Hello,
My friend and I are arriving at 6:55AM to Munich on Sept. 26th. What can we do? We want to go to the Octoberfest but do not have tickets. Can we wing it or is there a good beer hall/restaurant in town? After that what to do? We don't want to stay all day drinking beer, lol.
Sunday we have a walking tour.
Danke,
Joan
Posted by
Northwest Arkansas
1249 posts
First, you do not need tickets to go to Oktoberfest. The grounds and all of the tents are free to enter. You pay for your food and drinks. Grounds open at 10:00 AM. You should be able to walk in and find two seats at many of the tents on Saturday or Sunday (not sure how long you are planning to be in Munich). Even though most of the table will be reserved by groups, the tents keep some space available for walk-ins.
What else? All of the museums are open at 9:00 or 10:00 AM and then open all day. If the weather is nice, visit the English Garden. Also, be aware that all of the shops close on Sunday. If you want to visit any of the shopping streets, do that on Saturday as well.
And yes, there are many good beer halls and restaurants in town. My two personal favorites are the Augustiner-Keller, just 10 minute walk from the Hauptbahnhof and Paulaner am Nockherberg, which is a bit to the southeast of the old town area.
So, get the Airport City Day ticket. Take the S-Bahn into Munich and put your bags into a locker at the Hbf. Use the U-Bans, trams and busses to explore the city or visit Oktoberfest.
Have a great time.
Posted by
Camano Island, WA, usa
1780 posts
Even if you are not religious... you can still go to a church service on Sunday...if you feel comfortable. They often have great music and wonderful art. I did this for self-educational purposes, and you can meet local people.
Posted by
Bay Area SF & Uppsala Sweden 🇸🇪
2105 posts
If you'd like a visual, I enjoy this You-tuber. He's done a good job on Munich. https://youtu.be/JK1PzIofxPM?si=3H-HupDCpIZBZKCz
Posted by
Maryland
1271 posts
For myself, if I visited Oktoberfest or any other beer hall after an all-night flight I would be asleep at 2pm. One of our splurges on several recent trips has been to have a hotel room the night of our arrival (they need to be told that you will not arrive till the morning). You go to your hotel. Clean up and relax for an hour or two... maybe nap with an alarm for a few hours and then launch into the vacation. Things don't really get started till the afternoon anyway. I think you will get more mileage out of any beer you do find that way...
Posted by
OP
71 posts
Thank you for all the great responses.
Will definitely consider all.
Danke!
Joan
Posted by
OP
71 posts
Love the visual. Forwarded it to my friend.
Posted by
Bay Area SF & Uppsala Sweden 🇸🇪
2105 posts
That was a funny reply about not going to the Oktoberfest too early, how true! There's so much to see & do in Munich I would want to stay outside and walk around. A delicious coffee and pastry could help ease your pain!? Maybe a not-too-heavy pub lunch? After a long flight and a bit dehydrated, I might stick with a Radler (Shandy), half beer & half lemonade. Scroll partway down this thread for a list of favorite breweries in Munich. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/germany/7-nights-in-munich-salzburg-berchtesgaden. Have a wonderful trip!