Munich may be famous for Oktoberfest, but Bavaria’s capital has so much more to offer year-round.
I’ve visited Munich twice now, and each time I’ve found new reasons to love it. It’s the kind of place where you don’t feel pressured to sightsee nonstop — just wandering through the old town or grabbing a pretzel in a beer hall (served by wait staff dressed in Dirndls and Lederhosen) is enough to soak up the city’s Bavarian charm.
Here are my picks for the 10 best things to do in Munich, including must-see attractions, epic views, local food, and the best tours to help you explore.
Quick summary:
This guide highlights the very best things to do in Munich, from exploring the old town and climbing historic church towers to eating local Bavarian food, visiting royal palaces, and taking easy day trips.
Recommended tours:
👣 Munich Old Town Walking Tour – Explore Marienplatz, the Neues Rathaus, and hidden corners of the Altstadt.
🍺 Munich Beer Tour – Visit iconic beer halls and learn about Bavaria’s brewing culture with an expert guide.
🥨 Old Town Food Tour with Bavarian Specialties – Sample pretzels, weisswurst, cheeses, and more while discovering local markets and eateries.
🌭 Victuals Market Tasting Tour – Sample Bavarian snacks and artisanal treats while exploring Munich’s oldest food market.
🚴 Munich Classic Bike Tour – Ride through the English Garden and see top sights on a relaxed cycling route.
🏰 Neuschwanstein Castle Guided Day Tour – See Bavaria’s fairytale castle on an easy day trip from Munich.
Where to stay in Munich
🏨 Our stay in Munich was based at Citadines Arnulfpark. The hotel location wasn’t inside of the old town, but it was easy to hop on a tram and ride there in about 10 minutes.
Our superior room was spacious and had both a sitting area and kitchenette (though for some reason we didn’t have any bowls, and the hotel couldn’t find any to give us!). Still, it was a comfortable place to stay in Munich.
We spent some of our time in Munich working remotely as digital nomads, so it was important for us to have a comfortable room with a desk, sitting area, and kitchenette. If you’re in the same boat and are planning on staying in Munich for a while, you can check out Munich rentals on HousingAnywhere.
Top things to do in Munich:
1. Explore the old town
Munich’s Altstadt (Old Town) is packed with grand historic buildings. Start your tour of the city centre in Marienplatz and have a look at the impressive neo-gothic style Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall). If you’re visiting during December, you’ll also stumble upon Munich’s Christmas market which fills the square and side streets around this spot.
The Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall) is also worth seeking out as it has more of a medieval vibe than its newer counterpart. At the base you’ll find a city gate that dates all that way back to the 12th century!
👣 To learn more about the historic centre of Munich, I’d suggest taking a Munich Old Town Walking Tour.
2. Go up the tower of St Peter’s Church
If you’re a sucker for a good view (like I am), then you’ll love this activity! Right next to Marienplatz is Peterskirche (St Peter’s Church), which has a tower that offers an amazing panoramic vista of the city.
There are around 300 steps to climb before reaching the top, but your efforts will be rewarded with views over the rooftops of Munich’s old town. You’ll get a neat perspective of the Neues Rathaus and the towers of the nearby Frauenkirche, which makes for some great photo ops… take a wide-angle lens for your camera if you have one!
3. Drink in a beer hall
Have you really been to Munich if you didn’t drink beer from an enormous stein in a beer hall? The answer is no, you have not. This is an essential activity for every visitor to Munich, where the variety of beer halls are known for their 1-litre servings of easy-drinking beers.
My husband and I have been to three beer halls in Munich: Hofbräuhaus, Augustiner, and Löwenbräu. Hofbräuhaus in the old town is probably the most popular. The atmosphere inside is cheery as they often have a small band playing traditional Bavarian tunes. If it’s a nice day, then Löwenbräukeller has an awesome beer garden with lawn games available, of if you’re interested in grabbing a meal then Augustinerkeller has some fabulous food options on the menu.
🍺 If you prefer to see the beer halls with a group and guide, I’d suggesting booking a Munich Beer Tour which will take you to some of the most popular spots for some beer tasting.
