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Recommended Reviews - Oktoberfest
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Reviews With Photos - Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest is basically a giant carnival mixed with the world's best beer party, and it's freaking awesome!!! For my fellow Americans or any first timers, here are some tips I wish I knew before going: 1.) If you decide to dress up, plan your outfit ahead of time. Order a dirndl (women) or lederhosen (men) online before your trip, you'll save money, time and stress. Shops in Munich offer authentic stunning traditional gear, but many charge €700-1000. Yes there are cheaper options, but styles are limited. It also REALLY sucks taking everything on & off in the fitting rooms. Don't waste your time abroad, just get it in your home country. Accessories like pins, feathered hats, or pretzel earrings are way cheaper to grab beforehand too. Trust me, you'll get hat envy once you're there!!! 2.) Bring cash. Many tents and food stands don't take cards. Waiters carrying ten steins at once won't pause for fumbling, have cash ready. €100-120 was more than enough for me 3.) Make reservations for tables ahead of time to sit in the beer tents!!!! Or get there early if you want a table. Once things get busy, finding space is almost impossible, especially for groups. Tent hopping is harder than it looks. 4.) Wear comfy shoes. You'll be walking a ton. Heels? I saw people survive them, but personally, I'd be done for. 5.) Consider booking a tour with a table reservation. We went through Fat Tire Tours and our guide, Mark, was fantastic. Having a reserved table made the day way easier. 6.) Bring a refillable water bottle. It has to be empty when you enter, but you can fill it up inside at the various watering stations. Buying water adds up fast (one tent was selling water for €10), so this is a lifesaver. We bought one outside for €3 at a convenience store, emptied it, and reused it all day. 7.) Layer smart. Bring a jacket you can tie around your waist or a packable puffer you can stash in a bag. It's chilly outside but warm in the tents. Tossing a jacket on the floor just means beer and boots will destroy it. 8.) Most stands outside the tents will charge you a deposit for plates, glasses, and mugs...make sure to return them when you're done eating to get your deposit back!!! 9.) you cannot bring food that you bought from the vendors outside into the tents. I had to drink my coffee and eat my tiramisu before heading back into the tent, and couldn't bring anything back for my friends. 10.) Try a radler!!! It's delicious. It's half beer, half lemon flavored soft drink. 11.) Looking for a bathroom? Look for the angel / cherubs sitting on a toilet with a bow and arrow pointing towards the toilets! See my photo. Also, carry some €0.50 or €1 coins for the bathrooms, you place it on the plates when going in. The whole vibe is pure joy: music blasting, strangers becoming friends in seconds, and the entire city celebrating together. Oktoberfest is a true bucket-list experience, you'll walk away with great memories, sore feet, and probably a funny souvenir you don't remember buying.
I will forever be in shock that my first international trip was to the work's largest beer festival. I've been to Oktoberfest knock-offs in the past but experiencing the real deal just hits different. There a group of us visited opening day and we managed to get a table without reservation. It's possible but hard since everyone else there is doing the same thing. They serve only one kind of beer but it is fantastic. It's very strong so one stein made me have a good time. If you're not a beer drinker, there is so much more to do. They have shops, rides and entertainment. You can easily spend a couple days here and not get bored.
