10 Amazing Day Trips from Munich to Consider in 2025

When you’re looking to take some totally awesome day trips from Munich, Germany, we’ve got you covered. Not only is Bavaria’s capital city amazing in its own right, but it also makes the perfect base from which to explore more of this beautiful region.

I spend (at least) a month in Germany every year, the majority of which I spend exploring Munich and the surrounding areas. I’ve put together 10 of the greatest day trips from Munich you can take this year and I’ve separated them into a handful of categories.

How to take these day trips from Munich

Some of these day trips are easily taken by public transportation, while others are better/easier if you have a rental car. I’ve personally explored these destinations by bus, train, and my own rental car so I can give you the best insight. Each section explains which is the best method for that particular day trip. Gute Fahrt! (Finally, a chance to use one of my fave German sayings!)

Day trips from Munich: Map

The map below contains all the day trip destinations mentioned in this post so you can easily plan your travels. To save this map, click on the star ⭑ next to the map’s title. To use it, open Google Maps on your phone, click “Saved,” then click “Maps.”

Fairytale day trips from Munich

One of the best things about Munich is its prime Bavarian location, i.e., right in the heart of medieval fairytale village country (also known as the Romantic Road). If you’re looking to add some half-timbered charm to your Germany trip, check out these fairytale day trips from Munich.

1. Neuschwanstein Castle

Visiting Neuschwanstein Castle is by far the most popular day trip from Munich—and for good reason, this place is magical! It’s a fairly easy day trip to take and you can get here via several different methods of transportation.

While here, you can take a guided tour inside the castle and see what King Ludwig II envisioned for his fantasy playhouse (that’s pretty much what it was). You can also walk up to the Marienbrücke (Queen Mary’s Bridge) to get some iconic photos of this fairytale castle. Better yet, there’s also another castle right next door that you can visit as well—Hohenschwangau. Two fairytale castles in one fantastic day trip, huzzah!

How to get to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich

Being so popular, you can get to Neuschwanstein from Munich using just about any method you choose.

By car: Driving to Neuschwanstein from Munich is going to be the fastest and easiest way to get here. The drive is around 1 hour and 45 minutes and there’s plenty of parking once you get here. Check out the best Munich rental car deals here.

By train + bus: You can also get to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich via public transportation. Take the train from Munich to the town of Füssen, then take bus 73 from Füssen to the “Neuschwanstein Castles, Schwangau” stop. This method takes around 2 hours and 15 minutes and costs around €26 (depending on a number of factors though, of course).

Check out the train schedules to Neuschwanstein here. Put in München Hbf as your starting point (that’s Munich’s main train station) and Füssen as your destination.

By bus: The super affordable Flixbus also makes several round trips between Neuschwanstein and Munich every day with pretty decent schedules. Take a look at the Flixbus options here.

2. Rothenburg ob der Tauber

The medieval wonderland of Rothenburg ob der Tauber is another of the best day trips from Munich if you’re looking for magical fairytale vibes. (It’s also one of my favorite cities ever!) It’s the perfect size to experience the highlights in a single day.

Rothenburg is famous for its half-timbered architecture and for being the inspiration for the village in Disney’s Pinocchio. You can stroll the incredibly well-preserved medieval streets, enjoy some delicious Franconian food in a beer garden, climb the town hall tower for amazing views, and visit some super interesting museums. For everything else, check out my full list of awesome things to do in Rothenburg.

How to get to Rothenburg ob der Tauber from Munich

Driving yourself or booking a spot on an organized day tour are the easiest ways to get to Rothenburg from Munich, but the train is also an option.

By car: The drive will take you about 2.5 hours and shouldn’t be too complicated. You can book a rental car here.

By train: This option will take about the same amount of time but will involve some train changes. Take a look at the schedules and options here on Trainline. Enter Munich Hbf as your starting point and Rothenburg ob der Tauber as your destination.

3. Regensburg

Regensburg is another great day trip destination when you want more of those fairytale vibes in your life. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a super hip “college town” that boasts the highest number of bars per capita in Germany. Combine those two facts and you’ve got some super cool spots to spend a chill day away from Munich.

