Best Things to Do in Munich: Family-Friendly Attractions, Hidden Gems & Visiting Dachau

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!