Oktoberfest Munich: Everything you need to know

Oktoberfest Munich, Germany is the world’s largest celebration of Bavarian culture – the area of Bavaria being the southeast corner of Germany famous for beers, brats, and its use of bustiers. Millions of visitors travel thousands of miles to Munich each year to experience their share of the 2-week long festival.

Check out Munich’s #1 Oktoberfest Packages here!

If this upcoming ‘Fest will be your first, you’ve come to the perfect place to get all the necessary information for starting out. If you’ve attended Oktoberfest in the past, you’ve come to the perfect place to get all the necessary information AGAIN since you forgot everything as soon as that beer hit your lips.

This complete Oktoberfest guide covers everything you need to know about attending the Munich Oktoberfest and a whole buncha stuff you didn’t even know you needed to know. #funfacts

Read on! and Prost! 🍻

Looking for something in particular? Skip ahead to these sections:

Oktoberfest Munich: The Essentials

Where is Oktoberfest?

Let’s get the obvious out of the way for the newbies: Oktoberfest takes place in Munich, Germany. That’s in Europe. (We don’t know, maybe you slept through Geography class?)

Oktoberfest in Munich takes place on the Theresienwiese as it has for over 200 glorious years. The Theresienwiese is the large field where the first-ever Oktoberfest – aka the wedding celebration between Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese – went down. Theresienwiese literally means “Therese’s Meadow” and was named for the bride herself. (That beats a new blender any damn day, no?) It’s located just southwest of the city centre and is easily accessible via its own dedicated stop on Munich’s U-Bahn train line.

Oktoberfest Munich
Oktoberfest Munich attracts millions of visitors each year.

When is Oktoberfest?

Well for starters, it’s not in October. Gotcha! Oktoberfest Munich, Germany takes place at the end of September and lasts for about 16-18 days, depending on the year. It typically ends on the first Sunday in October but if the 16th day of the festival falls before October 3rd, the party is extended until then – something we’re absolutely, 100%, totally on board with. October 3rd is the national holiday known as German Unity Day, the day commemorating the anniversary of German reunification in 1990. Walls down, mugs up!

Oktoberfest Dates

Because Oktoberfest is based on days, not dates, when exactly Oktoberfest takes place is different every year. As far as specific Oktoberfest dates are concerned:

Oktoberfest 2024: Saturday, September 21st – Sunday October 6th
Oktoberfest 2025: Saturday, September 20th – Sunday October 5th

And if you’re planning ahead any farther than that, maybe you should relax a little with a beer because WHOA.

For details on key Oktoberfest dates, check out this handy page ⇣⇣⇣

>>> What you Need to Know About Oktoberfest Dates <<<

Beer Tent Opening Hours

On that first day of Oktoberfest (in September, remember), Oktoberfestivities begin promptly at noon but only after the Lord Mayor of Munich taps the first keg and shouts, “O’zapft is!” (“It’s tapped!”) From there, Oktoberfest typically runs from 10 am – 11:30 pm on weekdays and from 9 am – midnight on weekends (give or take a half hour). But isn’t it always Oktoberfest in our hearts?

BEER TENT OPENING HOURS

Opening day: 12:00pm to 10:30pm
Weekdays: 10:00am to 10:30pm
Saturday, Sunday & public holidays: 09:00am to 10:30pm
Daily closing hour: 11:30pm
The “Käfer Wiesn-Schänke” and the “Weinzelt” are open until 1:00am.
Last call is at 12:15am.


HOURS OF FAIRGROUND STALLS

Opening day: 12:00pm to 12:00am
Monday to Thursday: 10:00am to 11:30pm
Friday: 10:00am to 12:00am
Saturday: 9:00am to 12:00am
Sunday: 9:00am to 11:30pm


FAIRGROUND ATTRACTIONS & SHOWS

Opening day: 12:00pm to 12:00am
Monday to Thursday: 10:00am to 11:30pm
Friday & Saturday: 10:00am to 12:00am
Sunday: 10:00am to 11:30pm


Oktoberfest Beer Tents

A long, long time ago in a Wiesn far, far away beer tents weren’t even a thing. The first few Oktoberfests utilized only small beer booths—seeing as how attendance wasn’t anywhere close to the millions the festival sees today. Compared to the size of the beer booths of yore, today’s Oktoberfest beer tents are simply laughable—now holding anywhere between 5,000 – 11,000 thirsty festival goers!

