With kids · Munich · Germany
Munich with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Munich is very family-friendly: clean, safe-feeling and full of parks, playgrounds and hands-on museums. Beer gardens welcome children and often have playgrounds, and public transport is easy with pushchairs. Top picks: Deutsches Museum, Hellabrunn Zoo and Englischer Garten. Families usually base themselves in Altstadt.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Altstadt
- Rainy-day options
- 2
- Busiest months
- September
Best things to do with kids
Museum · Museumsinsel
1.Deutsches Museum
On an island in the Isar, this is one of the world's largest museums of science and technology, with aircraft, ships, mining tunnels, early computers and hands-on exhibits for children. Its branch museum on Theresienhöhe covers transport, and a further aviation collection is at Schleissheim.
Pick two or three sections; it is impossible to see everything in one visit.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Zoo · Thalkirchen
2.Hellabrunn Zoo
Munich's zoo on the banks of the Isar was one of the first to group animals by continent. Polar bears, elephants, gorillas and a large children's zoo with farm animals fill a long walk through riverside woodland.
Combine it with a walk or bike ride along the Isar back towards the centre.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
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Park · Schwabing
3.Englischer Garten
Larger than New York's Central Park, this 18th-century park stretches north from the Altstadt along the Isar. 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.
Rent a bike to cover the length of the park, stopping at the Chinesischer Turm for a beer and pretzel.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Couples
- Iconic
Park · Olympiapark
4.Olympiapark
Built for the 1972 Summer Olympics, the park is known for its sweeping tent-like acrylic roofs over the stadium and arenas. The Olympic Tower has a viewing platform over the city and, on clear days, the Alps. The hill and lake are popular for walks and summer concerts.
Go up the Olympic Tower on a clear day for the Alpine panorama, or join a guided climb across the stadium roof.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Architecture
Museum · Olympiapark
5.BMW Welt and BMW Museum
Next to BMW's four-cylinder headquarters tower, BMW Welt is a free showroom with a swirling glass and steel roof, displaying current cars and motorcycles. Across the road, the bowl-shaped BMW Museum covers a century of the company's cars, engines and design.
Visit BMW Welt for free, then decide whether the museum interests you; combine with the Olympiapark next door.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Landmark · Altstadt
6.Marienplatz and the Neues Rathaus
Munich's central square has been the heart of the city since the Middle Ages. 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.
Arrive ten minutes early and stand towards the back of the square near the Fischbrunnen fountain, where the view up to the tower is clearer than from under it.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Kids
- Architecture
Rainy-day ideas
- Deutsches Museum — Pick two or three sections; it is impossible to see everything in one visit.
- BMW Welt and BMW Museum — Visit BMW Welt for free, then decide whether the museum interests you; combine with the Olympiapark next door.
Where families should stay
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, families and shopping
Altstadt
Inside the old ring road, the Altstadt packs Marienplatz and the Neues Rathaus, the Frauenkirche, St. Peter's Church, the Viktualienmarkt and the Hofbräuhaus into a pedestrian-friendly grid. The Residenz and Odeonsplatz are at its northern edge. It is the most convenient base for a short stay, with the S-Bahn trunk line running beneath Marienplatz.
- Good
- Walk to most major sights; Direct S-Bahn to the airport; Beer halls and markets on the doorstep
- Watch out
- Expensive hotels; Crowded shopping streets by day
- Nearby
- Marienplatz, Frauenkirche, Viktualienmarkt, Residenz
Family travel tips
- Many beer gardens, such as the Hirschgarten and Chinesischer Turm, have playgrounds next to the tables.
- Children under 6 travel free on MVV public transport.
- The Deutsches Museum has a dedicated Kids' Kingdom area for younger children.
- Lake Starnberg and the Isar's gravel banks are good for paddling in summer; watch currents in the river.
- Shops close on Sundays, so stock up on snacks and nappies on Saturday.
Day trips for families
- Neuschwanstein Castle (About 2–2.5 hours by train and bus) — King Ludwig II's fairy-tale castle stands on a crag above the Pöllat gorge, with Hohenschwangau Castle below.
- Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the Zugspitze (About 1.5 hours by train) — 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.
- Chiemsee and Herrenchiemsee (About 1 hour by train, plus ferry) — 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.
- Lake Starnberg (About 30 minutes by S-Bahn) — 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.
When to go with children
The best months overall are May–July, September and December. September is the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Munich good for kids?
Munich is very family-friendly: clean, safe-feeling and full of parks, playgrounds and hands-on museums. Beer gardens welcome children and often have playgrounds, and public transport is easy with pushchairs.
+What can kids do in Munich?
Deutsches Museum, Hellabrunn Zoo, Englischer Garten, Olympiapark and BMW Welt and BMW Museum.
+Where should families stay in Munich?
Altstadt: Historic core of Marienplatz, the Frauenkirche, Viktualienmarkt and the Hofbräuhaus.