Vacation For Life: Munich

An Awesome Long Layover at the Munich Airport

Long airport layover and an awesome time are not usually two concepts that go together. However, you can have a pretty awesome time at the Munich International Airport, even with a layover that’s over five hours long. On our way to the country of Georgia, we were able to get out of the airport and see Munich during a long layover. On our way back home our layover in Munich was shorter and earlier in the day, which didn’t allow us to leave and explore more of the city. However, the Munich International Airport, the seventh biggest airport in Europe, offered us plenty of things to do during our long layover.

Hilton Munich Airport Fit & Fly Spa Munich Airport Long Layover Germany

Our flight from Tbilisi left shortly after 5:00 in the morning and arrived just before 7:00. So what did we do when we arrived in Munich so early in the morning? Hit the spa of course! Between terminals one and two of the Munich International Airport is the Hilton Munich Airport. Their Fit & Fly Spa caters to travelers and is perfect for relaxing during a long layover.

Hilton Munich Airport Fit & Fly Spa Whirlpool Munich Airport Long Layover Germany

Knowing we were going to hit the spa in Munich, I didn’t bother showering before heading to the Tbilisi airport and boarding our flight. (I promise I did brush my teeth.) Now, if we were those kinds of people, we could have worked out in the fitness center, but we’re not, so we went to the spa. For 20 Euro (at the time of publication) we could get a two-hour pass to the Fit & Fly Spa. For an additional 10 Euro, that can turn into a day pass.

Hilton Munich Airport Fit & Fly Spa Coffee Munich Airport Long Layover Germany

A pass to the Hilton Munich Airport Fit & Fly Spa includes access to the heated indoor pool, whirlpool, sauna, gym, and changing rooms. We could have also added a spa service like a massage, but there was plenty to keep us occupied for two hours. We also enjoyed coffees at the spa bar and could have ordered food. Once we were done soaking and swimming and saunaing, we were able to shower and freshen up for our long flight home.

Airbrau Stills Munich Airport Long Layover Germany

Our next stop after the spa was the Munich Airport’s very own brewery, Airbräu. Sure, it was early in the morning, but it was five o’clock somewhere, right? Especially when you’re traveling between time zones.

Airbrau Keg Munich Airport Long Layover Germany

Bavaria is home to half of Germany's breweries, so it only makes sense to have a brewery in the airport too. Airbräu opened in 1999 and serves the cheapest beer in Munich (cheap in price, not cheap in flavor). Airbräu brews a lager, a pilsner, a Bavarian wheat beer, and a seasonal beer. Airbräu brews one million glasses of pilsner per year. Beer is brewed in copper tanks with local hops.

Airbrau Master Brewer Rene Jacobsen Munich Airport Long Layover Germany

Airbräu is very popular, and not just with travelers passing through the Munich airport. The brewery is also frequented by locals and the thirty-thousand people employed at the airport. We took a brewery tour given the head brewer Rene Jacobsen. Travelers with a long layover at the Munich airport can book a tour of the brewery in advance. If there isn’t enough time to leave the terminal to visit the brewery, there is a smaller Airbräu restaurant within the terminal inside security.

The brewery is located outside of the terminals, but within the airport's central square. The square is covered with a see-through roof and diamond shaped white shades so that when the blue sky shows through, the view is reminiscent of the blue and white Bavarian coat of arms.

Events are held in this central square, which can seat 2000 people. In the summer there is a surfing pool, beach bar, and tennis courts. Of course, all of this is outside the security area of the airport. Travelers with carryon luggage don’t have to lug it around while exploring everything the Munich airport has to offer. Luggage can be stored at one of the airport’s Service Centers.

Visitors Terrace Munich Airport Long Layover Germany

Sheltered within terminal two, but yet sort of outdoors, is the visitors terrace. This large space provides a view of the airport and the runways. There are telescopes to get an even closer view of the airport goings on. The visitors terrace is enclosed but has access to fresh air. It is the only airport visitors terrace that has opened after 9/11.

