10-day itinerary in Bavaria (Germany)
This September we spent 10 days traveling around Bavaria to Füssen, Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Eibsee), and Munich. This area of Germany is absolutely beautiful and if it is somewhere you have considered going I highly recommend to book the trip! We flew into Munich and rented a car, but you could also do this same trip by taking the trains. The trains in Germany are world-class and very easy to navigate. We selected to rent a car because there were hikes we wanted to easily get to quickly and we wanted to have the luxury of road tripping between destinations. We ended our trip by attending Oktoberfest in Munich, which is such a fun way to end a trip! Outlined below was our itinerary as well as some recommendations
Days 1-3 -Füssen
Füssen is a 1hr 33min drive or 2hr 22min train ride from Munich. Füssen is a small town in Bavaria just north of the Austrian border. There are many things to do in the area and I would recommend spending 1-2 days here. If you have limited time in Germany I would still recommend doing a day trip from Munich via the train. It would be very doable if you left early and returned late.
Füssen, Germany
Accommodation:
We stayed at the Hotel Hirsch which is right in town. The hotel is very cute and looks like something that could be from a Wes Anderson movie. Each morning they provide a vast breakfast spread that is included in your stay rate. There is also a beer garden and restaurant attached to the hotel which is a great place to spend an afternoon relaxing. The rooms here were very spacious, but like most places in Europe they do not have AC. We slept with windows open all night and luckily the temperatures slightly dropped at night. In the summer months, it could get very toasty in rooms. If you are someone who can’t sleep without cooler airconditioned temperatures then I would recommend considering traveling to Europe in the cooler months! Hotel Hirsch allows dogs if you are traveling in Germany with your pup!
Hotel Hirsch - Füssen, Germany
Things to Do:
Visit the Castles:
The most popular thing to do in Füssen is to visit Neuschwanstein Castle. Neuschwanstein Castle is the iconic fairytale-looking castle that is widely photographed. Surprisingly this castle isn’t that old. King Ludwig II built it in the 19th century but styled it in a romanticist interpretation of the Middle Ages. This castle was also the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty castle at Disneyland. Make sure to take the trail to Mary’s Bridge where you will find stunning views of the whole castle. Hohenschwangau Castle is a walking distance (or shuttle/horse carriage ride) away from Neuschwanstein. This castle is actually older and dates back to the 12th century. It was originally for knights and was later used by the royal family for summer, Christmas, and hunting visits. Both castles can be toured, but I highly recommend booking your tickets in advance as it is a popular destination.
Hiking:
Alpsee Lake- 3.3-mile easy hike around the lake at the base of the Hoenschwangau Castle. You can swim in this crystal clear lake as well!
Castle Loop- There are tons of trails that connect around Neuschwanstein Castle. You can do a 3-mile or 20-mile hike by zigzagging around on the trails behind the castle.
River & Lechfalls into Austria- There is a paved trail that you can pick up directly from town that will take you along the river, down to Lechfalls, and allow you to walk across into Austria. The bright blue water and power of Lechfalls are something to visit during your time in Füssen (you can drive here too).
Tegelberg Mountain- At Tegelberg Mountain you can hike to the top and get a beer at Rohrkopfhütte - Die Berghütte in Schwangau. While you drink your beer you will enjoy the views of cows/goats and lush mountain scenery. There is also a cable car that will take you to the top of the mountain, an alpine slide, and for the more adventurous soul….hang gliding with views of the mountains and castles!
Explore Füssen:
Within the walls of Füssen, you will find many restaurants, bars, and shops. You can’t really go wrong sitting outside, ordering a beer, and enjoying the evening. There are many traditional Bavarian shops and places to pick up gifts. It is a town that does not need a lot of preplanning. You can wander around, pick a spot, and you will be pleasantly surprised. Some of my favorite places we visited are below.
Weinkost Berger- Cute wine bar with a gorgeous outdoor space. Several tables with umbrellas attached to the side of the museum.
Chapeau - Restaurant Bar with many vegetarian dishes to choose from. Highly recommend the Feta-Kaseim Teigmantel (Baked Feta) appetizer.
Stefanie Diller Schneeballentraume - A popular local dessert in Füssen that you have to try!
Bayrish Pub - Lol, yes. We went to an Irish pub in Germany. This was a great place to watch sports and grab a drink. It wasn’t overly easy to find a place to belly up and have a drink. In most places you had to sit down at a table. This place was great for that and meeting people. They also had food.
