Best Time to Visit Munich

Spring: slow to warm up

March is still wintry. Mornings are frosty and the sky is often grey. By April it's mild enough to sit in the Englischer Garten with a coffee, though you'll want a coat. May looks warmer on paper, but it's one of the wettest months, with rain on 19 days. Showers tend to come and go, so keep a museum in mind. The Deutsches Museum or the Alte Pinakothek are good fallback plans. Late April and May also bring the Frühlingsfest, a smaller spring cousin of Oktoberfest.

Summer: warm, green and showery

June to August are the warmest months, with highs of 22–23°C. July and August tie for the top highs. That's warm without being sticky, and it suits beer gardens such as the Hirschgarten or the one at the Chinesischer Turm. You can also swim in the Isar river or head south to the lakes and the Alps. The catch is rain. August is the wettest month, though June and July are close behind. Expect sudden downpours more than grey, endless days. Summer is high season, and school holidays in Bavaria run through most of August and into early September. Hotels fill up and hiking huts get busy at weekends.

Autumn: the sweet spot

September is our top pick. It's still pleasant at 19°C, with far less rain than summer and fewer wet days. It's also Oktoberfest time. The festival starts in the second half of September and runs into early October. It's fun, but it's also the most crowded and expensive stretch of the year, so book rooms early if that's your plan. If you hate crowds, come in early October instead. The days are crisp, the trees turn gold, and day trips to Neuschwanstein or the Alpine foothills feel calm. By November it's cold, dark and damp, with little sun.

Winter: cold, dim and cosy

December to February is cold, with lows below freezing. January is the coldest and greyest month, with under two hours of sun a day. Still, December has real charm. The Christmas markets on Marienplatz and at the Residenz glow in the evening, and mulled wine (Glühwein) warms your hands. Travelling with kids? Those markets are a big draw. Once the markets close, Munich is quiet and cheaper. It's a good time for museums, beer halls and a day of skiing in the nearby Alps. Fasching, Bavaria's carnival season, brings parties and costumes in February.