Every year, millions of partygoers converge in Munich to dance, drink and celebrate one common love: beer.
It flows from taps, spills from steins and wet the lips of approximately 6 million attendees. This is the infamous Oktoberfest festival, first celebrated in 1810 as a royal Bavarian wedding and still kicking as one of the world’s biggest festivals more than 200 years later.
So what’s the best way to celebrate this three-week-long party? Lucky for you, we’ve got all the best tips and tricks to navigate this whirlwind of drunken stumbles, carnival thrills and age-old German traditions.
Here’s everything you need to know about attending Oktoberfest in Munich.
In a hurry? Skip to booking your Oktoberfest accommodation package now!
Experience the ultimate Oktoberfest party by booking your camping accommodation with Stoke Travel. Packages are all-inclusive, and your tent, sleeping bags and sleeping mats are pre-prepared for your arrival. Their chefs will cook you a hearty breakfast every morning to fill your stomach.
The Stoke Travel crew and guides will show you the party, both at the campsite and in the beer halls, and make sure you enjoy it. Plus, their open and unlimited bar serves up German beer and Spanish sangria, wine, soft drinks, tea and coffee! What more could you want?
Here’s an overview:
The “Need to Know’s” When Attending Oktoberfest in Munich
Before attending, here are a few important things to know about attending Oktoberfest.
Related read: Top Things to See and Do – The Best of Munich
Leder Hosens and Dirndls
Dirndls, for women, and lederhosen for men and some women, make up Munich’s Oktoberfest trachten, or traditional costumes, and 90% of revelers in the beer halls will be sporting some kind of Oktoberfest dirndl or lederhosen.
The outfits aren’t compulsory but they can definitely enhance the festival experience, plus, you’ll get some good pictures for mum’s fridge.
No dancing on the tables
The beer halls will be pumping with energy, and lots of festival-goers will be standing up on their chairs as they Prost! Be mindful not to take that extra step up onto the tables, though; security is looking for any excuse to clear some space for those that didn’t manage to snap a seat and you’ll be kicked out of the hall.
On that note: No smoking in the beer halls.
No table, no service
In the Oktoberfest beer halls you can’t get served unless you have a table, and likewise, all orders must go through the beer maids and waiters. This is why it’s so important to leave a healthy tip, or else you risk finding yourself craving and parched, stranded by the beer maids.
Cash only!
The lovely servers aren’t going to be carrying a tap-and-go for you to buy your drinks, so make sure you’ve got plenty of cash and change on hand before heading inside.
Avoid the Kotzhügel
Translation: Puke Hill.
No, we’re not kidding, there’s an infamous spot on the festival grounds where the overly-intoxicated gather to pass out, puke and recover. Pace yourself, look after your mates, and when they begin to wander toward the Kotzhügel, sort them out with a dose of Wiesn Koks.
Wiesn Koks
Aka, Oktoberfest Coke, is a legal substance that has become a tradition at Oktoberfest.
Also known as Wiesn Pulver or Bavarian Coke, the white powder is made of glucose and menthol and is sold in glass bottles, doing nothing more than clearing your nose, maybe, but aiming to cut through the drunken haze enough for you to get your bearings (and hopefully keep you away from Puke Hill).
The Beer Halls
Drinking kicks off at 10 AM each day, and with 16 beer halls to choose from, you’ll be likely to snag a table if you arrive when the bar opens. The halls are individually owned by beer companies, from Paulaner Festzelt that holds a whopping 10,900 people, to Hacker-Festzelt which boasts indoor decorations that look like the inside of a storybook, these spaces are where you’ll have the best party of your life.
Bars close, music cuts out at 10:30 pm every night, and the grounds close at 11:30 pm.
The food
The Germans know that when you drink beer by the liter you need to make sure your stomach is lined with hearty food, and that’s exactly what Oktoberfest food is: food that has been perfected over generations to fill you up with all the salty, fatty, (usually) meaty goodness you need to survive a marathon beer drinking session.
Schweinshaxe (pork knuckles), käsespätzle (cheesy pasta), all the German sausages your heart desires, or even a super-salty pretzel the size of your head – chew your food well, in case you end up on the Kotzhügel later.
The weather
It’s tricky to pick what the weather will be doing during this time of year in Munich, so it’s best to double-check the forecast right before you set off, and even then, prepare for everything.
You could be spending the day soaking up the sunshine then wish you had thermals come nightfall. This is the time of year when the hot summer bleeds into Munich’s long, cold winter, so the days are a little confused as to which temperature they should present us. Regardless of the weather, it’s a whale of a time, rain, hail or shine (but it’s best to be prepared, especially if you’re camping!).
The first pour
On the opening Saturday of Oktoberfest, the mayor of Munich will tap the first keg at midday, and from thenceforth, the beers will flow. Hearing all the beer halls and the 10s of 1000s of people in them roaring in anticipation for the first beer is a goosebumps moment.
Witnessing the first pour isn’t easy, though: to be a part of this moment, you’ll have to arrive at the beer halls super early, like 8 am, to get into a beer hall and secure a table.
Get into the beer halls early!
On the busy weekend days, it’s important to arrive early, around 10 am (except for opening day, see above), to secure a table. If you miss the morning table grab, you can try your luck just after lunch, as the beer halls are being flushed out by security under the guise of clearing out those who have had too much to drink (really, it’s just a way to clear everyone out for new guests to have their turn).
It’s not uncommon to see savvy Festers running from door to door at the beer halls as the security strategically opens doors and lets a certain number of people in each.
