Hamburg Christmas Market Day Trip: What We'd Do and What We'd Skip

Hamburg has dozens of Christmas markets. In seven hours you can't do them all, and you shouldn't try. This is what we'd do with a day, and what we'd happily skip.

When is the Hamburg Christmas market 2026?

The main one, the Historic Christmas Market on the Rathausmarkt in front of City Hall, runs from Monday 23 November to Wednesday 23 December 2026. Santa Pauli, the market on the Reeperbahn, opens earlier, on 9 November, and also runs to 23 December. Opening hours for the Rathausmarkt this year aren't confirmed yet, so check before you go.

How do you get to Hamburg for a day?

easyJet from Gatwick on Thursday 10 December leaves at 07:30 and lands at 10:10. The flight home leaves at 20:35 and lands at Gatwick at 21:15. £82 return on Google Flights, checked on 10 October 2026.

The S1 train runs from the airport to the main station in about 25 minutes, every 10 minutes during the day, for €4.10 (£3.45). It carries on to Jungfernstieg, the stop for the Alster lake and the city hall.

Hamburg from Gatwick on Thu 10 Dec: times and today's price

Christmas markets in Hamburg

• Historic Christmas Market, Rathausmarkt: about 80 stalls in front of City Hall, with the flying Santa. 23 November to 23 December
• Santa Pauli, Spielbudenplatz: the Reeperbahn's cheeky Christmas market, open in the evenings. 9 November to 23 December
• Weißer Zauber, Jungfernstieg: white tents by the Binnenalster lake, with a Ferris wheel and a view of the floating Christmas tree on the Alster
• Gänsemarkt: 30 stalls round a huge spruce with thousands of lights
• Winterwald on Gerhart-Hauptmann-Platz: a small winter forest in the city centre
• HafenCity: a newer market by the Elbe next to the Westfield mall. In 2025 it ran 21 November to 23 December, 11:00 to 21:00

What would we do?

• The Rathausmarkt. About 80 stalls in front of City Hall, and a flying Santa who crosses the market three times a day. It's the one to see
• Weißer Zauber on the Jungfernstieg, by the Binnenalster lake. The prettiest setting in the city, with a Ferris wheel
• The Speicherstadt, the old red-brick warehouse district, at dusk. Free, and it lights up beautifully
• Santa Pauli on a Thursday evening. It opens at 16:00 and on Thursdays runs to midnight, so you get an hour or two before your train
• St Michael's church tower for the view, about £7

What would we skip?

• Trying to see every market. Gänsemarkt is lovely, with 30 stalls round a huge lit tree, but it's a smaller version of what you've already seen
• The museums. With seven hours and a market season, the Maritime Museum and the Kunsthalle can wait for a longer visit
• Shopping. The big streets are rammed in December and you'll have no bag space

How long do you get in Hamburg?

About 7.3 hours, from about 10:55 to 18:10. Sunset is 16:01, so the second half of the day is dark and lit up, which is exactly what you want at a Christmas market.

What does food and drink cost at the Hamburg markets?

At the Rathausmarkt in 2025: organic mulled wine €5 (£4.25), €7 with a shot, a mug deposit of €4 (£3.40), hot chocolate €5, Feuerzangenbowle, the flaming rum punch, €5.50 (£4.65), and bratwurst or currywurst €5 to €6 (£4.25 to £5.10). 2026 prices aren't out yet.

Tips for visiting the Christmas markets in Hamburg

• Buy your S1 ticket in the hvv app, which takes 7% off: €3.81 instead of €4.10
• Plan to be on the Rathausmarkt for one of the flying Santa's three daily runs
• Keep your mug. The Rathausmarkt mugs are a good, cheap souvenir
• Stay near the S1. Jungfernstieg and the main station are both on the line back to the airport
• Thursday is a good day. Santa Pauli stays open until midnight and the shops are quieter than at the weekend

Other things to do in Hamburg

Walk the Speicherstadt and on into HafenCity, then up to the Elbphilharmonie Plaza for the view over the harbour. St Michael's church is free to go in and about £7 for the tower. In winter the Binnenalster, with its lights and floating tree, is the prettiest spot in the city centre. Save the Maritime Museum and the Kunsthalle for a longer trip.

Is Hamburg worth visiting in December?

Yes, if you dress for it. December averages a high of about 5C and a low just above freezing. It's grey and often wet, but the lights, the water and the markets make up for it. Snow that settles is rare.

What does the day cost?

About £132 a person. That's the £82 flight plus about £50 on the ground: £6 for the S1 both ways, £5 for local transport, £13 for lunch and £26 for dinner. Hamburg is one of the pricier German cities to eat in.

Is Hamburg good for Christmas markets?

Very. It's less famous than Cologne or Nuremberg, but it has more variety: a traditional market, a cheeky one on the Reeperbahn and one on the water. For a cheap flight and a full day, it's one of our favourites this year.

The full Hamburg Christmas market guide

Every day trip from Gatwick

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Photo credits. Top: Z thomas, CC BY-SA 4.0. Speicherstadt: Thomas Wolf, CC BY-SA 3.0.