Awesome Things to Do in Munich with Kids
Munich with kids is one of our all time favorite family vacations. Munich is the heart of Bavaria, where locals welcome visitors with open arms. With year-round festivals, outdoor beer gardens, and stellar attractions, the city is pleasant for adults and families alike.
Whether you choose to stroll the cobblestone streets of Old Town or make use of the city’s excellent transportation system, one thing is for sure. The sights and sounds of Munich will appeal to visitors of all ages.
Munich with kids is one of our all time favorite family vacations. Located in Southern Germany, Munich is the Bavarian capital, where locals welcome visitors with open arms. With year-round festivals, outdoor beer gardens, and stellar attractions, the city is pleasant for adults and families alike.
Whether you choose to stroll the cobblestone streets of Old Town or make use of the city’s excellent transportation system, one thing is for sure. The sights and sounds of Munich will appeal to visitors of all ages.
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Best Places to Visit in Munich with kids
Whether you family heads to Munich for the Christmas market or want to explore the city in the summer months, the city is an easy place to navigate and entertain the kids. With world-class museums, Europe’s largest city park, and delicious local food, a family trip to Munich doesn’t disappoint.
1. Marienplatz
It seems every visitor to Munich wants to see Marienplatz (the town square) and its famous glockenspiel.
Located inside the Neue Rathaus (New Town Hall), the glockenspiel has a performance every day at 11 a.m., 12 p.m., and 5 p.m. (the 5 p.m. show does not happen from November through February). Children love watching the figurines come out and parade around the clock tower.
Expect them to be mesmerized by the 12 minute spectacle as it tells the story of a royal wedding and a jousting tournament. The surrounding square is perfect for shopping and grabbing a bite to eat.
Those wanting a spectacular view of the city can climb the tower of the Rathaus or the nearby Peterskirche (the oldest church in Munich).
2. Deutsches Museum
The massive Deutsches museum houses full size replicas of ships and submarines, an underground mine, and a re-creation of the Altamira cave. This technology museum showcases how things work and kids of all ages will love the interactive exhibits.
Little kids will love the downstairs area known as Kids’ Kingdom where they can play with over a thousand hands-on activities, including a giant hamster wheel, a water play area, and a music studio.
Prepare to spend hours in the 6 level interactive German museum because it is fairly certain children will not want to leave.
3. Olympia Park
Built for the 1972 Olympic games, Munich’s Olympia Park has been transformed into a recreation area for visitors of all ages. There’s a roof top Olympic stadium tour providing stunning views of Munich and the Alps. Daring souls will enjoy the Flying Fox that takes visitors on a zip line tour over the stadium when the weather is good.
Others might prefer a guided tour of the venue or strolling the grounds and surrounding gardens. There’s also a SeaLife aquarium on the property and the BMW Museum (see below) is across the road. Families will love exploring this area of Munich.
4. Munich Residenz
The Residenz is located in the city center, and it’s a must visit for the whole family. This stunning castle complex was begun in 1385 and was the home of the Bavarian rulers for over 400 years. It is the largest city palace in Germany.
With one hundred thirty rooms, ten courtyards, a church, and more, the Residenz is one of the best places to learn about Munich’s history. Older children might enjoy the experience more, but smaller children can marvel at the lavish decor and sheer enormity of the palace.
5. Englischer Garten
One of the largest public parks in Europe, locals and visitors alike flock to the English Garden when the weather is nice. Families can enjoy bike rides, walks, playing soccer, and picnics. Some might even try surfing on the Eisbach river. This is a popular year round activity in Munich.
6. BMW Museum
Our kids loved visiting the BMW Museum and seeing the history of cars through the years. There were so many unique exhibits including the motorcycles of BMW and the MINI vehicles. It’s a great spot for some unique photos and a must visit for car enthusiasts.
7. Schloss Nymphenburg
Nymphenburg Palace is located outside the city centre of Munich, but it is easy to reach with public transportation. This 17th-century palace was commissioned to celebrate the birth of Max Emanuel, the son of the Bavarian Elector Ferdinand Maria and his wife Henriette Adelaide of Savoy. The summer palace and its gardens rival Versailles.
Schloss Nymphenburg is fabulous to visit on a clear day, but it’s just as easy to explore on rainy days. Start with the Marstallmuseum which has an amazing collection of historical carriages. The intricate carriage details will take everyone’s breath away.
Touring through the palace hallways, there is beauty everywhere you look. From the elaborate ceiling frescoes to the Rococo design, it can be hard to know where to look. After exploring the interior rooms leave plenty of time to explore the green spaces and massive outdoor fountains.
8. Munich’s public pools
Munich’s public pool complexes are huge and amazing. Admission is a few dollars, lockers are available, and locker rooms are ultra modern and clean. The outdoor Prinzregentenbad has a stone wading area with sprinklers and a playground for small children, slides and whirlpools for bigger kids and a lap pool. Bring lunch or buy it there and picnic on the large lawn.
Naturbad Maria Einsiedel is a similar complex near the zoo. The bracing Isar River feeds one of its pools.
Try the Cosimawellenbad on bad-weather days. Kids come running when the buzzer sounds signaling the waves are about to start in main pool. Pre-swimmers have a wading pool with a slide. Grown-ups have an indoor/outdoor heated pool with spa jets and whirlpools.
