This five-day route pairs Germany's reinvented capital with its great northern port. You'll spend two days in Berlin — the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag dome, Museum Island and the surviving stretches of the Wall — then take a fast ICE train under two hours north to Hamburg, the maritime city of red-brick warehouses, canals and the soaring Elbphilharmonie. It leans on Germany's excellent rail network, so you never need a car: just book a Deutsche Bahn Sparpreis ticket ahead and let the north German plain slide past the window.
Northern Germany in 5 Days: Berlin & Hamburg
5 days2 stopsTravellers who want Germany's capital and its great northern port in one short, train-linked break
The route
- Berlin2n
- Hamburg2n
Everywhere you'll go
Every stop on this itinerary — tap a card for details or to save it.
CulturalFree
Reichstag Dome Visit
Walk the spiraling ramp inside Norman Foster's glass dome atop the German parliament for 360-degree city views. Free entry but advance booking is mandatory. The audio guide explains Berlin's political history.
Mitte (Tiergarten)1-2 hours
Book this tourMust visit
Memorial5.0
Brandenburg Gate
Berlin's defining neoclassical landmark, completed in 1791 by Carl Gotthard Langhans as a triumphal arch modelled on the Propylaea of the Athenian Acropolis. Topped by the Quadriga chariot sculpture, it stood trapped in the death strip during the Cold War and became the symbol of German reunification in 1989.
Mitte
Must visit
Memorial5.0
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Peter Eisenman's haunting field of 2,711 concrete stelae of varying heights creates a disorienting, wave-like landscape. The underground information center documents individual victims' stories.
Mitte
Scenic Spot5.0
Gendarmenmarkt
Widely regarded as Berlin's most beautiful square, flanked by the matching French and German cathedrals and anchored by Schinkel's neoclassical Konzerthaus. The harmonious ensemble of 18th-century architecture creates a rare sense of grandeur in a city otherwise defined by its contrasts and gaps.
Mitte
Cultural€19 (day pass)
Museum Island Day
UNESCO World Heritage ensemble of five world-class museums on a Spree river island. From Babylonian gates to Egyptian busts to 19th-century painting, it covers 6,000 years of human civilization.
Mitte (Museum Island)5-7 hours
Book this tour
Memorial5.0
Berlin Wall Memorial
The primary memorial site of German division, preserving an original section of the Wall with watchtower, death strip, and documentation center. More historically informative than the East Side Gallery.
Mitte
Must visit
Memorial5.0
East Side Gallery
The longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall at 1.3km, transformed into an open-air gallery with over 100 murals by international artists. Includes the iconic Fraternal Kiss painting.
Friedrichshain
Restaurant4.0
Mustafas Gemuese Kebab
Legendary street food stand famous for its roasted vegetable doner kebab. The queue can stretch for 30+ minutes but locals insist it is worth every second of waiting.
Kreuzberg
Architecture
Oberbaumbruecke
Berlin's most beautiful bridge connecting Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg over the Spree. The red brick Gothic towers and yellow U-Bahn crossing create a striking composition, especially at blue hour with reflections.
Friedrichshain / Kreuzberg
Street
TV Tower from Karl-Marx-Allee
The Fernsehturm framed by the monumental Stalinist architecture of Karl-Marx-Allee creates a quintessentially Berlin composition. The wide boulevard's socialist-realist buildings lead the eye straight to the tower.
Friedrichshain / Mitte
Bar4.0
Klunkerkranich
Hidden rooftop bar on top of a parking garage with panoramic sunset views over Berlin. Regular DJ sets, live music, and a community garden vibe. Take the elevator to the top floor and walk up.
Neukoelln
Landmark
St. Pauli Landungsbruecken
Hamburg's floating landing stages stretch nearly 700 metres along the Elbe, their tuff-stone terminal flanked by two green-domed towers. A working ferry and excursion-boat hub since 1839, the quayside is the classic spot to watch container ships pass while eating a fish sandwich.
St. Pauli
Landmark
Old Elbe Tunnel
Opened in 1911 as continental Europe's first tunnel beneath a river, the twin tiled tubes run 426 metres under the Elbe between St. Pauli and the Steinwerder shipyards. Pedestrians and cyclists still descend by the original lift cages, free of charge, for a glimpse of an early engineering marvel and a fine view back at the skyline.
