7 best day trips from Munich

Day trips compared

The day trips

120 km · About 2–2.5 hours by train and bus

1.Neuschwanstein Castle

King Ludwig II's fairy-tale castle stands on a crag above the Pöllat gorge, with Hohenschwangau Castle below. Tours of the interior are short and timed; the view from the Marienbrücke footbridge is the classic photograph.

Getting there

Regional train to Füssen, then bus to Hohenschwangau

Best for

First-timers, Families, Couples

145 km · About 1.5–2 hours by train

2.Salzburg

Mozart's birthplace in Austria has a baroque old town below the Hohensalzburg Fortress, Mirabell Gardens and locations from The Sound of Music.

Getting there

Railjet or regional train from Hauptbahnhof

Best for

Culture, Couples, First-timers

20 km · About 40 minutes by S-Bahn and bus

3.Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial

The first Nazi concentration camp, opened in 1933, is now a memorial site with the original gate, a reconstructed barracks, the crematorium area and a detailed museum. Allow at least half a day, and consider a guided tour.

Getting there

S2 to Dachau, then bus to the memorial

Best for

Culture, Solo travellers

90 km · About 1.5 hours by train

4.Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the Zugspitze

Germany's highest mountain, at 2,962 metres, is reached by cogwheel railway and cable car from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, an Alpine resort with painted houses and hiking trails such as the Partnach Gorge.

Getting there

Regional train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, then cogwheel train and cable car

Best for

Families, Couples, First-timers

85 km · About 1 hour by train, plus ferry

5.Chiemsee and Herrenchiemsee

Bavaria's largest lake holds Herreninsel, with Ludwig II's unfinished Versailles-inspired Herrenchiemsee Palace, and Fraueninsel, a small island with a Benedictine convent and fishing village.

Getting there

Train to Prien am Chiemsee, then boat

Best for

Couples, Quiet stays, Families

170 km · About 1 hour 10 minutes by ICE train

6.Nuremberg

A walled medieval city with an imperial castle, half-timbered houses, small grilled sausages and the Documentation Centre at the former Nazi Party Rally Grounds; its Christkindlesmarkt is one of Germany's most famous Christmas markets.

Getting there

ICE from Hauptbahnhof

Best for

Culture, Food lovers, First-timers

25 km · About 30 minutes by S-Bahn

7.Lake Starnberg

A large lake south of the city with paddle-steamer cruises, lakeside beer gardens, swimming spots and views to the Alps; King Ludwig II died here in 1886, and a cross in the water marks the spot at Berg.

Getting there

S6 to Starnberg

Best for

Families, Quiet stays, Couples

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• S-Bahn suburban trains share a central tunnel through Hauptbahnhof, Marienplatz and Ostbahnhof and run out to the airport, Dachau and Lake Starnberg.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask