Munich 7-day itinerary

Start at Marienplatz for the Glockenspiel at 11am. Walk the Altstadt — Peterskirche tower (€5, 306 steps, best city view), Frauenkirche (free, twin-domed landmark), and the Viktualienmarkt. Traditional breakfast: Weisswurst with sweet mustard, a Breze (pretzel), and a Weissbier — eaten before noon, never with ketchup. The market's beer garden serves all six Munich brewery beers.

The Residenz (€9, or €17 with Treasury) has 130 rooms of Wittelsbach opulence. The Antiquarium — a Renaissance barrel-vaulted hall covered in frescoes — is the highlight. The Treasury has Bavarian crown jewels, gem-encrusted reliquaries, and medieval goldsmiths' work. Allow 2 hours. Walk to the Odeonsplatz and the Theatinerkirche (free, stunning Baroque interior).

Augustiner Bräustuben (Landsberger Str.) is where Munich drinks. Augustiner Helles from the wooden barrel (Holzfass) is the city's most prized beer — locals say it tastes different from the bottled version. A Maß: €10–11. Schweinshaxe: €16. Obatzda (Bavarian cheese spread, €7) with a fresh pretzel. The atmosphere is convivial — share a table with strangers, as is tradition.

The English Garden stretches 3.7km. Start at the Eisbach wave (Prinzregentenstraße end) where surfers ride a standing wave 365 days a year. Walk north along the stream to the Chinese Tower beer garden (opens 10am, Maß €11). Rent a bike from Spurwechsel (€15/day) and cycle to the Monopteros temple for a city view, then to the Seehaus beer garden on the lake.

The Alte Pinakothek (€7, Sundays €1) is one of Europe's finest — Dürer's Self-Portrait, Rubens' enormous canvases, and Raphael's Holy Family. The Pinakothek der Moderne (€10, Sundays €1) covers modern art, design, and architecture. Choose one and give it proper time. Lunch at the museum cafe or Turbine Bräu nearby for Bavarian gastropub food (mains €12–16).

Schwabing — Munich's university and bohemian quarter. Walk Leopoldstraße for the cinemas and cafe terraces. Dinner at Alter Simpl (since 1903, Thomas Mann's local, mains €12–18) or Chopan (excellent Afghan food, mains €11–15). Drinks at Münchner Freiheit beer gardens or the bars along Occamstraße. For clubs, head to Pacha Munich or Harry Klein (techno).

Tram 17 to Nymphenburg (€8 palace, €15 combined). The Great Hall, the Gallery of Beauties, and the 200-hectare park with lakes, canals, and hidden pavilions. The Amalienburg hunting lodge has Europe's finest Rococo interior. The Badenburg pavilion has a heated indoor pool from 1721. Walk the park for at least an hour — it is peaceful and vast.

Olympiapark (1972 Olympic site) has the iconic tent-roof architecture, swimming pool, and tower (€13, 190m, Alpine views). BMW Welt (free) is a futuristic showroom with concept cars and simulators. The BMW Museum (€10) traces the brand's history. Lunch at Olympiapark or cycle to Tollwood Festival grounds (summer/winter cultural festival with food from around the world).

Glockenbachviertel is Munich's trendiest neighbourhood — LGBTQ+-friendly, creative, and full of excellent restaurants and bars. Dinner at Hans im Glück (gourmet burgers, €10–14, birch-tree interior), Fraunhofer (traditional Bavarian in a theatre building, mains €12–18), or Thai on Fraunhoferstraße. Drinks at the bars along Müllerstraße or Baader Café for wine and people-watching.

Bayern-Ticket (€29, up to 5 people) covers the regional train to Füssen (2 hours). Pre-book Neuschwanstein Castle (€15, mandatory timed reservation, hohenschwangau.de) — King Ludwig II's fairy-tale castle inspired Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle. The 30-minute uphill walk from the village to the castle passes through Alpine meadows with mountain views. Allow 45 minutes to reach the entrance.