Finally got to attend Oktoberfest in Munich! It wasn't in our itinerary at first but what can Mink do when I book everything that's non refundable before she can say no? Hehe. Some things I learned coming here: 1) Book a hotel early because this event is popular with about seven million people in attendance annually. We didn't book early and hotels were slim pickings. The prices were also outrageous. $100ish you're looking at camping. $150-$200 you're looking at a hostel. $200ish up you're looking at junk motel quality rooms if you can find one near festivities. Then it just jumps to several hundred a night. We heard from several people that some people book a year in advance. 2) Bring cash! To my knowledge, everyone accepted only cash and everything adds up. A beer is 15 Euro at the tents we went to and water was 6 Euros. Safe to bring a little more than less but there are ATM's everywhere. It's also good to have to tip your servers. 3) Learn some German because not everyone speaks English. It goes a long way and they make the effort if you do. Google Translate was very useful. 4) Pace yourself because we saw people passed out by noon! They offer half beer and half lemonade if you want to stretch out your drinking. 5) Do not bring a large bag to the event. You will have to check it into a locker if you do. It's not permitted inside. It'll be 5 Euro to check in your bag if you get turned away by security. We learned the hard way. 6) You can get Lederhosen and Dirndl at various shops all over. Some have huge sales so you don't have to bring any over. We weren't sure about sizing so we ordered and brought over just in case. 7) If you're budget conscious, pregame before you go in to save some money. It's definitely marked up for everything inside. No shame because you'll see lots of people doing it. This is a huge event and we were fortunate to come on the very last day. Since it was the last day, we went to the Bavaria Statue at noon for the closing ceremony and gun salute. Weather smiled upon us because the day we got into Munich, it was raining a lot. Fortunately it cleared up nicely on the following day and we got to enjoy the event without rain. After the event, Mink admitted that it was more fun than she anticipated and it was worth coming to. Another bucket list item checked off the list!
Made it to Oktoberfest. It is everything that it claims to be and more. I think most Americans only hear about the beer tents and the drinking, but there's so much more to the Oktoberfest. It's one of the largest fairs I've ever been to and they serve all the other alcohol, besides beer, throughout. There are rides, games, food, drinks and people watching. One of the best parties I have ever been to.
If you haven't been to Oktoberfest is truly a once in a lifetime experience. Even if you're not a beer lover you definitely reap the reward of experience something truly new, unique, yet alone special. This festival is like if Mardi Gras & Coachella had a beer festival baby. Plus, you get an excuse to dress up in lederhosens and dirndls. I'd recommend booking hotels 6 months in advance if not sooner and staying with walking distance of festival grounds. Cabs and Ubers are hard to get if you're a guy. I'd also recommend having cash on hand for each tent you visit as it's pretty much the only way to get food and drink. For food I'd recommend getting it at the stands, otherwise at tents it can get pretty pricey. If you're in a group of 4 or less then you can manage to get tables in tents without reservations. Otherwise, I'd recommend booking tables in advance if your party is larger. Nevertheless this festive truly festive and a big reason why people all over the world come here.
How could I not make *the* Oktoberfest experience my 1000th review? Well it's almost a year late but it's time for me to put thumb to phone screen. It took me 28+ years, 6000+ miles, and...a lot of money to come here for the 188th Oktoberfest last year, and it was such a cool experience. We were staying about an hour and a half away in Austria, so our day was a long one. A day full of drinking, sandwiched between two not-super-comfortable car rides--but the beer was crisp and the food was delectable. So for those who don't know, here's the lowdown: Unlike in the US, you don't pay to enter the event, you just pay by the item (unless you go into a special tent). There are 14 tents with different ~vibes~, from #localsonly after a day of work to those tents where everyone is yell-singing and standing on the benches, with a variety of beers and food spread throughout. The weekends are substantially more wild than the weekdays, but that doesn't mean weekdays are boring. Just know that if you go during a Friday or Saturday, you'll probably have a difficult time finding space in the more popular tents in the evening so come EARLY and expect to kinda stay in one spot for most of the day. I came with my immediate and some extended family, and we arrived in the morning on Friday. The crowd slowly picked up as the day went on, and as a group of nine, we only made it into three of the bigger tents before stopping in Haxnbraterei for some food. Then my extended family took off and my sister and I stayed for another