Days 4-6 - Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Eibsee)
Accommodation:
We stayed in the absolute best hotel possible during this leg of the trip. We knew we wanted this portion to be relaxing so we booked a room at the Eibsee-Hotel at the base of Zugspitze Mountain. I was so impressed by this hotel. They have a full spa with saunas, steam rooms, relaxing rooms, and an indoor pool all free to use! They offer massages too that cost money, but the prices were not outrageous. Breakfast and Dinner were included with our stay fee and the food was incredible. The hotel truly had the best breakfast buffet I have ever had and the dinner was a three-course meal each night with 3 options of entrees to choose from. They always had a vegetarian option. The hotel is right on Lkae Eibsee so you have full access to all the paddle boards, kayaks, swimming docks, and day beds on the property. In addition, they rent out bikes and other toys to explore the area. Eibsee-Hotel allows dogs if you are traveling in Germany with your pup!
Things to Do:
Mountain Bike - Mountain biking is very popular around this area. We rented 1 regular and 1 electric mountain bike and road around the lake, through the mountains, and into the town of Grainau. I highly recommend the electric one! It was way easier to get up the hills and fun! The town of Grainau is so quaint and there was a small beer garden we stopped at for a rest. I had never gone true mountain biking so found this a bit challenging at first, but once I got the hang of the electric bike I was having a blast!
Zugspitze - Zugspitze is the tallest mountain in Germany. You can hike to the top or take the cable car to the top. At the very top, you get fantastic views and you can also grab a beer! It is dog-friendly on the cable car & at the top! You can buy tickets ahead of time.
Hiking -
This area of Germany is an active person’s dream. I highly recommend looking up all the different hikes you can do in this area as there are a million. There are also so many other outdoor activities to indulge yourself in. In the winter there is also skiing as well as other winter activities! Here were two hikes we explored.
Eibsee Lake Loop Hike - This hike gets very busy so I suggest going early. It is 4.5 miles around the entire lake loop.
Ettaler Mandl Loop- This trail is near Oberammergau which is a great place to visit as well. It is a smaller town with lots of cute shops and restaurants. The buildings all have beautiful paintings on the sides. Ettaler Mandl loop is a longer hike at 10 miles, but you can shorten it to your desired length. The views are spectacular.
Days 7-10- Munich
We ended our Germany road trip in Munich celebrating Oktoberfest! We planned to do two days of Oktoberfest celebrations and one day exploring Munich. Our whole group had been to Munich before so we had done many of the tourist attractions, but I have included some highlights to see in Munich as well as some Oktoberfest tips below! Munich is a really fun city to explore so I highly recommend including at least a day or two there.
Oktoberfest:
We visited Lowenbrau, Augustiner, Marstall, and Hofbräu tents on this trip. In the past I have been to other tents as well. You really can’t go wrong selecting a tent to visit. Each one has a different feel but are all fun! For those who do not drink beer there is a wine tent as well!
Tips for Oktoberfest:
Bring Cash! The tents at Oktoberfest are cash only. As of 2023, a stein costs between €12.60 and €14.90.
Dress in a Traditional Bavaria outfit. It is very fun to be part of the traditions. Make sure to do it in a respectful way. Around Munich, there are plenty of places to pick up lederhosen or a dirndl. You can also find many vintage ones on Etsy.
Be prepared for large crowds if you are going on the weekend. If you have a large group you will want to go early in the day or try to get a reservation. A great resource for getting reservations is to visit the following website and sign up for reservation alerts. During the weekdays it is much easier to find a table with a big group and you won’t need to be there until 11 am or 12 pm to secure a spot.
Embrace meeting new people and being open to things. If it is busy you can walk up to a table that isn’t too busy and ask if you can join. 9 times out of 10 the people will be thrilled to have you join.
Do the rides! There are so many to choose from and it was so funny! Even if you don’t like rollercoasters or spinning rides you can partake in some of the less scary ones or play some arcade games.
Things to Do (other than Oktoberfest!):
Explore the English Gardens: This is my all-time favorite place to go in Munich. It is a huge park and the most peaceful place. I recommend bringing a blanket, a picnic, a bottle of wine, and a swimsuit for a full afternoon in the park. There are also two spots where you can watch people surfing the Eisbach River or you can float down it.
Visit a Beer Garden: There are dozens of beer gardens all around Munich. Two of my favorites we visited were the Augustiner Beer Garden and the Biergarten am Chinesischen Turm in the English Garden. Both have fun atmospheres and also great food!
The BMW Museum: View BMW cars and learn about the history of BMW. Tickets are 7-10 euros and the BMW Welt Museum is free.
Marienplatz: Here you can see the Rathaus-Glockenspiel. It chimes at 11 a.m. and 12 o'clock noon in the tower of the New Town Hall at Marienplatz. There is another show at 5 p.m. that does not happen between November through February.
Glockenbachviertel neighborhood: Spend a day or night exploring this fun neighborhood. We found that it had some of the best food & drink places. Much less touristy than the areas around Marienplatz or Oktoberfest. I had one of the best cups of coffee at Man vs. Machine. There are several cool cocktail bars to check out including Zephyr Bar, Zum Wolf, and the High.
I hope this itinerary helps you get started with planning your trip to Germany. Reach out with any questions or assistance as you plan your trip! Prost!
