Summer in Munich: 40 Local Things to do to Beat the Heat

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Are you curious about all the fun things to do in Munich over the summer? Munich is a fantastic city worth visiting any time of the year, but the capital of Bavaria certainly shines during those warm summer months. Make the best of your summer holiday with these top 40 things to do in Munich this summer.

Munich comes alive in summer, bursting with flowering trees, urban gardens, and annual festivals. Munich locals spend most of their summer enjoying the frequently sunny, hot days and life outside. The best things to do in Munich during the summer include relaxing along the Isar with a beer or taking off on an adventurous day trip to hike in the Alps. Whatever mood you are in, these fun summer activities in Munich will help you beat the heat and make the most of summer.

I lived in Munich for seven years and loved my time there, enjoying those long summer days. This guide was curated with all my favorite adventures while living in Munich. As I update this post from my new home in Canada, I long for those idyllic days in one of my favorite European cities.

My top 5 things to do in Munich this summer are:

1. Head to the Isar with a picnic lunch you packed from the Viktualienmarkt and a swimsuit. Enjoy a day near the water’s edge, cooling off by dipping your toes in. Grab a cheap beer from a kiosk and enjoy the sum.
2. Visit a beer garden to enjoy live traditional music and a jovial atmosphere.
3. Rent bikes to visit parks and see all the sights while still enjoying the outdoors.
4. Raining? Head to one of Munich’s incredible museums, like the Deutsches Museum.
5. Hop on the train for a day trip to Tegernsee for easy hikes, local beer, swimming, and charming Bavarian towns.

Ride Bikes Through Munich

Riding bikes through Munich is my all-time favorite thing to do. There are dedicated long bike trails along the Isar, winding paths through the Englischer Garten, and long 40k day trips out to some of Bavaria’s most beautiful lakes. But the city has wide bike paths that follow just about every road, providing a safe way to get around the city.

When visiting Munich in summer, I suggest you rent bikes for the entire time in the city to quickly get around the city and take off on longer scenic rides.

As a local, my favorite place to ride is along the Isar. There is a beautiful trail that will take you along the river with gorgeous views, colorful street art, and, of course, beer kiosks when you want to take a break. If you work your way north, you can eventually cross into the Englischer Garten for endless kilometers of trails.

If you’re going to go for a longer ride, I suggest biking down to Starnbergersee. You can find 20 more trails or check out the city trail map of Munich.

You can rent bikes for your entire stay at Radius Tours, located in the central train station, or use the MVG bike share program hosted by Munich’s public transportation.

I also suggest checking out a biking group or private tour with a local guide so you can learn about Munich while getting some exercise. I’ve used and love Mike’s Bikes, but plenty of other options exist.

Explore Parks & Gardens

I am always blown away by how green a city Munich is. I swear, over half of the city is covered in sprawling green parks, which means one of the best ways to beat the heat is to head to one of Munich’s green parks and gardens and find a shady spot under a tree to keep cool.

Englischer Garten

The EG is one of the largest urban parks in the world, sprawling for kilometers, cutting through central Munich, and running up to our airport.  You can enter the park near Odeonsplatz through the Hofgarten, a French-style garden. 

The garden has wide open fields for sunbathing, hidden nooks under trees for reading, beer gardens like the Chinese Tower or SeeHaus, walking trails, running trails, and sandy horse trails. This park is the largest and most central park, and a favorite among locals and tourists.

Rosengarten

The rose garden is a hidden gem along the Isar River, which offers a wide variety of roses for smelling and quiet places to read or relax. The area is famous for mom yoga groups and other gatherings. It is also a great place to catch plant Pokémon.

West Park

West Park is popular among locals, but it is also an excellent place for tourists with lots of fun things to do and see. You can walk through the park to find Munich’s Japanese Garden, with an Asian-style Pagoda that makes for fantastic photos.

Stop at Gans Woanders Cafe along the water for a nice little break in an eclectic local cafe. At the end of the park is a lovely rose garden and a refreshing beer. Don’t miss the forested trails around the park.

Botanical Gardens

Munich technically has two botanical gardens: an old and a new garden. The new Botanical Garden is your typical garden with lush exotic plants in greenhouses. It is open from 9 am – 7 pm and costs 5.50 euros.

The old botanical garden is now just a park for leisurely strolling. It is free to enter, but a nice natural escape to beat the heat.

