First time in Munich for 5 days! Advice on itinerary, Please!

I've done Füssen as a day trip, but not from Munich. I did Salzburg as a day trip from Munich. That worked pretty good. Rothenburg is a little farther, at least time wise, and it would really be nice to spend an evening there, so I would plan an overnight trip. That doesn't leave you much time for Munich (I could probably spend a week there). I'd suggest two days in Munich, Rothenburg as an overnight trip, and Füssen. Save Salzburg for another trip and spend more time, see Berchtesgaden, Hallstatt, maybe Herrenchiemsee.

Hi Tami, We've been to all the places you've listed. We've visited Salzburg 4 times, Fuessen twice and Rothenburg once. Rothenburg is best if you stay overnight. the Nightwatchman Tour was the highlight for us, which starts at 8pm. The old town is also less crowded (even more charming) after dinner after the day tripping tour buses leave. That said, I would put Salzburg as a "must see". Close to Munich and a true gem of an old town. It's pretty compact and you'll see a lot in a full day. Salzburg is a favorite of ours. Fuessen is well worth a visit, especially if your seeing Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles 10 minutes away. There's also the Tegelberg cable car and luge ride (Sommerrodelbahn) just a mile or so from the castles. My priority list would be: 1 - Salzburg 2 - Fuessen (with Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, Tegelberg).
3 - Rothenburg That's just my order, it all depends on what interests you most. Paul

Hello Tami,
There is so much to do in Munich...you could very easily spend 5 days in Munich and surrounding area alone. That is what I would suggest to you. What ever you decide have a great time.

Thank you so much for your quick feedback. In Salzburg, is the salt mine tour doable for a day trip, and still have time to see other sights? Which sights do you recommend? In Munich, do you know anything about beer and food tour?
Some posts that I have read about Fussen express that there are less "touristy" castles than Neuschwanstein castle. Thoughts? ( Although the gondola and luge sound fun! I am also interested in paragliding!) What are some favorite restaurants or food experiences in these cities?

"Some posts that I have read about Fussen express that there are less "touristy" castles than Neuschwanstein castle. Thoughts?" It takes 5 hours round trip to travel to N'stein / H'schwangau and back from Munich. N'stein is a late 19th century home, or palace, but it isn't a castle, which by definition is a structure with fortifications against outside attack. It was lived in for 6 months and thereafter became a tourist attraction on account of its fanciful design and its eventual use by Walt Disney as an inspiration for his theme park's Cinderella's Castle (which has a drawbridge and a moat and therefore is actually closer to being a "castle" than N'stein.) In both places, the only hordes that have ever invaded are tourists. Real castles built hundreds and hundreds of years earlier exist in Germany. Many have been turned into rubble by the French or fallen apart over time. In Bavaria, Burghausen, with a history of about 1,000 years, is near the Austrian border and in my limited experience with castles, one of the better ones to visit. Some photos: http://www.burgenseite.de/html/burghausen.html English description and photos: http://www.roadstoruins.com/burghausen.html It takes about 2:10 min. each way to Burghausen from Munich, still a long daytrip, but it's a castle. In Salzburg you can visit Hohensalzburg Castle. From Salzburg, a daytrip by train (45 min. each way) to Hohenwerfen (in nearby Werfen) might be possible but would probably mean an overnight stay in Salzburg: http://www.salzburg-burgen.at/en/werfen/

Also: Instead of the long daytrip to the palaces in Füssen, it is possible to visit one of Ludwig's palaces on the way to Salzburg. Prien is a train stop mid-way between Munich and Salzburg and the home of Herrenchiemsee Palace, on an island in Chiemsee Lake. Stow bags in a Prien station locker and spend a few hours there. http://www.herrenchiemsee.de/englisch/n_palace/index.htm

I can help a little with Munich. I did this exact tour in 2010 and loved it. The best walking tour I have found is Frommer's walking tour #1. You can google it and print it right off. For the record, I use Rick Steves for everything else. That walking tour hits most of the "sights" in downtown Munich. It ends at the Königsplatz. There is a U-bahn stop there that you can take to the Main Train Station (2 stops south). Go to the front of the station and get on Tram #17. Tram #17 will take you to the Nymphenburg Palace. If you aren't "toured" out yet, it's a pretty impressive place. Either way, after a day of walking treat yourself to the Hirschgarten Bier Garten (it's on the Nymphenburg grounds). The Hirschgarten is the largest beer garden in Munich and serves the Augustiner Beer, which is my absolute favorite. After a beer and snack there, walk back to the Tram #17 stop and return towards the Main Train Station. The Augustiner Keller is on the way back. The Augustiner Keller is another impressive beer garden. It has wonderful food and as you can imagine, serves the Augustiner beer! WOW, what a day you just had!

