3 Days in Munich: The Ultimate First-Timer Itinerary

The second day heads north to see a completely different side of the city: royal summer palaces, the world's largest beer garden, and the Olympic complex. Start at Nymphenburg Palace, which opens daily at 09:00. Take Tram 17 from the Hauptbahnhof directly to the palace gates — the ride is about 20 minutes. Admission to the palace and its four on-site museums costs around €15 in summer; the vast formal gardens are free year-round. The palace width exceeds that of Versailles, and King Ludwig II — who later built Neuschwanstein — was born here.

For lunch, walk or take the tram to Hirschgarten, the largest beer garden in Bavaria with over 8,000 seats. What makes it unusual is the actual herd of deer grazing in an enclosure beside the tables — the name translates literally as "deer garden." A half-litre of beer costs around €5 and a classic Obatzda (Bavarian cheese spread with pretzels) runs about €7. It is easy to linger here for two hours, so factor that into your afternoon timeline.

From Hirschgarten, public transport connects you north to Olympiapark within 15 minutes. The park was built for the 1972 Summer Olympics and still hosts major concerts in its stadium. BMW Welt is free to enter and worth an hour for the architecture alone; the BMW Museum next door costs €10 and is closed Mondays. End the afternoon at Olympiaberg, a free grass hill with a sweeping view over the park, the city, and — on clear days — the Alps. The paid Olympia Tower is the higher-altitude alternative at around €13. Head back into town via U-Bahn U3 and explore Maxvorstadt in the evening, where most restaurants cater to the student population rather than tourists.

• Morning (09:00–12:30): Nymphenburg Palace and grounds (Tram 17)
• Lunch (12:30–14:30): Hirschgarten beer garden
• Afternoon (15:00–18:00): Olympiapark, BMW Welt, Olympiaberg sunset
• Evening (19:00–late): Dinner in Maxvorstadt
• Logistics: Tram 17 to Nymphenburg; U3 back from Olympiapark

The third day trades landmarks for local neighbourhoods. Start with a walk along the Isar river — Munich's actual soul. Begin at the Friedensengel (Angel of Peace), a gold-topped monument on a high terrace, and walk south toward the Deutsches Museum. The walk takes about 30 minutes at a steady pace, considerably longer with stops. En route you pass the Maximilianeum (home of the Bavarian State Parliament), the ornate St Lukas Church, and the Art Nouveau Müller'sches Volksbad public pool. In summer the riverbanks fill with picnickers and swimmers; in winter the path is the preserve of committed runners.

For late morning, circle back to the southern entrance of the Englischer Garten to watch the Eisbachwelle surfers. This standing wave at the edge of the park runs year-round and draws a small crowd of spectators at almost any hour. Walk north through the park to the Chinese Tower beer garden (Chinesischer Turm) for a mid-morning coffee or early lunch — it opens at 10:00 on most days. The garden seats 7,000 and is one of the most famous in Munich, though the Seehaus beer garden further north has a more local crowd if you continue walking.

For the afternoon, explore the Glockenbachviertel, Munich's most vibrant inner-city neighbourhood and the heart of the city's LGBTQ+ scene. It has the best concentration of independent cafés, wine bars, and international restaurants in Munich. From there you can walk or tram to Haidhausen on the east bank of the Isar — a quaint, village-like district with Wiener Platz market square and the Hofbräukeller beer hall. For a different angle, the Werksviertel-Mitte behind Ostbahnhof station has murals, bars in shipping containers, and a genuinely creative atmosphere. Finish the evening at one of the Glockenbachviertel's cocktail bars; you can find an extensive Munich nightlife guide here for specific bar recommendations.

• Morning (09:00–12:00): Isar walk from Friedensengel to Deutsches Museum area
• Late morning (11:00–13:00): Eisbachwelle surfers, English Garden, Chinese Tower beer garden
• Afternoon (14:00–18:00): Glockenbachviertel, then Haidhausen or Werksviertel-Mitte
• Evening (19:00–late): Cocktail bars in Glockenbachviertel
• Logistics: Mostly walkable; Tram 17 or U-Bahn as needed