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Oktoberfest is basically a giant carnival mixed with the world's best beer party, and it's freaking awesome!!! For my fellow Americans or any first timers, here are some tips I wish I knew before going: 1.) If you decide to dress up, plan your outfit ahead of time. Order a dirndl (women) or lederhosen (men) online before your trip, you'll save money, time and stress. Shops in Munich offer authentic stunning traditional gear, but many charge €700-1000. Yes there are cheaper options, but styles are limited. It also REALLY sucks taking everything on & off in the fitting rooms. Don't waste your time abroad, just get it in your home country. Accessories like pins, feathered hats, or pretzel earrings are way cheaper to grab beforehand too. Trust me, you'll get hat envy once you're there!!! 2.) Bring cash. Many tents and food stands don't take cards. Waiters carrying ten steins at once won't pause for fumbling, have cash ready. €100-120 was more than enough for me 3.) Make reservations for tables ahead of time to sit in the beer tents!!!! Or get there early if you want a table. Once things get busy, finding space is almost impossible, especially for groups. Tent hopping is harder than it looks. 4.) Wear comfy shoes. You'll be walking a ton. Heels? I saw people survive them, but personally, I'd be done for. 5.) Consider booking a tour with a table reservation. We went through Fat Tire Tours and our guide, Mark, was fantastic. Having a reserved table made the day way easier. 6.) Bring a refillable water bottle. It has to be empty when you enter, but you can fill it up inside at the various watering stations. Buying water adds up fast (one tent was selling water for €10), so this is a lifesaver. We bought one outside for €3 at a convenience store, emptied it, and reused it all day. 7.) Layer smart. Bring a jacket you can tie around your waist or a packable puffer you can stash in a bag. It's chilly outside but warm in the tents. Tossing a jacket on the floor just means beer and boots will destroy it. 8.) Most stands outside the tents will charge you a deposit for plates, glasses, and mugs...make sure to return them when you're done eating to get your deposit back!!! 9.) you cannot bring food that you bought from the vendors outside into the tents. I had to drink my coffee and eat my tiramisu before heading back into the tent, and couldn't bring anything back for my friends. 10.) Try a radler!!! It's delicious. It's half beer, half lemon flavored soft drink. 11.) Looking for a bathroom? Look for the angel / cherubs sitting on a toilet with a bow and arrow pointing towards the toilets! See my photo. Also, carry some €0.50 or €1 coins for the bathrooms, you place it on the plates when going in. The whole vibe is pure joy: music blasting, strangers becoming friends in seconds, and the entire city celebrating together. Oktoberfest is a true bucket-list experience, you'll walk away with great memories, sore feet, and probably a funny souvenir you don't remember buying.
I will forever be in shock that my first international trip was to the work's largest beer festival. I've been to Oktoberfest knock-offs in the past but experiencing the real deal just hits different. There a group of us visited opening day and we managed to get a table without reservation. It's possible but hard since everyone else there is doing the same thing. They serve only one kind of beer but it is fantastic. It's very strong so one stein made me have a good time. If you're not a beer drinker, there is so much more to do. They have shops, rides and entertainment. You can easily spend a couple days here and not get bored.
Finally got to attend Oktoberfest in Munich! It wasn't in our itinerary at first but what can Mink do when I book everything that's non refundable before she can say no? Hehe. Some things I learned coming here: 1) Book a hotel early because this event is popular with about seven million people in attendance annually. We didn't book early and hotels were slim pickings. The prices were also outrageous. $100ish you're looking at camping. $150-$200 you're looking at a hostel. $200ish up you're looking at junk motel quality rooms if you can find one near festivities. Then it just jumps to several hundred a night. We heard from several people that some people book a year in advance. 2) Bring cash! To my knowledge, everyone accepted only cash and everything adds up. A beer is 15 Euro at the tents we went to and water was 6 Euros. Safe to bring a little more than less but there are ATM's everywhere. It's also good to have to tip your servers. 3) Learn some German because not everyone speaks English. It goes a long way and they make the effort if you do. Google Translate was very useful. 4) Pace yourself because we saw people passed out by noon! They offer half beer and half lemonade if you want to stretch out your drinking. 5) Do not bring a large bag to the event. You will have to check it into a locker if you do. It's not permitted inside. It'll be 5 Euro to check in your bag if you get turned away by security. We learned the hard way. 6) You can get Lederhosen and Dirndl at various shops all over. Some have huge sales so you don't have to bring any over. We weren't sure about sizing so we ordered and brought over just in case. 7) If you're budget conscious, pregame before you go in to save some money. It's definitely marked up for everything inside. No shame because you'll see lots of people doing it. This is a huge event and we were fortunate to come on the very last day. Since it was the last day, we went to the Bavaria Statue at noon for the closing ceremony and gun salute. Weather smiled upon us because the day we got into Munich, it was raining a lot. Fortunately it cleared up nicely on the following day and we got to enjoy the event without rain. After the event, Mink admitted that it was more fun than she anticipated and it was worth coming to. Another bucket list item checked off the list!
Made it to Oktoberfest. It is everything that it claims to be and more. I think most Americans only hear about the beer tents and the drinking, but there's so much more to the Oktoberfest. It's one of the largest fairs I've ever been to and they serve all the other alcohol, besides beer, throughout. There are rides, games, food, drinks and people watching. One of the best parties I have ever been to.
If you haven't been to Oktoberfest is truly a once in a lifetime experience. Even if you're not a beer lover you definitely reap the reward of experience something truly new, unique, yet alone special. This festival is like if Mardi Gras & Coachella had a beer festival baby. Plus, you get an excuse to dress up in lederhosens and dirndls. I'd recommend booking hotels 6 months in advance if not sooner and staying with walking distance of festival grounds. Cabs and Ubers are hard to get if you're a guy. I'd also recommend having cash on hand for each tent you visit as it's pretty much the only way to get food and drink. For food I'd recommend getting it at the stands, otherwise at tents it can get pretty pricey. If you're in a group of 4 or less then you can manage to get tables in tents without reservations. Otherwise, I'd recommend booking tables in advance if your party is larger. Nevertheless this festive truly festive and a big reason why people all over the world come here.
