Feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of planning a trip to Munich’s Oktoberfest by yourself? I get it – it’s stressful. WAY too stressful for an event that focuses entirely on drinking beer and eating oversized pretzels.

But I’m here to make it easy! In this post, I’ll be walking you through step by step how to plan the best trip ever to Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, after 5+  living there, attending the festival myself way too many times, and helping countless friends plan their visits as well. 

Okay I get it – less talky, more planny. Let’s get right into it… and be sure to stay until the end for a very cute and very free Oktoberfest planner!

Step One: Decide When to Go to Oktoberfest

Contrary to popular belief, Oktoberfest actually begins in September, taking place over 2.5 weeks from the end of September to the beginning of October. 

The exact dates do change every year so make sure to double check before you plan, but generally speaking the event lasts 16 days, ending on the the first Sunday of October, and beginning on the Saturday two weekends before that.

MAJOR EXCEPTION: Sometimes the festival will be extended to last 17 or 18 days if German Unity Day (Oct 3rd) falls on either the Monday or Tuesday after the 16th day, in which case the festival is extended until that day. You can learn more on the official Oktoberfest website FAQ.

I know that sounds confusing, and for simplicity’s sake, just know that you can just Google the dates and find them for the year you plan to attend, but it’s helpful to understand the logic behind why on some years, the festival lasts longer than others. 

Now when you look at your potential travel dates, my main piece of advice is to choose a weekday.

Many people assume that weekends are the best time to go, but unless you (and your limited time off) require it, weekends should be avoided at all costs because it gets unbearably busy and associated travel costs like transport and hotels will skyrocket.

Honestly, Oktoberfest is such an unhinged party that even going on a weeknight is sufficiently messy and it is so much more fun that way, so if you can, do try your best to book your visit for weeknights. I promise you it’s not lame, it’s just much more doable.

There’s also discounted Family Days on Tuesdays, and a unique church service in the Marstall Tent on the 1st Thursday if you’re looking for something a little different. 

That said, there are compelling reasons to visit on weekends too, so long as you come in with the right expectations about crowds. There are some fun events and quirks you can expect on each weekend, so briefly here they are!

1st Oktoberfest weekend: The opening day keg tapping at the Schottenhammel tent, where the mayor comes and taps the first keg of the festival & the costume and hunters’ parade on the first Sunday.

NOTE: Beer isn’t served until noon on the first day, until the mayor taps that first keg. This means there are a few “dry” hours before the party can really start where you can order non-alcoholic drinks and food, which comes as a shock to many first-timers, so beware of that. There’s also usually

2nd Oktoberfest weekend: Known locally as “the Italian weekend”, during which literal busloads of Italian people drive up to Munich, get absolutely obliterated, and then get back on the bus to Italy, without so much as spending the night. There’s also usually bands performing on the stairs on the second Sunday, with special guests like the mayor who conduct.

3rd Oktoberfest weekend: A Bavarian gun salute at noon on the final day, and if you can make it into the Hacker-Festzelt for the last day, they light sparklers and sing a song at the very end of the festival, which is extremely sentimental.

In terms of how long to stay, I would say three nights is the bare minimum if you also want to see a bit of Munich as well. 

Oktoberfest is massive, not only are there 14 large tents and over 20 small tents, there are also tons of rides, games, and beer gardens along the way… plus more to do in the city of Munich itself… so, just coming for one or two days won’t really let you fully appreciate it.

For a well-rounded Oktoberfest experience, I’d recommend…

• At least one more relaxed day where you come during the day, preferably during the week and check out different tents and activities
• At least one rowdier evening where you get the full dancing on benches, live music, somewhat sloppy experience
• At least one rest day (trust me, you’ll need it!)

Step Two: Book Your Flights to Oktoberfest

Next up: flights! Unless you love spending boatloads of money, flights should be booked well in advance for your Oktoberfest trip, given that they’ll be one of the trip’s heftier expenses.