couple steins at Hofbrauhaus. It took a while to find a spot in the Hofbrauhaus tent, even for just the two of us, and tbh there were a number of rude groups who had space next to them but weren't willing to let my sister and I sit with them. Judging by their behavior, I'm assuming it was because they thought we didn't look cute enough for them and they wanted to save the space for someones else, but that was one of only two negative things about this experience. Once we finally got seated, though, we met some great people and stayed a few more hours. Got to stand up and sing the songs and dance to the music, yadda yadda. Thankfully our parents were waiting in the car to drive us because we got, unsurprisingly, incredibly drunk, to the point where it was a miracle that we made our way to the front of the fest safely. The other part of the festival that wasn't so great was that my dad noticed there were a ton of creepy single guys standing around, seemingly to pick up people who are intoxicated. So my hot tips are: 1. Wear comfortable shoes, even if they don't match your dirndl 2. Bring cash (my friend had her credit card number stolen) 3. For every stein of beer, drink a stein of water 4. Eat!! 5. Buddy system whenever you're not in a tent 6. Beware of puke hill (unless you need to use it)
Something everyone should experience, I thought that I might be too old for the crowd, but there were babies to eighty year olds. I did the trip because I wanted to visit Germany, and it wasn't just for Oktoberfest. We spent our second day there, and went back for a few hours one evening, the evening is a much more ruckus crowd, I enjoyed the daytime atmosphere more, but I didn't see any real trouble, just a lot of very intoxicated people. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. We reserved seats at a table in the Hofbrauhaus tent, which came with a half chicken and two liters of very strong beer. Our table mates were from all over the world. We visited a couple of the other tents, I was surprised that besides the Bavarian music, there were a lot of American songs, the two most popular seamed to be Take me home country roads, and Sweet Caroline.
Oktoberfest is a must do once in your lifetime. I have been twice and it just seems to keep growing with a huge number of carnival rides, food, chocolate, and beer everywhere. We went on a Tuesday just after lunch time in order to ensure we could get into our top choice - the gourmet food lover's dream at the smaller Feinkost Kafer. Bands were already playing and people were dancing and we got the last two person table - snuggly located under the stairs. It might seem like an odd place to sit but it was great for people watching. The food did not disappoint. We tried two sampler plates of salads and meats and cheeses and everything was super fresh, decorated in edible flowers, fresh garnishes of radish and greens. The salad sampler had egg salad, crayfish salad and walnut slaw, while the Kafer Brettl sampler plate had fresh mozzarella tomato, beet hummus, eg, ham, radishes, smoked salmon, salmon salad, cheese. Lever pate and sausages - wow! We also poked into many of the large beer gardens, sampled chocolate covered bananas and enjoyed the decorated horse beer carts and watching the carnival games. On this second trip, it took quite some time to navigate the entrance and exit as you are funneled through one main central area. 7 years ago, I walked straight in. I guess it is a sign of the times with added security.
This was a major item on my bucket list. The number and size of the beer halls are breathtaking. Each one is a sea of tables that get filled to capacity within hours of opening each morning. If you have a large enough group, you can reserve a table online in advance. This is common for Germans and folks from neighboring countries. Harder to do if you're coming from further abroad, but worth it if you can pull it off by organizing such a caravan well in advance. For everyone else, a minority of the tables are first-come. So, each table that my friend and I sat at was shared with other folks, who you regularly prost with. Some could speak to us in English, and help educate us about life in Munich. It did rain a lot for the first two days we were there, so wear layers for warmth and bring an umbrella or rain coat. Yet, the outdoor tables remain full as people are too festive to be fazed by the intermittent showers. Oktoberfestbier is the standard style, as a one-liter serving in a stein. Some halls also offer an alcohol-free version. Wheat beer is sometimes available, but only in the outdoor section called the beer garden. Beer hall menus include food. There is also a plethora of food vendors along the walkways between the beer halls and in the carnival area. To my surprise, vegan options are universally available, as they are more widely adopted than in the United States. The same is true throughout Munich. The size and quality of carnival rides are better than any I've seen in the U.S. Lederhosen is the prevailing mode of dress for men; and the traditional dresses for women. I like that there is no admission fee, which allows you to spend all your money directly on beer, food, entertainment, and souvenirs.
