Munich Travel Guide
Munich Travel Guide
Munich is filled with beer halls, history, beautiful parks, fun night life & tons of Bavarian charm. It’s a great city to visit in any season, whether you’re looking for great summer weather, visiting in the fall for Oktoberfest or heading there in the winter for the infamous Christmas market, Munich always has something to offer.
Keep reading below for my recommendations on where to stay, what to do, best spot for drinks with a view & more!
Jump To:
- *Backpacks & Bubbly – Top Pick for Drinks With A View*
- Where to Stay in Munich
- Top Things to do in Munich
- Best Restaurants in Munich
- Best Day Trips from Munich
- Getting to Munich
- Getting Around Munich
- How Many Days to Spend in Munich
- Safety for Solo Female Travel in Munich
Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!
*Backpacks & Bubbly – Top Pick for Drinks With A View*
Hofbräuhaus München
No trip to Munich is complete without a stop at the infamous Hofbräuhaus. The Bavarian beer hall is located right in the heart of the Old Town area of Munich and is a must-see. Head inside for dinner or a beer and take in the traditional beer hall look and vibe.
The hall is filled with long tables meant for sharing, so don’t be shy to grab a seat and make friends with your neighbors. I ended up spending most of my trip to Munich with the group I met at the Hofbräuhaus my first night in Munich.
Where to Stay in Munich
Old Town
If you’re willing to splurge and want to be in the heart of the action I definitely recommend staying in the Old Town area of Munich, which is where you’re likely to spend most of your time anyways. There are tons of great hotel options near the city center. My favorites are DO & CO Hotel or Platzl Hotel
Train Station/Oktoberfest
If you’re looking to be a bit closer to the train station or if you’re going to Munich for Oktoberfest and you’d like to be able to walk to the grounds. I recommend staying in this area. I stayed at Eurostars Book Hotel on my recent trip to Oktoberfest and it was super convenient to both the train station (less than 5 minute walk) and the Oktoberfest grounds (less than 15 minute walk)
This neighborhood is not as nice as the Old Town area and I didn’t feel 100% safe walking around at night. Luckily, there were so many people out and about because of Oktoberfest, but in general, I’d be a little more cautious in this area.
Top Things to do in Munich
Explore Marientplatz
The main square of Old Town is somewhere you’ll want to spend time exploring when in Munich. It’s the main square of the city and is where you’ll see the infamous Rathaus-Glockenspiel (clock)
Wander Through the English Garden
Munich’s large and impressive English Gardens are a short walk from Old Town and are a must see when visiting Munich. The gorgeous park is filled with rivers for swimming in the summer, large grassy areas of sunbathing, biergartens & more. I recommend dedicating a couple hours to exploring this area.
Grab a Beer at Hofbräuhaus
You can’t take a trip to Munich and not visit the infamous Hofbräuhaus, the iconic Beer Hall located right in the heart of Old Town. Grab a seat at one of the large family-style tables, order a beer, making friends & listen to the traditional Bavarian music.
Climb the Tower at St. Peter’s Church for the Best Views
St. Peter’s churhc in Munich is located right in the heart of Old Town. It’s known for the views from the top of the Tower, providing the best panorama of Munich and Bavaria. It costs 2 euro to climb the 300 steps to the top and is worth the view if you have the time! Entry to the church without the tower is free.
Have Lunch and a Stein at the Biergarten am Chinesischen Turm
Located in the English Garden is the Biergarten am Chinesischen Turm. This picturesque Biergarten offers stands to order food and beers with tons of outdoor seating. There is often live music playing as well.
See Frauenkirche or the Church of Our Lady
The church known for its two unique shaped domes is located in the center of Old Town. It is often noted the domes look like beer mugs overflowing!
See the Surfers on the Eischbachwelle River
Located in the English Garden is one of the most unique sites in Munich, the surfers on the Eischbachwelle river. The engineered waves provide a spot for local surfers to practice on the river (and provide tourists/onlookers something to watch)
Visit the Residenz Royal Palace & Odeonsplatz
Two other major landmarks located in the Old Town area are Residenz & Odeonsplatz
Explore the City on a Guided Bike Tour
A bike tour of Munich is a good way to see many parts of the city if you’re on a time crunch. Also, a guide will explain what you’re seeing. The bike tour takes you through Old Town and the English Garden with stops at all the major sites in Old Town, the sufers in the English Garden and lunch at Biergarten am Chinesischen Turm!
