Day trip to Lubeck and Wismar

Spend a day strolling the cobblestone streets of Lübeck’s hidden corridors and getting to know the seaside city of Wismar. This trip from Hamburg will take you to both Lübeck and Wismar for two individual walking tours with local guides who can show you around and teach you about the long history of these medieval cities.

Each walking tour takes about two hours, and you’ll get the chance to stop for lunch after your tour in Lübeck. You’ll learn about Lübeck’s history as the capital of the Hanseatic League and about Wismar’s past and present as a port city. You’ll get to see Gothic churches, medieval gates, gabled houses and snaking canals.

A driver will pick you up at your hotel in Hamburg and bring you from city to city before returning you to your hotel. Lunch isn't included, but your guide can make recommendations in Lübeck.

Your driver will meet you at your hotel in Hamburg and head northeast to Lübeck, where you’ll meet your private guide for a walking tour. Your first stop is the towers of Holstentor Gate ⁠— built in 1464, it’s one of two remaining medieval city gates in Lübeck. You’ll learn about the city’s history, from its time as the capital of the Hanseatic League to its destruction and restoration after World War II.

You’ll then cross the Stadtgraben River, which surrounds Lübeck’s old town, to wander the cobblestone streets and alleys. Your guide, who’s a local, can point out all the hidden corridors created to make room for extra housing as the city’s population grew. Meander past 15th- and 16th-century patrician residences, public monuments, salt storehouses and churches, and see first-hand how close-knit the communities are, as residents sit on wooden benches swapping stories.

Next, admire the sky-scraping spires of the Rathaus, which holds the distinction of being the longest town hall in Europe at 187 m (2,680 ft). The nearby gabled houses and marketplace have also been developed into Hanseatic Hall, used for meetings, and a courthouse.

During your free time for lunch, you can either further explore the city’s architecture, or grab a bite from the many restaurants and cafés along the central streets. Next, you’ll meet up with your driver and continue on to Wismar, the port and Hanseatic city on the shores of the Baltic Sea.

Arriving in Wismar, you'll meet up with your private guide for another walking tour. You’ll begin in the market square, where your guide will recount the city’s history and point out the Rathaus and Wasserkunst, a 16th-century water fountain renowned for its domed design.

Your guide will show you the original Gothic churches and foundations of Wismar, and you’ll get to visit the City History Museum, which features exhibits and presentations about the city’s pastel painted buildings.

Next, you’ll see the Gewölbe, a timbered house built on a bridge over a canal. Continue on past gabled houses and along snaking canals before arriving at the old seaport, where the red brick buildings are fronted by lines of sailboats with protruding masts.

You’ll then leave your guide and meet your driver to head back to Hamburg.

Please note, your driver will point out where to meet at the end of your tour, so make sure you are comfortable finding your way back. Additionally, the order of your tour may vary.