Our visit to the Hamburg Christmas Markets in Germany was such a magical experience. It’s no wonder this city is known as one of the best places to visit in Europe during the holidays! From strolling along the stunning canals to exploring the colorful neighborhoods, every moment was unforgettable. In this guide, we’ll share the must-visit markets, delicious local food, and highlights from our Hamburg Christmas Market adventure.
Planning Your Hamburg Christmas Markets Tour
Getting There: The main airport is HAM International. There are flights here from all around world, and it can be quite inexpensive if you’re already in Europe.
We traveled with Eurowings and used Skyscanner to find a flight for under $50 USD. You can also hop on a domestic train from other cities in Germany.
Public Transportation: Uber and local taxis are a popular way to get around the city. However, know that the train is cheap and super easy to use.
From the airport, hop on the S1 train, and you’ll arrive at the central train station in just 30 minutes. We also found the city to be very walkable if it’s not too cold out!
Weather: Speaking of the winter… Keep in mind it gets very chilly during this season in Northern Germany. Be sure to pack extra layers and the warmest clothes possible for your visit.
Bring Cash: Many of the stands at the Christmas Markets in Hamburg do accept credit cards. Still, you’ll want to have some change on you for glühwein mug deposits (more on this later) and other snacks. The vendors that don’t accept cards typically have a sign out that says cash only in English.
Where to Stay in Hamburg
The Hamburg Christmas Markets are spread out around the city, which means you’ll have plenty of great options for hotels. Personally, we still enjoyed being based close to the Old Town and the main market area.
For our first visit to Hamburg, we stayed at the beautiful Hotel Baseler Hof. It was amazing being able to walk out our door and be at the Weisser Zauber Christmas Market so quickly. In just a few minutes, we were taking in the magic of the holidays with a warm glass of glühwein in hand!
The lobby was beautifully decorated and had a massive Christmas tree set up. We also appreciated the full German breakfast at Hotel Baseler Hof to start out each day in Hamburg.
The buffet was filled with fresh brötchen rolls, meats, cheese, pastries, and so much more. This is a great mid-range priced hotel that’s close to the city center.
If you are looking for a more luxurious option, then check out Tortue Hamburg or Hotel Atlantic Hamburg. Other highly-rated places to stay include Motel One Hamburg-Fleetinsel and ipartment Hamburg HafenCity.
8 Tips For the Hamburg Germany Christmas Markets
1. How Long to Spend in Hamburg
First off, you should know that Hamburg is one of the largest cities in Germany! To say that there is a lot to see and do would be an understatement.
Honestly, just walking between the different Hamburg Christmas Markets will take up most of your day. We had two nights to explore, which really gave us one and a half days since we arrived in the afternoon.
It felt a bit overwhelming and we could’ve easily used at least one more full day. With that said, two days will give you a good feel for the city, while also leaving time to see other tourist attractions in between the markets.
2. Set Your Hamburg Christmas Market Route
As we mentioned earlier, Hamburg is an extremely easy city to get around. The public transportation is fantastic, but our favorite way to go between the markets was by walking.
Really, we felt like we’d be missing too many sights on our first visit if we were just taking taxis around. Some of the Hamburg Christmas Markets are so big that you will need an hour or more to experience them!
However, there are also smaller markets that you can pass through quickly that don’t require a lot of time to see. Make sure to check the Hamburg Christmas Market map on their official tourism page.
This website is filled with helpful information on the markets and general tips for the city. You may also want to pop into the tourist information center if you’re close to the central station to get a printout of the map.
Being that we only had two days, we were very particular in setting our route to make the most of our time. The Christmas Markets in Hamburg all have a different theme, so do some research beforehand to figure out what you’d like to see.
3. Visit the Markets Mid-Week
We highly recommend planning your visit to Hamburg on the weekdays during the Christmas Market season. The city will be absolutely packed on the weekends, as many locals from the region visit along with the tourists.
Even though we were in Hamburg on a Monday and Tuesday in early December, the markets came alive soon after sunset. Definitely plan to get out early to the Hamburg Christmas Markets in the daytime as well!
It’s a completely different experience when the sun is out before the markets are illuminated with lights. The only downside to going on the weekdays is that you’ll miss out on the famous Sunday fish market. We can’t wait to return back to Hamburg this summer and see it for ourselves!
4. See Santa Fly At City Hall First
In our opinion, this isn’t a “save the best for last” activity. There is a reason why some markets are larger and more popular than others!
We flew into the Hamburg airport, dropped our bags at the hotel, and immediately headed to City Hall Market. Set right in front of the historic building, this magical Hamburg Christmas Market should be at the top of your list.