Olympia Park

Olympia Park is the old Olympic Stadium, and it is now a beautiful place to wander around for some great photo opportunities of the TV tower and the stadium itself. While you’re there, explore the Olympia Dorf for some fun street art created by Munich’s university students.

Weltwald Freising

Head out to Freising via the S1 to visit the Weltwald – or World Forest. The world’s forests have trees from Asia, Europe, North America, and around the world. Think of it like a wild botanical forest. The whole family will love this forest, which has educational signs and easy walking trails.

Drink at a Beer Garden

Visiting Munich in the summer isn’t complete without experiencing one of the many beer gardens sprinkled throughout the city. You honestly can’t go far without hitting a beer garden.

If you want a quiet local experience, check out the Paulaner Braühaus, the Paulaner Brewery. This is my local beer garden, and I love sitting under the chestnut trees and enjoying the lovely shade in a quiet and calm atmosphere.

If you want a bit more of a fun but still authentic touristy experience, head to the Chinese Tower in the middle of the Englischer Garten for Hofbräu beer.

If you are short on time and need to stay close to the train station, head to the Augustiner Kellner for tons of tables and a playground. Hierschgarten is another favorite of mine, which is lively enough, but also tucked away in a stunning park.

Munich has six major breweries, and if you are up for a LONG day of drinking, you can hit up a beer garden serving each of the big 6. I did this the other weekend, and I am proud to say I survived. My friends at Bored in Munich wrote a handy post on visiting all six beer gardens in one day.

Enjoy Summer Festivals

There are tons of annual summer festivals and events in Munich. You’ll want to check the calendar for any events during your stay.

Tollwood Summer Festival

If you like live music, local handmade crafts, street food, and pop-up bars, this festival is for you. The Tollwood Summer Festival happens annually and typically runs from the end of June to the end of July. There are special events like headlining concert acts and permanent art installations.

Tollwood is a sustainable festival with a yearly theme that changes to highlight a global climate issue. So, make sure to pack your bamboo straws to sip your cocktails.

 

 

 

 

 

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❤️ • • #sommerinderstadt #tollwood #festival #lichtermeer #istdesschee #minga #muenchenliebe #summervibes #sommerfestival2019 #tollwood #tollwoodsommerfestival2019 #vorfreude #muenchen #genuss #motto2019 #reichtleicht © Bernd Wackerbauer

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Sommerfest

Summer Fest is a fair-like event held at Olympia Park, which has over 100 stands and includes carnival rides, games, and street food. Cool off with a boating activity at Olympia Lake nearby. This event usually runs from the end of July to the middle of August.

Sommernachts Traum

The Midsummer Night’s Dream is a special event for which you need tickets during the Summer Fest at Olympia Park. The event is the largest open-air festival in Munich and features chart-topping musicians and a massive firework display, which is rare for Munich. Make sure you plan and get your tickets for this event.

Street Life Festival

The Street Life Festival is a sustainable festival celebrating the green city of Munich. You’ll find many green city initiatives, including making bamboo bikes, vegan street food, and responsible activities.

One of Munich’s grand roads shuts down and fills with vendors, food carts, DJ booths with random dance parties, and much more. The event is typically in September, so that you can celebrate before summer leaves us.

 

 

 

 

 

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Die Nacht gehört uns! Die Stadt auch! … zumindest ein bisschen… für dieses Wochenende. Machen wir was draus! #greencity #SLF18

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Munich Film Festival

The Munich Film Festival is the largest in Germany and hosts international and regional film stars and film-related events. The event is held at the end of June through the beginning of July. Grab tickets to see movies at the Gasteig or other theaters throughout Munich.

Auer Dult

Auer Dult is a festival that happens in Munich thrice yearly. If you are in Munich during the Summer, check out the summer one that takes place from the end of July to the start of August.

Located at Mariahilfplatz, Auer Dult has dozens of merchants selling handcrafted wares, carnival rides, treats for kids, craft beer, and lots of tasty local food. If you want to know how locals spend the summer, you will want to make sure you attend.

Kocherl Ball

If you came to Munich to drink and drink, you will, then this event is for you. The Kocherlball started as a way for the poor working class in Munich to celebrate and party after they got off work. Everyone in Munich now celebrates it on the 3rd Sunday in July.

You’d better be an early bird, and this crazy event starts at 6 am at the Chinese Tower. You can bring a picnic breakfast and order beers at a kiosk. The highlight of the event is traditional folk dances. You should wear Lederhosen and a Dirndl to the event.