Travelers with kids can visit the Visitors Park, which is outside of the airport terminals just a short train ride away. Highlights of the Visitors Park include historic aircraft open for touring, minigolf, a playground, and visitors hill which provides a panoramic view of terminal one and the runways.

Relax Lounge Munich Airport Long Layover Germany

Travelers who wish to remain inside the airport have a lot of choices. After all, the Munich airport is regarded as one of the best airports in the world, currently rated number three on the World Airport Awards and the only 5-star rated European airport.

Airbrau Beer Munich Airport Long Layover Germany

The Munich airport does its best to have local suppliers within their walls. In addition to the in-terminal Airbräu, there is also a Dallmayr location within the terminal, a Munich coffeehouse and delicatessen that has been around since the year 1700.

The airport is set up so that each component runs parallel, each divided by a one-kilometer hallway. The first section is security, the next is shops, and the next is the gates. Between every second gate is a station serving free coffee and tea.

Nap Cabs Munich Airport Long Layover Germany

The Munich airport is also set up for relaxing. There are lounge stations throughout the airport and recliners at the gates. Travelers who want to nap can take advantage of one of the sleeping lounges outside of the working well. The napcabs can be booked per hour and paid for by credit card. Inside is a bed, an alarm clock, and a place to plug in.

We had a great time visiting the spa and exploring the Munich airport during our long layover. It seemed like we were boarding our flight home in no time. Forget sitting around for hours waiting to go home, use your Munich airport stopover time wisely and take advantage of everything this top-rated airport has to offer.

This article contains affiliate links. If you book through them, it costs you nothing extra and we earn a small commission which goes towards running this website and bringing you more travel stories.

Thank you to the Munich Airport for providing us with a tour of the airport and brewery and making this post possible. As always, all opinions are our own.

Travel the World: Got a long layover in Munich but don't want to leave the airport? The Munich has awesome options for a stopover.

Munich in a Day: Things to See on a Long Layover

View from Hotel Bayerischer Hof Munich in a Day Long Layover

We’ve heard of people having long layovers and taking advantage of that time to see a new city, but we’d never had that opportunity for ourselves. Our longest layover previously had probably been five hours at the most, and I am much too nervous of a traveler to try to leave the airport and see something with that amount of time. However, when booking our airfare to Georgia, we had the unique opportunity to either take a three-segment flight or take a two-segment flight, with the same departure and arrival times and with a seven-plus-hour layover in Munich. While such a long layover sounds like a potential nightmare, we were incredibly excited as we knew this would allow us enough time to actually leave the airport and experience some of the things to see in Munich in a day, a city we had never visited before, and not have to worry about missing our flight.

Old Town Hall Munich in a Day Long Layover

The city center of Munich is approximately 40 minutes away from the Munich Airport. The two easiest ways to get to Munich from the airport are by taxi or by using the S-Bahn, for which there are station entrances right inside the Munich Airport Center. If your budget allows, you can even hire a guide/driver from Taxi Guide München for the entirety of your Munich layover. A Munich taxi driver who is also a licensed guide will pick you up from the airport, drive you around Munich to any sites you want to see (or put together a suggested itinerary for you based on your interests), and get you back to the airport in time to catch your connecting flight. Talk about no stress!

We were really surprised by how much we were able to see in Munich during our layover. While we didn’t have time to visit multiple museums, we were able to get a good overview of Munich as a city, see some fun and important spots, and get enough of a taste to want to go back and stay for longer someday.

Werner Hillermann at Hofbrauhaus Munich in a Day Long Layover

We were met at the airport by our taxi guide Werner Hillermann. During our drive into the city center, Werner gave us a little history lesson about Munich so we could have a better understanding of the city we were visiting. Spending the afternoon with Werner also gave us a little insight into the life of a Münchner.

Munich was founded in 1158. Munich is situated on the River Isar, which was an important trade route. Munich made its money from widening the river, building a bridge, and charging tolls. Munich went from being nothing more than a bridge next to a little village to the capital of Bavaria, the largest state in Germany.