How could I not make *the* Oktoberfest experience my 1000th review? Well it's almost a year late but it's time for me to put thumb to phone screen. It took me 28+ years, 6000+ miles, and...a lot of money to come here for the 188th Oktoberfest last year, and it was such a cool experience. We were staying about an hour and a half away in Austria, so our day was a long one. A day full of drinking, sandwiched between two not-super-comfortable car rides--but the beer was crisp and the food was delectable. So for those who don't know, here's the lowdown: Unlike in the US, you don't pay to enter the event, you just pay by the item (unless you go into a special tent). There are 14 tents with different ~vibes~, from #localsonly after a day of work to those tents where everyone is yell-singing and standing on the benches, with a variety of beers and food spread throughout. The weekends are substantially more wild than the weekdays, but that doesn't mean weekdays are boring. Just know that if you go during a Friday or Saturday, you'll probably have a difficult time finding space in the more popular tents in the evening so come EARLY and expect to kinda stay in one spot for most of the day. I came with my immediate and some extended family, and we arrived in the morning on Friday. The crowd slowly picked up as the day went on, and as a group of nine, we only made it into three of the bigger tents before stopping in Haxnbraterei for some food. Then my extended family took off and my sister and I stayed for another couple steins at Hofbrauhaus. It took a while to find a spot in the Hofbrauhaus tent, even for just the two of us, and tbh there were a number of rude groups who had space next to them but weren't willing to let my sister and I sit with them. Judging by their behavior, I'm assuming it was because they thought we didn't look cute enough for them and they wanted to save the space for someones else, but that was one of only two negative things about this experience. Once we finally got seated, though, we met some great people and stayed a few more hours. Got to stand up and sing the songs and dance to the music, yadda yadda. Thankfully our parents were waiting in the car to drive us because we got, unsurprisingly, incredibly drunk, to the point where it was a miracle that we made our way to the front of the fest safely. The other part of the festival that wasn't so great was that my dad noticed there were a ton of creepy single guys standing around, seemingly to pick up people who are intoxicated. So my hot tips are: 1. Wear comfortable shoes, even if they don't match your dirndl 2. Bring cash (my friend had her credit card number stolen) 3. For every stein of beer, drink a stein of water 4. Eat!! 5. Buddy system whenever you're not in a tent 6. Beware of puke hill (unless you need to use it)
Something everyone should experience, I thought that I might be too old for the crowd, but there were babies to eighty year olds. I did the trip because I wanted to visit Germany, and it wasn't just for Oktoberfest. We spent our second day there, and went back for a few hours one evening, the evening is a much more ruckus crowd, I enjoyed the daytime atmosphere more, but I didn't see any real trouble, just a lot of very intoxicated people. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. We reserved seats at a table in the Hofbrauhaus tent, which came with a half chicken and two liters of very strong beer. Our table mates were from all over the world. We visited a couple of the other tents, I was surprised that besides the Bavarian music, there were a lot of American songs, the two most popular seamed to be Take me home country roads, and Sweet Caroline.
Oktoberfest is a must do once in your lifetime. I have been twice and it just seems to keep growing with a huge number of carnival rides, food, chocolate, and beer everywhere. We went on a Tuesday just after lunch time in order to ensure we could get into our top choice - the gourmet food lover's dream at the smaller Feinkost Kafer. Bands were already playing and people were dancing and we got the last two person table - snuggly located under the stairs. It might seem like an odd place to sit but it was great for people watching. The food did not disappoint. We tried two sampler plates of salads and meats and cheeses and everything was super fresh, decorated in edible flowers, fresh garnishes of radish and greens. The salad sampler had egg salad, crayfish salad and walnut slaw, while the Kafer Brettl sampler plate had fresh mozzarella tomato, beet hummus, eg, ham, radishes, smoked salmon, salmon salad, cheese. Lever pate and sausages - wow! We also poked into many of the large beer gardens, sampled chocolate covered bananas and enjoyed the decorated horse beer carts and watching the carnival games. On this second trip, it took quite some time to navigate the entrance and exit as you are funneled through one main central area. 7 years ago, I walked straight in. I guess it is a sign of the times with added security.
This was a major item on my bucket list. The number and size of the beer halls are breathtaking. Each one is a sea of tables that get filled to capacity within hours of opening each morning. If you have a large enough group, you can reserve a table online in advance. This is common for Germans and folks from neighboring countries. Harder to do if you're coming from further abroad, but worth it if you can pull it off by organizing such a caravan well in advance. For everyone else, a minority of the tables are first-come. So, each table that my friend and I sat at was shared with other folks, who you regularly prost with. Some could speak to us in English, and help educate us about life in Munich. It did rain a lot for the first two days we were there, so wear layers for warmth and bring an umbrella or rain coat. Yet, the outdoor tables remain full as people are too festive to be fazed by the intermittent showers. Oktoberfestbier is the standard style, as a one-liter serving in a stein. Some halls also offer an alcohol-free version. Wheat beer is sometimes available, but only in the outdoor section called the beer garden. Beer hall menus include food. There is also a plethora of food vendors along the walkways between the beer halls and in the carnival area. To my surprise, vegan options are universally available, as they are more widely adopted than in the United States. The same is true throughout Munich. The size and quality of carnival rides are better than any I've seen in the U.S. Lederhosen is the prevailing mode of dress for men; and the traditional dresses for women. I like that there is no admission fee, which allows you to spend all your money directly on beer, food, entertainment, and souvenirs.
