Munich with Kids: The Best Activities and Practical Tips

Classic Munich Highlights That Kids Will Love Too

Munich is a great travel destination with kids! Let’s start with a few classic things to do in Munich that you can easily enjoy with children. Boredom is guaranteed not to be an issue here.

See the City in Style on the City Sightseeing Tour

• Perfect for: Children ages 3 and up
• How much time to plan: 1 hour
• Online ticket: Hop-on/Hop-off City Tour

The best way to explore Munich with kids is to be chauffeured through the city — and do it in a red double-decker bus no less! Your child will absolutely love riding up top on the roof!

There are three routes. The so-called circular tour covers only the red line. It costs €27.90 for adults and €15.50 for children ages five to fifteen. Unfortunately, there’s no family ticket for the circular tour.

The red line runs through the city center, passing Karlsplatz, Sendlinger-Tor-Platz, Isartorplatz, Marienplatz, Odeonsplatz, Königsplatz, and Karolinenplatz. That already covers all the essentials. Of course, you can hop off at any time and spend more time wherever you like.

If you want to see even more, you can buy a ticket for all the lines. The purple line takes you to Nymphenburg Palace and around the Olympic Park. The blue line also hits a few lovely spots in Schwabing, such as the English Garden and the well-known Leopoldstrasse.

With this kind of ticket, you can ride for 24 or 48 hours. A family ticket costs €54 or €58.50 respectively, and covers two adults and three children. All buses are wheelchair accessible and audio guides are available in multiple languages.

Book the Hop-on/Hop-off City Sightseeing Tour

Discover Munich by Tram

• Perfect for: Children ages 3 and up
• How much time to plan: 20 minutes
• Cost: Single fare €3.70, children €1.80
• Ticket info: Single fare for the tram

Does your child love riding trams? Then we’d suggest two lines that let you comfortably ride past Munich’s most important sights.

Tram 16 not only covers the Bavarian National Museum and St. Luke’s Church, it also runs past the Eisbach wave — so you might even spot cool surfers with their boards hopping on.

With Tram 19, you’ll see Lenbachplatz, the National Theater, and the magnificent Maximilianeum.

Riding the tram is a budget-friendly alternative to the famous red double-decker buses.

Watch the Glockenspiel at Marienplatz

• Perfect for: Toddlers
• How much time to plan: 15 minutes
• Cost: Free

Sooner or later, you’ll definitely pass through Marienplatz. It’s the heart of Munich, home to the enormous, impressive city hall. A Glockenspiel performance takes place daily in one of the city hall towers.

Try to time your visit for 11 AM or noon so you can catch it. From March through October, there’s also a performance at 5 PM. To the tune of four pieces of music, the colorful figures spin above your heads.

The Glockenspiel depicts, across two levels, the wedding of Duke Wilhelm V to Renata of Lorraine and a coopers’ dance performed after a severe plague epidemic. The 43 bells are powered by solar energy.

Family-Friendly Parks in Munich

Sightseeing on a city trip with kids can of course be a little tiring. But if you need a break from it all, that’s no problem at all in Munich.

There are plenty of inner-city parks that are perfect for a quick breather or where the kids can really let loose and burn off some energy.

Explore the English Garden

• Perfect for: Children of all ages
• How much time to plan: at least half a day
• Cost: Free admission

Locals call it simply the “E-Garten” — the English Garden is the city’s green lung and is even larger than Central Park in New York. Here you’ll find countless playgrounds and beer gardens.

Next to the beer garden at the Chinese Tower there’s a historic children’s carousel that’s open in good weather from April through October. But that’s not the only fun thing about the Chinese Tower: kids find the brass band music played there absolutely hilarious.

One of our favorite activities in the English Garden is a pedal boat ride on the Kleinhesseloher See. The Seehaus boat rental is open daily in summer from 10 AM to 8 PM. About €10 gets you 30 minutes. You can eat at the Seehaus itself, but it’s pricey — so don’t forget to bring your own snacks!

Across from Prinzregentenstrasse 22, you’ll find the famous Eisbach wave, where surfers show off their skills. A huge crowd always gathers on the bridge above to watch — and it’s genuinely impressive!

All of this is in the southern part of the English Garden. In the northern section, known as the Hirschau, there’s another standout: the Schwabinger Bucht. It’s a local favorite in Munich and especially safe — splashing around in urban streams isn’t always worry-free, but the water here is crystal clear and shallow.