St. Pauli
Landmark
Speicherstadt
The world's largest unified warehouse complex stretches for more than a kilometre of red-brick gables, little towers and loading hoists set on oak piles above a network of tidal canals. Built from the 1880s as a customs-free port zone, it earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2015 and is at its most atmospheric when the facades are floodlit at night.
HafenCity
Landmark
Elbphilharmonie
Hamburg's signature 21st-century landmark rises 108 metres over the harbour, crowning a converted 1960s cocoa warehouse with a wave-like glass crown. Beyond its three concert halls, a curving escalator carries visitors up to the public Plaza on the 8th floor for a 360-degree sweep across the city and the Elbe.
HafenCity
Landmark
Deichstrasse
Lining the Nikolaifleet canal, Deichstrasse preserves a rare stretch of Hamburg's pre-industrial old town in its tall gabled merchant houses, where counting room, home and warehouse once shared a single roof. The 1842 Great Fire began here yet spared part of the row, which was saved again from demolition by a 1972 referendum.
Altstadt
Museum
Miniatur Wunderland
Home to the world's largest model railway, this Speicherstadt attraction packs kilometres of track, tiny airports, and meticulously detailed miniature worlds spanning regions from Hamburg to America across several floors. Day-and-night lighting cycles and countless hidden moving scenes have made it Hamburg's single most-visited attraction.
Speicherstadt
Architecture
Hamburg Rathaus
The seat of Hamburg's parliament and senate is a lavish Neo-Renaissance palace of 647 rooms, completed in 1897 atop thousands of oak piles. Its sandstone facade bristles with twenty imperial statues, while guided tours reveal the opulent ceremonial halls within.
Altstadt
Landmark
Jungfernstieg
Hamburg's grandest boulevard runs along the southern shore of the Binnenalster lake, lined with cafes, department stores and the historic Alsterpavillon. Laid out as a promenade for the city's well-to-do and asphalted in 1838 (a German first), it remains the social heart of the centre and a hub for Alster ferries.
Neustadt / Altstadt
Landmark
Chilehaus
This ten-storey office block is the masterpiece of 1920s Brick Expressionism, its dark clinker walls tapering to a dramatic point like the prow of a ship. Designed by Fritz Hoeger and named for owner Henry Sloman's Chilean saltpetre trade, it anchors the Kontorhaus District inscribed by UNESCO in 2015.
Kontorhausviertel, Altstadt
Restaurant
Bullerei
Celebrity chef Tim Mälzer's lively brasserie and deli, opened in 2009 inside a former cattle-auction hall in the trendy Schanzenviertel, serves hearty, ingredient-led grill plates with Mediterranean leanings. It remains one of Hamburg's best-known see-and-be-seen dining rooms.
Schanzenviertel (Sternschanze)
Museum
Internationales Maritimes Museum Hamburg
Spread across ten decks of a restored 19th-century brick Kaispeicher warehouse, this museum traces some 3,000 years of seafaring through one of the world's largest private maritime collections of ship models, uniforms, instruments and over a million photographs. Highlights include vast scale fleets, a gold-and-ivory model armada and maritime art.
HafenCity
Viewpoint
St. Michael's Church
Hamburg's most beloved Baroque church, affectionately called the Michel, is crowned by a 132-metre copper spire that has guided ships up the Elbe for centuries. Visitors can ride or climb the tower for a panoramic harbour view, or descend into the crypt beneath the nave.
Neustadt
Landmark
Krameramtsstuben
Tucked behind the Michel, this row of half-timbered houses around a narrow courtyard was built around 1620 to lodge the widows of grocers' guild members. As the last surviving enclosed 17th-century courtyard of its kind in Hamburg, it now shelters small shops, a restaurant and a museum apartment furnished in 1850s style.
Neustadt
Restaurant
Old Commercial Room
Founded in 1795 near St. Michaelis church, this clubby tavern of mahogany and brass is the classic place to try Hamburg's seafarer dish Labskaus, alongside fresh North Sea fish. It is one of the city's most enduring pieces of Hanseatic dining tradition, open every day of the year bar Christmas Eve.
Neustadt
Day by day
Day 1Berlin
Historic Mitte
09:00CulturalFree
Reichstag Dome Visit
Start at the Reichstag's glass dome, where a free spiral ramp lifts you over the debating chamber and out across the government quarter.
