Munich on foot

The best walking tours in Munich, Germany

Old Town walks past Marienplatz and the Glockenspiel, a lantern-lit Night Watchman tour, a private guide and an architect’s walk through 500 years of building. Here is how to pick, with honest advice on free versus paid tours, what happens if a tour is cancelled and which walk suits your day.

By the Best Travel Destinations editorial team 6 tours compared Prices checked 28 October 2026

The painted figures of the Glockenspiel on the New Town Hall at Marienplatz

Short answer

The best walking tour in Munich, Germany for a first day is a guided Old Town walk from Marienplatz. It takes 2 to 2.5 hours and costs from €22. The pay-what-you-wish tour from St. Peter’s Church costs from €26 at booking. For something different, the Night Watchman walk runs after dark.

Our 6 picks for walking tours in Munich

Two Old Town walks, two Night Watchman tours, an architect’s walk and a private guide. All six list English. Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 28 October 2026.

from €26 per person Our top pick

2 h 30 min 4.8 (599) reviews on GetYourGuide

Guided Old Town walk from St. Peter’s Church

A 2.5-hour walk through the Old Town with a local guide. It passes the Hofbräuhaus and the royal residences, and covers the Third Reich with care. It meets at St. Peter’s Church, Petersplatz 1.

Best for A first day, on a budget
Check availability: Guided Old Town walk from St. Peter’s Church on GetYourGuide
from €22 per person

2 hours 4.6 (571) reviews on GetYourGuide

Old Town walk by the city’s tourism office

A 2-hour walk with a certified guide, run by München Tourismus. You see the Frauenkirche, Marienplatz and other key sights. It starts at the Tourist Information, Marienplatz 8, and includes a city map.

Best for The classic paid walk
Check availability: Old Town walk by the city’s tourism office on GetYourGuide
from €19 per person

1 h 30 min 4.3 (192) reviews on GetYourGuide

Night Watchman tour in English

A 1.5-hour evening walk behind a night watchman in medieval clothes, carrying a lantern. He tells stories of medieval life in Munich in the small alleys. Video and audio recording are not allowed.

Best for An evening out
Check availability: Night Watchman tour in English on GetYourGuide
from €450 per group up to 30

1 h 30 min 4.7 (2,460) reviews on GetYourGuide

Private Night Watchman walk for your group

The same 1.5-hour night walk, just for your own group, in German or English. The night watchman leads you through hidden alleys of the Old Town after dark.

Best for Families and groups
Check availability: Private Night Watchman walk for your group on GetYourGuide
from €26 per person

2 h 30 min 5.0 (22) reviews on GetYourGuide

500 years of architecture, led by an architect

A 2.5-hour walk with Philipp, an architect and certified city guide, from Romanesque to Modern. It goes along the Isar River and ends on the Gasteig rooftop terrace. It is not suitable for wheelchair users.

Best for Architecture fans
Check availability: 500 years of architecture, led by an architect on GetYourGuide
from €47 per person

2–8 hours 4.3 (133) reviews on GetYourGuide

Private walking tour with a guide

Your own guide for 2 to 8 hours. You choose the sights, and the guide meets you at your hotel if it is in the city. Tickets to sights, food and drinks cost extra.

Best for Your own route
Check availability: Private walking tour with a guide on GetYourGuide