While the carnival rides and games are fun and all, inside the beer tents is where the real action is. And by ‘action’ we mean whatever is happening that leads to the point where you’re straight drinking out of your own shoe. (You’ll see.)

At Oktoberfest there are 14 major beer tents, each with their own personality and brand of fun. They’re owned either by one of the Big 6 breweries themselves or by private owners. There are also more than 20 “small” beer tents, each with their own theme be it dumplings, seafood, poultry, cheese, and beyond. Yes, there’s a beer tent centred around CHEESE. The capacity of these “small” tents ranges from 60-900.

For all the details on each of the famous Oktoberfest beer tents, check out this article ⇣⇣⇣

>>> Complete Guide to Oktoberfest Beer Tents <<<

Tickets and Reservations

This all depends on your level of planning, determination, and your propensity for drinking beer before noon. There are a few ways to go about this, and if done right, you should have no problem at all getting your butt on a bench.

The first thing you should know is that in order to get a beer at Oktoberfest, you must be seated. And with around 6 million visitors each year and only a fraction of that in seats, you gotta be smart!

For the pre-planner

Oktoberfest beer tent reservations are where you need to be. Each of the major beer tents offer up their tables to be reserved for two parts of the day (a morning session, and a night session). Acquiring these is a lengthy, yet not impossible, process that must be started way earlier than you’d assume. No, earlier than that. Keep going… almost…

There are rules in place such as how many seats you must reserve, what purchases must be made, etc. Each tent owns the rights to their own seats and, therefore, makes their own crazy rules. (Some of them involve fax machines so… I’ll wait while you Google what that is.)

For the traveller who likes to wing it

It’s entirely possible to just *show up* at a beer tent and get a seat. This is most easily done in the morning when the tents open and on weekdays versus Fridays and weekends. Be the first to quench your thirst!—we always say.

For the rebel

Oh, so you want to just show up on a Saturday night and party your dumplings off? Well, let’s just say charming one of the servers won’t hurt your cause.

For everything you need to know about acquiring beer tent reservations, check out this Oktoberfest Beer Tents Tickets guide ⇣⇣⇣

>>> How to get Oktoberfest Reservations <<<


Oktoberfest Beer

As has always been the rule, the only beer served at Oktoberfest Munich in Germany must be brewed within the city limits. Today, that means only beer from Munich’s Big 6—Hacker Pschorr, Spaten, Hofbräu, Augustiner, Paulaner, and Löwenbräu—and it just doesn’t get any better. Nectar of the Gods, some call it.

Read more about each of Munich’s Big 6 here ⇣⇣⇣

>>> Munich Breweries: 6 Little Paragraphs on 6 big Brewers <<<

The beer served in the Oktoberfest beer tents is a traditional Marzen-style lager whose actual style is called “Oktoberfest”. It’s made exclusively for the festival and with strict adherence to the Reinheitsgebot Purity Law. Each of the six breweries makes their own and each beer tent serves only one kind. In the Hofbräu tent it’s Hofbräu Oktoberfest. In the Paulaner tent it’s Paulaner Oktoberfest. Easy, right? We try to keep it simple where beer is involved.

Beer at Oktoberfest is sold exclusively by the litre in mugs known as maß (or mass). They’re huge; they’re heavy; and, with Oktoberfest beers clocking in at 6% ABV, they contain a lot more alcohol than you think. Don’t let that light color and smooooth drinkability trick you! (A true maß-kicking, if you will.)

