I always joke that I've been through the Frankfurt and Munich airports countless times but have never actually been in either city center since I've either been connecting to somewhere else or driving out a couple hours to a client.

This finally changed when my connecting flight to Nice at 9am was canceled and the next flight wasn't until 9pm. I was able to get a room at the airport to take a brief nap and then spend the afternoon and early evening finally exploring the city center of Munich.

Contents

1. Daily Itinerary

2. Flights

3. Hotels

4. Food

5. Full Itinerary

6. Overall

7. Image Store

Daily Itinerary

Day 1

1. Start at the heart of Munich, Marienplatz

2. Arrive at 11am or 12pm to see the famous clock at Neues Rathaus

3. Climb 306 steps to the top of Alter Peter for panoramic views

4. Walk through passage at Altes Rathaus

5. Shopping on Residenzstrasse

6. Bavarian food at Wirtshaus Eder

Flights

1. United Business ORD-MUC-ORD: Cash + 80 PlusPoints Upgrade roundtrip

Hotels

1. Hilton Munich Airport: 50,000 Hilton points for 1 night

▸ Excellent airport hotel located directly next to the terminal and about a 45 minute train ride to the city center. Renovated in 2017, this is one of the nicest airport hotels I've stayed at.

Hilton Munich Airport - Munich, Germany 2025

Food (With Beli Ranking)

1. Wirtshaus Eder (7.8) - Cozy restaurant with a bar serving unique beers and traditional Bavarian food. The staff was very friendly and definitely felt like a neighborhood hang-out spot away from the tourist hotspots.

   
   

Full Itinerary

Day 1

• Marienplatz

From the airport, the S1 and S8 trains will take you directly to Marienplatz, the heart of Munich. Walking up the steps from the train station directly into the main square, with the neo-Gothic New Town Hall along the north side felt like stepping into quintessential Bavaria. The Christmas market was gone, but many of the decorations still remained as it was only the 5th of January.

Marienplatz - Munich, Germany 2025

• Neues Rathaus

The New Town Hall lines the north end of the square and functions today as the city hall. Although I arrived too late, the Glockenspiel attracts large crowds at 11am and 12pm (and 5pm March-October) when it shows important scenes from Munich's history.

Neues Rathaus - Munich, Germany 2025

• Alter Peter

St. Peter's Church is located on the South side of the square. The tower, Alter Peter, offers the best panoramic views of Munich. The entrance fee is only 5€ but the top is only accessibly by climbing all 306 stairs.

• Altes Rathaus

The old town hall is on the east end of the square and dates back to the 14th century, even though it might look newer than the new town hall. Today, the toy museum is housed here and you can walk through the passage that runs at street level.

Altes Rathaus - Munich, Germany 2025

• Residenzstrasse

Just north of the square is the prominent street Residenzstrasse which runs up to the Residenz, the Royal Palace that served as the home to Bavarian dukes and kings for over 400 years. Today, Residenzstrasse is lined with upscale boutique stores and cafes.

Residenzstrasse - Munich, Germany 2025

• Wirtshaus Eder

I found this restaurant searching through Reddit restaurant recommendations and as I only had time for one meal in Munich, I had to make it count. Wirtshaus Eder is located in a more residential area about 3.5km west of the city center. I arrived in the early evening as I had to get back to the airport for my flight, so the restaurant was mostly empty. The staff was incredibly friendly, the food was good and the cozy restaurant definitely felt like a local spot.

Wirtshaus Eder - Munich, Germany 2025

Overall

My unplanned 12 hours in Munich was one of the best flight delay experiences I've had. Although not nearly enough time to explore all that Munich has to offer, it was a great opportunity to at least say I've finally been in the city. Returning for an extended period in warmer weather with more time in the Bavarian countryside is definitely on my list.

Image Store