Munich walk tours side by side

Munich walk tours side by side
Tour	From	Duration	Pickup	Start	Who it suits	Why we picked it
Guided Old Town walk from St. Peter’s Church 4.8 (599)	€26 per person	2 h 30 min	Meeting point	St. Peter’s Church	A first day, on a budget	The top-rated Old Town walk: 4.7 from 599 reviews. It joins a pay-what-you-wish tour.
Old Town walk by the city’s tourism office 4.6 (571)	€22 per person	2 hours	Meeting point	Marienplatz 8	The classic paid walk	The cheapest day walk, from €22, and rated 4.6 from 571 reviews.
Night Watchman tour in English 4.3 (192)	€19 per person	1 h 30 min	Meeting point	Old Town	An evening out	The cheapest walk here, from €19, and in English only. Rated 4.3 from 192 reviews.
Private Night Watchman walk for your group 4.7 (2,460)	€450 per group up to 30	1 h 30 min	Meeting point	Old Town	Families and groups	The most reviewed walk here: 4.7 from 2,460 reviews. The price is per group.
500 years of architecture, led by an architect 5.0 (22)	€26 per person	2 h 30 min	Meeting point	Frauenplatz 1	Architecture fans	Rated 5.0 from 22 reviews, with a guide who is also an architect.
Private walking tour with a guide 4.3 (133)	€47 per person	2–8 hours	Pickup included	Your hotel	Your own route	Rated 4.3 from 133 reviews, and the only walk with hotel pickup.

Guided Old Town walk from St. Peter’s Church
€26 per person2 h 30 min 4.8 (599)
Details
Pickup
Meeting point
Start
St. Peter’s Church
Who it suits
A first day, on a budget
Why we picked it
The top-rated Old Town walk: 4.7 from 599 reviews. It joins a pay-what-you-wish tour.
Old Town walk by the city’s tourism office
€22 per person2 hours 4.6 (571)
Details
Pickup
Meeting point
Start
Marienplatz 8
Who it suits
The classic paid walk
Why we picked it
The cheapest day walk, from €22, and rated 4.6 from 571 reviews.
Night Watchman tour in English
€19 per person1 h 30 min 4.3 (192)
Details
Pickup
Meeting point
Start
Old Town
Who it suits
An evening out
Why we picked it
The cheapest walk here, from €19, and in English only. Rated 4.3 from 192 reviews.
Private Night Watchman walk for your group
€450 per group up to 301 h 30 min 4.7 (2,460)
Details
Pickup
Meeting point
Start
Old Town
Who it suits
Families and groups
Why we picked it
The most reviewed walk here: 4.7 from 2,460 reviews. The price is per group.
500 years of architecture, led by an architect
€26 per person2 h 30 min 5.0 (22)
Details
Pickup
Meeting point
Start
Frauenplatz 1
Who it suits
Architecture fans
Why we picked it
Rated 5.0 from 22 reviews, with a guide who is also an architect.
Private walking tour with a guide
€47 per person2–8 hours 4.3 (133)
Details
Pickup
Pickup included
Start
Your hotel
Who it suits
Your own route
Why we picked it
Rated 4.3 from 133 reviews, and the only walk with hotel pickup.

All 6 offer free cancellation.
Private: Private Night Watchman walk for your group; Private walking tour with a guide.
Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 28 October 2026. Prices are "from" prices in euros and can change; the booking page shows the live price.

What is Marienplatz, and what is the Glockenspiel?

Marienplatz is the main square of Munich’s Old Town, and the Glockenspiel is the clock show on its New Town Hall. Most walking tours here start on or near the square.

Marienplatz and the New Town Hall

The Tourist Information is inside the New Town Hall at Marienplatz 8. The tourism office walk starts there.

The Glockenspiel has 43 bells and shows two scenes from Munich history. Watching it from the square is free.

In winter the square holds the Christkindlmarkt, from 20 November to 24 December 2026. See our guide to the Munich Christmas markets.

Guides on Munich city tours and sights

Which walk suits your day?

For a first day, book an Old Town walk in the morning or afternoon. Save the evening for the Night Watchman.

Book the architect’s walk if you like buildings, and a private guide if you want your own route.

Tour	Theme	Time of day	Group or private	Price
Old Town walk, St. Peter’s	Highlights, beer culture, history	Day	Group	From €26
Old Town walk, tourism office	Highlights and history	Day	Group	From €22
Night Watchman in English	Medieval stories	Evening	Group	From €19
Private Night Watchman	Medieval stories	Evening	Private	From €450 per group
500 years of architecture	Buildings, the Isar	Day	Group	From €26
Private guide	Your choice	Your choice	Private	From €47 per person

Free tour or paid tour?

