The best time to visit Munich
Munich's weather rarely spoils a plan; Oktoberfest and the big trade fairs spoil the price of a room.
- Best
- May–June
- Dearest
- 19 September – 4 October 2026
- Cheapest
- January
In Munich the month changes the price of a room more than the weather does, since for the sixteen days of Oktoberfest and during the big trade fairs central rooms cost more than double, and January is the cheapest month of the year. It rains on fourteen to seventeen days every month, and most of all in summer, when May to August brings twice as much as winter.
The year month by month
Month — Day / night, rain, what is on
WFoodWhat is eaten before noon, what after — and what you may bring into a beer garden:What to eat in Munich →Oktoberfest and the trade fairs
The 191st Oktoberfest runs from 19 September to 4 October 2026, and across those two and a half weeks central rooms cost more than double, a hostel less, a hotel by the main station up to three times as much. If you are coming for the city rather than the Theresienwiese, move the trip to the week before 19 September or after 4 October, when the weather stays the same September weather and only the price drops. The same goes for the Messe München fairs; during the biggest of them, the bauma construction show (next in 2028), rooms have cost more than on an Oktoberfest weekend, so check the fair calendar before booking.
When the weather is against you
Munich sits at about 520 metres, close to the Alps, so its weather turns fast; the föhn, a warm wind off the mountains, can lift the temperature within hours even in midwinter. Rain falls every month, most of all from May to August, so the day is planned around it rather than around a date; the Residenz and the Pinakotheken are under a roof, and a beer garden, under the Bavarian ordinance, is a warm-season, fine-weather business.
Which month for whom
- First time in Munich means May or June, beer-garden season and the longest days, but also the most rain of the year; pack an umbrella.
- Museums and galleries work best on any Sunday from November to March, when the Pinakotheken are €1 each and outside it is 4–8 °C.
- With children go for July and August, the warmest and sunniest months; under-eighteens get into the Pinakotheken and the Residenz free.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
When is Oktoberfest 2026?
From 19 September to 4 October, on the Theresienwiese; it is the one hundred and ninety-first. Entry to the grounds and the tents is free.
Which is the cheapest month for Munich?
January, for hotels and hostels alike; the winter after the holidays, up to March, is generally cheaper than summer. The dearest month is September, because of Oktoberfest.
Does Munich charge a tourist tax?
No. Bavaria has banned its municipalities from levying one; Munich challenged the ban, and in November 2025 the Bavarian Constitutional Court threw the case out.
Ready for Munich?
Where to next
Munich in 2 days
→The market on Saturday, the galleries on Sunday, a Monday without the Pinakotheken — two days in Munich…
Nuremberg · 151 km
→A city that twice became the stage of German history, both times against its will
How well does Munich suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Front row for the next trip
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