You can check out my full guide on finding cheap flights to Europe for a more detailed overview, but generally speaking, my process is this:

• Hop on Google Flights and type in my departure airport, or potential departure airports, if there’s flexibility there
• Type in my rough dates and destination (i.e. Munich) and look at prices
• Click over to the grid view to see if there are better deals on nearby dates
• Check out flight options to other European destinations by entering ‘Europe’ as the destination, repeating the process above
• (If coming from within Europe) Check out flight options to other airports near-ish to Munich, like Memmingen (which is an hour and a half away from Munich central station by express bus) and Nuremberg (just over an hour away from Munich by train, and has a nice little airport servicing budget airlines that is connected to the city centre by U-Bahn)
• Compare prices and finally book direct with the airline (which I always recommend as customer service will be best this way)

Step Three: Book Your Oktoberfest Accommodation

After your flights to Oktoberfest have been secured, it’s time to make sure you have a place to rest your weary, incoherent head after a marathon of drinking oversized beers.

When it comes to Oktoberfest planning, probably the most crucial thing is that you book your accommodation well in advance because the most affordable hotels are known to book out months, even a year in advance, so it’s important to plan accordingly.

Again, I have more detailed guides on the best neighbourhoods and places to stay, but here’s a quick overview. 

Munich is divided into 25 boroughs, but all the interesting stuff for tourists is mostly clustered around the the 7-8 boroughs in the middle. Luckily, Oktoberfest is located at Theresienwiese, which is part of the Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt borough in central Munich.

Staying in any hotel here will put you in close distance to the Oktoberfest grounds, and also close to a lot of fun action in Munich, but the downside is of course the cost, and more rowdiness/general vomit to sidestep.

The main benefit of booking something so close is that you don’t need to worry about transportation, and can easily walk back after a day of drunken revelry… but honestly, given how well-connected the Theresienwiese is with public transportation, staying farther away (but still on the right U-Bahn lines) is probably a smarter, more affordable, and quieter option.

So really, in my opinion, the best place to stay in Munich for Oktoberfest is any nice hotel right by a U3, U4, U5 or U6 stop.

I say this because there are 8 entry points to the festival site (see this old floor plan for details) and the four U-Bahn stations near these entrances belong to the U3, U4, U5 and U6 lines, so as long as you book a hotel close to a stop on one of these lines, you’ll have an easy and direct connection to the festival that requires no transfers.

I’ve rounded up the best places to stay organized by walking distance/proximity to U-Bahn lines here to save you some time, but here’s my general process for browsing through different options at once:

• Hop on Booking.com and enter my dates
• Toggle on any filters that are important to me, usually a rating of 8 or above… and possibly free cancellation if my trip is not 100% confirmed. NOTE: Many hotels will make Oktoberfest bookings non-refundable so beware of that.
• Use the map view to look at options in the areas I’m interested in
• Shortlist options and then cross-reference

You can check out my full guide to finding the best hotels in Europe for a more detailed breakdown.

If you’re on a bit more of a budget, again, finding a hostel or apartment rental in these locations will be your best bet. Or in terms of the cheapest possible way you can do it, you can choose to take advantage of Oktoberfest camping options.  

There’s a few different places that offer this but the most popular is through Stoke Travel, where the cost is about 60 euros a night including a tent, breakfast and dinner… and you probably won’t find a better deal than that. 

Do note that this is very much a budget backpacker option where you sleep in tents. If you hate crowds, germs, and noise, this won’t be for you… but if you love a good party and want a very cheap way to enjoy Oktoberfest, this is it. 

Step Four: Make Oktoberfest Table Reservations (If Needed)

This is one of the biggest sources of stress for first timers because nobody wants to get stuck outside a tent, not being able to enjoy the party. So here’s what you need to know: 

Again, Oktoberfest is home to 14 large tents and over 20 smaller tents. Each are unique in their decor and vibe. Most first time visitors will probably want to visit a big tent for the full Oktoberfest party experience, as the small tents are much cozier and tend to be filled with locals who have annual bookings, so it’s not really the same vibe. 

