Best Day Trips to Berchtesgaden from Munich

The fact that a town is located in the middle of the mountains in a fairytale landscape is reason enough to visit it, but if it is also home to one of the most mysterious and emblematic buildings of contemporary German history, a visit becomes a must.

Berchtesgaden has wonderful scenery and is also home to the Eagle's Nest, Adolf Hitler's famous retreat that was destined to become the Führer's retirement home. It is located on the Austrian border, but also just under an hour's drive from Munich, making it an accessible destination and one of the best attractions in the vicinity of the city.

The most convenient option

Berchtesgaden Day Trip from Munich

A day trip to the Berchtesgaden Mountains and the Eagle's Nest

You will travel by bus through the Bavarian Alps to the Austrian border to see some of Germany's finest scenery and Adolf Hitler's former refuge.

From £54 at Hellotickets

The best way to visit Berchtesgaden is an organised full-day tour. This usually includes return transfers. This is the option to get the most out of your visit to the Bavarian Alps without having to buy everything separately and arrange it on your own. You will travel from Munich by bus and at your destination you will visit the National Socialist Documentation Centre and the Eagle's Nest.

There is only one way to get to the Eagle's Nest and that is by a special bus that takes you to the base of the mountain. There a lift takes you up to the peak of Adolf Hitler's retirement home, which is located at an altitude of almost 2,000 metres, at one of the highest points in the Bavarian Alps. On the organised tours, which last approximately ten hours, you will be accompanied by an expert local guide.

Recommended if... you want to combine alpine nature with a visit to one of the places that marked the history of the Second World War.

The easiest and most convenient way is to book your tour to Berchtesgaden online. This way you can secure a place on the day that suits you best. In addition, entrance tickets to the Eagle's Nest are included

Ideally, you should book your tour to Berchtesgaden in advance, but always take into account, as far as possible, the weather conditions on the day of your visit. If there is ice, snow or heavy storms that prevent the transfers to the top of the Eagle's Nest from working, you could replace the tour with a tour of the salt mines.

Berchtesgaden is a popular destination from both Germany and Austria, as it is very close to Salzburg, one of Austria's most visited cities each year. In fact, excursions to Salzburg from Munich are highly recommended if you have enough time.

Interesting details

• Price... Organised tours start at around 52 euros, plus entrance fees to the Eagle's Nest.
• Duration of the tour... The organised tour from the departure point in Munich to the return journey takes approximately ten hours.
• Usual departure point... From the historic centre of Munich, usually from Karlsplatz. Some tours include hotel pick-up.

On average, tours last ten hours, including the return journey to Munich at the end of the tour.

The bus journey to Berchtesgaden usually starts from **Munich'**s Old Town, with a meeting point at Karlsplatz, but some services also include hotel pick-up.

The journey from Munich to Berchtesgaden takes about two hours by bus, on an uphill route that will take you into the heart of the Bavarian Alps.

The last part of the journey will pass briefly through Austria and then return to Germany, as you can't get directly to the Eagle's Nest without travelling a stretch of Austrian roads.

Once in Berchtesgaden, you will visit the National Socialist Documentation Centre on a guided tour that takes no more than an hour, and then the Eagle's Nest, with a break for lunch and a visit to the terraces of the site at your own pace once the guided tour is over. In total you will spend about three hours at the mountain refuge.

This is an interesting option if your stay in Munich is short, because you will get to know an emblematic site in a tour that will take you only one day. Here's a list of what you can see and do in Munich in two days.

On your tour to Berchtesgaden you'll head into the Bavarian Alps and see the Eagle's Nest, which was designed during Nazism as the Führer's retreat and retirement home.

It's built on top of the mountain to impress visitors, but interestingly Adolf Hitler himself suffered from vertigo when he looked out over the balconies, which upset him a little:

Berchtesgaden also has some breathtaking scenery and the route up the mountain to the Eagle's Nest, which you can take in a special bus, is very beautiful.

The weather in winter can be a bit chilly, but one of the great attractions of the place is to discover it bathed in snow. The height of the hut will ensure that you can make out the mountain peaks and the surrounding lakes.

Discovering one of Germany's most mysterious and iconic buildings, untouched by the damage of World War II, will leave you speechless, especially with the assistance of a knowledgeable local guide.

I recommend booking in advance, especially if you are visiting Munich in summer. If you're visiting in winter, keep warm clothes handy as temperatures tend to be very low when the snow starts to fall.

Bear in mind that Berchtesgaden also receives many visitors from Austria during the winter season, so buying your tour in advance can prevent you from missing out on the tour.

It is important to keep an eye on the weather on the day of your visit, as ice, heavy rain or snow may prevent you from climbing to the top of the Eagle's Nest.

In the case of inclement weather, this tour is replaced by a visit to the salt mines.

Berchtesgaden and the Bavarian Alps are places to be enjoyed in peace and quiet. The tour is organised so that you can get to know them in one day, which can be a bit hectic, but you will also have time for lunch and to explore the sites at your own pace.

Take time to look out over the mountains from the top of the Eagle's Nest and don't miss the view from the hut balconies.

Organised excursions to Berchtesgaden with return transfer from Munich start at approximately 52 Euros. This price does not include entrance fees for the National Socialist Documentation Centre, which cost approximately 15 Euros, and for the Eagle's Nest, which costs from 28 Euros.

