Munich rooftops seen from the tower of the Frauenkirche, with the Neues Rathaus and the tower of Alter Peter
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Munich in 2 days

  • 2 days
  • 5.9 km on foot
  • 18 stops
  • Audio guide

With two days, Munich stops being a checklist of squares and becomes a city to enjoy: you go inside the Residenz, sit in a beer garden under the chestnut trees and still have a whole afternoon for art and palaces. Day one is all about the centre, the park and legends; day two brings history, painting and the kings’ summer residence. An easy pace for a first visit.

Day 1Green domes, royal treasure and the Chinese Tower

Begin with “The best of Munich”, from the Frauenkirche to the Viktualienmarkt and the Hofbräuhaus, and take your Weißwurst break at Zum Franziskaner before noon, near Odeonsplatz. The route ends at the Eisbach wave; walk ten minutes back to visit the Residenz, then cross the Englischer Garten to the Chinese Tower. Towards sunset, the U-Bahn drops you at Sendlinger Tor, next to the Asamkirche, for the legends route, which ends at Alter Peter. Dinner is Schweinshaxe at the Hofbräuhaus, just around the corner.

  1. Morning

    The best of Munich: from the Frauenkirche to the Eisbach wave

    Mixed · 2.5 km · 2 h 10 min

    1. Frauenkirche, the towers that define the skylineTwo brick towers with green domes that no skyscraper in the centre may outgrow: Munich’s symbol was raised in just twenty years.
    2. Marienplatz, the heart of MunichA column for a city spared by war, a town hall that looks like a cathedral and figures that dance high up on the tower.
    3. Viktualienmarkt, the open-air marketMore than a hundred food stalls, a colourful maypole and a beer garden that takes turns serving the beer of every brewery in the city.
    4. Hofbräuhaus, the court breweryFounded by a duke for his court, opened to the people by a king and famous across half the world: Munich’s best-known beer hall has more history than froth.
    5. Odeonsplatz and the yellow Theatine churchAn Italian princess promised the most beautiful church if an heir was born. He was, and Munich gained its first Italian Baroque church, as yellow as the southern sun.
    6. Eisbachwelle, surfing in the centre of MunichHundreds of kilometres from the sea, on the edge of the Englischer Garten, surfers ride a wave that never moves.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Weißwurst with pretzel at Weisses Bräuhaus. Tal 7, Múnich

  3. Afternoon

    Residenz

    The Wittelsbach palace, the largest city palace in Germany, with the Renaissance Antiquarium and the Schatzkammer, a treasury of crowns and royal jewels. It is two minutes from Odeonsplatz. If you are short of time, just see the treasury.

    Directions

    Englischer Garten and Chinese Tower

    Munich’s great park, larger than Central Park, with meadows, streams and the Monopteros temple on a hill. At its heart stands the wooden pagoda of the Chinese Tower and its huge beer garden, perfect for an unhurried beer in the late afternoon.

    Directions

  4. Early evening

    Devils, dragons and Wolpertingers: legendary Munich

    Mysteries & legends · 1.3 km · 1 h 30 min

    1. Asamkirche, the Asam brothers’ private churchAn artist built a church next to his house so he could see the altar from his window. It is dedicated to a saint who, legend says, died for keeping a secret.
    2. Michaelskirche, the fairy-tale king’s tombA bronze archangel crushes the devil at the door. Down in the crypt lies Ludwig II, the king whose death in a lake no one has ever been able to explain.
    3. The Wolpertinger at the Hunting MuseumA hare with antlers, duck’s wings and webbed feet: Bavaria has its very own fantastical creature, and in this former church they display it stuffed.
    4. Frauenkirche: the devil’s footprintBeside the cathedral door there is a black footprint in the floor. Legend says the devil left it in a rage when he discovered he had been tricked.
    5. Wurmeck, the town hall dragonA copper dragon climbs the corner of the town hall. Legend says it brought the plague to Munich; the records suggest it may all have started with a family coat of arms.
    6. Alter Peter and the saint with the jewelled skeletonIn Munich’s oldest church, a skeleton covered in jewels, brought from the catacombs of Rome, lies in full view.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Schweinshaxe at Hofbräuhaus am Platzl. Platzl 9, Múnich

