Where to stay in Hamburg
Hamburg is built around two kinds of water: the harbor on the Elbe in the south and the Alster lakes in the middle. For a first visit, stay in the Altstadt and Neustadt, between the town hall, the lakes and the harbor. HafenCity suits harbor views and quiet nights, the Schanzenviertel and Ottensen suit cafes and an independent feel, St. Georg is handy for trains, and Eppendorf is the calm, leafy choice. The Reeperbahn at weekends is the one to think twice about.
The short answer
- First trip
- Stay in the Altstadt and Neustadt, a walk from the town hall, the lakes and the harbor.
- Couples
- Altona and Ottensen for cafes and the river, or Eppendorf for tree-lined calm.
- Families
- Eppendorf for parks and quiet streets, or HafenCity for the waterfront.
- Tight budget
- St. Georg by the main station, or the Schanzenviertel.
- Food and evenings
- The Schanzenviertel and Ottensen for bars and restaurants. Take care on the Reeperbahn at weekends.
How we judge an area of Hamburg: walking time to the sights, noise at night, transport, and price. Nothing on this page is paid for, and the hotels we choose will say who chose them and when they last stayed.
Hamburg's neighborhoods, side by side
| Area | Best for | At night | Town hall | Elbphilharmonie | Main station | Getting around | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altstadt and Neustadt | A first visit | Quiet after the shops close | 5 min | 20 min | 15 min | U1, U3; S1, S2, S3 at Jungfernstieg | €€€ |
| HafenCity and Speicherstadt | Harbour views, calm | Quiet | 15 min | 15 min | 20 min | U4; walk to the Altstadt | €€€ |
| St. Georg | Trains, value | Busy around the station, calm by the lake | 25 min | 40 min | 10 min | Main station: U1, U3, S1, S2, S3 | €€ |
| Schanzenviertel | Cafes, bars | Lively; loud on Schulterblatt | 35 min | 45 min | 50 min | S2, S3, S11; U3 Feldstraße | €€ |
| Altona and Ottensen | Local feel, river | Lively but friendly | over an hour | 60 min | over an hour | S1, S3 at Altona and Ottensen | €€ |
| Eppendorf | Calm, families | Very quiet | over an hour | over an hour | over an hour | U3 Eppendorfer Baum; buses | €€€ |
| St. Pauli and the Reeperbahn | Nightlife, music | Loud and rough at weekends | 30 min | 25 min | 45 min | S1, S3 Reeperbahn; U3 St. Pauli | €€ |
Walking times run from the middle of each area: the straight line plus a third for real streets, at an easy pace, rounded to five minutes. Hamburg is wide and flat, but the sights are strung along the water, so beyond the Altstadt most trips mix walking with the S-Bahn and U-Bahn. Price is our read of a standard double in the same week, from € (cheapest) to €€€€ (dearest), until booking-site prices replace it.
Where the neighborhoods are
The Altstadt and Neustadt, for a first visit
The town hall, the Binnenalster and the shops within a few minutes, and the harbor a short walk downhill.
The Altstadt and the Neustadt are the old and new halves of the center, either side of the canals: the Rathaus, the Binnenalster lake with the Jungfernstieg promenade, the shopping streets, the Speicherstadt a short walk east and St Michael's church and the harbor to the west. For two or three nights nowhere saves more time, and the S-Bahn and U-Bahn meet at Jungfernstieg.
It is the most expensive and the most business-like part of the city. The shopping streets empty out in the evening, and the area has fewer cafes with a local feel than the Schanzenviertel or Ottensen. Hotels here are mostly larger and well run. The streets around the Hauptbahnhof end of the Altstadt are busier and a little rougher; choose a hotel nearer the Binnenalster or the Michel instead.
Good for
- A first trip of two or three nights
- Walking to the Rathaus, the lake, the Speicherstadt and the Michel
- Fast links to the airport and the main station
Think twice if
- You want a neighborhood with a life of its own after dark
- You are watching the budget: this is above the Hamburg average
Staying in Altstadt and Neustadt: nearby sights, food and getting around
HafenCity and the Speicherstadt, for the harbor
New glass-and-brick blocks on the water beside the red-brick warehouses and the Elbphilharmonie.
HafenCity is Hamburg's newest district, built on the old docks beside the Speicherstadt, the UNESCO-listed warehouse district of red brick and canals. The Elbphilharmonie stands at its western tip, with a public plaza on the roof of the warehouse beneath it, and the Miniatur Wunderland is on the edge of the Speicherstadt. Rooms here often overlook the water and are modern and quiet.
It is a planned district, with wide promenades and a lot of offices and flats, and it can feel empty on weekday evenings and in bad weather. The best restaurants are a short walk back toward the Altstadt. The Rathaus is about fifteen to twenty minutes on foot, and the U4 serves the district, but the eastern end near Elbbrücken is a long way from anything.
Good for
- Harbour views and quiet, modern rooms
- The Elbphilharmonie, the Speicherstadt and the Miniatur Wunderland on foot
- Families who like a waterfront walk
Think twice if
- You want old streets and neighborhood cafes
- You plan long evenings out nearby
Staying in HafenCity and Speicherstadt: nearby sights, food and getting around
St. Georg, for trains and a tighter budget
The area behind the main station, on the east shore of the Außenalster, with a long list of mid-range hotels and some of the best cafes on Lange Reihe.
