Best Shore Excursions
in Kiel

Most cruise lines will offer you a bus to Hamburg or Lübeck. These are fine cities. This guide is about what to do if you'd rather stay in Kiel — or if you simply don't want to spend three hours of your day in transit.

1. The GPS Audio Tour (recommended first)

Kirk Wilson's self-guided GPS audio tour is the most flexible option for cruise passengers, which is why it comes first. You download it on your phone before you even arrive in Germany. When your ship docks, you step off, put your headphones in, and start walking.

The tour runs 90 minutes, covers 3km, and starts right outside the Ostseekai terminal. It works completely offline — no data, no roaming costs, no wifi needed. The GPS triggers the right story at the right place. When you stop, it stops. When you move, it continues.

It has 109 reviews on VoiceMap ↗ and costs $9.99. Available on VoiceMap ↗, which is used by Lonely Planet, endorsed by Stephen Fry and Ian McKellen, and has over 2,100 tours in 600 destinations worldwide.

2. The Free Walking Tour (if you want Kirk live)

The free walking tour is the same stories, the same route, the same brewery recommendation at the end — but with Kirk in person. He starts outside the Ostseekai terminal, opens with an aquavit toast, and spends 1.5–2 hours telling you things about Kiel you'll repeat for years.

It is genuinely free. There is no catch. Kirk appreciates tips and TripAdvisor reviews but neither is required. It has a 4.9 rating on TripAdvisor ↗ and has been called one of the best walking tours in Europe by people who have done walking tours in most of Europe.

3. The Laboe Naval Memorial Tour (for history lovers)

If naval history interests you and you have more time, the Laboe Naval Memorial is worth the trip. It's 20km north of Kiel — 45 minutes by ferry, 25 minutes by car. Kirk's GPS audio tour of the site starts at the entrance and takes about an hour.

The highlight is U-995, a real WWII submarine you can walk through. The observation tower has views to Denmark on a clear day. The tour costs $6.99.

4. A Private Tour (if you want Kirk to yourselves)

For groups, couples or families who'd rather have a personalised experience, Kirk offers private tours from €149. Flexible timing, tailored itinerary, and the option to include food and drink stops at the monastery brewery.

What about Hamburg and Lübeck?

Hamburg is 90 minutes away by bus. Lübeck is about 60 minutes. These are both worthwhile cities — if you have a full day in each with no transit pressure. As a cruise day trip from Kiel, you'll spend 3–4 hours in transit and about 90 minutes actually there, rushing.

Kirk's honest take — and it's in his tour — is that Kiel has better stories than it gets credit for, and that most people are pleasantly surprised when they actually spend the day here rather than on a bus somewhere else.