Munich Travel Guide
Where to Stay in Munich
A neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood guide to choosing a base in Munich, from the old town and Maximilianstrasse to the main station, Sendlinger Tor, Schwabing and Haidhausen, with the hotels we recommend in each.
Munich is a compact city with excellent public transport, so you will rarely be far from the sights wherever you stay. Even so, the neighbourhood you choose shapes your trip: the old town for walking everywhere, the main station for day trips, the Glockenbach for nightlife, Schwabing for a local feel. Prices rise sharply during trade fairs and Oktoberfest, so check the calendar before you book. Here is how to choose.
The Altstadt: the old town. For a first visit, staying inside the old town, the area within the old city ring, is the best choice. You can walk to Marienplatz, the Residenz, the Viktualienmarkt, the Hofbraeuhaus and the Frauenkirche, and come back to your hotel between sights. The old town is lively by day and calmer at night, and it is safe and beautiful in every season, especially during the Christmas markets. It is also the most expensive area. Our picks: the Hotel Bayerischer Hof on Promenadeplatz, Munich's great family-run grand hotel, with a rooftop spa and pool, a three-Michelin-star restaurant and a beer cellar; Rosewood Munich, opened in 2023 in a former state bank and a baroque palais, for contemporary ultra-luxury; and the LOUIS Hotel, a 72-room design hotel right on the Viktualienmarkt, for couples and food lovers who want to wake up above the market stalls.
Maximilianstrasse and Lehel. The royal boulevard running east from the opera to the Isar is Munich's most elegant street, lined with luxury boutiques, galleries and theatres, and the Lehel quarter behind it is a quiet, handsome residential area close to the English Garden and the river. It suits culture lovers and travellers who want refinement and calm. Our pick: the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski, a grand hotel since 1858, with a glass-domed lobby and a rooftop spa and pool, two minutes from the opera.
Isartor and the Tal. The eastern end of the old town, around the medieval Isartor gate, is a great compromise: still five minutes on foot from Marienplatz, close to the Viktualienmarkt and the Hofbraeuhaus, and a short walk across the river to the Deutsches Museum, with an S-Bahn station on the doorstep for airport trains. Our pick: the Hotel Torbraeu, which describes itself as the oldest hotel in the heart of Munich, a comfortable four-star with a family feel beside the Isartor.
The main station area. The Hauptbahnhof district is the most practical base for day trips, with trains to Neuschwanstein, Salzburg and Dachau and many tour departures nearby, and it is a fifteen-minute walk from Marienplatz. The area is busy and a little gritty at night, typical of station districts, but full of good-value hotels and international restaurants, and the Augustiner-Keller beer garden is close by. Our pick: the 25hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian, a witty design hotel in the former royal post office right beside the station, with the NENI restaurant, the Boilerman Bar and a sauna.
Sendlinger Tor, Glockenbach and the Gaertnerplatz. South of the old town, the Sendlinger Tor area is a transport hub with good-value hotels, and the Glockenbach and Gaertnerplatz quarters beyond are Munich's most fashionable neighbourhoods for bars, restaurants and nightlife, and the heart of the city's LGBTQ scene. The Theresienwiese, the Oktoberfest grounds, is a short walk west. Our pick: Motel One Munich-Sendlinger Tor, a smart budget design hotel themed on Ludwig II's palaces, ten minutes on foot from Marienplatz.
Maxvorstadt and Schwabing. North of the old town, the Maxvorstadt is the museum and university quarter, home to the Pinakotheken, the Koenigsplatz and the Lenbachhaus, with a lively student atmosphere, while Schwabing, beyond, is a leafy, residential district with cafes, boutiques and the English Garden on its doorstep. These areas suit art lovers, return visitors and anyone who wants to feel like a local, with the U3 and U6 lines connecting quickly to Marienplatz.
Haidhausen and Au. Across the Isar, Haidhausen is a charming neighbourhood of nineteenth-century apartment houses, squares and neighbourhood restaurants, with its own Christmas markets in Advent, and it is quieter and often cheaper than the centre. It is a good choice for longer stays and for travellers who want a residential feel, with the S-Bahn at Rosenheimer Platz and Ostbahnhof.
A note on noise and seasons. Central Munich is lively but rarely loud late at night, apart from the station district and the bar streets of the Glockenbach. Hotels near Marienplatz and the Viktualienmarkt are busy by day and quiet after the shops close. In Advent, rooms overlooking the Christmas markets are atmospheric but in demand, so book early; in summer, a room facing a courtyard is often cooler and calmer. During Oktoberfest, hotels near the Theresienwiese and the main station are the busiest of all, and minimum stays are common.
How to choose in one sentence. First-timers should stay in the old town or at the Isartor; luxury travellers should choose between the Bayerischer Hof, Rosewood and the Vier Jahreszeiten; day-trippers should base themselves by the main station; night owls should look south to the Glockenbach; and budget travellers will find excellent value at Sendlinger Tor.
Booking tips. Check the trade fair calendar and the Oktoberfest dates before you book, as prices can double or more. Ask for a quiet room in central hotels, as some streets are busy with trams and traffic. Check whether breakfast is included, as it is often an extra. And if you are arriving with a car, ask about parking, which is limited and expensive in the centre; public transport is almost always the easier option.