In addition to beer (yes, you can get other things!), you can also find radler (1/2 beer, 1/2 lemon lime soda, kinda like a shandy), wine, soda and other non-alcoholic beverages, and mixed drinks in some tents if you want to just straight up throw 200+ years of caution to the wind!


Oktoberfest Food

Oktoberfest Food is… well, it’s almost indescribable in its goodness. Oktoberfest beer tents stick to traditional Bavarian cuisine that will be some of the best food you’ve ever had. Some of the biggest sellers are roasted half chickens (Hendl), pork knuckles (Schweinshaxe), oxen, and bratwursts of all kinds (just put any ol’ word you want in front of –wurst), all served with the greatest sides this side of Heaven—sauerkraut, red cabbage, potato dumplings, potato salad, and now we’re officially starving. And you can’t forget about the most popular Oktoberfest food of all – a Bavarian soft pretzel the size of your face.

Oktoberfest Munich Food
Photo: Ashley Smith | My Wanderlusty Life

But the most important thing to remember about Oktoberfest food is… it needs to be eaten! Remember what we said about smooth-drinking 6% alcohol litres of beer? Yeah, hello? EAT EAT EAT.

Get the lowdown on what’s about to go down (your throat) here ⇣⇣⇣

>>> All About Oktoberfest Food <<<


What to wear to Oktoberfest

Traditional Bavarian attire is always welcomed and appreciated, regardless of how German you are. We’re pretty sure wearing this stuff makes you German anyway. We know drinking the beer does.

For the Ladies:
A dirndl is what you can expect to see. Dirndls consist of a long-ish dress over a white blouse and an apron, tied appropriately. Dirndls come in all colours, patterns, designs, cup-sizes, and look great on every single body.

For the Gents:
I’s all about the lederhosen or “leather breeches” which is even more fun to say.  They can be shorts or knee-length and are attached to suspenders that connect across the chest. They’re worn over a handsome button-up, plaid or otherwise, and worn with some thick knee socks and simple loafers.

Now, there’s a lot more to know about how to dress for Oktoberfest: where to tie your apron bow (yes it matters!), what shoes to wear, how to accessorize, what’s appropriate vs what’s embarrassing for all involved parties, and more. Check out this complete guide for all the stuff you need to know before you go ⇣⇣⇣

>>> How to Dress for Oktoberfest: A Complete Guide <<<


Oktoberfest Events

Wait a minute – you didn’t think Oktoberfest was just beer, pretzels, and polka, now did you? Oh no, Oktoberfest is so much more (but, like, mostly beer, pretzels, and polka). Turns out, there’s a whole lotta festing going on in the form of parades, celebrations, and guns. So many guns.

During your time at Oktoberfest, don’t miss out on any (or all, you go getter, you) of these special events:

Oktoberfest opening and closing ceremonies

These take place on the… well, the first and last days of Oktoberfest but unless you’ve already started drinking today, you probably knew that. The opening ceremony takes place inside the Schottenhamel tent and involves a keg, the Lord Mayor of Munich, and the most important phrase uttered at Oktoberfest: O’Zapft Is!

The closing ceremony happens just before closing time on the last night of Oktoberfest inside the Hacker-Pschorr tent. Sing along with 10,000 of your closest friends, wave sparklers in a darkened tent, and just go ahead and start counting down until next year.

Oktoberfest family days

Yes, of course there is fun for the whole family here! There are actually two designated family days at Oktoberfest during which all rides and performances are discounted.

Parades and more parades

Oktoberfest, at its core, is a celebration of Bavarian life and history and there’s no better way to be reminded of this than to experience one of the festival’s parades. There’s the opening day parade featuring the famous horse-drawn beer carriages and led by the Münchner Kindl, and the traditional costume parade featuring over 10,000 participants.

Gay Sunday

The first Sunday of Oktoberfest has officially? unofficially? been designated Gay Sunday with festivities taking place in the Pschorr-Bräurosl tent. They have whip-snapping performances, just saying.