Explore Nymphenburg Palace Park

• Perfect for: Children of all ages
• How much time to plan: a full day
• Cost: Palace park free, palace €10, children under 18 free
• Online ticket: Nymphenburg Palace complex

You may already know that a popular day trip from Munich is a visit to Neuschwanstein Castle. But did you know that an equally beautiful fairy-tale palace is waiting for you right in the Neuhausen-Nymphenburg neighborhood?

A visit to Nymphenburg Palace pairs perfectly with a stroll along the Nymphenburg Canal. Taking a break on one of the benches there is wonderful — you can watch the ducks and swans gliding along the water.

Even if your kids love being active, they’ll adore the vast palace park! From April through mid-October, gondola rides are offered on the central canal. You can reserve them online or just show up. The boat ride costs €15 per person.

Touring the palace itself is a lot of fun too, as there’s so much to discover: ceiling paintings, statues, gold decorations, and loads of stucco! The kid-friendly audio guide is a particularly nice touch. The whole thing takes an hour at most.

If you also plan to visit the Museum of Mankind and Nature (our #10), you could easily spend an entire day here.

Our tip: When hunger strikes, we recommend grabbing a bite at the beautiful Schlosscafé in the Palmenhaus, or picking something up from the kiosk.

Spend a Summer Day at the Olympic Park

• Perfect for: Children of all ages
• How much time to plan: a full day
• Cost: Free admission
• Website: Olympic Park Munich

The 290-hectare Olympic Park is a fantastic spot for a fun family outing.

Among other things, you’ll find a cool mini golf course with 18 holes and Pit-Pat tables (a tabletop version of mini golf). Adults pay €7, children up to age 14 pay €6. You can also reserve by phone, except on Sundays and public holidays.

The park train gives you a great overview of the whole park. The little blue choo-choo runs from early April through early November, daily from 10 AM to 6 PM, every 30 minutes, departing from the stop at the Olympiasee in front of the Olympic Tower and at BMW Welt.

The ride takes about 20 minutes and you buy tickets directly from the train conductor. Adults pay €9, children ages 4–15 pay €7.50, and children under 4 ride for free.

Afterward, you can simply spread out your picnic blanket around the Olympiasee, relax, and watch the ducks on the lake. You can also rent a pedal boat and cruise across the water yourself. The boat rental season kicks off in early April.

Our tip: On weekends, public holidays, and during school vacations, the Cinema at the Olympiasee presents its Family Open Air screenings. Children up to age three get in free, and there are specially priced budget meal combos.

Pet Animals at Tierpark Hellabrunn

• Perfect for: Younger and animal-loving children
• How much time to plan: at least half a day
• Cost: €20, children ages 4–14 €8, family ticket from €25
• Online ticket: Tierpark Hellabrunn

Tierpark Hellabrunn in the Thalkirchen neighborhood is without a doubt one of the attractions kids love most in Munich. The zoo is one of the ones in Europe with the greatest number of animals.

Here, kangaroos meet elephants, llamas meet zebras, and tigers meet camels. In the petting area, you’ll even find adorable pygmy goats.

There’s also a large adventure playground, a toddler-friendly play area at the Café Rhino, and a whole children’s land complete with a historic railroad.

The zoo offers family tickets. The small family ticket covers one parent with children for €25; the large family ticket for €45 is valid for both parents.

Enjoy Summer in Westpark

• Perfect for: Children of all ages
• How much time to plan: at least half a day
• Cost: Free admission
• Website: Munich Westpark

Westpark is another beautiful park in Munich. The wide open meadows are ideal for families — you can play badminton, run around, or simply have a picnic. There are even designated grilling areas. If you’d rather not handle the food yourself, the beer garden is just the place.

A highlight is the water playground. It features a moat with a great climbing frame, a big slide, and of course swings, a merry-go-round, a seesaw, and more.

The park’s 60 hectares include an Asian section with a Nepalese pagoda on the water, a Thai sala, and a Japanese garden. In summer, the lakeside stage hosts the open-air cinema “Kino, Mond und Sterne.”

Our tip: Westpark isn’t only great in summer. In spring, up to 20,000 roses bloom in the rose garden — perfect for a truly lovely stroll.

Museums in Munich That Kids Will Love

There are countless exciting museums in Munich, and several of them are sure to be a hit with your kids too. Here are our favorite kid-friendly museums in Munich.

Try the Hands-On Stations at the Deutsches Museum

• Perfect for: Children ages 3 and up
• How much time to plan: at least half a day
• Cost: €15, children ages 6–17 €8, under 6 free, family ticket €31
• Online ticket: Deutsches Museum

The Deutsches Museum is one of the largest science and technology museums in the world. It’s located on Museum Island in downtown Munich.

