This post lists the best free walking tours you can take in Munich, Germany, a city known for its beer gardens and festivals.
Free Tours By Foot has provided more than 1 million tours since our inception, so you can trust us to lead you in the right direction when it comes to free walking tours in Munich.
We also include a self-guided and an audio tour.
- Overview and Schedule
- City Centre Walking Tours
- Oktoberfest Walking Tours
- Self-Guided Walking Tours
- Free Tours with Turbo Pass
- Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle
OVERVIEW AND SCHEDULE
Below is a calendar of some of the great free walking tours available in Munch, the capital city of Bavaria.
Click on the entry below to expand the listing for more details.
The tours listed below are run through us. More tours are available in the following sections.
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Here is a calendar with more of the best free walking tours in Munich.
These walking tour companies run their guided walks on a pay-what-you-like basis, which means there is no upfront fee to join a tour.
At the end of the tour, they’ll ask you to pay what you think the experience was worth or what you could afford. Most tourists who enjoy their outings will tip their guides €10-€15, but that's up to you!
However, although these companies often get very good reviews, their affordability and popularity mean that, during the busy season, these walks are generally at capacity.
While a free walking tour of Munich is often led by entertaining and knowledgeable tour guides, the tour group is usually large enough to prevent you from interacting with your guide like you could in a small group.
So, for travelers who want to take tours with fewer people, we recommend paid small-group tours.
If you decide to take a paid small-group tour, you might be able to see even more popular sites such as the Viktualienmarkt, the English Garden, and other sites that sometimes are not included on free outings.
That said, if you want to become more familiar with the main squares of the city and learn a basic overview of its history, a free walking tour could be just the way to go!
Check out our free tours in dozens of other cities, including:
TIP: If you want to cover more ground, you can take a hop-on-hop-off bus tour through the city!
These tours come with audio guides in up to nine different languages (English, Spanish, German, and French included), and make stops at the most popular points of interest in Munich.
FREE TOURS WITH THE MUNICH TURBOPASS
If you’re considering buying an attraction discount pass, the all-inclusive Munich TurboPass includes a 1.5-hour walking tour through Old Town as well as several other walking tours.
The travel card option gives either a free ticket or a 20% discount!
This tour’s normal price is €15 per adult and €13 per teen, young adult, or senior over 65.
This walk runs at least once a day, every day of the year except for December 25! It is the perfect overview of Old Town.
CITY CENTRE WALKING TOURS
Here is a list of companies that provide pay-what-you-like walking tours in the city.
In addition to learning about historical figures such as King Ludwig II, these outings also provide a look at what life was like in Munich during the middle ages.
You can usually expect to visit some of the following historic locations on these outings:
- Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady)
- Feldherrnhalle (Field Marshals’ Hall)
- Hofbräuhaus
- Residenz
- Glockenspiel
- Marienplatz
- State Opera
- Odeonsplatz
- And more!
If you want to see or learn about any of these locations, or even just find out where they are, consider taking one of the following free walking tours in Munich!
Explora Munich
This company also offers a pay-what-you-want walking tour of Munich, this one specifically focusing on the Old Town sector of the city.
You can expect to see a lot of the most notable sites in the city centre, including several historic locations over the course of this 2.5-hour tour.
This tour is offered daily at 10:45 am in both English and Spanish. There is also a second Spanish tour every day at 11:45 am.
Walkative
This is another company offering a tour of Old Town Munich, this time covering some of the darker aspects of Bavarian history.
Visitors can expect to learn about the third reich history of Munich, including tales of Adolf Hitler and the Beer Hall Putsch. You'll also see notable sites such as the Old Town Hall and Mariensplatz.
This outing is available from Tuesday - Saturday at 10:45 am, on Wednesday and Friday at 15:00 (2 pm), and at 11:00 am on Saturday. The tour will last for approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Sandemans New Europe Munich
The free tour of Munich with Sandemans is a 2.5-hour walking overview of this beautiful German city starting at Marienplatz and ending close by.
Your local guide will make sure to show you all the must-see points of attraction, including the Glockenspiel, Frauenkirche, and the Hofbrauhaus.
The walks begin at 10:45 am and 14:00 (2:00 pm) every day in both English and Spanish.
You can also take paid tours and day trips covering specific topics and attractions.
Oktoberfest in Munich Tours
If you're curious about the tradition of Oktoberfest that takes place every October, there are actually free tours covering this side of Bavarian culture.
While drinks and food aren't included, you will learn about the history of this event and how it became an international sensation.
You can expect to visit landmars such as the following:
- Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall)
- St. Peter Kirche
- Hofbräuhaus
- Frauenkirche
- Odeonsplatz
- And more!
This outing is 2 hours long and it's available in English on Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday at 15:30 (3:30 pm) and on Saturdays at 10:00 am.
Book your tickets or learn more.
SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOURS
Self-guided walking tours are perfect for when you prefer to explore the city at your own pace or if you cannot find the right option for your schedule.
Either way, here are some written guides to Munich that will allow you to be your own guide.
Rick Steves Audio Tour
Rick Steves is well-known for his many, many city guides and tours.
Luckily, his team offers one audio city walk for Munich, which is downloadable and comes with a downloadable map as well.
The audio guide runs for just over one hour and features 20 stops.
Free Tours By Foot
Even if you don't have the earbuds for an audio tour, you can still use our self-guided walking tour of Munich as long as you have a smartphone.
This outing closely follows a similar path to the Rick Steves audio tour, but it's a bit shorter in length.
That said, we provide a lot of interesting details about each of the stops included, as well as directions to help you find your way to every location.
Best of all, just like our name says, it's entirely free to use this self-guided tour!
CityTourCard Munich
If you prefer to make your own route and are planning on purchasing public transportation tickets already, you can buy the CityTourCard for Munich which comes with a map and pocket guide to the city as well as discounts for certain card partners.
Haunted Munich Self-Guided Game
Discover the spookier side of Munich as you explore the city at your own pace and learn about some of the most haunted locations and stories as you attempt to solve a mystery.
This is an interesting alternative to a traditional tour, and although it's not free, at just €10 for up to 4 people, it costs about as much as you might tip for a pay-what-you-wish walking tour.
Download or learn more about this game.
Check out our free tours in dozens of other cities, including: