Hamburg to Frankfurt: The Ultimate Grand Tour of Germany
Three weeks in Germany is transformative — not a trip, but a journey. This grand tour covers the entire country in a clockwise loop that touches sixteen states, four UNESCO regions, two seas (the North and the Baltic), and all of Germany’s great landscapes: the maritime north, the rebuilt east, the wine valleys of the west, the deep forests of the south, and the Alps. You’ll walk the Reeperbahn, float across the Königssee, hike above the clouds on the Zugspitze, drink wine on the Rhine, and watch the sun set behind the Brandenburg Gate. This is the trip that leaves you changed. Budget: €2,800–3,800 per person.
21-Day Itinerary Overview
Route: Hamburg → Lübeck → Berlin → Dresden → Rothenburg → Rhine Valley → Cologne → Black Forest → Munich → Neuschwanstein → Garmisch → Berchtesgaden → Salzburg → Frankfurt — clockwise loop by train + car
Best for: The ultimate Germany trip, deep exploration, first and only visit for years to come
Budget: €2,800–3,800 per person (excluding international flights)
Direction: Clockwise loop from Hamburg — train for the first 2 weeks, car for the Alpine and remote sections, train back to Frankfurt
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Days 1–2: Hamburg — Maritime Soul
Day 1: Arrive, settle. Walk Speicherstadt (free), visit Elbphilharmonie Plaza (free, pre-book). Take ferry 62 from Landungsbrücken for a harbour tour with a transit ticket (€3.50). Dinner in Sternschanze.
Day 2: Day trip to Lübeck (45-minute RE train from Hauptbahnhof, €0 with Deutschlandticket). Climb the Holstentor (€5), visit Marienkirche (free), buy Niederegger marzipan. Return for evening at St. Pauli Landungsbrücken sunset.
Accommodation: Hamburg St. Georg — hostel dorm €50–70 or budget double €130–190
Days 3–5: Berlin — Capital Days
ICE from Hamburg to Berlin (1 hour 45 min, €29–45).
Day 3: Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag Dome (pre-book), Holocaust Memorial, Topography of Terror. Evening: Markthalle Neun (Thursday night) or Hackescher Markt.
Day 4: East Side Gallery, Kreuzberg street art, Berlin Wall Memorial. Afternoon: Museum Island — pick the Pergamon and Neues Museum (€19 combined). Evening: Prenzlauer Berg Kneipe.
Day 5: Tempelhofer Feld cycling (free), Checkpoint Charlie, free morning for Mauerpark flea market (Sunday). Afternoon ICE to Dresden.
Accommodation: Berlin Mitte — 3 nights hostel €75–105 or budget double €180–270
Day 6: Dresden — Florence on the Elbe
ICE from Berlin to Dresden (2 hours, €25–35). Visit the Zwinger (courtyard free), the Fürstenzug — the world’s largest porcelain mural (free, 102 metres long). Walk the Brühlsche Terrasse to the Frauenkirche (free). Climb the dome (€8). Evening: Neustadt district — try Gose beer, a tart wheat beer unique to the region.
Accommodation: Dresden Neustadt — guesthouse double €55–85
Day 7: Rothenburg — The Medieval Dream
Train from Dresden to Rothenburg via Nuremberg (4 hours, €40–50). Pick up rental car at Rothenburg station. Walk the city walls (free), visit the Medieval Crime Museum (€7). Stay the night — the empty evening streets are magical. Join the Night Watchman’s Tour at 20:00 (€8).
Accommodation: Rothenburg — guesthouse double €60–95
Days 8–9: Rhine Valley & Cologne — Castles & Cathedrals
Day 8: Drive Rothenburg → Bacharach (2.5 hours). Wine tasting in Bacharach (€8–12), ferry to St. Goar, visit Burg Rheinfels (€6). Afternoon drive to Cologne (1.5 hours).
Day 9: Cologne Cathedral (free, tower climb €6). Visit the Chocolate Museum (€15). Walk the Hohenzollern Bridge love locks, explore the Belgian Quarter. Evening: Brauhaus Frueh for Kölsch beer and traditional cuisine.
Accommodation: Cologne — hostel dorm €25–35 or budget double €65–95
Days 10–11: Black Forest — Deep Green
Drive Cologne → Black Forest (3 hours).
Day 10: Triberg Waterfalls (€7), House of 1,000 Clocks. Continue to Freiburg (45 min) — explore the Bächle, climb the Münster (€3.50). Dinner at a Weinstube.