One of a kind experience! Grab a table when you can and dive into the Bavarian culture! Definitely a must! Get your dirndls and lederhosen and get over here! Great food, great times! If you're coming into Munich, look into a train ride or two. Always a good way to see the city in a blip! If you like pork, I recommend the Scweinshaxe! DELICIOUS
Be forewarned that if you're in your twenties or early thirties, you may have far more fun than I'm about to summarize as a disappointment. Specifically, if you love to drink in crowded areas isolated just to tents and a few small stands then this is your place. Personally and having lived in Germany for two years, I expected more traditional Bavarian culture but instead I got the world's biggest "cheap"/cheesy carnival ($5-20 USD per ride). The rides are basic and you've seen them time and time again. You'll spend way more than you should to experience wild drunks, occasional open drug use, litter and horse sh*t everywhere. To get back to your place, you'll then have to navigate around broken beer bottles on the sidewalks (not a lot but some) along with a near constant array of aggressive shoulder checks from oblivious people which was one of the most annoying parts of visiting both Italy and Germany. Sound fun yet? This wasn't worth the time for me other than checking a box. People stress the lack of restrooms while visiting. Men will have an easier time but it wasn't an issue. The surprising lack of trash cans was what caught me off guard. Seems like a pretty obvious thing to have ready yet they have barely any and you can tell by the end of each night. Hmmmm, how could they ever reduce this problem? The biggest beer tents are a fun experience until the evening when they're overcrowded. There's a traditional section that is a scaled down version and better when the crowds get too big. Excuse the rambling but just save yourself from this overrated experience and go to one of the famous beer house restaurants since the beer is second to none. This is what I wish I had done. Also enjoy some of the most breathtaking countryside on the planet in Bavaria. Pictures don't do it justice and you'll think you've seen every shade of green. ...I'm willing to bet this review will be relevant to Oktoberfest beyond 2024.
If you live in US, the best way to describe Oktoberfest is the State Fair meets European Christmas/Easter market times 2 because it's all carnival games and rides like the Fair or even a mini amusement park. The vendors are equivalent to the Christmas/Easter market. We came second to last day an hour after they opened which was already packed. Just follow the people in the traditional attire around the city and in the subway and you're going the right direction. It's free to enter, they have security check your bags. I read that you could have a maximum of 20x15x10 cm for bags. When we were inside, I saw so many oversized bags like backpacks and female handbags. However, our friend met us up later and she said they gave her a ticket to check in her backpack and to downside. Bring cash. A few atms around. Some of the vendors take credit card but above 10€. The beer garden we were at was cash only. This was Paulaner. Restrooms are free. There's also a drinking fountain at one of the beer gardens. This place is massive, we spent all day. 1L of beer was 14€ standard everywhere. For food we got the Half chicken with potato salad and sausages. Took 45 minutes. The server said everything else would take two hours. We sat outdoors. Indoors will most likely need reservations. Later in the day, they had a line to enter each garden. You can purchase food outside of the garden which is cheaper but there are no seats. There are kiosks that sells wine so you're not limited to just beer. As far as dressing up, I would say 80% of the locals were dressed up.
2 months ago
Definitely a once in a lifetime experience. We stayed at a hotel right at the corner of Theresienwisse so convenient especially if you become intoxicated after drinking too much beer. Make sure you adhere the rule for the bag size. So many food vendors and rides to choose from. I walked in several tents to check out different decorations. Food was decent because they were mass produced. I had radler which is a mix of beer and lemonade. Good drink if you don't want to have too much alcohol read more
If you are even remotely considering going to Oktoberfest, stop thinking and just go. It is a once in a lifetime experience that is impossible to replicate anywhere else. From the moment you step onto the massive festival grounds, which can see half a million people in a single day, you are swept into a whirlwind of Bavarian culture, music, food, and of course beer. The beer tents are the heart and soul of the event. Each one is beautifully themed, buzzing with live music, and serving up some of the best beer and food you will ever have in Germany. The vibe is electric, strangers become friends in minutes, mugs are constantly clinking, and the energy is contagious. It is important to plan ahead if you want the best experience. Entry to the festival is free, but getting a seat in a tent can be tricky. Only about 30% of tables are first come first served, the rest require reservations and most locals book almost a year in advance. Each table seats 8 to 10 people and must be rented in full, including a minimum spend. A great tip is to use the official Oktoberfest website to reserve a table if possible. Also, do not skip the rides. Classics like the Devil Wheel and the Toboggan are hilarious and give you a break from the beer halls. Visiting on weekdays and early in the morning helps you beat the crowds, explore more tents, and enjoy the atmosphere without rushing. Overall, Oktoberfest is more than just a beer festival. It is a full blown cultural celebration. Between the beer, the food, the music, and the incredible people you will meet from all over the world, this is truly an experience you will never forget. Prost! read more
Oktoberfest is basically a giant carnival mixed with the world's best beer party, and it's freaking awesome!!! For my fellow Americans or any first timers, here are some tips I wish I knew before going: 1.) If you decide to dress up, plan your outfit ahead of time. Order a dirndl (women) or lederhosen (men) online before your trip, you'll save money, time and stress. Shops in Munich offer authentic stunning traditional gear, but many charge €700-1000. Yes there are cheaper options, but styles are limited. It also REALLY sucks taking everything on & off in the fitting rooms. Don't waste your time abroad, just get it in your home country. Accessories like pins, feathered hats, or pretzel earrings are way cheaper to grab beforehand too. Trust me, you'll get hat envy once you're there!!! 2.) Bring cash. Many tents and food stands don't take cards. Waiters carrying ten steins at once won't pause for fumbling, have cash ready. €100-120 was more than enough for me 3.) Make reservations for tables ahead of time to sit in the beer tents!!!! Or get there early if you want a table. Once things get busy, finding space is almost impossible, especially for groups. Tent hopping is harder than it looks. 4.) Wear comfy shoes. You'll be walking a ton. Heels? I saw people survive them, but personally, I'd be done for. 5.) Consider booking a tour with a table reservation. We went through Fat Tire Tours and our guide, Mark, was fantastic. Having a reserved table made the day way easier. 