While in Regensburg, don’t miss lunch at the Wurstkuchl—one of the world’s oldest restaurants. You can also take a cruise on the Danube, visit the dachshund museum (and yes, there are dachshunds!), visit some other cool museums, or just wander around the historic town center. (There are even Roman ruins here!) For the full list of what to do in Regensburg, check out the post in that link.

How to get from Munich to Regensburg

If you have a car, great, but the easiest way to take a day trip from Munich to Regensburg is actually by train.

By car: The drive from Munich to Regensburg will take you about 1 hour and 15 minutes. There are several parking areas around the perimeter of the Old Town.

By train: Taking the train from Munich to Regensburg will take around 1.5 hours and require zero changes. (Woohoo!) For the most part, this route runs just about every hour. Take a look at all the available train options here.

History day trips from Munich

If you’re less of a fairytale geek and more of history nerd, there are tons of great day trips from Munich you can consider. (I’m a WWII historian myself so I’m right there with ya!) If this is the case, check out these eye-opening history-centered day trips from Munich.

4. Dachau Concentration Camp

The small town of Dachau is just a short train away from Munich but one of the most historically important. Dachau is where the Nazi regime opened its first concentration camp.

At Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, you can take an unforgettable guided or self-guided tour of the entire facility. You’ll see prison cells, mass grave sites, memorials, churches, the crematoriums, the gas chamber, recreated barracks, and much more.

There’s a Visitors Center, a small café, a book shop, and a helpful staff to answer any questions you may have. This may not be the funnest day trip from Munich, but it’s definitely the most worthwhile.

How to get from Munich to Dachau Concentration Camp

Getting here is super easy since it is one of the most popular day trips from Munich.

By car: If you have your own rental car, you can easily drive from Munich to the memorial site. There’s parking available on site and it’s just €3 per car for the day.

By train + bus: Most people simply take the train here from Munich, which is just as easy. You’ll want to take the S2 train from Munich Hauptbahnhof (main station) in the direction of Petershausen/Dachau/Altomünster. Get off at the “Dachau” stop.

From here, you’ll follow the signs for “KZ-Gedenkstätte” which will lead you to a bus stop. Take bus 726 in the direction of Saubachsiedlung. This will stop right outside the entrance to Dachau Concentration Camp.

5. Eagle’s Nest

The Eagle’s Nest in Berchtesgaden is commonly referred to as “Hitler’s mountain retreat” and is one of the most popular day trips from Munich by far.

The famous Eagle’s Nest once belonged to Hitler and the Nazi Party and was used mostly for parties and hosting important guests. Today, it’s mostly a large restaurant, a small historical exhibition, and the chance to catch some stunning views from high in the Alps.

How to get to the Eagle’s Nest

From Munich, you can get to the Eagle’s Nest a couple of ways:

By train: Taking the train from Munich to the Eagle’s Nest is going to be the longest and most difficult route. It will involve 3 trains with tight connections (I missed some of them by a minute last time). It will take a little over 3 hours to get here (if you make your connections, that is). Take a look at the train routes here.

By car: Obviously, driving to the Eagle’s Nest is going to be the easiest. It’s a fairly straight shot all the way here; parking is easy to find; and it will only take about 2 hours each way.

By organized tour: This is the most popular way to get here from Munich. Just book yourself on one of the many Eagle’s Nest tours and let someone else handle the logistics. This will also take about 2 hours each way.  

6. Nuremberg

In terms of great history-centered day trips from Munich, Nuremberg is a no-brainer. This second-largest city in Bavaria is known for its well-preserved Old Town (complete with castle and city walls!), one of the oldest Christmas markets in Germany, and its historic role during WWII.

Nuremberg is the city where the Nazi Party held their massive rallies and where their war crimes trials took place after the fact. See the full list of WWII sites in Nuremberg here.

