Nymphenburg Palace Hall of Mirrors Munich Germany three day itinerary things to do 72 hours
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72 Hours in Munich Germany, Three Day Itinerary

Sherianne Higgins·
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Munich Germany Three Day Itinerary for First-Timers

It is difficult to determine how to best use your 72 hours in Munich Germany, there are so many great things to see and do. This 3-day itinerary is jam-packed with must-see sites and top attractions, including, Hofbrauhaus, Marienplatz, Munich Residenz, Eisbachwelle, the English Garden, Nymphenburg Palace, Karlsplatz, and Dachau Concentration Camp. Looking for more options? Check out these additional things to do in Munich to supplement this itinerary. Have more time? Add a day trip from Munich to the Romantic Road or Neuschwanstein Castle. It is possible to travel the world with limited PTO, here’s how to visit Munich in three days. Enjoy your time out of the office!

READ Complete Germany Travel Guide, What You Need to Know

72 Hours in Munich Germany Itinerary

Begin by booking your hotel close to the main train station. Take the airport train into town and purchase a three-day transit pass at the station. Check into the hotel and drop off your bags. I booked a single room at the Creative Elephant. It was nothing fancy with a great location.

Nymphenburg Palace Hall of Mirrors Munich Germany three day itinerary things to do 72 hours
Nymphenburg Palace

Day One: Nymphenburg Palace and Karlsplatz

9 am Take the ‘S’ to Nymphenburg Palace and wander the enormous garden. Take a peek into the terrace windows at the grand foyer. This is the best room in the palace.

3 pm Make your way to the Sendlinger Tor. Visit the Asam Church. Wander Sendlinger Str then walk down Herzog-Wilhelm-Strabe toward Karlsplatz. Photograph the Karlstor.

6 pm Have dinner at Kunstlerhaus. Check out the Wittelsbach Fountain. Walk along the Botanical Garden checking out the Neptune Fountain and District Court on your way back to the hotel.

Asam Church Munich Germany Baroque church, Munich Germany three day itinerary things to do 72 hours
Asam Church

Day Two: Munich Residenz, Eisbachwelle, and the English Garden

8 am Grab a coffee and take the ‘U’ to Odeonsplatz. Wander the Hofgarden. Visit Munich Residenz, it is amazing. The treasury holds the crown jewels. The theater is gorgeous but does not open until 2 pm.

12 pm Visit Theatine Church. Photograph Feldemhalle, Bayerisches National Theater, and the Druckebergergasse Golden Path. Have lunch in a sidewalk café.

2 pm Grab the bus to Eisbachwelle and watch the surfers. Take the bus back to Ludwigstrabe and walk toward Universitat. Stop at the White Rose Memorial and visit St Ludwig Munchen Church. Continue on to photograph Siegestor.

5 pm Have dinner and a beer at the English Garden’s beer garden.

Day Three: Dachau Concentration Camp, Marienplatz, and Hofbrauhaus

8 am Buy an extension to your transportation pass and head to Dachau Concentration Camp on the ‘S’. Hear the stories of the political prisoners and labor workers. If this is too emotional, visit the Olympic Village instead.

11 am Head to Viktualienmarket for a quick lunch. Explore Marienplatz for the remainder of the day. Watch the Glockenspiel at 12:30. Climb the 299 steps of St Peters Tower for rooftop views. Check out the New Town Hall and the Juristitisch Bibliotek. See the Devil’s footprint at Frauenkirche. Have coffee overlooking Marienplatz at Café Glockenspiel or in the Galleria’s Café. Shop for souvenirs along the way.

5 pm Walk past and photograph Isartor on your way to the famous Hofbrauhaus. Enjoy dinner and a beer.

Hofbrauhaus beer garden brewery restaurant Munich Germany three day itinerary things to do 72 hours
Hofbrauhaus

Check the Munich Germany Tourism Board website for upcoming festivals, special events, and what’s happening during your stay.

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My Favorite Booking Resources

  • Discover Cars Search, compare and save on car rentals.
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  • Booking.com Search Booking.com to find the perfect property.
  • Hostelworld Hostelworld has great inexpensive options.
  • Get Your Guide Don’t chance it, the best attractions sell out.
  • Tiqets Get your tickets now, relax when you arrive.
  • Big Bus Tours Hop-on Hop-off at all the iconic landmarks.
  • Go City Card Save up to 50% on attractions, tours and activities.
  • Welcome Pickups Airport and port transfers.
  • Visitors Coverage Pick the right travel insurance for you.
  • Use code SAVE10 to pick up a travel guide from Lonely Planet to browse on the plane.
  • Shop my Amazon travel essentials and have them delivered to your home. 

