Ideally, you have copious amounts of time to spend in each city that you visit. Trust me, I am definitely one of those people who looks at my vacation days and tries to see how I can squeeze just one more day out. The reality is that there will be times where we have just one day in a beautiful city whether it be due to a layover, short work trip, or just limited time to travel. Keep reading to find out how to make the most out of one day in Munich.
First things first, eat a hearty breakfast so that you are fueled for the day. In Bavaria, Germany it is not uncommon to have a glass of beer with your breakfast. Go ahead, you’re on vacation..I won’t say a word. Next, head to the beautiful Marienplatz, the central square of Munich. Check out the Glockenspiel, the famous clock tower, first. At 11 am the little figures near the top of the tower move to music as they tell a story. The bells are horribly out of tune but that just adds to the charm of the Glockenspiel.
Since you only have one day in Munich, an incredibly beautiful city, I highly recommend checking out one of the free walking tours. These tours give you a great overview of the city with lots of fun facts and historical anecdotes about each sight on the tour. I chose New Munich Tours and had a fantastic experience. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and peppered humor into his stories about each site. There are two tours: 10:45 and 14:00. The start location is Marienplatz and the tour is approximately 3 hours and covers all major tourist sites.
After the conclusion of the tour, grab a beer and some lunch at the famous Hofbräuhaus beer hall. The beer is poured in generous portions and pairs quite well with a German pretzel. If the tour doesn’t cover enough history of this famous beer hall for you, the history is also written on the menus.
After you finish your beer and hearty lunch, check out the oldest church in Munich, Peterskirche. The church has a large bell tower known locally as “Old Peter” that towers over this 13th century Gothic church. You can climb the 306 steps for a beautiful panoramic view of the city.
At the rear of the church, one of my favorite places in Munich, is the Viktualienmarkt. This open air market has dozens of stalls where you can grab some snacks, fresh meats and cheese, etc. During my visit, some of these stalls were filled with beautiful hand painted eggs for Easter. I highly recommend taking some time walking amongst the stalls.
Finish up the late afternoon/early evening with some shopping on Munich’s version of “Fifth Avenue” and “Champs-Elysées”, Maximilianstrasse. This sophisticated street has all the shopping you could desire. Spend some time treating yourself after a long day.
End your one day in Munich with some traditional Bavarian food. There are plenty of restaurants around the city and near Marienplatz that will suit your taste buds.
There are plenty of fantastic museums in Munich but, due to your limited time in this city, I did not include them in the itinerary. However, feel free to skip portions of the above itinerary and add in a museum, if you desire. Or skip everything all together and spend the day drinking beer and eating pretzels. No one will even bat an eye.
I know, I know, you’re too busy to scroll through this when you’re actually in Munich. So why not take it on the go? Click here to have a perfect itinerary ready to be followed open in Google Maps
If you liked this post on one day in Munich then why not check out more about Germany:
How to Visit the Romantic Road in One Week
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