HafenCity & Speicherstadt Amphibious Bus Tour by Land and Water Hamburg

HafenCity and the Elbphilharmonie

HafenCity is Hamburg's newest district, built on former port land and among the biggest inner-city development projects in Europe. Glass and brick buildings, promenades and waterfront squares stand beside old harbour basins. The Elbphilharmonie, a concert hall that rises like a wave above an old brick warehouse, opened in 2017 and has become the city's best-known landmark.

On an amphibious bus tour in Hamburg you see this skyline from the road and then from the water, which gives a fuller sense of how the port and the city grew together. Visitors often ask about tickets to the Elbphilharmonie plaza; those are separate from this ride, which shows the building from outside. The best time to visit is on a clear day, when the glass facade shines.

Speicherstadt, the historic warehouse district

Speicherstadt is the largest warehouse complex in the world built on timber piles, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its neo-Gothic red-brick buildings, with turrets, gables and green copper roofs, were constructed between the 1880s and the 1920s to store coffee, tea, spices and carpets, and canals called fleets run between them.

Driving through its streets and looking at the canals is a highlight of any Speicherstadt tour. Your commentary explains the trade that made Hamburg rich and how the district was rebuilt after the war. If you want to explore on foot afterwards, the area is easy to walk and full of photo spots, especially at dusk when the lights come on.

The splash-in and the harbour

The moment the bus slides down a ramp into the water is the reason many people book this trip. The vehicle then becomes a boat, moving slowly through harbour channels so that you can look up at the bricks and cranes from below. Families with children enjoy it in particular, and the change from road to river is smooth and safe.

The whole experience takes about 70 minutes, with commentary in German. If you do not speak German, you can still enjoy the views and the unusual ride, but the guide's explanations will not be in English. Please check the departure point and time in your confirmation, and arrive a little early so you can find your seat.