoy a unique city tour with the traditional night watchmen around the largest entertainment and red-light district in Europe. Your German-language guide will meet you at the Landungsbrücken and showcase all that St. Pauli has to offer. Your guide will take on the role and uniform of the original St. Pauli night watchman, who represents the notorious district of Hamburg. He will discover the Große Freiheit ("The Great Freedom”) with you. Satisfy your curiosity and learn all of the local secrets. Hear about what it's like inside the Davidwache Police Department, how the rope-making industry carved out the path the Reeperbahn, Joe Cocker's incident, the mysterious Herbertstraße, and legendary stories involving Paul McCartney.

Learn all about Germany's most famous drag queen, Olivia, on a walking tour with a local guide. Discover the many highlights of Hamburg's St. Pauli, Reeperbahn, and the Große Freiheit have to offer. With a local by your side, walk through Hamburg's red light district and past the Herbertstraße. See everything from the Dancing Towers to the famous David Wache as you listen to stories and funny anecdotes told by your guide. Discover the famous party miles, the Hans-Albers-Platz, and the Große Freiheit, where you can also find Olivia's bars. Plunge straight into Hamburg's nightlife and round off your tour with one local specialty drink and one shot.

Discover more and pay less with a Hamburg city card. Enjoy free public transportation (HVV) in the entire greater Hamburg area and up to 50% off over 150 sights, including all the museums. Whether you're visiting for a few hours or a few days, explore Hamburg at your leisure at affordable prices. Print the PDF attached to your voucher or validate your card on the free "Hamburg - Erleben & Sparen" app. Then, show your card when buying tickets or traveling on the HVV network. Download the app for a travel guide to Hamburg and information about all the discounts and sights included in your card. Save time by booking discounted sights in advance (depending on the partners' site). Enjoy free travel by bus and train (HVV), at any time of day, including:• Harbor ferries including Route 62 Landungsbrücken - Finkenwerder • Free city tour: Bus Route 111 HafenCity - Landungsbrücken - Altona Benefit from up to 50% discount on more than 150 sights, attractions, city tours, and museums, including:• Sightseeing tours and museums • Musicals and theater shows (for remaining tickets at regular box office performances) • Harbor and Alster river cruises and city tours Some advantages at a glance:• 15% discount "Dialogue in Silence" (please book in advance) • 20% discount on Hamburg town hall • 28% discount on Comedy tour (in German, free for children under 15) • up to 14% discount on different Bus sightseeing tours • 20% discount on Pedicab Pedalo Tours • Up to 17% discount Verein Alsterdampfschifffahrt: some Alster cruises • Up to 28% discount on Harbor Cruises • 25% discount Police Museum • 50% discount Archaeological Museum of Hamburg • 15% discount Night Watchman Tour (in German) • Up to 25% discount St. Michael's Tower: tower, viewing platform, crypt • 27% discount on Hamburg Dungeon • 15% discount Ratsherren brewery tour • 20% discount Speicherstadt Museum

Embark on a magical 1-hour evening cruise and discover Hamburg from its most captivating side. Illuminated, atmospheric and full of maritime charm. Starting in the romantically lit Speicherstadt, the world's largest historic warehouse district, you will glide through narrow canals and enjoy unforgettable views of the city's highlights from the water. Marvel at the iconic Zollkanal, the fairy-tale-like Wasserschloss, and the impressive International Maritime Museum as you cruise along. Continue through the striking HafenCity, Hamburg’s newest and most modern district, where architectural landmarks such as the HafenCity University, the futuristic Marco Polo Tower, and the world-renowned Elbphilharmonie await you. Take in the panoramic skyline as your boat sails past the glittering waterfront toward the famous St. Pauli Piers (Landungsbrücken) and Überseebrücke, where the historic museum ships Rickmer Rickmers and Cap San Diego are docked in all their glory. On your return, experience the port's sea of light once more as you pass by the impressive container terminals, illuminated cranes and colossal cargo ships that give Hamburg its unique character as one of Europe’s busiest harbors. Let yourself be enchanted by the combination of history, modern architecture and maritime flair. This is an evening cruise in Hamburg you will never forget.

Discover Hamburg on a harbor cruise and admire views of the warehouse district and HafenCity. See the city with the most bridges in Europe, with approximately 2,400 structures over water, canals, channels, and docks. Climb aboard the boat and discover the many different attractions and sights in the city, depending on the tides and the day's events. Explore the historical Speicherstadt (warehouse district) with its canals, the modern HafenCity, the numerous bridges over the Elbe River, busy locks and container terminals, the Köhlbrand Bridge, and much more. Along the way, learn more about the city, its history, the incoming and outgoing ships, and anything else that interests you. Sit back and admire the views of the city on the sun deck or in the air-conditioned lounge with large panoramic windows.