4 Day Munich Itinerary: The Top Things to Do and See
This 4-day Munich itinerary explains what to do, where to stay, the top day trips, and other tips for visiting.
I’m admittedly a bit of a country counter. I get excited when I can check a new country off in the “been” app and I see the map get filled in a bit more.
When deciding where to travel summer 2023, checking Germany off the list was a prime motivation. While it started as checking a box, Munich quickly became one of my favorite cities in Europe.
Out of all the destinations in Germany, Munich was a clear choice because it’s situated in the scenic state of Bavaria, is known for great beer, and has a ton of history.
My four days in Munich were spent on walking tours, exploring palaces and castles, visiting local beer gardens, and sampling German food.
Keep reading for the top things to do in Munich, how to spend four days in the city, and other tips.
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Four Day Munich Itinerary
Below is how I’d combine all these top things to do in Munich into a fun and balanced 4-day itinerary. Of course, this itinerary can be easily modified based on your personal interests and timing.
Day 1: City Tour & Park
Start the trip off with a free walking tour to get a crash course on the history and sites. Since the tour I recommend ends at Hofbräuhaus, you should stop in and grab a beer and lunch.
In the afternoon, wander through the English Garden to watch the surfers and grab a pre-dinner drink at the beer garden.
Day 2: Dachau, BMW, & Olympics
Day two is all about exploring the area around Old Town. Start off with a few hours at Dachau concentration camp. On the way back into the city, stop at the BMW museum and Olympic Park.
Day 3: Neuschwanstein Castle Day Trip
The third day will be filled up with this full day trip to all of Ludwig’s most famous castles.
Day 4: Palaces of Munich
Finish this four-day Munich itinerary off with two palace tours. First, head out to the Nymphenburg palace to explore the beautiful grounds. Then, head back into Old Munich to tour the Residence.
How Many Days to Spend in Munich?
If you are short on time, you can get away with visiting Munich in three nights and two days. This would give you enough time to hit the highlights of the city, but you would have to forgo some great day trips to the surrounding area.
To get the full Munich experience, I recommend five nights and four full days. This will allow time to explore the city, take a couple day trips, and get a good taste of the city.
Where to Stay in Downtown Munich
The center of tourism is a famous square called Marienplatz. When deciding where to stay in Munich, look for hotel option as close to there as possible.
That way, you will be able to walk to almost anything and will be close to major train stations. Below three of my favorite luxury hotels in Munich.
Andaz Munich – This is where I chose to stay on my recent vacation to Munich because I was able to book five nights for only 100,000 Hyatt points. I’ve stayed in a few Andaz properties, and the Munich location lived up to my high expectations.
The rooms are modern and very functional. There are a couple restaurants and bars onsite, with a complimentary daily happy hour.
The only disadvantage of this hotel is it’s a bit further from the tourist area, but there is a tram stop right outside that makes getting around easy.
Roomers Autograph Collection – This hotel has the best location on the list and can be booked using Marriott Bonvoy points which I love.
The hotel has a modern luxe style, which is classy and chic. The hotel also has a spa, indoor pool, and restaurant.
Sofitel Munich – This is the only 5-star hotel on this list and is a great option for luxury travelers. The hotel grounds are stunning, and the service is incredible.
The location is also great since the hotel is right next to the main train station and less than a mile from Marienplatz.
What to Do in Munich
There are so many great things to do in Munich, from wandering the city streets, to sipping on a beer in the park. Below I list my favorite activities in Munich and tips for how to do them.
Later, I’ll share how to fit all this into a 4-day Munich itinerary.
Munich Free Walking Tour
My favorite first thing to do in Munich is a free walking tour. If you aren’t familiar with the free walking tour concept, basically, a local tour guide will provide a group walking tour of the city in exchange for tips.
Typically, tips should be between $15-$30 per person. I like booking tours through Guru Walk because they have reviewed tour guides.
