Altstadt
First-timersThe old centre: Marienplatz, the Hofbräuhaus, the Viktualienmarkt and everything walkable.
Munich city guide
Things To Do In Munich
Beer halls, river surfing, the Alps an hour away, and the most expensive beds in Germany for two weeks every autumn.
23
Hostels in the city
8.5
Average, from 110,455 reviews
1516
The Bavarian beer purity law
1 litre
A Maß, the standard beer hall measure
6 million
Oktoberfest visitors over sixteen days
Bavaria first, Germany second, and it will tell you so
Munich is the capital of Bavaria and behaves like the capital of a separate country, which for most of its history it was. The dialect, the food, the Catholicism and the politics are all distinct from the north, and locals are happy to explain the difference.
The beer culture is the real thing rather than a performance. Beer is served by the litre in a Maß, the halls are enormous and genuinely local, and the Reinheitsgebot — the 1516 purity law limiting beer to water, barley and hops — is still quoted with pride.
The Englischer Garten is larger than Central Park, and at its northern end people surf a standing wave on the Eisbach river, all year, including in snow.
The Alps are an hour south by train, which makes Munich the best big-city base for mountains in Germany.
It is expensive by German standards and extremely expensive during Oktoberfest. Three days, more if you use the mountains.
Where to stay
A compact centre ringed by distinct districts, all on the U-Bahn.
Hauptbahnhof and Ludwigsvorstadt
Value and transportAround the main station: the cheapest beds, good transport and a short walk into the centre.
Schwabing and Maxvorstadt
Students and museumsNorth: the university quarter, the big art museums and the Englischer Garten on the doorstep.
Glockenbachviertel
Bars and nightlifeSouth of the centre: the best bar district, the LGBTQ+ scene and good restaurants.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 12 top-rated hostels. Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Munich
Watch the surfers on the Eisbach. At the southern edge of the Englischer Garten a standing wave forms on the river and people queue to surf it year-round, including in winter. It is free, it is genuinely impressive, and it is the most unexpected thing in the city.
The Englischer Garten itself is larger than Central Park, free, and holds the Chinese Tower beer garden with seven thousand seats.
Go to a beer hall. The Hofbräuhaus is the famous one and is now largely visitors; Augustiner-Keller and the Hirschgarten are where Münchners actually go, and the Hirschgarten seats around eight thousand.
The Residenz, about €10, was the palace of the Wittelsbach dynasty and is far larger inside than the frontage suggests.
The Deutsches Museum, about €15, is one of the largest science and technology museums in the world and takes half a day.
For history, the Dachau memorial site is forty minutes out and free.
More on things to do in Munich
Free things
Free things to do in Munich
The Englischer Garten is free and enormous, and the Eisbach surfers cost nothing to watch.
The Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site is free, forty minutes away on the S2 and a bus, and is a serious visit rather than a sight.
Marienplatz and the Glockenspiel are free — the figures perform at 11am and noon, with an extra show at 5pm in summer, and it is much shorter than the crowd implies.
The Viktualienmarkt is free to walk and has a beer garden in the middle where you may bring your own food.
Olympiapark, built for the 1972 Games, is free, and the hill made from war rubble gives a view to the Alps on a clear day.
Many state museums charge just €1 on Sundays, which is the best-value cultural day in Germany.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Munich
Bavarian food is heavy and specific. Weißwurst, the white veal sausage, is eaten before noon with sweet mustard and a pretzel, and traditionally should not hear the midday bells — you peel the skin rather than eating it.
Schweinshaxe, roast pork knuckle, is the big plate at €16 to €24, and Obatzda is the cheese spread eaten with pretzels in beer gardens.
Beer comes by the litre. A Maß is €13 to €16 in a beer garden and considerably more at Oktoberfest. Helles is the standard pale lager; Weißbier is the wheat beer.
Many beer gardens let you bring your own food to the unserved tables as long as you buy the drinks — a genuine and legally protected tradition that makes an afternoon very cheap.
The Viktualienmarkt does good cheap lunch at €8 to €14.
Nightlife
Going out in Munich
Beer-garden afternoons matter more here than late nights, and Munich is noticeably more restrained than Berlin.
