More about: 10 Things to Do With Kids in Munich
When you travel to the Bavarian capital, you will realise that there is plenty to see and do in Munich. What's more, there is a wide range of activities for children and teenagers in this city, so you can be sure that your children won't get bored during your stay in Munich.
Options such as taking a bike tour of the city, visiting an aquarium with unique species or climbing on the roof of a stadium are just some of the things that make Munich an attractive city for all members of the family. Read on to discover everything you can do in Munich with children.
1. Take a bike tour of the city
Walking long distances can be tedious for children, so I suggest you consider taking a bike tour of the city during your visit to Munich. What's more, if your child is very young, you can request baby seats.
This bike tour will take you and your children through Munich's historic centre, allowing you to discover many of the city's main attractions in a dynamic and entertaining way. During the tour, a bicycle guide will tell you all about the history of Munich.
Weather permitting, the tour ends in the English Garden (the city's largest park) with a visit to the Chinese Tower. This tower has a beer garden where they serve delicious traditional Bavarian dishes, including desserts, making it the ideal place to take a break and eat with your little ones.
Activity details
- Price: €35
- Duration: 3.5 hours
- Schedule: tours usually start between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
2. Visit the Sea Life Aquarium (Olympic Park)
The Sea Life Aquarium is located in Munich's Olympic Park. It is an interesting attraction where you can find different species of tropical sharks, colourful fish, manta rays and giant turtles.
It is a very special aquarium to take your children to, not only because it is one of the largest in Germany (with a tank capacity of 4,000,000 litres of water), but also because it has a touch pool for children. In this pool, the little ones can have a great time observing various marine species up close.
Activity details
- Price: from €17 (children under 3 years old enter free of charge).
- Duration: between 1 and 2 hours
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 1 a.m. to 6 p.m.
3. Tour the Bayern Munich Stadium
Did you know that this stadium is considered one of the most beautiful in the world? If your children like football, visiting the Bayern Munich Stadium is a must.
On this tour, you can visit the interior of the Allianz Arena with a guide who will explain all the details. Best of all, transport is included, making it more convenient for you and your children. Unique in the world
At the end, you can visit the shop and buy some souvenirs of your visit. But that's not all: the price also includes a panoramic tour of the entire city. A very comprehensive tour, right?
Or if your trip coincides with the league, you can also buy tickets to see a Bayern Munich match. The atmosphere at the Allianz Arena is unique in the world!
Activity details
- Price: €31 for children's tickets and €48 for adults
- Duration: 5 hours
- Schedule: the activity usually starts at 10:00 a.m.
4. Discover Neuschwanstein Castle
All children are fascinated by the image of a medieval castle, so during your stay in Munich, one attraction you cannot miss is a visit to Neuschwanstein Castle, famous for inspiring Disney's Beauty and the Beast. The castle remained unfinished after the king's death (1886), but even so, the magic of its façade is fascinating for children.
This guided tour also includes Linderhof Palace, and to get the most out of the tour, I recommend requesting a Spanish-speaking guide for your visit.
Inside the palace, your children will be able to observe the traditional luxuries of a European monarch's home. But this part of the tour also includes surprises such as the Hall of Mirrors, a room that, as its name suggests, is covered with mirrors, and the royal gardens, which are very elegant, as they are inspired by those of Versailles.
Activity details
- Price: from £76
- Duration: between 9 and 10 hours
- Hours: Monday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Starting point: Munich city centre (transport included in the tour)
5. Take them to Hellabrunn Zoo
If you want your children to have an unforgettable experience during your stay in Munich, you can't miss Hellabrunn Zoo. Located on the east bank of the Isar River (and south of the city), Hellabrunn is a zoo that brings together animals from all seven continents.
Inside Hellabrunn Zoo, children can see animals such as elephants, lions, tigers, rhinos, wolves, macaws, toucans, lemurs, and penguins, among many others.
There is also a petting zoo for children, where the little ones can interact with deer and goats, petting them or even feeding them.
Activity details
- Price: €5 for children's tickets and €17 for adult tickets
- Duration: between 2 and 4 hours
- Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (may vary in winter)
- How to get there: take bus line 52.
6. Discover the world of futuristic cars at BMW World
If your child is passionate about vehicles or futuristic technologies, a tour of BMW World and its museum is a must on your itinerary.