6.) Bring a refillable water bottle. It has to be empty when you enter, but you can fill it up inside at the various watering stations. Buying water adds up fast (one tent was selling water for €10), so this is a lifesaver. We bought one outside for €3 at a convenience store, emptied it, and reused it all day. 7.) Layer smart. Bring a jacket you can tie around your waist or a packable puffer you can stash in a bag. It's chilly outside but warm in the tents. Tossing a jacket on the floor just means beer and boots will destroy it. 8.) Most stands outside the tents will charge you a deposit for plates, glasses, and mugs...make sure to return them when you're done eating to get your deposit back!!! 9.) you cannot bring food that you bought from the vendors outside into the tents. I had to drink my coffee and eat my tiramisu before heading back into the tent, and couldn't bring anything back for my friends. 10.) Try a radler!!! It's delicious. It's half beer, half lemon flavored soft drink. 11.) Looking for a bathroom? Look for the angel / cherubs sitting on a toilet with a bow and arrow pointing towards the toilets! See my photo. Also, carry some €0.50 or €1 coins for the bathrooms, you place it on the plates when going in. The whole vibe is pure joy: music blasting, strangers becoming friends in seconds, and the entire city celebrating together. Oktoberfest is a true bucket-list experience, you'll walk away with great memories, sore feet, and probably a funny souvenir you don't remember buying. read more
I will forever be in shock that my first international trip was to the work's largest beer festival. I've been to Oktoberfest knock-offs in the past but experiencing the real deal just hits different. There a group of us visited opening day and we managed to get a table without reservation. It's possible but hard since everyone else there is doing the same thing. They serve only one kind of beer but it is fantastic. It's very strong so one stein made me have a good time. If you're not a beer drinker, there is so much more to do. They have shops, rides and entertainment. You can easily spend a couple days here and not get bored. read more
Finally got to attend Oktoberfest in Munich! It wasn't in our itinerary at first but what can Mink do when I book everything that's non refundable before she can say no? Hehe. Some things I learned coming here: 1) Book a hotel early because this event is popular with about seven million people in attendance annually. We didn't book early and hotels were slim pickings. The prices were also outrageous. $100ish you're looking at camping. $150-$200 you're looking at a hostel. $200ish up you're looking at junk motel quality rooms if you can find one near festivities. Then it just jumps to several hundred a night. We heard from several people that some people book a year in advance. 2) Bring cash! To my knowledge, everyone accepted only cash and everything adds up. A beer is 15 Euro at the tents we went to and water was 6 Euros. Safe to bring a little more than less but there are ATM's everywhere. It's also good to have to tip your servers. 3) Learn some German because not everyone speaks English. It goes a long way and they make the effort if you do. Google Translate was very useful. 4) Pace yourself because we saw people passed out by noon! They offer half beer and half lemonade if you want to stretch out your drinking. 5) Do not bring a large bag to the event. You will have to check it into a locker if you do. It's not permitted inside. It'll be 5 Euro to check in your bag if you get turned away by security. We learned the hard way. 6) You can get Lederhosen and Dirndl at various shops all over. Some have huge sales so you don't have to bring any over. We weren't sure about sizing so we ordered and brought over just in case. 7) If you're budget conscious, pregame before you go in to save some money. It's definitely marked up for everything inside. No shame because you'll see lots of people doing it. This is a huge event and we were fortunate to come on the very last day. Since it was the last day, we went to the Bavaria Statue at noon for the closing ceremony and gun salute. Weather smiled upon us because the day we got into Munich, it was raining a lot. Fortunately it cleared up nicely on the following day and we got to enjoy the event without rain. After the event, Mink admitted that it was more fun than she anticipated and it was worth coming to. Another bucket list item checked off the list! read more
1 year ago
Made it to Oktoberfest. It is everything that it claims to be and more. I think most Americans only hear about the beer tents and the drinking, but there's so much more to the Oktoberfest. It's one of the largest fairs I've ever been to and they serve all the other alcohol, besides beer, throughout. There are rides, games, food, drinks and people watching. One of the best parties I have ever been to. read more
If you haven't been to Oktoberfest is truly a once in a lifetime experience. Even if you're not a beer lover you definitely reap the reward of experience something truly new, unique, yet alone special. This festival is like if Mardi Gras & Coachella had a beer festival baby. Plus, you get an excuse to dress up in lederhosens and dirndls. I'd recommend booking hotels 6 months in advance if not sooner and staying with walking distance of festival grounds. Cabs and Ubers are hard to get if you're a guy. I'd also recommend having cash on hand for each tent you visit as it's pretty much the only way to get food and drink. For food I'd recommend getting it at the stands, otherwise at tents it can get pretty pricey. If you're in a group of 4 or less then you can manage to get tables in tents without reservations. Otherwise, I'd recommend booking tables in advance if your party is larger. Nevertheless this festive truly festive and a big reason why people all over the world come here. read more
How could I not make *the* Oktoberfest experience my 1000th review? Well it's almost a year late but it's time for me to put thumb to phone screen. It took me 28+ years, 6000+ miles, and...a lot of money to come here for the 188th Oktoberfest last year, and it was such a cool experience. We were staying about an hour and a half away in Austria, so our day was a long one. A day full of drinking, sandwiched between two not-super-comfortable car rides--but the beer was crisp and the food was delectable. So for those who don't know, here's the lowdown: Unlike in the US, you don't pay to enter the event, you just pay by the item (unless you go into a special tent). There are 14 tents with different ~vibes~, from #localsonly after a day of work to those tents where everyone is yell-singing and standing on the benches, with a variety of beers and food spread throughout. The weekends are substantially more wild than the weekdays, but that doesn't mean weekdays are boring. Just know that if you go during a Friday or Saturday, you'll probably have a difficult time finding space in the more popular tents in the evening so come EARLY and expect to kinda stay in one spot for most of the day. I came with my immediate and some extended family, and we arrived in the morning on Friday. The crowd slowly picked up as the day went on, and as a group of nine, we only made it into three of the bigger tents before stopping in Haxnbraterei for some food. Then my extended family took off and my sister and I stayed for another couple steins at Hofbrauhaus. It took a while to find a spot in the Hofbrauhaus tent, even for just the two of us, and tbh there were a number of rude groups who had space next to them but weren't willing to let my sister and I sit with them. Judging by their behavior, I'm assuming it was because they thought we didn't look cute enough for them and they wanted to save the space for someones else, but that was one of only two negative things about this experience. Once we finally got seated, though, we met some great people and stayed a few more hours. Got to stand up and sing the songs and dance to the music, yadda yadda. Thankfully our parents were waiting in the car to drive us because we got, unsurprisingly, incredibly drunk, to the point where it was a miracle that we made our way to the front of the fest safely. The other part of the festival that wasn't so great was that my dad noticed there were a ton of creepy single guys standing around, seemingly to pick up people who are intoxicated. So my hot tips are: 1. Wear comfortable shoes, even if they don't match your dirndl 2. Bring cash (my friend had her credit card number stolen) 3. For every stein of beer, drink a stein of water 4. Eat!! 5. Buddy system whenever you're not in a tent 6. Beware of puke hill (unless you need to use it) read more