One of a kind experience! Grab a table when you can and dive into the Bavarian culture! Definitely a must! Get your dirndls and lederhosen and get over here! Great food, great times! If you're coming into Munich, look into a train ride or two. Always a good way to see the city in a blip! If you like pork, I recommend the Scweinshaxe! DELICIOUS
Be forewarned that if you're in your twenties or early thirties, you may have far more fun than I'm about to summarize as a disappointment. Specifically, if you love to drink in crowded areas isolated just to tents and a few small stands then this is your place. Personally and having lived in Germany for two years, I expected more traditional Bavarian culture but instead I got the world's biggest "cheap"/cheesy carnival ($5-20 USD per ride). The rides are basic and you've seen them time and time again. You'll spend way more than you should to experience wild drunks, occasional open drug use, litter and horse sh*t everywhere. To get back to your place, you'll then have to navigate around broken beer bottles on the sidewalks (not a lot but some) along with a near constant array of aggressive shoulder checks from oblivious people which was one of the most annoying parts of visiting both Italy and Germany. Sound fun yet? This wasn't worth the time for me other than checking a box. People stress the lack of restrooms while visiting. Men will have an easier time but it wasn't an issue. The surprising lack of trash cans was what caught me off guard. Seems like a pretty obvious thing to have ready yet they have barely any and you can tell by the end of each night. Hmmmm, how could they ever reduce this problem? The biggest beer tents are a fun experience until the evening when they're overcrowded. There's a traditional section that is a scaled down version and better when the crowds get too big. Excuse the rambling but just save yourself from this overrated experience and go to one of the famous beer house restaurants since the beer is second to none. This is what I wish I had done. Also enjoy some of the most breathtaking countryside on the planet in Bavaria. Pictures don't do it justice and you'll think you've seen every shade of green. ...I'm willing to bet this review will be relevant to Oktoberfest beyond 2024.
If you live in US, the best way to describe Oktoberfest is the State Fair meets European Christmas/Easter market times 2 because it's all carnival games and rides like the Fair or even a mini amusement park. The vendors are equivalent to the Christmas/Easter market. We came second to last day an hour after they opened which was already packed. Just follow the people in the traditional attire around the city and in the subway and you're going the right direction. It's free to enter, they have security check your bags. I read that you could have a maximum of 20x15x10 cm for bags. When we were inside, I saw so many oversized bags like backpacks and female handbags. However, our friend met us up later and she said they gave her a ticket to check in her backpack and to downside. Bring cash. A few atms around. Some of the vendors take credit card but above 10€. The beer garden we were at was cash only. This was Paulaner. Restrooms are free. There's also a drinking fountain at one of the beer gardens. This place is massive, we spent all day. 1L of beer was 14€ standard everywhere. For food we got the Half chicken with potato salad and sausages. Took 45 minutes. The server said everything else would take two hours. We sat outdoors. Indoors will most likely need reservations. Later in the day, they had a line to enter each garden. You can purchase food outside of the garden which is cheaper but there are no seats. There are kiosks that sells wine so you're not limited to just beer. As far as dressing up, I would say 80% of the locals were dressed up.