Mitte (Tiergarten)1-2 hours
Tip: Entry is free but you must register online in advance — grab the first morning slot and bring photo ID.
Book this tourMust visit
10:30Memorial5.0
Brandenburg Gate
Walk south to the Brandenburg Gate, the columned 18th-century arch that has stood for both Berlin's division and its reunion.
Mitte
Tip: Pariser Platz fills up by midday; come early for clean photos through the columns.
Must visit
11:30Memorial5.0
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
Cross to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and walk in silence between its 2,711 grey concrete stelae.
Mitte
Tip: Don't skip the free underground Information Centre — it gives the field above its weight.
13:00Scenic Spot5.0
Gendarmenmarkt
Break for lunch around Gendarmenmarkt, arguably Berlin's most elegant square, framed by two domed cathedrals and the concert hall.
Mitte
Tip: A handsome, central spot to refuel; cafés ring the square between the sights.
15:00Cultural€19 (day pass)
Museum Island Day
Spend the afternoon on UNESCO-listed Museum Island, the cluster of five world-class collections set in a bend of the Spree.
Mitte (Museum Island)5-7 hours
Tip: Buy a timed ticket online; the island-wide pass pays off the moment you enter a second museum.
Book this tourDay 2Berlin
The Wall & the East
09:30Memorial5.0
Berlin Wall Memorial
Open the day at the Bernauer Strasse memorial, the longest preserved stretch of the Wall, complete with its raked death strip and a surviving watchtower.
Mitte
Tip: The open-air site is free; climb the viewing tower opposite for the full layout.
Must visit
11:30Memorial5.0
East Side Gallery
Follow the East Side Gallery, a 1.3 km run of the Wall turned into an open-air canvas of murals, including the notorious fraternal kiss.
Friedrichshain
Tip: Start from the Ostbahnhof end and go early to photograph the panels crowd-free.
13:00Restaurant4.0
Mustafas Gemuese Kebab
Queue for Berlin's cult vegetable döner at Mustafa's — grilled veg, feta and herbs packed into a warm flatbread for a few euros.
Kreuzberg
Tip: Lines build fast at midday; an off-peak visit moves much quicker.
14:30Architecture
Oberbaumbruecke
Stroll across the twin-towered Oberbaum Bridge, the red-brick crossing that links Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain over the Spree.
Friedrichshain / Kreuzberg
Tip: Look downriver toward the TV Tower for the classic shot.
16:00Street
TV Tower from Karl-Marx-Allee
Head up Karl-Marx-Allee, the GDR's monumental boulevard of socialist-classicist blocks, toward the soaring Fernsehturm that crowns the skyline.
Friedrichshain / Mitte
Tip: Pre-book the TV Tower deck if you want to ride up for the sunset view.
19:00Bar4.0
Klunkerkranich
End on the Klunkerkranich, a scruffy rooftop garden bar atop a Neukölln car park, for drinks over the rooftops at dusk.
Neukoelln
Tip: Arrive before sunset to claim a spot at the western railing; bring some cash.
Day 3Hamburg
North to the harbour
12:30Landmark
St. Pauli Landungsbruecken
Catch the morning ICE north and step out at the Landungsbrücken piers, the salty heart of Hamburg's working port.
St. Pauli
Tip: Grab a Fischbrötchen from a pontoon stand and watch the harbour ferries come and go.
14:00Landmark
Old Elbe Tunnel
Drop beneath the river through the tiled 1911 Old Elbe Tunnel, reached by grand wooden lifts, for a walk under the Elbe.
St. Pauli
Tip: Cross to the Steinwerder side for the postcard skyline view back at the cranes and city.
15:30Landmark
Speicherstadt
Wander the Speicherstadt, the world's largest warehouse district, a UNESCO maze of red-brick gables and canals raised on oak piles.
HafenCity
Tip: The footbridges over the Fleete (canals) give the best angles, especially in late light.
17:00Landmark
Elbphilharmonie
Ride the long curved escalator up the Elbphilharmonie to its open Plaza for a free 360° terrace over the harbour and HafenCity.
HafenCity
Tip: The Plaza is free — collect a timed ticket on site or online; sunset is the moment.
