Things to Do in Munich in January
January weather, activities, events & insider tips
January Weather in Munich
Is January Right for You?
Advantages
- Oktoberfest beer halls are actually at their most authentic in winter - locals reclaim their stammtisch tables after tourist season ends, and you'll find proper conversation over proper beer without the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. The Hofbräuhaus serves the same beer but with 60% fewer tourists taking selfies.
- Museum season hits its stride when it's too cold to wander outside all day. The Deutsches Museum, Alte Pinakothek, and BMW Museum have virtually no lines in January, and you can actually stand in front of major works without someone's iPad blocking your view. Most offer heated cafes where locals spend entire afternoons.
- Accommodation prices drop 40-50% compared to summer highs. Four-star hotels in the city center that charge €250+ in July go for €120-150 in January, and you'll often get free upgrades since occupancy hovers around 55-60%. Book two weeks out and you'll have your pick of properties.
- The Alps are 90 minutes away and January brings reliable snow cover at elevations above 1,200 m (3,937 ft). Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the Zugspitze - Germany's highest peak at 2,962 m (9,718 ft) - offer proper skiing conditions while Munich itself stays relatively snow-free, giving you easy city access plus mountain escapes.
Considerations
- Daylight runs roughly 8:15am to 4:45pm, which means you're doing most outdoor sightseeing in limited light. The famous Marienplatz Glockenspiel chimes at 11am and noon feel rushed when darkness arrives by 5pm, and photographing the city's architecture requires planning around the short midday window.
- The damp cold at -2°C to 4°C (-2°C to 39°F) feels significantly colder than the thermometer suggests. The 70% humidity means moisture penetrates clothing layers, and locals will tell you that Munich's winter chill gets into your bones differently than dry mountain cold. Budget for proper outerwear or you'll be miserable.
- Many beer gardens close entirely from November through March, which eliminates one of Munich's signature experiences. The Chinese Tower beer garden, Augustiner-Bräu, and others that define summer Munich are shuttered with stacked chairs and tarped tables. You're limited to indoor beer halls, which are excellent but fundamentally different.
Best Activities in January
Alpine Day Trips to Neuschwanstein and Zugspitze
January offers the fairy tale castle and Germany's highest peak without the summer tour bus chaos. Neuschwanstein looks properly dramatic with snow-dusted turrets, and visitor numbers drop to 3,000 daily versus 6,000+ in summer. The Zugspitze cable car operates in clear winter weather, offering views across four countries from 2,962 m (9,718 ft). Morning departures from Munich work best since Alpine weather deteriorates by mid-afternoon, and you'll want to return before dark at 5pm. Tours typically run €65-95 including transport and skip-the-line access.
Christmas Market Tail End and Winter Market Stalls
Munich's Christkindlmarkt at Marienplatz officially closes January 6th for Epiphany, giving early January visitors a final chance at glühwein stands and lebkuchen stalls without December's peak crowds. The Tollwood Winter Festival runs through early January at Theresienwiese, offering heated tents with local crafts, organic food stalls, and evening concerts. After the 6th, smaller winter markets pop up in neighborhoods like Haidhausen and Schwabing through late January, though these are genuinely local affairs with maybe 10-15 stalls rather than tourist productions.
Dachau Memorial Site Guided Tours
The former concentration camp 16 km (10 miles) northwest of Munich demands several hours of focused attention, which the cold January weather somehow makes more appropriate than summer crowds eating ice cream between barracks. Visitor numbers drop significantly in winter, allowing for quieter reflection. The site itself is entirely outdoors except for the museum building, so you'll be walking gravel paths in cold conditions for 2-3 hours minimum. English-language guided tours provide essential context that the exhibits alone can't convey.
Traditional Beer Hall Culture and Brewery Tours
January returns Munich's famous beer halls to actual Bavarians after tourist season. The Hofbräuhaus, Augustiner-Bräustübl, and Paulaner am Nockherberg fill with regulars at their stammtisch tables, and you'll hear more Bavarian dialect than English. Brewery tours at Paulaner, Augustiner, and others run year-round but with smaller groups in winter, offering heated tasting rooms and detailed explanations of the Reinheitsgebot purity law. The beer tastes identical in January, but the atmosphere shifts from performance to actual social institution.
Museum Quarter Deep Dives
The Kunstareal museum district becomes genuinely enjoyable in January when you can actually see the art. The Alte Pinakothek's Rubens collection, Neue Pinakothek's Impressionists, and Pinakothek der Moderne's contemporary works all have breathing room. The Deutsches Museum - one of the world's largest science museums - requires a full day to see properly, and January gives you that space without school groups overwhelming the aviation and mining exhibits. Most museums offer heated cafes where locals spend entire afternoons, treating museums as social spaces rather than checklist stops.
Thermal Spa and Wellness Facilities
Munich's spa culture makes perfect sense when it's -2°C (28°F) outside. Therme Erding, 40 km (25 miles) northeast of the city, offers Europe's largest thermal bath complex with 27 pools, saunas, and water slides fed by natural thermal springs at 34-40°C (93-104°F). Closer to the city center, Müller'sches Volksbad is a 1901 Art Nouveau swimming palace with heated pools and original tile work. Germans take their sauna culture seriously - most facilities are textile-free in sauna areas, and locals spend 3-4 hours rotating between hot and cold treatments.
January Events & Festivals
Tollwood Winter Festival
This alternative cultural festival runs at Theresienwiese through early January, offering heated tents with organic food markets, handmade crafts, world music concerts, and circus performances. It's where Munich's creative types gather when the mainstream Christmas markets feel too commercial. The festival emphasizes sustainability and fair trade, with roughly 100 vendors and nightly entertainment. Entry is free except for specific concerts.
Epiphany and Sternsinger Processions
January 6th marks Epiphany, a public holiday in Bavaria when the Christmas season officially ends. You'll see Sternsinger (star singers) - children dressed as the Three Kings - going door-to-door blessing homes and collecting for charity. Churches hold special services, and it's the traditional day to remove Christmas decorations. Many businesses close, but it's an interesting glimpse of Bavarian Catholic traditions that tourists rarely witness.