Top Northern Germany Historical Tours

Find the yellow umbrellas, and you’ll know you’re in for an immersive tour of Hamburg and its history. Follow your guide across the city’s eras, from the center of the Hanseatic League to the Great Fire to the bombs of WWII. You’ll stop at all the iconic stops, including the UNESCO-designated Speicherstadt. Bring your camera for this one!

The Best Way to Discover Bremen: Scavenger Hunt & Self-Guided Tour. Play, learn, and walk! Explore at your own pace with a 100% self-guided activity. Start anytime (24/7) with no guides or schedules. Pause for a drink along the Weser river at the Martinianleger or a stroll through the Wallanlagen park and resume whenever you're ready—even the next day. This unique team-building activity is perfect for couples, families, and groups. The "Complete City" Package - Everything you need in one app: Interactive Game: Solve puzzles and discover 10+ major attractions, plus hidden gems revealed along the way. Learn the history/legends of each site. Insider Tips: Access hand-picked local restaurant and shop recommendations. What you will visit: Schlachte, Martinianleger, Böttcherstraße, Bremen Market Square, Town Musicians of Bremen, Bremen Town Hall, Holy Cathedral of Bremen, Wallanlagen, Kunsthalle Bremen, and Schnoor.

Discover Bremen your way with Ciceru’s self-guided walking tour—audio and text in 7 languages, right on your phone. No app, no hassle—just press play and explore! Start in the Schnoor Quarter, where medieval streets reveal Bremen’s maritime past. Admire the Bremen Main Post Office Building, a symbol of the city’s 19th-century transformation. Gaze up at the spires of Bremen Cathedral, the city’s oldest church. Wander through lively Unser Lieben Frauen Kirchhof, then find the famous Bremen Town Musicians Sculpture from the Brothers Grimm tale. Marvel at the Bremen Town Hall & Roland Statue, proud symbols of the city’s independence. Listen to the chiming bells at the Glockenspiel House in Böttcherstraße, and finish along the Schlachte Embankment, where history meets the bustling riverside. With 8 stops and riddles, this self-guided tour lets you explore at your own pace. Discover Bremen one riddle at a time!

Enjoy a fun team-building exercise in Lübeck on this scavenger hunt. Using just your smartphone, you and your group will jump into an adventure and explore the bustling city on foot. Discover hidden gems, solve riddles, and use clues at each attraction to find your next destination. Pause at any time for lunch and continue later or even another day.

Cover more ground than you could on foot with this e-scooter tour of Hamburg. After learning how to power your scooter, cruise to must-see sites like Michaelis Kirche, Landungsbrücken, and Speicherstadt. Feel the wind in your hair as you listen to your guide’s fascinating commentary and learn about Hamburg’s unique history.

This sightseeing tour of Hamburg is a great shore excursion option for cruise passengers traveling to Kiel. The full-day excursion covers essential Hamburg attractions, from the historic warehouses of the UNESCO-listed Speicherstadt to the elegant modern architecture of the Elbphilharmonie. The tour is carefully timed to your ship’s docking to make the most of your time ashore while ensuring that you return in plenty of time for departure.

Hamburg can sometimes feel inaccessible to foreign visitors. Take the mystery out of your visit by exploring with a local on a private walking tour. This is a personalized experience where you will discover the exterior of iconic monuments, including museums. If you’d like to step inside a museum, your guide can arrange a customized visit—just let us know in advance. Your guide contacts you beforehand to understand your interests, ensuring the itinerary highlights the places you care about most. As you explore, gain insider knowledge about Hamburg’s culture, history, and hidden gems, and enjoy insights into local life that you won’t find on your own. Perfect for families, solo travelers, or couples, this tour offers a deeper, more meaningful connection to Hamburg.

Make the most of your limited sightseeing time with a full-day shore excursion to Lubeck from Kiel Port. Enjoy shared transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle, then leave the logistics to your guide as you tick off the best city sights. From St Mary's Basilica to its charming streets, see more than you would traveling alone, and enjoy plenty of free time throughout the tour. Returns to the port included afterwards.

