Munich 5-Day with Salzburg

Activities

1. 10:00 Marienplatz + Glockenspiel 1 hour

   Central square since 1158 + Neues Rathaus Glockenspiel (11 AM, noon, 5 PM, March-Oct).

   Cost: Free TIP: Arrive 5-10 min before clock show.
2. 11:30 Frauenkirche + Viktualienmarkt 1.5 hours

   1494 twin-domed cathedral + 1807 open-air food market with central rotating-brewery beer garden.

   Cost: Free + $5-15 food TIP: Münchner Suppenküche soup stall is the locals' lunch.
3. 13:30 Lunch — Augustiner-Keller or Bratwurst Glöckl 1.5 hours

   Augustiner-Keller (1812 beer garden, Apr-Oct) or Bratwurst Glöckl (1893 tavern). Schweinsbraten + Knödel + Maß.

   Cost: $18-35 TIP: Reserve weekends.
4. 15:30 Englischer Garten + Eisbach surfers 2.5 hours

   375-hectare park larger than Central Park. Eisbach River surf wave year-round + Chinesischer Turm beer garden.

   Cost: Free TIP: Walk from Universität or Münchner Freiheit U-Bahn.
5. 19:30 Hofbräuhaus dinner (1589) 2.5 hours

   World's most-famous beer hall. 4,000 seats. Maß Hofbräu + Bavarian classics + oompah band.

   Cost: $30-55 TIP: Walk-in works outside Oktoberfest. Communal long tables.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 10:00 Pinakothek museum quarter 3 hours

   Alte + Neue + Pinakothek der Moderne — €13 day ticket covers all three (Rubens, Van Gogh, Monet, contemporary).

   Cost: $14 TIP: Sunday €1 entry each museum. Closed Mondays.
2. 13:00 Lunch in Maxvorstadt — Schmock 1.5 hours

   Modern Bavarian gastropub reinterpreting classics with Mediterranean technique. Lunch menu €19.

   Cost: $22-45 TIP: Reserve.
3. 14:30 Residenz Palace + Treasury 2 hours

   1385 Wittelsbach royal palace. €9 Residenz + €9 Schatzkammer (crowns). Antiquarium = longest Renaissance hall north of Alps.

   Cost: $10-20 TIP: Combined €13. Closed Mondays.
4. 16:30 BMW Welt + BMW Museum + Olympiapark 2.5 hours

   Free BMW Welt showroom + $10 BMW Museum + Olympiapark 1972 Olympic grounds.

   Cost: $10 TIP: U-Bahn Olympiazentrum. Pre-book BMW Plant Tour.
5. 19:30 Augustiner Bräustuben or Hirschgarten 2.5 hours

   Locals' favorite beer hall ($22-38) or world's largest beer garden 8,000 seats ($18-35).

   Cost: $22-45 TIP: Hirschgarten self-service Apr-Oct only.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 08:00 Neuschwanstein guided day tour pickup 10 hours

   $90-130 day tour: pickup + Hohenschwangau + Neuschwanstein + Marienbrücke + Linderhof or Oberammergau.

   Cost: $90-130 TIP: Pre-book 1+ week ahead. Walking shoes.
2. 10:30 Hohenschwangau Castle (Ludwig II's childhood home) 1.5 hours

   1832 medieval castle with romantic-period interior in better condition than Neuschwanstein. €21 entry.

   Cost: Included or $23 TIP: Timed-entry interior tour.
3. 14:00 Neuschwanstein Castle + Marienbrücke 2.5 hours

   Ludwig II's 1869 fairy-tale castle (Disney Cinderella inspiration). €20 entry. Marienbrücke bridge view 10-min uphill walk.

   Cost: $22 TIP: Marienbrücke can close in winter ice. No interior photos.
4. 17:00 Schloss Nymphenburg (return to Munich) — optional 1.5 hours

   1675 royal summer palace. 200 hectares of baroque gardens + Marstallmuseum royal carriages. $11.

   Cost: $12 TIP: Skippable if tired. Gardens free.
5. 19:30 Farewell — Atelier (★★★) or EssZimmer (★★) 3 hours

   Atelier ★★★ Bayerischer Hof Jan Hartwig $275-440, or EssZimmer ★★ BMW Welt panoramic $200-330.

   Cost: $200-440 TIP: Reserve 1-2 months ahead. Jacket required.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 08:30 Munich → Salzburg train (1.5-2h) 2 hours

   ICE/EuroCity 1.5-2h, €30-50. ÖBB or DB Navigator. Hauptbahnhof to Salzburg Hbf direct.