In Munich, I took this particular tour which started in Marienplatz and ended near Hofbräuhaus. Luis was a knowledgeable and helpful guide, and the route was perfect. In total the tour took two and a half hours.
I highly recommend taking a guided walking tour. However, below is our approximate route if you want to do it on your own.
DIY Walking Tour Route
- Marienplatz: Begin your tour at the heart of Munich, Marienplatz. Take in the beauty of the New Town Hall with its famous Glockenspiel, next to the Old Town Hall.
- Viktualienmarkt: Walk towards Viktualienmarkt, an open-air food market. Explore the stalls offering fresh produce, local cusine, and snacks. It’s an excellent spot for a quick bite.
- St. Peter’s Church: Head to St. Peter’s Church, just a short walk from Viktualienmarkt. Climb the tower for panoramic views of the city (for around 4 Euro), or simply admire the beautiful interior.
- Frauenkirche: Continue to Frauenkirche, Munich’s iconic twin-towered cathedral. Explore the interior and learn about its historical significance.
- Odeonsplatz: Walk to Odeonsplatz, a grand square with impressive architecture. Admire the Feldherrnhalle and Theatinerkirche, my favorite church in Munich.
- Hofgarten: Take a leisurely stroll through the serene Hofgarten, Munich’s central garden. It’s a lovely spot to relax and enjoy the greenery.
- Maximilianstrasse: Walk along Maximilianstrasse, one of Munich’s most elegant and upscale shopping streets.
- Hofbräuhaus: Finally, end your tour at the world-famous Hofbräuhaus. Experience the lively atmosphere, traditional Bavarian music, and sample some of Munich’s best beer!
If you’re interested in World War II history, I’ve also heard great things about this Third Reich walking tour. It follows Hitler’s rise to power in Bavaria and the main events of WWII in the city.
Residenz Muchen
One of the highlights of my four days in Munich was exploring the Residence in the center of the city. The Munich Residenz is the former palace of Bavarian monarchs.
Now, you can visit various rooms of the palace such as the ballroom, King’s bedroom, sitting rooms, and more. Some of the rooms are original from 1385 and others were restored following World War II.
Entrance to the museum costs 10 Euros per person and includes a free audio guide. The self-guided tour takes around 2 hours but could be faster or slower based on your pace.
There are tickets available for the Palace, Palace + Theater, or Palace + Theater + Treasury, unless you are a huge fan of Bavarian royalty, the Palace-only tour is sufficient.
Beer Gardens
A quintessential activity in Munich is having a liter at a local beer garden or biergarten. They all work a bit differently, but the idea of a beer garden is you can purchase a beer in either a liter or half liter, grab a communal table, then relax with friends or family.
Most beer gardens have some sort of food, either pretzels or a full-service restaurant. However, all beer gardens allow you to bring in outside food.
There are three main beer gardens you need to visit in Munich. Its even possible to visit all three during your 4-day itinerary.
Hofbräuhaus – This is the most famous beer hall in Munich. Hofbräuhaus is huge, but I recommend visiting outside of mealtime to ensure you can quickly get a seat.
It’s open seating, and best to choose a seat away from the band so you can hear your conversations.
Viktualienmarkt Beer Garden – Located inside of the market of the same name, this beer garden is closest to Munich Old Town. Grab to-go food from the market, then enjoy it at a picnic table with a beer.
Chinese Tower Beer Garden – This beer garden is inside of the English Garden, a large park. It was my favorite beer garden in all of Munich!
You’ll be given a token when you purchase your beer which will get you your deposit back when you return the stein. Be sure not to lose the token.
English Garden
In addition to the Chinese Tower Beer Garden, the English Garden is worth visiting on its own. The park is a huge, green park in the middle of Munich, with the river flowing through it. It’s a great place for a stroll or bike ride.
When you visit the park, be sure to go watch people river surfing at Eiswachelle. People surf in every season, and it’s super fun to watch!
