In a nutshell
- Borkum is the westernmost of the East Frisian Islands and offers wide beaches, stunning dune landscapes, small shops, and seriously fresh sea air.
- This Borkum travel guide covers everything you need for your trip: how to get to the island, where to stay, and the best sights and activities.
- You’ll also get cool insider tips and our top picks for restaurants and cafés — all from a true East Frisian local!
What makes Borkum special?
Borkum is a true all-around North Sea gem. You’ll find the perfect mix of nature, wide-open spaces, and vibrant island life here.
The island is significantly larger than its neighbors, which means more variety — from wide sandy beaches and dune landscapes to small cafés and boutiques in town.
One particularly nice thing: Borkum sits further out in the North Sea than the other East Frisian Islands.
That makes the air here especially low in pollen and rich in iodine. It’s also why so many allergy sufferers and people with respiratory conditions love vacationing on Borkum.
Here’s a map showing exactly where Borkum is located:
Who is a vacation on Borkum right for?
Borkum is a destination for anyone who loves the North Sea — whether you’re looking for peace and quiet, want to stay active, or are traveling with the whole family.
- For couples, solo travelers, and those seeking relaxation
- For active travelers
- For families with children
- For travelers with dogs
- For allergy sufferers and people with respiratory conditions
The best time to visit Borkum
If you want sun, beach, and sea, the period from May through September is ideal for visiting Borkum. That’s when you can swim, go cycling, or simply stroll along the promenade with an ice cream in hand.
Spring and fall are quieter. Perfect for long beach walks and nature lovers.
And even in winter, Borkum has its own charm. That’s when the island shows its raw, wild, and wonderfully empty side.
Vacation rentals and hotels on Borkum
If you’d like to stay overnight on Borkum, here are some great hotel recommendations and places to stay:
Our hotel picks for Borkum
Arthotel Bakker: Stylish, modern hotel in the center with a laid-back vibe
Strandhotel Hohenzollern: Hotel right on the promenade with front-row sea views
Hotel Inselhof Borkum: Quiet, family-friendly property with a large garden for relaxing
Our vacation rental picks for Borkum
OSTLAND LOFT: Spacious loft in the dune area with a particularly quiet Ostland location
FeWo Lina: Large, cozy vacation apartment with plenty of space for families or groups
Haus Delphin: Modern, bright apartment near the beach and town center with cozy furnishings
Find more accommodations on Borkum here:
Getting to Borkum: How to reach the island
Borkum may sit right in the middle of the UNESCO World Heritage Wadden Sea, but it’s still super easy to reach — whether you prefer sailing over by sea or flying across in just a few minutes. Here’s the best way to get to the island.
By ferry to Borkum from Emden
The classic way to travel to Borkum is by ferry from Emden.
On the regular ferry along the classic route, the journey takes about two hours. Alternatively, you can take the faster catamaran, which gets you to the island in about an hour.
A ferry ticket costs around 30 to 40 euros per person, depending on the season. Dogs are of course welcome on board, with a separate ticket at around 10 euros.
The ferry docks at Borkum’s Reede harbor. From there, the Borkumer Kleinbahn — which we’ll introduce to you in more detail shortly — takes you straight into town in about 15 minutes. A great start to your island vacation!
Our tip: If you have luggage, you can check it at the harbor and have it delivered to your accommodation on Borkum.
All information and tickets for the ferry from Emden to Borkum
By ferry to Borkum from Eemshaven
The fastest sea route departs from Eemshaven. The crossing takes only about 50 minutes. Ferry tickets cost around 25 to 30 euros per person, and dogs are welcome here too.
This route is ideal if you’re coming from western Germany — for example from Cologne — or from the Netherlands. Once on the island, the Borkumer Kleinbahn will take you from the harbor into town in this case as well.
All information and tickets for the ferry from Eemshaven to Borkum
By plane to Borkum
Nothing is faster than flying. The flight from Emden to Borkum takes just 15 minutes.
But it comes at a price. Fares start at around 70 to 100 euros per person. Dogs are not permitted on the plane and baggage allowance is very limited.
