Cap San Diego Museum Ship

The Cap San Diego in Hamburg is the largest operational museum cargo ship in the world, and it is moored at the Überseebrücke in the middle of the harbor. The white ship with a red hull once carried cargo and a few passengers between Hamburg and South America. Today you can explore the ship on your own with an audio guide or on a guided tour, which makes it one of the best things to do in Hamburg if you like ships and the harbor.

Short history

The ship was built by the Deutsche Werft in Hamburg and launched on December 15, 1961. It was delivered on March 27, 1962, at a cost of 16 million Deutsche Mark. For about 20 years it sailed the Hamburg to South America liner route, making roughly 120 round trips of around 60 days each.

In 1981 it was sold to Spain and renamed several times. In 1986 the City of Hamburg bought it shortly before it was due to be scrapped. It has been a museum ship in Hamburg since October 1986 and has been moored at the Überseebrücke since about 1990. It has been a protected monument since December 1, 2003.

Facts and figures

• Length: 159.4 meters (523 feet), beam 21.4 meters
• Tonnage: 9,998 gross register tons
• Engine: one nine-cylinder MAN two-stroke diesel with 8,569 kilowatts
• Top speed: 19 knots (35 km/h)
• Crew: 38, plus up to 12 passengers

What it is like to visit

You explore the ship with a free audio guide, which you download to your own phone and which has more than 20 stations. You can also book a guided tour with a volunteer; a group tour for up to 15 people costs 80 euros. The exhibition is included in the ticket. Plan around one to two hours; this is our estimate. Eight guest cabins are available for overnight stays.

Tickets and opening hours (as of October 2026)

• Hours: daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; December 31 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed on December 24 and on days when the ship sails.
• Admission: adults 12 euros, Hamburg Card holders 10.20 euros, students and visitors with disabilities 7 euros, children under 14 4 euros, family ticket (two adults and up to four children under 14) 28 euros.
• Buying tickets: online or on board.

How to get there

The ship is at Überseebrücke, 20459 Hamburg, a short walk from the St. Pauli Landungsbrücken, where the harbor ferries leave. The ship is not wheelchair accessible.

Nearby

The sailing ship Rickmer Rickmers, another museum ship, is moored a short walk away at the Landungsbrücken. You can see the Elbphilharmonie concert hall from the ship, and harbor ferries and harbor tours leave from the nearby Landungsbrücken.