Munich itinerary — 3 days
Day 1 — Munich
5 stops · ≈ 5 h 34 minThe legendary beer hall on Platzl, founded in 1589 as the ducal court brewery; the current building rose here at the end of the 19th century. Under the vaulted Schwemme hall a Bavarian brass band plays, waiters carry one-litre Maß mugs, and pork knuckle, weisswurst and giant pretzels come with them. Very touristy but loved by Munich locals too; booking a table ahead is wise.
The Feldherrnhalle is a monumental open-air loggia anchoring the southern end of Munich's Odeonsplatz. Commissioned in 1841 by King Ludwig I and designed by Friedrich von Gärtner, it was modeled after Florence's Loggia dei Lanzi. The arcade houses monumental bronze statues of Bavarian generals Tilly and Wrede alongside sculpted lions, and stands historically as the site where the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch was halted.
Munich's Renaissance court garden, laid out in the 1610s under Maximilian I right beside the Residence. At its centre stands the octagonal Diana pavilion of 1615 with a copy of the goddess statue, ringed by arcade galleries where musicians often play and by straight green avenues. The garden is freely open and makes a breather between the centre and the adjacent English Garden. Mornings are quiet; by midday locals fill the benches.
One of Europe's largest museums for modern art under a single roof, covering 20th- and 21st-century painting, design, works on paper and architecture. The collection runs from Expressionism and the Blue Rider to Pop Art, with rooms devoted to Max Beckmann and Paul Klee. Stephan Braunfels' rotunda building opened in 2002; Sundays cost just one euro.
Anchoring Munich's Kunstareal district, the Alte Pinakothek is one of the world's most prestigious and historic art galleries. Commissioned by King Ludwig I and opened in 1836 in a monumental Neo-Renaissance building by Leo von Klenze, it preserves an extraordinary collection of European Old Master paintings from the 14th to 18th centuries. Masterpieces include works by Albrecht Dürer, Peter Paul Rubens, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci.
Reserve
11If you have time left — worth it too.
Join the visitors who travel to Oktoberfest each year, the largest beer festival in the world. You can enjoy the festive atmosphere in the city or head to the fairgrounds with the rides and beer tents. It's not just a beer celebration: event visitors can also have a meal on a late autumn day or explore the historic rides and traditional games at Oide Wiesn. Drink at Oktoberfest and feel the excitement of the world's largest beer festival. Not sure when to visit? Plan your trip to Oktoberfest in late September and early October, when millions of visitors from around the world flock to Munich for this incredible event.
St. Peter's Church in Hadern, Munich, is a famous landmark offering breathtaking views of the city from its 56-meter-high viewing platform. The observation deck provides an unparalleled panorama of the red roofs of Old Town, Marienplatz, and even the Alps on clear days. Visitors can enjoy this stunning vista after climbing 299 steps to reach the top. Additionally, St.
Standing proudly on the banks of the Isar River, the Müllersches Volksbad is an Art Nouveau and Neo-Baroque public bathhouse completed in 1901 by architect Karl Hocheder. Renowned as one of Europe's most opulent indoor pools, it features intricate Jugendstil stucco work, bronze statues, and ornate wall fountains. Visitors can swim beneath grand vaulted ceilings in two historic pools, relax in Roman-Irish steam baths, or enjoy Finnish saunas.
The Botanical Garden Munich-Nymphenburg is one of Germany's largest: 21 hectares beside Nymphenburg Palace holding around 16,000 plant species. It moved here in 1914 from its old site near Karlsplatz and is run by Ludwig Maximilian University. Greenhouses hide a tropical rainforest, a cactus desert and giant water lilies, while outdoors there are an alpine rock garden, rose beds and the baroque Schmuckhof courtyard facing the palace.
Located north of Munich, this solemn memorial commemorates the first Nazi concentration camp, established in 1933. Serving as a horrific prototype and training center for all subsequent camps, Dachau imprisoned over 200,000 people before US liberation in 1945. Today, visitors walk through the gate bearing the cynical slogan Arbeit macht frei, across the roll-call grounds to reconstructed barracks, the crematorium, and museum archives.
Munich's scenic zoological garden, established in 1911 in the protected riverside meadows along the River Isar. Hellabrunn made history as the world's very first "Geo-zoo", where species are grouped strictly according to their geographical continents in expansive, moat-divided natural habitats. Standout areas include the historic 1914 domed elephant house, the African savannah, and the modern Polar World.
It stands quietly and with dignity amid the retail frenzy of Kaufingerstraße, but for fans of Ludwig II, the Michaelskirche is the perfect place for... St. Michael's Church, a large and impressive Renaissance church, is also a testament to the building craftsmanship of bygone centuries – it dates from 1597 and has been welcoming worshippers and the curious ever since. The sheer scale of the building is impressive given its age, and it boasts one of the largest vaults in the world. Inside, scenes of the Archangel Michael battling Evil, along with lavish gilded inlay and a magnificent altar, guarantee you'll find plenty of dramatic photos.
Originating in the Alps, the Isar River flows through central Munich like a ribbon of clear alpine water. Thanks to the ambitious 'Isar-Plan' project, its banks were restored to natural gravel beds, islands, and lush floodplains. Areas like the Flaucher and Reichenbachbrücke serve as Munich's open-air living room in summer, where locals swim in the cool river, sunbathe on pebble beaches, and picnic under the riverside willows.
A world-renowned continuous standing river wave on the Eisbach river at the southern edge of Munich's English Garden. Formed where the surging river emerges forcefully from an underground conduit over a stone sill, the one-meter wave attracts skilled river surfers year-round. Donning wetsuits in all seasons, surfers take turns carving and performing tricks while curious spectators crowd the bridge and embankments above.
The brand museum of the Bavarian automaker located beside Munich's Olympiapark, opened in 1973 in Karl Schwanzer's futuristic silver bowl-shaped building. Spanning 5,000 square metres across interconnected spiral ramps, the exhibition showcases over a century of engineering: from historic aircraft engines and pioneering motorcycles to the microcar Isetta, the sleek BMW 507 roadster, and Formula 1 racers. Across the footbridge lies BMW Welt.
A futuristic exhibition and experience centre of the BMW Group, designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au next to the Olympic Park. The building features a striking tornado-shaped Double Cone and a floating roof. Inside, visitors explore the latest cars and bikes from BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce, and BMW Motorrad. You can sit behind the wheel of new models, interact with automotive tech displays, and watch vehicle delivery ceremonies in the premiere lounge.
- Purchase tickets before boarding public transport to avoid fines.
- Take advantage of the S-Bahn to reach the airport quickly.
- Explore the English Garden and local beer gardens for a true Munich experience.