Spread across the equivalent of 28 soccer fields, it features 19 exhibitions covering topics such as media technology, natural sciences, and the environment. On rainy days especially, you could spend an entire day here — and still keep discovering new things.

We think the sections on space travel and model trains are particularly exciting for families. The aviation hall also has its own children’s area where little ones can experiment with the laws of gravity or explore how a fire truck works.

One highlight is the flight simulator. Kids can touch and try out all kinds of things here.

Our tip: Online you’ll find a daily changing program of workshops, demonstrations, and shows — great for families!

Experience Natural Sciences at the Museum of Mankind and Nature

• Perfect for: Children ages 3 and up
• How much time to plan: 2–3 hours
• Cost: €3.50, children under 18 free
• Ticket info: Museum Mensch und Natur

The Museum of Mankind and Nature, located inside Nymphenburg Palace, is an absolutely family-friendly museum. Here, visitors of all ages can explore natural science interactively.

It tackles truly fascinating questions: How did the solar system form? And the Earth? How is the human body structured? And plenty more!

Taxidermied animals are on display too, including the famous “problem bear” Bruno, who was shot in the Alps in 2006 after getting a little too close to civilization.

The museum isn’t the largest, so on a rainy day you can easily tour the palace beforehand, or stroll through the gardens afterward when the weather’s nice.

Get Crafty at the Children's Museum

• Perfect for: Children ages 4 and up
• How much time to plan: 1–2 hours
• Cost: €5.50, children under 4 free, family ticket €16
• Ticket info: Kindermuseum München

If your child loves to participate rather than just look, the Kindermuseum München is perfect: here, you actually shape the exhibitions yourselves.

There are no fixed themes — instead, there are various workshops. Topics range from eating habits to soap bubbles to the refraction of light.

Depending on the topic, workshops are tailored to different age groups. They’re led by educational staff who are happy to help the little ones with their crafting and experimenting.

It’s best to check the website in advance, as opening hours vary depending on whether school is in session or it’s vacation time.

Our tip: Since there’s no café, be sure to bring along a small snack and drinks.

Experiment at the Biotopia Lab

• Perfect for: Children ages 6 and up
• How much time to plan: 2–3 hours
• Cost: Botanical Garden admission €5.50, children under 18 free
• Website: Biotopia Lab

Kids might find a walk through the Botanical Garden interesting, but what they really love is getting hands-on and actually touching things. They can do exactly that at the Biotopia Lab, right in the middle of the Botanical Garden.

Here they can join various workshops all about plants. There are also really lovely raised garden beds, rotating mystery objects, pop-up exhibitions, and an experimentation workshop. Your best bet is to plan your visit on a weekend, as the open hands-on program usually only runs then.

Visiting the lab is free, but you do need to pay admission to the Botanical Garden.

Discover Rockets at Flugwerft Schleißheim

• Perfect for: Children ages 6 and up
• How much time to plan: 3–4 hours
• Cost: €8, children ages 6–17 €5, under 6 free, family ticket €17
• Online ticket: Flugwerft Schleißheim

If your child is fascinated by airplanes, a trip to Flugwerft Schleißheim is just the thing. It’s part of the Deutsches Museum and displays over 70 impressive flying objects.

These include, for example, the Lilienthal glider, the Eurofighter, and a rocket. Some you can even explore from the inside. The museum is a whopping 8,000 square meters in total.

In workshops, kids can build indoor glider models out of wood, powered by a high-performance rubber band. Whether they actually fly gets put to the test right afterward — exciting! The workshop costs an extra €7 and runs from 10 AM to 4 PM. It’s worth checking in advance which days it takes place.

Flugwerft Schleißheim is a 15-minute walk from the Oberschleißheim S-Bahn station, right near Schleißheim Palace.

The Best Views of Munich with Kids

Munich is a beautiful city — and seeing it from above is a real highlight. Here are a few pointers for the coolest vantage points during your vacation with kids.

Climb the Alter Peter

• Perfect for: older children, as there is no elevator
• How much time to plan: half an hour
• Cost: €5, students ages 6–18 €2, under 6 free
• Ticket info: Tower climb Alter Peter

When you walk from Marienplatz to the Viktualienmarkt, you’ll pass right by the Alter Peter. The church is officially called the Peterskirche, but everyone knows the tower simply as the Alter Peter.