Our first stop in Munich was the BMW Welt, Museum and Munich Plant. BMW is obviously a huge German car company and is the biggest employer in Munich. The BMW company was started 100 years ago, in 1916, building airplane engines. Car lovers will enjoy walking around the BMW Welt, which is free, and looking at the range of BMW vehicles, both old and new. The architecture of the building is pretty stunning too.

Olympiapark Munich in a Day Long Layover

Unlike some cities that build huge buildings for the Olympics which never get used again, Munich made sure that their Olympic structures continued to be used for years after the 1972 Olympics left. We visited Olympiapark, which has a beautiful outdoor park and lake, an Olympic pool where Mark Spitz won a record-breaking seven gold medals and which is still in use today, and the Olympic Tower which oversees it all. If you have the time, you can even climb the Olympic roof and repel or zip-line off. The Olympic Stadium is still used for conferences, concerts, and other performances. This is, Werner explained, the German way; no waste.

Nymphenburg Palace Munich in a Day Long Layover

We continued on towards Munich’s city center with a quick stop at Nymphenburg Palace. This is one of Munich’s two castles and was the summer residence of the Bavarian royal family. The castle was completed in 1679. Ludwig II was born at Nymphenburg Palace in 1845. He is responsible for building some of Bavaria’s most important castles including Neuschwanstein Castle, one of the castles used as a model by Disney for Cinderella’s castle. A descendant of the royal family still lives in one of the buildings on the castle grounds. There is also a Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory on the grounds where travelers can visit and purchase porcelain made in the old style. Behind the castle are large gardens which used to be stocked with deer for hunting. An artificial canal leads to the castle, which used to be a type of reservoir for the city. The canal freezes in the winter and is used for ice skating and curling.

Continuing towards the city we drove along Aldringen Street, a street with 150-year-old buildings that miraculously were not destroyed in the war.

Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu GmbH Munich in a Day Long Layover

We peered in the windows of Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu GmbH, one of Munich’s many breweries. We learned that in 1516, the Reinheitsgebot, or the German Beer Purity Law, was passed which decrees that beer can only contain water, hops, and barley. If there is anything else in it, it cannot be called beer. Therefore, forget your coffee stouts and your chocolate porters while in Germany.

Across the street from the brewery is Circus Krone, one of the largest circuses in Europe. The Beatles performed in the same building in the 1960s.

We also passed by the Löwenbräukeller Biergarten, where you can bring your own food, relax, and drink beer. We learned that Oktoberfest did indeed start as an October celebration, but was changed to September to take advantage of the better weather. Oktoberfest started as horse races; beer was added later.

Königsplatz Munich in a Day Long Layover

We arrived at Königsplatz, King’s Square or Royal Square. This square was inspired by Ludwig I, the grandfather of Ludwig II, who wanted culture and administration all together in a green setting. The gate is modeled after the Parthenon and the towers after the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

Munich Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism Munich in a Day Long Layover

A number of Munich’s museums can be found in this area. Since we only had a few hours for our Munich layover, we decided the Munich museum we would visit would be the Munich Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism. During our time in Nuremberg, we had a chance to visit a documentation center and a few old Nazi sites. The Nazi period is such a tragic black mark on the history of Germany. It took until the 1980s to do so, but Germany has created places like the Documentation Centre as reminders of this dark time in history so that it will never happen again. The Documentation Centre documents how Hitler was able to come to power, a man that stood trial and was sent to prison, was kept from speaking, and yet still was voted by the people into power because he found an audience willing to listen, preyed on their fears, and convinced them the Jews were responsible for the Great Depression, taking all their jobs, and taking all their money. It’s rather fitting that the consulate for Israel recently opened next door to this old Nazi building.