Now, something that’s VERY important to note is that reservations are NOT mandatory, and entry to the festival grounds itself is actually free, so you do not actually need to worry about this step unless you are travelling in a big group of 6-10, assuming you all want to sit together. 

Now, if you do want to make a reservation, you should know that different tents serve different beers and have their own separate separate reservations systems, from sleek online reservation portals to old school ones that are fax-only. (No joke), so be sure to consult my Oktoberfest reservation guide for detailed instructions on where/when to book tables for each tent.

That said, in most cases, you can only book reservations for an entire table of ten people, so that’s why this step doesn’t really make sense unless you’re a big group. 

If you are a smaller group of 6 or less, then you could probably get away with not reserving a table, and simply arriving early and (if needed) splitting up to join the ends of others’ tables. 

In every tent, there are always sections of tables set aside for ‘walk-ins’, so as long as you get there early (ready to run at opening time, for weekends), you will probably end up finding a table.

If you do decide you want to book a reservation though, your first step is deciding which tent you want to make a booking for. 

I have a full article about all of Oktoberfest’s main tents, so be sure to check that out. But here are some of my favourites.

First – the Hacker-Festhalle, a good time is always guaranteed here at the tent nicknamed “Bavarian Heaven” thanks to its blue sky interior.

The decor here is lovely – with famous Munich landmarks painted on the walls, and the vibe is always really fun because the band plays all the best hits, both German and international.

The crowd here tends to be on the younger side, but it’s a great, lively place to party the night away.

I also love the Schottenhamel tent, which has a unique bench formation in some parts of the tent where benches are in a square around a table, bolted down which makes it feel WAY safer to dance on than the other tents, plus ingenious additions like netting under the tables so you have a place to stash your belongings. The vibe here is always really lively.

The Ochsenbraterei is also super fun – the perfect combination of lively ambiance, delicious food and laid-back vibes. Known for their tasty ox specialties, everything I’ve had on their menu has been really good, but most importantly, the crowd here is a lot more chilled out than other tents I’ve found.

In terms of tents I would avoid… 

There’s the Hofbräu Festzelt, which is honestly a really beautiful tent but because of Hofbrau’s international brand recognition (and the fact that it has developed a rep as a party tent), it attracts a pretty messy crowd and not in a fun way. 

I might also avoid the Ficher-Vroni which is also very cute but unfortunately smells like fish most of the time due to its smoked fish specialties which are tasty, but not the nicest to inhale for hours. 

Once you’ve settled on which tent you’d like to make a reservation for, you can then consult my Oktoberfest reservation guide for detailed instructions on when and where to book tables. Usually these open up in February/March, so yes planning ahead is key.

 

Step Five: Planning your budget and actual Oktoberfest activities 

Next it’s time to prepare your wallet!

Unfortunately, Oktoberfest does get pricier every year, but it helps to be prepared so there are fewer surprises when you arrive.

Here’s a rough breakdown of how much things cost (approximately):

• Entry: Free! Just about the only thing that will be.
• Beer: The price of beer at Oktoberfest is published every year on the official Oktoberfest.de website. The price will vary from tent to tent but last year’s beers were priced between 13.60 and 15.30 euros per litre. Adding on a nice tip, which is always a good idea if you want your server to come back, you can expect to pay between 15 or 20 euros per Maß or litre. 
• Food: Main dishes range from 16 euro for smaller items like sausages to 30 euro and beyond for large dishes like pork knuckle… much pricier than most restaurants in the city, where you’ll find the same dishes for less FYI. 
• Rides: Range 5 euros for the smaller rides up to 12ish euros for the big rides like the Olympia-Looping rollercoaster and the ferris wheel.