The Glockenbachviertel has the best bars and the LGBTQ+ scene, and Maxvorstadt has the student places.
Beer gardens run until about 11pm because of noise regulations, which shapes the evening — people start at four and finish earlier than you would expect.
Clubs exist and are decent, particularly around the Kunstpark area, but nobody travels to Munich for them.
A Maß is €13 to €16, a half-litre beer in a bar €4.50 to €6, cocktails €11 to €15.
Oktoberfest is its own universe: sixteen days from mid-September, six million visitors, tents that fill by mid-morning at weekends, and beds at three times the normal price.
More on nightlife in Munich
Getting around
Getting around Munich
U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses run on one system with a day ticket around €9.30, which most visitors should just buy.
Validate your ticket before boarding. There are no barriers and plainclothes inspectors are active — the fine is €60.
The airport is 40 minutes on the S1 or S8 for about €13, or covered by an all-zone day ticket which often works out better.
Cycling is excellent and the city is flat, with hire from €12 to €18 a day.
For the Alps, regional trains reach Garmisch in ninety minutes and the Bavarian lakes in under an hour. The Bayern-Ticket covers a day of regional travel across the state for a small group at a flat rate, and is the cheapest way to reach the mountains.
Costs
What Munich costs
The most expensive German city, and multiples of that during Oktoberfest. Dorms are €28 to €50 normally and €80 to €150 during the festival, when the whole city books out months ahead.
A Maß is €13 to €16, a main €16 to €24, and a day is €60 to €110.
The savings: €1 museum Sundays, bringing your own food to beer garden tables, and the Englischer Garten and Dachau costing nothing.
The Bayern-Ticket makes a day in the Alps cheap if you are travelling as a group.
If Oktoberfest is not the reason you are coming, avoid mid-September to early October entirely — you will pay treble for a worse trip.
Safety
Staying safe in Munich
Munich is among the safest large cities in Germany and crime against visitors is low.
Oktoberfest is the exception, and it is a genuine one. Tents hold thousands of very drunk people, a Maß is a litre of roughly 6 per cent beer, and the combination produces hundreds of medical cases daily — there is a dedicated field hospital on site for a reason. Eat before and during, pace yourself, agree a meeting point with your group because phone signal fails, and do not climb on tables.
Pickpocketing rises sharply during the festival and around the Hauptbahnhof year-round.
Do not swim in the Eisbach. The current is fast and the wave is surfed by experienced people with boards and leashes; people have died attempting it casually.
Validate transport tickets — the €60 fine applies here too. Emergency number is 112.
Day trips from Munich
A fairytale castle, the Alps and a memorial that everyone should see.
Dachau
The first Nazi concentration camp, now a memorial site and museum. Free, and a serious visit.
Neuschwanstein
Ludwig II's castle, the model for the Disney one. Book the timed ticket well ahead; the interior tour is short.
Garmisch and the Zugspitze
Germany's highest mountain at 2,962 m, reached by cog railway and cable car, with Austria at the summit.
Salzburg, Austria
Mozart, a fortress and a baroque old town, in a different country.
The Bavarian lakes
Starnberger See and Ammersee for swimming, sailing and lakeside beer gardens.
Day trips from Munich
What's on
What is on while you are there
The largest folk festival in the world, for sixteen days from mid-September.
Staff pick
19 Sep – 4 Oct
Oktoberfest Munich
Experience the world's largest beer festival at Oktoberfest in Munich. With over 6 million attendees each year, this event offers traditional German beer, delicious…
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20 Nov – 24 Dec
Münchner Christkindlmarkt (Munich Christmas Market)
The Münchner Christkindlmarkt is a beloved Christmas market held annually in Munich, Germany, attracting over 3 million visitors each year. This enchanting event features…
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11 October
Marathon München
The Marathon München by Brooks transforms Munich into a dynamic running stage, guiding participants on a scenic single-lap course through the city’s most iconic…
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17–25 October
Auer Dult -Kirchweihdult
Kirchweihdult in Munich, Germany, is a charming traditional festival that combines Bavarian culture, history, and community spirit. Held in the picturesque Mariahilfplatz square, this…
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15–18 October
Highlights International Art Fair
Highlights International Art Fair in Munich is a premier boutique event showcasing masterpieces from the Renaissance to contemporary art. Held in the historic Residenz,…
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16–25 October
Residenzwoche München
Residenzwoche München in Munich, Germany, invites visitors to experience the grandeur of Bavaria’s royal past through exclusive access to the Munich Residenz, Nymphenburg Palace,…
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17–18 October
Jahre Tram in München
The Jahre Tram celebration in Munich, Germany, honors 150 years of the city’s iconic tramway system, tracing its journey from horse-drawn carriages in 1876…
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17–18 October
The Long Night of Munich Museums
The Long Night of Munich Museums in Munich, Germany, invites visitors to explore the city’s rich cultural landscape after dark, with more than 100…
Hostels
Where to stay in Munich
A decent scene around the Hauptbahnhof, which books out entirely for Oktoberfest. Live from Hostelworld.
