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 3 days

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

Three days is the time it takes to understand Munich rather than just see it: a science museum you will struggle to leave, a café quarter close to the Isar, a morning of palace and painting, and the legends saved for your last evening. The pace is relaxed, with long afternoons and room for more than one beer garden. Ideal if you like to travel slowly or are coming back.

Day 1The heart of the city and its great park

Day one belongs to “The best of Munich”: the Frauenkirche, Marienplatz and its Glockenspiel, the Viktualienmarkt, the Hofbräuhaus and Odeonsplatz. Before noon, have Weißwurst at Zum Franziskaner or at the Weisses Bräuhaus on the Tal, then finish at the Eisbach wave. The afternoon is gentle: the Residenz and its treasury, ten minutes away, then a long walk through the Englischer Garten to the Chinese Tower. If you feel like it, stay for dinner in the beer garden.

  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

Day 2Kings, memory and machines

In the morning, the history route: from the Alter Hof and Max-Joseph-Platz to the Feldherrnhalle, the NS-Dokumentationszentrum and Königsplatz. It is the densest of the three, so take it slowly. Head back to the centre by U-Bahn for a Schweinshaxe lunch at the Hofbräuhaus. From the Platzl, a fifteen-minute walk through the Isartor brings you to the Deutsches Museum on its island in the Isar. When you come out, cross to Gärtnerplatz for a drink on a terrace, then wander down to the riverbank.

  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 Schweinshaxe at Hofbräuhaus am Platzl. Platzl 9, Múnich

  3. Afternoon

    Deutsches Museum

    One of the world’s largest museums of science and technology, on an island in the Isar: aircraft, ships, reconstructed mines and laboratories. You cannot see it all in an afternoon, so pick two or three sections. It is worth checking which halls are open.

    Directions

    Gärtnerplatz

    A round square with a neoclassical theatre and a garden in the middle, the heart of a neighbourhood of cafés, small shops and bars that fill up in the evening. It is ten minutes from the Deutsches Museum and very close to the banks of the Isar.

    Directions

Day 3Palace, paintings and legendary Munich

Take an early tram to Nymphenburg and explore the palace and park before the tour groups arrive. Mid-morning, head back to the Kunstareal for the Alte Pinakothek. For lunch, Obatzda and Brotzeit at the Viktualienmarkt beer garden. Keep the afternoon free to rest or shop, then at dusk follow the legends route: the Asamkirche, Ludwig II’s tomb in the Michaelskirche, the devil’s footprint and the Wurmeck dragon. Dinner is Schweinsbraten at the Augustiner Stammhaus, right on the route.

  1. Morning

    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. First thing in the morning, you will have the park and canal almost to yourself.

    Directions

    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

  2. Lunch

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

  3. 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

  4. Dinner

    Try Schweinsbraten at Augustiner Stammhaus. Neuhauser Straße 27, Múnich

The map

Munich in 3 days, on the map

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

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Munich in 3 days

  • If your third day is a Sunday, make the most of it: the Pinakotheken usually charge just €1 (check first), though shops and the Viktualienmarkt will be closed; if it is a Monday, swap the Alte Pinakothek for the Olympiapark and BMW Welt, easily reached by U-Bahn.
  • During Oktoberfest, from late September to early October, hotels fill up and prices soar: book months ahead, or pick other dates if you are not coming for the festival.
  • An MVV day ticket on days two and three saves any thinking: it covers the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses across the city’s basic zone.

Questions

Munich in 3 days: your questions

Can I visit the Dachau memorial on this plan?

Yes, by swapping out the morning of day three. Take the S-Bahn to Dachau and then a bus; the visit needs a good half day. It is a place of remembrance, not just another excursion: allow time and check which ticket you need, as it lies outside the basic zone.

What about Neuschwanstein?

Ludwig II’s castle is about two hours away, near Füssen, and needs a full day by train and bus. If you want to see it, add a fourth day and book your ticket in advance; squeezing it into this plan would mean giving up most of Munich.

How far will I walk in three days?

The routes add up to 5.9 km: 2.5 km on day one, 2.1 km on day two and 1.3 km on day three. With the Englischer Garten, the museums and walking between sights, allow 8 to 12 km a day, nearly all on the flat.

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