How to get to Nuremberg

Getting to Nuremberg is easy since it’s so close to Munich:

By car: Nuremberg is less than a 2-hour drive from Munich. Once here, there are plenty of parking areas. (My favorite is the large garage on Augustinerstraße. It’s a dream!)

By train: You can take the train from Munich to Nuremberg in about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Trains run several times per house; check the latest times and rates here.

Simply fun day trips from Munich

Here are a couple of destinations that have a big mix of everything, for when you just want to explore a new place.

7. Salzburg, Austria

In Salzburg, the hills are alive with the sound of music, and I mean that literally. As the city where this famous movie was set, you’ll be able to visit many of the filming locations – plus see sites tied to Mozart, who was also born here.

There’s also a mountaintop castle, delicious food, and tons of beautiful sites to see here. For all the fun details, see my full guide to taking a day trip to Salzburg from Munich here.

How to get to Salzburg

Salzburg is one of the most popular day trips from Munich, so getting here is a cinch.

By car: Driving from Munich to Salzburg will take you about an hour and half. Once here, there are a fair number of parking areas around the perimeter of the Old Town (just not within the Old Town).

By train: The train to Munich will also take between 1.5 hours and 1 hour and 45 minutes, depending on time of day. Trains leave a couple of times an hour and are direct with no connections in between. Take a look at the current schedules and rates here.

8. Stuttgart

It’s finally time to leave Bavaria. You won’t find a lot of fairytale architecture in Stuttgart, but you will find a car lover’s paradise, a huge Oktoberfest-like festival, and one of the largest royal palaces in Germany. (It’s also an excellent place to visit at Christmas, if you’re around at that time of year.)

Both Mercedes-Benz and Porsche are headquartered here with fan-favorite museums of their own. In the fall, don your dirndl and head over to the Cannstatter Volksfest for some liters at Europe’s second-largest beer festival. Otherwise, you can visit attractions like the Ludwigsburg Residential Palace, hang out on the Schlossplatz, or just stroll around this more modern German city.

How to get to Stuttgart

You can get from Munich to Stuttgart by both car or train, with train being the fastest. And since this is one of the day trips less taken, there are currently no organized tour options between the two cities.

By car: Driving to Stuttgart will take about 2.5 hours, with no traffic. And while there’s plenty of parking available here, this is a larger/busier city and driving through it isn’t the most fun. Be prepared for big city vibes if you’re behind the wheel.

By train: Taking the train to Stuttgart will take about 2 hours and is the much easier route. Trains leave for Stuttgart pretty frequently and the trip is direct on the InterCity-Express (ICE). See all schedules and rates here.

Scenic day trips from Munich

Here are a few of the most scenic day trips you can take from Munich, for when you want to see mountains, Gandalf!

9. Berchtesgaden

I mentioned Berchtesgaden earlier since that’s where the Eagle’s Nest is located, but you can visit this city without any history-centered agenda at all. And it’s BEAUTIFUL.

Berchtesgaden is also where you’ll find Königssee, the deepest lake in Germany, with emerald green waters surrounded on all sides by towering mountain ranges. Take the 2-hour boat ride up and down the lake, or head up the Jennerbahn cable car to see it all from above. There are several small (but stunning) hikes you can do in this area, too.

How to get to Berchtesgaden

Unlike many of these day trips from Munich, driving to Berchtesgaden is going to be much faster and easier than taking the train, even though it’s so close.

By car: Driving from Munich to Berchtesgaden will take about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Once here, park at the Contipark on Maximilianstraße for cheap parking in a convenient location.

By train: To get here by train, you’ll need to take the train from Munich Hbf to Freilassing, and then from here to Berchtesgaden. The problem however is that the connection in Freilassing is only about 5-6 minutes and the trains almost always run a bit late. So, prepare for about an hour delay in Freilassing if you choose this path. See train schedules and rates here.

10. Zugspitze

For some of the best scenery you can get on a day trip from Munich, head to the Zugspitze—Germany’s highest peak. Up here, you can look down on the snowy Alps, drink a beer at Germany’s highest pub, and eat Germany’s highest bratwurst. Weird flex, but still.