Munich is the big city we head to when we want palaces, museums, a proper beer garden or the full Christmas market evening. We live about an hour south, right on the Austrian border, so this is the guide I’d hand a friend: what to see, how many days you need and when to come. 🥨
Short answer: Plan two to three days for Munich. Day one covers the old town (Marienplatz, the Glockenspiel at 11:00 or 12:00, the Frauenkirche, the Viktualienmarkt and the Residenz). Day two is for Nymphenburg Palace, the English Garden and the Deutsches Museum. Add a third day for Neuschwanstein, Salzburg or Nuremberg by train (here’s how the Deutschlandticket works for visitors). The S1 and S8 trains get you from the airport to Marienplatz in about 40 minutes.
Munich is easy for first-timers. The old town is compact and walkable, the U-Bahn and S-Bahn stop right at Marienplatz, and a lot of the best things cost nothing: the Glockenspiel, the churches, the English Garden and watching the surfers on the Eisbach. My tip: don’t try to squeeze everything into one day. Pick two or three big sights a day and leave time for a long lunch.
Days you need
2–3, plus a day trip
Airport to center
S1 or S8, about 40 min
Getting around
U-Bahn, S-Bahn and trams; the Deutschlandticket is valid
Glockenspiel
11:00 and 12:00 daily (also 17:00, Mar–Oct)
Christmas markets
19 Nov – 24 Dec 2026 (closed Sun 22 Nov)
Oktoberfest 2027
Sat 18 Sep – Sun 3 Oct
Sundays
Most shops closed; museums and beer gardens open
Free favorites
Marienplatz, English Garden, Eisbach, churches
Nine sights I’d put on any first visit. Tap ＋ Save on the ones you like and they go into your trip list.
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Munich’s main square, with the neo-Gothic New Town Hall and its famous Glockenspiel: 43 bells and dancing figures that act out a royal wedding and the coopers’ dance.
Good to know: it plays at 11:00 and 12:00 every day, plus 17:00 from March to October. Come 10 minutes early for a good spot.
The twin towers with their round green domes are the symbol of Munich, and you’ll spot them from all over the city. It’s a short walk from Marienplatz.
Good to know: it’s free to go inside. Look for the “devil’s footprint” in the entrance hall.
The food market just behind Marienplatz, with fruit, cheese, sausages and a beer garden around the maypole. Perfect for a picnic-style lunch.
Good to know: open Monday to Saturday (stalls set their own hours). Closed on Sundays.
The Bavarian royal family’s city palace: room after room of gold and painted ceilings, plus the Treasury with crowns and jewels. The Antiquarium hall (pictured) is the showstopper.
Good to know: daily 10:00 to 17:00 in winter (9:00 to 18:00 from 28 March). Closed 24, 25 and 31 Dec.
One of the biggest city parks in the world, with meadows, a Japanese teahouse and the wooden Chinese Tower, home to a big beer garden and, in Advent, a cozy Christmas market.
Good to know: the Chinese Tower Christmas market runs 19 Nov to 23 Dec 2026, Wednesday to Sunday.
Yes, people surf in the middle of Munich! A standing wave on the Eisbach, right at the edge of the English Garden, draws surfers all year round. Kids love watching from the bridge.
Good to know: Prinzregentenstraße, next to the Haus der Kunst. Conditions change with the water level, so some days are quiet.
A huge science and technology museum on an island in the Isar, with planes, ships, mines and hands-on exhibits. Our pick for a rainy day.
Good to know: daily 9:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30). Closed 11 Nov and 24, 25 and 31 Dec 2026. Family ticket €40.
The royal summer palace, with long canals, a huge park and the Marstall museum full of golden coaches and sleighs.
Good to know: winter hours 10:00 to 16:00 (to 31 March); the little park pavilions reopen in April. Combo ticket €16 in winter.
A tiny church with a jaw-dropping interior. The Asam brothers built it in the 1730s, right next to Egid Quirin Asam’s own house, and every inch is gold, marble and frescoes.
Good to know: it’s on the shopping street between Marienplatz and Sendlinger Tor, so it’s an easy stop on a walk.
Choose how long you have (or who’s coming) and get a ready-made plan. Save the one you like to your trip list.
The classic loop, all on foot.
Morning
Be on Marienplatz by 10:50 for the 11:00 Glockenspiel, then walk over to the Frauenkirche. If you like a view, the New Town Hall tower has a lift (timed tickets).
Lunch
Grab a Leberkäse roll, a pretzel and some cheese at the stalls and eat in the beer garden by the maypole (Monday to Saturday).