1 year ago
Something everyone should experience, I thought that I might be too old for the crowd, but there were babies to eighty year olds. I did the trip because I wanted to visit Germany, and it wasn't just for Oktoberfest. We spent our second day there, and went back for a few hours one evening, the evening is a much more ruckus crowd, I enjoyed the daytime atmosphere more, but I didn't see any real trouble, just a lot of very intoxicated people. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. We reserved seats at a table in the Hofbrauhaus tent, which came with a half chicken and two liters of very strong beer. Our table mates were from all over the world. We visited a couple of the other tents, I was surprised that besides the Bavarian music, there were a lot of American songs, the two most popular seamed to be Take me home country roads, and Sweet Caroline. read more
Oktoberfest is a must do once in your lifetime. I have been twice and it just seems to keep growing with a huge number of carnival rides, food, chocolate, and beer everywhere. We went on a Tuesday just after lunch time in order to ensure we could get into our top choice - the gourmet food lover's dream at the smaller Feinkost Kafer. Bands were already playing and people were dancing and we got the last two person table - snuggly located under the stairs. It might seem like an odd place to sit but it was great for people watching. The food did not disappoint. We tried two sampler plates of salads and meats and cheeses and everything was super fresh, decorated in edible flowers, fresh garnishes of radish and greens. The salad sampler had egg salad, crayfish salad and walnut slaw, while the Kafer Brettl sampler plate had fresh mozzarella tomato, beet hummus, eg, ham, radishes, smoked salmon, salmon salad, cheese. Lever pate and sausages - wow! We also poked into many of the large beer gardens, sampled chocolate covered bananas and enjoyed the decorated horse beer carts and watching the carnival games. On this second trip, it took quite some time to navigate the entrance and exit as you are funneled through one main central area. 7 years ago, I walked straight in. I guess it is a sign of the times with added security. read more
This was a major item on my bucket list. The number and size of the beer halls are breathtaking. Each one is a sea of tables that get filled to capacity within hours of opening each morning. If you have a large enough group, you can reserve a table online in advance. This is common for Germans and folks from neighboring countries. Harder to do if you're coming from further abroad, but worth it if you can pull it off by organizing such a caravan well in advance. For everyone else, a minority of the tables are first-come. So, each table that my friend and I sat at was shared with other folks, who you regularly prost with. Some could speak to us in English, and help educate us about life in Munich. It did rain a lot for the first two days we were there, so wear layers for warmth and bring an umbrella or rain coat. Yet, the outdoor tables remain full as people are too festive to be fazed by the intermittent showers. Oktoberfestbier is the standard style, as a one-liter serving in a stein. Some halls also offer an alcohol-free version. Wheat beer is sometimes available, but only in the outdoor section called the beer garden. Beer hall menus include food. There is also a plethora of food vendors along the walkways between the beer halls and in the carnival area. To my surprise, vegan options are universally available, as they are more widely adopted than in the United States. The same is true throughout Munich. The size and quality of carnival rides are better than any I've seen in the U.S. Lederhosen is the prevailing mode of dress for men; and the traditional dresses for women. I like that there is no admission fee, which allows you to spend all your money directly on beer, food, entertainment, and souvenirs. read more
One of a kind experience! Grab a table when you can and dive into the Bavarian culture! Definitely a must! Get your dirndls and lederhosen and get over here! Great food, great times! If you're coming into Munich, look into a train ride or two. Always a good way to see the city in a blip! If you like pork, I recommend the Scweinshaxe! DELICIOUS read more
2 years ago
Be forewarned that if you're in your twenties or early thirties, you may have far more fun than I'm about to summarize as a disappointment. Specifically, if you love to drink in crowded areas isolated just to tents and a few small stands then this is your place. Personally and having lived in Germany for two years, I expected more traditional Bavarian culture but instead I got the world's biggest "cheap"/cheesy carnival ($5-20 USD per ride). The rides are basic and you've seen them time and time again. You'll spend way more than you should to experience wild drunks, occasional open drug use, litter and horse sh*t everywhere. To get back to your place, you'll then have to navigate around broken beer bottles on the sidewalks (not a lot but some) along with a near constant array of aggressive shoulder checks from oblivious people which was one of the most annoying parts of visiting both Italy and Germany. Sound fun yet? This wasn't worth the time for me other than checking a box. People stress the lack of restrooms while visiting. Men will have an easier time but it wasn't an issue. The surprising lack of trash cans was what caught me off guard. Seems like a pretty obvious thing to have ready yet they have barely any and you can tell by the end of each night. Hmmmm, how could they ever reduce this problem? The biggest beer tents are a fun experience until the evening when they're overcrowded. There's a traditional section that is a scaled down version and better when the crowds get too big. Excuse the rambling but just save yourself from this overrated experience and go to one of the famous beer house restaurants since the beer is second to none. This is what I wish I had done. Also enjoy some of the most breathtaking countryside on the planet in Bavaria. Pictures don't do it justice and you'll think you've seen every shade of green. ...I'm willing to bet this review will be relevant to Oktoberfest beyond 2024. read more
3 years ago