9. Hellabrunn Zoo
The Munich Zoo was built in 1911 and was the world’s first zoo where animals were placed in habitats according to their geographic origins.
Young explorers will love the petting zoo, playgrounds, and Kinderland with its vintage train rides. With over 19,000 inhabitants, there are plenty of animals to see on your visit.
10. Day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle
Several tour companies offer a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle (we booked this tour through Viator that included Oberammergau and Linderhof Palace). This is the castle you read about in fairy tales and it is one of the best castles in Europe.
The best way (and easiest way) to reach the castle is by a horse-drawn buggy. Those who want a good workout can climb the hill and be rewarded with the magnificent castle at the top.
Neuschwanstein was completed in 1879 and was the residence of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. When he passed away, the castle was opened to the public and it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Germany.
Be sure to take a walk to Marienbrücke, a bridge over a waterfall that offers some of the most stunning views of Neuschwanstein.
Where to Eat in Munich with kids
Germans are famous for their sausage and beer halls, but in Munich (and most German cities) they have amazing outdoor food markets.
One of the best is the Viktualienmarkt, an outdoor market where you can find all the necessary provisions for an afternoon picnic. This is not your typical farmers markets as it is quite larger.
With its large variety of fresh produce, fish, butchers, bakeries, and florists, it’s a great place to grab groceries or lunch. The square is filled with food stalls inviting you to sample their goods (and you should).
There are kid-friendly beer gardens throughout Munich. On a nice day head to the sprawling Chinesischer Turm (Chinese Tower)i n Englischer Garten, popular with tourists and Munchners alike. The cafeteria style café is budget friendly; kids and their parents will love the roast chicken and sausages. While parents enjoy their meals, kids can run in the park.
Made-to-order Palacinken (pancakes) are a sweet treat and the kids will enjoy watching them cook. The large coins you get with your beer represent the deposit you made on your glass.
For indoor dining try the cozy Glöckl Am Dom, known for tiny bratwurst served with fresh horseradish. Schneider Weisse, famous for its weisswurst with pretzels and weisse beer, is a Munich must. Kids go for the mild white sausages and “bretzie.”
If you are looking for some German beer halls, we recommend Ratskeller München and Augustiner Klosterwirt.
Kaffee und Kuchen
Germans love their sweets and take time out for kaffee und kitchen (coffee and cake) most afternoons. There are plenty of places around the Marienplatz to indulge in the marzipan-laden and seasonal fruit-topped cakes the locals favor. My favorite food in Munich is a rich-but-not sweet pastry cream and poppy seeds.
Try the classic but casual Café Rischart. With kids old enough to appreciate a pinkies-up afternoon tea head to DallMayr’s famous fancy food store and upstairs cafe.
Looking for more ideas? Don’t miss these best restaurants in Munich.
Where to Stay in Munich with Kids
We stayed at Hotel am Viktualienmarkt with our three kids. There is an attic room that will sleep 5 and breakfast is included. The property is very clean and comfortable.
It’s easy walking distance to the farmers market and Marienplatz. There are plenty of restaurants in the area and the hotel staff is lovely.
As you can see, there are many things to do in Munich with kids. Many people speak English, the food is delicious, and the city has plenty to explore. The difficult part will be knowing where to begin.
Doing for other articles about Germany? Don’t miss German Christmas markets with kids and Why You Will Love Germany with Kids.
Europe Travel Tips
Book Your Flights
You can find discounted fares using sites like Momondo or Skyscanner. If you want to keep an eye on discount fares, we suggest signing up for Scott’s Cheap Flights, a daily newsletter with flight sales around the world.
If you travel frequently, consider investing in a Priority Pass for airport lounge access. It’s nice to have a space where you can relax before your flight.
Book Your Accommodation
We regularly use Expedia.com and Hotels.com to find lodging when we travel. It’s a great way to compare vacation rentals, hotels, and resorts.
If your family knows they want to stay in a vacation rental, we recommend looking at VRBO and Plum Guide.
Book Your Transportation
For rental car agencies, try Rentalcars.com. We tend to use Hertz simply for the quality of service.
When traveling in Europe, we use AutoEurope to make our bookings. They find the best rates and allow you to compare different car rental agencies. Europcar is another option.
If you would prefer to travel by train in Europe we recommend Eurail who offers discounted packages for rail travel.
Book Your Tours and Travel Photos
We regularly used companies like Viator and GetYourGuide to book tours when we travel. Both have great communication and a large variety of activities that work for all ages.
If you’re visiting a city with multiple attractions, be sure to check out a discount pass, such as CityPASS or Go City. Both are worthwhile investments.
Context Travel is another option and they offer more educational based activities. The former teacher in me loves their tours.
One of our favorite things to do annually is take photos with Flytographer. They have photographers around the world and we’ve used them on four separate occasions. This is our favorite travel souvenir.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
With the state of travel these days, it’s important to have some type of travel insurance to cover any unforeseen accidents, illnesses, threat or cancellations. We always travel with insurance and would recommend SquareMouth, Travelex, or Medjet as good options. And if you want to compare different insurance options, use Travel Insurance Master to find the best policy for your group.