Attend Oktoberfest (seasonal: late Sept- early October)
Oktoberfest in Munich is one of my favorite trips I’ve ever taken. The city comes alive during Oktoberfest and tourists from all over the world flock to Munich to partake in the iconic beer festival!
Visit the Christmas Markets (seasonal: December)
Germany is known for it’s fantastic Christmas Markets and Munich is no different. For the month of December Marienplatz is transformed into a large Christmas Market.
Best Restaurants in Munich
Augustiner-Keller Biergarten
Located right near the main train station in Munich, this traditional Bavarian beer hall is a can’t miss spot for dinner or just for a beer & a pretzel!
Steinheil
Casual dining spot specializing in schnitzel & other traditional German food. Don’t be deterred by the long line, it moves quickly!
Salzkruste
If you’re looking for an upscale dining option this is a great option.
Hofbräuhaus
Another beer hall worth stopping by for a dinner/drink is the infamous Hofbräuhaus, located right in the heart of Old Town you won’t miss this spot.
L’Osteria
If you’ve had your fill of some of the heavier traditional German fare, L’Osteria serves up some of the best pizzas in Munich.
Best Day Trips from Munich
See my full guide on the best day trips from Munich here
Neuschwanstein Castle
You’ve likely seen pictures of the stunning Neuschwanstein Castle, notably the inspiration for the castle in Sleeping Beauty. The castle is doable as a day trip from Munich if you’re interested in visiting.
You can rent a car, and it’s about a 90 minute drive to the castle. There is not parking on site, so you’ll need to park at the nearby at Alpseestrasse. Parking costs 8 Euro & from the parking area it’s a 30 minute walk, or you can pay to be driven by carriage or bus (10 Euro and 3 Euros round trip, respectively)
The castle is also reachable by public transport, but it’s not the most convenient option and can take close to 3 hours one way & can be quite pricy due to how expensive the trains are in Germany. You’ll want to take the train from Munich to Füssen then catch the 73 or 78 bus. The bus stop will bring you to the same area as if you’re parking where you can choose to walk, take a carriage or bus.
I’d recommend checking out Deutsch Bahn’s regional Bavarian train ticket to save money, but make sure you read all the rules and restrictions on timing of when these can be used or you’ll be forced to buy a ticket on the train.
You’ll also need tickets for the castle itself if you intend to go inside. They can be found on the website. I chose to just see the outside of the castle based on reviews I had read. This is free of charge.
Rotheburg ob der Tauber
If you’re looking for a quintessential, Fairy-tale like Bavarian town you should not miss a trip to Rothenberg ob der Tauber. It’s a bit of a long day trip from Munich, but I am so happy I made the trip. The town is filled with colorful gingerbread type houses and charming shops and restaurants, and really feels like something out of a book or movie. Plus, the views out into the Bavarian countryside are fantastic.
Getting there from Munich will require several train switches. Depending on the trains you catch it will take between 2 and a half and 3 and a half hours. The quickest train route involves taking three trains. Be careful with short layovers, as when I was there all the trains were running late and caused me to miss several connections, leading to longer layovers.
Train 1: München Hbf > Nürnberg Hbf (roughly 1 hour)
Train 2: Nürnberg Hbf > Ansbach (roughly 30 minutes)
Train 3: Ansbach > Steinach (b Rothenburg ob der Tauber) (roughly 20 minutes)
Train 4: Steinach (b Rothenburg ob der Tauber) > Rothenburg ob der Tauber (roughly 15 minutes)
If you’re using Deutsch Bahn’s regional Bavarian train ticket (mentioned above) You’ll need to take a slightly longer train route to have your route covered by the pass, but it does involve less train switching!
Train 1: München Hbf > Treuchtlingen (roughly 1 hour 45 minutes)
Train 2: Treuchtlingen > Steinach (b Rothenburg ob der Tauber) (roughly 1 hour 10 minutes)
Train 3: Steinach (b Rothenburg ob der Tauber) > Rothenburg ob der Tauber (roughly 15 minutes)
Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site
The former Dachau Concentration Camp is reachable from Munich via train in 20 minutes. The site, known for being the first Nazi concentration camp and responsible for the death of at least 43,000, has been turned into a memorial site with a museum, reconstructed barracks and cells. The sobering memorial is a powerful, stark reminder of the atrocities committed by the Third Reich during the Holocaust.
