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Munich is a popular city to visit on a trip to Germany, so chances are you’ll be spending a few days there. If you get bored of the city itself, the are a ton of cool day trips from Munich that you can do. Within a couple of hours away you can explore colorful towns, historic sites and pretty natural wonders.
Read on to find some of the best Munich day trips you can do during your time in Germany.
Check out my other articles on Munich and Germany:
Day Trip to Nuremberg from Munich, Germany
Of all the fascinating day trips from Munich, Nuremberg is an absolute must-see for WWII history buffs. It’s the site of the consequential Nuremberg Trials, as well as massive Nazi party rally grounds.
Getting to Nuremberg from Munich is easy. Take the ICE train from Munich Central Station directly to Nuremberg Central Station! This will take a little over an hour, and costs about 30 Euros.
Don’t miss the Nazi party rallying grounds; they’re an easy 15 minute S-Bahn train ride from Nuremberg Central Station. Get off at Nürnberg-Dutzendteich at you will see the museum and grounds.
The museum here is incredibly well-done. It takes you on a sobering journey through the rise and fall of the Nazis. Afterwards, loop around the serene lake, which sets the scene for these haunting Nazi party rally grounds. Along the way you pass through the stadium where Hitler spoke to his supporters.
Next, visiting the Nuremberg Trials courthouse is a necessary palate cleanser. As horrible as it is to see the place where the Nazi party was in its glory, it is poetic to sit in the room where so many of their leaders faced justice.
If you have time before your return train to Munich, pop into Handwerkerhof (an adorable city block styled to look like Old Bavaria, conveniently located right next to Nuremberg Central Station). A beer and authentic German cuisine will be a pleasant finish to a powerful day.
Kaisa, from Glam Granola Travel
Murnau Daytrip from Munich, Germany
Murnau am Staffelsee is a great day trip destination from Munich! Less than an hour south by train or car, Murnau is a cute Bavarian town on the edge of the Alps. Less touristy than nearby Garmisch Partenkirchen, Murnau is perfect for an afternoon or full day of exploring nature, art, and everyday small-town life.
What to see on a day trip?
Stroll the colorful downtown pedestrian area (as well as the many side streets and alleys!). Then pause for a relaxing Kaffee und Kuchen in an historic coffee house or a Bavarian Bier in an outdoor Biergarten while enjoying a view of the Alps. Take a walk along or picnic on the Staffelsee (lake).
Visit the Münter Haus and the Schlossmuseum to see examples of the Blauer Reiter (Blue Rider) artwork, then pop into Murnau’s beautiful old churches (e.g., Maria-Hilf-Kirche, St. Leonhards Chapel, St. Nikolaus church).
If you’re up for a hike, try the circular path in the nearby Murnauer Moos (marshland nature preserve), a large and pristine moor region, where you’ll find a number of endangered plant and animal species.
Depending on the time of year you visit, you may also be able to enjoy the World Music Festival, the Leonhardifahrt Festival or the annual Christmas Market.
Cate from My Germany Vacation
Zugspitze Daytrip from Munich, Germany
An awesome day trip from Munich is to Zugspitze, which at 2963 metres is the highest mountain in Germany. Part of the Wetterstein Mountains, Zugsptize is located just south of Garmisch-Partenkirchen and sits on the Austrian and German border.
To get to Zugspitze From Munich, take a bus or a train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and then you have the option of either taking the old cog wheel train to the top or the cable car. I’d recommend you take the train up and the cable car down. The journey from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to the top of Zugspitze is fantastic and you’ll have some beautiful views.
Once you reach the top you can see over 400 peaks of the Bavarian, Austrian, Swiss and Italian Alps. The view is absolutely magical! You can then spend the day skiing, sledding, take a walk, visit the church, have a drink at the ice bar or have something to eat.
The entire one way journey will take around 2 hours, so if you have a little more time, spend a few days in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, but otherwise a day trip is fine too.
Melissa from Thrifty Family Travels
Day Trip to Kufstein, Austria from Munich, Germany
The historic town of Kufstein in Austria, with a mighty fortress watching over it, is ideally located for a day tripfrom Munich. Whether you travel by train or car, Kufstein is easily reached in about an hour from the Bavarian capital.
