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Is Hamburg Good For Kids?
Yes! Hamburg is a fantastic place for a city break for the whole family. There are lots of places to visit around the city and just generally wander around admiring the buildings and the great Elbe River. There is also a great public transport system. It is easy to navigate and both buses and trains are very regular. The city centre is actually fairly compact with most of the sights within walking distance of less than 30 minutes. You can also use the ferries as part of the public transport system. It’s definitely a fun way to get about!
Is The Hamburg Card Good For Families?
Whether or not to buy the Hamburg Card depends on where you will be visiting. For us it was incredibly useful as we used it frequently. Partly for the trains to and from the airport, but also the trains and ferries in the city itself. Nobody actually checks whether you have a ticket. Plus there is nowhere to scan it on the trains or ferries, which I do find a little weird. However, I do imagine there are random spot checks from time to time. It does make it a little simpler to get around Hamburg with kids. You just need to show your card if requested, and not worry about navigating the ticket machines. The Hamburg Card also offers discounts on various attractions throughout the city. However, the discounts on attractions aren’t huge. I wouldn’t recommend buying the card for the discounts. However, it’s an added benefit for the unlimited use of public transport.
For us it was a great way to move around the city with ease as a family. The single card is suitable for 1 adult and up to 3 children. So this works out at a good price for single adult families.
Where To Stay In Hamburg With Kids
Hamburg is a great place to visit with kids, but where should you stay? the perfect place for us was in the city center, where we had easy access to transport and attractions. The Renaissance Hamburg Hotel is only a 5 minute walk from the city hall (Rathaus). It has large family rooms, which makes it a great option to stay with kids. They also have lots of extras for kids. These include a fun kids activity pack, hotel treasure hunt and kids buffet breakfast area.
Other options for staying in Hamburg include the Speicherstadt district or near the Central Station (Hauptbahnhof). There are plenty of budget hotels and more expensive ones to choose from, so you should definitely find somewhere within your budget.
How Many Days In Hamburg With Kids?
I would recommend at least 3 days to visit Hamburg with kids. I’d suggest at least 3/4 of a day just to explore Miniatur Wunderland – the world’s largest miniature railway. We managed to do 8 of the different activities below in 2 full and 1 half day. However, if you would also like to visit Hamburg Zoo, you will probably need another full day!
The Best Things To Do In Hamburg With Kids
There are lots of things to do in Hamburg, with plenty of museums. We had planned to visit the Hamburg History Museum too. However, it’s being updated and won’t be fully open until around 2027. I also noticed that previous attractions such as the rollercoaster restaurant are no longer open. There are still plenty of kid-friendly attractions to interest the entire family in Germany’s second-largest city!
1. Miniatur Wunderland
The world’s largest model railway is definitely the most visited place in Hamburg. It’s incredibly popular with all ages and during holidays can be booked out well in advance. I recommend booking your Miniatur Wunderland tickets in advance of your visit to make sure there is space when you want to visit. It’s also much quieter early in the morning. Which also gives you more time to fully explore the exhibits.
Miniatur Wunderland really does have a good reputation, and rightly so. There is over 16,000 metres of railway track, many connecting to each other so the tracks go through various countries and rooms. You can even follow the tracks through walls, under your feet and along the top of the walls! It’s not all trains here either, there are multiple miniature worlds with tiny details to spot. You move through the different miniature worlds, including Patagonia, Central Germany, Italy, Switzerland, USA and Scandinavia. In each world you can watch trains and vehicles move, plus lots of other things too! Press the interactive buttons to make extra things move in each scene. Buttons can operate anything from buildings opening, to UFO’s flying down from the sky and even a chocolate bar emerging from a miniature chocolate factory.
There is also a whole room dedicated to a miniature airport, with a variety of planes landing, taking off and even fire engines chasing damaged planes back to their stands. Don’t miss the novelty aircraft of the bee plane and Star Wars Millennium Falcon!
Miniatur Wunderland Diner
You can also eat at the diner in Miniatur Wunderland, which has a selection of hot and cold foods to eat. Plus they have the cool train themed booths to sit in and eat you lunch! Prices are reasonable for food, with meals and drinks for 3 of us coming to around £25 (there was no kids menu).
2. Tierpark Hagenbeck
You will need a full day to explore Hamburg Zoo, especially in the summer months when it’s the best place for a day out with kids! Hagenbeck zoo is one of the oldest in the world, opening in 1907 and owned by the same family for 6 generations. Some people complain that there isn’t much to see, as the animals are hiding, however that is totally normal for zoos and animals shouldn’t need to be on display all the time! There is no petting zoo either, which many other zoos have. Aside all this you will find an array of animals, from elephants and lions, to penguins, polar bears and kangaroos. The kids will love visiting all the animals and is definitely one of the top things to do in Hamburg with kids.
There is also the aquarium attached to the zoo, however it is an extra cost to visit. This tropical aquarium has over 8000 square metres of tanks taking you on an expedition around the tropics. It’s definitely a fun place for wildlife fans!