However, if you do come midweek, you can get away with arriving at the beer halls at any time of the day or night (before 10 pm) and find a table reasonably easily. And don’t worry – this doesn’t mean that the beer halls are empty, even when it’s not busy the beer halls are absolutely heaving with the most fun people you’ve ever shared a beer with.
When is Oktoberfest in Munich?
Oktoberfest starts at midday on the second last Saturday of September and continues until the first Sunday of October after October 3rd (German Reunification Day). This means that two of the three weekends are in September – so we don’t mind if you call it “Septemberfest” (but it doesn’t have the same ring to it).
The original Oktoberfest, a celebration of a royal wedding, was in October, and that’s how it remained for a while before the organisers shifted it a couple of weeks forward to take advantage of the better September weather.
Oktoberfest can’t finish before German Reunification Day (Or German Unity Day), which falls on the 3rd of October, meaning that the final weekend of the festival aligns with a long weekend. This gives locals and Germans from across the country an opportunity to come to Munich and the Oktoberfest and take full advantage of the national holiday.
The final weekend is perfect for visitors looking to be immersed in the local culture (though there are literally millions who do come this weekend from all over the world, so don’t expect to be the lone foreigner surrounded by Germans).
An Insider’s Hack for Oktoberfest
If you come to Munich from Monday to Thursday, you’re in for the treat of being there with way fewer tourists. This means finding a table will be much easier, you’ll be served more quickly and often, and you’ll be able to hit the beer halls at any time of day or night. You can easily hop between beer halls, trying all of the different flavours on offer in each (different beers, different bands, different food, different crowd—just different vibes).
How Much Does Oktoberfest Cost?
The good news is that entry into the festival is free, so regardless of how much money you’re looking to spend on the day, it’s guaranteed that you’ll be able to take a look around. It’s when the drinking comes in that things get a bit costly (which, let’s be real – everyone’s here for the beer).
Steins average out at around €14, and a crucial part of the service within the beer halls is tipping your server; no tips and it will be difficult to get them to come back and serve up a second round, which bumps up the price to around €20 per beer. Luckily, steins hold a solid litre of perhaps the most delicious beer you’ll ever taste, that is not only impurity free (German purity law allows only water, barley, hops and malt to be added to beer), but damn strong too, coming in at 6% and up.
One of these beers will have you nicely buzzed, two will see you dancing on tables, and anything after three, but before five, is where the magic happens – magic that you probably won’t remember.
Carnival rides cost €3.50 – €12.50, and whilst they aren’t a necessity, they are a ton of fun: the Ferris wheel will give you views of the entire festival below, and there’s nothing quite like zooming around on the dodgems when you’re four steins deep. Also, every Tuesday, all rides in Oktoberfest are half price—can your stomach handle a rollercoaster with a belly full of beer?
Another cost to be factored in is the price of the attire; you’re going to want to don your lederhosen and dirndls or risk sticking out like a sore thumb. As you can imagine, the cost of the traditional garb varies depending on where they’re purchased, so shop around before you head off.
When it comes to budgets, where you stay for Oktoberfest can have a big bearing on your fortunes. We recommend camping options to save your dosh once you’re on the grounds and also to stay within the thick of the party—there are budget-friendly options available not too far from the festival that continue the party after the beer halls close for the night.
Luckily, the festival is located smack-bang in the centre of Munich on the Theresienwiese – approximately 100 acres of free space located in the middle of Munich’s Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt district – so once you’re in Munich, you’re sorted.
Getting to the Bavarian capital is where the damage to your bank account might occur. If you’re already in the EU, try looking into budget-friendly travel options offered by companies that work closely with the festival and save your money for the steins.
Oktoberfest After Party
It’s 11:30 pm, you’re sufficiently loose from a day full of drinking, and the beer halls have closed – don’t give up on the party just yet. There are an array of nightclubs that a large proportion of festival goers will be making their way to, but here’s a hot tip: there are a few travel companies that offer after-party options once the taps have been turned off at the Theresienwiese, where live music runs well into the morning.
Take a look at some of the all-inclusive packages that are up for offer, so you’ve got a destination aside from a lonely hotel bed at the end of the night.
Book an Oktoberfest Accommodation Package
Stoke Travel offers an unparalleled Oktoberfest experience with their Stoketoberfest, Munich’s premier budget-friendly and party-centric accommodation. Guests can enjoy private tents within Munich’s city limits, avoiding crowded hostels and easily accessing the camp via public transport.
Each package includes a cooked brunch with bottomless mimosas. Accommodation options range from solo occupancy tents (available for a small surcharge) to standard twin-share tents, group tents for six to eight people, and Comfort Plus options for one to four people.
Stoketoberfest is not just a place to sleep but a continuous party featuring live bands, DJs, and an open bar with unlimited beer and sangria. Guests can engage in classic drinking games like flip cup and beer pong or take a spin on the infamous Wheel of Misfortune. The vibrant dance floor is active day and night, and an onsite store offers traditional Oktoberfest outfits – dirndls and lederhosen.
Price: From €65 / Per Person Per Night
Here’s what’s included:
- Accommodation in pre-erected twin-share tents with camping mattresses and sleeping bags (comfort plus, solo tents, and group tent upgrades available)
- Brunch with bottomless mimosas every morning
- World-famous Stoketoberfest campsite parties with live bands, DJs, drinking games, and thousands of party animals from all over the world
€15 all-you-can-drink beer, wine, and sangria bar - Guides to take you to Oktoberfest and ensure you’re having the best time
- Traditional German lederhosen and dirndls store onsite
- Munich’s biggest group of beer lovers – an international crowd of like-minded travelers, students, and expats
- Combine with our private party bus packages from the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, or Poland