St. Georg lies east of the Hauptbahnhof, between the station and the Alster. Lange Reihe is its main street, with cafes, shops and restaurants, and the long-established gay scene of the city is centered here. The Alster shore is a ten-minute walk away, and the Rathaus is about fifteen to twenty minutes on foot.
Much of it is mixed and ordinary, with a lot of mid-range and budget hotels, which makes it a good-value base. The streets right beside the station, around Steindamm and the Hansaplatz end, are rougher at night, with drug dealing and some street-sex trade. Lange Reihe and the lake side of the district are the pleasanter parts, so look there first.
Good for
- Arriving or leaving by train, with the main station nearby
- Mid-range prices and plenty of hotels
- Cafes on Lange Reihe and walks on the Alster
Think twice if
- You will walk back alone through the streets around the station late at night
- You want a quiet, tidy street by the station
Staying in St. Georg: nearby sights, food and getting around
The Schanzenviertel, for cafes and bars
Independent shops, cafes and bars around Schulterblatt, five to ten minutes by train from the center.
The Schanzenviertel, around Sternschanze station, is the district of independent shops, vintage stores, restaurants from many countries and bars that stay busy most nights. It sits between the Messe fairground and Planten un Blomen on one side and the St. Pauli side of the city on the other, a short ride on the S-Bahn from the center.
The Schulterblatt street and the square beside it are loud on warm evenings, and the Rote Flora, the old squatted theater, has a history of protest. Hotels are fewer and often small, with more apartments, so book early. The Rathaus is about thirty minutes on foot, and the S-Bahn stop at Sternschanze links you to the Hauptbahnhof in a few minutes.
Good for
- Cafes, bars and restaurants on the doorstep
- Independent shops and a younger crowd
- Quick S-Bahn links to the center and the main station
Think twice if
- You sleep lightly and the room overlooks Schulterblatt
- You want a quiet street or a big hotel
Staying in Schanzenviertel: nearby sights, food and getting around
Altona and Ottensen, for a local feel by the river
A lively, mixed district of cafes, small shops and old factory yards, with the Elbe and its beaches close.
Ottensen, in the west, is a former industrial district now full of cafes, bakeries and small shops, with pedestrian streets around Ottenser Hauptstraße and Spritzenplatz. Altona, next to it, has a big station with long-distance trains and a fish market on the waterfront. The Elbe is ten or fifteen minutes away, with the Övelgönne beach and the old museum harbor.
It is a real neighborhood and a favorite of locals, so evenings are lively but mostly pleasant. It is a good way from the harbor sights: the Rathaus is nearly an hour on foot, though the S1 and S3 run to the center in about ten to fifteen minutes. Hotel choice is smaller, with more small hotels and apartments than big chains.
Good for
- A local neighborhood with cafes and independent shops
- Walks by the Elbe and its beaches
- Direct S-Bahn to the airport and the center
Think twice if
- You want to walk to the main sights
- You want a big choice of full-service hotels
Staying in Altona and Ottensen: nearby sights, food and getting around
Eppendorf, for a calm, leafy base
One of Hamburg's wealthiest districts: tree-lined streets, good cafes and boutiques, and the Alster nearby.
Eppendorf, north of the Außenalster, is a residential district of handsome nineteenth-century apartment blocks, boutiques and restaurants along Eppendorfer Baum. It is a favorite of families and older travelers, with the Alster canals and parks on one side and the university hospital on the other. It is safe and quiet at night.
It is not on the way to anything. The Rathaus is about forty-five minutes on foot or twenty minutes by U-Bahn and bus, and it has few hotels, with more apartments and small guesthouses. Prices run above average, the same as the Altstadt, so you pay for the calm rather than the location.
Good for
- Calm nights and tree-lined streets
- Families and couples who want a residential feel
- Walks along the Alster canals
Think twice if
- You want to walk to the main sights
- You are on a tight budget
Staying in Eppendorf: nearby sights, food and getting around
St. Pauli and the Reeperbahn, the one to think twice about
Hamburg's nightlife street and a lot of the city's music history, but loud, crowded and rough late on Friday and Saturday.
St. Pauli is the district around the Reeperbahn, with the clubs and music venues where the Beatles played early in their career, the harbor viewpoint at the Landungsbrücken and the football stadium of FC St. Pauli. Hotels here are plentiful and often cheaper than in the center. Away from the main street the district is quieter, and the side streets toward the Karolinenviertel are residential.
On Friday and Saturday nights the Reeperbahn and the streets around it fill with stag and hen groups and heavy drinking, and fights, pickpockets and drug dealing are common late. The street behind it, Große Freiheit, and Davidstraße are the busiest. It is not a place to sleep on a weekend with the window open. Come for the evening, then sleep in the Altstadt or Ottensen, or choose a hotel on a quiet side street and a weekday stay.