This ticket includes the transfer to the special bus that takes you to the base of the mountain to take the lift to the top.

Meals are not usually included in the price of the tour, and you should note that in the event of unfavourable weather conditions such as ice, snow or storms preventing the ascent to the refuge, this visit will be replaced by a tour of the salt mines, so please take into account the weather on the day of your visit when organising your itinerary.

Some tours include hotel pick-up and others depart from Munich from a location in the old town.

Organised bus tours include the permanent assistance of an expert local guide. Gratuities of the guide are not included.

Interesting details

• Price of the organised tour... From 52 euros with return transfers from Munich and the assistance of an expert local guide.
• Price of the entrance ticket to the Eagle's Nest... From 28 Euros including transfer in the special bus.
• Ticket price for the Documentation Centre... From 15 Euro with the assistance of an expert local guide.

There are plenty of things to do in Munich in winter, but the general temperature in Germany drops substantially during December and January and the Bavarian Alps can be hostile.

It is advisable to pack winter clothing to make your visit as comfortable as possible.

In addition, snowfall is almost permanent during the winter, so warm, thermal and waterproof clothing will greatly enhance your experience. Don't forget to bring comfortable shoes, as Berchtesgaden is a mountain destination and much of the tour will require walking.

Here is a list of items of clothing that I recommend you pack to ensure you are comfortable during your winter visit to Berchtesgaden:

• Winter coats
• Waterproof and comfortable boots
• Warm socks
• Waterproof and tactile gloves
• Woollen hats
• Woollen scarves
• Sunglasses
• Woollen jumpers
• Fleece trousers
• Thermal fleece

Berchtesgaden is a mountain town nestled in the middle of the Bavarian Alps and at the top of one of its highest points the Eagle's Nest crowns the town' s attractions.

It is not easy to find Nazi-era buildings still standing in Germany, as many were severely damaged during the bombing raids of World War II and many were demolished after the war.

For this reason, and for the natural beauty of its surroundings, a visit to the Eagle's Nest is a visit to a historic site... If you are interested in other World War II sites in Munich, you can also visit the Dachau Concentration Camp.

While the organised tour is the best option because it optimises the journey to Berchtesgaden, there are also alternatives to arrive by train, public transport bus or rented car, although these can be inconvenient or a bit expensive.

Travelling by car from Munich to Berchtesgaden

If you've hired a car in Munich or plan to hire one to travel around south-eastern Germany and the Bavarian Alps, you can use it to travel to Berchtesgaden, although it will be a bit expensive. In this case the best option is to take the A8. You can also take the A8 combined with the B305.

The drive at normal road speed should take no more than two hours and once in Berchtesgaden you can either explore the town on your own or book a guided tour of the Eagle's Nest and the National Socialist Documentation Centre.

• Price... Renting a medium-sized car starts at 75 euros per day.
• Duration of the tour... Depends on the stops in between, but if you're travelling from Munich direct you can reach Berchtesgaden in less than two hours.

Travelling by train from Munich to Berchtesgaden with transfers

If you are travelling on your own you can choose to take the RE 79009 train service from Munich Central Station to Freilassing and from there the S4 service to Berchtesgaden Hbf.

Tickets can be purchased on the official Deutsche Bahn website or at the station ticket office, but in either case you will need to change trains.

Berchtesgaden train station is about ten kilometres from the Eagle's Nest, so you'll need to hire a special bus to get to the hut. You can also opt for a guided tour. Please note that the train journey can be a bit tiring.

The journey takes about two and a half hours and on the first leg from Munich you'll have to take the same train that ends in Salzburg.

• Price... Train tickets start at 47 euros.
• Duration of tour... The train journey takes approximately two and a half hours in total.
• Departure point... Munich Central Station.

Bus trip from Munich to Berchtesgaden with change of terminus

You can travel by bus to Berchtesgaden, but there are a few things to keep in mind: you will first have to travel from Munich to Salzburg, then change terminals and finally take another bus to Berchtesgaden.

It will be the cheapest option you have access to, though, with tickets starting at around 12 euros.

From Munich Station you can take any of the FlexiBus or Arda Tur services to Salzburg South. Once there, head to Salzburg Ginzkeyplatz, which is about seven streets away, to catch the 840 bus to Busbanhof.

In Berchtesgaden you can make the most of your visit by hiring a tour guide through the Eagle's Nest.

Bus tickets can be purchased on the official website of FlexiBus and Arda Tur.

• Price... Bus tickets start at twelve euros.
• Duration of the tour... The bus trip takes approximately three hours in total.
• Departure point... Munich Central Station.

Berchtesgaden is not a very big town, so you can visit it on your own, but the assistance of an expert local guide will ensure that you don't miss any details, especially in the Eagle's Nest, a building that has hidden secrets and mysteries since its construction.

And while it's possible to tour Berchtesgaden on your own, it's an inconvenient destination to get to by public transport, so you'll lose time and won't get the most out of your visit. A guided tour will allow you to organise yourself better and save money.

I recommend that if you have the chance, don't miss out on a tour of the refuge with the assistance of a guide. Are you ready to get to know Berchtesgaden?