Itinerary help- Bavaria with kids (7 and 8.5)

Munich is a great European city, and worthy of more than two nights. The Residenz and Nyphemburg Palace are both well worth visiting as are many other sights in the city.
We prefer to drop down into Austria into The Alps rather than stay at Garmisch. It's just over 35 miles, and the mountain vistas are just breathtaking. The drive up to Salzburg area is also very easy from there.
There's so much to see in Salzburg--close by Berchtesgaden. We enjoy staying in the center city as it's a very walkable place. Hallstadt is a good day trip from Salzburg, but we might find it a little boring for 3 nights.

We took our teens to an alpine coaster in Oberammergau and had a blast. They would have loved it at younger ages.
I can't recommend any in the specific areas you'll be in, but I'm sure a quick Google search will come up with a few results.

Do your daughters like pancakes? Be sure to order Kaiserschmarrn, a torn pancake with raisins and applesauce. It will be on almost every Bavarian menu.

Google Hallstatt Salt Mine Tours to see in your girls would be interested in such an activity. Be sure to check if there is a minimum age or weight requirement.

Since you will be in Hallstatt, I presume you will visit Salzburg. If not, suggest you do so.

Two nights in Munich and Garmisch are not enough. Suggest taking the cog train or cable car up to the top of the Zugspitze, the kids would like it.

I did a two day hike from Garmisch to the top of the Zugspitze (not mountain climbing, it was hiking). You may not want to do this with elementary school kids. I did it with teenagers.

I know that each spot is certainly worthy of more time, but this is the time that we have in each location. We do not need to see it all, and I know the pace with our girls will be more leisurely than I am used to. I also think some of the typical must-sees might not hold their attention in the way that it would for adults and am comfortable skipping some of those things. Actual recommendations for sites, etc. would be most helpful.

Yes, we will be going to Salzburg. We can walk to the salt mine in Hallstatt from our accommodations and are very excited to do that!

My wife and I stayed in Berchtesgaden for 3 weeks in 2019. When in Berchtesgaden, for kids, I would suggest the Salt Mine Tour, if I remember correctly, the link here is the one we went too: https://www.salzbergwerk.de/de

The kids that I noticed during our tour absolutely loved it. That website link has info on touring with kids too.

Other great thing in Berchtesgaden the kids will love is The Eagles Nest. Here is a link to Rick's page that mentions the Eagles Nest and a little about the Berchtesgaden Salt Mine Tour. https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/hitlers-eagles-nest-at-berchtesgaden

I have experience with kids having had two-both adults now with their own families. But these two activities are what I noticed when I was there and seen families with kids. Kids seemed to love these two activities.

My family went with kids slightly older (youngest was almost 11 at the time) last summer to 2 of the spots you mention. Offering my take below...

2 nights in Munich - Kids really liked scootering around the city and in certain parts this felt safe enough for young kids given pedestrian areas and/or small roads; they also liked that you could "ride" down the stream that runs through the English Garden (strong current; gentle enough in 1 section for kids - if you pick your feet up it pushes you right along) plus watching the surfers at the Eisbachwelle spot in the Garden; They weren't that into the Palaces; Youngest kid declared the pizza place a block down from the main train station (L'Osteria Muenchen Kuensterlerhaus) to be the BEST pizza he's had in his life. :)

2 nights in Garmisch-Partenkirchen - we didn't stay here but had planned to initially. Doing the Partnach gorge hike, the summer rodelbahn (luge) just below that, and maybe the one PP above mentioned in Oberamergau were on our list. So was seeing the restored castle & highline walk in Reutte.

2 nights in Berchtesgaden - we stayed here 3 nights and wished we had more. Fun kid-oriented stuff we did - the cable car up Mt Jenner & super short walk from the top out to the lookout peak there, the salt mine tour in town, summer rodelbahn Keltenblitz in Duerrnberg - cable car up was great & ride down super fun, Seisenberg gorge (hour away - Almbach gorge is right in town though) with super narrow cliff walls, Rupertus Therme 30 min from there had a nice kids area on the lowest floor (and heavenly areas up above for adults &/or quieter kids), boat ride on Koenigsee & super short hike back to Obersee - nice ice cream & snacks spot on the path between them. Best spot we ate was on the side of a mountain & had a small playground right next to it - Gasthof Vorderbrand. We also liked Gasthof Neuhaus a lot right in town.