River Surfing Munich in a Day Long Layover

One of the unique things to see in Munich is river surfing. Munich has its own perpetual wave that is always available for surfing. This unusual spot is found on Prinzregentstrase near Bruderstrase. Surfers come to the Eisbach, a small man-made river that runs through the Englischer Garden. In true German fashion, surfers wait patiently in an orderly line along the bank of the river. A surfer jumps in with his or her board and rides the wave for as long as they can. As soon as they fall, that surfer moves to the side as the next surfer in line jumps in. Even in the cold of winter, surfers get in line while crowds watch from the banks and the bridge above.

Monument to Orlando di Lasso and Michael Jackson Munich in a Day Long Layover

Our next stop was the Promenadeplatz, Promenade Square, which was built in the late 17th century for people to literally promenade on Sunday. In this square is a monument to Maximilian, who conquered the Turkish army. There is also a monument to the musician Orlando di Lasso, a musician from the time of Mozart. The monument is known as a double monument because now the base of Lasso’s monument is dedicated to Michael Jackson. The monument is in front of the Hotel Bayerischer Hof, Michael Jackson’s favorite place to stay while in Munich.

Hotel Bayerischer Hof Roof Terrace Lounge Munich in a Day Long Layover

For a rest and a panoramic view of the Munich city skyline, enter the Hotel Bayerischer Hof and head upstairs to the Roof Terrace and Roof Terrace Lounge.

Frauenkirche Munich in a Day Long Layover

The towers of Frauenkirche, Munich’s Cathedral Church of Our Lady, tower over the city. The cathedral was built in the 15th century and took only 30 years to build. No building in Munich can be higher than the roofline of Frauenkirche. The popularly used name of the church is onion towers because the domes on top of the towers look like bulbous green onions.

Marienplatz Munich in a Day Long Layover

After a coffee and a look at the view, we visited Marienplatz, Munich’s most famous central city square with its city hall and clock tower. At certain times of day (11:00 and 12:00 in the winter and additionally at 5:00 in the summer) the clock puts on a show. The top portion of the Glockenspiel features a jousting match between Bavaria and France. The Bavarian knight wins every time. The bottom half is dedicated to beer with a dance performed by coopers, or barrel makers.

Hofbrauhaus Munich in a Day Long Layover

Another place that must be visited while in Munich is the Hofbrauhaus, the biggest and most important beer hall in Munich. We got to take a peek at the beer stein lockers, as Werner is a proud key holder to one of them. It only costs three Euros a year for a beer stein locker and there is a long waiting list. When Werner wants to drink beer but doesn’t want to talk, Hofbrauhaus is the place he goes. If he wants his beer filled, he leaves the lid up, if it's closed, it means he has enough. The only time he needs to speak is when he wants his bill. Hofbrauhaus is touristy, but it is also an important and easy place for locals.

Allianz Arena Munich in a Day Long Layover

On the route between the Munich Airport and the city center, we passed the Allianz Arena, Munich's soccer stadium. The people of Munich are big soccer fans. The stadium seats 75,000 and games are always sold out. Season tickets are impossible to acquire, so Werner was very proud to be able to tell us that he holds a pair of season tickets with a friend. At night, the stadium is lit up in different colors depending on the season or events.

If it looks like you’re going to have a long layover in Munich that’s over six hours, get out and see Munich. At the very least, jump on the S-Bahn and head into Marienplatz for a wander and a beer. If you want to get a more in-depth tour of Munich, book with Taxi Guide München for two hours or more. They can put together a tour like they did for us, or any tour you prefer, with themes such as beer, museums, castles, or churches, or even a visit to the nearby Dachau Concentration Camp. You can also contact our driver, Werner, directly by email at wrhillermann@t-online.de.

We were so excited to have a chance to spend half a day in Munich during our long Munich layover, and we were surprised by how much we were able to see in such a short period of time. Plus getting out and about during our layover also helped us avoid some jet lag as well.

Thank you to the Munich Tourist Office for hosting our long layover in Munich and making this post possible. As always, all opinions are our own.

Travel the World: Have a long layover in Munich. Things to see in Munich in a day.

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