Afternoon
Pick the Residenz if you love palaces, or walk on through the Hofgarten to the English Garden, the Eisbach surfers and the Chinese Tower.
Evening
Have dinner in a traditional beer hall in the old town, then catch the short 21:00 Glockenspiel on Marienplatz, when the Münchner Kindl is sung to bed.
Day one as above, then this.
Day 2 morning
Take tram 17 from the main station (Hauptbahnhof Nord) to the Schloss Nymphenburg stop, about 15 minutes, see the royal rooms and the Marstall’s golden coaches, then walk along the canal.
Day 2 afternoon
S-Bahn to Isartor and walk over to the museum island. Give it at least three hours; it’s enormous.
Day 2 evening
Walk back toward the old town along Sendlinger Straße and pop into the little gold Asamkirche on the way to dinner.
Do the two days above, then pick one of these by train.
Option 1
Regional train to Füssen (about two hours), then the bus to Hohenschwangau. Book your castle tickets ahead. Our castles guide has the details.
Option 2
The BRB Meridian runs hourly from Munich via Rosenheim to Salzburg in just under two hours. In Advent its Christmas market is one of the biggest around.
Option 3
The ICE gets you there in a little over an hour. See the castle and the old town, and in Advent the famous Christkindlesmarkt. Here is our Nuremberg guide.
What our boys would vote for.
Morning
Kids love the dancing figures at 11:00. Then head to the Deutsches Museum: kids under 6 are free and there’s enough to fill a whole day.
Afternoon
Watch the surfers from the bridge, run around the meadows, then grab a pretzel at the Chinese Tower.
In Advent
The Weihnachtsdorf in the Residenz courtyard has a free fairy-tale forest, puppet theater and face painting. There’s Kinderpunsch (alcohol-free punch) for the kids at every market.
Indoors, and all easy by U-Bahn.
Morning
Hours of royal rooms under one roof. The combo ticket with the Treasury is €15, and under-18s are free.
Lunch
Warm up with a bowl of soup or a Schweinsbraten (roast pork) near Marienplatz.
Afternoon
Science and planes at the Deutsches Museum, or the palace rooms and coach museum at Nymphenburg.
Christmas markets from 19 November to 24 December 2026.
10:00
Start at the big tree when the stalls open, then wander the market streets toward Karlsplatz. Look for the Kripperlmarkt, the nativity market Munich has held since 1757.
Afternoon
Walk to Odeonsplatz for the Christmas village in the Residenz courtyard and the medieval market at Wittelsbacherplatz next door.
Evening
The lights look their best after dark. From Wednesday to Sunday the Chinese Tower market is a cozy alternative. On Sunday 13 December 2026 the Krampus run goes through the old town from 15:00 to 17:00.
Straight from our events calendar, with every date checked against the organizer.
19 Nov – 23 Dec 2026 · English Garden · Wed–Sun
20 Nov – 24 Dec 2026 · closed Sun 22 Nov · 24 Dec until 14:00
20 Nov – 23 Dec 2026 · Wittelsbacherplatz · daily 11:00–21:00
24 Nov – 23 Dec 2026 · Theresienwiese · weekdays from 14:00
27 Nov – 24 Dec 2026 · under an hour by regional train
Sun 13 Dec 2026 · 15:00–17:00 · through the Christkindlmarkt · free
Best time to visit Munich: May to September for beer gardens, parks and long evenings, and late November to Christmas for the markets. If you’re coming for Oktoberfest, book your hotel months ahead. January to March is the quietest (and cheapest) time, and perfect for palaces and museums.
Swipe through the months →
Cold, often snowy
Quiet and cozy. The Viktualienmarkt winter market runs to 5 Jan and the Feuerzangenbowle to 6 Jan. A great month for museums.
Cold
Fasching (carnival) season. On Shrove Tuesday (9 Feb 2027) the market women dance at the Viktualienmarkt; the Residenz and Nymphenburg are closed that day.
Cool, first sunny days
Strong beer season (Starkbierzeit) in the beer halls during Lent. The Glockenspiel adds its 17:00 show again.
Mild, changeable
Spring festival (Frühlingsfest) on the Theresienwiese and the Maidult fair, in April and early May. Nymphenburg’s park pavilions reopen on 1 April.
Warm, green
Beer garden season really starts. Chestnut trees in bloom, long lunches outside and the first warm evenings.
Warm, long days
The longest evenings of the year for beer gardens and the English Garden. The Tollwood summer festival starts at the Olympiapark.
Warm to hot
Lakes, river walks and open-air everything. The Jakobidult fair comes round in late July.