But why visit Kufstein on a day trip from Munich? For starters, Kufstein has one of the best preserved medieval old towns in Austria. Combined with the Kufstein Fortress perched on a rock high over the old town, this makes for an impressive setting on the banks of the Inn River.
One can easily spend two to three hours in the Kufstein Fortress. First mentioned in 2015, the fortress tells the story of many fierce battles fought over centuries. As such, it’s also home to both a state prison and a local history museum.
However, what many people come to see, or rather hear, in Kufstein is the enormous Heroes’ Organ. Built in remembrance of World War I victims, the instrument with its 4948 pipes and 65 registers is the biggest free-standing organ in the world. Moreover, it’s played every day at noon for everyone in the vicinity to hear.
After visiting the fortress and strolling down the quaint Römerhofgasse in the Kufstein old town, you may have time to visit the Riedel Glass factory and get yourself a souvenir from Austria. That’s right; this is where the world’s first Riedel wine glasses were made.
Getting to Kufstein from Munich is easy via Rosenheim and the A12 motorway. Taking the train is even easier since the town is on the main railway line between Munich and Innsbruck. It’s not even a 5-minute walk from the train station to the heart of the old town.
Linda from Travel Tyrol
Day Trip to Regensburg from Munich, Germany
Regensburg is a small but gorgeous town around two hours by train from Munich Central Station. Its historic centre is filled with pastel coloured period buildings and the medieval old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The city is a lovely place to wonder the streets taking in its quaint buildings, listed monuments and churches. It’s also great for people watching and simply having a coffee or a beer in a scenic square. Make sure you visit the Gothic St Peter’s cathedral, the buttercup yellow old town hall and the medieval stone bridge over the river. I loved peeping into St Emmeram’s Basilica, which looks like an ordinary but charming church from the outside, but inside is a Romanesque dream in white, gold and pastel.
There’s also the famous Regensburg Sausage Kitchen, where sausages are grilled in a tiny historic building and served outdoors at beer garden style tables and benches by the river.
Maire of Temples and Treehouses
Day Trip to Walchensee from Munich
Walchensee is an absolutely gorgeous lake about 75 km south of Munich. With the car, it takes a bit over an hour to drive from Munich. Alternatively, you can also reach the lake by Flixbus or Regional Bahn (train).
Walchensee is one of the deepest and largest alpine lakes in Germany. It is surrounded by the beautiful Bavarian Alps and the views you get here are magical. The lake is a popular spot for windsurfing and sailing due to its size and the ongoing thermal winds in summer. It also caters to those who like scuba diving.
There is a large number of wrecks in the lake and the water is very clear. So whether you want to do watersports, go for a hike or enjoy a coffee with a beautiful view in one of the many cafes or restaurants surrounding the lake, Walchensee is where you want to be. It is the perfect place for a day trip from Munich.
Valerie of Valerie’s Adventure Time
Oberammergau Day Trip from Munich
Oberammergau is a picture postcard perfect Bavarian village; cuter than you can possibly imagine. The tiny village is full of houses covered in elaborate, colorful paintings, so wandering through the town is like walking through a fairytale.
There are so many painted houses here compared to nearby villages because the villagers are richer than most in Bavaria. This is not because of the woodcarving that is the traditional handicraft in the village, but because of the world-famous Passion Play that happens here once a decade.
Every ten years, the vast majority of the villagers spend half the year performing the Passion Play daily in an open-air theater purposefully built in the town. The performances became a tradition almost 400 years ago after the townsfolk promised God that they would perform a play in the open air if they were spared the plague (which they were), and has earned the village worldwide fame.
The next performance dates are May 16 – October 4, 2020 and it sells out. If you visit at another time of the year/ decade, it is still delightful to wander past all of the adorable painted houses in this most Bavarian of Bavarian villages.
There are several trains daily each way between Munich and Oberammergau (one hour and 50 minutes including a change in Murnau). Another option is to visit Oberammergau on a tour. Many of the day trips from Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle stop for a couple of hours in Oberammergau.
James of Travel Collecting
Day Trip to Salzburg, Austria from Germany
One of the best day trips from Munich is to visit the stunning old town of Salzburg. Not only do you get to visit another country, but you may not want to leave. Luckily Salzburg is a relatively short distance from Munich by train.
You have the option to book a train ticket online or at Munich Hauptbanhof for the 1.45-hour journey. Trains leave about every 30 minutes passing by a couple of lakes on the countryside route.