There are is endless food and drinks, plus more souvenirs then you can imagine. Yet, what really stood out is how lovely the stands were decorated. Everything was so bright and colorful, with small lights and the massive sparkling tree towering above.
Remember that it’s completely normal to share a small standing table with strangers. If there is a spot to put your drinks down, feel free to join in.
We ended up chatting with two friendly locals who told us there was a show about to start that we wouldn’t want to miss… and we’re so glad we didn’t!
We’d heard about the Santa spectacle before visiting Hamburg Germany Christmas Markets, but we didn’t expect him to fly over us in a sled. He even stopped over the middle of the crowd to recite a Christmas story.
5. Leaving a Deposit for Drinks
Just like most of Germany, you will need to leave a deposit for your glühwein mugs. This is why it’s so important to bring cash with you to the Hamburg Christmas Markets!
We did notice that some stands accepted credit cards and would give you a token to redeem for cash later on. Still, you’re better off taking out some Euros before heading out for the night.
Once you’ve finished your drink, you can decide whether to keep your mug or get your money back. We couldn’t resist and put together quite the collection of cups to bring back home to Spain!
Each of the Christmas Markets in Hamburg make their own special designed mugs every year, so it definitely makes for a fun souvenir.
6. Explore Hamburg in the Morning
One thing you might not realize before visiting is that the markets have specific opening and closing times. They do vary slightly based on the weekend vs weekday, but many don’t kick off until around noon.
Don’t worry though! This means that the mornings will be a great opportunity to see more of the city.
One of the first places we visited was Miniatur Wunderland. This museum holds replica models of cities and landscapes from around the world made with tiny pieces.
During our trip, they were featuring an exhibit on Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It’s truly hard to understand these miniature creations it until you see them for yourself! This is close to the Chocoversum and next door to the Hamburg Dungeon, which are both popular things to do in the city.
After that, we headed to the waterfront for a one hour harbor boat tour. Cruising through the city canals was a highlight of our trip, as it offered a picturesque look at Hamburg from the water.
7. What to Eat at the Hamburg Christmas Market
We’ll go into all the best food from the Hamburg Christmas Markets next, but there’s one spot you have to try first! Brücke 10 was the perfect restaurant to grab lunch after our boat tour.
The small shop pumps out local fish sandwiches daily, which are a specialty of Hamburg city. Once you’ve had an adventure-filled morning, the markets will be in full swing.
We actually had a list of restaurants that we were excited to try before our visit to Hamburg. However, after walking around the city, we realized there was just too much delicious food to eat at the markets!
Some of the best things we ate were the potato pancakes, currywurst,
käsespätzle, and roasted almonds. You’ll also want to try the frikadelle beef patty on a hot roll.
8. Our Favorite Hamburg Christmas Markets
City Hall Market
We already mentioned this one because it’s really a must-see on your trip! The stalls are so well done, the crafts for purchase are stunning, and there is so much amazing food to taste.
It’s always lively as it’s the main Hamburg Christmas Market, and you may find yourself here multiple times. Don’t miss Santa flying overhead at every day at 4pm, 6pm and 8pm.
Winterwald in Hamburg
We had read about this Hamburg Christmas Market before visiting, but didn’t know what to expect. The idea was to transform it into a beautiful forest within the city. While there are the typical German stands, we did find the small cute area surrounded by trees to enjoy a hot drink.
Santa Pauli
Now this naughty market is certainly not like the others. Located in the Reeperbahn neighborhood, it’s known as the adults-only playground in the city! If you want to learn more about the history of the area you can take a tour like this one.
Santa Pauli offers a completely different experience than the more kid-friendly markets of Germany. If you’re a little skeptical, we recommend going right when it opens in the late afternoon.
We saw that later on the night there were some scandalous dancing shows on the main stage. Yet, we were off to the next market by time they went down.
One thing to note is that this market does have a different schedule than others and kicks off later in the day. Make sure to check the updated hours before you go.
Is Christmas in Hamburg Germany Worth it?
100%!! We went to multiple cities during our Christmas Markets tour of Germany, with Hamburg including many of our favorites. The sheer number of markets offers something different for every traveler, and there are endless culinary delights to enjoy.
We loved Hamburg so much that we’re already planning a trip back in the summer! Check out our Christmas Markets River Cruise and our city guides below if you’re considering adding a destination onto your winter itinerary.
- Nuremberg Christmas Market
- Cologne Christmas Markets
- Frankfurt Christmas Market
- Budapest Christmas Market
Have any questions about this article or want to share your own tips for the Hamburg Germany Christmas Markets? Leave us a comment below!
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
This trip was made possible in partnership with Hamburg Tourism. As always, any opinions and recommendations remain our own.