Itinerarly
One day in Munich: a walking route in the best order
Munich's old town is compact, with its market, palace and beer halls a few minutes apart. This plan follows the Complete Munich audio tour in the Itinerarly app: the old town in the morning, then the English Garden and Nymphenburg Palace. Take tram 17 out to Nymphenburg, about 6 km west of the centre.
At a glance: 7 stops, about 13.0 km in straight lines between them: the old town on foot, then the English Garden and tram 17 out to Nymphenburg. About 2 h 20 of narration, plus the time inside the sights.
Morning: Marienplatz, Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady), Viktualienmarkt, Munich Residenz
- MarienplatzWelcome to Marienplatz, the historic heart of Munich since 1158. This rectangular square is dominated by the neo-Gothic New Town Hall, whose façade bristling with turrets and statues looks straight out of a fairy tale.
- Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady)This is the Frauenkirche, the Cathedral of Our Lady, Munich's undisputed emblem with its twin brick towers crowned by green onion domes nearly one hundred metres high. Built in just twenty years at the end of the 15th century, this Gothic brick church can hold twenty thousand worshippers.
- ViktualienmarktThe Viktualienmarkt is Munich's gourmet belly: an open-air market of more than a hundred stalls where, since 1807, fruit, flowers, cheeses, cured meats, spices and Bavarian specialities have been sold. At its centre, a blue-and-white maypole covered with guild crests rises above a beer garden…
- Munich ResidenzThe Munich Residenz was for more than four centuries the palace of the dukes, electors and kings of Bavaria. Behind a sober façade lies one of Europe's most sumptuous palaces: ten inner courtyards and some hundred and thirty rooms unfold in Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical styles.
Afternoon: Hofbräuhaus am Platzl, English Garden, Nymphenburg Palace
- Hofbräuhaus am PlatzlThe Hofbräuhaus am Platzl is the most famous beer hall in the world. Founded in 1589 as the court brewery of the dukes of Bavaria, it opened to the public in 1828 and has poured beer ever since.
- English GardenThe English Garden, the Englischer Garten, is one of the largest urban parks in the world, even bigger than Central Park or Hyde Park. Laid out from 1789 in the English landscape style, it unrolls lawns, woods, streams and paths along the Isar for nearly four kilometres.
- Nymphenburg PalaceNymphenburg Palace was the summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria. Begun in 1664 to celebrate the birth of the long-awaited heir, it stretches over a Baroque façade more than six hundred metres long, extended by a French then English park threaded with canals.
Only have an hour?
Take the Munich Getaway tour instead: 3 stops, about 1 h: Marienplatz → Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady) → Viktualienmarkt.
Practical tips
- The Glockenspiel in the town hall tower on Marienplatz plays at 11 am and noon, and also at 5 pm from March to October.
- The Viktualienmarkt is closed on Sundays and public holidays.
- At the southern end of the English Garden, surfers ride the Eisbach wave almost all year.
- The Residenz is huge: pick one part of it, the museum or the treasury, if you are short on time.
- Many shops close on Sundays in Germany.
Do it with a story at every stop
This route is the Complete Munich tour in the free Itinerarly app. It walks you from stop to stop and plays a short narrated story when you arrive, in English, French, Spanish, Italian and Chinese. See all the audio tours of Munich.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you see Munich in one day?
- You can see the main sights from the outside and visit one or two of them inside. This route links 7 of them in an order that avoids backtracking.
- What is the best order to visit Munich's main sights?
- One efficient order is: Marienplatz → Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady) → Viktualienmarkt → Munich Residenz → Hofbräuhaus am Platzl → English Garden → Nymphenburg Palace. It is the order used by the Itinerarly Complete Munich audio tour.
- Is there a free audio guide for Munich?
- Yes. The Itinerarly app has 3 free self-guided audio tours of Munich, narrated in English, French, Spanish, Italian and Chinese.