If you live in US, the best way to describe Oktoberfest is the State Fair meets European Christmas/Easter market times 2 because it's all carnival games and rides like the Fair or even a mini amusement park. The vendors are equivalent to the Christmas/Easter market. We came second to last day an hour after they opened which was already packed. Just follow the people in the traditional attire around the city and in the subway and you're going the right direction. It's free to enter, they have security check your bags. I read that you could have a maximum of 20x15x10 cm for bags. When we were inside, I saw so many oversized bags like backpacks and female handbags. However, our friend met us up later and she said they gave her a ticket to check in her backpack and to downside. Bring cash. A few atms around. Some of the vendors take credit card but above 10€. The beer garden we were at was cash only. This was Paulaner. Restrooms are free. There's also a drinking fountain at one of the beer gardens. This place is massive, we spent all day. 1L of beer was 14€ standard everywhere. For food we got the Half chicken with potato salad and sausages. Took 45 minutes. The server said everything else would take two hours. We sat outdoors. Indoors will most likely need reservations. Later in the day, they had a line to enter each garden. You can purchase food outside of the garden which is cheaper but there are no seats. There are kiosks that sells wine so you're not limited to just beer. As far as dressing up, I would say 80% of the locals were dressed up. read more
3 years ago
Was more than what I expected and it delivered. Bring cash though because a lot of tents are cash only. Something that you should experience at least once. Come early to get a table if you do not have reservations but we highly recommend making reservations and doing it for multiple tents to experience everything. Definitely worth it. For those non beer drinkers there is a tent with wine and spirits. There are probably 1 or 2 other places that also offer spirits. Enjoy!! read more
My first, but certainly not last, experience with Oktoberfest was back in 2022. The first d'Wiesn since it was shut down due to the Covid pandemic. Fun fact, I had been dreaming of this trip since 2018 or so because my husband and I realized that opening day was on our anniversary, so the mere fact I manifested it in to fruition made the experience way more enjoyable. We 100% did not end up going opening day, but the next. We showed up early. Like, really really early, like 6 am. In retrospect, I don't think I needed to because there was plenty of seats in the big tents, but I did not want to risk it. Future me will probably still show up early, but not as. There was a line when we showed up and a line behind us. We did not use the main gate, just the gate closest to our chosen tent. Do your research on that! Moving on to the actual festival. My god, this place is a beer lovers bucket list dream. Actually, it should be on anyone's bucket list. It's a big ol' fun fair, with history attached, and corn dogs got nothing on the wursts here. Also, the chicken is also amazing. And if you show up in the morning, the weisswurst is also very good with that morning beer. Drink that morning beer folks, 9am is not early at all for it. Service is swift, the servers got places to be, so don't waste their time! Have money ready, and make sure you tip them (rounding up plus some is fair). It's not "it's my pleasure" service, but it's far from rude. But, props to them for being surprisingly accessible. My husband sustained an injury and we had to rent a wheelchair. It was a free rental, and when we needed up be in some of the tents they basically went out of their way to accommodate. One tent they kicked people out of an area just so we can have a seat. Clothes wise, I definitely saw more people wearing the local traditional garb than not. I also interacted with more born and bred locals than not (except in the line when I was surrounded by American born expats). If it's your first time, I recommend wearing the Tracht because it's just that fun. Rides are pricey, but fun. Try that crazy Toboggan after you had a few beers. It's also great to watch as well. I didn't get to see the Devil wheel, but I've seen clips and it's also hilarious. Prost! read more
Wow... I'm at a loss for words! Getting to go to the *real* Oktoberfest, especially the first one after a few years from Covid, was such an incredible experience. Whether you've got German in your blood or not, it's 100% worth it to have this on your bucket list. The dirndls, the lederhosen, the mountains of beer steins.... It's something you've got to experience for yourself. We came on opening day without a reservation, but were able to snag a table at the Hofbrau tent after waiting out in the cold since 7:30 a.m. Getting to see everyone stampede to the tents in order to grab a seat was an experience in itself! They only serve a specific type of beer here, but coming from a not-so-much beer drinker, it is really good (and will have you feeling good real fast!) They also have a full menu of food you can order at your table. I recommend spending at least two days here if you want to experience everything, one for the tents/drinking and another for the outdoor attractions. Oktoberfest is also a full-fledged carnival with really cool rides and shows, too! (in which I dubbed as Oksoberfest) The best thing about Oktoberfest is that it's completely free to enter, no ticket required! You can, however, pay for a reservation, which seems to be a daunting task that you have to plan wayyyyyy ahead of time. Also, make sure to bring plenty of cash! Everything here is cash only, from what I experienced. If you're ever in Munich during Oktoberfest season, it's a must to come here - even just looking around it worth it! read more
shook my expectations - in a good way. We were told lots of things, that you needed tickets and reservations or you wouldn't get in or into the tents, etc. On the words of a local who befriended us in the middle of one of our many beers (€14 50 for 1L, €8.50 I think for the 0.5L) "50% of Oktoberfest are the food stalls and rides on the general Fair grounds." He also went to say there are "high society tents" and the other tents. We managed to get into some of the larger tents without a reservation. Party atmosphere, people standing on the benches - just a fun time. The smaller ones you'll need something, but It all depends on what you're looking for. Of course it's easier to get in early, but we had some nice weather and enjoyed walking around. In the back there's also "Oide Wiesn" which is the old timey Oktoberfest. Beer still costs the same, but the rides are €1.50 (don't expect anything extreme). The beer tent there also has more of a traditional band playing traditional songs - the other tents seemed to have at least 2 staple songs - "sweet Caroline" and "I love rock and roll." Not everyone wore lederhosen. But it's fun to go all in. We spent about 20 minutes just watching people on the toboggan. Worth a watch. The common thread here is everyone has come to celebrate and have a good time, and that's what we did. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
Oktoberfest 2023 started at noon on Saturday, September 16th. There was a very large parade each day the first Saturday and the first Sunday, Both of them were amazing and worth attending, and the Sunday parade was significantly larger. The tents were full on the Saturday, but I easily got into the tents on Sunday and enjoyed the beers and the music. It was a very good experience. read more
2 years ago