10 years ago
One of the most unforgettable experiences I've ever had! GO. PERIOD. Here's a few tips and unexpected things for when you do go. 1. If there 2-4 people in your group, you more then likely do not need a reservation. You'll have to walk around for a bit of find a space, but you'll find one and it will be ok. You'll make friends with the other people at your table and that will be one of the best parts. If you have more people in your group you mind consider a reservation 2. There's an app that shows how crowded the tents are - use it! 3. Pick your tent for the night by 5/5:30pm and stay there. You will not be able to find a spot after that. 4. There's pretzel and cookie vendors that walk around, like those at an American baseball game, very unexpected and very welcome after drinks lots of beer. read more
15 years ago
This is a once in a lifetime event and I am glad I experienced in 2010. While at Oktoberfest, I was speaking with my buddy and asked how he would describe this and to be honest, words will not do it justice, but I will give it my best shot. Oktoberfest is a giant carnival. It is held at the fairgrounds and there are rides, food stations, and beer tents. The tents are about the size of a football field and they are filled with seating. The set up is quite genius. The only way you get beer served to you is to have a seat. Me and my buddies always went pretty early in the morning so we never had a problem getting a seat. As the place gets packed, people start asking if they can sit in your table. Of course, girls had an easier time getting sneaking in then guys. The tents only serve one of the delicious munich brewed beers. I went to the Augustiner, Pauliner, and Hofbrauhaus. The Hofbrauhaus is by far the best tent. Each tent has a certain crowd, and the Hofbrauhaus is known for being the rowdiest and it lived up to what I was told. In the tents, are thousands of people drinking a ton of beer, singing songs, and eating meat so that you can keep drinking. The atmosphere is loud and everyone is drunk. I went with 7 guys and we had a great time. Everyone has to experience this! The craziest event that I have ever experienced in life. Prost!!! (That is cheers in german) read more
My dad, cousins and I went to Munich for Oktoberfest 2014. We visited the festival several times during our one-week stay. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life! I think that everybody should add it to their bucket list- as long as they don't mind being around large crowds of people! The people at the festival were all so friendly and helpful! We made a lot of great friends. We got to eat great food, drink beer, and sing & dance with people from all over the world. It's very important to visit the festival at least once during the daytime and at least once at night. It is a completely different atmosphere during different times of the day. One important thing to know is that the tents are crowded at all times. Oktoberfest is just one big party. Each tent has a different atmosphere and style. Different genres of music are played in each tent. It's fun to try them all and figure out which is your favorite. The tents serve food and steins of beer. I would recommend trying as much as you can from each tent. It's a really awesome experience! If you don't have a reserved table (which most people don't) patience is key when finding a table at night. You pretty much just have to walk around like a creep and look for people who are paying their bill and getting ready to leave. We had it down to an art by the end of the trip. It didn't bother me at all because I loved walking around and seeing the different people singing and dancing along with the band. It was so fun to see which American songs were popular hits among the patrons at Oktoberfest- lots of oldies! If it's colder outside, the outdoor tables are completely vacant. Things you must do while in Oktoberfest: -Watch the opening day parade in the streets -The tents are the best place to be for the true Oktoberfest experience. (My favorites were Lowenbrau, Augustiner-Festhalle, Schottenhamel, Pschorr-Braurosl & Paulaner) -Have a beer in one of the beer gardens -Learn the song "Ein Prosit" - they sing it all the time at the festival. Everybody stands up, sings the song, and clinks their beer mugs together. -Drink several steins of beer (obviously) The beer is only served in quantities of one litre. -Visit the wine tasting (unexpectedly fun) -Wear a dirndl or lederhosen - The experience was ten times better when we dressed up -Talk to/sing with strangers- they are all very friendly! (Obviously there are exceptions, but 99% of the people we met were very kind and welcoming) -Eat pork knuckle and potato dumplings for a meal -Try the foot-long bratwurst and weiner schnitzel -Get a hot pretzel -Try the spatzle (this was my favorite German dish) Tip: Definitely bring plenty of cash, also coins to tip the bathroom staff Tip: Be sure to tip your server! They take that seriously. Tip: You need to be sitting at a table to order a beer in the tents. They will not serve standing customers. Tip: If you find a great seat at a beer tent on a crazy busy night, don't give up your seat in hopes of finding a better one at another tent. Good seats are hard to come by! Other things I would recommend doing while you're in Munich: -Visit the Glockenspiel at a time when the figurines dance at the clock -Go to Hofbrauhaus for a beer and lunch -Take the drive to Neushwanstein Castle -Visit Linderhoff -Visit Nymphenburg Palace -Go to the old Olympic stadium read more
