W E L C O M E TO TH E
G O O D L I F E
I N
M U N I C H
P L A N N I N G
In general, much of how you spend your time in Munich will come down to what you most wish to focus on.
Unless you are staying a full week, you’re going to have to make choices about what to prioritize. There are enough spectacular art collections to truly make this the centerpiece of the trip, but you’ll have to decide how much of Bavaria’s romantic castles, hiking, Nazi history, BMW history, or traditional beer gardens you’d like to work in along your way.
The first performance of the Munich Glockenspiel at the Marienplatz Town Hall is at 11:00, just for orientation for your days. Depending on when you are in Munich and what your focus is going to be, you may wish to book restaurants and certainly things like the opera further in advance.
While Oktoberfest doesn’t require a ticket, the city will be understandably very busy, and the most exciting dining spots will fill up.
M U S E U M & S I T E B O O K I N G
Mostly, museums such as the Alte Pinakothek and Lenbachhaus can be booked a few days out.
If you’re visiting in the height of summer, consider being a bit on the cautious side and getting tickets further in advance.
A trip to Neuschwanstein—as probably the premier attraction in the whole region, and certainly one of the top in the whole country—needs to be arranged well in advance, ideally with one of our guides and private transport so that you can make the most of the day.
S U G G E S T E D I T I N E R A R Y P O I N T S
DAY I
Old Town & classic pieces of Munich history.
This day will cover much of central Munich, touching on many points from throughout the triumphs and trials of Munich’s rich history. It will certainly include the Marienplatz, Old Town Hall with its Glockenspiel, St Peter’s Church, the Feldherrnhalle, near which Hitler’s failed Beer Hall Putsch took place, the Hoffbräuhaus, and plenty of little, around the corner pieces of history along the way and in between.
Consider having lunch at a classic Munich beer hall, garden, or cellar. This is an essential experience, and well-worth kicking your stay off with.
And in the afternoon, consider visiting the spectacular halls of Schloss Nymphenburg former home of the rulers of Bavaria, the house of Wittelsbach, which will require either a 45-minute train or 15-minute cab ride to comfortably reach.
DAY II
Castles
The fairy tale castle of Neu Schwanstein is certainly the most famous of the Bavarian UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and one which is well-worth taking the time to see with Munich as your base.
This really should be a full day trip, as it’s about two hours each way to get out there. You’ve also got the chance to have a quick visit to the nearby Hohenschwangau castle, childhood home of Ludwig II, whose wonderful madness resulted in Neuschwanstein.
Have a late-ish lunch at the rather nice eponymous brewery which is about a ten minute drive away by car, visit Schwangau Castle, and head back to Munich for dinner.
You could consider a slightly more formal Bavarian dinner, or pick something a bit more international if you’re ready for a change of pace.
DAY III
Art, Old Masters, & 20th C.
Upon its completion in 1826, the Alte Pinakothek was the largest museum in the world, and also one of the very first of its kind.
Between the experience of the beauty of the building itself, to its sophisticated collection with works by da Vinci, Cranach the Elder, Dürer’s self portrait, Rembrandt, Botticelli, Raphael, and three pieces of the altar piece originally intended for the Tuornabuoni chapel inside Santa Maria Novella in Florence, for us, this is a spectacular way to spend a few hours, ideally with one of our expert art guides.
Head back towards the city center, and consider perhaps something either more elevated (Vinothek by Geisel) or simpler and lighter like a ramen or sandwich, just to explore the full-range of options on offer in Munich.
Generally we avoid back-to-back museum visits, especially with something as truly spectacular as the Alte Pinakothek in the morning.
But in this case, finishing up your afternoon with a stop in something like the Lenbachhaus with its early 20th century collection of Blaue Reiter group modernist art is perhaps different enough to warrant making an exception.
For dinner, probably take advantage of another beer hall experience, simply because, although somewhat repetitive, this is a huge part of what makes Munich special.
DAY IV PLUS
You could also decide to stay another day, and here are a couple of reasons why we think you should:
Munich has lots of interesting little historic shops, clothiers, artisans, and jewellers, many of which produce unique and high-quality work you are unlikely to find elsewhere. BMW World is unmissable for those interested in this historic house, with the museum featuring examples of vehicles from the earliest models all the way up to the present day.
It’s also possible that you may wish to undertake the trip to visit the memorial site at the former Dachau concentration camp, which is a fairly harrowing experience.
You’ll need about 40 minutes to get out there, and probably 3-4 hours inside as well. We again highly recommend bringing one of our guides with you to help focus the experience into something which you can more easily process.
M E E T Y O U R G U I D E
All of our guides can offer you a spectacular experience. As each person has a slightly different look at the world, due to their own unique interests and specialties, we'd encourage you to read a few profiles.