4. Wander through Victuals Market
The Viktualienmarkt (Victuals Market) is one of Munich’s oldest food markets. Traditionally selling produce, the market now has stalls selling everything from flowers to fish. It also has giant maypole with figures that were used to represent the range of crafts or trades that could be found at the market back in the days when literacy was rare.
The market has a large beer garden within, so if you’re up for a stein in the sunshine, you can get one here!
🌭 If you’re interested in tasting some Bavarian cuisine while you’re perusing the markets, it might be worth joining a Victuals Market Tasting Tour to sample a range of local foods from savoury sausages to decadent cakes.
5. Check out the English Garden
Munich’s Englischer Garten (English Garden) is huuuge – it’s actually slightly bigger than Central Park in NYC!
🚴 You can try exploring the entire park by foot, but you will almost definitely get exhausted. Instead, I’d suggest renting bikes or taking a Munich Classic Bike Tour which includes a ride through the English Garden.
Some popular attractions inside the garden are the Japanese teahouse, the tiny waterfalls in the Schwabinger Bach and Eisbach rivers, the Chinese Tower with its outdoor beer garden, the Monopteros greek temple replica, and the amazing canal surfers the ride the waves at Eisbachwelle.
6. Eat Bavarian food
Some the food that is most associated with Bavaria (such as wurst sausages) are unfortunately not so vegetarian-friendly, but there are meat-free versions of these local specialties – we managed to find some casual vegan currywurst at the Gaststätte Bergwolf diner.
Obviously, the trusty Pretzel is a must while in Munich – it’s worth getting one of these bready treats to have along with a beer. We grabbed a pretzel at Hofbräuhaus, and it was honestly one of the best I’ve ever had!
🥨 If you’re keen to try a range of local dishes (including pretzels, weisswurst, and artisanal cheeses) and explore hidden food spots with a guide, book a Munich Old Town Food Tour with 10+ Bavarian Specialties. This small-group tour includes market tastings, beer hall visits, and insights into Bavarian food culture that you might miss on your own.
I also tried some Knödel (German dumplings) in a creamy mushroom sauce at the Augustinerkeller beer hall (the beer halls are actually great places to grab a Bavarian meal). German dumplings are nothing like the Asian ones – they are huge, made mostly from bread or potato, and are served swimming in a gravy-like sauce. It was as delicious as it was decadent!
7. Visit Schloss Nymphenburg
Schloss Nymphenburg, a 17th century palace that was built as a summer residence for the heir to the throne, is a place where you can peek into the glam life of a royal. Tickets are sold for entrance to the palace only, or to enter the palace plus a few other other buildings that are scattered throughout the grounds. The audio tour takes you through rooms within the main building, some of which hold furniture items that are worth tens of millions of dollars!
The palace has a huge garden that is free to walk around. If you’re keen for a coffee or bite to eat, the Schlosscafé im Palmenhaus is a good option. In the winter it had an outdoor stall selling mulled wine, so of course we stopped for a cup! Next door is the Botanical Garden, which has a gorgeous conservatory of plants from different climates (and also had a temporary tropical butterfly house when we visited). Entrance tickets to Nymphenburg Palace and the Botanic Garden are included on the Munich City Pass.
8. Visit Munich Residenz
Another royal palace worth visiting is Munich Residenz in the old town, which was once the seat of governance for the ultra-important dukes, electors, and kings of Bavaria. The elaborate Italian-influenced design will have you believing that you’re actually in the Vatican! Entrance to Munich Residenz is also included on the Munich City Pass.
9. Take a day trip to see Neuschwanstein Castle
Neuschwanstein Castle was inspiration for Disney, and it’s easy to see why. The romantic castle looks absolutely stunning set against the picturesque backdrop of the Bavarian countryside.
🏰 This attraction is easily reachable from Munich – just book yourself on a Neuschwanstein Castle guided day tour and get your camera ready for some fairytale charm.
👉 Read more: How to visit Neuschwanstein Castle on a day trip from Munich
10. Visit the Dachau concentration camp site
Located just outside of Munich, Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp opened in Germany. The memorial site has an exhibition which includes preserved barracks, reconstructed guard towers, and informative displays detailing the camp’s history and the experiences of its prisoners.
You can hop on a train from Munich’s main station (Hauptbahnhof) to Dachau then transfer to a bus to reach the concentration camp site, or book a Dachau day tour from Munich.
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