I didn't take a salt mine tour in Salzburg, but it seemed like most of them I saw were at least half a day. I wouldn't recommend it for a day trip to Salzburg from Munich. Salzburg is actually really beautiful at night. I would want at least one night in Salzburg. I also would definitely stay one night in Rothenburg. The nightwatchman's tour was my favorite part! If it was me I would probably drop Fuessen unless you really have an interest in the castles. Not that they aren't worth the trip-you just have too many good options for the time! Have fun whatever you decide. I love all of those places.

I have done two salt mine tours, one near Salzburg and the other near Krakow. While I found the Salzburg tour to be somewhat interesting, I didn't think it was worth the effort to get there. However, the salt mine tour near Krakow in Wieliczka, Poland was really cool. If you ever see yourself visiting Krakow, I would save the salt mine experience for Poland. With limited time I would prefer to tour the castles/palaces near Munich. While Neuschwanstein and Hohenschangau are not really castles but rather private homes, I still thought they were fun to see and interesting to visit, and the surrounding countryside is beautiful. The view from St. Mary's bridge is lovely. I also love Rothenburg. While it is touristy, it is very charming and very Bavarian (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang). The houses are very gingerbread-ish and the flower boxes are spilling over with flowers. The nightwatchman's tour is not to be missed so I would recommend an overnight.

I think 5 days in Munich is a great idea and there is much to do. I've been three times and enjoyed the art museums, Schloss Nymphenburg, the BMW museum/BMW Welt building, the Englischer Gardens. Walked through and played minigolf in Olympic park and saw a concert at night there. Spent almost an entire day at the Deutsches Museum. Then there is Dauchau. Salzburg and the gorgeous lake district is close but also worth a night. I'd rather be outdoors than in a salt mine when near the lake district.
Another close day trip that comes to mind is Regensburg, a UNESCO world heritage site, but I find Munich lively and might postpone that until a second visit. I liked seeing N'stein, and the other royal residences nearby including Linderhof. Have a great time.

Tami, Munich makes a fantastic home base in that part of Germany, and provides lots of opportunities. You should have no trouble finding things to do for five days! In Munich, you might consider taking a walking tour (Radius Tours) to get a brief overview of the history. The Deutsches Museum is awesome (16 kM of exhibits) and lots to see around Marienplatz. Most visitors want to have a look at the famous Hofbrauhaus and the "show" which takes place there. There may be "less touristy" Castles in the area, but if you haven't seen Neuschwanstein or Hohenschwangau, it's worth a visit (IMO). Be sure to visit Marienbrücke as that provides an incredible view of the Castle. You can either take a day tour with Radius Tours or make the tour reservations (you'll get a specific time) and travel to Füssen on your own. Those that are interested in WW-II history make a trip to Dachau. You'll have to decide if that's for you, as it is a bit "intense". You could also easily visit Berchtesgaden, as it's close. They have a Salt Mine tour there, and of course the famous Eagle's Nest and Dokumentation Centre & Bunkers. Salzburg is also a quick trip. Lots of Mozart and Sound of Music sites to see and of course the Hohensalzburg Fortress on the hill above town. It's easy to spend half a day wandering around the Fortress (incredible views of the city)! One of the most beautiful parts of Austria is not far from Salzburg, the town of Hallstatt. Unfortunately it's not easy to do as a day trip. There's also a fantastic Salt Mine tour there (the town and mine are older than Rome!). Happy travels!

Wow! I am so appreciative for all of the feedback! I have taken notes and will add some of these details to our trip. We leave in two days!!!
Yes, we are going to the BMW Welt (in fact that is the main reason for the trip, to get a car!) Hmmm...minigolf at the Olympic park sounds fun! And we have arranged a walking tour of downtown Munich for Sat. The Hofbrauhaus sounds fun too! Thank you all for your input. It was very kind of you to take the time to help steer us in the right direction. Very excited...must go finish packing!

Tami, Enjoy your trip. I've been to Munich four times and love it there. I never run out of things to see or do. One thing I might point out is the Bayern ticket. It's a day ticket for up to five people if you have that many? It allows travel anywhere in Bavaria for a great price. I've even used it to go to Salzburg. Here is their website. http://www.munich-touristinfo.de/Bavaria-Ticket.htm Enjoy,
Bob

Tami, Enjoy your trip. I've been to Munich four times and love it there. I never run out of things to see or do. One thing I might point out is the Bayern ticket. It's a day ticket for up to five people if you have that many? It allows travel anywhere in Bavaria for a great price. I've even used it to go to Salzburg. Here is their website. http://www.munich-touristinfo.de/Bavaria-Ticket.htm Enjoy,
Bob

Tami, have a fun time in Bavaria--one of my favs in Europe. And what a great souvenir--a Beemer! Have a great trip and tell us all about it in the Trip Report section of this forum.