While the flight and the views over the Wadden Sea are a real experience, we recommend arriving by ferry and booking a sightseeing flight over the island instead — more on that in the day trips section below.
All information and tickets for flights from Emden to Borkum
Are cars allowed on Borkum?
Yes, you can bring your car to Borkum — unlike many other North Sea islands. The ferry transports both cars and motorhomes.
However, you’ll need a separate vehicle ticket, which costs between 70 and 120 euros per trip depending on vehicle size.
The upside: the car ticket price already includes the driver and bicycles. So you only need one ticket covering the car, bicycles, and driver, plus one additional ticket for each extra passenger.
Our tip: Many accommodations are located in town, where you’ll barely need your car. In our opinion, you can save the money and leave your car at the long-term parking lots in Emden or Eemshaven.
In Emden there are four parking lots at the harbor and at the Borkumkai. You can find all the details at AG EMS.
In Eemshaven there is a large car parking lot for Borkum vacationers. You’ll find all the information on prices and directions at AG EMS as well.
Resort tax on Borkum
As on all North Sea islands, a resort tax (Kurtaxe) is charged on Borkum. The funds go toward maintaining the beaches, bike paths, and leisure facilities on the island.
Adults currently pay around €4.80 per day, children (ages 12–17) about €3, and dogs €2.
The resort tax is usually billed directly through your accommodation. You’ll then receive your guest card, which lets you ride the island bus for free and get discounted admission to various facilities.
The most beautiful sights on Borkum
These are the top highlights on Borkum you really shouldn’t miss:
Borkum Beach
The beach on Borkum is large and fine-grained, and one of the main reasons so many visitors come here every year.
Depending on the section, it can be quiet and wide open or lively with playgrounds and beach volleyball nets. You’ll quickly find the right spot for you.
When the weather cooperates, you can swim here or simply spend the whole day in a beach chair. And even on windy days, a stroll along the water’s edge is worth it — the locals love it too.
Book a beach chair on Borkum
By the way: You can also rent beach wheelchairs on Borkum! They’re available during the season at the beach kiosks at the North Beach, South Beach, and nudist beach, but cannot be reserved in advance.
Old Lighthouse Borkum
The Old Lighthouse is closed indefinitely due to renovation work!
The Old Lighthouse of Borkum is the oldest building on the island — and even among all the East Frisian Islands. Hold on tight: it has stood here since 1576!
After a fire in 1879 and the construction of the New Lighthouse, the old tower was converted into an observation tower and museum.
In the entrance area there’s a small exhibition giving you insight into the history of the tower and the island. And of course you can climb the roughly 40 meters to enjoy a wonderful view over the island.
Our tip: Right next to the Old Lighthouse stand two fences made from the jawbones of Greenland whales — fascinating relics of Borkum’s whaling history. And right by the tower you’ll also find the whalers’ cemetery.
New Lighthouse Borkum
The New Lighthouse is the island’s landmark. A mighty brick giant that catches your eye from a distance.
Built in 1879, it stands around 60 meters tall and is one of the tallest lighthouses in East Frisia. Unlike many other towers, you can actually climb this one. Over 300 steps lead you up to the observation platform, from which you have a spectacular panorama over the village, dunes, mudflats, and sea.
Inside you’ll find a simple, almost nostalgic atmosphere of metal staircases and thick walls. If you’re doing a short loop through town, it’s absolutely worth a detour. Admission costs €4 for adults and €2 for children.
Electric Lighthouse Borkum
The Electric Lighthouse no longer serves any purpose for maritime navigation, but it’s really something to look at. The white and red stripes with the dunes and sea in the background make for a great photo.
Built in 1888, it was one of the first lighthouses in Germany to be fully electrically operated.
You can’t go up, but we still recommend including the tower in a short bike ride toward the Ostland.
Heimatmuseum Borkum
The Heimatmuseum Borkum sits east of the Old Lighthouse and is the perfect place to learn more about the island.