Warmest month
Bavarian school holidays, so the lakes are busy on weekends. Watch the Eisbach surfers and cool off in the English Garden.
Mild, golden
Oktoberfest starts (2027: Saturday 18 September). Book hotels early; the rest of the month is lovely for walking.
Crisp, autumn colors
Oktoberfest ends on 3 Oct 2027. Palaces switch to winter hours in the second half of the month (Nymphenburg 16 Oct, Residenz 26 Oct). Fewer visitors and beautiful light.
Cold, grey, cozy
Christmas markets open from 19 Nov 2026. All city markets close on Sunday 22 Nov (Totensonntag).
Cold, festive
Markets until 24 Dec, the Krampus run on 13 Dec 2026. The Residenz and Nymphenburg close on 24, 25 and 31 Dec.
Munich is a great base. We’re a train-first family, and none of these need a car.
The fairy-tale castle everyone dreams of. Book tickets ahead, and add Hohenschwangau Castle next door if you have time.
Rosenheim, Fraueninsel on Lake Chiemsee, Kufstein and Salzburg, all easy by train in Advent.
Castle, half-timbered old town and, in Advent, the famous Christkindlesmarkt.
The storybook walled town on the Romantic Road. Better as an overnight from Munich.
🚆
S1 and S8 both run to Marienplatz in about 40 minutes. Buy a ticket that covers the airport zone, or use a Deutschlandticket.
🕚
It plays at 11:00 and 12:00 (and 17:00 from March to October). The 21:00 night chime is shorter and much calmer.
🛍️
Most shops and the Viktualienmarkt are closed on Sundays. It’s a great day for museums, churches and the English Garden.
🎟️
Nymphenburg uses timed tickets, and online tickets let you skip the ticket line at the Residenz too. Kids under 18 get in free at both.
💶
Most places take cards now, but small market stalls and beer garden kiosks sometimes prefer cash.
🥨
In traditional beer gardens you can bring your own food to the tables without tablecloths. Drinks are bought there, of course!
Two to three days is ideal. One day covers the old town (Marienplatz, the Frauenkirche, the Viktualienmarkt and the Residenz), a second day fits Nymphenburg Palace, the English Garden and the Deutsches Museum, and a third day leaves time for a day trip to Neuschwanstein, Salzburg or Nuremberg.
The Glockenspiel in the New Town Hall tower on Marienplatz plays every day at 11:00 and 12:00, and also at 17:00 from March to October. There is a short night chime at 21:00. Watching is free.
May to September is best for beer gardens, parks and long evenings. Late November to 24 December is best for Christmas markets (in 2026 they run from 19 November). Oktoberfest 2027 runs from 18 September to 3 October.
Take the S-Bahn: both the S1 and the S8 run from the airport to Marienplatz in about 40 minutes. You need a ticket that covers the airport zone, and the Deutschlandticket is also valid.
The main Christkindlmarkt on Marienplatz runs from Friday 20 November to Thursday 24 December 2026 (until 14:00 on Christmas Eve). The Chinese Tower market opens on 19 November. All city markets are closed on Sunday 22 November.
Yes. Kids love the Glockenspiel, the Eisbach surfers, the English Garden and the Deutsches Museum, where children under 6 are free. At Bavarian state palaces such as the Residenz and Nymphenburg, under-18s get in free.
Still have a question? Ask me and I’ll answer it.
Every market in the city compared, plus the best ones for kids.
Dates for the big runs and tips for bringing kids.
Dates for the famous markets, from Nuremberg to Cologne.
Tap ＋ Save on sights, plans and events above. Your trip list keeps them in your browser, no account needed.
Our events calendar has every Christmas market and festival we track, with checked dates and hours.
Bavarian winters are chilly. Grab our free packing list below so nobody’s cold at the markets.
What to wear to the Christmas markets, what to pack for the Alps, and everything else you'll forget. Plus one short email from me once a month: which markets and festivals are coming up, what's worth the trip, and one money-saving train tip.
Instant download.
More for your trip: the Munich Christmas markets guide, all Christmas market dates in Bavaria, festivals month by month and trip ideas by interest. Next stop? Have a look at Nuremberg or Bamberg.
Pfiat di (take care), Brian 👋
Updated October 2026. Opening hours, prices and dates were checked on each official website in October 2026 and can change, so check before you go.
Photo credits: Nymphenburg: Heribert Pohl, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Chinese Tower: Sven Teschke, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons; Viktualienmarkt: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Deutsches Museum: Tiia Monto, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Residenz: Wilfredor, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; Frauenkirche: Diliff, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons; Eisbach: Pittigrilli, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; Asamkirche: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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