Offbeat Munich and Bavaria: 3 Days
Three days buys the same Neuschwanstein day as the shorter version of this plan, plus a second, quieter trip that asks something different of you. This is the middle rung of a longer spine; see the 2 day cut if a day trip is all you need, or the 7 day version if three still feels short.
| Day | Focus | Distance/time from Munich |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Base camp settle-in near the Hauptbahnhof, a fast taste of the Altstadt | in Munich |
| 2 | Neuschwanstein Castle, Füssen and Schwangau | about 3 hrs door-to-door |
| 3 | Dachau Memorial | about 50-60 min door-to-door |
Book these before you go
- Compare Munich hotel rates near the Hauptbahnhof , the base for two separate train mornings
- Reserve Neuschwanstein’s timed entry up to 8 weeks out, or book a guided day tour instead if the ticket-center logistics sound like a chore
Day 1: Land, base camp, and one taste of the Altstadt
Ride the S1 or S8 in from the airport, 40 to 45 minutes, €13.60 single, or €16.10 for an Airport-City-Day-Ticket if the MVV network gets more use today. Base yourself near the Hauptbahnhof, not Marienplatz: both remaining days start with a train from there, and the five-minute walk to the platform outweighs a prettier hotel near the Altstadt. Walk the Old Town loop once, Marienplatz for the Glockenspiel (11am and noon, a modest show for the crowd it draws) and Viktualienmarkt for lunch. That covers the city-sightseeing budget for this trip; the full Munich guide covers the rest for a return visit. Dinner at Augustiner-Keller beats the Hofbräuhaus on both beer and atmosphere.
Day 2: Neuschwanstein, the whole day
Give this the entire day; nothing else gets scheduled around it. Neuschwanstein sits near Füssen and Schwangau, about 3 hours door-to-door (train to Füssen roughly 2h10, then a short bus or a 20 to 40 minute uphill walk), and entry is a fixed-time, roughly 35-minute guided tour only, no walk-up option. Adult admission is €21 (€20 reduced) plus a €2.50 online booking fee; the Kings-Ticket combo with neighboring Hohenschwangau Castle runs €43.50 (€38.50 reduced). Book through the official Hohenschwangau ticket center up to 8 weeks ahead, tickets collected in person at the center in the village, not at the castle gate, and lock a summer slot well before flying since 10am to 2pm sells out first. The interior is mid a multi-year restoration, some rooms or passages likely scaffolded, and the Marienbrücke view closes seasonally roughly November through March.
Day 3: Dachau Memorial, and a slower afternoon
Take the S2 to Dachau (20 to 25 minutes) then bus 726 (about 10 minutes), or walk roughly 30 minutes from the station. The memorial is free, open daily 9am to 5pm (last entry 4:30pm), closed only December 24, and it is not closed Mondays the way most Bavarian museums are. This is a solemn site, not a sightseeing stop, so give the morning the pace it deserves and do not book anything cheerful directly after. Check the official memorial site for current guided-tour times before you go. Spend the rest of the afternoon at an unhurried pace, near the Hauptbahnhof for an early flight the next morning or Glockenbachviertel if the evening is still open, and close the trip on your own terms rather than one more ticketed attraction.