2 days in Munich

Day by day

1. Day 1: Marienplatz and the Neues Rathaus and Frauenkirche

   Marienplatz and the Neues Rathaus, Frauenkirche, Viktualienmarkt and Hofbräuhaus, then Allianz Arena in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Marienplatz and the Neues Rathaus

      The neo-Gothic Neues Rathaus fills its north side, and its tower Glockenspiel re-enacts a 16th-century royal wedding and the coopers' dance with 32 life-size figures, usually at 11am, with extra performances in summer. A lift climbs the tower for views of the square.

   2. Late morning

      Frauenkirche

      Inside, look for the 'Devil's Footstep' imprint near the entrance and the tomb of Emperor Ludwig IV.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: White sausage

      Traditional taverns and beer halls in the Altstadt, usually only in the morning.

   4. Afternoon

      Viktualienmarkt

      Its central beer garden serves beer from Munich's breweries in rotation.

   5. Late afternoon

      Hofbräuhaus

      Its vaulted ground-floor hall fills with long wooden tables, a brass band and litre mugs of Hofbräu beer, served with roast pork, sausages and pretzels.

   6. Evening

      Allianz Arena

      Book a tour on a non-match day, or watch the arena light up from the U6 station after dark.

2. Day 2: Englischer Garten and Munich Residenz

   Englischer Garten, Munich Residenz, Nymphenburg Palace and Deutsches Museum, then Glockenbachviertel and Gärtnerplatz in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Englischer Garten

      Highlights include the Monopteros temple viewpoint, the Chinesischer Turm beer garden under a wooden pagoda and the Kleinhesseloher See lake with rowing boats. Locals sunbathe, cycle and swim in its streams in summer.

   2. Late morning

      Munich Residenz

      The Treasury displays crowns and jewels, and the rococo Cuvilliés Theatre can be visited separately.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pretzel

      Bakeries across the city, beer gardens and beer halls.

   4. Afternoon

      Nymphenburg Palace

      King Ludwig II was born here.

   5. Late afternoon

      Deutsches Museum

      Its branch museum on Theresienhöhe covers transport, and a further aviation collection is at Schleissheim.

   6. Evening

      Glockenbachviertel and Gärtnerplatz

      Cocktail bars, wine bars and the centre of the city's LGBTQ+ nightlife.

Before you go

• Allianz Arena: Tours and match tickets sell out; book through the official club site well in advance.

If it rains

• Swap in BMW Welt and BMW Museum (Olympiapark): Visit BMW Welt for free, then decide whether the museum interests you; combine with the Olympiapark next door.
• Swap in Alte Pinakothek (Maxvorstadt): Visit on a Sunday, when Bavarian state galleries charge a symbolic entry fee, but expect more visitors.
• Swap in Pinakothek der Moderne (Maxvorstadt): Start with the design collection in the basement, especially if you are visiting with teenagers.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 15–20 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.4 hours in December to 16 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Metro. Eight U-Bahn lines cross the city, with Marienplatz, Odeonsplatz and Hauptbahnhof as main hubs; trains are frequent from early morning until around 1am, later at weekends.

More or fewer days

• One day in Munich
• 3 days in Munich
• 4 days in Munich
• 5 days in Munich
• 7 days in Munich

Questions travellers ask