BMW Museum
If you are a car lover, this museum is for you. The BMW Museum is located around 20 minutes train ride from Old Munich. The Museum showcases the evolution of the brand throughout the years, and hundreds of BMW cars and motorcycles.
Next door is the actually BMW factory where vehicles are produced.
Entrance to the BMW museum is 10 Euros per person and it takes around 60-90 minutes to visit all the exhibits. I’m not a huge car person, but I enjoyed seeing and learning about the brand.
I also liked “shopping” for my favorite car in the exhibit. My favorite was a mint green convertible from the 60’s.
Olympic Park
If you visit the BMW museum, head across the street afterwards for a stroll around the Olympic Park. Munich hosted the summer Olympics in 1972. Entrance to the park is free and allows access to walking paths. There’s a good walking path to the top of a small hill that has great views of the area.
In addition, you can rent a boat on the lake or pay for kid-friendly activities such as trampolines or bikes. This park isn’t worth a visit on it’s own but is a good use of time if you are in the area already.
Nymphenburg Palace
If you enjoy the Munich Residenz, you can explore the Summer Residence outside of the city. You can enter some parts of the Nymphenburg palace, but the main draw is the gardens.
I didn’t personally visit this palace, but it was highly recommended by our walking tour guide.
Where to Eat and What Food to Try
Normally, food is one of my favorite parts of travel. But I’ll be honest, German food isn’t my favorite. It was very heavy and left me feeling a bit sluggish.
That said, there are a few Bavarian foods that are well worth trying, listed below. In addition, I provided my list of the top restaurants in Munich based on local’s recommendations that I vetted personally.
The Most Popular Bavarian Foods
Beer – Everything in Munich revolves around beer. If you drink, you definitely need to try a liter. Most of the beer halls offer three types of beers – a lager, Weiss (or wheat) beer, and a shandy which is a mix of beer and lemonade. The last two were my favorite.
Pretzel – Large, salty pretzels are a staple at beer gardens. They’re usually served plain, but I liked to grab some mustard to dip mine in.
Pork Knuckle – This is one of the more popular dinner dishes and consists of a giant serving of roasted pork with crispy skin. I honestly didn’t love it, but it’s worth a try.
Schnitzel – One of my favorite foods in Germany is this breaded veal served with lemon. The best is at Andy’s Krablergarten.
Spaetzle – Similar to pasta, spaetzle is a common, cheesy, side dish that is super tasty! If you are a vegetarian, this is one of the most common options.
The Best Restaurants in Munich
Breakfast/ Brunch Restaurants
Cotidiano – This is a trendy brunch spot that is perfect for a Sunday meetup with friends. The menu has all the typical breakfast items like pancakes, avocado toast, breakfast sandwiches, and more.
Man vs Machine – Popular local coffee shop for a grab and go breakfast
Dinner Restaurants
Andys Krablergarten – My favorite meal in Munich, by far! The specialty is the Schnitzel. I ordered the Bavarian schnitzel cordon bleu, and I’m still dreaming about it.
Augustiner Kloserwirt – A great place for a traditional Bavarian meal. They’re known for their pork knuckle, so this is a great place to try it. I also enjoyed the steak with crispy onions and spaetzle.
Pfalzer Residenz Weinstube – Cute restaurant inside of the Munich Residenz that serves wine, instead of beer. This is a great place to sample local wine varieties.
Vikrualienmarkt – Open-air market with vendors serving sausages, currywurst, sandwiches, coffee, and more. This food tour will take to you the best shops to sample local cuisine.
60 Secondi – Great pizza restaurant if you’re getting tired of German food. The Pizzas are large enough to share or are a good single portion if you’re hungry.
Day Trips from Munich
A great thing about spending four days in Munich is you have enough time for a day trip or two to the surrounding area.
I actually chose Munich as the city to visit in Germany because of its proximity to so many great day trips.