Traditional Oktoberfest mass

That’s mass, not mass. (Well, that sounded so much better in our heads.) So yes, there’s a religious mass held each year including the opportunity to get baptized and first-communion-ed because why the heck not?

Concerts and gun parties

Don’t miss out on the massive outdoor concert of brass bands and traditional alphorns at the feet of the Bavaria statue. And especially don’t miss the gun salute marking the end of Oktoberfest featuring the winners of the Oktoberfest crossbow shooting competition. Oh, did we forget to mention there’s an Oktoberfest crossbow shooting competition?

For all the details on when and where these events take place and if your life, in fact, is in danger (spoiler alert: it’s not), check out this page ⇣⇣⇣

>>> 2023 Schedule of Oktoberfest Events <<<


Oktoberfest Guide to: How to get there and get around

Getting to Munich

By air

Munich is served by two major airports—the main one (Flughafen München), and the cheaper, more out of the way but still accessible one (Allgäu-Airport Memmingen).

From Munich’s main airport, you can easily catch a direct train into the city centre on the S1 and S8 S-Bahn trains. The trip takes approximately 45 minutes with trains leaving every 20 minutes. It’s pretty much fail-proof; we have faith in you.

From the Memmingen airport, there is a shuttle to Munich’s main train station (Hauptbahnhof) several times a day, adjusted to coincide with flight arrivals. This non-stop trip takes 1 hour and 20 minutes each way.

By land

As with the majority of major European cities, Munich is accessible via a wide array of trains and buses from almost anywhere on the continent. When booking trains, look for final stops in Munich’s Hauptbahnhof. When booking bus travel, look for final stops at Munich’s main bus station, the ZOB, which does not stand for Zany Oktoberfest Buses, but we wish it did.

Travelling within Munich

This won’t be the first time you hear this from us (ahem, in this post) but Munich, Germany has some of the best public transportation in the world. There’s no need to rent a car here (a patently terrible idea actually) as public transit is fast, reliable, affordable, and sometimes covered in beer ads from the Hofbrauhaus.

Munich’s public transportation network consists of underground trains (the U-Bahn), trains that go out to the ‘burbs (the S-Bahn, S standing for suburban), above ground trams (just called trams, meh), and intercity buses. If you’re curious about the horse-drawn beer carriages—no, they won’t take you across town. We may or may not know this from experience.

Regardless of which type of public transportation you use while in town for Oktoberfest, rest assured that it’s going to be fast, on time, cheap, well-lit, air conditioned, easy to locate, and just chock full of trachten. You can buy group passes if you’re not riding alone, day passes for all those times you get lost, and multi-day passes since you can’t go to Oktoberfest just once.

In addition to the transportation options listed above, there are always taxis and cycle rickshaws readily available, your own two feet if you stay close enough to the Wiesn, and I bet you can even find someone to give you a piggy back ride for the right price. (It’s the ones willing to give you a piggy back ride for free that you need to watch out for.)


Oktoberfest Accommodation

Without a doubt, the one thing that needs to be decided first, after deciding to attend in the first place, is where to stay in Munich for Oktoberfest. For this two-week period, hotels in Munich book up a year in advance in some places. (This is part of the reason we advocate for visiting Oktoberfest with a tour group!)

Oktoberfest Munich Hotels
Four Points by Sheraton // Photo: Ashley Smith | My Wanderlusty Life

When booking hotels for Oktoberfest, you want to look for:

  • Hotels as close to the Theresienwiese as possible (and by ‘possible’ we mean as far from having to put up your first born as collateral as you can find)
  • Within walking distance to a U-Bahn, S-bahn, tram, or bus stop as possible (It’s really easy to get lost after a few litres of beer, okay?)
  • Hotels with included breakfasts (Don’t. Forget. To eat.)
  • But most importantly, hotels with available rooms. (This is key!)

