An Efficient Itinerary For a First-Time Visitor – OUR CROSSINGS

Last updated on the 2nd of September, 2025

With a population of more than 1.5 million and a surface area of about 310.4 km², Munich is the capital of Bavaria and Germany’s third-largest city, right after Berlin and Hamburg.

Anyone who plans to visit – there’s more to Munich than pretzels, tight leather pants and beer.

Munich is where old meets new and where the city meets country; a combination that provides a perfect playground for art lovers, photographers and history-savvy explorers, too.

Munich is also home to the world-famous BMW museum with modern showrooms displaying vintage cars, engines, motorcycles and even a car that was once owned by Elvis Presley.

The historic part of the city – home to the ornate churches, Medieval city gates and Gothic Neue Rathaus (New Town Hall) – offers a fantastic introduction to the city and is the best area to begin your adventure.

I couldn’t have picked a better day and time to visit the beautiful Munich. The sky was crisp blue, the flowers were still in full bloom, and if it wasn’t for other places waiting to be explored and if it wasn’t for my train to depart in 24 hours, I could have stayed there much longer.

Is One Day in Munich Enough?

Given the size of Munich and the amount of cool stuff to see and do, we would never suggest spending only a day in the city.

But as I only had 24 hours in Munich, I was determined to manage my time wisely and ended up visiting numerous attractions without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.

To answer the popular question about how much time is needed to visit Munich, I think 2 to 4 days would be much better, and anything above that could give you the freedom to go on a day trip to explore nearby castles and sights.

There’s the fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle, which is a must-see attraction near the city, and so is the neighbouring Salzburg, the historic birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

*Top Tip – everyone travels at a different pace, so feel free to choose the attractions according to your own interests and pace. The earlier you start your day, the more time you’ll have to see the attractions.

08:00: Start Your Day By Visiting The Colourful Viktualienmarkt

Rise up early and make your way to Viktualienmarkt, a wonderful market bursting with local and international delicatessen.

Located in the heart of Munich’s historic city centre, the world-famous Viktualienmarkt is filled with merchants selling wonderful local products spanning over 100 outdoor and indoor stalls to try or even bring home.

As the market opens up early in the day and is packed with plenty of delicious foods (this is where you can try one of Munich’s classic dishes- leberkäse), it’s a great starting point for your time in the city.

If you would like to learn more about regional cuisine, you can look up one of the food tours, sample heaps of traditional Bavarian sausages and pickled delicacies and try cheeses you’ve never heard of before.

See the fountains – Besides food, Viktualienmarkt is a place where you can find six fountains that are named after famous personalities from Munich, such as Weiß Ferdl and Karl Valentin.

Opening Hours: Viktualienmarkt stalls open at 8 a.m. and close by 8 p.m. at the latest.

*Top Tip – don’t leave without checking out the maypole at the Viktualienmarkt

10:00: Visit Frauenkirche and Wander Around Marienplatz

From Viktualienmarkt, a brisk five-minute walk will bring you to the city’s best-known landmark – the Frauenkirche.

The imposing church with its distinctive onion domes is the tallest building in the city centre, offering stunning views from its south tower.

Here, you can enjoy the tranquillity of the place, admire the architecture and search for a mysterious black footprint on the church floor: the legendary Devil’s Footstep.

Church Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 6:00 p.m. Sundays and public holidays: 10:00 a.m.

Right next to the church, you’ll find Marienplatz – an incredibly beautiful square, which translates to “St. Mary’s Square”.

Munich’s central square is home to the famous Glockenspiel, the New Town Hall and the Old Town Hall.

Founded by Henry the Lion, Duke of Bavaria, Marienplatz was once a place for tournaments, executions, markets and celebrations. Nowadays, Marienplatz is the heart of the city where you’ll find locals and tourists shopping, sightseeing or just relaxing.

Don’t just rush through the square; make sure you admire the impressive Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall) and its 300-foot-long façade decorated with numerous aches, statues and turrets.

Wander the maze of nearby laneways and come back in the evening, sit down for a beer or schnitzels and observe how different yet equally beautiful the square looks in the evening.

