Germany, Europe
The best time to visit Munich
Beer gardens, Alpine day trips, and one festival that doubles the hotel rates, so the calendar matters here.
- Best months
- May to Jun and Sep
- Think twice
- No month is a write-off
- Quietest
- January
- Cheapest
- January
The straight answer
The best time to visit Munich is May through June or September: beer-garden weather and easy Alpine day trips, with September offering Oktoberfest if you want it and early fall calm if you do not.
Go in May, June, or September. Munich is at its best when the beer gardens under the chestnut trees are full, the Englischer Garten is packed with sunbathers and river surfers, and the Alps are a clear line on the horizon an hour away.
Then decide about Oktoberfest. It starts in the second half of September and ends on the first Sunday of October (extended in some years for German Unity Day on October 3), and it roughly doubles hotel prices across the city. If you want the festival, book months ahead. If you do not, avoid those two and a half weeks, and early September or mid October give you the same city at normal rates.
Winter is a different trip. Christmas markets fill Marienplatz and the old town from late November, and the ski areas of the Bavarian and Austrian Alps are within easy reach. January through March is cold and quiet, with Starkbierzeit, the strong-beer season, livening up Lent.
Munich, month by month
Every month gets a verdict. Tap one for its own page: weather, crowds, prices and what is on.
- 01JanuaryQuiet valueCold, highs near 37F (3C), snow possibleCheapest month. Museums, beer halls, and Alpine ski trips.CrowdsPrice
- 02FebruaryQuiet valueCold, highs near 41F (5C)Fasching (carnival) brings costumed street parties in the old town on the last days before Lent.CrowdsPrice
- 03MarchQuiet valueCool, highs near 50F (10C)Strong-beer season in Lent at the Paulaner Nockherberg and other halls. Still wintry some years.CrowdsPrice
- 04AprilGoodMild, highs near 58F (14C), showers and even late snowBeer gardens open on the first warm days. Fruhlingsfest, the small spring fair, starts late month.Hotels for April →CrowdsPrice
- 05MayBestPleasant, highs near 67F (19C)Maypoles, full beer gardens, and the Alps shedding snow. Watch for public holiday closures.Hotels for May →CrowdsPrice
- 06JuneBestWarm, highs near 72F (22C), thunderstormsLong evenings, Tollwood summer festival in the Olympic Park, and good hiking in the foothills.Hotels for June →CrowdsPrice
- 07JulyGoodWarm, highs near 75F (24C), afternoon stormsPeak beer-garden season and the Opera Festival. Neuschwanstein is at its most crowded.Hotels for July →CrowdsPrice
- 08AugustGoodWarm, highs near 75F (24C)Many locals on vacation, the city relaxed. Good month for lakes like the Starnberger See and the Tegernsee.Hotels for August →CrowdsPrice
- 09SeptemberBestMild, highs near 66F (19C)Early September is ideal. Oktoberfest takes over the second half, with prices to match.Hotels for September →CrowdsPrice
- 10OctoberGoodCool, highs near 57F (14C), clear daysThe first days are still Oktoberfest. After that, crisp fall days and normal prices.Hotels for October →CrowdsPrice
- 11NovemberQuiet valueGray, highs near 45F (7C), fogThe quiet month. Christmas markets open late in the month.CrowdsPrice
- 12DecemberGoodCold, highs near 39F (4C)Christkindlmarkt on Marienplatz, the medieval market at Wittelsbacherplatz, and Tollwood winter festival.Hotels for December →CrowdsPrice
Book Munich for May.
Sponsored links to Expedia and Vrbo. We may earn a commission; it never changes a verdict.
- Hotels for May
Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in MunichOpens a hotel search for Munich in May, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
- Rentals on Vrbo
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in MunichWhole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
- Tours and tickets
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in MunichTimed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Munich for May. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Why go to Munich
The beer garden as a public square
Munich's beer gardens let you bring your own food and sit under chestnut trees with a liter of local beer. The Chinese Tower in the Englischer Garten and the Hirschgarten seat thousands.
A heavyweight museum quarter
The three Pinakotheken span old masters to modern design, and the Deutsches Museum is one of the largest science and technology museums in the world.
The Alps next door
Neuschwanstein, Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the Zugspitze, Salzburg, and the lakes of Upper Bavaria are all doable day trips by train or car.
Royal Bavaria
The Residenz, the Wittelsbach rulers' city palace, and Nymphenburg Palace show off centuries of Bavarian royal taste.
Things to do, and when to do them
Englischer Garten
Bigger than Central Park. Watch the Eisbach river surfers at the park's southern edge, then walk to the Chinese Tower beer garden.
Munich Residenz
The Antiquarium hall and the Treasury are the highlights. A rainy-day half day.
