Last updated on June 26th, 2023 at 07:15 pm

Munich was a surprise trip we gifted ourselves last summer. We were playing a little flight roulette while randomly searching for places to go on a long weekend. Our plan was to find a cheap flight to anywhere in Europe since it’s an easy distance to cover from the East Coast of the US. Both the flight prices and the German embassy’s visa appointment date fell in place perfectly. Yes, getting visas, even for Europe is a BIG part of our travel process. 

Munich’s popularity rises in September and October due to the world-famous Oktoberfest. But we can tell from experience that the beer taste just as good as any other month 😉 In fact, take this from a non-beer drinker the beer in Munich tastes much better than canned beer elsewhere since they do not add heavy quantities of hops in their local produce. I surprised myself by taking a liking to beer in Munich as Gaurav chugged along.

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Transportation in Munich

• Trains, U-Bahn (Underground), S-Bahn (Suburban), and Trams are the easiest way of public transport in Munich.
• The best way to explore Munich’s old town is on foot or consider taking a bike tour of Munich.

TIP: Cash is still king in Munich. It was disappointing to see that the local trains S and U Bahn stations did not accept credit cards, not something we expected from a big German city.

Fun Things to See and Do in Munich

In addition to our 3 days in Munich, which included a day trip to Neuschwanstein castle, we also took a road trip to Salzburg, Austria, from Munich. More on Salzburg in another post, but here are some of the fun things we did in Munich which we happily recommend as a Munich must see 🙂 

Read More:

• Austrian Alpine Adventure
• Learning the History of Alpine Salt Mines

And while you are planning this trip, if Hamburg is on your itinerary along with Munich, then don’t forget to read these Germany travel tips.

1. Marienplatz

Marienplatz is the main plaza in old town Munich. The best way to explore the old town is by walking through the gothic streets with a German flair to them. Pay attention to the unique spires and onion-shaped church domes. It helped that we stayed within walking distance from Marienplatz. At Marienplatz, you will see the Altes Rathaus or Old Town Hall and the Neues Rathaus or the New Town Hall of the city of Munich. Old Town Hall dates back to the 14th century, while the New Town Hall is a masterpiece boasting neo-gothic architecture. 

TIP: Pay special attention to the Glockenspiel or the clock on Neues Rathaus. It’s not just any clock but one that re-enacts two different stories from the 16^th century.

I want to share a special story from our first day in Marienplatz. We were doing our thing, mostly looking for creative angles to shoot the plaza, when we met this Taiwanese photographer. He called himself Jackie Chan, no kidding… see his autograph in our photo below. This lone soldier was armed with 4 cameras including one which was a vintage 1945 Kodak 8×10 camera. There was no way I could resist not talking to this man. Half an hour and a great conversation later, he offered to not only shoot but gift us this B&W photo. Talk about cherished travel moments; this is one for us!

2. Viktualienmarkt

A happy stomach equals happy people. From Marienplatz, we hit the local market of Vaktualienmarkt, which is just around the corner. Highly recommend this market, and what better way to start your trip than local street food? Not only local food but this market also has a lot of other things like produce, flowers, souvenirs, etc. 

TIP: You must go to Cafe Frischhut here and try the popular German pastry Schmalznudel.

3. Residenz Munich

Residenz Munich, once a castle and then a royal palace of Bavarian rulers is now a museum open to visitors. From the exterior, I wasn’t expecting the splendor and opulence that we saw inside. I say if France has Versailles, then Germany has its very own Residenz Munich. I liked it even more so than Nymphenburg Palace. The entrance tickets can be bought at the reception desk; there is no prior reservation required. It costs €9 for a combination ticket for the Residence Museum and the Treasury which we recommend seeing as well.

4. Frauenkirche / Munich Dom 

An unmistakable part of Munich Old Town’s skyline is a pair of onion-shaped domes soaring high in the sky. The dom is only a couple of minutes’ walk from Marienplatz. The South tower was under renovation when we visited, but once it’s completed, then I believe you can climb on top of it for panoramic views.

5. Heiliggeistkirche

We stumbled upon this church as we were walking towards Viktualienmarkt from Marienplatz since it stands right where the market starts. In fact, it’s the first building you’ll see as you walk past Old Town Hall. I fell in love with the interiors, so I had to mention this lesser-known church in the old town. Even though Heiliggeistkirche is a gothic church, the interiors are rich in rococo art. Rococo art is rich in pastel shades which is so unlikely in a typical gothic church.