Have a great vacation!

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18 Responses

  1. It is astounding how much Munich punches above its weight when it comes to the arts. The city’s top four royal collections – the Residenz, the three Pinakotheks, and the Glyptothek – easily rank among the prized in Europe, and if you ask me, in its top six. The aggregate stock of Munich’s top four repositories sits right below those of Paris, Rome, Vienna, and St. Petersburg, and on par with London, and – dare I say – Florence. In caliber, not simply quantity. Equally impressive is the Bavarian capital’s long tail of lesser, thematic establishments: among its claimed total of 60 collections and repositories on display in the city – the majority of them more easily live up to a ‘museum’ standard than in most other cities – are several of what I would call ‘learning museums’ of world class order.

    This city is the OG of Art Museums. Indeed, Munich was among the first to open its impressive curated collections to the public. Collecting – compulsive and conspicuous, of painting, sculpture, books – became trendy among Central European and Italian princes during the Renaissance times. The Habsburg collections of applied art objects and curiosities started by Ferdinand I in Vienna and by Rudolph II in 16th century Prague and since moved to Vienna, are the most important of all. Joining the ranks of Europe’s more significant ones are the Kunstkammer – Chamber of Art – collections of the Saxon Electors in Dresden and of those of Bavaria and Palatinate in Munich. The path from an esoteric princely hobby to a mainstream public museum took centuries, but – here too the city of Ludwig I was decades ahead of its cultural superiors – Munich‘s major museums, purpose-built around these core collections, opened their doors in the early 1800’s, only a couple of decades behind the first non-university museums in other European capitals. The Bavarian capital became one of the early epicenters of 19th century European visual art, in production, not just in the accumulation of the works of art. When half a century later Kandinsky chose this city as his residence over Paris and Vienna, it was certainly for a reason. Done

  2. Munich has so much to offer. I fear that three days might feel a little less. Nymphenburg Palace sounds like a great place to discover. I foresee a lot of stories within. Good list of apps that one can use within the city. I find some of these are much required and have offers on entrances and other tickets.

    1. I stayed 5 days and a couple day trips and it was the perfect amount of time. I didn’t feel like I missed anything I really wanted to experience and I still want more so will return in the future

  3. Cool itinerary split in days. Dachau Concentration Camp will be a sad one, nevertheless I would want to tour it. Devil’s footprint at Frauenkirche makes me curious. Hope I can revisit this great city.

  4. My husband and I are dying to make it to Munich. And I think 72 hours would be perfect, since there are so many cities we want to visit in Germany. Looks like the perfect trip!

  5. We have only ever transited through Munich. Probably the best airport I have ever done a connection through. But Germany and Munich are on our travel wish list. I love the grand look of the palaces. But hubby would definitely want to head to a beer garden. So cool that you can get the bus to Eisbachwelle and watch the surfers. Also good to know there are some good day trips from Munich. Sounds like it would be a great base.

  6. Dachau Concentration Camp :'(
    an important piece of history though.
    Looks like a strong itinerary. Which was your favourite?

  7. I just visited the Hofbrauhaus in Munich. The place is so famous for the tourists that we had to look around quite long to get seats. The Schweinhaxe (grilled pig leg) was famous, but I tried the grilled chicken with a lite of HB beer. They tasted super!

  8. Munich is one of my favorite places. I was fortunate to have lived in Prague for a year which is decently close and I had a friend that lived in Munich. I cant wait to go back!

  9. Ok. I thought I was in the know about Munich, but I had NO idea that there were surfers there. Ha! I was there when I was 14, and then I actually had a 10 hour layover there another time and got out and explored. Your list is great! You are right about Dachau being an emotional experience, but I also think that it is something important – we need to feel those emotions to remember and understand how horrific it was for the people there.

  10. This is one city in Germany which has escaped me but the first thing which always come to mind is the beer houses. I been told Munchen is pretty small and most of the sights can be done in a day or two. I have been to the area to explore the alps and the fairytale castle as well as Salzburg which are excellent day trips away from Munchen but never actually stepped inside Munchen. Soon…I will tick it off. I am forever going to Germany.:)

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