Salzburg is spectacular in any season, but the winter backdrop of the snowy eastern Alps makes it picturesque. The imposing Hohensalzburg Fortress is one of the oldest medieval castles in Europe and offers perfect photos of the old town below.
Oh, and taking the funicular to the fortress is way more comfortable than the steep steps.
In the pedestrian-friendly old town, you can visit the house of the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Find delicious Mozartkugel(marzipan) along Salzburg’s renowned shopping street Getreidegasse. Or visit the impressive Salzburg Cathedral.
And when you need a break, try Café Tomaselli for delicious cake and coffee from their second-floor balcony. But make sure before you leave Salzburg, to wander through the famous Mirabell Gardens, known for its scenes in the classic film, the Sound of Music.
Terry and Maura of the Travel Kiwis
Day Trip to Seefeld from Munich
One of the best day trips from Munich is the beautiful village of Seefeld, Austria. Set on a plateau 1,200 meters above sea level in the heart of the Tyrolean Alps, Seefeld is an idyllic escape, where the hills indeed come alive with the sound of music.
While you are there, do as the locals do. Live the Nordic lifestyle which brings together healthy eating and exercise. With its scenic routes for hiking, cycling, and climbing, it is no wonder that visitors are tempted to extend their stay in this lovely village. Walk along the flat Promenade Walking Trails and admire the view or take a dip into one of the region’s natural lakes like the Moserer See, Lottensee, or Wildmoossee if you are only there for a day.
From Munich, the village of Seefeld can be reached by driving along the A95 and B2 by car. There is also a train from München Hauptbahnhof station to Seefeld which costs around 14 euro one way.
Karolina from Lazy Travel Blog
Day Trip to Garmisch-Partenkirchen
With a beautiful nature surrounding it and some fun things to do there, Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a lovely place to visit on a day trip from Munich.
It’s quite easy to travel there by car, and it’s going to take you a bit more than an hour to get there. If you don’t want to drive, you can easily travel to Garmisch-Partenkirchen with a train, too. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a cute little town located at the outskirts of German Alps, very close to the border with Austria.
It’s famous for its picturesque houses with painted facades. It’s also a lovely place to experience a Bavarian culture and its excellent cuisine. Nature surrounding the town is beautiful, as well. There are many hiking paths located around the town.
One of the most interesting ones is Partnachklamm. It’s located some 20 minutes from the town centre, and it’s going through the mountain, some caves and tunnels. There is so much to do there on a day trip, it would be a shame to miss it during your visit to Munich.
Tea from Culture Tourist
Day Trip to Eibsee from Munich, Germany
Eibse is one of the most beautiful lakes in all of Germany, but particularly in the Bavarian region. It’s located on the foothills of the highest mountain in Germany, the Zugspitze, and the lake offers stunning reflections of the mountain in the water as well as stunning scenery.
It’s a great day trip from Munich and you can reach Eibsee in just a little more than 1 hour by car from the city center. It’s ideal for those who want to stroll around in nature, go for a relaxing boat tour on the lake or just hike around the lake and take in the atmosphere.
Eibsee is quite large and has a circle loop that goes around the lake. In the middle of the lake you can also hop off at small islets if you rent a paddle boat or kayak. These small islets are the perfect place for a romantic picnic with your loved one, or to get some quality time as a family.
Alex from the Swedish Nomad
Day Trip to Dachau
Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site isn’t a typical day trip and is one you won’t soon forget if you visit. Dachau was the first of the Nazi concentration camps. It was opened in 1933 and served as a Nazi training camp and a prison for political prisoners.
Later Dachau became a transfer station to other concentration camps such as Auschwitz-Birkenau. Dachau in turn was the model for all additional Nazi concentration camps.Visiting the camp is a history lesson and sobering reminder of some of the most horrific crimes to human beings during WWII.
The memorial site includes a museum, photographs, documents, reconstructed cell blocks, extermination blocks, crematorium, grave sites and more. Visitors are able to walk the grounds, visit one of the last standing dormitories, and visit the museum which shares a chronological history of the Nazi regime, WWII, and the use of Dachau from WWII up until present time.
The easiest way to visit Dachau from Munich is by taking the S2 train. The journey is about 20 minutes. Once you arrive in the town of Dachau there is a free bus that takes you to the memorial site.
Alexa of 52 Perfect Days
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