The exhibition covers whaling, seafaring, old traditions, and the lives of Borkum’s residents before the island became a vacation destination. The old photos and artifacts are especially fascinating — they show just how much has changed here over the years.
The museum is small but put together with a lot of love, and it’s also a great option when the weather turns rainy. Admission costs €5 for adults and about €2 for children.
Lightship Borkumriff
The lightship “Borkumriff” served for decades as a floating lighthouse, guiding ships through the treacherous “ship graveyard” area off Borkum.
It’s the last lightship of its kind and was taken out of service in 1988. Today it lies in the sheltered harbor and can be visited. On board you’ll find exhibitions on maritime history and the Wadden Sea.
Admission costs about €3. Guided tours are also offered for €4.
North Sea Aquarium Borkum
The North Sea Aquarium is a great way to discover the underwater world right off the island without getting wet.
The aquarium features over 60 native species of fish, crustaceans, and sea stars across 16 themed tanks — all filled exclusively with North Sea water.
A special highlight for both kids and adults is the touch tank. Here you can get up close and even handle sea stars and other North Sea creatures.
Admission costs around €5 for adults and €3 for children.
The best activities on Borkum
There’s so much to do on Borkum. These activities are worth it for visitors of all ages:
Swimming on Borkum
On Borkum you can swim both in the ocean and in the Gezeitenland seawater adventure pool.
Borkum has four supervised swimming beaches, and unlike many other places, swimming at the main beaches is not tide-dependent. That said, you should still be a confident swimmer, as currents at low and high tide can be very strong.
With children, it’s best to stay in the shallow water or make use of the tidal channels that often form.
If the North Sea is too cold, you can always head to the indoor pool. The Gezeitenland offers various pools across four floors, along with slides, an indoor surf facility, and wellness options.
Carriage rides and horseback riding on Borkum
You can also explore Borkum on horseback or by horse-drawn carriage.
Carriage rides are offered mainly by Fuhrunternehmen Tasto. The daily tours depart from in front of the tourist information office at the train station and take you on an approximately two-hour journey through the island’s interior and dune landscapes.
For riders, the Reitstall Borkum is the place to go. The stables are located in the dunes near the water tower, just a few minutes from the beach. Experienced riders can go on beach rides, and pony riding is offered for children.
Bike tours on Borkum
Borkum is ideal for cycling: flat, open, and full of beautiful paths between dunes, forests, beaches, and open landscapes.
There are several good bike rental shops on the island — for example the Borkumer Kleinbahn bike rental at the train station or Fahrradverleih Inselrad (formerly Oelke). Costs vary by rental shop and bike type, but expect to pay 10 to 20 euros per day.
One particularly beautiful and popular cycling route is the tour to the Ostland. You leave the busy western part of the island and ride through the quiet, unspoiled east.
Mudflat hiking on Borkum
A mudflat hike is one of the absolute classics of a North Sea vacation. When the sea retreats, an entirely different world is revealed — mud, mussels, crabs, and lugworms as far as the eye can see.
Guided tours run in almost any weather and are ideal if you want to understand how the Wadden Sea actually works. The guides have countless stories to share and are happy to answer all your questions.
A popular provider for mudflat hikes on Borkum is Peter de Buhr – Wattwandern und Me(e)hr.
Important: Never venture into the mudflats alone. The tide comes back faster than you’d think.
Land sailing on Borkum
Land sailing doesn’t just look spectacular — it feels that way too. You ride in a three-wheeled sail cart powered by the wind across the beach and can reach speeds of up to 130 km/h.
It’s essentially sailing on land, and Borkum has the ideal conditions for it: miles of beach and plenty of wind.
Land sailing takes place at the North Beach. That’s where you’ll find the water sports & land sailing school “World of Wind”, which also offers courses for beginners. So you can either just watch or try your hand at it yourself.
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The Borkumer Kleinbahn has cult status on the island[/caption>
The Borkumer Kleinbahn — also known as the Borkumer Inselbahn — has become a charming island landmark and is considered Germany’s oldest island railway.
