3 days in Munich: a day-by-day sightseeing plan

Munich combines a compact old town of churches and squares with a museum district and large parks, and most of it is easy on foot. Day one covers the Deutsches Museum and the old town around Marienplatz, day two is the long one, from Nymphenburg and the Olympic Park through the English Garden to the Residenz, and day three is a shorter morning of old masters and Greek sculpture around Königsplatz.

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Day 1

The Deutsches Museum, Marienplatz and the Frauenkirche

5 stops

09:00
Deutsches Museum
About 1 h 40 min
One of the world's largest museums of science and technology, on an island in the Isar, with aircraft, ships, mining tunnels and scientific instruments. Ninety minutes only covers a few halls, so choose two or three sections before you go.
Walk, 15 min
10:55
St. Peter's Church, Munich
About 45 min
Munich's oldest parish church has a tower known as Alter Peter, whose narrow, steep stairs lead to a view over Marienplatz and, on clear days, the Alps. The Viktualienmarkt food market is right below for lunch.
Walk, 2 min
11:45
Marienplatz
About 20 min
The city's main square since the twelfth century, with the Mary's Column at its centre and the Old Town Hall at its eastern end. It is the hub for the rest of the day, so take a short look around before the town hall.
Walk, 1 min
12:10
New Town Hall
About 45 min
The Gothic Revival town hall fills the north side of Marienplatz, and its Glockenspiel in the tower plays at set times of day. A lift takes you up the tower for a view over the old town roofs.
Walk, 3 min
13:00
Frauenkirche
About 50 min
Munich's cathedral, with its two onion-domed towers, is the symbol of the city's skyline. Inside, look for the devil's footprint near the entrance, tied to a local legend about how the church was built.

Day 2

Nymphenburg, the Olympic Park, the English Garden and the Residenz

5 stops

09:00
Nymphenburg Palace
About 1 h 40 min
The Baroque summer palace in the west of the city has the Gallery of Beauties, the room where King Ludwig II was born and large formal gardens with pavilions behind it. The morning slot covers the main palace and a first walk in the gardens.
Taxi, 9 min
10:50
Olympiapark
About 1 h
The park built for the 1972 Olympics is known for its sweeping tent-like roofs over the stadium and halls. Walk up the grassy Olympiaberg for a view over the grounds, or take the lift up the Olympic Tower for the wider one.
Taxi, 9 min
12:00
Englischer Garten
About 1 h 5 min
One of the largest city parks in the world, where you can watch surfers on the Eisbach wave, walk up to the Monopteros temple for a view and pass the Chinese Tower beer garden. An hour gives you the southern part.
Taxi, 4 min
13:10
Munich Residence
About 2 h 30 min
The former palace of the Bavarian rulers is the largest city palace in Germany, and the plan gives it a long afternoon for the Antiquarium and the state rooms. It comes late in a full day, so start with the rooms you care about; the Treasury and the Cuvilliés Theatre are separate visits.
Walk, 3 min
15:45
Theatine Church
About 30 min
The yellow Baroque church on Odeonsplatz was built as thanks for the birth of an heir, and its white stucco interior is one of the brightest in Munich. After a short look inside, walk through the Hofgarten next door to end the day.

Day 3

The Alte Pinakothek and Königsplatz

4 stops

09:00
Alte Pinakothek
About 1 h 40 min
One of the oldest public galleries in the world, with Dürer, Rubens, Rembrandt and Italian masters in long, top-lit halls. Rubens' huge canvases have a hall of their own.
Walk, 6 min
10:50
Glyptothek
About 1 h 35 min
King Ludwig I built this temple-fronted museum for his Greek and Roman sculpture, including the Barberini Faun and the figures from the temple at Aegina. It faces Königsplatz, a wide neoclassical square worth a slow walk across.
Walk, 2 min
12:30
Propylaea
About 20 min
The columned gate on the west side of Königsplatz was built for Ludwig I in the style of ancient Athens. It is a quick stop: walk through it and look back across the square to the Glyptothek.
Walk, 11 min
13:05
Nornenbrunnen
About 20 min
A small Art Nouveau fountain on Maximiliansplatz, carved in limestone in 1907, showing the three Norns, the goddesses of fate in Germanic legend. It is a quick stop on the walk back toward the old town, where the afternoon is yours.

Good to know

Day two is long: the Residenz is a big visit and comes after three other stops, so pace the morning or move the Olympic Park to day three, which is shorter.
Days one and three are on foot; the U-Bahn, trams or a taxi cover the rides on day two between Nymphenburg, the Olympic Park, the English Garden and the Residenz.
During Oktoberfest each autumn the city fills up and accommodation books out early.
Several of the museums close one day a week, so check before you fix which day you do what.
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Open in Atlazi

3 days in Munich: a day-by-day sightseeing plan

Deutsches Museum

St. Peter's Church, Munich

Marienplatz

New Town Hall

Frauenkirche

Nymphenburg Palace

Olympiapark

Englischer Garten

Munich Residence

Theatine Church

Alte Pinakothek

Glyptothek

Propylaea

Nornenbrunnen

Good to know

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