One Day in Munich, Germany: A Bavarian City Break

Munich is best known for Oktoberfest. I mean, that’s why we were there, after all. But there’s a lot more to the city than beer halls full of people overserved on liter-sized steins.

During our trip, we spent one day in Munich away from the festivities. While beer was still involved, we also had some fun exploring the historic center, learning about Munich’s complicated past, and relaxing in the English Garden.

If you only have a day in Munich, you’ll need to be strategic. This itinerary combines a few of Munich’s must-see sights with a half-day bike tour, a museum, and a very Bavarian dinner, giving you a good introduction to the city without hustling.

Here’s exactly how I’d spend one day in Munich.

Is one day in Munich enough?

One day in Munich is enough to see many of the city’s major sights. You obviously won’t have time to see everything. But a well-planned day gives you enough time to explore the historic center, learn about the city’s history, and eat some good food.

If you have more time, I’d recommend staying for at least two or three days. But if one day is all you have, you can still do quite a bit.

How to Spend One Day in Munich

You can spend one day in Munich like this:

• Start with coffee and Bavarian pastries.
• Explore Marienplatz, the central square.
• Take a bike tour of Munich to see some of the city’s major sights, like the English Garden and Eisbachwelle.
• Visit the NS-Dokumentationszentrum.
• Have a beer break at Bier Und Wurst.
• Finish with dinner at Augustiner-Keller.

Stop 1: Breakfast at Café Frischhut

Start your day at Schmalznudel – Café Frischhut, a traditional café near Viktualienmarkt. The specialty here is the Schmalznudel, a freshly fried Bavarian pastry, so if you like something sweet with your caffeine, this is the place to do it.

It’s also conveniently located just a short walk from the Old Town Hall, where Mike’s Bike Tour meets, making it an easy first stop without sending you across the city first.

Stop 2: Marienplatz

After breakfast, head to Marienplatz, Munich’s central square and one of the best places to get your bearings in the city. The square is dominated by the ornate New Town Hall, and the smaller Old Town Hall sits at the eastern end.

If you have a few extra minutes, pop into the Toy Museum Munich inside the Old Town Hall tower. A half hour to 45 minutes is enough if you want a cursory look at the vintage Barbies, trains, and other toys.

Fun fact: Another fun thing to look for on the New Town Hall is its famous Glockenspiel. The figures reenact scenes from Munich’s history, including a 16th-century wedding celebration and a traditional dance known as the Schäfflertanz.

You’ll be meeting your tour near the statue of Juliet. The bronze statue has some very well-rubbed breasts, thanks to the tradition of visitors touching them for good luck.

Stop 3: Bike Tour of Munich

A bike tour is a great way to see a lot of Munich in a short amount of time, especially if you only have one day. We used Mike’s Bike Tours Munich, which is basically the most popular bike tour in the city.

Our tour ran from 11:30am-3:30pm, an extra half hour over what we were expecting, and covered a lot of the city. We started at the Old Town Hall on Marienplatz, got a primer on our itinerary and safety, and headed over to where the bikes were parked.

Note: You will meet up with A LOT of people. They’re not all going to be on the same tour, as you break up from the meeting point into smaller groups of about 20 people. That’s still a lot of people in groups, and it does get chaotic at times, but truly, this is the most efficient way to see so much of the city in so little time.

One of our first stops was the Hofbräuhaus, Munich’s famous beer hall. The square outside was super busy when we visited because Oktoberfest had been temporarily shut down after a bomb scare, sending more people into the city.

From there, we continued to Odeonsplatz and the Theatinerkirche, one of Munich’s most recognizable churches. We walked through the church to reach Viscardigasse, where we saw a bronze line of stones known as Arguments by artist Bruno Wank.

The bronze path follows the route people once took to avoid walking past the Feldherrnhalle, where a Nazi memorial once stood. Walking past that memorial meant you’d be forced to give the Nazi salute.

Our tour continued into the English Garden, one of the largest urban parks in Europe. We stopped at the Chinese Tower for lunch, where we fueled up on roast chicken and spaetzle before continuing the tour.

Again, because Oktoberfest had been shut down earlier that day, the park was extra busy, but we still managed to grab food and take a break.

Note: This is why our tour was a little longer than usual. The lines were just that long at all of the food stalls here.

Then came one of the most unexpected sights of the day: Eisbachwelle, Munich’s famous river surfing wave. Yep, people actually surf here. We spent some time watching several local surfers riding the standing wave in the Eisbach River.

The tour also took us past the Bavarian State Chancellery, where we got a quick look inside and saw remnants of Munich’s Nazi-era history.

One thing to know about this bike tour is that you’re moving constantly, so don’t expect to spend a long time at every stop. Our guide covered a lot of ground in four hours, which is exactly why I think this is such a good option for a one-day Munich itinerary.

Stop 4: NS-Dokumentationszentrum München

We had a chunk of time before our dinner reservation after our tour, so we decided to do some more learning at the NS-Dokumentationszentrum München. The museum is free.

We’ve visited a lot of Holocaust museums and World War II sites throughout Europe, but this is the only one we’ve seen that focused on how Nazism developed in Munich.

It’s a sobering stop after several hours of fun sightseeing, but it’s an important one. If you’re interested in understanding Munich beyond its historic buildings and beer halls, I’d make time for this museum.

Stop 5: Beer Break

After the museum, head to a casual spot like Bier Und Wurst on Marsstraße for a beer break before dinner. I’d resist the urge to add another attraction to your day. By this point, you’ve been biking for nearly four hours and hit a heavy museum.

You can sit down and have a beer. You’ve earned it. From here, it’s smooth sailing with dinner at one of Munich’s best-known eateries.

