Home Walking tours by city Munich
Self-Guided Walking Tours in Munich
Munich rebuilt its bombed centre to the medieval street plan rather than modernising it, a decision taken by a narrow council vote in 1946 that shaped everything the city looks like now.
So the old town reads as old, even though much of it is younger than the suburbs. It is compact, flat and almost entirely pedestrianised from Karlsplatz to Marienplatz, and the English Garden — larger than Central Park — starts a few minutes from the middle of it. Munich is one of the least strenuous major walking cities in Europe.
Takes about a minute. Munich is already filled in — choose your time, pace and interests and the route is planned around them.
What to build a Munich walking tour around
Marienplatz and the Glockenspiel
The New Town Hall's 43 bells and 32 figures re-enact a 1568 wedding and a plague dance, daily at 11am. It takes about fifteen minutes.
The Viktualienmarkt
A food market since 1807, with a beer garden in the middle where you may bring your own food but must buy the beer.
The English Garden
3.7 square kilometres, larger than Central Park, and a standing river wave at the Eisbach where surfers queue year-round.
The Residenz
The Wittelsbachs' city palace, ten courtyards deep, and the largest urban palace in Germany.
The Hofbräuhaus
A ducal brewery from 1589, opened to the public in 1828. Regulars keep their own steins in locked cages on the wall.
Olympiapark
The 1972 Olympic site, with a tent roof designed by Frei Otto that was structurally unprecedented, built on rubble from the war.
Three routes worth walking in Munich
The old town circuit
Karlsplatz through the pedestrian zone to Marienplatz, the Frauenkirche, the Residenz and the Hofgarten — flat, car-free, about 3 km.
Market to English Garden
The Viktualienmarkt, the Isar riverbank, then the Eisbach wave and the Chinese Tower beer garden.
Third Reich Munich
Königsplatz, the NS-Dokumentationszentrum and the Feldherrnhalle — the city where the party began, told where it happened.
Practical notes for walking Munich
- Terrain and surfaces
- Flat, wide pavements, excellent accessibility. A very easy city to walk long distances in without noticing.
- Best time to walk
- May to September for beer gardens. Late September to early October is Oktoberfest, which fills every hotel in Bavaria.
- Driving here
- Easy to drive and well signposted, with a low-emission zone in the centre. Excellent drives to Neuschwanstein, the Alps and the lakes at Starnberg and Tegernsee.
- Size
- Munich, Bavaria, Germany — population about 1.5 million.
Neighbourhoods worth a route of their own
Not just walking
The same route planner covers Munich on foot, at a run, by bike, by car and with wheelchair-accessible routing that avoids steps and kerbs rather than simply relabelling the walking route. Pick the way you are getting around and the stops, distances and timings are planned for it.
Start one now for Munich: driving tour · wheelchair-accessible route · cycling tour
Or read more: self-guided driving tours · accessible tours · audio tours
Questions about walking Munich
Is Munich walkable in one day?
The old town is, easily — Karlsplatz to the Residenz is 1.5 km and pedestrianised the whole way. Adding the English Garden makes a full and comfortable day.
What is the best free thing to do in Munich on foot?
Watch the surfers on the Eisbach wave at the south entrance of the English Garden. It runs year-round, including in snow, and costs nothing.
What is a self-guided walking tour?
A route you walk on your own schedule, with the commentary delivered to your phone instead of by a guide. There is no meeting point and no group — you start when you want, stop as long as you like at anything that interests you, and skip anything that does not.
How is this different from a guided walking tour?
A guided tour runs to someone else's schedule and someone else's route, and it covers what the guide covers. This builds the route around the time you actually have, the pace you want to walk at and the things you said you were interested in — and it will wait as long as you like at any stop.
Can I do a driving tour instead of walking?
Yes. Walking, running, cycling, driving and wheelchair-accessible routing are all supported, and each uses routing built for that mode — a driving tour follows roads and sensible parking, a walking tour uses paths and crossings.
Other cities
- Self-guided walking tours in Berlin
- Self-guided walking tours in New York City
- Self-guided walking tours in San Francisco
- Self-guided walking tours in Bruges
- All 43 city guides
A 24-hour pass is $6.95 and covers unlimited tours. Joining someone else’s tour is free.