Munich, Germany: The Best of Bavaria

Neuschwanstein: Likely the most famous castle in Europe, this is the one after which Walt Disney modeled Sleeping Beauty’s castle. It’s a day trip outside Munich through the stunning Bavarian countryside. Tours often couple this with the neighboring Hohenschwangau Castle or other sites along the way. The castle, never completed, was built by “mad” King Ludwig in the late 19th century. He was fascinated by the music of Richard Wagner, and many of the rooms in the castle are built on themes from Wagner’s operas.

Marienplatz/Rathaus: The city’s epicenter and town hall. Try to time your visit to be there when the Glockepspiel on the facade of the building goes off (at 11 am and noon daily).

Viktualienmarkt: Just off Marienplatz, this is a wonderful market with shops, food, and a beer garden that rotates Munich’s local breweries.

Deutsches Museum: One of the world’s largest science and technology museums, it is great for both adults and children. It is immense and has many hands-on exhibits with full-size planes, ships, and trains.

Neue Pinakothek, Alte Pinakothek, and Pinakothek der Moderne: Three world-class art museums, all in a cluster. Each is themed by time period: the Alte (Old) Pinakothek contains works from the 14th to 18th centuries, the Neue (new) Pinakothek houses art from the 19th century, and the Pinakothek der Moderne (modern) is a collection of modern artwork.

Dachau: The very first Nazi concentration camp, located in a quiet suburb of Munich. It has a moving museum and memorials to the millions murdered in World War II.

BMW Welt & Museum: Car aficionados won’t want to miss this! It traces the history of BMW and houses different exhibits and an impressive collection of vehicles.

Englischer Garten: The largest city park in continental Europe is a joy to wander through. It spans miles, but is home to lakes, a wonderful beer garden (see “Biergarten am Chinesischen Turm” in the eating and drinking section), immense fields for recreation and sunbathing, a creek running through with a perpetual wave (it’s fun watching people surf), and a Japanese tea house.

Nymphenburg Palace: This huge Baroque palace was the summer residence of the Wittelsbach family, former rulers of Bavaria. The palace buildings are available for tours and the impressive gardens and park are open to the public.

Oktoberfest: The world’s most famous beer festival, held yearly for just over two weeks from the end of September through the beginning of October. The festival’s mammoth tents hold thousands of people and offer beer by the liter, along with giant pretzels, carnival rides, games, and shops. An absolute must for any beer lover! In 2024, more than 6.7 million visitors consumed upwards of 7 million liters of beer—and they typically eat close to a million pretzels.

Augustiner Keller Biergarten: Best beer garden in Munich. It is just north and east of the main train station and has a huge outdoor seating area with all of the traditional Bavarian food and beer.

Hofbräuhaus: The most famous (and touristy) beer hall in Munich. The beer is average by Munich standards, but it’s an unmissable experience and worth a stop just to hear the house band play polkas for a few hours and people-watch.

Haxnbauer: Roasted pork knuckle. Vegetarians be forewarned, but for anyone else, don’t miss this! They usually have them in view of the windows, so you can watch (and drool at) the lines of pork knuckle rotating on spits.

Andechser am Dom: Best beer in Munich. You can visit the brewery at the monastery in Andechs, just outside Munich, but this restaurant just behind the Frauenkirche has all of their beers on tap and also offers an amazing food menu as well.

Dallmayr - Munich: The original location of this well-known coffee and food company. The location in Old Town Munich is the largest delicatessen in Europe and is worth a stop for coffee and a bite in the café and to shop all of the edible and drinkable products on hand!

Biergarten am Chinesischen Turm: Traditional beer garden in the middle of the Englischer Garden, next to the famous Chinese tower. They often have a traditional polka band playing from the tower for an appropriate Bavarian ambience. They rotate daily through Munich’s local breweries.

Nürnberger Bratwurst Glöckl am Dom: Get a sample of Nuremberg’s famous tiny sausages at this fantastic outpost in central Munich, just next to Andescher am Dom and behind the Frauenkirche.

Schneider Weisses Bräuhaus im Tal: My second-favorite Munich beer, Schneiderweisse specializes in wheat beer (weissbier or hefeweizen). Try both the regular wheat beer and their Aventinus doppelbock wheat beer.

Kinky Slice: New York–style pizza with varied and creative options for a quick bite on the go.

Schmalznudel-Cafe Frischhut: If you’ve reached your limit of pork and beer, try the amazing Bavarian-style donuts and pastries here.