   Cost: €30-50 ($32-54) TIP: Sparpreis advance fare 50% cheaper than walk-up. Bayern Ticket €25 valid for unlimited Bavaria + Salzburg regional travel for up to 5 people.
2. 11:00 Check in + Mozart's Birthplace (Mozart Geburtshaus, 1756) 2 hours

   Mozart's actual 1756 birthplace at Getreidegasse 9. Now a museum with original instruments + manuscripts. €13.50.

   Cost: €13.50 ($14.60) TIP: Pre-book online to skip the queue. Mozart Wohnhaus (his later residence) is an additional combined ticket.
3. 13:30 Lunch at Stiftskeller St. Peter (803 — world's oldest restaurant) 1.5 hours

   Founded 803 AD inside St. Peter's Abbey — 1,200+ years of continuous operation, making it the world's oldest restaurant per Guinness. Mozart Dinner Concert evenings ($80-130). Lunch standalone $30-60.

   Cost: $30-60 / dinner concert $80-130 TIP: Reserve 1+ week ahead for lunch; 1+ month for Mozart Dinner Concert (Wednesday-Sunday evenings).
4. 15:30 Hohensalzburg Fortress (1077) 2.5 hours

   Central Europe's largest preserved fortress, built 1077. €16.30 (includes funicular up + 360° city views).

   Cost: €16.30 ($17.60) TIP: Funicular vs 30-min uphill walk — take funicular up, walk down via the cliffside path.
5. 18:00 Mirabell Palace + Sound of Music locations + Getreidegasse evening 1.5 hours

   Mirabell Gardens (1606, the 'Do-Re-Mi' filming location, free) + Mozartplatz + Residenzplatz + Getreidegasse evening walk. The Getreidegasse signs are Salzburg's iconic wrought-iron heritage advertising.

   Cost: Free TIP: Mirabell Gardens at sunset is the Sound of Music shot. Even non-fans appreciate the baroque garden geometry.
6. 20:00 Dinner at Magazin (Michelin recommended) or Stieglkeller (rooftop) 2 hours

   Magazin (Michelin-recommended modern Austrian, $65-110) or Stieglkeller (rooftop overlooking Salzburg, $25-50, beer hall feel).

   Cost: $25-110/person TIP: Reserve 1+ week ahead. Stieglkeller's terrace is the value-pick with the view.
7. 22:30 Salzach River sunset walk + nightcap at Augustiner Bräustübl 1 hour

   Augustiner Bräustübl Salzburg (1621) is the city's oldest beer hall — Salzburg's answer to Hofbräuhaus. A nightcap Stiegl beer in the wooden hall closes the Mozart day.

   Cost: $8-15 TIP: Cash + card. Walking distance from Mirabell. Closes 23:00.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 08:00 Salzburg → Garmisch-Partenkirchen (via Munich change) 3-4 hours

   Salzburg → Munich → Garmisch, 3-4h total ($30-50). Or guided day-tour from Munich $130-180 (pickup included). Pre-bag luggage at Munich Hauptbahnhof storage.

   Cost: $30-50 train, $130-180 guided tour TIP: If you're rushing, the guided tour is more efficient than the multi-leg DIY train.
2. 11:00 Zugspitze (2,962m — Germany's highest peak) 4 hours

   Cable car from Garmisch to Zugspitze summit. €68 round-trip. 4-country panorama (Germany + Austria + Italy + Switzerland on clear days). Snow possible May-October. Glacier walk possible in winter; hiking trails in summer.

   Cost: €68 ($73) TIP: Pack layers — 30°C in Garmisch can mean 0°C at the summit. Summit restaurant for hot lunch. Photo: 4-country views on a clear day.
3. 15:30 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Old Town walk 1 hour

   Garmisch's preserved Bavarian-mountain Old Town — painted house facades (Lüftlmalerei), traditional wooden balconies, the 1936 Olympic Stadium. 1-hour walking circuit.

   Cost: Free TIP: Garmisch + Partenkirchen are two villages joined for the 1936 Winter Olympics — the Partenkirchen side has the older preserved buildings.
4. 17:00 Garmisch → Munich (1.5h) 1.5 hours

   Regional train Garmisch → Munich Hauptbahnhof, 1.5h, €25.

   Cost: €25 ($27) TIP: Bayern Ticket €25 covers this leg too.
5. 19:00 Farewell dinner — Atelier (★★★) or Tantris DNA (★★) 3 hours

   Atelier (★★★ Bayerischer Hof, $275-440) or Tantris DNA (★★ 1971 legacy Schwabing, $220-385). Both reserve 1+ month ahead.

   Cost: $220-440/person TIP: Jacket required. Wine pairings add $150-250. The trip-defining finale.

Meal Recommendations