In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Day 1, the old town: the Neues Rathaus tower (from €7, a booked slot), the Glockenspiel at 11:00 and the Residenz (€20, open to 17:00 in winter). Day 2, the museum quarter: the NS-Dokumentationszentrum (free), the Alte Pinakothek (€9, open to 20:00 on Wednesday) and the English Garden. Day 3, the west: Nymphenburg (a timed slot, €16 until 31 March), then BMW Welt (free), the BMW Museum (€17) and the Olympiapark. The plan runs Tuesday to Thursday, because Monday shuts the art museums, the BMW Museum and the NS-Dokumentationszentrum. The Frauenkirche tower is closed. Or book a walk: the city’s own two-hour Old Town walking tourad is from €22.
Before you go: what to book
| Booking | Day | Price | Hours and closed days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neues Rathaus tower | 1 | From €7 | A 20-minute slot, booked on munich.travel; daily 10:00 to 20:00 |
| Residenz | 1 | €20 | 10:00 to 17:00 from 26 October to 27 March; the theatre Monday to Saturday 14:00 to 17:00; closed 9 February 2027, 24, 25 and 31 December, 1 January |
| NS-Dokumentationszentrum | 2 | Free | Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 19:00; closed Monday |
| Alte Pinakothek | 2 | €9; €1 on Sundays | Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00; Tuesday and Wednesday to 20:00; closed Monday |
| English Garden | 2 | Free | Always open |
| Nymphenburg | 3 | €16 until 31 March; €20 from 1 April | A timed palace slot; 10:00 to 16:00 in winter, last entry 15:30; closed 9 February 2027, 24, 25 and 31 December, 1 January |
| BMW Welt | 3 | Free | Monday to Saturday 7:30 to 24:00; Sunday from 9:00 |
| BMW Museum | 3 | €17 | Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00; closed Monday; no cash |
| Olympiapark | 3 | Free | The Skylift is €13; the Olympic Tower is closed |
Zone M covers the whole city. A day ticket is €10.10 and rises to €10.80 on 1 January 2027: see Munich public transport.
The City Pass
On this plan the Residenz (€20), the Neues Rathaus tower (from €7), the Alte Pinakothek (€9), Nymphenburg (€16 in winter) and the BMW Museum (€17) come to €69, and three day tickets add €30.30, so €99.30. The three-day Munich City Pass with zone M transport is €91.90 and leaves out the BMW Museum, so the same days cost €108.90 with it. The pass pays at about three paid sights a day. See Munich City Pass or Munich Card.
Fitting the plan to your dates
The plan runs Tuesday to Thursday, which keeps every sight open and gives Wednesday evening at the Alte Pinakothek. If your days differ:
- Monday: the Alte Pinakothek, the Pinakothek der Moderne, the BMW Museum and the NS-Dokumentationszentrum are shut. The Residenz, Nymphenburg, the Deutsches Museum, BMW Welt, the English Garden and the Olympiapark are open, so swap day two for the Deutsches Museum.
- Friday: the city’s English Residenz tour runs at 11:00, for €22 with the museum ticket bought separately.
- Saturday: everything on the plan is open.
- Sunday: the state art museums charge €1 each for any visitor, so it is the day for the Alte Pinakothek and the Pinakothek der Moderne, and the NS-Dokumentationszentrum has a free English tour at 13:00. The Viktualienmarkt stalls are shut, and so are most shops. See free things to do in Munich.
- The works on the S-Bahn: trains through the city are cut on named dates from 23 October to 7 December 2026: see Munich public transport.
- Closed days: the Deutsches Museum is closed on 1 November. On Shrove Tuesday, 9 February 2027, the Residenz, Nymphenburg, the Alter Peter tower, the Alte Pinakothek and the Deutsches Museum are shut. The Glockenspiel is silent on Good Friday, 26 March 2027.
- At Christmas: the markets run from 20 November: see Munich Christmas markets 2026.
Day 1: Marienplatz and the Residenz
The Neues Rathaus tower and the Glockenspiel
Tower from €7 · a booked slot · the Glockenspiel at 11:00 and 12:00, free
Book a 20-minute slot for the tower on munich.travel, for about 10:00, and take no backpack or large bag, as there are no lockers. The lift reaches 85 m. Then watch the Glockenspiel from the square at 11:00, a few minutes early: it plays at 12:00 as well, and at 17:00 from March to October. See Munich’s viewpoints and Marienplatz and the Glockenspiel. The Frauenkirche’s tower is closed, but its nave is free and open daily from 8:00 to 20:00.
Lunch at the Viktualienmarkt
Stalls Monday to Saturday from about 8:00 to 20:00 at the latest · shut on Sunday
The market is 140 m from Marienplatz. For restaurants, see where to eat in Munich, and for a guided tasting, Munich food tours.
The Viktualienmarkt, with its maypole and the tower of the Heiliggeistkirche. Photo: Strubbl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Residenz
€20 for the museum, the Treasury and the Cuvilliés-Theater · no timed slot · open to 17:00 in winter
Allow about two hours for the museum and an hour for the Treasury, and start by 13:00 from 26 October, when the palace closes at 17:00. The theatre opens at 14:00 from Monday to Saturday. The online ticket has no entry time, so a “skip the line” product buys nothing here. See the Residenz.