Day 2From power to paintings and a palace

Spend the morning on the history route: Ludwig the Bavarian’s Alter Hof, the outline of Kurt Eisner, the Feldherrnhalle of the 1923 putsch and the NS-Dokumentationszentrum, which you can visit inside if the subject interests you. It ends at Königsplatz. For lunch, Obatzda and a Brotzeit platter in a beer garden: the one at the Viktualienmarkt or any along the way. The Alte Pinakothek is five minutes from Königsplatz; give it a good two hours. Afterwards, the tram takes you to Nymphenburg for a stroll through the gardens in the evening light.

  1. Morning

    From the emperor’s castle to the ‘capital of the movement’

    History · 2.1 km · 2 h

    1. Alter Hof, the emperor’s castleThe first emperor with a permanent home lived here, and this is where Bavaria’s capital began. And on its corner, legend says, a monkey once carried off a prince.
    2. Max-Joseph-Platz, the first king’s squareNapoleon turned a duke into a king, and Munich built him a square to match: a Florentine palace, a Greek-style theatre and a monument the king himself did not want.
    3. The outline of Kurt EisnerA metal outline in the pavement marks the spot where they killed the man who ended seven centuries of monarchy in Bavaria.
    4. Feldherrnhalle and the shirkers’ alleyA Florentine loggia dedicated to two generals where Hitler’s putsch collapsed in under a minute. And behind it, an alleyway that became a small act of disobedience.
    5. NS-Dokumentationszentrum, on the site of the Brown HouseA white cube stands on the site of the Nazi Party’s former headquarters. From its windows you can see the buildings the regime put up all around.
    6. Königsplatz, the Athens of Ludwig IA king in love with Greece built three temples here. A century later, the Nazis paved it with granite for their parades, and it took the city forty years to give it back its lawn.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Obatzda and Brotzeit in a beer garden at Biergarten am Viktualienmarkt. Viktualienmarkt 9, Múnich

  3. Afternoon

    Alte Pinakothek

    One of Europe’s great picture galleries: Dürer, Rubens, Raphael, Leonardo and Bruegel in spacious, uncrowded rooms. The Neue Pinakothek and Pinakothek der Moderne are next door. On Sundays admission is usually €1; check opening times, as it usually closes on Mondays.

    Directions

    Nymphenburg Palace

    The Wittelsbachs’ summer residence, where Ludwig II was born, with Ludwig I’s Gallery of Beauties and a museum of royal carriages. It is a tram ride from the centre. Even if you arrive too late to go inside, the park and canal make a lovely end to the day.

    Directions

The map

Munich in 2 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed Mysteries & legends History Extra sight

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Before you go

Tips for Munich in 2 days

  • Buy an MVV day ticket for day two: it covers the tram to Nymphenburg and the short U-Bahn hops, and the basic zone includes the whole city.
  • At many traditional beer gardens you can bring your own food to the tables without tablecloths; you just buy your drinks there. It is Munich’s version of a picnic.
  • If your second day falls on a Monday, swap the extras or the days around: the Alte Pinakothek usually closes that day, while the Residenz and Nymphenburg open daily.

Questions

Munich in 2 days: your questions

Are two days enough for Munich?

Yes, it is the ideal length for a first visit. You will see the Old Town, the Residenz, the Englischer Garten, a major art gallery and Nymphenburg without rushing. The Deutsches Museum, the Olympiapark and day trips fit neatly into a third day.

How far will I walk on this 2-day plan?

The routes add up to 5.9 km: 3.8 km on day one (highlights and legends) and 2.1 km on day two (history). Add the Englischer Garten, the museums and the Nymphenburg gardens and you are looking at 10 to 12 km a day.

Is the NS-Dokumentationszentrum worth visiting?

If you are interested in twentieth-century history, yes: it explains rigorously why Nazism was born in Munich, on the very site of the party headquarters. It is a stop on our history route, and the exhibition needs another hour and a half.

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