Explore the vibrant Reeperbahn, known as Hamburg's 'sinful mile', on a guided walking tour that dives into the district's rich history and nightlife. This small-group experience provides insights into the area’s connection to the Beatles and its lively culture. Discover hidden stories, visit iconic spots like Herbertstraße and Davidwache Police Station, and learn about the local legends that shape this unique neighborhood. Perfect for curious travelers looking for an authentic glimpse of St. Pauli, this tour is ideal for adults and is limited to 15 participants for a more personal experience.

Discover the historic port of Kiel at your own pace with a self-guided audio tour via smartphone. Begin, pause, and stop this audio tour at your leisure and maximize time in Kiel with this walking tour. See top landmarks including monuments, gardens, and the local aquarium all while hearing stories about Kiel’s history and culture. Learn about Kiel without joining a tour group through this smartphone app.

Discover Lubeck your way with Ciceru’s self-guided walking tour—audio and text in 7 languages, right on your phone. Begin at the Holstentor, the city’s iconic gate, and uncover its defensive past. Admire the Salzspeicher, the red-brick warehouses that stored the “white gold” that fueled Lübeck’s trade. Step into the heart of the city at the Rathaus, where Gothic and Renaissance architecture reflect Lübeck’s power in the Hanseatic League. Walk past St. Mary’s Church, a towering Gothic masterpiece, and spot the famous devil statue. Visit the Buddenbrook House, the setting of Thomas Mann’s novel, and explore Lübeck’s merchant elite. See the ornate façade of the Hospital of the Holy Spirit, one of Europe’s oldest charitable institutions, before reaching the Burgtor, the city’s northernmost gate. With 7 stops and engaging riddles, this self-guided tour lets you explore at your own pace. Experience Lübeck one riddle at a time!

Hamburg is Germany’s second-largest city and many travelers only scratch the surface. With this tour, get to know the city with a private guide and enjoy a personalized itinerary tailored to your interests. Get a local perspective on top attractions such as the Speicherstadt and Miniatur Wunderland, visit local markets and sample typical Hamburg foods (own expense), or discover little-known landmarks that only locals know about.

Walk through centuries of maritime history on this self-guided walking tour of Hamburg, a city shaped by trade, fire, and reinvention. From medieval churches and grand civic halls to warehouse canals and bold modern architecture, you’ll see how a small river settlement became one of Europe’s great port cities. Trace Hamburg’s Hanseatic rise along the Binnenalster, wander historic merchant streets like Deichstraße, and explore the UNESCO-listed Speicherstadt, once filled with coffee, cocoa, and spices from around the world. Along the way, uncover stories of resilience—from the Great Fire and wartime destruction to postwar rebirth at sites like St. Nikolai Memorial and the Kontorhaus District. Admire the Rathaus, cross the atmospheric Trostbrücke, and end at the Elbphilharmonie, where a former warehouse supports a world-class concert hall. Move at your own pace, pause when you like, and explore freely. Ideal for first-time visitors and curious independent travelers.

If you are travelling on a cruise ship to the port of Kiel and have only one day on shore, let us take you on a fascinating, all-encompassing journey to Hamburg! Hamburg is second largest city in Germany after Berlin and it is one of the most beautiful and exciting cities in Europe. It became a well-known tourist destination due to its wild, red light district but is now attracting a more discerning clientele with its modern architecture in the form of the Elbphilharmonie, Speicherstadt, and the Hafencity, not to mention the canals, Alster, stunning Rathaus and high end shopping. This shore excursion is adjusted to each ship’s docking times and starts promptly after your vessel’s arrival, returning with plenty of time to spare before its departure. Our expert team has been organizing these tours for nearly a decade. We have never missed a cruise ship’s departure and imparted our knowledge and enthusiasm for our unique and beautiful city to thousands of satisfied passengers!

Enjoy swift entry to Germany’s oldest wax figure exhibition with this skip-the-line Panoptikum ticket in Hamburg. With your ticket in hand, beat the queues to this popular attraction and head inside to begin exploring. See life-like waxworks from the silver screen alongside your favorite pop stars and important figures from the worlds of politics and culture. During your visit, snap a selfie with Angelina Jolie, pose for a photo with German chancellor Angela Merkel or gaze longingly into Robbie Williams’ eyes! The Panoptikum is suitable for visitors of all ages.