Below are the four top day trips from Munich. I took the first two personally and heard great things about the latter two.
Dachau Concentration Camp
One of the worst pieces of advice I was given prior to my trip was to skip a tour of Dachau and to do it on my own. I was assured that the guided tour provided by the Dachau staff would be easy to join.
However, when we arrived 40 minutes early, we found the tour sold out. Instead, we used the audio guide, which was good, but I know a live tour would have been better.
Learn from my mistakes and book this Dachau half day tour from Munich. It includes roundtrip transportation to and from the city center and a live guided tour of the camp.
Overall, visiting Dachau can be very difficult due to the horrifying subject matter, but is worth your time.
The exhibits show graphic images and stories which are hard to experience, but very educational. That said, I would not recommend this for young children.
Neuschwanstein Castle Day Trip
Mad King Ludwig was a crazy Bavarian monarch that was a bit obsessed with French royalty. After he visited Versailles, he set out to create equally glamorous palaces back in Germany.
This full day tour visits two of his most popular palaces, Linderhof and Neuschwanstein. It also visits a small Bavarian village for shopping and sightseeing.
Neuschwanstein is the most popular castle to visit in Bavaria and actually inspired Walt Disney to create Cinderella’s castle. The tour bus will drop you off at the base of the castle hill, then give you time for a tour and self-guided sightseeing.
To get from the base to the castle, there are a few options. The first, and my recommendation, is a shuttle which costs 6 Euros one-way.
The shuttle leaves every 20 minutes and takes you just above the castle. The benefit to this option is it provides easy access to the Queen Mary bridge which has the best views of the castle.
The second option is a horse carriage that will drop you off very close to the castle entrance and costs around 10 Euros.
Finally, you can opt to walk instead, which is a steep uphill climb that takes around 40 minutes. I suggest walking down but taking the shuttle up.
Once you’re at the castle, you can take a guided tour to learn about the history and see the amazing architecture.
Salzburg Austria
This town was made famous in the US by the movie, the Sound of Music. It’s also a very charming town in Austria, home to Mozart, and a great day trip from Munich.
You can easily visit Salzburg on your own by taking the train. Alternatively, you can take this day tour if you don’t want to worry about logistics.
Nuremberg Germany
Nuremberg is a picture-perfect Bavarian city with a ton of history. Take a day trip here to learn about the dark history as the stomping grounds as the Nazi party. In addition, see historic churches, colorful markets, and castles.
Again, you can take the train to visit Nuremberg on your own or take this day tour to have everything planned for you.
Best Time to Visit Munich
There’s no “best” season to visit Munich. There are different reasons to visit this city throughout the year. Below are the top three times to visit Munich and the reasons why.
Summer – If you’re craving warm weather, summer is definitely the best time to visit Munich. With summer temperatures in the mid to upper 70’s, Munich is one of the best places for European summer. You can spend the day soaking in the sun at outdoor beer gardens, but it isn’t too hot to explore.
Oktoberfest – Oktoberfest is the most popular time to visit Munich and is the world’s largest festival. If you plan to visit during this time, you will likely spend your time doing festival activities versus exploring the city.
Christmas – If you’ve never been to a European Christmas market, add it to your bucket list right now. They are absolutely magical and the markets in Munich are some of the best. Although it will be cold around the holidays, the Christmas spirit makes up for it.
Getting to Munich
Flying – There is a large international airport in Munich, MUC. If you are coming from outside of Germany, flying is likely the easiest way to get to Munich.
Train – If you’re coming from Germany or a nearby country such as Switzerland or Italy, a train may be the faster and less expensive option. The main train station is in the middle of the tourist area of Munich and is called Hauptbahnhof.
Munich Public Transportation
You do NOT need a rental car to get around Munich. In fact, having one will be a bit of a hastle to find parking.