6. Peterskirche

Another couple of minutes’ walk from Marienplatz is St. Peter’s Church. More than the church itself, I’d highly recommend going to the terrace of the church’s tower. Tickets to the tower are sold right outside its entrance. The top of the tower offers splendid 360-degree panoramic views of Munich city.

7. Michaelskirche

Sorry to throw in so many churches, but we were as perplexed as you are. There are about half a dozen churches within less than a mile radius of Marienplatz. Oh well, no harm checking out the beauty of these churches since it’s all less than a 5-10 minutes walk from each other.

8. Nymphenburg Palace

Just one last palace before we get to the fun stuff to do. Nymphenburg Palace was the summer residence of the Bavarian rulers. At the time, it was located just outside the city limits today it is very well within the city. The palace is about 30 minutes from the old town. From our hotel, which was right in front of Munich’s main train station, see below, we took a direct tram to the palace. TIP: It’s easier to get to the palace via tram than the train.  

FUN FACT: King Ludwig II of Bavaria, more commonly known as the king who built the swan castle or Neuschwanstein castle, was born here.

9. Hofbrauhaus Munchen

Off to some fun stuff in Munich! So what if we couldn’t make it to Oktoberfest? We certainly made our way to the legacy of Hofbrauhaus in the old town. Hofbrauhaus is a brewery that is owned by the State of Bavaria, giving you a taste of German festivities. Grab a jug of beer and snack on pretzels as the live band play some folk music, Prost!

TIP: It is common in Germany to share tables with strangers. Find an empty seat anywhere instead of hunting for an entire table for yourself.

10. English Garden

English Garden, as a matter of fact, is a 900-acre park in the heart of Munich, much like Central Park in NYC. Biking around the garden can also make for a great day activity. There are two main beer gardens in the parks as most Germans prefer to chug their beer out in the open. If you can make it by the stream that runs through the garden you might even find surfers enjoying river surfing. Yes, surfers in a river inside a park!

Yet another culture shock to some, well maybe many, is that it’s legal to be naked in this garden. During summer you might see naked sunbathers around, just don’t act awkward. After taking a leisurely stroll in the park, we parked ourselves at the biggest beer garden here by the Chinese tower.

11. BMW Welt Museum

Last but not least, we couldn’t return from Munich without paying homage to our Ultimate drive machines headquarters. BMW Welt museum is located within the compounds of its headquarters, and anyone who is an automotive fan like us will love it here.

Day Trips From Munich

All of the above attractions and activities can easily be done in 3 days. However, if you have more time, consider taking a few day trips from Munich. Some of the fun day trips are –

• Neuschwanstein Castle day trip from Munich is very popular. It’s only about an hour and forty-five minutes drive from the city, and both Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles can be seen in a day.
• Dachau Concentration Camp and Memorial site can be visited on a half-day trip from Munich. 
• Eagle’s Nest or the Kehlsteinhaus, which was Adolf Hitler’s mountaintop retreat house, is about two hours away from Munich

We went to the castle on the extra day we had in Munich. Little did we know there were other things to explore nearby like Hohenschwangau castle which is the original Bavarian castle and a quaint German town of Fussen. FUN FACT: Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle is inspired by Neuschwanstein Castle, which was built by King Ludwig II.  

Where to Stay in Munich 

Whether you Airbnb it or pick a hotel, we highly recommend staying within walking distance of Oldtown Munich. Or pick a hotel within walking distance of S/U Bahn so you can get to Marienplatz very easily. 

• Hotel NH Munchen Deutscher Kaiser – We stayed here, and it was a short walk from Marienplatz as well as the main railway station. I would say it was a decent stay without breaking our banks for a prime location.
• Courtyard Mariott Munich City Center – Another good hotel nearby where we stayed is also within walking distance of the old town and train station.

For more options on hotels and accommodations and to read their reviews, we recommend you visit TripAdvisor, Booking.com, and Radisson.

Oh, and don’t forget to find the Pumba statue east of Marienplatz in Old town and rub its nose for good luck! I am not even making this up; I followed the league of locals.

And that, our friends, is a great way to spend a long weekend in Germany. Munich is such a fun town to explore in 2-3 days.

In closing, the photo below sums up Germany – where the cops drive BMWs and taxis are Mercedes.

For those of you interested in reading more on Munch, we recommend you get the Lonely Planet Guide.

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Happy Traveling!