Even though I'm Not a German I've been to many Octoberfest-Celebrations, mostly, right here in the United States: - and trust me, there are A LOT OF THEM, - and they are all over the country: - LOTS of Octoberfests, - and LOTS OF GERMAN people going to them. It's hard to believe, but American Citizens of Germanic descent represent the Most Widespread & Heavily Populated Single Ethic Group in the USA - (even more than The English, The Scottish, The Irish, The African Americans, and The Hispanics - COMBINED!!!) So you'd Better Believe there's a whole-friggin'-bundle-of Octoberfests out there - and that's a Gut-Load Full of beer. Most recently my American Octoberfest Activities have been out west, first at a replica of Munich's "Hofbräuhaus" in Las Vegas, (which was pretty authentic except for the slot-machines) - and then in Southern California, at "Alpine Village," (an entire German-style shopping & eating complex a big as a town,) located just north of Long Beach between two highways. After that there was the "Red Lion Tavern" in Silverlake (which was mostly just blue & white decorations over dinner, drinking a huge dark beer & eating some big thick pretzels); then there was my sojourn to the Danish town of "Solvang" north of Santa Barbara, at Old World Village, and up in Big Bear Lake - and in Northern Illinois at places like the famous "Chicago BrauHaus" which tented the entire Lincoln Square for a Biergarten, at "Berkoff's" Restaurant in downtown Chicago, up in "Andersonville" where for one week a year all of the Scandinavians there become spirit-Germans blocking-off much of Clark Street for the party, plus bar-hopping in the heavily Bavarian neighborhood called "Old Irving Park", and in the towns of "Bishops Hill", and "Galena (where Ulysses S Grant lived), ()" and the entirety of the State of Wisconsin. But I've only been to two in Germany: first in Berlin (when the Wall was still up), and the second in Munich, aka. "München," where it's spelled "Oktoberfest". And the Oktoberfest in München was by far The Best. DON'T READ BELOW THIS LINE PLEASE - IT'S MY "CAPTION" BONE-YARD __________________________________________________________________________ PICTURE CAPTIONS: XXXXXXXXXXX 1).A) - Oktoberfest Pretzel (Brezeln) & Bavarian Weißwurst (or "Bayerisch Weißwuascht" in a Munich dialect) - [oder"Bayerisch Weißwuascht" im Münchner Dialekt]. Just bite the wurst's tip-casings off theN & suck (zuzeln) the veal meat & pork-back out. 1).B) - Der ist nammt "Weißwurst," in Deutche, oder "Bayrisch Weißwurscht" im Münchner Dialekt. 1).C) - This white sausage is called German "Weißwurst" in High German and it's called "Bayerisch Weißwuascht" in the Munich dialect. 1).D) - Diese Weißwurst heißt auf Hochdeutsch "Weißwurst" und im Münchner Dialekt "Bayerisch Weißwuascht". XXXXXXXXXX 2). München Pretzels (Brezeln), Oktoberfest's iconic snack. They are served with coarse salt & sweet Bavarian Mustard (Süßer Senf). 3). The entire Danish-Themed town of Solveng, north of Santa Barbara California looks like this. It is a good place to celebrate Oktoberfest. 4). read more
2 years ago
Incredible atmosphere! Lots of great food. Most places only take cash, but there are ATM's throughout. Advice if you use the ATM's, use the ones on the grounds near the rides, the beer houses charge way too much for the conversion rate. The ones near the rides have a better rate. Also take the time to get the authentic clothing. Plenty of shops in Munich that rent them for the day. It's disrespectful to not wear authentic clothing. Marienplatz is a must as well. Metro system is easy to navigate and very cost efficient. read more
I've been fortunate enough to go to Oktoberfest twice in my life. The first time was way more graceful than the second. I discovered it's offensive to wear a short dirndl. So, I won't be doing that again! If you can, reserve a table because if you don't you won't get beer and you won't have a place to sit. That beer will hit you very hard! So don't be like me and eat something lol! read more
2 years ago
We spent a Friday and Saturday at Oktoberfest. What an amazing experience. Myself + my husband + my parents - we had so much fun! Drank in 3 different tents and explored the grounds. Even on Friday and Saturday - the crowds weren't bad. The visitors and the locals were all so friendly! Everyone had a blast. YouTube Video here: https://youtu.be/oPQso0kLUcQ read more
Amazing experience. Definitely come during the week so you can tent hop as it is less crowded (it was just the two of us and we got to go to all but 2 larger tents and we went to a decent amount of the small tents). If your a small group you won't need reservations if going during the week. The weekends get extremely busy but if you get there first thing and Claim a table you should be fine but don't expect to tent hop on the weekends. The tents have beer gardens as well, good to use in nice weather. Most test have a non reserved section for anyone to claim a spot at. Don't be sky and ask people if you can sit with them, each table can have up to 10 people in the large tents. Don't forget to check out the smaller beer tents for a more local experience. The rides are super fun and not your average carnival rides, more like what you would find at an amusement park. Everything is cash only pretty much except a few places near the carnival area so bring lots of cash but there is also lots of atms to use. You will average about 200-250 euro per person daily, if your drink a lot and are eating. If you can't get into the large beer tents don't forget there are several free standing drink stands in the ride area including a rotating bar shaped as a bunt cake. We stayed in a hotel in walking distance which was nice so you didn't have to worry about taking a train and dealing with the crowds or confusion. Go and have an amazing time! Photos courtesy of my husband read more
7 years ago
***Oktoberfest 2019 Review: Closing Weekend*** **Dates Visited: 10/3/19, 10/4/19, & Closing Day 10/6/19** Being a big beer drinker, it's fitting that my 1,000th Yelp review be of the original Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. Oktoberfest was made for people like me, and is perhaps a little too much fun. Bring all your wits and train beforehand if you hope to last all day. It's a drinking binge, and the Germans definitely know how to serve large beers. I'll start by saying that our trip to Munich was pretty last minute. By the time we decided to go and book our tickets, it was too late to make reservations at any of the tents. That being said, reservations are completely unnecessary. Don't listen to people on the internet saying that you need them. You don't. You can easily get in line by 7:30am to ensure an all-day unreserved table inside the tent of your choice. If you don't care about getting a table inside of a popular tent, you can come at any time. The event/festival is open and free to enter, though many beer tents start to close their doors around 5pm as they reach capacity. If you come mid-day, you'll easily be able to grab a table outside on one of the countless patios at a famous tent, or an inside table at one of the less popular tents. Aside from the beer tents, there are many impressive carnival rides to enjoy, as well. You really don't have to be into drinking to have a good time at Oktoberfest. Our first day at Oktoberfest was on a Thursday, which also happened to be a German Holiday. This meant that it would be a bit busier than a typical week day. We arrived to the festival grounds a little before 7am, as we didn't have reservations and we were unsure of how the lines would be. We also weren't sure where the entrance was, so we wanted to give ourselves plenty of time to get oriented. When we arrived at the entrance closest to our hotel (which I believe was the main