I’ve already written diary-style recaps of our Munich trip, but I wanted to pull everything into an easy reference guide.
If you like lots of words and plenty of pictures, here’s the whole shebang:
- Our First 2 Days in Munich: Alte Pinakothek, BMW Welt & the Devil’s Footprint
- Visiting Dachau Memorial from Munich with Kids: What to Expect + Practical Tips
- Munich Itinerary Days 3–5: Dachau, Marienplatz, Glockenspiel & Westpark
Overall thoughts? I felt like just under five full days in Munich was plenty of time. It’s a city with lots of history, culture, and hidden gems (my favourite!), but not a city that necessarily requires an extended visit (in my opinion).
Okay, let’s jump in!
Must-See Historic & Cultural Landmarks
Marienplatz & the Glockenspiel
Marienplatz is Munich’s central square and is most famous for the Rathaus-Glockenspiel, which shows a few scenes from Bavarian history daily at 11 am and 12 pm (and, at certain times of year, 5 pm).
Tip: Arrive 10–15 minutes early to secure a good spot—tour groups often schedule their walks around showtime and it gets BUSY.


Frauenkirche & St. Peter’s Tower
The twin-domed Frauenkirche is an iconic landmark. Don’t miss the “Devil’s Footprint” inside! Of all the churches we visited in Munich, this was my favourite.



Nearby, St. Peter’s Church (Alter Peter) gives you the chance to climb 301 steps for panoramic city views (€5 adults, €2 kids). Note that there is no elevator, and the stairway is quite narrow and steep.
Tip: Climb up near sunset for golden-hour lighting or to see the Christmas markets in December.
Asamkirche
Tucked away on Sendlinger Straße, this tiny church is stunning inside, with intricate ceilings and gold detailing. It was built as a private chapel by the Asam brothers.


Theatinerkirche
A very memorable church due to the bright yellow facade; it’s also beautiful inside.


Hidden Gems & Quirky Streets
Justizpalast (Palace of Justice)
A gorgeous courthouse near Karlsplatz that’s free to enter, with free bathrooms inside (bonus!!). It’s very quiet and photogenic.
Tip: Security checks require belts/jackets to come off; open water bottles need to be emptied, or you’ll have to take a drink of the liquid inside.


Shirker’s Alley (Viscardigasse)
A narrow alley used by citizens refusing to salute a Nazi monument. Their resistance efforts are memorialized with a pathway of bronze stones.


Motorworld München
A warehouse-style space full of vintage and luxury cars. Entry is free. There are free public bathrooms, as well as quite a few cafes and restaurants. A great stop for car enthusiasts.

Museums & Interactive Spots
- Deutsches Museum—The world’s largest science and technology museum. I heard nothing but good things about this museum, but in the end, we didn’t visit.
- BMW Welt & Museum—Perfect for car enthusiasts (we only went to the Welt, which is free). You can also take (paid) factory tours at BMW.

- Pinakothek Galleries—There’s a series of Pinakothek museums. We visited the Alte Pinakothek because the Van Gogh collection (normally housed at the Neue Pinakothek, currently under renovation) had been temporarily moved to the Alte.



Tip: There are reduced entry fees at the Alte Pinakothek on Sundays (€1 adults; kids are always free).
Best Eats
Viktualienmarkt
We were big fans of this open-air market with fresh produce, pretzels, sausages, and lots of traditional (relatively inexpensive) Bavarian food. This was a great place for lunch on the go.

Julius Brantner
Thanks to a tip from a blog reader, we stopped for fresh pretzels and they were AMAZING!

Vietnamese at Thi Minh
We had a delicious lunch at Thi Minh, located at Riem Arcaden (the biggest mall in Munich).


Other Favourites


- Hans im Glück—Yummy burgers, reasonably priced.


- Loqma Churros—A must-try treat if you like churros. These were delicious and better than many we tried in Portugal and Spain!

- Rischart pastries! Bonus points if you enjoy them while watching the Glockenspiel show.
Practical Tips (Including Free Bathrooms)


- Free bathrooms: Ludwig Beck (Marienplatz), Justizpalast, Motorworld, Mercedes-Benz café (Odeonplatz).
- Public toilets: There are coin-operated toilets in some train stations/major squares. If you go to a place like McDonald’s, you may have to pay but would typically get a coupon to go against the price of your order.
Photo Ops & Parks


- Sweet Brown Snail & Unending Staircase—Fun, quirky architecture.

- English Garden—Highlights for us were the Monopteros and the surfing wave, Eisbachwelle (currently closed).

- Siegestor Arch—Reminiscent of the Arc de Triomphe.


- Westpark—Giant slides and Japanese gardens.
Visiting Dachau
Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial
This is the only day trip we took from Munich (there are lots of very popular day trips: Salzburg and Neuschwanstein Castle are two leading choices!).

Dachau is about 20 km northwest of Munich; there is free entry to the site, though audio guides and guided tours cost extra. Guided tours are not available for anyone under 13 years of age. I share all my thoughts on taking kids to Dachau in this post.
Popular Things We Didn’t Do (for Next Time)
- Walking tour of Munich
- Deutsches Museum
- Munich Residence interior
- Olympic Park & stadium tours
- BMW Museum + factory tours
- Day trips to Salzburg and Neuschwanstein Castle 🙂
And… that’s my guide to Munich.
It felt like a city that was easy to explore (this was my first time visiting, so I went in blind): it had some beautiful architecture, was very walkable, and there were some fun little surprises. We had just under five days and it felt like the perfect amount of time to see the highlights, including a few museums, explore a few parks, and still leave some things to do another time. It has a small-city feel (it’s not overwhelming or horrifically crowded), which made it especially great to visit with kids.
Feel free to add any of your highlights from Munich in the comment section for anyone who might use this post as a planning resource!
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Goodness, you write such great travel guides. You always make Nova Scotia sound amazing and give such practical information, and now you do the same for Munich!
Best wishes for continued safe travels!
Awww. Thanks. I’m trying to make things a bit more focused in a central/singular review of each place so it’s easier for people who might want to get some ideas!
Munich is great, but I still have a soft spot for Nova Scotia 😉
This is a nice recap! When I was in Munich I did take a side trip to Salzburg. It was fun, you can see where Mozart was born and also some of the scenes from The Sound of Music, but other than that I don’t remember much. I think you did well by staying in Munich for the whole five days.
I don’t think we’re going to manage Salzburg this time but I’d love to go someday.
I LOVED The Sound of Music as a kid, though I think I’d be looking for a very young Julie Andrew’s all over the city!!
Aww, what a fun recap.. I love Munich and can’t wait to be back there. I am actually going to fly into Munich on Wednesday one my way back home (and I will probably get a Salzbretzel at the airport as a welcome treat!).
I am so glad you checked off so many amazing sights already… but you should definitely check out the Olympic Park next time and we always like to have dinner at „The Pschorr“ (near the Viktualienmarkt!)
Thanks for the food rec. We will have one last night in Munich, though bases out of an airport hotel so not sure how much exploring we’ll manage…?
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