A recent trip report from a parent with kids who are a little older: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/germany-june-2022-with-2-kids-munich-alps-saltzburg

Ha! Shawna posted while I was posting a link to her trip report 😁.

Adding on - with kids that age especially i'd also try to make a bit of time for playgrounds. When mine were a bit younger they found the different playground set-ups that some spots had really memorable. If you google "Spielplatz" and check out photos just south/north and around Berchtesgaden there are a few that look like they'd be fun as a quick stop on the way to things.

Thanks, Dave! :)

I would not worry too much about food. Most German and Austrian restaurants have a childrens menu: Wiener and bread, Kinder Schnitzel and Pommes, Knödel with Sauce, Spaghetti, etc. You can usually get a smaller portion from the main menu or "Seniors" portion for a few Euro less too. There is always Pizza, but it is thin and generally eaten with a knife and fork. Most Butchers and Bakeries will have types of fresh sandwiches around lunch and stores pre-made food available.

Thank you so much everyone!

Shawna, I did pour over your amazing trip recap. It is so helpful! We will absolutely be spending plenty of time at playgrounds. My girls so love them, and I am excited to see how they differ from American playgrounds, since I have heard that they are designed to be more adventurous.

has anyone done Neuschwanstein castle with kids? Trying to decide if it will be worth it since it is quite west of where we will be staying. Also, curious about the Partnach Groge. Some sites say that it is kid friendly, while others say it is too dangerous. My kids are not super little, but they are not experienced hikers.

Thank you for the reassurance about the food! It all sounds fantastic to me, but most food does. I will skip the pizza, but I’m from New Haven and am an absolute pizza snob 😆

Shawna, just seeing your mention about the gorge. TY!

Here are some recommendations:

• In Munich if the weather is bad for hiking you can visit the Deutsches Museum Kids Kingdom. They will love it. Purchase your tickets online to avoid the line.
• Most Biergartens have good playgrounds. We always like the Hofbräukeller Biergarten on Weinerplatz.
• One alternative to hiking is a visit to one of the many lakes in the foot hills of the Alps. I'm always partial to Tegernsee (and nearby Schliersee) for a good lake/alps/villages combo close to Munich. The Tegernsee has several small villages surrounding it which are joined by bus, a foot/cycle path and ferries across the lake. It can be accessed from Munich using the BRB train (they have a combo BRB-MVV ticket). Since it is a touristy area there is a lot of good infrastructure for visitors. There is a great Brewery/Restaurant right on the lake, Bräustüberl Tegernsee. If the weather is nice you can take the cable car up Wallberg and hike to a hut in the mountains for nice lunch.
• One last cool thing to do with kids is to take the train to the Markus Wasmeier Bauernhof und Wintersportmuseum. This is a folk museum where the grounds consist of several relocated farm buildings giving a glimpse of what life was like in Upper Bavaria farms in the past few centuries.

DJ

Thank you, DJ! These are such helpful and specific recommendations. I will absolutely be looking into them!

In Munich - Therme-Erding, the worlds largest indoor waterpark/spa. (I know, you didn't plan on a water park, but your kids will love it.) Also, the Deutsches Museum has an underground mining exhibit; every time I've been there it's been full of kids chasing each other in the dark tunnels. Steiff (teddy bears, etc) has a shop in Munich. And you can always try the Kindermuseum.

In Garmisch - If the weather's clear do go up the Zugspitz. There's an easy hike to the Riessersee that has a waterfall. I think there's a doll museum, but I may be getting that mixed up with Nuremberg.

In Hallstadt - You might consider Hanger 7 if the kids are into planes or fast cars. It's closer to Salzburg, but you really should visit Salzburg anyways. Hallstadt is pretty small; you can see it all in a day.

The kids are probably going to want to eat on the go, and they are going to see all kinds of foods on display. From the permanent stalls at the Munich Victual Market to the huge variety of Imbiss stands they are going to want to try stuff. And, when faced with 30 different types of pretzels (for example) who wouldn't. Watch the students, they know where to go for good, cheap, eats.

@KGC
The mining exhibition in the Deutsches Museum is closed for several years now.