Some of our favourite Munich Oktoberfest hotels include:

In addition to regular ol’ hotels, Munich offers a variety of alternative accommodation. You’ve got your Airbnbs, your hostels, the couchsurfing and housesitting community to tap into, and there’s even a campground near the Wiesn if tents and “roughing it” are your jam. (I mean pup tents, not beer tents. Calm down.)

For everything else you need to know about booking accommodation in Munich during Oktoberfest, check out this page ⇣⇣⇣

>>> Pro Tips for Booking Hotels for Oktoberfest <<<


Oktoberfest Music

The Oktoberfest you’ll experience today is much different from the Oktoberfests of yore. Instead of horse races you’ll see horse carriages pulling beer through the town. Rather than swings you’ll find a plethora of roller coasters and other carnival-type rides you should experience before the drinking starts. (Okay, you will see some swings too but they’re way more badass than they used to be, we swear!) Instead of competing with your friends in the bowling alleys you’ll do this thing where you stand on your bench and try to chug an entire litre of beer. Sometimes out of your own shoe. It really is a grand celebration.

There are parades of all sorts, traditional Bavarian concerts, men with whips, and guys shooting air rifles. You’ll see all the highlights from when the mayor of Munich taps the first keg and shouts, “O’Zapft Is!” to the closing ceremony in the Hacker-Pschorr tent. You’ll dance to music of all types – from traditional Bavarian to modern. You’ll party in beer tents so large there’s enough room for you and your 10,000 closest friends. And most of all, you’ll drink fabulous beer and eat some of the best food you’ve ever had.

Oktoberfest is all about diving deep into and celebrating Bavarian culture the way they have for centuries. To get a head start on learning all the necessary lyrics (and dance moves), check out this post ⇣⇣⇣

>>> Oktoberfest Songs: the Beer Tent Music You Need to Know <<<


Oktoberfest Guide to: Money & Costs

We’ll start with the good news: Oktoberfest is free! Getting into the Oktoberfest park is 100% free, as is getting into the beer tents. The bad news? They won’t let you sleep in the beer tents. Maybe someday… *sigh*

Lodging

Finding a place to rest your head is going to be the most expensive part of attending Oktoberfest. The closer you get to the Theresienwiese, the more you’re going to pay. The longer you wait to book a room, the more you’re going to pay. The key? Book early and maybe a U-bahn stop away or two.

Hotels rooms at standard hotels (like the kind that have a hair dryer and a TV) will run up to 500€ per night during Oktoberfest with hostels offering dorm beds for up to half that. There are… *shudder* camping options if sleeping in a tent in the German fall is your idea of a good time.  If you’re not a crazy person, check out this link for more information on booking hotels for Oktoberfest ⇣⇣⇣

Transportation

Getting to Munich

Munich has the benefit of being served by two airports—the main one (Flughafen München), and the cheaper one that’s farther away (Allgäu-Airport Memmingen). Via the main one, you can easily catch a train into the city centre for around 11€ each way. From Memmingen, an express shuttle to Munich centre starts at 15€ each way.

Within Europe, there’s an endless supply of trains and buses to get you to Munich from almost anywhere. To list all the routes and prices would take up about a year of your life and totality of your internet cache so we’ll let you figure that out on your own. Just make sure to factor “getting to Munich in the first place” into your Oktoberfest budget planning, mmkay?

Within Munich

Munich has some of the best public transportation in the world so do your best to leave “renting a car” out of the Oktoberfest equation. Munich’s vast public transportation network consists of underground trains, suburban rail lines, overground trams, and buses.

Getting around within the Munich city limits won’t cost you more than a few euros for a one-way ticket on any type of public transportation. But alas! Know you can also buy group tickets, day passes, multi-day passes, etc. all for a savings. (aka, more beer money!)