The 30-minute guided tour reveals lavish rooms — the Throne Hall (Byzantine-inspired), the Singers' Hall (Wagner-themed), and bedrooms dripping with medieval fantasy. Ludwig II lived here only 172 days before his mysterious death. Walk to Marienbrücke (Mary's Bridge) for the iconic postcard view of the castle perched above the gorge with Alps behind. The bridge sways — thrilling.

Explore Füssen's colourful medieval old town — the Hohes Schloss (exterior view), the monastery of St. Mang, and cafes along the Lech River. Traditional Bavarian dinner at a Füssen Gasthaus — Allgäuer Kässpatzen (cheese noodles, €12) or Schnitzel (€14) with a local beer. Catch the evening train back to Munich. The Alpine scenery from the train window is spectacular.

S-Bahn S2 to Dachau, then bus 726 to the memorial (free entry). Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp (1933) and the model for all others. The exhibition in the former maintenance building, the reconstructed barracks, the gas chamber, and the memorial sculptures are deeply harrowing. An audio guide (€4.50) provides essential context. Allow 3 hours minimum.

After Dachau, allow time to decompress. Head to Haidhausen — Munich's "French Quarter" with colourful Gründerzeit buildings, the Wiener Platz market (daily, smaller and more local than Viktualienmarkt), and excellent cafes. Lunch at Hofbräukeller (the less-touristy version of Hofbräuhaus with a huge beer garden, Maß €11) or a Wiener Platz cafe. Walk along the Isar river.

The Isar River has been renaturalised and Munich's youth flock to its gravel banks on summer evenings. Walk the stretch from Reichenbachbrücke south to Flaucher — bring beer and snacks from a supermarket and join the locals grilling and swimming. The Flauchersteg beer garden (€9 Maß) overlooks the river. It is the most relaxed, authentically Munich evening you can have.

Bayern-Ticket (€29 for up to 5) to Garmisch-Partenkirchen (1.5 hours). This Alpine town hosted the 1936 Winter Olympics and sits at the base of Germany's highest peak, the Zugspitze (2,962m). The old town Garmisch has painted facades (Lüftlmalerei) and a Bavarian village feel. Walk the Olympic ski jump and the Richard Strauss Platz.

Partnachklamm (€6 entry) is a dramatic 700-metre gorge with a path carved into the rock face — waterfalls cascade around you, and the turquoise water rushing through narrow walls is spectacular. The walk through takes 30 minutes each way. Accessible year-round (winter ice formations are extraordinary). Lunch in Garmisch at a traditional Gasthaus — Käsespätzle (cheese noodles, €12–14).

Train back to Munich. Explore Maxvorstadt — the neighbourhood around the Pinakotheken with student bars, cafes, and restaurants. Dinner at Brenner (Mediterranean-Bavarian fusion, mains €14–20) or Pasta e Basta (fresh Italian, €10–14). Walk through the Kunstareal (art quarter) and end at the Augustiner am Platzl for one more Bavarian beer in a gorgeous old-town setting.

The Deutsches Museum (€15) on its island in the Isar is one of the world's largest science and technology museums — historic aircraft, submarines, mining tunnels, and a planetarium. The musical instruments and physics demonstrations are highlights. Allow 2–3 hours but you could spend a full day. The Museumsinsel setting on the river is photogenic.

For souvenirs, Viktualienmarkt has Bavarian specialties — local honey, mustards, beer steins, and Lebkuchen (gingerbread). Dallmayr (Dienerstraße) is Munich's legendary delicatessen since 1700 — excellent coffee and chocolate gifts. One last Schmalznudel doughnut at Café Frischhut (€2) and a final walk through the Altstadt.

Munich deserves a beer garden farewell. Hirschgarten (world's largest, 8,000 seats, Augustiner Maß €10, bring your own food) or Augustiner Keller (Arnulfstraße, ancient chestnut trees, near Hauptbahnhof). A Maß of Augustiner Helles, a Breze with Obatzda, and the gentle clink of steins under the trees. Munich Airport is 45 minutes by S-Bahn S1/S8 (€12).