Since 1888, its main job has been connecting the ferry harbor with the town center. So it’s literally what brings you into your vacation.
But you can also just ride the train for fun to explore the island that way. There are even special rides — for example a panorama ride and a steam train ride. A ticket costs about €2. It’s a genuinely wonderful activity for visitors of all ages.
All rides with the Borkumer Kleinbahn
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The Nordseekletterpark on Borkum is a great destination for families (© Nordseekletterpark Borkum)
Here’s something really cool for a family vacation on Borkum: the Nordseekletterpark Borkum.
It’s centrally located in the Kurpark, right behind the beach promenade, and features 60 stations designed with a maritime theme. You climb across life rings and ship masts from platform to platform.
The park and its courses are suitable for all age groups and you don’t need to be an experienced climber to have a great time here.
No reservations are needed for groups of fewer than ten people. Just keep an eye on the opening hours, which vary by season.
Find more information about the Nordseekletterpark here
Our Borkum insider tips
Looking for tips about Borkum that not everyone knows? Here’s what we’d suggest:
Seal watching
Psst! On Borkum you don’t even need to take an excursion to the seal sandbanks to see the cute animals.
The seals almost always laze around on the sandbank right across from the beach promenade near the music pavilion.
You can’t walk over there because the area is cordoned off to give the animals their peace and quiet. But you can observe them very well — completely free of charge! It’s best to bring binoculars if you have them.
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Oystercatchers are easy to spot along the East Frisian coast — including on Borkum[/caption>
Along the mudflat side at the sea dike, you can get a great view of the typical mudflat birds in the marshland. Oystercatchers, lapwings, geese, and bar-tailed godwits all live here.
You can also spot many of these birds at the Tüskendörsee lake. So if you’re a bird lover, bring binoculars and keep a lookout.
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You can enjoy the sauna with a sea view at the Gezeitenland Borkum (© Nordseeheilbad Borkum GmbH; Nicklas Witt)[/caption>
When the weather on Borkum doesn’t cooperate, the Gezeitenland seawater adventure pool is a seriously great refuge.
The building is enormous and offers various swimming pools, wellness options like mud baths and massages, and a sauna area with views of the North Sea.
All information and opening hours for the Gezeitenland Borkum
[heading level="h2" text="These events on Borkum are worth it" text_short="Events"]
Borkum isn’t just about beaches, peace and quiet, and lighthouses. The island also hosts some great events every year. These are our favorites:
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At Easter, the winter spirits are driven away on Borkum (© Nordseeheilbad Borkum GmbH, Constantin Ticu)[/caption>
At Easter, winter is chased away on Borkum and the new season is officially kicked off. This is a tradition throughout East Frisia — on the mainland and on the islands alike.
On Borkum, the North Beach in particular gets lively. There’s bratwurst, drinks, music, and a great atmosphere.
The highlight of the evening is the big Easter bonfire, which is lit at dusk to send the spirits of winter packing and welcome the first warm days on the island.
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The Borkum Beach Days attract a huge number of vacationers (© borkum.de)[/caption>
The Beach Days are the expanded version of the Borkum Jazz Days, which used to take place every Pentecost.
Instead of the modest music festival, there’s now a cool mix of music, parties, and a big beach volleyball tournament in summer — similar to the White Sands Festival on Norderney.
Because big-name acts like Clueso perform here too, the island gets especially crowded at this time. If you want to be there, it’s worth booking your hotel on Borkum well in advance.
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You’ll find a truly special New Year’s celebration at the New Year’s Eve party on the Borkum beach promenade[/caption>
Over the Christmas holidays and New Year’s, Borkum transforms into a cozy winter wonderland.
The “Winterlichter” event bathes the promenade in a sea of festive lights, and there’s also a light show at the New Lighthouse.
Anyone spending New Year’s Eve on Borkum shouldn’t miss the legendary party on the beach promenade. There’s live music, DJ sets, and a professional fireworks display on the beach.