Day 11: Drive the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse to Mummelsee. Hike the Wilderness Trail. Afternoon at Baden-Baden Caracalla Spa (€23). Evening: casino or Belle Époque dinner.
Accommodation: Freiburg (night 10) + Baden-Baden (night 11) — guesthouse €55–90/night
Days 12–14: Munich — Bavaria’s Heart
Drive Baden-Baden → Munich (4 hours). Return car, use Munich’s transit.
Day 12: Marienplatz & Glockenspiel (12:00), Alter Peter climb (€3), Residenz tour (€10). Evening: Augustiner-Keller.
Day 13: Nymphenburg Palace by bike (€12–15 rental). Englischer Garten & Eisbach surfers. Evening: Viktualienmarkt dinner.
Day 14: Day trip to Dachau Memorial (S-Bahn, 30 min, free entry, €4 audio guide) — a sobering but essential visit. Or visit the BMW Museum (€10) and Olympic Park.
Accommodation: Munich — 3 nights hostel €90–135 or budget double €210–330
Day 15: Neuschwanstein — Fairytale Finale
Rent a car for the Alpine leg. Drive to Hohenschwangau (1.5 hours). Pre-booked Neuschwanstein tour (€17.50). Marienbrücke photo, Hohenschwangau Castle (€15). Stay in Füssen for the night.
Accommodation: Füssen — guesthouse double €55–85
Days 16–17: Garmisch — Alpine Heights
Day 16: Drive Füssen → Garmisch (1 hour). Zugspitze cable car (€62), Partnachklamm gorge (€6).
Day 17: Alpspitze Via Ferrata or Eibsee lake circuit (free). Afternoon drive to Berchtesgaden (3 hours) via the scenic route through the Austrian Alps.
Accommodation: Garmisch (night 16) + Berchtesgaden (night 17) — guesthouse €60–100/night
Days 18–19: Berchtesgaden & Salzburg
Day 18: Königssee electric boat (€27.50) to St. Bartholomä church. Lake walk, sunset at the echo wall. Evening: Berchtesgaden Gasthaus dinner.
Day 19: Eagle’s Nest (bus + elevator €30, May–October only) or Dokumentation Obersalzberg (€5) and Berchtesgaden Salt Mine (€20). Drive 30 minutes to Salzburg for the night — explore the Altstadt, Fortress Hohensalzburg, and dinner at a traditional Salzburg restaurant.
Accommodation: Berchtesgaden (night 18) + Salzburg (night 19) — guesthouse €60–95/night
Remember: Austrian Autobahn vignette — €9.90 for 10 days
Days 20–21: Return Journey & Departure
Day 20: Scenic drive from Salzburg to Frankfurt (5.5 hours with stops). Stop at Herrenchiemsee Palace (ferry €12, palace €12, 3 hours) — Ludwig II’s Versailles copy on an island in the Chiemsee lake. Continue to Frankfurt for the night.
Day 21: Final morning in Frankfurt — Römer square (free), Main Tower view (€5), or the Städel Museum (€16). Return the rental car and head to Frankfurt Airport (15 minutes from city centre by S-Bahn). Deutschland goodbye — and see you again.
Accommodation: Frankfurt — guesthouse double €60–90
Driving time: Salzburg to Frankfurt 5.5 hours (with 1-hour Herrenchiemsee stop, add 2.5 hours)
Budget Summary: 21-Day Germany Grand Tour
Estimated Total: €2,800–3,800 per person (excluding international flights)
- Accommodation (20 nights): €800–1,400
- Car rental + fuel + tolls (12 days): €550–750
- Trains (ICE Hamburg→Berlin→Dresden→Rothenburg): €100–140
- Zugspitze cable car: €62
- Königssee boat: €27.50
- Eagle’s Nest: €30
- Neuschwanstein: €17.50–31.50
- Caracalla Spa: €23
- Other admissions: €120–170
- Food (21 days): €300–500
- Miscellaneous (vignette, parking, tips): €120–160
Best Season: May–September (all mountain attractions open); October (harvest festivals, autumn colours)
Recommended For: The trip of a lifetime, comprehensive Germany exploration, experienced travellers
Disclaimer: This itinerary requires advance booking for all major attractions (Neuschwanstein, Reichstag Dome, Zugspitze, Elbphilharmonie Plaza). The Eagle’s Nest bus operates May–October only. Austrian Autobahn vignette (€9.90/10 days) is mandatory. Car rental requires International Driving Permit for non-EU license holders. All prices are 2026 estimates and may vary.