Hamburg Harbor Fest

Hamburg is the second largest and one of the most beautiful cities in Germany, boasting the most bridges in Europe thanks to the numerous waterways. Magnificent cruise ships and impressive container giants call at the port every day creating a spectacular stream of maritime traffic as they maneuvering through the tightest of spaces. The Hamburg Port Anniversary is the annual highlight featuring a nautical festival that celebrates the economic and cultural importance of the port to the Hanseatic metropolis, with over 250 ships joining in to create a colorful spectacle at the impressive port.
 
Day 1:  An early morning departure by bus takes us towards the North Sea, to Hamburg. We arrive at Hamburg around noon and without delay dive into the birthday celebration of this magnificent port town. The festivities kick off with a parade of 250 beautiful ships making their way slowly down the Elbe canal. After watching the spectacle here, you also have the opportunity for a lunch snack before we gather again and proceed to our hotel for check in.

We start the early evening with a welcome dinner at a traditional local restaurant with a hearty meal that will invigorate and recharge you for tonight’s festivities. This evening, we board our ship that takes us into the heart of the celebration with the best view of the participating ships and the colorful hustle and bustle going on at the canal banks. The rest of the evening is yours to spend at your own leisure and either return with the bus to the hotel or merge with the celebration.
 
Day 2: After breakfast at the hotel we meet our local guide for a sight-seeing tour to admire the sights Hamburg is famous for along with a chance to indulge the delicious flavors and culinary traditions of the North. During our tour we will visit the Speicherstadt District (Storehouse Quarter) famous for its bridges, canals and impressive brick buildings. Another highlight is the “Hafencity” (Port City), the largest inner-city urban development in Europe, where history and modernity are wonderfully combined. It is  We will get to know the Alster, a river and lifeline of Hamburg and much, much more.  With the local guides recommendation, the remainder of the day is yours to explore at your own pace. Hamburg is famous for world-class shopping at the arcades around the Alster-basin downtown, countless museums, cafés and 13 MICHELIN-star restaurants.
 
For all that are still up for it, this evening we meet our local guide again and explore some of Hamburg’s diverse nightlife with a stroll through the well-known “Kiz” and most famously, Hamburg's “Reeperbahn”, lined with restaurants, bars, theaters, discos and nightclubs. The city's most famous nightlife street is the first port of call for night owls and offers a lot of things worth seeing.
 
Day 3: Our late morning check out from our hotel allows for some last minute activities or a chance for some to sleep in.  For the early risers or everyone that has not been to bed yet, this morning we will visit the famous “Fischmarkt” (fish market). The vibrant atmosphere and the colorful hustle and bustle create a hum of activity and amazing atmosphere while you shop. Over the years, the Hamburg fish market has developed into a world-famous attraction where the so-called market barkers battle to outdo each other in terms of decibels and in order to attract customers. The result is a wordy and loud spectacle that tourists and locals alike enjoy watching every week.   There will be free time to shop, snack and explore before we come together and begin our return journey to Ramstein.