I’ll be the first person to admit that I’m not a big party person. In fact, an exciting Friday night means popcorn and PJs for me. I’m also not a ‘strong’ drinker (like seriously, it takes me over an hour to finish a beer and I can’t chug a drink to save my life). Despite this, one of the items on mine and my husband’s bucket list when we moved to Europe was to witness and experience ‘true’ Oktoberfest in Munich.
While the historical Oktoberfest is meant to be a regional celebration of Bavarian culture (it actually started as a marriage feast between King Ludwig I and Princess Theresia of Saxonia), it has now also become one of the largest parties in the world. Starting mid-September, hundreds of thousands of people fly into Germany across the 18-day Oktoberfest period to eat, drink, and party. If you’re interested in attending and/or are planning on going to the festival, here are 10 things to know before going to Oktoberfest.
Tip 1- Book your lodging as early as possible.
We managed to secure a hotel close to the Munich city center by booking 9-months in advance! Even then, the cost per night was still pricey ($300/night). We heard from a neighboring party during Oktoberfest that one of their friends contacted over 20 hotels before finding a place to stay for a night!
Tip 2- Everybody wears traditional garb. You should too.
It’s customary to wear lederhosen or dirndls while attending Oktoberfest. While it’s also perfectly fine to show up in normal clothes, I highly recommend wearing the traditional garb to get into the festive spirit! Lederhosen (a.k.a leather trousers) are typically worn by men, usually with a checkered shirt, knee-length socks, and suspenders. Dirndl are dresses typically worn by women – they consist of a bodice, puff-sleeved or off-the-shoulder blouse, skirt, and apron. How you tie your dirndl apron is important – if you’re single, tie your ribbon to the left. If you’re taken, tie your ribbon to the right.
Bonus tip: We bought our lederhosen and dirndl through Amazon.com in advance, and it was WAY cheaper than buying them in Munich (the quality didn’t appear to be too different either!). Check out our outfits here. If you plan on buying your outfits while in Munich, be prepared to shell out a couple hundred bucks! Also, wouldn’t you rather spend your free time exploring Munich rather than waiting in a crazy long dressing room and checkout line?
Tip 3- Research the Tents
Before you go, research which tents you are most interested in. You most likely won’t be able to visit every tent (unless you plan on visiting Oktoberfest every day over a 2-week period!), so will need to pick-and-choose the experience you desire most. Additionally, unless you’re traveling in a large group, it’s difficult to secure Oktoberfest reservations in advance. In fact, most reservations are gone up to 8-months before the event! There are 14 large and 20 small tents to choose from when attending Oktoberfest, each one of them unique in their own way. You can research all of the tents directly on the Oktoberfest website here, but here are some of my tent recommendations:
- Hacker-Pschorr: This was my favorite tent because it had the dreamiest decor. Nicknamed ‘Bavarian Heaven’, this tent features a painted sky ceiling and serves a variety of traditional Bavarian food (roast chicken, pork knuckle, etc.). It’s also a very lively tent and a favorite of the locals.
- Ochsenbraterei: This tent specializes in oxen (it even has an oxen roasting pit in the middle of the tent)! Unfortunately, we weren’t able to go into the tent due to overcrowding but I’ve heard several people rave about their dining experience here. For those foodies out there, add this tent to your bucket list!
- Schottenhamel: Schottenhamel has become the largest tent at Oktoberfest with over 10,000 seats! It’s also the tent that starts it all. On the opening day of the festival, the mayor of Munich taps the first keg at noon and yells out ‘O’zapft’! This is when the beer starts flowing.
- Weinzelt: This tent has a completely different vibe than the rest of them, it almost feels like you’re in a wooden holiday lodge than a beer tent! They specialize in wine so it’s a good option for non-beer drinkers. The atmosphere is a bit more relaxed and classy than the other tents, so it’s a good afternoon option for when you want to take a break from the ‘chaos’ of Oktoberfest.
