The 5 Best Day Trips from Munich That You Can’t Miss!
Munich is kind of like the heart of Germany. It’s the home of Octoberfest, the Hofbauhaus (the famous brewery!) the 1972 Olympics and so many incredible sites. It’s also the perfect place to base yourself to see so much more of Germany with the huge range of day trips within a close distance of Munich.
My round up of the 5 best day trips from Munich has a little bit of everything – history, fairy-tale castles and traditional German cities. If you really want to get the real feel for Germany, make sure to take a couple of these day trips (or all of them), otherwise you risk going home and regretting not visiting these stunning places!
The heart of Bavaria, Munich is incredibly stunning. An hour South of the stunning Nuremberg, Munich literally oozes culture, history and authenticity. It’s easy to fall in love with not only Munich itself, but the surrounding areas. If you are looking for architecture, history, good beer and soccer, head to Munich.
More in to shopping, cute cafes and good Instagram spots? Munich is also the place to go. Love exploring lesser known, authentic towns and landmarks within a close distance of where you are staying?
Again, Munich is your go to. It’s also the home to the famous Octoberfest, which is a must. Check out this guide to Octoberfest if you will be in Munich during that time! Want to see a lot of Munich in a short time? Good news is you can! The beautiful city offers so much that you can spend the perfect 24 hours in Munich.
Ready to plan a trip? Here’s a bunch of my absolute favourite resources and travel planning websites that make booking trips easy!
Recommended travel planning resources:
- Getyourguide: Book all your day trips and tours with Getyourguide, it’s easy to use and keeps everything in one place!
- Tourradar: If group tours are more your thing, TourRadar is the place to search and book your tours at the best prices.
- Trip.com: One of my favourites for booking hotels, car hire and transport all in the same place!
- TripAdvisor: If you are a fan of reading reviews like me, then TripAdvisor is your new best friend! Search reviews of resturants, hotels and places in the click of a finger.
- SkyScanner: The only place you should be booking flights! Skyscanner searches the internet to find all the best deals.
- Travelex: Obviously you need insurance, because you never know when you might need it! Travelex is my favourite travel insurance.
Ok let’s get into these amazing day trips from Munich in Germany!
1. The Eagles Nest & Berchtesgaden
Settled atop the rocky Kehlstein Mountain in the Berschtesgaden Alps sits Hitler’s famous Kehsteinhaus, or more commonly known to tourists as the Eagles Nest. It was built during the Nazi Era, and was created to impress people.
It was used during the Nazi era by Hitler and his fellows as a meeting and planning spot. Funny thing is, that Hitler didn’t really like it that much, and visited a whole of 14 times. Why? Because he was scared of heights. It is quite the journey to the Eagles Nest. A brass elevator sits in heart of the mountain, which takes visitors to the Eagles Nest itself, which is all extremely impressive.
Visiting the Eagles Nest is a breathtaking yet sobering experience. You can imagine how crazy it was to have built such a place at the time, and learn the history of what actually went down in the area during the Nazi Era. It also has breathtaking views over the surrounding Alps, which are truly beautiful.
What to do at the Eagles Nest
The first thing to do is obviously to go to the top of the Eagles Nest. This requires further transport. First, you need to get tickets and bus tickets from the office at Obersalzburg, which is where your bus will drop you off (if you have a tour, this will be organised for you).
Next, you need to get on a bus up the winding, rocky road to the point of the lift. Hop in the brass lift in the centre of the mountain and head to the Eagles Nest at the top. Once at the top, you can admire the view, explore the rooms which have been preserved, and stop for a drink and bite to eat at the restaurant.
Once you head back down the mountain, you can explore the area known as Obersalzburg, which is also stunning. Shop for souvenirs, eat a traditional German meal or visit the museum. You can also take a walk down to the site of one of Hitler’s houses.
Getting to Eagles Nest from Munich
You have a couple of options for getting to the Eagles Nest from Munich. The first is a guided tour, which will make the trip a lot easier, or you can opt to go yourself using public transport.
