Hamburg Card with Free Public Transport and Discounts

Getting around Hamburg with the card

Hamburg has one of the best public transport networks in Germany, and the Hamburg Card covers it all within the city area: the U-Bahn and S-Bahn trains, the city buses and the public harbour ferries that cross the Elbe. Lines run frequently from early morning until late at night, and on weekend nights many trains run around the clock. Simply carry your printed card voucher; there are no turnstiles, but inspectors check tickets on board.

The card is valid from the start of your first day until the end of your last day, so it suits both a quick visit and a longer stay. Many travellers ask how to get around Hamburg without a car; with this travel card the U-Bahn takes you from the main station to the harbour in minutes, and you never need to buy single tickets at machines.

Landungsbrücken and the harbour ferries

The St. Pauli Landungsbrücken, a long row of floating piers with a domed stone hall from the early twentieth century, is the gateway to the port of Hamburg, one of the largest in Europe. From here the public harbour ferries, included in the Hamburg Card, sail along the Elbe; line 62 is a favourite, passing the Elbphilharmonie, the fishing port and the beach at Övelgönne with giant container ships just across the water.

Next to the piers, the Old Elbe Tunnel, opened in 1911, runs beneath the river with tiled walls and lifts for cars and pedestrians, and leads to a viewpoint with a classic panorama of the harbour skyline. Harbour cruises with commentary also leave from the Landungsbrücken, and many of them offer a discount with your card.

Speicherstadt, HafenCity and the Elbphilharmonie

The Speicherstadt is the largest historic warehouse district in the world, built between 1883 and 1927 on oak piles in the Elbe, with red-brick Gothic Revival warehouses lining narrow canals. Together with the neighbouring Kontorhaus district and its famous Chilehaus, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015, and many museums and attractions inside the old warehouses offer Hamburg Card discounts.

Beside it rises HafenCity, a modern waterfront quarter crowned by the Elbphilharmonie concert hall, opened in 2017, with its glass wave-shaped roof set on top of an old brick warehouse. Its public Plaza, about 37 metres above the ground, wraps around the building and offers one of the best views of the port and the city. The U-Bahn and harbour ferries bring you here easily with your card.

Town Hall, Jungfernstieg and the Alster lakes

In the city centre, Hamburg's grand neo-Renaissance Town Hall, completed in 1897, dominates the Rathausmarkt and still houses the city parliament and government. A few steps away, the Jungfernstieg promenade runs along the Inner Alster, a lake in the heart of the city surrounded by elegant shopping arcades, while the larger Outer Alster to the north is lined with parks, villas and rowing clubs.

Alster boat tours and the classic Alster steamers leave from the Jungfernstieg piers, and many of them give a discount with the Hamburg Card. The best time to visit the Alster is a sunny afternoon or early evening in summer, when locals sail, row and relax by the water. The U-Bahn and S-Bahn stop right at the Jungfernstieg.

Museums and attractions with Hamburg Card discounts

The Hamburg Card brings reductions at many of the city's best museums and attractions, including art galleries such as the Kunsthalle, the International Maritime Museum in the Speicherstadt, the giant model railway exhibition, history museums, theatres and musicals, and the Planten un Blomen park with its gardens. Discounts are also available for city tours, harbour cruises and selected restaurants and shops.

Discounts are reductions on the regular price paid at each venue, not free entry, so show your card at the ticket desk before paying. Check the companion app for the current list of partners and conditions. With a few museum visits and a harbour cruise, the Hamburg tourist card quickly becomes good value, and the travel included makes every day easier.