In the evening
A beer hall is the evening: see Munich’s beer halls.
Day 2: the museum quarter and the English Garden
The NS-Dokumentationszentrum
Free · Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 19:00 · U2 to Königsplatz
The exhibition “Munich and National Socialism” stands on the site of the Nazi Party’s former headquarters. Some of it may disturb, and the media guide runs on your own phone, so bring headphones. See the NS-Dokumentationszentrum.
The Alte Pinakothek
€9 · Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00 · open to 20:00 on Tuesday and Wednesday
Allow about two hours. The Pinakothek der Moderne is the same again, and a €12 day ticket sold at a museum ticket office covers both, with Brandhorst and the Sammlung Schack. The Neue Pinakothek is closed until 2029. See Alte Pinakothek tickets and the best museums in Munich.
The English Garden
Free · always open · 5.5 km long
Walk the Hofgarten to the Eisbach, where the wave is a place to watch, not a promise: surfing was allowed again from 8 May 2026, with a leash and not after 22:00. The Monopteros hill has the view, and the Chinese Tower is the beer garden. See the English Garden and Munich’s beer gardens.
Day 3: Nymphenburg, the Olympiapark and BMW
Nymphenburg Palace
€16 until 31 March, €20 from 1 April · a timed slot · 10:00 to 16:00 in winter
Book the palace slot the day before, online, and enter up to an hour after it. Allow two hours for the palace and the Marstallmuseum. In winter the four park pavilions are closed, and the park is free all year. See Nymphenburg Palace tickets.
BMW Welt and the BMW Museum
Welt free · museum €17 · U3 to Olympiazentrum
BMW Welt shows the latest models and where customers collect new cars: allow an hour. The museum opposite has tickets with an entry time and takes no cash. The plant tour (€24, Monday to Friday) is reserved with BMW. See BMW Welt and the museum.
The Olympiapark
Free to walk · the Skylift €13
The Olympic Hill and the lake are across the road. The Olympic Tower has been shut since 1 June 2024 and the stadium roof climb is not running. See the Olympiapark.
The Olympic Stadium and its tent roof, seen from the Olympic Hill. Photo: Amrei-Marie, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Or the Allianz Arena
The tour with the FC Bayern Museum is €25 · about 2.5 hours · booked ahead
On many days nothing is sold on the day, and on match days the museum needs a match ticket. See the Allianz Arena tour.
Or leave Munich
Dachau is free to enter: the regional train takes 11 to 13 minutes, then a bus. The trips to Neuschwanstein, Salzburg, Nuremberg and the Zugspitze are each a full day. See day trips from Munich, Neuschwanstein, the Dachau Memorial Site, Salzburg, Nuremberg and the Zugspitze.
Where to sleep and when to go
Where to stay in Munich compares the areas, and hotels near Munich Hauptbahnhof lists the hotels beside the station. The best time to visit Munich gives the weather by month, Oktoberfest 2027 covers the festival, and Munich on New Year’s Eve 2026 covers 31 December. For the way in, see Munich airport to the city. For the meals, see where to eat in Munich, Munich’s beer halls and beer gardens. For the guided options, see Munich walking tours and Third Reich tours in Munich. For the full list of bookings, see what to book before you go to Munich. The self-guided Munich old town walk and English Garden walk turn the first two days into routes.
Common questions
Is three days enough for Munich?
For the main sights, yes. Day one fits the old town and the Residenz, day two the museum quarter, the NS-Dokumentationszentrum and the English Garden, and day three Nymphenburg, the Olympiapark and BMW Welt.
What should I book before going to Munich?
A timed slot for Nymphenburg's palace, which can be booked online up to the day before, and a 20-minute slot for the Neues Rathaus tower, from €7. The Residenz (€20) and the Alte Pinakothek (€9) need no slot. The Allianz Arena tour (€25) and the BMW plant tour (€24, Monday to Friday) need booking if you add them.
Which days of the week should I avoid for which sights?
On Mondays the Alte Pinakothek, the Pinakothek der Moderne, the BMW Museum and the NS-Dokumentationszentrum are closed. On Sundays the Viktualienmarkt stalls are shut, and the state museums charge €1 and are crowded.
Does the City Pass pay back on this itinerary?
No. The Residenz (€20), the Neues Rathaus tower (from €7), the Alte Pinakothek (€9), Nymphenburg (€16 in winter), the BMW Museum (€17) and three day tickets (€30.30) come to €99.30. The three-day City Pass with zone M transport is €91.90 and leaves out the BMW Museum, so the same days cost €108.90 with it.
Is the Frauenkirche tower open?
No. The South Tower has been closed since 13 August 2026 and no reopening date has been announced. The nave is free and open daily. The Neues Rathaus tower and the Alter Peter are open.
Can I fit a day trip into three days?
Yes, by swapping day three. Dachau is free to enter and 11 to 13 minutes by regional train, then a bus, and Neuschwanstein, Salzburg, Nuremberg and the Zugspitze are each a full day.