Fun fact: Bavaria is closely associated with the Reinheitsgebot, or German Beer Purity Law, which dates back to 1516 and originally limited beer ingredients to water, malt, and hops.

Stop 6: Dinner at Augustiner-Keller

End your day at Augustiner-Keller, one of Munich’s most popular traditional beer halls. I recommend a reservation no matter when you go, but it’s essential during Oktoberfest.

The place was busy, loud, and full of people chanting and raising their beers, which felt very appropriate for our final night in Munich. During Oktoberfest, they were only serving beer by the liter, but we managed to charm our way into smaller pours.

The food was solid, too. I was particularly into the Keller cheese, while the men at our table were happiest eating their meat.

After a full day of biking around Munich, learning about the city’s history, and watching people surf a river in the middle of town, ending in an indulgent way felt right.

Munich With More Time

One day in Munich gives you a good introduction to the city. With another day or two, you can spend more time exploring Munich’s museums, palaces, and neighborhoods outside of the city center. Here’s what I’d suggest:

• See the Munich Residenz, the former royal palace of the Bavarian monarchs, for centuries of Bavarian history.
• Visit Nymphenburg Palace, the former summer residence of the Bavarian rulers.
• Learn about science and technology at Deutsches Museum, one of the world’s largest museums devoted to both.
• Explore Viktualienmarkt, Munich’s central food market.
• Check out the BMW Museum, particularly if you’re interested in cars, design, or engineering.
• Climb the church tower at St. Peter’s Church for one of the best views over Munich.
• See the site of the 1972 Summer Olympics at Olympiapark.
• Go on a Munich food tour, complete with beer and dessert, naturally.

Munich is also a good base for day trips. Neuschwanstein Castle is the obvious choice, especially if you have a car to make it shorter. Salzburg, Austria, makes an easy international day trip by train, especially if you love The Sound of Music.

READ MORE: Salzburg also has some spooky Christmas traditions. Learn about the Perchten, a lighter version of Krampus, in this guide.

For mountain scenery, head to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain. You could also visit the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site or spend a day exploring the historic city of Regensburg.

Best Time to Visit Munich

The best time to visit Munich depends on what you want to do. Summer means warm weather and long days, and fall is extra popular because of Oktoberfest. Spring and early fall can be good choices if you want to explore the city without huge crowds.

If Oktoberfest is the reason you’re visiting Munich, book your hotel and restaurants well in advance. I have our thoughts on whether it’s worth the trip in a guide on that very topic. If it’s not on your bucket list, visit outside the festival dates.

Winter can be cold, but Munich’s Christmas markets make December another popular time to visit. Just keep in mind that daylight hours are short and some attractions may have seasonal hours.

READ MORE: Love a good Christmas market? The scene in Vienna is pretty friggin’ beautiful! Here’s my detailed guide.

How to Get to Munich

Munich Airport (MUC) is the city’s main international airport. It’s connected to the city by S-Bahn trains, with the journey to the central station taking roughly 40 minutes. You can also arrive from several other major European airports by connecting flight.

Munich’s Hauptbahnhof, or main train station, is in the city center with direct connections to cities throughout Germany and greater Europe. High-speed trains make the trip easy from places like Berlin, Frankfurt, Vienna, and Zurich.

If you’re already traveling around Europe, I’d look at train options before booking a flight. Arriving directly in central Munich saves you the extra airport transfer and makes it easy to start sightseeing and drinking beer upon arrival. I don’t know your priorities.

How to Get Around Munich

Munich is easy to get around without a car. The city has an extensive public transportation network of U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams, and buses.

For this one-day Munich itinerary, I’d plan to walk whenever you can and use public transportation when you need to cover more ground. The bike tour takes care of a lot of sightseeing for you.

If you’re making several trips in one day, look at the Zone M day ticket, which covers the Munich city area and allows unlimited travel during its validity period. You can also use the MVV or MVGO app to check connections, see departure info, and buy tickets.

Is Munich or Vienna nicer?

Munich and Vienna are both beautiful European cities, but they offer different experiences.

Choose Munich if you want traditional Bavarian food and beer gardens and a city that combines traditional Bavarian culture with a modern feel. Choose Vienna if you want grand imperial architecture, palaces, and a larger selection of museums.

I’d also look at what else you want to see in the region, as both make a good base for day trips.

Where to Stay in Munich

If you’re visiting Munich to explore the city, I’d stay in the city center if your budget allows. Being close to the historic center makes it much easier to get around, especially when you only have a day or two.

We stayed outside the city during our visit because hotel prices were out of control during Oktoberfest. I’d just spend the money next time, as navigating trains late at night post-fest was a nightmare.

Altstadt-Lehel is the most convenient choice for first-time visitors. You’ll be close to Marienplatz, the main historic sights, restaurants, and the city’s public transportation system.

Check the map below to browse your options for your Munich trip:

Is Munich worth visiting?

Munich is worth visiting, even if you’re not planning your trip around Oktoberfest.

While beer was definitely part of our experience, our time exploring Munich’s history outside of the festival was fun and, at times, sobering.

One day isn’t enough to see everything Munich has to offer, but it is enough to get a good introduction to the city. I’m sure we’ll be back, if only to use it as a jumping-off point for the rest of Bavaria.

Planning more travel in Europe? Check these out:

• A Road Trip Itinerary for Belgium
• Plan Two Fun Days in Barcelona
• Planning a Trip to Belfast, Northern Ireland
• Is a Visit to Madeira Worth the Effort?
• Spend One Perfect Day in Ghent

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• Should You Plan a Visit to Rouen?
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• Is This Really the Worst Area in Paris?
• A Delicious Guide to the Best of Lyon
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