*Top Tip – Watch the glockenspiel in Marienplatz – you can catch it at 11am and 5pm.

12:00: Stop By Odeonsplatz and Be in Awe of The Residenz

From Marienplatz, stroll through the old town towards the Odeonsplatz square, where you can soak up the bright yellow exterior facade of the Theatinerkirche.

In addition to the Theatinerkirche, here you can also find many of Munich’s top sights, including the neoclassical Feldherrnhalle and the Munich Residenz.

The Munich Residenz, once a 14th-century castle for the Wittelsbach monarchs, is the most famous tourist attraction in the city and for the right reasons.

Here, you can feast your eyes on Rococo, Baroque, Renaissance and Neoclassical styles as well as marvel at the Antiquarium banquet hall, which is the largest, oldest and most magnificent room in the building.

With a length of 66 metres, it’s bound to leave an impression.

*Not-to-miss sights in the Munich Residenz include gilded moulding in the Baroque Ancestral Gallery and the Italian Renaissance Grotto Courtyard.

Munich Residenz: The admission depends on what you are most eager to see. Residenz Museum costs €7, the Treasury is also €7, and a combined ticket is €11.

15:00: English Garden and The Surfer Wave at Eisbach River

Munich is home to one of the largest urban green spaces known as the Englischer Garten – it’s one of the best and free things you can enjoy in the city.

Created in the 18th century, Englischer Garten is a local favourite place to relax, and if you decide to go for a walk, try not to gawk at naturists enjoying the sunny days. Yes, nudity is well and truly allowed and embraced right in the heart of the city.

In the 370 hectares, you’ll find a Japanese teahouse, tree groves, a Chinese Tower, pastures and the Eisbach River, which is well-known as a place for urban surfing.

As a keen surfer, I was eager to check the place out and was surprised to find many surfers riding waves in the middle of the big city.

*Good To Know: Due to its strong current, surfing is advised only for experienced surfers.

16:00 Relax at Hofgarten Before Heading Back to Old Town

Located between the Englischer Garten and the Residenz, the Hofgarten is an Italian-style Renaissance garden in the centre of Munich.

The Hofgarten with the Bavarian State Chancellery building on the Eastside is one of the most beautiful parts of Munich and makes for an ideal place to go for a walk. There are plenty of water fountains, benches to sit down and relax as well as many blooming flowerbeds.

The beautifully maintained garden makes for a lovely retreat, and if your timing is good, you might even be able to enjoy some music as the temple that was once used to celebrate the hunt for the royals is now used as a venue for various street performers.

This is where you’ll also find many architectural delights, including the Diana Pavilion, named after Diana – Goddess of Hunting- and ‘The Temple Of Apollo’.

Entrance to the park: The green space is open all year round from sunrise till sunset with free entry

17:00: The Hofbräuhaus and the Old Courtyard

Attending the world’s largest beer festival, Oktoberfest and singing along to “Ein Prosit. Ein Prosit. Der Gemütlichkeit.” either in a freshly purchased German drinking outfit or not – is one of the best travel experiences in Europe.

If your visit to Munich falls outside of the festival dates, usually between September and October, you can plan your visit around Frühlingsfest.

Frühlingsfest is sort of a mini-version of Oktoberfest that takes place in springtime (April to May).

Either way, whenever you happen to be in Munich, make the most of your time there by visiting many of its beer halls, listening to live music and absorbing the vibes.

It’s a great way to relax after a long day of sightseeing and to try diverse and delicious beers. One of the best places you should visit is the Hofbräuhaus, which was opened to the public by King Ludwig I of Bavaria.

Hofbräuhaus | Is the largest beer hall in Germany, thus the most famous in Munich, where a staggering amount of 5,000 people can be seated. It’s open every single day, and the beer and the food here are incredible, and so is the atmosphere.

*Good To Know – When visiting the Hofbräuhaus, it’s perfectly normal to share a table with other people

When to go to Munich

Any time can be the best time to visit Munich.

The summer months are wonderful, albeit very busy, but it’s when the whole city seems to live outdoors – you’ll find people eating, drinking and enjoying life in one of many city parks.