Shop at Munich’s Flomarkts

Munich loves a good Flomark – or flea market. You’ll find markets throughout the year, from massive markets with wares worldwide to small neighborhood markets to midnight markets. For the complete list of all the markets, check out this calendar shared by Munich City.

Lounge or Swim by the Isar

The Isar River is the heart and soul of locals living in Munich during the summer. If there is one thing every local does at least once in the summer, it is to go down the Isar with friends, games, food, a portable BBQ, music, beer, wine, or a good book, and enjoy basking in the summer sun.

Bring your swimsuit, as most people get in the river at some point to cool off. If you don’t want to haul your beer down the river, grab a few at any of the many kiosks along the river. If you prefer partying by moonlight, parties typically go on until well after the sun sets along the river.

Drink at Rooftop Bars

Munich doesn’t have a ton of rooftop bars, but they are out there with great views of the city. Most of them are located on top of posh hotels, so expect to pay some money for a cocktail with a view.

My all-time favorite is Flushing Meadows, which serves craft cocktails on a private terrace. If you are on a tighter budget, head to the top of our technical university, TMU, and drink at Café Vorhoelzer Forum. Other rooftop bars are the Blue Spa Rooftop Bar, or The Terrace, MH5.

Go for a Swim Outdoors

Munich has a ton of great outdoor swimming pools to help you keep cool throughout the long summer days. My favorite outdoor pool is the Naturbad Maria Einsiedel (isn’t that the most German name for a pool?). The natural swimming pool uses green technology to clean without harmful chemicals.

Ungererbad is another favorite of mine. It has three pool areas featuring an adventure pool, diving boards, a waterslide, and a nude area. If you are not interested in swimming, then you can play beach volleyball, table tennis, lawn games, and, of course, a place to sunbathe while drinking beer from a kiosk.

Watch the Sunset at Hackerbrücker

If you want to be a true Munich local this summer, grab some beers, wine, and cheese, and head to Hackerbrücker S-Bahn stop. Climb the bridge and watch the sunset fade into the horizon over the train tracks. This is a great thing to do for a summer date night in Munich.

Celebrate Munich Pride

Munich Pride, also called Christopher Street Day, is celebrated for a whole week during Germany’s Pride Month. If you are part of the LGBTQ+ community or an ally, you do not want to miss Munich’s Pride Parade on the last Saturday of Pride Week.

In the parade, you’ll see big companies in Munich like BMW, Audi, and Google, and you will see more celebrating Pride. There are tons of floats by local groups and organizations, nightclubs rocking out with DJs on their floats, and so much more. For more information on CSD or Pride, visit the CSD website.

Play Boules/Pétanque

If you are a fan of the lawn game Boules or Petanque, then head to Munich’s Hofgarten with a set and play among Munich locals. If you prefer to watch, the experts do it. Stop by the Hofgarten on the second weekend in July for the Petanque tournament, which will bring hundreds of fans and players out to watch.

Swim at one of Munich’s Surrounding Lakes

If you are not a fan of swimming pools, head to one of Munich’s surrounding lakes. If you want to stay in Munich, head to Feldmochinger See via public transportation to swim in a small local human-made lake with a restaurant and park along its shores.

For those feeling more adventurous, pack a day bag and hop on the S-Bahn to Starnberger See or Ammer See for a day full of swimming and exploring the small towns around Munich.

See a Movie at an Open-Air Kino

Have you ever been in the mood for a movie but hated being inside during the summer months? Well, if you are in Munich in the summer, you are in luck!

The most reliable and consistent open-air theater is at Westpark. Starting in June and going until September, movies gradually begin earlier as the days get shorter.

Tickets cost about 7 euros for the theater. You’ll want to bring a blanket and some snacks. For more information, use Google Translate to get the theater’s schedule.

Go Hiking in The Alps

If Munich seems quiet on the weekend during summer, it is because everyone is taking a day trip from Munich to hike in the Alps.

There are so many options, but one of my favorites is to take the train out to Tegernsee, where there are some easy hiking trails up to a beer garden and some more challenging trails through the mountains. There is a direct train that will get you there, making it the perfect way to see the gorgeous Alps.

Another suggestion is to head to Garmisch and make an easy trail to the Garmisch Gorge.

Ride the Munich Tram

If it is raining or you have mobility concerns (it is not wheelchair friendly, though) and still want to see the best of Munich, hop on the Munich tourist tram, which will take you around the city in 55 minutes.

The tram runs on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday every hour from 11 am – 2 pm. The pick-up is at Max-Weber Platz, and it costs about 10 euros.