[heading level="h2" text="Great day trip destinations from Borkum" text_short="Day Trips"]
Have more time on Borkum and want to experience even more beyond the island’s highlights? Here are our recommendations:
[heading level="h3" text="Sightseeing flights from Borkum" flag="21"]
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Seeing Borkum from above is a truly special experience (© borkum.de)[/caption>
For something really special, you can experience Borkum and the Wadden Sea from a bird’s-eye view.
Various sightseeing flights over the island depart from Borkum Airport. The main operator is the Ostfriesische Flug-Dienst (OFD). Prices vary depending on duration and route.
A 15-minute island sightseeing flight costs around €90 per person. A 30-minute island-hopping flight takes you over Borkum, Juist, Norderney, Norddeich, and charming East Frisian towns like Greetsiel — and costs about €130.
Book sightseeing flights from Borkum
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It’s also worth exploring Juist when you’re at the North Sea[/caption>
During the main season, there are regular excursion boats from Borkum to the neighboring island of Juist. How cool is that? It means you can explore multiple islands during your North Sea vacation.
The boat takes you about two hours across the Wadden Sea, and you’ll then have several hours to discover Juist, enjoy a raisin loaf at the Bill, or check out the various highlights of Juist.
Book day trips from Borkum to Juist
Also read:
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[heading level="h2" text="The best restaurants & cafés on Borkum" text_short="Restaurants & Cafés"]
Want to enjoy a great meal or grab a coffee by the beach on Borkum? Here are the best addresses:
- Milchbuden Borkum: Beach kiosks right by the sea, perfect for fries and snacks
- Strandcafé Sturmeck Borkum: Beachside café with a large terrace in a cozy dune setting, delicious cake and great sundowner drinks
- Restaurant Yachthafen Borkum: Maritime restaurant in the harbor with lots of wood, views of the boats, and fish on the menu
- Black Pearl Borkum: Modern, lightly nautical restaurant with creative cuisine
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The Black Pearl on Borkum is a great place to eat (© Black Pearl Borkum)
Shopping on Borkum
What’s a vacation without a little shopping? Here’s where you can shop on Borkum:
- Bismarckstraße: Shopping street that starts at the promenade and branches off below into many small side streets with cafés and shops
- Eilandstyle: Sustainable fashion for everyday life and Nordic weather
There are also well-known drugstores and supermarkets on Borkum, such as Lidl and Rossmann. So if you’ve forgotten something from your beach vacation packing list, you can pick it up here at a good price.
Frequently asked questions about vacationing on Borkum
Is it "on" or "in" Borkum?
You can actually say both. Borkum is even a registered city in the district of Leer.
Is Borkum an expensive destination to visit?
Borkum falls comfortably in the mid-range price-wise.
Dining out and accommodations can be pricier during peak season, but you’ll also find affordable vacation rentals, casual restaurants, and plenty of free activities.
Where is the most beautiful spot on Borkum?
Personally, we love the quiet eastern part of the island with its dunes and wide-open spaces.
But many visitors also love the southern beach and the stretch near the Nordbad for its proximity to the promenade.
Is Borkum worth visiting in winter?
Absolutely! In winter, Borkum is quieter and many accommodations are cheaper.
Not all attractions are open, but you can enjoy the raw, wild nature and treat yourself to a relaxing wellness break.
Are there whales off Borkum?
Today, if you’re lucky, you can spot harbor porpoises off the coast of Borkum — they’re a regular presence in the North Sea.
In the past, during the 17th and 18th centuries, Borkum was a center of whaling. Borkum sailors voyaged all the way to Greenland to hunt bowhead whales and other large whales.
This tradition shaped the island for centuries, but today it is entirely a thing of the past.
Can you explore Borkum in a day?
One day is enough to get a solid impression of Borkum. However, if you really want to enjoy the beach, the town, and the Ostland area, you should plan on at least a weekend.
Is a day trip from Borkum to Helgoland possible?
You can’t make a classic day trip by ferry from Borkum to Helgoland. If you want to get from one island to the other, you’d have to travel via the mainland — and that takes more than a day.