19:30Landmark
Deichstrasse
Have dinner on Deichstrasse, Hamburg's oldest surviving lane, where restored merchants' houses now hold restaurants along the Nikolaifleet.
Altstadt
Tip: Book a canal-side table and try a regional dish like Pannfisch or Labskaus.
Day 4Hamburg
Models, town hall & the Alster
09:30Museum
Miniatur Wunderland
Begin at Miniatur Wunderland, the world's largest model railway, an astonishing miniature of airports, Alps and whole countries that wins over every age.
Speicherstadt
Tip: Book a timed online ticket days ahead — it's one of Germany's most popular attractions and queues are long.
12:00Architecture
Hamburg Rathaus
Cross to the Rathaus, Hamburg's lavish neo-Renaissance city hall, and step into its arcaded courtyard off the Rathausmarkt.
Altstadt
Tip: Short guided tours of the state rooms run through the day; check the English times at the desk.
13:30Landmark
Jungfernstieg
Lunch along the Jungfernstieg, the grand promenade on the Inner Alster lake right at the centre of the city.
Neustadt / Altstadt
Tip: Take a round-trip Alster ferry from the jetty here for a relaxed view of the villa-lined shore.
15:30Landmark
Chilehaus
See the Chilehaus, the prow-shaped 1920s Expressionist brick masterpiece at the heart of the UNESCO-listed Kontorhausviertel.
Kontorhausviertel, Altstadt
Tip: Stand at the eastern corner where the walls meet like a ship's bow — the defining angle.
19:30Restaurant
Bullerei
Dine at Bullerei, TV chef Tim Mälzer's buzzing brasserie set in a converted Sternschanze cattle hall.
Schanzenviertel (Sternschanze)
Tip: Reserve ahead; the open kitchen and the grill are the draw.
Day 5Hamburg
Maritime city & farewell
09:30Museum
Internationales Maritimes Museum Hamburg
Spend the morning at the International Maritime Museum, nine floors of ships, models and seafaring history inside a restored HafenCity warehouse.
HafenCity
Tip: It's huge — focus on a few decks; the model-ship collection is the highlight.
11:30Viewpoint
St. Michael's Church
Climb (or take the lift up) the tower of St. Michael's, the baroque 'Michel' that is Hamburg's signature church, for a farewell panorama over city and port.
Neustadt
Tip: Buy a combined ticket for the tower and the crypt below.
12:45Landmark
Krameramtsstuben
Duck into the Krameramtsstuben beside the Michel, a tiny 17th-century lane of timber-framed almshouses, now little shops and a historic pub.
Neustadt
Tip: One of the last courtyard ensembles of its kind — a few minutes is enough to wander it.
14:00Restaurant
Old Commercial Room
Finish with a farewell lunch at the Old Commercial Room, a Hamburg institution near the Michel serving local classics since 1795.
Neustadt
Tip: Order the Labskaus — the city's traditional sailors' hash — before you head to the station or airport.
Getting between stops
What it costs
A comfortable mid-range trip — three- and four-star hotels, restaurant meals, the main museums and city transport — runs roughly €130-200 per person per day, with Hamburg's harbour dining nudging the higher end. Add about €40-90 for the one-way Berlin-Hamburg ICE if you book a Sparpreis fare ahead. A Hamburg Card, Berlin day tickets, and market or Fischbrötchen lunches all keep costs down.~EUR 130-200 / day mid-range / day
Frequently asked questions
- How do I get from Berlin to Hamburg?
- Direct Deutsche Bahn ICE high-speed trains run roughly hourly and take about one hour and fifty minutes city-centre to city-centre. Book a Sparpreis advance fare for the best price and reserve a seat — it's faster and far easier than flying once you count airport time.
- Is 5 days enough for Berlin and Hamburg?
- Yes — two full days in each city covers the headline sights at a steady pace, with a half travel day in between. If you have more time, add a third Berlin day for its palaces and parks, or a Hamburg evening out in the St. Pauli nightlife district.
- Which city should I start with?
- Most travellers start in Berlin, the main international gateway, and ride north to Hamburg, which has its own airport with easy onward links. Reverse the order if your flights favour arriving in the north.
- Do I need a car for this trip?
- No. Both cities are best explored on foot and by their excellent U-Bahn/S-Bahn networks, and the ICE links them in under two hours. A car would only be a hindrance in two dense city centres.
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