All in all, I would plan to spend at least 100 euros a day at Oktoberfest as a minimum. And take note that cash is still king here, so plan accordingly.

In addition to budgeting your money, I might also budget your time. Oktoberfest is massive, so it pays to be prepared and have an idea of activities you don’t want to miss. 

Here are some classic things I think everyone should try at least once in addition to the tents:

• A visit to the Teufelsrad, the Devil’s Wheel, an old game that has been taking place for over 100 years. Every round, they call up different groups of people to come up to a large spinning wheel. For example “all men over 45, all couples, all girls under age 15, all people wearing blue”, etc. Then, anyone who wants to participate flings themselves onto this wheel that begins to spin, and spins faster and faster until everyone’s off. This provides endless entertainment – trust me. 
• People watching at the Toboggan, which involves zipping up on a quick conveyer belt, then climbing through a little course before rushing down a big slide. All the funnier when all the participants are drunk.  
• Getting an iconic gingerbread heart, AKA the best souvenir. Many people don’t realize this, but there’s actually a stand where you can get one customized, so don’t miss Martl’s Herzlmalerei for that.
• Climbing up the Lady Bavaria statue, which is indeed hollow and offers one of the most unique views in the city. 

All in all, just having a rough plan of must-dos can help you make the most of your time at Oktoberfest, because trust me, it’s easy to get sucked into everything, or more accurately, get way too drunk and you forget. 

Step Six: Decide What to Wear 

If you’re going to Oktoberfest, odds are you’ll want to dress up in traditional gear. Sure, this isn’t mandatory, buuuut it’s very fun so why not!

You can read my guide on What to Wear Oktoberfest for more ideas and details, but generally speaking…

The outfit of choice for women is a dirndl, made up of a blouse, dress and apron, these can usually be purchased in a set but not always. The skirt of the dress typically goes to the knees, and there are tons of different styles out there from traditional to more modern, but what’s important is you don’t just slap on a ‘beer wench’ costume off of Amazon and call it a day.

For men, the outfit of choice is usually lederhosen, translated literally to leather pants.

Usually they’re paired with a shirt – the most traditional pairing being a white top, but most of the touristy shops will sell red, blue, anda green plaid shirts as well.

Personally, I’d advise just waiting until you’re in Munich to go shopping for one, or waiting until you’re in the city to rent one.

If you want to secure one in advance though, one company I love is Rare Dirndl – they do unique designs and are based in the US – I have a few from them I love. 

Step Seven: Decide What Else You’ll Do In Munich

Munich is an amazing city, with plenty more to do than just Oktoberfest.

So, the next step of the planning process is figuring out how to spend your rest days/free days in the city.

If you want some more in-depth guidance, you might find one of my many Munich articles useful:

For now though, here’s the most important information. Assuming your main goal in your trip is attending Oktoberfest, I’d (begrudgingly) say that one day is sufficient for seeing the main sights of Munich’s Old Town, starting in Marienplatz and walking in between all the old city gates. Some main sights of interest include the Frauenkirche, the Viktualienmarkt, Odeonsplatz, and then outwards to Hogarten. 

You can also end your day with a relaxed stroll through the English Garden which is always nice, with a choice of beer gardens or places to relax. 

A second day would definitely be ideal as well if you wanted to see the city’s other main sights like the Olympic Park for instance and Nymphenburg Palace.

Then, if time allows, you can add on a fun day trip like over to Neuschwanstein Castle, Salzburg or one of Munich’s many nearby lakes to round off your trip.

My Free Oktoberfest Planner

With all the knowledge you’ve now acquired, you should be fully prepared to tackle your Oktoberfest trip planning! To help you through the process, you can scroll here for my FREE Oktoberfest trip planner. I hope you find it helpful!

Oktoberfest Trip Planner by Christina Guan

I Hope This Oktoberfest Planning Guide Was Useful!!

Let me know in the comments if you have any more questions 🙂