Octoberfest is celebrated all over the world, and you can find something in your own country, but nothing comes close to being in Munich and experiencing the atmosphere with another 7 million visitors. The beer festival is free, yet expect to pay premium prices for accommodation – always book in advance.

For Christmas Markets | For die-hard Christmas fans, Munich’s Christmas markets, which open at the end of November, are a dream-come-true event where one can browse through the packed stalls and marvel at beautifully decorated trees.

For Oktoberfest | The world-famous Oktoberfest originally started in 1810 on the 12th of October with the marriage of Prince Ludwig to Therese of Sachsen-Hildburghausen, when they invited the whole town to celebrate the union. Nowadays, it begins on the third Saturday of September and lasts between 16 and 18 days, with well over 7 million litres of beer being consumed.

Getting to and around Munich

Munich’s Franz Josef Strauß Airport (MUC), with two terminals and two runways, is the main city’s airport, where you’ll find a medical centre, plenty of restaurants and cafes, a post office, cash machines, basic groceries and a tourist office.

There are also free strollers for little fliers as well as 30-minute free WiFi.

By bus | The best option to get from Munich Airport to the city centre is with the Lufthansa Express Bus. Departing 7 days a week and every 15 minutes, this direct transfer will set you back €10.50 one-way or €17 return.

By taxi | A taxi ride costs around €60, and you can arrange one beforehand or pick one up outside the terminal. And you can also use the metro S8 or S2 to reach the city centre.

Munich is divided into 25 different districts, and Altstadt is the most famous one because it’s where many city attractions are located, such as Marienplatz and Viktualienmarkt.

To get around Munich, you can use its modern transport system, including the tram, metro, bus and tube.

As I was eager to see the Triumph Arch with four lions overlooking the city, I woke up early on my departure day and took a taxi to the imposing Munich’s Victory Arch.

See Siegestor, Munich’s Victory Arch

Munich’s Victory Arch, Siegestor, is a war-torn triumphal arch that tells much of Munich — and German — history, and it doesn’t take much time to see it.

It’s an important symbol, a monument and reminder of peace, and also a beautiful arch to photograph – the front of it is richly decorated, and the rear has “Dedicated to victory, destroyed by war, urging peace” inscribed on it.

While the location of the arch, built from 1843 until 1850 under King Ludwig, is further away from the touristy area and on my recent visit was surrounded by road work, making it more challenging to photograph, I was delighted to make my way here.

Nearby Munich University is also worth a visit, it is one of the top ones in all of Europe and has produced more than 35 Nobel Prize winners.

Climb the tower in St.Peter’s Church

There are a couple of fantastic places in Munich you can visit to see the city from above.

You can do so by making your way to the 85-metre-high observation deck of Neues Rathaus, or you can choose to visit the oldest church in Munich and capture dazzling views from there.

St. Peter’s Church is located just steps away from Munich’s Marienplatz. Duck in for some peace and quiet, marvel at the richly decorated interior and then climb all the way to the tower, from where you can take in a phenomenal 360° view of the city.

The stairs are very narrow; it’s also the only way up and down, so mind other travellers, but seeing Munich from above with the views over the Marienplatz and New Town Hall is sure to impress anyone.

Entrance fee – Adults: 5 euros

*Good to know: To reach the viewing platform at the top, you have to climb 30 steps

Here are a few things that I didn’t do, but you could!

The Nymphenburg Palace | a beautiful Baroque palace that served as a summer residence for the Electors and Kings of Bavaria in the 18th century.

Olympic Park | Built for the 1972 Olympic Games, today the park offers fantastic views, lots of green space and an opportunity to see the former women’s Olympic village

The Juristische Bibliothek | a beautiful art nouveau library decked out with wrought-iron spiral staircases and multiple stories of colourful books popping from the shelves.

Deutsches Museum | an interactive science & technology museum; the largest of its kind in the world.

Bavarian National Museum | which displays pottery, porcelain, art and musical instruments

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Now, over to you!

Have you ever been to Munich? Let us know in the comments!

Let us know if you are planning a visit to Munich and have travel-related questions!

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