Flexible and individual. Born in Hamburg, she leads, drives and moderates. I am a certified tour guide (with a rental car license) in Hamburg and I love my job. I am happy to pass on this joy.

Lübeck's most famous gate was saved from demolition by a single vote: 42 to 41. This self-guided audio tour takes you past that tilting gate, through streets called Purgatory and Hell, to the church where merchants built their vault twenty metres taller than the bishop's cathedral, just to prove a point. Along the way, you'll hear how the salt warehouses became a vampire's lair in Nosferatu, why Bach walked four hundred kilometres to hear one organist, and how a medieval courtroom used two different doors so the crowd outside could read the verdict without a word being spoken. The tour works entirely offline across this UNESCO World Heritage island, with no fixed start time. Pause for marzipan at Niederegger, resume whenever you like. Over 20,000 travelers have used our self-guided tours, and every booking includes a full refund guarantee. If you want real stories, not just a photo walk, this Lübeck walking tour is the one to book.

A Hanseatic city, Hamburg comes defined by its access to water. The city has grown around the Port of Hamburg—the second-largest port in all of Europe. On this cruise, you'll get two hours to take it all in, from UNESCO-protected Speicherstadt to the fishing villages of Elbe to the Hamburger Fischmarkt and more. Your guide narrates the way across the water, providing at-a-glance knowledge of this vibrant, historic city.

Bremen is a city of enduring stories, medieval charm, and remarkable architecture, making it a must-see destination in northern Germany. This self-guided walking tour invites you to dive into its history, legends, and iconic sites in an unforgettable journey through the heart of the city. The tour starts on Brücke Herdentor (literally “herd gate bridge”), part of Bremen’s former city walls, where I’ll tell you about the city’s past fortifications. You’ll make your way to the awe-inspiring St. Peter’s Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece that’s stood proudly for centuries. You’ll also be guided on a scenic walk along the Weser River, where you’ll get a sense of Bremen’s maritime and trade heritage.

Experience Hamburg like a true local with a private host who’s passionate about the city’s maritime charm and creative energy. From sights like the striking Elbphilharmonie to artsy neighborhoods along the waterfront, your host designs a personalized itinerary just for you—whether you're into architecture, food, culture, or all of the above. After booking, receive a quick questionnaire to be matched with a like-minded local. Your host crafts a flexible plan that suits your interests, with options ranging from central strolls to sampling franzbrötchen (a type of sweet pastry) in a cozy cafe. No fixed schedules, no large groups—just a custom-made adventure tailored around you.

Nestled on an island surrounded by the Trave River, Lübeck is a monument to medieval ingenuity and mercantile power. On this self-guided walking tour, you’ll explore the remarkably preserved heart of what was the center of the Hanseatic League, a powerful trading organization that dominated Northern Europe for centuries. From imposing brick churches to merchant homes and historic warehouses, the city’s UNESCO-protected architecture tells the story of its golden age. Starting at the iconic Holsten Gate with its distinctive twin towers, you’ll discover why this fortification was both an impressive defense system and a symbol of the city’s wealth. You’ll pass through ancient salt warehouses, learning why this commodity was so precious it earned the nickname “white gold,” and wander through narrow medieval streets organized in a distinctive fishbone pattern.

See highlights on this Segway 3 hour tour, save time and have fun and discover the impressive edifices of Hamburg. Learn about the history from your guide and check out some of the city's top destinations such as Michaelis Kirche, Landungsbrücken, Speicherstadt and Hafencity. These are recommended places where you have to visit when you come to Hamburg and Fischmarkt.

Skip the box office and head straight to the entrance with a prebooked admission ticket to Hamburg Dungeon. Ideal for travelers who like to plan their vacation itinerary ahead of time, relax knowing that entry is already sorted. Enjoy an immersive attraction featuring live actors, special effects, and rides as you learn about the macabre side of the city's history.