World City Guide

Tours of the City

The Munich City Tourist Office (tel: (089) 2333 0234/0204) provides official guides for walking tours of the city, and coaches for group excursions. IPS München Sightseeing & Events (tel: (089) 871 2399; website: www.ipsmuenchen.de) organises various tours by bike and on foot, as well as bus trips for a half or full day excursions. The trips explore a wide range, from Bavaria’s beer and food culture to music and arts, literary walks and romantic Munich by night.

Walking Tours
Stattreisen München, Frauenlobstrasse 24 (tel: (089) 5440 4230; website: www.stattreisen-muenchen.de), offers a number of two-hour walking tours in German. Tours in English are available for groups, but must be booked in advance. Themes include the city’s role in the rise and fall of Nazism and the history of the city’s brewing industry. Departure points vary depending on the tour chosen.

Original Munich Walks (tel: (089) 5502 9374; website: www.munichwalks.com) operates a two-hour ‘Discover Munich Walk’, which takes in the major sites and includes a ride on a streetcar. The walks set off daily from Munich Hauptbahnhof at the EurAide office, track 11. Various themed walks, such as ‘Hitler & the Third Reich’ and ‘Dachau Memorial Walks’ are also offered at similar prices.

Bus Tours
Panorama Tours, Arnulfstrasse 8 (tel: (089) 5490 7560; website: www.autobusoberbayern.de), offers one-hour ‘Munich Highlights’ city sightseeing trips in German and English. These depart from Bahnhofplatz, in front of the Hertie department store, and cover all the main sights, including the areas of Königsplatz, Schwabing and Maximilianstrasse.

Less comprehensive but only costing the price of the public transport fare, is a ride on the 27 tram from Karlsplatz to the Pinakotheks, then the 53 bus past the Englischer Garten, followed by yet more tram rides. The free Entdecken Sie München/Discover Munich brochure, available from the tourist office, describes the sights along the way.

Bicycle Tours
Cityhopper Touren, Hohenzollernstrasse 95 (tel: (089) 272 1131), runs a number of cycle tours of the city. Shorter two-hour tours take in the sights of the Old Town, while longer four-hour tours explore the city’s parks and gardens. There is a minimum of six people and departure points vary depending on the tour chosen.

Spurwechsel (tel: (089) 692 4699; website: www.spurwechsel-muenchen.de) promises a relaxed and leisurely survey of Munich’s main attractions on its three-hour city tour. The beer tour could also prove interesting to many visitors. Tours in English are available for groups of eight or more. Individuals can join in the German tours. Departure points vary depending on the tour chosen.

Mike’s Bike Tours (tel: (089) 2554 3987/8; website: www.mikesbiketours.com) is the best bet for the solo traveller. Meeting points and departure times are listed on the website. The four-hour tour departs from the Old Town Hall and visits the Old Town and Englischer Garten, while the longer 10 mile tour adds the Olympic Park and Nymphenburg Palace. Mike’s also offers trips to Schloss Neuschwanstein (see Excursions).