Munich Hop on Hop off Bus Tours

There are many ways to get around Munich, but if you have little time during your trip and you don't want to miss any of the monuments of this German city, I recommend you to buy a one-day or multi-day pass for the Munich sightseeing bus.

The sightseeing buses that run through the city of Munich are designed to connect the main points of interest in the city, saving you time and effort. And for about 22 euros you can get your ticket to get on and off as many times as you want.

How the service works

Munich's sightseeing buses are based on the "hop on hop off" concept. This means that the passenger using the bus does not pay per journey each time he/she uses the bus, but with a fixed fare of 24 or 48 hours he/she can hop on and off the bus as many times as he/she wants and at as many stops as he/she wants.

How I recommend using the tourist bus

Firstly, use the service as an ordinary means of transport, with the difference that you will get to places faster and find your way around much better than you would by metro or regular bus.

Secondly, enjoy the tour, the panoramic views of the different monuments of the city and the audio commentary in several languages that is available on board. In other words: I advise you, at least once during the validity of your pass, to take the entire route without rushing just to see the city in comfort and without haste.

You can purchase your sightseeing bus pass online, regardless of whether you prefer the 24-hour or 48-hour ticket. Once you have made your booking, you will receive your pass by email.

You'll have plenty of time to activate it so you can buy it in advance of your trip, and if your plans change, you can cancel your pass 24 hours before the start of your journey and you'll be refunded.

How it is activated

The sightseeing bus pass is activated the first time you use it and from then on the time of use starts to run. To get the most out of it, I recommend activating it first thing in the morning. All buses are wheelchair friendly and younger children do not need to pay for a pass if they are seated on top of an adult.

The Munich Sightseeing Bus Pass entitles you to two different routes through the city: the shorter Express Route and the Grand Tour, which covers a larger area of the city and is ideal for getting to know Munich in more detail.

Express Tour

The Express Tour takes in sights such as Marienplatz, the English Garden, the Art Gallery and the House of Arts. The stops on this tour are as follows:

Grand Tour

The Grand Tour, on the other hand, includes many of the stops of the shorter route, but also adds other sights such as Ludwig University to the route. These are the stops:

Ana's Traveller Tip

Make the most of your pass by activating it first thing in the morning and, at least once, take the entire route to listen to the audio commentary.

Tourist bus stops in Munich are clearly signposted. When there is a bus stop that shares two routes, look closely at the bus's indicator lights to see which route the bus is taking.

The shorter route is ideal for visiting the main sights of the city in a time-saving way, but to learn the significance and history of Munich's various monuments it is best to take the longer route in its entirety and listen to the audio commentary available in several languages.

A good idea for getting to know the city in depth is to combine walking sections between nearby monuments with bus sections to get to more distant areas.

If you have made good use of the tourist bus, you will have already visited practically all the points of interest of the city of Munich, but there is still a lot more to see during your trip. In the surroundings of Munich you can find the Bavarian mountains with their amazing landscapes, cities like Salzburg, fairytale castles or historical lessons such as the Dachau concentration camp.

Have a look at this article on Best Tours and Day Trips from Munich to make the most of your trip.