Food & Drink

Beers at Oktoberfest are served by the litre (be strong, thirsty one) and, while the price varies from tent to tent, beers average around 11€ before tip. And what are we all going to do, class? TIP 👏🏼 OUR 👏🏼 SERVERS 👏🏼

This next section is solely for the purpose of inclusion and does not reflect our beliefs in any way…
Non-alcoholic beverages. At Oktoberfest. Whatever, you can get them. In the beer tents you can order soft drinks, water, and juice. These are available by the half-litre and cost around 5€. The price of the non-alcoholic drinks at Oktoberfest is even more insane than the fact that you just ordered one.

Meals inside the tents vary as well but can range anywhere from 5€ for a tiny snack to 30€ for the Bavarian meal of your life. And what are we all going to do, class? NOT FORGET TO EAT! To give you a better budgeting idea, the most popular meal at Oktoberfest is the ½ chicken which will run you between 10-12€.

Outside on the Wiesn you can find snacks, meals, deserts, ½-metre wieners, and endless other food options. You can get nutella-filled crepes, sandwiches, fried fish, roasted nuts, and varieties of bratwurst to infinity and beyond. The food prices outside the tents are much lower than inside the tents. Expect to pay between 5-10€ out there per delicious item. And we know you can’t stop at one—you can’t not follow up and oxen bratwurst with a nutella crepe, you just can’t.

A full list of the Oktoberfest 2023 beer prices will be available here in June 2023

Entertainment

Let’s be real here: the best entertainment at Oktoberfest is the people-watching and that business is totally free.

However, should you want to ride some rides, fall down in some fun houses, get snuggly with four other couples on that giant ferris wheel, you’ll have to pay up. And it won’t come cheap. Riding rides at Oktoberfest will cost you anything up to about 12€ – plus a little bit of your dignity depending on at what point during the day you partake. Obviously, the thrill-ier and more popular, the more expensive.

The good news on that front? Every Tuesday and Thursday of Oktoberfest is family day when rides are half price. So if you’ve got your eye on that Chairoplane, go on a family day.

How much you spend on the midway games is solely determined by how badly you want that damned stuffed bear and how hard you’re willing to work for it.

Oktoberfest Dress

Dressing the party at Oktoberfest is half the fun (actually, more like ¾ of the fun, who are we kidding)! But donning your fancy new lederhosen and dirndls doesn’t come cheap. Unless you want it to. But you shouldn’t, eek!

Lederhosen and dirndls can be found allll over—you can buy them online, in shops all around Munich, even at the train station—and the prices vary widely. You can pick up some high quality, will-last-you-a-lifetime gear for hundreds and hundreds of dollars, grab something online for less than the price of a new toaster, and everything in between.

Picking up lederhosen and dirndls (collectively referred to as trachten) in Munich, during Oktoberfest season, will be priced higher than at other times of the year. However, purchasing some at the end of Oktoberfest (because you’re coming back next year, right?) will reward you with some pretty stellar deals.

So really, how much your trachten costs largely depends on how much you want it to cost. Set yourself a budget and shop accordingly. For more on dressing for Oktoberfest, check out this section of the Oktoberfest guide.

Want more on the topic of money spending at Oktoberfest? Check out this post for some helpful tips ⇣⇣⇣

>>> Pro Tips for doing Oktoberfest on a Budget <<<


Oktoberfest History

Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany dates back to October 12, 1810 when Crown Prince Ludwig married that babe Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Generous folks they were, they invited the citizens of Munich to attend the celebration on the fields outside the city gates—what we know today as the Theresienwiese—and the rest is history Oktoberfest.

This five-day wedding celebration was mostly about a horse race but, c’mon, you know there was beer there. The next year (and every year hence) there was massive demand to repeat the celebration and Therese, now Queen of Bavaria, stepped out onto her balcony and was all, “Let them drink beer!” At least, that’s how we imagine it went down.

Ever since, Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany has only gotten bigger and bigger. They incorporated more horse races, an agricultural show, tree climbing (huh?), bowling alleys, carnival booths, parades, and swings. Swings, you guys. Were those ladies and gents ready to PAR-TAY or what!? Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany has been going strong for over 200 years now and has only not been celebrated 25 times. Thanks a lot, war and disease, pshh.