Eagles Nest from Munich by train and bus
This route is a combination of train and bus. You can take the train from Munich Hauptbanhof (HBF), to Salzburg. From there, you need to get a bus to Berschtesgaden, and another bus from Berschtesgaden to Obersalzburg. All up, the trip can take between 2 and 3 hours by public transport. Good thing is, the route is incredibly scenic so you won’t be bored!
Eagles Nest guided tour from Munich
A guided tour will take you by private coach to Obersalzburg, where you will then get a bus to the point of the mountain to buy tickets and go up the lift to the top. The good thing about the guided tours to the Eagles Nest are that you can learn so much about the history from a professional guide. There are other spots located in Obersalzburg, such as the place of one of Hitler’s houses, and parts of the bunker that you can see.
Note: The Eagles Nest is only open to visitors from mid-May to October, granted that the road is open. As the road up the mountain is very steep, the road can be closed if weather is bad.
2. Neuschwanstein Castle
Ready for all of your fairy-tale dreams to come true? Schloss Neuschwanstein, or Neuschwanstein Castle as it is known to tourists, is the castle of Mad King Ludwig of Bavaria. It’s a romantic castle set with a mountain backdrop and is one of those post card picture worthy places.
It’s a day trip that you certainly can’t miss. Fair warning though, prepare for crowds, especially in the peak, summer season! The castle opened to the public in 1886, just seven weeks after the King’s death, and has been a major attraction ever since (it’s actually one of the most famous castles in Europe!).
Fun fact: Neuschwanstein Castle is actually the castle they fly over in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (if you know what I’m talking about, 5 stars to you!).
What to do at Neuschwanstein Castle
You can visit the inside of the castle, which is interesting but not astounding. If you have the time and have access to skip the line for tickets with your guided tour, it’s worthwhile, and the tour will take just over half another.
You should also ensure you visit the Marienbrücke, which is a bridge behind the castle which offers incredible backdrops for photos of the exterior of the castle. There are also a bunch of other walks you can choose to do in the surrounding areas, all which have incredible views of the castle and its surrounds.
Getting to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich
Getting to Neuschwanstein Castle by train and bus
A 2.5-hour journey from Munich, you can opt to take the train or bus. You can get a train from Munich Hauptbanhof, to Fussen station. Not all journeys are direct, so a change might be necessary, depending on the time of day. One you arrive at Fussen Station, you need to get a bus, from the bus stand located directly outside the train station.
Bus drivers make it easy to know where to get off announcing the stop as Neuschwanstein Castle stop, where most tourists will hop off. There’s one last part of your journey, getting to the top of the hill where the castle is located. You can opt to walk (this will take about an hour, and it’s quite a steep walk), or you can get one of the buses. Even so, the bus cannot take you all the way, so a short 15minute walk is still necessary to reach the castle.
Guided tour to Neuschwanstein Castle
A guided tour is recommended, purely to make the trip easier. As I mentioned before, thousands of tourists can visit every day, so being a part of a guided tour will have its perks, including organised transportation, skip the line access for tickets for seeing the interior and so much more. Plus, you can learn so much from your guide.
I highly recommend booking a guided tour – it can be truly crazy. The buses to the top of the castle from the ticket office are crazy busy in peak time, and accessibility is also an issue. The castle itself boasts hundreds of stairs, with no lifts, so it’s worth checking with a tour company beforehand to make arrangements.
Opening hours: 9am-6pm daily.
3. Rothenburg
If you have been dreaming about medieval Germany, then prepare to be amazed. Rothenburg is basically the epitome of medieval Germany, located in the North of Bavaria.
What to do in Rothenburg
Marktplatz and the Old Town take centre stage in Rothenburg, which features preserved medieval buildings along cobblestoned streets. Think all of those pictures of those beautiful little towns in Germany you have seen – this is it. Surrounding the area are countless colourful buildings and cobblestoned streets lined with cute cafes and shops. It’s the kind of place that you just enjoy by wandering and watching the day pass you by.
