4 Days in Munich & Austria (Christmas Markets)

This 4 Days in Munich Guide walks you through our exact itinerary during our 4 days in Bavaria’s Capital including two day trips to Dachau Concentration Camp and Salzburg, Austria.

This 4 Days in Munich Guide Includes:

  • How to get around Munich
  • Where to Stay in Munich
  • Where to Eat/Drink
  • Full 4 Day Itinerary

How to Get Around Munich:

Munich is very walkable and there is great public transportation options that will get you where you want to go very easily.

Where to Stay:

There are plenty of accommodation options to stay at during your 4 days in Munich including Hostels, Airbnbs, or Hotels. You can find a great place to stay depending on your needs and budget.

I would recommend staying as close to the Marienplatz as possible as that is where the main attractions and many restaurants are and it is also a close walk to the markets.

AirBnB

There are a wide assortment of AirBnb options you can choose from during your stay in Munich. Note the prices are subject to change since this post was written.

  • $51/Night: We stayed at this Airbnb (Nice and cozy roome near city center) which unfortunately I would not recommend as we found the beds rather uncomfortable. We also personally did not like having a shared space with the host. Nothing what so all against her, she was very friendly and accommodating, we just realized that we preferred to have a completely private space when travelling. However the location was great and very convenient to get around. It was also very budget friendly.
  • $112/Night: For 2 guests this Airbnb (Room in boutique hotel hosted by Thomas) is another great option. It comes with 2 single beds which is perfect if you are traveling with a friend + breakfast is included. 4.89 stars with 151 reviews.
  • $265/Night: For a larger group (6 guests), this Airbnb (Plus) (Chill on the Picnicstyle Bench at a Serene, Sunlit Hideaway) has great reviews which also mention prime location and close to the train station.

Hotels

Although not necessary to enjoy your stay in Munich, a hotel near Marienplatz would be very convenient for exploring the Christmas Markets. Some hotels that are close by are as follows:

4 Days in Munich Itinerary

Day 1

Fly into Munich Airport, and first stop at Airbnb to get freshened up and drop off luggage.

Afterwards, walk around the main City and be sure to see the Munich Frauenkirche, the most iconic building in Munich. You can’t miss it!

Then be sure to head over to the Christmas market which is SO adorable with live music and lots of lights. Be sure to get the glühwein (mulled red wine heated with spices, lemon and sugar) to warm you up!

Head to Sophia’s Restaurant & Bar (Michelin restaurant) for dinner. I ordered the chicken with grilled pumpkin puree, leek, and shittake, and scallops to share with turnip, curry, and zorri cress. Everything was delicious with great service!

Address: Sophienstraße 28, 80333 München, Germany

Afterwards walk around the city a bit and explore the festive Christmas lights. It was super cold this time of year so make sure you bundle up!

Day 2:

Breakfast at Shotgun Sister Coffee Bar a healthy cafe with homemade vegan and gluten free dishes. They have a variety of sandwiches, smoothies, acai bowls, and healthy desserts to choose from. They are open everyday from 8am to 6pm.

Address: Deisenhofener Str. 40, 81539 München, Germany

Day Trip to Dachau Concentration Camp

Address: Pater-Roth-Str. 2a 85221 Dachau, Germany

Dachau was the longest operating Nazi Concentration camp that opened in 1933. Between 1933 and 1945 there were over 200,000 prisoners incarcerated in the camp. There were at least 28,000 prisoners who died there in between 1940 and 1945 along with a significant number of unknown deaths due to unregistered prisoners.

Visit: You should allocate approximately 3-4 hours to walk through the grounds, and we highly recommend taking a tour to gain further knowledge and insights into what you are looking at. We arrived by 10:45am to join the 11am English tour summarized below.

Tours

There are daily tours as follows (make sure to double check the times prior to planning your trip as they are subject to change!):

  • English: Daily 11am and 1pm
  • German: Daily 12 midday
  • Italian: Saturday and Sunday 11:30am
  • Spanish: Saturday and Sunday 11:45am

Tickets cost 3.50 Euros and take about 2.5 hours. You can purchase them at the information desk of the visitor’s center.

How to get to Dachau from Munich:

Public transportation is the easiest and most cost effective method of transport to get to Dachau. There are two different trains you can take: Regional Train (RB) which takes ~10 minutes or the S2 Suburban Train which takes ~20-25 minutes. These are both covered under the day pass metro card you can purchase each day during your time in Munich. Google or Apple maps are also very helpful in mapping out your route and will give you the exact train options and times.

For more navigation information you can check out their website here.

After your tour, head back to Munich for a late lunch at Fiedler & Fuchs. This was a short walk away from our Airbnb, so afterwards we went back home for a bit to decompress and process the day we experienced at Dachau.

Address: Voßstraße 15, 81543 München, Germany

We wanted something a bit lighter for dinner so we had a late night salad with wine at Attentat Griechischer Salat. They are known for creative salads and cocktails + snacks. I ordered the Goat cheese chicken salad with sweet potato fries, and veggie salad with potato wedges. So delicious!!

