Hamburg, Northern Germany and the Baltic Coast
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Holsten Gate at night ©GNTB, Photographer Martin Bulow
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Hamburg - Fishing Port and Dockland ©DZT, Ralf Brunner, GNTB
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Northern Germany
Northern Germany doesn’t just offer a maritime experience: enjoy the region’s beaches with their fine, pale white sand, medieval towns, spa resorts and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The land along the coast is lovely and green and the coastal scenery is dominated by sheer cliffs and steep rock faces. Hamburg, Germany’s greenest city, has many cultural gems to be uncovered.
You will have plenty of time to do some sightseeing in Hamburg and explore various parts of this diverse and picturesque city. Take a stroll around the port and fish market area, see the historic old town with the famous Chile House and the districts of St. Pauli and the Reeperbahn. The gothic artichecture in inner Alster through the locks of the city hall out on to the River Elbe have been influential in Hamburg’s development. Hamburg has a great deal to offer, and you will be able to find something that suits everyone!
Lübeck ‘Queen of the Hanseatic Cities’
This charming and historical city with its medieval passages and courtyards carry all the hallmarks of her Hanseatic past and fully deserves its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Enjoy looking at the seven towers and the iconic Holsten Gate and sample some of Lübeck’s famous marzipan or ‘white gold’. If you are particularly interested in marzipan, then you can choose to visit the Niederegger Marzipan Salon for a demonstration. Also, you can choose to take a drive to the chic and stunning coastal resort of Travemünde overlooking the Baltic Sea.
Dates
Dates throughout 2025 and 2026
Suggested Itinerary
Day 1-2
Travel to Hamburg
Take a short sea crossing to Calais and travel to Germany for an overnight stop before arriving in Hamburg on Day 2.
Day 3
Hamburg sightseeing & cruise
Explore the port and fish market area, the historic old town with the famous Chile House, and the districts of St. Pauli and the Reeperbahn, melting points of many diverse cultures and styles. Take a cruise with a difference along Hamburg’s intricate network of waterways. From the inner Alster through the locks at the city hall out on to the River Elbe, where the waterways are lined with old trading buildings and warehouses. Their gothic architecture, has played a key part in Hamburg’s development. Explore
more of what Hamburg has to offer – from shopping to museums – there is something to suit everyone.
Day 4
Lübeck ‘Queen of the Hanseatic Cities’
This charming and historical city with its medieval passages and courtyards bears all the hallmarks of her Hanseatic past and fully deserves its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy looking at the seven towers and the iconic Holsten Gate and sample some marzipan or ‘white gold’, for which Lübeck is renowned. An optional visit to the Niederegger Marzipan Salon for demonstration and coffee and cake is possible. Before returning to Hamburg, make the short drive to the chic coastal resort of Travemünde, known as Lübeck’s ‘beautiful daughter’ with its white sandy beaches and flower-bedecked promenades, overlooking the Baltic Sea.
Day 5
Schwerin ‘Pearl of the Lakes’
A former ducal town, visit the market square with the old town hall, gabled houses and lion statue. The picturesque fairytale Schloss Scherwin known as the ‘Neuschwanstein of the North‘ has a museum and orangery. Return via Wismar, which has one of the best preserved medieval town centres in Northern Germany.
Day 6-7
Return to the UK
It’s time to leave Hamburg and return to the UK. Make an overnight stop en route back to Calais for the return crossing on Day 7.
Alternative Excursions
Not ready to say Auf Wiedersehen to Northern Germany?
Why not stay a little longer and see Kiel, the amazing port city on Germany’s Baltic Sea coast. In the old town, the rebuilt, medieval St. Nikolai Church hosts classical concerts. Holstenstrasse and Dänische Strasse are streets lined with shops. Along the Kiel Fjord, the Maritime Museum displays model ships and nautical instruments in a former fish auction hall. Kiel is also known for its canal connecting the North Sea, at the mouth of the Elbe River, to the Baltic Sea at Holtenau, and it is one of the world’s busiest and most important shipping routes. As picturesque as it is important, the Kiel Canal is a popular route for ‘pleasure’ crafts and smaller-sized cruise ships such as those in the Fred. Olsen fleet. Click here to see one of the many cruises we have on offer that travel through the Kiel Canal.
Suggested hotel
Leonardo Hotel Hamburg City Nord ****
The Leonardo Hotel Hamburg City Nord is just 10 minutes drive from Hamburg Airport, opposite the Stadtpark Gardens. The contemporary rooms also come with TVs, desks and tea and coffee-making facilities. There is an international restaurant, casual bar, fitness room, sauna and business centre. Onsite parking is available at the hotel free of charge.
| Dates | Half Twin | Single Supplement |
| 2025 and 2026 | Price on request | Price on request |