Maybe your child would enjoy counting all the way to 306? That’s how many steps it takes to reach the top. The Alter Peter stands 90 meters tall. On a clear day, you can even see all the way to the Alps.

Ride Up the Olympic Tower

The Olympic Tower is expected to remain closed until 2027.

• Perfect for: Children of all ages
• How much time to plan: at least 1 hour
• Cost: €13, children up to age 16 €10, under 6 free, family ticket €29.50
• Ticket info: Ascent Olympic Tower

Is your child not a fan of walking? No problem — a ride in the wheelchair-accessible elevator to the top of the Olympic Tower is an absolute must. It stands right in the middle of the Olympic Park and is nearly 300 meters tall.

The observation platform is at 170 meters. There’s a path up to the roof of the platform, where the wind blows right in your face. Walk all the way around and you won’t just see Munich from above — the glass walls also tell you which mountains you can spot in the distance on a clear day.

In a small corner you’ll find some rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia from the many famous musicians who have played in the Olympic Stadium next door. Some have even left their handprints in front of the tower.

Ride Up the City Hall Tower

• Perfect for: Children of all ages
• How much time to plan: half an hour
• Cost: €7, children under 6 free
• Online ticket: Ascent City Hall Tower

Your child isn’t really up for climbing all those steps at the Alter Peter, or is still too young? No time to visit the Olympic Park? Then head up the city hall tower for a panorama over the city. The elevator is wheelchair accessible.

The city hall tower is only 80 meters tall, but you’ll still get a seriously great panoramic view. You can book your ticket online in advance.

Unique Experiences in Munich with Kids

Want truly special things to do in Munich with kids? We’ve got a few recommendations for you right here.

Watch the Fish at SEA LIFE

• Perfect for: Children of all ages
• How much time to plan: 1–2 hours
• Cost: €21, children ages 2–14 €16, under 2 free
• Online ticket: SEA LIFE Munich

SEA LIFE offers a fascinating underwater experience: 2,500 different creatures call it home!

The tour begins with a tank housing fish from Munich’s Isar river. From there, you work your way toward more exotic creatures, such as rays, jellyfish, amphibians, and sea turtles. You’ll even find Germany’s greatest variety of sharks right here!

You can get truly up close with zebra sharks or Japanese wobbegong sharks, as you walk through a tunnel running right through the large aquarium tank. The sharks swim past right alongside the glass.

Heads up: On weekends, during school vacations, and on public holidays, bringing large strollers can be difficult, as it gets very crowded.

Get your skip-the-line ticket for SEA LIFE Munich

Experience an Adrenaline Rush at the Jochen Schweizer Arena

• Perfect for: Teenagers
• How much time to plan: at least half a day
• Cost: varies by experience, e.g. bodyflight €59.90
• Online tickets: Experiences at the Jochen Schweizer Arena

If your child is a bit older, they’ll naturally be up for much cooler activities. And it’s hard to beat the experiences at the Jochen Schweizer Arena! It’s located a bit outside the city center, in the Ottobrunn neighborhood — which means there’s plenty of space for bodyflight or indoor surfing!

If your child is more into tech, they’ll have a blast with the virtual reality experiences. It’s a bit pricier, but you can play an escape room or race in wild virtual races, for example.

In the outdoor park, there’s also plenty of action when the weather’s good: a high ropes course (suitable for beginners and advanced), a Flying Fox XL course spanning 330 meters, and a Sky Jump from twelve meters up! For younger kids, there’s also an adventure playground with lots of sand, play structures, and obstacle courses.

Pay Homage to the Beautiful Game at the Allianz Arena

• Perfect for: Children ages around 8 and up
• How much time to plan: 2–3 hours
• Cost: €25, children ages 6–13 €11, under 6 free, family ticket €59
• Online ticket: Allianz Arena Tour + Museum

Is your child a total soccer fanatic — maybe even an FC Bayern fan? Then you absolutely have to visit the famous Allianz Arena. It’s home to the largest club museum in Germany.

There are around 600 exhibits, including original trophies, shoes, and jerseys from famous players. Young fans will be thrilled by the cool photo spots, interactive stations, and craft corners. The tour is also accompanied by the fun mascot Bernie.

If you have a bit more time, the combination of the Arena Tour and the museum is totally worth it. In the arena, you’ll experience the players’ tunnel, the locker room area, and what it feels like to stand next to the coach’s bench at the edge of the pitch. That’s exciting even for the non-fans in the family!

Heads up: On match days, you can only visit the museum with a valid match ticket.