On GetYourGuide, both kinds cost money at booking. A paid tour has a set price, and a free tour asks you to pay what you wish.

How free tours in Munich work

Free tours are pay-what-you-wish walks. The Old Town walk from St. Peter’s Church joins one of them. You pay from €26 when you book.

That amount covers the reservation fee and the guide’s pay in advance. For a smaller private group, the listing asks you to contact the operator.

The paid tourism office walk

The 2-hour walk by München Tourismus costs from €22. It comes with a city map and 50% off the official city guide “simply Munich”.

You collect both at the Tourist Information on Marienplatz. Show your booking there.

Night Watchman and other themed walks

For an evening walk, book the Night Watchman tour: 1.5 hours through the Old Town alleys after dark, from €19.

For your own group, the private Night Watchman walk costs from €450 per group. Both are run by the same company.

The architect’s walk covers 500 years of building. It ends on the Gasteig rooftop terrace with a view over Munich.

Munich also has walks about the Third Reich. The Old Town walk from St. Peter’s Church covers that history too. For the beer halls themselves, see our Munich beer tours.

Glockenspiel times and getting around the Old Town

The Glockenspiel plays every day at 11 a.m. and 12 noon. From March to October, it also plays at 5 p.m.

The Glockenspiel on Marienplatz: when to stand

Be on the square a few minutes before the hour. A night show plays every day at 9 p.m. The bells are silent all day on Good Friday.

Getting to the Old Town

Marienplatz has its own stop on the U3 and U6 and on every S-Bahn line from S1 to S8. The walks then cover the Old Town in 2 to 2.5 hours.

Our guide to Munich public transport explains how the U-Bahn and S-Bahn work.

English Garden and parking near Marienplatz

Come to Marienplatz by train, not by car. The center lies inside Munich’s low-emission zone, and only cars with a green sticker may enter.

The zone covers everything inside the Mittlerer Ring ring road. That rule applies to foreign cars too.

The English Garden is not on the Old Town walks here. Several bike tours ride through it instead.

Other ways to see the city

If you want to cover more ground, take a bike tour, a hop-on hop-off bus or a private car tour. Each has its own guide on this site, linked in the guides list above.

The museums, palaces and the stadium each have their own ticket guide there too.

Tips for a Munich walking tour

If your guide does not show
Contact GetYourGuide through your booking. All six tours here show free cancellation; read each tour’s own terms before you book.
Wear comfortable shoes
The architect’s walk asks you to wear comfortable shoes. It is not suitable for people with mobility problems.
Stay near the start
An Old Town hotel puts you close to most start points. See where to stay in Munich.
Plan around Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest 2027 runs from 18 September to 3 October. See Oktoberfest tickets if your trip falls then.

Munich walking tours: questions and answers

What is Marienplatz?

Marienplatz is the main square in Munich’s Old Town. The New Town Hall with the Glockenspiel stands on it, and the Christkindlmarkt fills it in winter. The U3, U6 and all S-Bahn lines stop there.

What is the Glockenspiel in Munich and where is it?

The Glockenspiel is a clock show on the New Town Hall at Marienplatz. It has 43 bells and shows two scenes from Munich history. Watching it is free.

What time does the Glockenspiel in Munich play?

It plays every day at 11 a.m. and 12 noon. From March to October it also plays at 5 p.m. A night show plays at 9 p.m. It is silent all day on Good Friday.

Where can I park near Marienplatz in Munich?

The center is inside Munich’s low-emission zone, so your car needs a green sticker. The easier way in is the U-Bahn or S-Bahn: Marienplatz has its own stop.

How long is a walking tour of Munich’s Old Town?

The Old Town walks here take 2 to 2.5 hours. The Night Watchman tours take 1.5 hours. A private guide can stay from 2 to 8 hours.

More Munich walking tours, live

More options with live prices and availability, straight from GetYourGuide.

See every tour with today's prices and open dates on GetYourGuide.

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Sources (4), facts checked on 28 October 2026

Written by the Best Travel Destinations editorial team.