Good for
- Nightlife and live music on your doorstep
- Lower prices than the center
- The Landungsbrücken harbor piers and the S1 and U3
Think twice if
- You want to sleep well on a Friday or Saturday night
- You travel alone and come back late
- You are bringing children
Staying in St. Pauli and the Reeperbahn: nearby sights, food and getting around
Where not to stay in Hamburg, and what to do instead
Every booking site lists these places to stay in Hamburg. We would skip them, or at least choose with care. Nobody pays a commission on a warning.
- A room on or just off the Reeperbahn, on a Friday or Saturday night
Cheap and well placed, and loud until dawn. Ask for a room on a side street, or stay in the Altstadt and go for the evening.
- The streets right beside the main station, if you will be out late
Practical for trains, and part of a district with drug dealing at night. Choose Lange Reihe or the lake side of St. Georg instead.
- A room overlooking Schulterblatt in the Schanzenviertel
The square and street are loud on warm evenings. Ask for a courtyard room, or stay a few streets away.
- A 'Hamburg' hotel out by the airport or the ring road, for a city break
The rate looks good, but the center is 25 minutes away each way. Hamburg is small enough: stay in it.
- A room in an apartment building with no reception, if you arrive late
Common in the Schanzenviertel, Ottensen and Eppendorf. Check how you collect the key and whether there is a lift.
Which neighborhood suits you
First time in Hamburg
Stay in the Altstadt and Neustadt for two or three nights; HafenCity for harbor views.
Couples
Altona and Ottensen for cafes and the Elbe, or Eppendorf for calm.
A tight budget
St. Georg, on Lange Reihe rather than by the station, or the Schanzenviertel.
Food
The Schanzenviertel and Ottensen for the widest choice, St. Georg for cafes.
Nightlife
The Schanzenviertel for bars, St. Pauli for clubs and live music (and the noise that goes with them).
Before you book a room in Hamburg
The practical things that decide whether a good hotel in Hamburg makes a good stay.
- The city taxHamburg charges a Kultur- und Tourismustaxe on paid overnight stays. Since January 2025 it is a fixed amount per person per night that depends on the net room price: nothing up to €10, then €0.60 up to €25, €1.20 up to €50, €2.40 up to €100, €3.60 up to €150 and €4.80 up to €200, rising in steps for pricier rooms. The city has said the rates will go up again from January 2027. It is paid at the hotel and isn't always in the price the booking sites show.
- From Hamburg airportThe S1 runs from the station under the airport to the Hauptbahnhof in about 25 minutes, and on through Jungfernstieg, the Landungsbrücken, the Reeperbahn and Altona, so you can ride straight to St. Pauli or Ottensen. Trains run about every ten minutes by day. Buy a ticket at the platform machines or in the hvv app, and check the fare on hvv.de before you travel.
- The Elbe ferriesPublic ferries on the hvv network run between the Landungsbrücken and Finkenwerder and beyond, on the same tickets as the trains. They give a cheap harbor trip that tourist cruises charge much more for.
- WeatherHamburg is damp in any month, and the wind off the Elbe can be cold even in summer. Pack a rain jacket and look for a hotel with a dry walk to a station.
- WeekendsThe Reeperbahn and the Schanzenviertel are at their busiest from Friday evening. If you sleep lightly, book a courtyard room or a weekday stay.
- Lifts and stairsMany older hotels in St. Georg, the Schanzenviertel and Ottensen have small lifts or none. If stairs are hard for you, check the floor and the lift before you book.
Where to stay in Hamburg: questions people ask
What's the best area to stay in Hamburg for a first visit?
The Altstadt and Neustadt, for a short trip: the Rathaus, the Binnenalster, the Speicherstadt and St Michael's church are all a short walk, and the S-Bahn and U-Bahn meet at Jungfernstieg. HafenCity is the quieter, more modern choice by the water.
Is the Reeperbahn a good place to stay?
Only if nightlife is the point. It is cheap and well connected, but loud and rough late on Friday and Saturday. Most visitors do better staying in the Altstadt or Ottensen and going to the Reeperbahn for the evening.
Is St. Pauli safe?
Mostly, but not at weekends after midnight. Fights, pickpockets and drug dealing are common on and around the Reeperbahn. Keep your bag zipped, stay on the busy streets, and take a taxi or the night bus back.
Is St. Georg a good place to stay?
Yes, for trains and value. Lange Reihe and the lake side are pleasant. The streets right around the station are rougher at night, so choose your side of the district.
Which area is best for nightlife?
The Schanzenviertel for bars and the Reeperbahn for clubs and live music. They are also the loudest, so choose a courtyard room or a calmer street.
Can you walk everywhere in Hamburg?
In the center, mostly: the Rathaus to the Elbphilharmonie is about twenty minutes. Beyond it, no. The harbor, the Schanzenviertel and Ottensen are each a train or bus ride away.
Which area is the best base for day trips?
St. Georg or the Altstadt, close to the Hauptbahnhof, where regional trains leave for Lübeck, Lüneburg and Bremen.
How much is the city tax in Hamburg?
A fixed amount per person per night that depends on the net room price: €0.60 to €4.80 for rooms up to €200 a night, and more above that. It is paid at the hotel, and the rates are due to rise from January 2027.
