Munich travel guide: three-day plan and where to stay
Late every morning a crowd gathers on Marienplatz and looks up: high in the town hall tower, life-size knights and barrel-makers turn and dance to the chime of the bells. A short walk to the north-east, surfers in wetsuits take turns on a standing wave in an ice-cold stream, and on clear days the Alps show along the southern horizon, an hour's drive away. This guide shows how many days to give Munich, how to spend three of them, and where to sleep.
Getting your bearings: the old town, the Isar and the green north
The old town is an oval traced by the line of the medieval walls, with three surviving gates: the Karlstor in the west, the Sendlinger Tor in the south and the Isartor in the east. Marienplatz sits in the middle, and you can cross from one gate to another on foot in about twenty minutes, mostly through pedestrian streets. The Hauptbahnhof lies just outside the Karlstor, so even a station hotel is a short walk from the centre.
North of the old town, Odeonsplatz marks the start of the royal quarter: the Residenz, the Hofgarten and the broad Ludwigstraße. To the north-west is the Maxvorstadt with the Pinakotheken and Königsplatz; to the north-east the Englischer Garten runs for several kilometres beside the Isar. The river itself skirts the eastern edge of the centre, with the Deutsches Museum on an island and the residential district of Haidhausen on the far bank.
Two major sights lie further out: Nymphenburg Palace in the west and the Olympiapark with BMW in the north. Both are easy to reach by public transport (the palace by U-Bahn to Rotkreuzplatz and then a short tram ride, the Olympiapark directly by U-Bahn), which is why they sit together on one day of the plan below.
How many days does Munich need?
- Two days cover the old town, the Residenz and an afternoon in the Englischer Garten. You will have to choose between the art galleries and Nymphenburg; with only two days, leave the outer sights for another trip.
- Three days let you see the city at its own pace: one day in the old town, one for art and the park, one for the palace and the Olympic grounds. This is the plan laid out below.
- Four days or more leave room for a trip out of the city. Keep the extra day flexible: if the forecast is clear, head for the mountains or Neuschwanstein; if it is cloudy, Salzburg or Nuremberg lose little in grey weather.
Munich in three days
Day one: Marienplatz, the market and the royal palace
Be on Marienplatz a few minutes before the carillon starts at 11 am. Afterwards, see the roofs from above: the town hall tower is all lifts, while the south tower of the Frauenkirche, two minutes away, has the town hall itself in its view. Walk down to the Viktualienmarkt for lunch, then spend the afternoon in the Residenz. Last entry is an hour before closing, so aim to arrive by mid-afternoon if you want to see both the museum and the Treasury. In the evening the Hofbräuhaus is a five-minute walk away; its kitchen takes orders until 10 pm.
Day two: old masters, the Eisbach and the Englischer Garten
Start at the Alte Pinakothek when it opens at 10 am and give it a whole morning. Königsplatz, with its three temple-fronted buildings, is a few minutes' walk away and worth a detour on the way out. After lunch in the Maxvorstadt, walk through the Hofgarten to the Eisbach wave at the southern tip of the Englischer Garten. From there the park opens out: climb the little hill to the Monopteros for the view of the towers, then follow the paths north to the beer garden at the Chinese Tower. The Pinakotheken are closed on Mondays; if this day falls on one, swap the gallery for the Deutsches Museum, which opens daily.
Day three: Nymphenburg in the morning, the Olympic hill at sunset
Take the U-Bahn to Rotkreuzplatz and the tram on to Nymphenburg, and be there when the palace opens. The state rooms take about an hour; the long canal and the park behind them can easily take another two. In the afternoon, ride the U3 to Olympiazentrum. BMW Welt is free to walk through, and the museum next door is closed on Mondays. Finish on the Olympiaberg, a grassy hill built from wartime rubble, where the light falls on the tent roof of the stadium late in the day.
What to do when it rains in Munich
Rain is part of a Munich trip in every season: depending on the month, 9 to 13 days bring at least a millimetre. Summer showers usually come as afternoon thunderstorms that clear within an hour or two, so plan outdoor sights for the morning and keep a museum in reserve. A wet day in autumn or winter tends to be grey from start to finish, and that is the day to give to the museums below.
The Deutsches Museum alone can fill a rainy afternoon. Adults pay €18, ages 6 to 17 pay €11, and a family ticket costs €40, which makes it one of the best indoor options for children.
- Morning: the Residenz, where the Antiquarium, the Treasury crowns and more than a hundred rooms keep you dry for two to three hours.
- Afternoon: the Deutsches Museum on its island in the Isar, open daily from 9 am to 5 pm with last admission at 4.30 pm. Choose two or three halls in advance rather than trying to see everything.
- Evening: the Alte Pinakothek stays open until 8 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the Pinakothek der Moderne on Thursdays.
- Any time: a long lunch in a beer hall. The Hofbräuhaus opens at 11 am; if you order white sausages, Munich custom says they belong before noon, with sweet mustard and a pretzel.
Where to stay in Munich
- Altstadt and Lehel
- The shortest walks to everything, at the highest prices. Lehel, between the Residenz and the Isar, is a calmer residential area than the streets around Marienplatz, yet still within ten minutes on foot.
- Maxvorstadt
- The university and museum district, full of cafés and bookshops. Rooms tend to cost less than in the old town, and the U-Bahn reaches Marienplatz in a few minutes.
- Glockenbachviertel and Isarvorstadt
- Small bars, restaurants and the riverbank just south of the Viktualienmarkt. A good base for evenings out, less so for light sleepers.
- Haidhausen
- Across the Isar, with cobbled squares and neighbourhood restaurants. Marienplatz is a slightly longer walk or two S-Bahn stops, and the nights are quiet.
- Around the Hauptbahnhof
- The practical choice for day trips and the airport train, often with the lowest prices near the centre. The blocks right beside the station feel rough at night, so look a few streets further away.