From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
Arrival day
Before Day 1. The old town is small and walkable, so you can start with a stroll and an early table.Details
From the airport
The airport lies outside the city. A suburban train line runs from it to the main station and the center, and a taxi is the other choice. Plan for a trip of some length and do not count on a short hop.
Getting around
The old town is a walk of a few streets. For the rest, trams, the U-Bahn and the S-Bahn cover the city. Check how to buy and stamp a ticket before you ride, because the rules differ for single and day tickets.
The Oktoberfest
The Oktoberfest runs for a few weeks around late September to early October. Dates and rules change from year to year, so check ahead, and book a room and any table early if your trip falls in those weeks.
First evening
Walk to Marienplatz while the lights come on, then find a long table somewhere with a pretzel and a cold drink. Day 1 begins on the same square.
Day 1. The Isar side and Gaertnerplatz and the old town
5 stops · 3.5 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
MorningWorth a short look
Eisbach Wave
A standing wave on a small river at the edge of the English Garden, where surfers take turns all year round. It is for skilled surfers, so watch from the bridge or the bank.
Go whenMorning or midday, when the surfers take turns.
Local tip Watch from the bridge or the bank. Only skilled surfers should enter the water, because the current is strong and the riverbed is hard.
A food market in the middle of the old town, with stalls of cheese, sausage, fruit, flowers and bread, and a beer garden among the trees. Walk the rows once before you choose.
Go whenLate morning, when the stalls are full and the tables are still free.
Local tip Buy a pretzel, some cheese and a radish at the stalls and carry it to the beer garden tables. In many traditional beer gardens you may bring your own food, but look for the sign.
Obatzda is a soft cheese spread mixed with butter, onion and paprika, eaten with pretzels and thin-sliced radish. A beer garden lunch from the market stalls.
Local tip Ask for the spread with a pretzel, and share a plate of cold cuts.
One of the largest science and technology museums in the world, on an island in the Isar. Choose two or three sections, such as ships, mining or music, and let the rest go.
Go whenMidday to afternoon, on a rainy day if you can.
Local tip It is vast, so choose two or three sections and stop when you are full. The ships and the music rooms are good picks for a mixed group.
The oldest parish church of the old town, nicknamed Old Peter, with a tall tower you can climb for a wide view over the roofs. On a clear day you may see the Alps.
Go whenAfternoon, on a clear day.
Local tip The tower stairs are narrow and many, so go up only if you are comfortable with that. The view over the red roofs is the reward.
A round square around a theatre, with cafes, bars and small restaurants in every direction. The streets nearby are lively late, and the crowd is mostly local.
Go whenEvening, with a late table and no plan afterward.
Local tip Walk the streets that spread out from the square before you sit down, and choose a place by the crowd at the tables. This is the night to stay out late.
Dinner
The big night: roast chicken at a long table
The half roast chicken is a Munich classic, crisp-skinned and eaten with a pretzel and a cold drink. Choose a place around the square, order for the whole table and let the evening run long.
Local tip Book a table ahead if you can, and do not make plans for after. This is the night to stay out late.
If it rains. Deutsches Museum and St. Peter's Church are covered, so keep them. Move Eisbach Wave, Viktualienmarkt and Gaertnerplatz to a dry day if you can.
Day 2. The English Garden and the Eisbach and the Isar side and Gaertnerplatz
4 stops · 4.1 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
MorningWorth the time
Marienplatz
The main square of the old town, with the tall neo-Gothic New Town Hall on one side. Look up at the Glockenspiel in the tower, a clock with moving figures that plays a few times a day.
Go whenMorning, before the square fills, or in the evening when the lights come on.
Local tip The Glockenspiel in the tower plays a few times a day, so check ahead for the times. Stand in the middle of the square and look up, not at the shop windows.
The former palace of the rulers of Bavaria, a huge complex of courtyards, halls and rooms in the middle of the city. Choose the parts that interest you, because it is too big to see in one visit.
Go whenMorning, when the palace is quietest.
Local tip Walk through a courtyard or two even if you do not go inside, and check ahead for which parts you can visit.
Leberkaese is a baked loaf of finely ground meat, sliced warm and put in a crusty roll with sweet mustard. A quick and filling lunch from a butcher or a market stall.
Local tip Eat it standing, with a pretzel, and move on.
A narrow baroque church built by two brothers as their own, so full of gold, paint and carved figures that the small space seems to glow. Step in and look up.
Go whenMorning, on your way along the street.
Local tip The church is small and the front is plain, so you will pass it without noticing. Look up as you step in and let your eyes adjust.
A huge park of meadows, streams and woods in the middle of the city. Walk up to the small round temple on the hill for a view back over the roofs and towers.
Go whenLate afternoon, around sunset (about 7:27 PM), up on the hill by the little temple.
Local tip Walk toward the temple on the hill for the wide view back over the city, then drift down toward the tower. Wear shoes for grass.
A beer garden evening: a long table under old trees, a half roast chicken or a grilled fish on a stick, a pretzel, and a drink in a heavy glass. Stay until the light goes.
Local tip Find a free table first, then queue for the food and the drinks. Keep the glass and return it when you finish.
