Activity suggestions for short time in Munich during first trip ever to Europe

I've been in Munich a couple of times for short stints. It is a beautiful city with a lot to do. I would recommend staying on or near the Marienplatz which is maybe a 10-15 minute walk from the train station. Make sure to see the clock tower. We enjoyed the beer halls. The Augustiner probably a bit more than the Hofbrauhaus, but both were an experience. We did RS's walking tour from the guide. We went into all the churches. You don't have time but the Residenz and Nymphenburg are both worthwhile. I think Nymphenburg is just as enjoyable as Neuschwanstein, just not in the alps. The Viktualien market is enjoyable and just off the Marienplatz.

Agree that a good place to stay is near Marienplatz. You just say "We arrive in Munich in mid-morning" but if you mean at the airport then when all is said and done (deplane, immigration, get to hotel, etc) figure it's probably noon or later before you set out. A walking or food-walking tour could be fun, as is walking around the pedestrianized downtown area. Many walking tours you just show up at the listed place, but food walking tours are often prepaid. You can look up a list of museums (art, science, car, etc) and see if your friend is interested in any of them. And for atmosphere I'd have dinner in a beer garden. Jet lag is harder to predict but I find I have more energy the day of arrival than the next one. Also probably a good idea to ask your doctor for a sleeping pill prescription.

I really like the Hotel Lux which is right near Marienplatz. We have rented bikes through Mike's Bike Tours (they do tours as well as just rent the bikes) and ride through the English Garden.

Read about Jet Lag under the TRAVEL TIPS section here - it's under TRANSPORTATION - FLYING.

Stay in the old town area, near Marienplatz. We love Hotel Platzl or Hotel Schlicker.

I'd say do a tour of the City, we love a Third Reich Tour and a Dachau Concentration Camp Tour (although you can do it on your own). We really like bighattours.com - he is very very good.

Get the Rick Steves Munich guidebook and since you've never been to Europe, get his book EUROPE THROUGH THE BACK DOOR (this book is sometimes cheaper on Amazon vs this website, so is the Munich guidebook, so check both places for the best price. - it goes over everything you need to know about money, CC, Debit Cards, trains. Also read the TRAVEL TIPS section here on this site - lots of good info on money, etc.

Does the boat leave the next day? If so, I'd maybe skip Munich and get to the cruise town - a train strike or delay can really ruin a trip.

Your friend's idea about going directly to Vilshofen has some merit, and that is what I'd do. I just like to be in the departure town the night before a cruise starts, in case there are unexpected snags such as transportation problems which seem to be the norm these days. Yes it is a small town, but your'll only be there part of day and evening and you'll be tired and jet lagged during that time anyway, so you might not really be up to much activity. Not sure when you have to board your river boat, but being able to take it easy and not be rushed the day of departure will (in my opinion) be better than being stressed about literally missing the boat. Do a google search on Vilshofen and you'll probably find there'll be enought to keep you occupied.

We arrive in Munich in mid-morning, then will have all of that day and part of the next to get to Vilshofen.

You really don’t have much time in Munich but it’s worth the overnight. By the time you land, take the tram to Marienplatz, check in to your hotel it will be afternoon. I visited Munich for the first time in June, three days at the start of my trip and two at the end. Unfortunately I had a bad case of jet lag the first day that I couldn’t push through and had to nap. I took a Guru Walks tour but I was too tired to enjoy it.

As others said stay near Marienplatz, easy access to everything. I stayed at Hotel Am Markt, at the edge of Viktualienmarkt but it’s quite noisy.

Since I love museums, palaces and castles I went to both Nyphenburg Palace/Marstallmuseum and the Munich Residenz/Treasury. I found the latter much more interesting and better displays, including Crown Jewels. With your limited time, it will be worth a visit, plus it’s a few block walk from Marienplatz. Be sure to visit Frauenkirche to see the Devil’s Footprint.

I don’t think you will have time to go to Dachau on your second day. It deserves time to reflect on the history of the sight and the era. I revisited Munich at the end of my trip and spent a good part of a day at Dachau. If I were you, I’d take the train to your cruise port early the second day as a “just in case”. You didn’t say what time you have to board.

Enjoy your trip. Oh, I found Munich to use more cash that other European cities I visited so have or get a few euros when you land. Also it’s easy to buy train and local transport tickets on the DB Train and MVV Munich apps. Downland the apps and open accounts with credit card info before you leave home.

I think the Nymphenburg Palace far exceeds Neuschwanstein Castle in terms of quality experience and it is just a 10 minute tram ride from the Central Station. Why visit a "fake" castle when you can visit a real one?

If staying over in Munich (and I know nothing of Vilshofen, so can't comment), I would, yes, stay near Marienplatz. I like Hotel Torbräu which is very near the Sbahn at Isartor. It is a quick walk to Marienplatz, Viktualienmarkt, , Frauenkirche, Hofbrauhaus (and similar). Just making a loop around the Altstadt is more than enough to keep you busy for the hours left on arrival day. Go to Dalmayr for some chocolate to take on the cruise. Definitely get an RS Munich book out of the library before your trip to read up on the basic but helpful info - this is a pocket edition guidebook.

Having myself arrived around the same time you mention, I would certainly not look to visit the castles - have energy to climb up to Neuschwanstein after a transatlantic flight? I can't imagine. Neither would I look to visit any museums - take too long to get there and absorb anything, or Dachau - same, or Nymphenburg. The center of Munich is beautiful with lots of absorbing markets, churches, architecture, eateries. I would take that all in, have a lovely meal - there is a restaurant at the hotel I mentioned, and many in the neighborhood, and then hit the ground running the next morning. You can easily walk to the train station, or take the Ubahn.

If you decide to go directly to Vilshofen, please report back what that is like. Enjoy.

Oh my goodness, THANK YOU ALL for your wonderful advice and recommendations! To answer a few of your questions, the flight is scheduled to land MUC at 9:30am Wednesday morning, and the boat departs Vilshofen at 5:00pm Thursday afternoon (although we'll plan to be on board sooner). I will definitely look into all of these lodging, food and activities recommendations, as well as the RS guidebook(s). I'm new to the RS website, so thanks also for pointing me to all of the great advice found on other parts of the site. Seems like everything I've been wondering about is covered somewhere on here. What a fantastic community of travelers!

Thanks again...I'll pop back in here to see any more comments you might have and to provide updates. Happy New Year!

If you prefer to stay closer to Vilshofen, my recommendation would be Landshut.
It's a beautiful old town about halfway between Munich and Vilshofen, overlooked by Trausnitz Castle.
https://www.burg-trausnitz.de/

There is an hourly direct train from the airport to Landshut and there is an hourly train from Landshut to Vilshofen (just over 1 hour).

Paul636 - I love the Landshut idea. Am checking it out now...that might be a great option for us. Thank you!

or Passau. Vilshofen is just down the road or up the river, just over 20 km or 12.5 miles. It is the nearest city and is smack on the Danube too. In fact, it is where 3 rivers all join up. The Danube is the main one, the Inn (where Innsbruck gets its name) and the Ils (the little one) all come together at one spot - the Three River Confluence (Dreiflüsseeck) and that's an impressive sight. The Danube River is blue, the Inn River is green and the Ilz River is black

Is your ship heading downriver past Passau or upriver past Regensburg? Either way both are most excellent.