As the years passed and the celebrations continued (and grew), the decision was made to move the festival up to begin in September to allow for more favourable weather conditions. Biergartens in September > biergartens in October. Though the beer-and-pretzel-fest moved months, the name remained the same.

Want to delve deeper into some interesting Oktoberfest history? Check out this article ⇣⇣⇣

>>> All the Times Oktoberfest has been Cancelled <<<


A Guide to Munich, Germany

Believe it or not, there’s actually stuff to do in Munich outside the Wiesn. Tons of stuff, actually. Historical stuff, delicious stuff, daredevil-y stuff, and even nude stuff if that’s your jam. Here’s a little breakdown on how you can spend your time when you’re trying to stay dry.

Munich Germany during Oktoberfest
Photo: Ashley Smith | My Wanderlusty Life

Historical stuff

Munich, Germany is the capital and most populous city in Bavaria, Germany’s second most populous state. It’s also old as all get-out, having been founded sometime in the 12th century. Now that’s a lot of history to cover so here are some highlights:

  • Visit the Frauenkirche – Munich’s most recognizable church, dating back to the year 1468
  • Watch the glockenspiel performance in the Marienplatz – pretty neato clock presentation at 11 am, noon, and 5 pm
  • Visit notable WWII sites around Munich such as the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site
  • Visit Nymphenburg Palace – the former summer home (ugh, right?) and birthplace of the famous King Ludwig II

Delicious stuff

We know you’re trying to take a break from Oktoberfest, so we’ll just call this one a ‘bend’. Don’t forget to check out Munich’s many beer halls and beer gardens for some traditional Bavarian food and more amazing beer to wash it down with. Check out:

  • Hofbrauhaus – Munich’s most famous beer hall that has been around for 500 years.
  • Augustiner Keller – Munich’s oldest brewery serving up some of the best Bavarian food you’ll have anywhere in the city.
  • Chinesischer Turm – Spend some time at the massive outdoor beer garden located in Munich’s public English Garden. Just look for the enormous Chinese pagoda – and that’s a totally serious piece of advice.
  • Viktualienmarkt – The Viktualienmarkt is a 200-year-old market consisting of over 100 stalls selling all kinds of meat, produce, flowers, and we’d assume beer, right? *crosses fingers*

Daredevil-y stuff

We know, you totally thought drinking beer out of your own sweaty shoe was about as much adventure as you’d see in Munich. But you’re wrong! Maybe you’re into…

  • River surfing – If not, you should definitely check out the daredevil river surfers on the Eisbach River, inside the English Garden.
  • Flying Fox – Believe it or not, you can zipline across the roof of the Olympic Stadium.
  • Strip down? – Munich’s English Garden is one of Europe’s largest urban parks and, you know what, it’s the perfect place for some nude sunbathing. Don’t believe us? Just take a (discreet) look around.

Museum stuff

Munich has no shortage of museums so if you’re looking for a way to spend some downtime – aka, the opposite of your time at Oktoberfest – check out one of these:

  • Deutsches Museum – This is actually the largest science and technology museum in the entire world. Go ahead and use this opportunity to re-up all those brain cells you lost.
  • BMW Museum – The explanation is the name, no? It’s a BMW museum. Car people will like this.
  • Munich Residenz – This former residence-turned-museum is the largest city palace in Germany. Inside you’ll find spectacular architecture, artwork, and, oooh fancy furniture.

These highlights are just the tip of everything there is to do in Munich, Germany before, after, or during your time at Oktoberfest. We didn’t even mention all the day trips to places like Neuschwanstein and Salzburg, Austria. The list is endless, obviously, because we won’t shut up about it. For more on what there is to do in Munich, check out this post ⇣⇣⇣

>>> Things to do in Munich if You Ever Leave the Wiesn <<<


Think you’re ready to experience Oktoberfest?
Check out all of our Oktoberfest tours and pick the one that’s right for you!

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