Within the main tourist area around Marienplatz, everything is very walkable. I took a walking tour all around the city center we stayed within probably a quarter mile radius.
To get to surrounding areas such as the Olympic Park, museums, or potentially your hotel, the public transportation is fantastic. The city has a connected network of trams, buses, and trains that can easily get you anywhere quickly.
The challenge with public transportation is choosing which pass to buy. The transport is broken up into zones. Most of the tourism falls within zone M, but some things fall into 1 or 2. When you purchase a pass, you select which zone you are starting and ending in to determine the price.
It is possible to book one-way tickets, but I found the best option to be a day pass. If you are one person, you can purchase a single day pass. For 2 or more you can buy a combo group pass that is more economical.
The best way to navigate the transport and map your route is using google maps. Everything is pretty intuitive, and you will catch on quickly. Finally, be sure to always validate your ticket to avoid pricey fines.
Quick Facts about Munich
Currency – Euro
Language – German. People speak some English, but it is good to know a few words in German, they appreciate it!
Safety – Bikes are super popular in the city and actually have the right of way on the streets. If you get hit by a bike, it will actually be your fault! Be sure to look both ways before crossing the street.
Weather – The weather can be unpredictable, and the forecast isn’t always accurate. I recommend packing a rain jacket in case random rain pops up.
Tipping – Tipping isn’t as common as in the US, but 10% is appreciated for good service at restaurants.
Religion – Most people in Munich are Catholic and much of the city shuts down on Sundays.
Water – The tap water is safe to drink. It’s even safe to drink out of public fountains that are marked with a drinking plaque.
Potential Trip Extensions
Zermatt Switzerland – If you visit in the winter, the perfect combination would be a few days of Christmas markets in Munich followed by a few days skiing in Zermatt. In my opinion, Zermatt is the best ski resort in all of Europe and its located conveniently close to Munich.
Northern Italy – Following my trip to Munich, I hopped on a quick flight to Florence where I spent a few days exploring Tuscany followed by a few days in Lake Como. The combination of Munich, Tuscany, and Lake Como was perfect. A bit of city, countryside, and lake time made for the best summer vacation.
Big Europe Trip – Since Europe is relatively small, you can truly add any European destination onto a 4-day Munich itinerary. One of my favorite Europe trips was two weeks of exploring by land followed by a one-week cruise. Munich would fit perfectly into this three-week Europe itinerary.
Quick History of Munich
Munich’s origins date back to the 12th century when Benedictine monks settled by the River Isar, giving birth to what would later become a significant urban center.
The city witnessed the Renaissance’s splendor, showcasing remarkable architecture, and witnessed the grandeur of Bavarian royalty. However, it was not spared from the ravages of war, particularly during World War II when it endured significant destruction.
Munich underwent a remarkable transformation post-war, rebuilding itself into a modern metropolis while preserving its cultural heritage. Today, it stands as the capital of Bavaria and is a hub of innovation and a flourishing arts scene.
Summary of This Munich 4 Day Itinerary
My four-day Munich vacation turned out to be very memorable, transforming my initial country-counting goal into a genuine affection for the city. Situated in Bavaria, Munich’s rich history, fascinating architecture, and warm hospitality was captivating.
Take a guided walking tour to see iconic landmarks like Marienplatz and Frauenkirche and learn about the city’s resilience through history. Learn all about the beer culture by trying traditional brews at Munich’s famous beer gardens.
While German cuisine wasn’t my favorite, try out dishes like schnitzel and spaetzle yourself and let me know what you think.
Finally, take some time away from the city center with day trips to Dachau Concentration Camp and Neuschwanstein Castle to learn about the history’s importance and see some fairy-tale enchantment.
With friendly locals, stunning architecture, and scenic landscapes, Munich secured its place as one of my favorite European destinations.
Whether a history buff, nature lover, or beer enthusiast, Munich offers something unforgettable. So, put Munich on your list – you won’t be disappointed. Prost!
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