*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.

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.

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.

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.