Restaurants and Cafés for Families in Munich

Visiting Munich with children is bound to work up an appetite. Here are our dining recommendations that are especially well-suited for families.

Relax in a Beer Garden

A summer in Munich wouldn’t be complete without a visit to a beer garden. One that’s especially great for kids is the Königlicher Hirschgarten. It’s the largest beer garden in the world — complete with an enclosure for deer. Don’t forget the carrots, so the kids can have a blast feeding them!

We also really love the Taxisgarten in Neuhausen-Nymphenburg. It’s nice and small and cozy, with a lovely playground right next door with tables. It also places a strong emphasis on regional products, animal welfare, and vegetarian and vegan dishes — which we absolutely love!

The Hirschau Biergarten is centrally located in the English Garden. Prices here are a bit higher, but it’s noticeably quieter and less crowded. And the rotisserie chicken, grilled fish on a stick, and cakes are absolutely delicious. Another highlight is the fantastic playground — featuring a huge pirate ship!

A bit farther out, at Ostpark, you’ll find the Michaeligarten, another very kid-friendly beer garden. You have a wonderful view of the beautiful lake, and your child can run wild on the cool playground right in the middle of the beer garden.

Have Breakfast at Café Glückskind

Everyone raves about brunch at Café Glückskind. You’ll find the café in Au, a lovely, leafy neighborhood in Munich. A dedicated play corner has been set up for toddlers. High chairs and changing stations are available too.

And all dishes can be ordered as a child’s portion at half the price. Delicious breakfast is served from 9 AM, and lunch from 11 AM. The cake there is absolutely amazing!

In nice weather, you can also sit outside. The little ones can run around without a worry — the café is set in a quiet, green courtyard, so not right on the street.

Get Ice Cream at Der verrückte Eismacher

Kids love ice cream! And they love things that are out of the ordinary. So surprising flavors are a big hit — and Der verrückte Eismacher has an almost unbelievable number of them.

You can try classic Bavarian flavors like sauerkraut ice cream, ice cream that tastes like Vienna sausages — or beer. Does your child dare to try currywurst or pizza-flavored ice cream? But there are also perfectly normal flavors like Oreo or Milchschnitte on the menu.

There are now three locations: in addition to the original on Fraunhoferstrasse 42 with a cool underwater theme, the colorfully decorated “Verrückter Eismacher im Wunderland” is a ton of fun. At the Viktualienmarkt, you’ll find a stand under the motto “Der Froschkönig” (The Frog King).

Your best bet is to order the smallest size — that’s two scoops. It always comes with a small free spoon with an extra flavor to try. Don’t forget that there’s a 10-cent deposit on the spoons.

Practical Tips for a Relaxed Short Trip to Munich with Kids

Last but not least, here are a few practical tips for your family activities in Munich.

1. Buy Tickets in Advance

Kids really don’t like waiting — so think ahead about which activities you can plan firmly enough to buy tickets in advance. It also guarantees you entry!

Long lines often form outside SEA LIFE. It’s definitely worth buying tickets ahead of time. Doing so automatically reserves a specific time slot for you.

For the Deutsches Museum, advance tickets become available three weeks before your desired date, and with a ticket you can walk straight past the line to the entrance.

2. Public Transit in Munich with Kids

If your child is under 6, they ride free when accompanied by an older person. Between ages 6 and 14, there are options such as single fares for €2, strip ticket rules, and a children’s day pass. From age 15 to 20, your teenager can take advantage of the U21 offer.

For the whole family, the group day pass is a great option — it covers five people. Children between ages 6 and 14 count as half a person. Technically, that means ten children could share one group day pass.

Zone M costs €19.70 — and it covers Munich well. Everything outside Zone M is divided into Zones 1 through 6; the airport is in Zone 5.

If you’re traveling with a stroller, try to board at the front of the subway car. At the very front door of the train, there’s often a yellow ramp that makes boarding easier.

The newer subway cars are generally more accessible anyway, as are the newer subway stations. In total, 96 of the 100 subway stations have been equipped with accessible elevators. When you plan your route on the website, you can also see in real time whether any of them happen to be out of service.

In addition to ticket machines and sales offices, you can also buy tickets online and have them conveniently stored as a mobile ticket on your phone.

3. Packing List for Kids

Wondering what to pack for your kids for the city trip to Munich? Take a look at our packing list for vacations with kids.

4. Family-Friendly Hotels

Still looking for the right place to stay? You’re sure to find what you need in our article on hotel tips in Munich and Munich boutique hotels.