This post is the ultimate survival guide to Oktoberfest in Munich Germany. And I should know since I have been three times in the last decade. I hope this post helps you!
Beer. Dirndls. Lederhosen. This sums up Oktoberfest in Munich.
Having visited Oktoberfest three times, I know the ins and outs of this folk festival, which draws more than 6,000,000 visitors a year. Oktoberfest traditionally takes place for 16 days, through the end of September, including the first Sunday in October.
Most people assume it is only for young, drunk, college kids.
But it is a festival for all ages and demographics. It is a mix of tourists and locals. People from all over the world flock to Oktoberfest to enjoy locally brewed beers, eat sausage, ride carnival rides, and sing and dance to traditional German music.
The festival contains 34 beer tents serving that specific company’s locally brewed beer.
Lowenbrau-Festhalle, Hofbrau Festzelt, and Schottenhamel are just some examples.
The tents are huge, with seating for up to 10,000 people. You sit at wooden picnic tables with other guests, so even if you go alone, you are guaranteed to make friends.
You can walk or run through the festival grounds before they open to the public.
Familiarize yourself with the grounds before they open. My suggestion is to explore the area to see which tent you wish to target, where certain rides are, and which tents are smaller than others.
When to go
It is best to attend Oktoberfest mid-festival.
If you want to avoid the major crowds, avoid the first few days and the very last weekend. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are the most crowded.
The tents open at 10 am.
According to the staff, the tents do not get busy until 1 pm nowadays. We suggest arriving by 11 am at the latest to guarantee a seat. Order lunch and commence drinking around noon.
Families with children will be prevalent in the early afternoon hours.
The drunk adults tend to arrive around 3 pm and later. Reservations can be made in advance but only for parties of 10 or more.
The tents close promptly at 10 pm.
They sing one last song, stop serving beer, and escort everyone out. They keep things very organized.
Beer Tents
Not all Oktoberfest tents are loud, crowded, and wild.
There are smaller tents on the side streets that offer a calmer atmosphere. Some also offer different-sized glasses, so you are not forced to drink a liter of beer.
Hofbrau is the tourist tent and (for me) the most entertaining.
This is where I always start and end the day. I suggest spending two hours in this tent and then exploring the fairgrounds.
Eat some food from the vendors, take a spin on some carnival rides, make new friends, and explore other tents.
Head back to Hofbrau to end the night, around 8 pm.
In the rear of the tent, there are high tops to stand at, as there will be no more seating at this point. Someone is always willing to share some of their table with you.
Drinking
Reservations
You can only make a table reservation for parties of 10 or more. If you have less than 10 people, go early at 11 am and you will get a seat. Around 3 pm is when they will ask people to move from their seats, for the people who made reservations. Take this opportunity to take a break and wander the festival grounds.
Beer
The tents serve beer in liter glasses with handles. They are 10€ each, you pay each time the waitress comes to the table and you must pay in cash. No credit cards are accepted.
Soda/ Water
You can also purchase soda, just be aware they will be served in the liter glasses. If you order a Coke, you will get 33 ounces of Coke. They will give you a liter of water upon request for free.
Wine
There is one wine tent. It is open a shorter amount of time than the other tents and the specifics change each year. This official website has the most up-to-date information.
Pace yourself
If you begin drinking at noon, be aware that you may not make it until nighttime. You need to take breaks, eat, and wander into other tents to dance and watch shows.
Eating
There are multiple food stands outside the tents, as well as food for purchase in the tents.
The portions are HUGE, so be prepared to share.
Most of the food items include bratwurst, potato salad, pretzels, gingerbread hearts, and various meats on a stick.
Music
There are live bands in almost every tent.
They play a mix of classic German music and American sing-a-long songs.
Every 20 minutes they will play En Prosit – this song gets everyone cheering their beers at once and singing in their best German accents.
What to wear
80% of the festival goers will be wearing Lederhosen (for men) and Dirndls (for women).
Depending on your travel situation, you can either bring one with you or you can rent one.
It is not necessary to wear these outfits, but it sure does make for great pictures!
Rent a dirndl/lederhosen
You can rent the entire outfit. We used Bavarian Outfitters. Prices vary.
Buy a fake one
There are shops outside of the train station that sell cheap, fake-looking ones. If you are only going for one day, this is your cheapest option. You can buy them for 30€-40€.
Where to Stay
There are hotels and hostels within walking distance of Oktoberfest but you need to book early.
Hotel
They will not be cheap. You need to book early, and most have a 3-night minimum during Oktoberfest.
Munich Hostels Oktoberfest (Near the Grounds)
I recommend two different hostels that I have stayed at.
The first is the Meininger Hostel, it is more of a hotel than a hostel.
The building used to be a hotel, they just removed the beds and replaced them with bunk beds. If you are traveling alone like I was in 2016, you may even get lucky and get upgraded to a private room since I was single and didn’t need to bunk with anyone. The hostel is within walking distance of the festival grounds and offers free breakfast.
The second is Wombats’s City Hostel.
It is located right next to the main train station Munchen Hauptbahnhof and the city center. Very clean and the staff are super friendly.
Community Tent
Like a hostel, however, it is a large tent located about 15 minutes away from the festival grounds. The tent is full of bunk beds, so there is not a lot of privacy but it does have a kitchen and shower facilities.
Safety
Solo Travel
I went to Oktoberfest solo on my second visit. SI made friends with people at the hostel and met up with them for early morning shenanigans two days in a row. At some points, I did wander into other tents on my own, and not once did I feel unsafe.
Drink water
Take breaks and drink water or go on carnival rides, the Scrambler will be sure to sober you right up.
Accidents
There are multiple first aid tents throughout the festival grounds.
In 2010 Gina and her friends were cheering glasses and the glass shattered and cut her friend’s arm.
The waitress appeared in seconds and whisked him away to a medical tent. Five stitches and 45 minutes later, he was back in the tent with a new beer in hand.
It is up to you what type of experience you want to have at Oktoberfest.
If you want to just enjoy a beer, people watch, go on some rides, and mingle with locals; then you should arrive early on a weekday and avoid the large tents.
If you want to get trashed and sing American songs with Americans, then go at 7 pm on a Saturday night.
Either option you choose, attending Oktoberfest in Munich should be on everyone’s bucket list!
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This looks like so much fun! Oktoberfest in Munich is high on our travel bucket list. This is a great guide!
Germany is one of my favorite destinations, but we have not made it to Munich yet. We hope to do so on our next trip there. Thanks for a ton of good information to help plan our visit!
It’s a great city. Really clean, amazing public transport and of course… the beer! Enjoy when you go!