one), there were actually no lines in sight. Note that there are several entrances into the festival, however. After circling the outer premises, which is actually very large, we found an entrance at what seemed like the back of the festival where a small line had started to form. Apparently, this is the entrance to line up at if you are wanting to score a table inside one of the best beer tents, as it is the closest one to many of the popular ones. Important Note: Don't expect security guards at any of the entrances, or locals, to help you or point you in the right direction. At 7am, many gave conflicting information, with some saying to wait where we were, and others saying to go back to sleep and show up later. We were happy we decided not to listen to any contradictory advice and circle the premises ourselves. I've attached a map of Oktoberfest 2019 to this review, and will say P13 is the entrance you likely want to line up at (if the tents are set up in the same place each year). Arrive at 7am and you will be in great shape. Even before 7:30am, you'll be more than fine. Pro Tip: The line is pretty unofficial, and thus, once you and your friends grab a spot, a couple people from your group can go get food and drinks from somewhere else to bring back. The gates didn't open until 9am on the dates that we visited, so we stood in line for quite a while beforehand. There's actually a breakfast buffet located right across from the P13 entrance (at the hotel), so if you arrive hungry or thirsty, keep that in mind. Friends can definitely hold your spot in line, and the buffet across the way is seemingly unknown to the masses. The top party tents suggested by locals include Hacker, Hofbrau, Schottenhamel, and Schutzen. Hacker is where we spent our entire first day at Oktoberfest, and Schottenhamel is where we spent all of closing day. Hacker is famous for their beautiful murals, Instagram-worthy ceilings, and delicious beer, but we all felt that Schottenhamel had much better party vibes, music, and ambiance. I'd definitely recommend these two tents for your first trip to Oktoberfest. They are two of the most popular and tend to fill up the quickest. I'll also emphasize that Hacker probably has the best tasting beer at the festival. The beers served at Oktoberfest are specially made (only brewed during Oktoberfest) and typically a percent or so higher than normal (about 6.1% on average). All beers are typically served by the Mass unit, which is roughly 34 ounces. The tents don't usually have a variety to choose from, so when ordering, you just tell them how many beers you want without specifying size or variety/brand, which makes things easy. Most tents have ATMs inside, and servers here much prefer cash (many are cash only), so come prepared. Tents also have a food menu, so you'll be well-equipped when hunger strikes. read more
7 years ago
This is my second time going to Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany and I must say I always have a great time. Basically Oktoberfest usually kicks off late September into October and it's held in this gigantic park filled with beer tents, lots of vendors selling all sort of German treats and some pretty cool rides scattered in the park. This time around I spent most of my time at the Paulaner beer tent, which is one of my favorite in Munich. The Paulaner tent makes its presence at the festival where it towers over all the other tents and it usually have the best live bands playing top notch American songs. As you know usually folks invest a chuck of money and make reservation months in advance just to ensure they have a table ready for them. Honestly I think it's a good idea to RSVP for a table inside of the tent of your choice especially in the night if you are with a large group. Otherwise just walk into one of the tents and squeeze your way to a table. Keep in mind you must be at a table before you can order drinks and bring lots of cash. It's usually 16 euro for a pint of beer. The Paulaner tent is known for their wheat beer and they serve some delicious and filling platters such as baked chicken, gigantic pretzels and potato pancakes. My favorite part about Oktoberfest is exploring the rides in the park. I'd highly recommend riding the Ferris wheel if you can both in the daytime and evening to scope out they pretty spectacular view of the city of Munich. Enjoy and be safe at one of the world's famous festival. read more
3 years ago
5 stars, easiest rating ever. The people, and people watching, the rides (just watching), old school Fun that you can't do in the US anymore! read more
Oktoberfest in Munich is a once in a lifetime experience type thing that should be on bucket list for those whom stop in Germany on holiday or live near Munich in September. Everyone wears traditional clothing and it's a welcoming fun atmosphere. Day 2 we had two tents one in am-1630 and one in pm until 2230. The food, the beer, the singing and dancing was amazing as is the people that make this happen. read more
One of my favorite experiences ever! I went for 2 days and would have been happy to stay a few more. Great drinking and delicious food along with wonderfully nice people just looking to have a good time. Outside of the beers tents was a carnival with plenty of things to do if you were not drinking. There is not much better than standing on benches with friends drinking and singing all day. read more
Oktoberfest 2018 is down in the books. It was sad to leave but it is the BEST time of my life traveling. I think you should go to the REAL Oktoberfest at least once in your life before you die. It was definitely in my bucket list and I'm so proud to say that I crossed it off! I would write a long review but words cannot describe how much fun I had from the copious amount of beer and pork we consumed to the singing and dancing we did and meeting interesting and cool people! We are coming back again in 2020! There are 14 big tents and we made 10 tents in 3 days - literally so proud I wish I can actually put that in my resume. If you ever go, they have an app where you can see how full the tents are which really helped us a lot when we were tent hopping. It's fairly easy to find spots if there's only 2 of you but after that, you'll have a hard time with bigger groups of people. Trust me, I was there lol. Cash only, don't try to pay with card. Eat before you go and to all the lightweights out there, order a radler instead of regular beer, it's half lemonade and half beer - you'll thank me later down the road. Get cash before heading there because the line to the ATM is long af. Also bathrooms aren't really free so have coins in handy so the bathroom lady won't give you a death stare. They do speak English so don't fret! Definitely wear lederhosen or dirndl if you're going because you're lame if you don't tbh. Big backpacks are not allowed, don't bring them and wear closed toe shoes. Ladies please don't wear heels - you're just making it hard for yourself honestly. Do sing and dance and stand on the benches and sing along and meet people, it's fun! Get a roast pork or a schnitzel or a half of a chicken - get the full experience. The tents are extremely packed on October 3rd which is their holiday so if you go, go super early. Tents are also packed Friday especially after work hours and Saturday. I would recommend going during the week during the day so you can tent hop! Most of all, have so much fun! Ein prosit! read more
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Oktoberfest - funfair - Updated May 2026
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