If it rains. Residenz and Asamkirche are covered, so keep them. Move Marienplatz and English Garden to a dry day if you can.
Day 3. The Residenz and the museum quarter and the English Garden and the Eisbach
4 stops · 3.0 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
MorningWorth a short visit
Frauenkirche
The cathedral with two round-topped towers that mark the skyline of Munich. Step inside, then look back at the towers from the street.
Go whenMorning, right after Marienplatz.
Local tip Just inside the door there is a dark mark in the floor that legend calls the devil's footprint. Stand there and look at the nave.
A calm, formal garden beside the Residenz, with arcades, lawns, trimmed paths and a small pavilion in the middle. A good place to sit after the palace.
Go whenMidday, between the palace and the museums.
Local tip Find a bench under the arcades or a chair on the lawn, and stay until your feet forgive you.
A wooden pagoda in the park, ringed by a big beer garden with long tables under old chestnut trees. A beer garden is a Bavarian tradition, and a slow afternoon here is part of the trip.
Go whenAfternoon, then stay through the evening.
Local tip Choose a long table under the chestnut trees and share it. If you bring a picnic, look for the sign that says whether own food is allowed.
If it rains. Frauenkirche and Pinakothek der Moderne are covered, so keep them. Move Hofgarten and Chinese Tower to a dry day if you can.
Day 4. Nymphenburg and the Olympic park and the Residenz and the museum quarter
4 stops · 20.7 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Drive from Chinese TowerAbout 18 min by car12.3 km
Where Day 3 ended.
1
MorningWorth the time
Nymphenburg Palace
The summer palace of the rulers of Bavaria, with a long baroque front, canals and a large park behind it. Walk the garden paths toward the pavilions in the trees.
Go whenMorning, before the park fills up.
Local tip Walk through the palace front, then spend longer in the park behind it. The canal and the pavilions in the trees are the quiet part.
The park built for the Olympic Games of 1972, with a lake, a hill made from rubble and a roof like a stretched tent. Walk to the top of the hill for the view.
Go whenAfternoon, with a walk up the hill.
Local tip Walk to the top of the grassy hill for the view of the roof and the tower. It is an easy climb on a path.
About 2 min walk0.1 km
4
EveningAn evening stop
Olympic Tower
A tall tower in the park with a viewing platform over the city and, on a clear day, the Alps. Check ahead for when it is open, and go up as the light turns.
Go whenAround sunset (about 7:27 PM), when the city lights begin.
Local tip Check ahead that the platform is open, and go up while the sky still has color. The Alps show only on a clear day.
If it rains. Nymphenburg Palace and Alte Pinakothek are covered, so keep them. Move Olympiapark and Olympic Tower to a dry day if you can.
Day 5. The castles near Fuessen
3 stops · 107.4 km
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Drive from Olympic TowerAbout 1 h 27 min by car91.1 km
Where Day 4 ended.
1
MorningWorth the time
Neuschwanstein Castle
The fairy-tale castle that King Ludwig II built on a ridge in the nineteenth century. The inside is seen on a guided tour with set times, so check ahead for tickets.
Go whenMorning, with a booked time.
Local tip Check ahead for tickets, because the inside is seen on a guided tour with set times. The way up is a steep walk, with other ways available. Check ahead for which are running.
A narrow bridge over a gorge behind the castle, with the classic view of Neuschwanstein against the valley. It can be closed for works, so check ahead.
Go whenMorning, soon after the castle.
Local tip It is narrow and busy, so wait your turn at the rail. If it is closed for works, the view from the lower paths is still good.
Lunch
Grilled trout and potatoes
A trout from a mountain lake or stream, grilled and served with boiled potatoes and a squeeze of lemon. A simple lunch in a village in the foothills.
Local tip Ask whether the fish is local, and share a salad.
About 31 min by car or transit16.1 km
3
AfternoonWorth the time
Linderhof Palace
The smallest of the three palaces of Ludwig II, a rococo house in a mountain valley with a formal garden, fountains and an artificial grotto. Check ahead for tours and for which garden buildings are open.
Go whenAfternoon, after lunch.
Local tip Check ahead for tours and for which of the garden buildings are open, because some are seasonal. Walk the garden even if the inside is full.
If it rains. Neuschwanstein Castle and Linderhof Palace are covered, so keep them. Move Marienbruecke to a dry day if you can.
Departure day
After the last day. Plan the way to the airport the night before and the morning stays calm.Details
Check-out
After a late night, leave time for a slow breakfast of weisswurst and a pretzel, then ask whether the hotel can keep your luggage for the afternoon.
To the airport
The suburban train to the airport is the steady choice. Check ahead for planned works on the line, which can change the route or the time, and leave a generous margin before a flight.
If you have a few hours
Take a last walk through the Hofgarten or along the Isar, buy a pretzel for the road, and go.
Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Munich?
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, May to October are the most comfortable months for walking around Munich. This plan is built for late September, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
How many days does this plan cover?
It covers 5 days in Munich, planned for late September. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
Who is this plan for?
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
Is anything on this plan booked?
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Can I plan my own days like this?
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Can I change this plan?
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
How much walking is there?
Each day has about 3.0 to 16.3 kilometers between its stops, and 35.3 kilometers in all across 5 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.