Cap San Diego

The white swan of the South Atlantic: The ‘Cap San Diego’ was built in 1961 as a cargo ship for the Hamburg-Süd shipping company and sailed primarily to South America until 1981. She is now moored as a museum ship at the Überseebrücke and brings Hamburg's maritime history to life.

Her elegant silhouette is as much a part of Hamburg's harbour panorama as the Speicherstadt and the Michel. The world's largest ready-to-sail museum ship offers Hamburg residents and visitors unique insights into the world of seafaring and invites them to come on board.

A piece of Hamburg history

The Cap San Diego offers authentic insights into the time of the general cargo freighters - even before container traffic revolutionised shipping. From the bridge to the engine room, all areas of the historic freighter are open to visitors. Visitors can immerse themselves in a fascinating chapter of maritime industrial culture and experience at first hand how international trade routes worked back then.

They can explore the Cap San Diego individually, delve deeper with a free audio guide or take part in an exciting guided tour with one of our dedicated volunteers.

Museum ship and experiences

Since June 2025, the Cap San Diego has been telling the story of the ship in a new, permanent multimedia exhibition. The focus is on the people, the challenges at sea and the impressive technology below deck. With historical exhibits and interactive stations, the exhibition shows how the Cap San Diego made history as a real working ship.

The Cap San Diego is not only a living museum ship, but also offers a beautiful setting for corporate and private celebrations, as well as cultural events. There is also a unique high ropes course and escape games on board.

Another highlight is an overnight stay in one of the comfortable original cabins of the museum cargo ship. The original captain's or officer's cabin can also be booked.

Cast away

The Cap San Diego is still ready to sail today and leaves the port of Hamburg on regular trips. As a floating hotel or on museum trips, guests can experience every manoeuvre up close and explore almost all areas of the ship. The volunteer crew are on hand to answer any questions and are always happy to have a nautical chat.