Deutsches Museum
Enormous; pick three sections and stop. Weekday mornings avoid school groups less than you would hope.
Pinakotheken
The Alte Pinakothek's Durer and Rubens rooms are the highlight. Sunday admission is heavily discounted, so crowds rise.
Nymphenburg Palace
Summer palace with a huge park and the royal carriage museum. The park is free.
Neuschwanstein Castle
About two hours away. Timed tickets are required and sell out weeks ahead in summer; book online.
Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site
About 30 minutes by S-Bahn and bus. Free entry; allow half a day.
Viktualienmarkt and Marienplatz
The market for lunch, then the Glockenspiel at 11am and noon (plus 5pm from March to October). Climb St. Peter's tower for the Alps view on a clear day.
Events and seasons worth planning around
Fasching
The days before Ash Wednesday, usually February
Costume parties and the market-women's dance at Viktualienmarkt on the final day.
Starkbierzeit (strong-beer season)
Lent, roughly March
Monks' strong beers and brass bands in the big beer halls. A local's festival.
Fruhlingsfest
Late April into early May
A smaller spring fair on the Oktoberfest grounds: tents, rides, far fewer tourists.
Tollwood Summer Festival
Late June into July
Music, theater, and food stalls in the Olympic Park.
Oktoberfest
The second half of September through the first Sunday of October
Around six million visitors a year. Tables are free without a reservation on weekday mornings; weekends are a crush.
Christmas markets
Late November through December 24
Marienplatz, the medieval market, and the Residenz courtyard. Tollwood's winter festival runs through New Year's Eve.
Beat the crowds
- For Oktoberfest, go on a weekday before noon and you can usually walk into a tent. Weekend evenings need a reservation made months ahead.
- Book Neuschwanstein tickets online as soon as your date is fixed in summer, and take an early train to Fussen.
- Hotel rates during Oktoberfest and major trade fairs can triple. If you are flexible, check both before picking dates.
- Visit the Residenz and the Pinakotheken on weekdays; Sunday discounted entry fills them with locals.
Open or closed
- Bavaria has more public holidays than most of Germany (Epiphany, Ascension, Whit Monday, Corpus Christi, Assumption Day on August 15, All Saints). Shops close, and many sights run holiday hours.
- Sunday shopping is largely closed by law. Museums and beer gardens stay open.
- Many museums close one day a week, often Monday. The Deutsches Museum is an exception most of the year.
- Beer gardens are weather-dependent: they typically open from spring through early fall and close on cold or rainy days.
- Mountain cable cars and Alpine huts near Munich run seasonal schedules and close for maintenance in spring and late fall.
With kids in tow
- The Deutsches Museum's Kids' Kingdom, the Hellabrunn Zoo, and the Sea Life aquarium in the Olympic Park work well for young children.
- The Olympic Park has a lake, hills to run, and the Olympic Tower lift. The BMW Museum next door is a hit with car-mad kids.
- Beer gardens are genuinely family-friendly by day: many have playgrounds, and it is normal to bring a picnic.
- Oktoberfest has a family day with reduced prices on rides, usually a Tuesday. Evenings in the tents are not for kids.
Getting there
- Munich Airport (MUC) is a Lufthansa hub with nonstops from many US cities, including Chicago, Denver, New York, and others; routes change by season.
- S-Bahn lines S1 and S8 reach the center in about 40 minutes; the Lufthansa Express Bus is an alternative.
- Salzburg is about 1.5 hours by train, Vienna about 4 hours, and Zurich and Berlin are each under 5 hours by rail or a short flight.
Packing? Packing cubes and the airport kit.
Munich for the holidays
Holiday and school-break weeks where Munich makes our ranked list.
Munich timing, quick answers
What is the best month to visit Munich?
June, for beer gardens and long days, or early September, for great weather before Oktoberfest pricing kicks in. May is almost as good.
What is the cheapest time to visit Munich?
January through March and November, outside major trade fairs. Rates are low and the city is quiet, though cold.
When is Oktoberfest?
It starts on a Saturday in the second half of September and runs about 16 to 18 days, ending on the first Sunday of October or on October 3 when that falls just after.
Is Munich expensive during Oktoberfest?
Yes. Hotel prices can double or triple, and good rooms sell out months ahead. Staying in Augsburg or elsewhere on the S-Bahn network can save a lot.
Is Munich worth visiting in winter?
Yes, especially in December for the Christmas markets. January to March is quieter and suits museums, beer halls, and ski trips into the Alps.
When is Munich rainy?
Summer, actually. June through August bring the most rain, mostly as afternoon thunderstorms off the Alps. Mornings are usually fine.
Weighing alternatives
Similar trips, with their best months.
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