BMW World is a complex with two buildings where you can take a tour through more than 100 years of history of this important automotive brand. A permanent exhibition of cars in the museum allows visitors to learn about the past and present of the brand.
There is also an area of the museum dedicated to the brand's motorcycles. However, the favourite attraction for young and old alike is the futuristic hall at BMW World, where the most intrepid automotive engineers and designers let their imaginations run wild to give us a glimpse of what the cars of tomorrow might look like.
If you want to save money on your visit to Munich, get the Munich CityPASS® tourist card, a pass that not only includes admission to BMW World and other museums in the city, but also allows you to enjoy free walking and bus tours.
Activity details
- Price: £7
- Duration: between 2 and 3 hours
- Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 7.30 a.m. to 12 noon (opens at 9 a.m. on Sundays)
7. Stroll through the Freizeitpark Märchenwald, the Fairy Tale Park
An option that younger children will love is the Freizeitpark Märchenwald or Fairy Tale Park. This park is only 20 minutes from Munich and offers various attractions for children, such as ride-on machines, playhouses in the forest and storytelling (although only in English and German).
If your children are hungry or thirsty after a couple of hours of play, there's no problem, as there is a beer garden within the park where visitors are allowed to bring their own food and drinks.
Activity details
- Price: €13 for adults, €12 for children over 85 centimetres tall and free for children under 85 centimetres tall
- Duration: between 1 and 2 hours
- Hours: Monday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (although the park closes at 4 p.m.)
8. Surf the Eisbachwelle (English Garden)
At the southern end of the English Garden is one of the attractions that most appeals to teenagers: the Eisbachwelle, an artificial river (a tributary of the Isar River) that has waves all year round. It is considered the best place for river surfing due to its stable current and central location.
Surfing on a river in the centre of a city is a unique experience, and for that reason alone, your children will probably want to take part in this adventure. However, if you want to take your children to this river, there are a few things to keep in mind, such as the fact that park authorities only allow surfers aged 14 and older to enter the Eisbachwelle.
If you have young children, another great idea is to sit by the river for lunch. This is a refreshing area, especially in the summer.
Activity details
- Price: free
- Duration: as there is no time limit, it will depend on the parents' planning
- Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
9. Visit the Munich Museum of Science and Technology
Are you looking for an attraction where your children can learn while having fun? Then you should visit the Munich Museum of Science and Technology.
The museum has various interactive exhibitions aimed at both adults and children, covering topics such as energy, aviation, computing, etc. There are also several examples of original machines in the museum's permanent exhibitions, including old printers, submarines, aeroplanes and even a lunar rover.
But the museum also has a section dedicated to children where they can carry out experiments, run on a giant hamster wheel, fly a spaceship, walk through an artificial coal mine and much more.
Details of the activity
- Price: £8 for children's tickets and £17 for adults
- Duration: between 2 and 3 hours.
- Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- How to get there: by S-Bahn underground line or a 10-minute walk from Marienplatz
10. Take a tour of the Bavarian Film Studios
If your children enjoy cinema, an unforgettable experience for them would be a guided tour of the Bavarian Film Studios, one of the largest film studios in Europe.
As a family, you can discover the film-making process and many other surprises. If you want to get your tickets, I recommend buying them directly from the studio's website.
During this tour, your guide will take you and your children through different sets where films for cinema and television are recorded. Your children will be able to enter a submarine, a spaceship and also meet Falkor, the animatronic dragon from The Neverending Story. At the end, your little ones will have the chance to record a short film.
Activity details
- Price: €17 for children's tickets and €20 for adults' tickets
- Duration: 1 hour ½ (90 minutes)
- Hours: Monday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- How to get there: Take tram no. 25 to Bavariafilmplatz station, which will drop you off just a few steps from the studio entrance.
When is the best time to travel to Munich with children?
Many of the most popular activities for children in Munich take place outdoors, so the weather is an important factor to consider when planning your trip to the Bavarian capital.
If you are thinking of travelling to Munich with children, it is best to choose a time of year when there is little rain. For this reason, you will get the most out of your visit if you go to Munich between June and September.
Accessibility for disabled people in Munich?
Munich is a city that cares about inclusion, and many of its tourist attractions are accessible to people with disabilities.
However, my advice is to contact the company organising the activity you are interested in beforehand. This way, you can find out if the attraction has the necessary infrastructure to guarantee access for disabled people (both children and adults).