Instagram @attentatgriechischersalat

Address: Zugspitzstraße 10, 81541 München, Germany

Afterwards we went to Zephyr Bar for Chinese box cocktails. They have a variety of other amazing specialty cocktails as well. They are open Wed-Sun 8p-1am.

Instagram: zephyrcocktails

Address: Baaderstraße 68, 80469 München, Germany

Day 3

Full day to explore Munich

Start your day with a healthy brunch at Mary’s Coffee Club. This is a trendy, IG worthy coffee shop and healthy cafe with options including avocado toasts and eggs. I ordered the avocado toast with a poached egg and smoked salmon shown below which did not disappoint!

Instagram: @maryscoffeeclub

Address: Türkenstraße 86A, 80799 München, Germany

Afterwards we walked around the city to soak in the sights. This wasn’t our first time in Munich, however if your first time in the city I highly recommend doing a bike tour to see all the sights and learn more about what you are seeing.

Mike’s Bike Tours is excellent and they offer a 9:30am, 11:30am, or 4pm tour. The cost is €30-40 Euros per adult. The tour takes approximately 3 1/2 hours to complete.

For dinner we headed to Hans Im Glueck – Burger Grill. This is a burger chain with a cozy interior pictured below. Both of our entrees were delicious and hit the spot!

Instagram: @hans_im_glueck_burgergrill

Address: There are a few locations in the city. The one we went to is located at Tal 10 80331 Munich, Germany. The location was perfect as it was less than a 10 minute walk to the Christmas Market.

Afterward we walked back over to walk around the Christmas Market along with some nutella, strawberry, and banana crepes + glühwein (ie mulled wine: red wine heated with spices, lemon and sugar) for dessert. 🙂

Day 4

Day trip to Salzburg, Austria. Salzburg is the 4th largest city in Austria that sits on the border of Germany along with views of the Alps. Salzburg is the birthplace of Mozart and there were many locations within the city used to film The Sound of Music.

How to get to Salzburg from Munich:

The train ride takes a bit less than 2 hours total and you can purchase round-trip tickets via Rail Europe for around $60-$70. We purchased a same day early morning departure with an evening return.

Morning

Start your day in Salzburg with a healthy breakfast at The Heart of Joy Cafe. They are a vegetarian and vegan cafe that has been open since 2003. They heavily focus and organic and regional ingredients in their meals. I ordered a veggie omelette with a side salad and toasted ciabatta which hit the spot!

Instagram: @heartofjoycafe

Address: Franz-Josef-Str. 3 – 5020 Salzburg

After breakfast walk over to the Mirabell Palace and Gardens (just a 2 minute walk) which is open everyday from 6am to dusk. This area was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO. The palace was built in 1606 and is home today to many municipal offices. The gardens were also used to film a scene in Sound of Music where the children were dancing around the fountain singing “Do Re Mi“.

Afterwards, continue walking on to the House of Mozart. Mozart was born in 1756 at this house and it is now open to explore for just €12 Euros for adults. The house is open daily to tour from 9am to 5:30pm.

Address: Haus für Mozart, Hofstallgasse 1, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

Afternoon

Continue to head on to walk around the Christmas Market in the center. The shops are so cute to walk around and explore and you can also go Ice skating in the center!

Afterwards head over to the Salzburg Cathedral to explore this Baroque work of art. The cathedral was recognized in 1997 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

As of July 2019 it costs €5 to enter for anyone 18+.

Continue your day exploring Salzburg with a tour to the top of Hohensalzburg Fortress. You can purchase tickets online here for prices ranging from €9.90 to €15.90 Euros. We did the audio tour which I would recommend to get further insights into what you are looking at. The fortress has the most incredible panoramic views from the top (however unfortunately for us it was a very foggy day so the views were more restricted compared to normal).

Evening

Lastly head over to St Peter Stiftskulinarium bar area for a drink. This restaurant dates back to 803 making it one of the oldest restaurants in Europe! They had a lot of Christmas decorations up for a cozy, festive way to end your day trip in Salzburg.

Instagram: stpeter_stiftskulinarium

Address: St. Peter Stiftskulinarium St. Peter District 1/4 5020 Salzburg, Austria

We took the train back to Munich from Salzburg and finished the night with dinner at Augustiner Restaurant in Munich. This is Munich’s oldest brewery where you can enjoy a more traditional German meal. This was our least favorite meal during our trip, so would definitely recommend the other locations more than here.

Instagram: @august_edelstoff

Address: Neuhauser Str. 27, 80331 Munich, Germany

Day 5

We had an early flight departure back home so we made a quick stop for smoothies at Shotgun Sister Coffee Bar before leaving.

I hope you enjoyed this 4 Days in Munich & Austria Guide including exploring the Christmas Markets.

PIN IT

4 Days in Munich & Austria Christmas Markets Guide + Day Trips


hi, I'm Katya -- former D1 tennis player, certified CorePower Yoga Sculpt teacher, & soon to be IIN Certified Health Coach. Welcome to my page where I share all things wellness, real food recipes, and fitness. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to explore all things recipes, travel, yoga sculpt, wellness hacks, & shop all of my faves!

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.