The Best Free Tours To Take In Munich

There are a ton of interesting tours that you can take to get a better look at the city of Munich. Most of them are excellent, but not free; however, some companies offer a basic, but still great, tour of the Altstadt (Old Town) that you can join for free and without a reservation. We’ve listed the best ones here, along with some excellent app-based options for self-guided tours.

InMunich Tours

With this tour you can learn about the rise of the Nazi party in pre-World War II Bavaria, visit the most famous beer hall in the world, try the delights on offer at the Viktualienmarkt (food market) and learn more about the magnificent churches and palaces in the inner city.

New Europe Tours

Swing by the Feldhernnhalle, the Bayerisches Staatsoper, Odeonsplatz, Maximilianstrasse and many other Innenstadt landmarks with an experienced New Europe tour guide. English-language tours run nearly every day at 10am, 10.45am and 2pm.

Free Tour Munich

Learn about the German Beer Purity Law, monks, monasteries and the origins of Oktoberfest and Kristallnacht while touring the Altstadt with a Free Tour Munich guide. You’ll see the Altes Rathaus, Max Joseph Platz, the Residenz and much more on this highly recommended free tour.

Self-guided tours

The old part of Munich is very small, and most of the major tourist highlights are easily reached on foot within three hours. Thanks to podcasts and apps, there are plenty of places where you can download a free and comprehensive audio guide to all the Altstadt highlights.

Rick Steves’ Audio Tour

The European tour master has created a whole series of audio guides for cities all around Europe, giving detailed information about the most popular tourist spots.

Big Boy Travel Tour

It’s not the most technologically advanced website, but Big Boy does offer a handy downloadable Google map with all the major sites marked clearly on it – perfect if you don’t want to feel like an obvious tourist with your free hotel map flapping in the wind.

IZI Tour App

This clearly laid out audio guide and map can be downloaded for all mobile platforms including Windows phones. You’ll start at the train station and end up at the Hofbräuhaus by way of Munich’s first art gallery and 16 other points of interest.

iAudioGuide on Spotify

This is another excellent free resource on a platform-neutral service. Spotify will work on your mobile device or tablet if you pay the monthly fee for the service, or will work for free on your laptop. It’s up to you to decide if it’s worth walking around the city with your laptop open to save €9.99. There are 30 stops on the tour.