For more information and to book your mandatory online tickets in advance, visit the Munich Tram’s website.

Have a Picnic

Shop at Munich’s open-air food market, the Viktualienmarkt, and stock up on local meats, cheese, wines, and more. Head to any of the parks I mentioned and enjoy a relaxing picnic with friends.

Get a Cold Treat

If there is one thing Münchners love, it is an ice cream treat to beat the heat in summer. You don’t have to go far to find an ice cream stand serving fresh ice cream.

If you want to know my favorite local treats, head to my Munich Hipster Guide to find out where to get Augustiner beer-flavored ice cream.

Rainy Day? Head to the Museum

If you arrive in Munich on one of our rainy days this summer, don’t despair. Munich has dozens of museums to keep you busy. If it is wet and on a Sunday, you’re lucky, as most of our museums are 1 Euro on Sunday.

My favorite, the Deutsches Museum, is the world’s largest science and technology museum, and it is big enough to spend three whole days exploring, making it great if you have several days of rain ahead of you.

Munich also has a museum district near Königsplatz and the Pinakothek area, featuring fine art museums, Egyptian museums, geology museums, and more!

Watch the River Surfers

By now, the Munich river surfers are a favorite tourist hot spot, but they deserve the fame. Head to the Eisbach on Google Maps and watch as Munich’s river surfers take turns riding the Isar channels. It is a great way to kill some time while exploring the Englischer Garten.

Visit Andechs Monastery – Easy Hike

If you enjoy light outdoor activity ending in beer drinking, this is your day trip this summer. Take the S8 to Herrsching and continue with an easy hike up to Andechs Monastery and Brewery.

Once there, explore the monastery and finish the day with a traditional dark beer brewed by monks. If you get too drunk, you can take the bus back to the train station before returning to Munich.

Read more about this day trip to Andechs Monastery.

Go on a Walking Tour

Munich has many great walking tours perfect for exploring the city on your own 2 feet. You can do your traditional free walking tour, a Third Reich walking tour, or hand over a bit more money for an artisanal walking tour that includes beer and food. You’ll be in good hands with Munich locals sharing the highlights of Munich.

Visit Zugspitze

Zugspitze Mountain, Germany’s highest peak in the Alps, is one of my favorite day trips from Munich. You can ride a gondola or a cogwheel train up the mountain and then explore the peak, crossing the German/Austrian border as often as you want.

The stunning 360-degree views allow you to see the German and Austrian Alps from as far as the eye can see.

This day trip is quite complicated, and I suggest you read my full post detailing how to get from Munich to Zugspitze and back in one day from Munich Central Station.

Go for a Walk/Jog

Munich is a city full of active people who are always out for a jog. If you’d like to stay fit while traveling in Munich during the summer, hit the Isar trail. A separate trail for runners and walkers runs along the entire river through the city.

Explore Schloss Nymphenburg

Schloss Nyphemburger is a grand castle in the west of Munich. If you enjoy castles, head inside for a history tour. If you enjoy a beautiful park with sunshine, you can roam around the magnificent castle gardens.

Play Beach Volleyball

If you are a beach person and spend your summer holiday in Munich complaining, we aren’t near the beach, have no fear. You can head to Beach 38 for fruity cocktails and sand beach games.

Book the volleyball in advance if you want some court time.

Play Table Tennis

Munich has table tennis tables all around. Grab your paddle, some friends, and a few ping pong balls, and head over to the Weisen or any of Munich’s parks for an intense game of table tennis. They are free to use and a great way to get outdoors this summer.

Party All Night

If the long summer days in Munich have you itching to party, head out for a long night of partying and dancing. For all the details, check out my Nightlife Guide to Munich. 

Find More Things to Do in Munich

Where to Stay in Munich

After 7 years of living in Munich and traveling to the city a handful of times before and after living there, I’ve stayed in numerous hotels across the city. These are my favorite places, and I can personally vouch for them.

• Royal Bavarian for a lavish only-in-Munich experience
• Flushing Meadows for the independent hipster traveler
• Schwan Lock is for those who want to visit Munich like a local
• Living Hotel Viktualienmarkt for the sustainable traveler who wants a central hotel
• Hotel Mio by Amano for the stylish, sustainable traveler who loves a central location

Share These Summer Things in Munich

Ensure you help all your friends and family stay cool in Munich this summer by sharing this post or saving it to your favorite Pinterest board. What is your ideal way to spend the summer in Munich? Let me know in the comments.