The Munich stag do pitch
A Munich stag do is for groups who think beer should come in a glass the size of the stag’s head. The Bavarian capital takes its brewing very seriously, from historic beer halls with brass bands to leafy beer gardens where you can sit outside for hours and call it culture. It’s clean, safe and easy to get round, and it makes a nice change from the usual party capitals.
It suits groups who’d rather sing along with a brass band than queue for a club, and it’s a good pick for a mixed crowd with dads and uncles in tow.
Beer halls and beer gardens
Start at the Hofbräuhaus in the Old Town. It dates back to the 1500s, it’s touristy and nobody cares, because a litre of Helles and a brass band is exactly what the stag needs on night one. Then branch out. Munich’s beer gardens are the real treat in summer, and the one by the Chinese Tower in the Englischer Garten is the classic. Pace yourselves, because the measures are big and the beer goes down far too easily.
You can build a pub crawl around the beer halls, or book a guided beer tasting so someone who knows what they’re talking about can explain why the stag’s pint is cloudy.
After dark
When the beer halls wind down, the late crowd heads to a few areas. Glockenbachviertel and Gärtnerplatz, just south of the Old Town, are full of cocktail and wine bars. Sonnenstraße and the streets around Karlsplatz (Stachus) have the densest run of clubs and late bars. Werksviertel, by the Ostbahnhof station, packs clubs, bars and live music into an old industrial site, so it’s ideal if the group wants to stay out properly late.
Daytime damage
Spend a morning in the Englischer Garten watching surfers ride the standing wave on the Eisbach. It’s free, it’s oddly mesmerising and it’s strictly for experts, so the stag stays on the bank. Football fans can head out to the Allianz Arena, and petrolheads can lose an hour at BMW Welt. If the group wants competition, go karting is always a winner, and the Viktualienmarkt food market is the place to line your stomachs before round two.
Things I'd check first
- Oktoberfest. It starts in late September and runs into early October. Brilliant if that’s your plan, but hotels fill up fast, so book well ahead or pick another weekend.
- Getting there. There are direct flights from several UK airports, and the S-Bahn train runs from the airport into the city centre.
- Drinking rules. Drinking in public is generally allowed, but alcohol is banned on public transport and around the main railway station, and the city can add bans in busy spots.
- Buy a ticket. There are no barriers on the trains, but inspectors are frequent and the fines are steep.
- Carry cash. Market stalls and smaller shops often prefer cash, and nearly all shops close on Sundays.
We don’t have packages for a Munich stag weekend listed just yet, so for now our concierge service can help you put a trip together. If you’d like another German option, Berlin and Cologne are both great alternatives.
Where to stay on a Munich stag do
I’d base the group in or near the Old Town. The Hofbräuhaus is there for night one, the Viktualienmarkt is close for lining your stomachs, and Glockenbachviertel and Gärtnerplatz, with their cocktail and wine bars, are just south of it. You can walk between the beer halls and the late bars without anyone getting lost.
If the lads are mainly here for the clubs, look at the streets round Sonnenstraße and Karlsplatz (Stachus), which have the densest run of clubs and late bars. Werksviertel, by the Ostbahnhof, suits a group that wants to stay out properly late, with clubs and live music on an old industrial site. Anywhere else, the S-Bahn and trains get you about, just buy a ticket because inspectors are frequent.
Practical tip: Oktoberfest runs from late September into early October and hotels fill up fast. If your dates are anywhere near it, book beds before you do anything else, or pick another weekend.
A Munich stag weekend: my sample itinerary
Friday Fly in, take the S-Bahn into the centre and drop the bags. Straight to the Hofbräuhaus in the Old Town for a litre of Helles and the brass band. It’s touristy and nobody cares. Pace yourselves, because the measures are big and night one is not the night to peak.
Saturday Morning in the Englischer Garten, watching the surfers on the Eisbach. The stag stays on the bank. Then pick your poison: football fans out to the Allianz Arena, petrolheads to BMW Welt. Meet back at the Viktualienmarkt to line your stomachs, and settle in at the Chinese Tower beer garden for the afternoon if the weather plays ball. For the night, start with cocktails round Glockenbachviertel and Gärtnerplatz, then move on to Sonnenstraße and Karlsplatz for the clubs and late bars. If the group still wants more, Werksviertel by the Ostbahnhof keeps going properly late. No drinking on public transport or round the main station, so finish the beer before the train.
Sunday Slow start. Nearly all the shops close on Sundays, so make sure you’ve got cash and don’t plan on buying anything. A gentle walk back through the Englischer Garten to the Chinese Tower for one restorative Helles is the best hangover plan Munich has, then the S-Bahn back to the airport.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time for a Munich stag do?
Summer is the time for the beer gardens, like the one by the Chinese Tower in the Englischer Garten. Oktoberfest runs from late September into early October and is brilliant, but hotels fill up fast, so book well ahead or pick another weekend.
Can you drink in public in Munich?
Generally yes, but alcohol is banned on public transport and around the main railway station, and the city can add bans in busy spots. Buy a train ticket too, because there are no barriers but inspectors are frequent and the fines are steep.
Where should a stag group drink in Munich?
Start at the Hofbräuhaus in the Old Town for a litre of Helles and a brass band. Later on, Sonnenstraße and the streets around Karlsplatz have the densest run of clubs and late bars, and Werksviertel by the Ostbahnhof suits a proper late one.
How do you get to Munich for a stag do?
There are direct flights to Munich from several UK airports, and the S-Bahn train runs from the airport into the city centre. Carry some cash for market stalls and smaller shops, and note that nearly all shops close on Sundays.