Another thing not to miss is the Christmas Shop, where you can admire an insane range of Christmas decorations which will make you wish it was Christmas. You can also visit the Christmas museum, although it is not open year round.
Getting to Rothenburg from Munich
From Munich, it takes between 2 ½ and 3 hours to get to Rothenburg by train, and this includes a couple of stops. If you want to save yourself the hassle (it’s not really a hassle, but you get what I mean), then book a Romantic Road day tour from Munich, which generally include stops at Rothenburg as well as Harburg.
Tip: If you are visiting Nuremberg during your time in Germany, Rothenburg is actually closer to there if you are looking to save travel time on your day trip.
4. Dachau Concentration Camp
This is a sobering yet necessary trip to make when in Germany, and one that I think everyone should make when staying in Munich.
Dachau was one of first Nazi Concentration Camps which opened in Germany, in 1933, with its intention being to hold political prisoners. Dachau was liberated by American forces in April of 1945, by the time of which atleast 188,000 prisoners had been held at the camp at some point during its 12-year stand. The Dachau memorial site on the grounds of the camp was an initiative of some of the surviving prisoners who formed the Comite International de Dachau. Today, the memorial site features a new exhibition with the history of the camp, and the ‘path of the prisoners’.
Visiting the camp is a sobering and extremely hard experience. Walk through 2 of the last standing barracks (of the original 24). Stand in the courtyard where roll call was held. Walk through the gas chamber.
I recommend a tour with a guide to fully learn about the history of the camp. Otherwise, you can opt for an audio guide. I recommend reading this in-depth guide to visiting Dachau Concentration Camp from Munich.
Getting to Dachau from Munich
Located in the small town of Dachau, just 10miles from Munich, you can either do a guided tour, or take a train and a bus to get to Dachau from Munich.
Dachau guided tour from Munich
I recommend a half day tour so that you can learn about the history with your guide as you tour the memorial site. The tours usually include train and bus transport and a guide for the tour.
Getting to Dachau by train and bus
If you prefer to go alone, take the train from Munich HBF to Dachau stop, and then get a bus to the concentration camp stop. It’s easy enough to do alone, with hundreds of tourists doing the route daily.
Opening hours: 9am-5pm daily.
5. Salzburg
The hills are alive, with the sound of music! *cue singing*. Yep, if you ever watched the Sound of Music and sung along to every word (like I have, more times than I would like to admit), then you will be familiar with the beauty of Salzburg. It’s very touristy yes, but its oh so charming and worth braving the crowds for.
Salzburg has actually been a UNESCO heritage site since 1997, and its architecture and simply beautiful streets make it a must do day trip from Munich. Besides, who wouldn’t want to dance through the streets singing Doe Rae Me?
What to do in Salzburg
Exploring the old town is a must – think colourful buildings and adorable coffee shots, not to mention so many photo opportunities. You should also visit the beautiful Mirabell gardens, and of course some of the classic sound of music sights, such as the Residenplatz, which is home to the fountain featured in the Sound of Music.
Tip: if you are a huge sound of music fan, you can actually book a sound of music tour.
Getting to Salzburg from Munich
It takes about 2 hours to get to Salzburg from Munich, and you can opt to take the train, bus or a guided tour. It’s a scenic route to Salzburg, which makes the travel time fly by.
Getting to Salzburg by train
You can take the train from Munich HBF Station to Salzburg HBF, with around 23 trains departing between the two stops daily.
Salzburg day tours
A guided tour will generally involve a private coach as transport from central Munich to central Salzburg, and if you want everything organised for you, this is the way to go!
Getting more excited about your trip to Germany after reading this? I would be too. I loved all of the amazing day trips from Munich that I took while staying in Munich, and Munich itself!
Extending your stay in Germany? I loved both Cologne and Nuremberg and recommend visiting both while in Germany.
Don’t forget your travel insurance! You never know when you might need it, and honestly, you should never travel without it.
Happy travelling,