To get to Dachau take the train from Munich to Dachau and then take bus 726 towards Saubachsiedlung to reach the site.
Ansbach
Due to a delayed connection and a missed train I ended up spending a few hours in charming Ansbach on my way to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. This small, Bavarian town is a bit less touristy than Rothenburg and is a cool place to spend a few hours exploring. It’s a great stop on your way to Rothenburg.
Train 1: München Hbf > Nürnberg Hbf (roughly 1 hour)
Train 2: Nürnberg Hbf > Ansbach (roughly 30 minutes)
Salzburg, Austria
About two hours from Munich is Salzburg, Austria, known for being the home of Mozart as well as the location for the Sound of Music, Salzburg is a popular tourist destination. While Salzburg has enough to offer you may want to stay there on its own for a few days, it also is doable as a day trip from Munich if you’re short on time!
Depending on the train Salzburg is about 1:30-2 hours away from Munich. You can save money by using the Deutsch Bahn’s regional Bavarian train ticket mentioned above. Just make sure you review the rules and restrictions to make sure your train is covered.
Innsbruck, Austria
Another Austrian city reachable from Munich as a day trip is Innsbruck. Innsbruck is known for its stunning Alp views and being home to the winter Olympic games twice. It’s a great place to explore for mountain and lakeside views.
The train from Munich to Innsbruck is about two hours and runs many times a day.
Getting to Munich
Munich has it’s own international airport for incoming travelers, but is also well connected to the rest of Germany (and many parts of Europe) by train!
By Train
Munich’s main train station is located right in downtown Munich (about a twenty minute walk from the Old Town area where most tourist attractions are) High speed trains form other major German cities, and other large European cities run to and from Munich many times a day. You can see routes and purchase tickets here.
On my most recent trip I arrived via train from Paris and left Munich via train to Venice. Train travel in Europe is super convenient!
By Plane
If you’re flying into Munich you will be arriving at the Flughafen München, Munich’s international airport. The airport is located about 30 minutes from the city and there are several ways to reach the city center.
By Train: You can take either the S1 or S8 lines from the airport to the city center (main train station) The trip is about 40 minutes and the S-Bahn leaves roughly every 10 minutes. The train costs roughly 12 euro per person, one way.
By Bus: There is a also a bus operated by Lufthansa that will take you from the airport to the main train station in Munich city center. The bus leaves every twenty minutes and the ride takes around 45 minutes. The bus is 10.50 Euro per person.
By Private Transfer or Taxi: If you’re looking to pre-book a ride to give you some peace of mind and save you some hassle when you get to the airport, I always use Welcome Pickups to schedule a ride. I highly recommend their services, the prices are comparable to taking a taxi, but booking a guaranteed ride ahead of time that’s trackable in an app brings a lot of peace of mind to early morning and late night transfers!
Taxis are also available, but you can expect to pay more for a cab. Roughly 50-60 Euros.
Getting Around Munich
For the most part, Munich is very walkable! The Old Town area is about a twenty minute walk from the main train station, and the Old Town area itself (where you’ll likely spend most of your time is very walkable.)
If you’re trying to avoid walking there are cabs easily accessible to get you around the city or you can take public transportation. Munich has a great U-Bahn/S-Bahn system. You can map your trip, buy tickets, and view more information here. Also, if you have the Munich City Pass public transport is included.
How Many Days to Spend in Munich
2 Days
Munich can easily be explored in 2 days, if you’re short on time you could also see the highlights in 1. With more time I’d recommend taking one of the day trips noted above!
Safety for Solo Female Travel in Munich
4 out of 5
Overall, I felt safe in Munich travelling alone. Although, there were a few areas of the city where I felt a bit uncomfortable walking alone at night. The stretch between the main Munich train station and the Old Town area houses a large homeless population and can feel a bit dark and unsafe at night.
The neighborhood to the southwest of the train station where many hotels are located is also an area I’d suggest being more conscious of your surroundings at night.