3. Ferries On The River Elbe
The river Elbe is a major river in Northern Germany, traversing across the country from Bohemia (having originated in the Czech Republic) and ending in the North Sea. Around 110 km North of Hamburg. The reason Hamburg is here is mostly due to the Elbe and now the port city is one of the largest German cities! When you take a trip on the ferries on the river Elbe, you will see just how important the dock area is. So many cranes and containers preparing loads for the many container ships that visit.
However, this is not the only reason to travel by ferry. I recommend starting at the pier by the Elbphilharmonie Plaza, where you can get a good view at the concert hall, then take the ferry down to Landungsbrucken where you catch a different ferry all the way down to Elbstrand and over to the docks area and back. It’s a fun and cheap way to take a tour along the Elbe River. Especially if you have the Hamburg card, where the ferries are included.
4. International Maritime Museum
Located in the Speicherstadt district of Hamburg, not too far from Miniature Wunderland is the International Maritime Museum. This is a 9 floor building with a LOT to see! any child who is interested in boats and the sea will be interested in visiting, however, there are not that many interactive areas. Most signs have English translations, but a good few did not, which makes it a little difficult. You will find everything from model boats, to uniforms, equipment used int he past, pirates and modern ships. There is also a large Lego model ship that the kids were obviously particularly interested in! Young families may want to choose a few key areas to explore as it can be exhausting visiting all 9 floors! There are lifts available, although there aren’t too many stairs between each level.
The Catch of the Day restaurant has tasty food, but there aren’t any more basic kids meals. Most of the food is fairly ‘fancy‘ compared to what the kids usually eat. So for fussy eaters I’d recommend eating elsewhere.
5. Planten Un Blomen Park
Planten Un Blomen is Hamburg’s botanical garden and is completely free to enter. There are lots of beautiful garden areas to explore, with small bridges to cross, ponds to look for wildlife and of course a play park. The kids were excited to see a couple of red squirrels chasing each other in a nearby tree when we first arrived. Plus the Japanese Garden is rather beautiful!
The play park or ‘spielplatz’ as they are known in German has a great number of fun activities for kids of all ages. Some play equipment is quite challenging and suited for older children, with younger kids enjoying the easier equipment. There is plenty to explore and my kids (12 and 9 years old) spent a good couple of hours playing here in October. Do expect it to be busy with other families, or school groups in school term time.
6. Chocoversum Hamburg
Everyone who loves chocolate will enjoy a visit to the chocolate museum, Chocoversum in Hamburg. It’s the best way to learn about the history of chocolate and how it’s made. Starting with a visit to the ‘rainforest’ you find out how cacao beans are grown and how we can help cacao farmers receive a fair wage from chocolate companies. Then you move onto seeing the machinery that is used to make chocolate, along with taste testing the different stages of the chocolate process. Everyone gets a chance to make their own dark or milk chocolate bar with the toppings of their choice. This is definitely a great choice for a rainy day in Hamburg!
7. Museum of Illusion Hamburg
The museum of illusion in Hamburg is not the largest museum and you will probably only spend an hour at the most exploring it. However, there is a lot to see and do, and the children will have a fantastic time! There is everything from impossible puzzles to optical illusions, with our favourites being the infinity mirrors and the spinning tunnel, where you can’t help but feel like you’re moving! Another place to visit on a rainy day, definitely visit at opening time for a quieter visit with no waiting times for activities .
8. Rickmer Rickmers Ship
Rickmer Rickmers is a museum ship located at Landungsbrucke, just where you get off the ferry! Really easy to access and an interesting old ship to explore. Currently you can only visit the deck and two ends of the ship as downstairs is a restaurant. The ship was built in 1896 and named after the company founders 3 year old grandson ‘Rickmer’, who is also shown as a the chubby cheeked figurehead on the front of the ship. Rickmer Rickmers ship has visited various places around the world over its time and confiscated from its owners in 1916 in the Azores during WWI. The ship had a long and varied life as both a trade ship and naval ship throughout the years, then was moored permanently in Hamburg from 1983. Explore the officers quarters, seaman’s quarters and more throughout the ship.
9. Elbstrand
The Elbstrand is a length of beach on the river Elbe, just a short ferry ride from the city centre. This is a fantastic place to visit on a warm day to have beach barbecues, build sandcastles and enjoy a sandy beach in the city of Hamburg. It’s a little bit of fun and a good idea to visit with small children in the summer. Don’t go in the water though, it’s right across from the docks and not safe for swimming! Don’t forget an icecream at one of the many shops along the sea front.
10. Hamburg Christmas Markets
Hamburg has many Christmas markets to explore, with the main market being in front of city hall where the giant Christmas is placed. You can also find other Christmas markets around the city centre at various locations. Most open around the end of November and close on the 23rd December.
Other Hamburg Attractions You May Enjoy
Although I’ve listed the top attractions in Hamburg above, you can also find other suitable places to visit with families at other times of the year. For example, younger children may enjoy the Klick Children’s Museum and the Hamburger Dom is a city theme park/funfair open several times throughout the year. It wasn’t open when we visited, but they have roller coasters, stalls, funfairs and other fun activities. Other options are to take a bus tour or boat tour around the city or canals, although check they have English speaking tours or headsets, as otherwise they are rather boring!
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