Hotel Italia
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Hotelpension Haydn
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Hotel Schmellergarten
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Euro Youth Hostel
Dorms from €20 a night
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Wombat's City Hostel Munich Hauptbahnhof
Dorms from €22 a night
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Wombat's City Hostel Munich Werksviertel
Dorms from €19 a night
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HI Munich-Park
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MEININGER Munich Olympiapark
Dorms from €19 a night
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Arthotel Munich
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YMCA Youth Hotel
Dorms from €56 a night
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The Tent Munich
Dorms from €17 a night
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Sustainable
a&o München Hauptbahnhof
See dates and bookWhen to go
May to July and September, if you can handle the Oktoberfest prices. December for the markets.
Jan
Cold and grey. Cheapest, and skiing an hour away
Feb
Cold. Fasching carnival at the end of the month
Mar
Improving. Beer gardens starting to reopen
Apr
Good. Frühlingsfest, the smaller spring beer festival
May
Excellent. Beer gardens in full use and the Alps accessible
Jun
The best month. Long evenings and the Eisbach busy
Jul
Warm and busy. Lakes and beer gardens
Aug
Warm. Quieter as locals take holidays
Sep
Superb weather, but Oktoberfest starts mid-month and prices treble
Oct
Oktoberfest ends in the first week. Then quiet and good value
Nov
Grey and cold. The quietest month
Dec
Christmas markets and the Alps under snow
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. Oktoberfest runs roughly mid-September to the first Sunday of October — it is a September festival despite the name, and it is the single biggest factor in what a Munich trip costs.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
These are ordinary figures. Oktoberfest beds run €80 to €150 and the food and drink line roughly doubles with them.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Munich travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
When is Oktoberfest, exactly?
Roughly mid-September to the first Sunday of October — it is mostly a September festival despite the name. Sixteen days, six million visitors, free to enter, and beds across the city run at about three times normal rates and book out months ahead.
Do I need a table reservation for Oktoberfest?
For evenings and weekends, effectively yes, and they go months in advance through the tents directly. Weekday mornings you can usually walk in. Tents fill by mid-morning at weekends and stop admitting people entirely when full.
How careful do I need to be at Oktoberfest?
More than most people are. A Maß is a full litre of roughly 6 per cent beer, the tents produce hundreds of medical cases a day and there is a field hospital on site. Eat properly before and during, pace yourself, and agree a meeting point with your group because phone signal fails in the crowds.
Which beer garden should I go to?
Not the Hofbräuhaus, which is now mostly visitors. Augustiner-Keller and the Hirschgarten are where Münchners go, and the Hirschgarten seats around eight thousand. Many beer gardens let you bring your own food to the unserved tables as long as you buy the drinks.
Can I surf the Eisbach?
Only if you are experienced, and you should watch rather than try. The standing wave in the Englischer Garten is surfed year-round by people who know it, the current is fast and unforgiving, and people have died attempting it casually. Swimming in the river is a bad idea outright.
Is Dachau worth the trip?
Yes. It is forty minutes out on the S2 and a bus, free to enter, and it was the first Nazi concentration camp and the model for the others. It is a memorial rather than an attraction and deserves half a day and the right frame of mind.
How do I visit museums cheaply?
Many Bavarian state museums charge €1 on Sundays, which is the best cultural value anywhere in Germany. The Deutsches Museum is not among them but is worth its €15 regardless.
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