Tip 4- Go early
Once you’re in the tent, don’t expect to leave (unless you want to give up your seat and risk not getting back in). Even though the tents are huge (ranging from 4,000-10,000 seats), there are only 120,000 total seats at Oktoberfest and over 400,000 attendees a day. To make sure you get a seat at the table (you won’t get served unless you’re sitting at a table), go early. We went as early as 8:30am and managed to secure one of the last open tables in the Hacker-Pschorr tent. Because the festivities didn’t actually start until noon, we brought a stack of cards to make the time go by more quickly.
Tip 5- Bring lots of cash
Most tents are cash-only, and food and drinks are expensive. Did you know that over 500,000 roast chickens are consumed during Oktoberfest? They can be a bit pricey ($10-$12/plate) but I would highly recommend ordering a half chicken because it is juicy and delicious! Also, only beer brewed within Munich city-limits is served within the tents. With an average price of $12/liter of beer, it’s easy to get carried away and spend a fortune on drinks. Pace yourself!
Tip 6- Leave your valuables at home
This one is a bit of a no-brainer of course, but leave your passports and expensive cameras at home! Over 4,000 items are lost-and-found during Oktoberfest ranging from passports, cell phones, wallets, and CHILDREN. Also, at least one-set of dentures is lost every year at Oktoberfest. Wait what? Even if you don’t get completely sloshed and keep track of your things, you can bet that items will get dirty and sticky with beer. It’s inevitable.
Bonus tip: Don’t wear sandals or open-toed shoes. The festival gets very crowded so it’s likely that your feet will be stepped on, or that beer will be spilled on your feet!
Tip 7- ‘Prost’ is one of the most important words at Oktoberfest, as it means “cheers” in German. It’s very rude to sip a drink before a toast, and it’s also German tradition to keep eye contact when toasting (otherwise, they warn that you’ll have 7 years of bad sex). Lastly, Germans clink at the ‘base’ of the glass, not at the top.
Tip 8- Don’t Overdo It
It will be a long day. Be mentally prepared. Oktoberfest is as wild as you imagine it to be. Make sure to get a good night’s rest before you attend. The last thing you want to do is be the downer or party pooper, especially since everyone else around you will be drunk, jolly, and likely delirious. My husband and I loved that Oktoberfest really felt like a celebration – everybody was so friendly and cheerful. For example, the German party sitting at our table was so nice, they ordered our food for us because we couldn’t order in German.
If you’re planning on taking a selfie, know that it will probably be photo-bombed by drunk and happy strangers.
Tip 9- You’ll want to spend some time walking the Oktoberfest grounds.
There’s more to do at Oktoberfest than beer tents! The fair grounds are huge with lots of fun booths, rides, and games to partake in. There’s even a ferris wheel that offers amazing views of the grounds.
For those with a sweet tooth, definitely check out the Cafe Kaiserschmarrn stand/tent, a fairy-tale gingerbread house that serves up traditional Bavarian desserts and baked goods!
Tip 10- Make sure to spend some time exploring Munich
Although Oktoberfest is a major event and huge attraction of Munich, there’s so much more to see and do in the city than the festival! We spent a day exploring ‘Alstdat’ (aka Munich Old Town) and it’s colorful streets.
While you are in Munich, make sure to visit Viktualienmarkt, which is a daily food market in the center of Munich.
For the best views of Munich, climb the ~300 steps up Peter’s Tower. It costs 2 Euros a person but is worth it for the incredible views of Rathaus “City Hall” Square, Frauenkirche Cathedral, and Glockenspiel.
Great places to eat traditional Bavarian food include Augustiner Beer Hall & Garden and Hofbrauhaus. Augustiner has a lovely outdoor beer garden, perfect for sunny afternoons. The food is really good as well!
Hofbrauhaus is the oldest beer hall in the world and can seat up to 3,000 people. The atmosphere in Hofbrauhaus is always very lively and enchanting, probably because a live oompah band plays Bavarian folk music in the beer hall, and you’re dining under beautifully painted, colorful vaultedeilings! While you’re there, get the pretzel and the Dampfnudeln (steamed dumpling in Vanilla sauce). It doesn’t look like much, but the dumpling is one of the best desserts I’ve ever had!
For questions about Oktoberfest, or for help planning a trip to Munich, shoot me a comment below!
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