It was my first time ever at Oktoberfest and now I can cross it off my 100 things to do before you die list ;-)) For what is a massive festival this place is brilliantly organized and run. Germans are experts at organizing massive festivals that run like clock work and this is no exception. Tons of tents and food stalls, rides and all sorts of other things to do. Whilst beer drinking, singing and dancing are the big attractions there is also a lot of other things for the whole family to enjoy. I will definitely be back again and again and keep crossing it off my list many times over ;-))) read more
It was fu....ing...raining while i was at the Oktober Fest. BUT IT WAS AWESOME. There war not too many people due to bloody weather. So i could do something flexible what i wanted to do !! Bier Haxen choco sweets .... Love it But i saw too many physical affections. I was envious !! I ll come back next year with my Boyfriend. read more
10 years ago
Review #200!!! Only fitting it's for this insane, insane, off the walls drunkfest. I don't know how I survived that first (and only day for me) of Oktoberfest in 2015 as I was flying back home. How did I get back to the hotel? Where did my key go? Why am I sleeping on the floor outside my room? Is this the right room? Where the heck are my friends? These were all questions I had when I woke up in front of my hotel room door... The day started innocently enough with my friends and I arriving on the grounds around 11am with no table reservations whatsoever. Definitely need to get one months in advance... We ended up being in the outdoor area of the Schoffenhall, which is the kickoff tent where the Maypr of Munich taps the first keg/barrel. We ended up sharing a table with a bunch of friendly German guys who showed us the ropes of attending Oktoberfest like a real German. Apparently, wearing the lederhosen is no joke, and will definitely help get you into some of the tents that are known more for allowing Germans in. Our first beers finally got to us around 12:30pm, and thus, the next 10 hours of drinking gigantor beers began. After a couple of hours, my friends said they had to go grab something from the hotel (which was luckily a 5 min walk away). I never saw them again. Apparently they went back and took a nap -_- I ended up sticking the the German guys and then it started pouring rain, so we tried to get into the main tent that typically only lets Germans in. Who needs friends anyway? I made new ones that could get me into places :) This is where my night kind of ended. Moral of the story is, I don't know if I could handle more than a weekend of this, I have no idea how people can stay for longer, or even the full two weeks O_O read more
8 years ago
After completing my first visit to the Oktoberfest in Munich Germany. I must say that is quite spitze. I've never had beer for breakfast lunch and dinner quite the experience. I must say if you attend the festival wear the lederhosen it's a nice addition and you will fit in perfectly. read more
14 years ago
Oh wow that's what I have to say about it totally worth the trip you won't be disappointed so well organized but make sure you book ur place in beer tent well in advance so you can fully enjoy every moment of the festival from German fun songs and dancing to chugging 1ltr mugs and the whole crowd cheering you up. Be aware beers cost 11-12/ euro so take out lot of cash and do try the food as well And special mention for the chocolate almonds around 6euro for 200gm and you can mix them with other flavored almonds See you Oktoberfest next year :) read more
It just so happened that I was in Germany during Oktoberfest 2014. Upon realising this was the case I had to decide if I wanted to make a special day trip to Munich. I decided to and was glad I did. I'm not a beer drinker but still had a great time. It reminded me of the royal show which we have where I live except on a massive scale but with a lot of beer. As a non beer drinker I was worried I would get bored but this wasn't the case. I went on one of the family days (a day where rides and some foods are discounted) and it was so cute seeing a lot of little kids wearing drindls and lederhosen. Actually a majority of people (tourists and locals) were dressed up and it looked totally awesome. Even I made the effort. I did a fair amount of research beforehand and knew that you needed to be seated at a table to get food and drinks in the tents. If you go early this isn't a problem, especially in the food tents. I focused on the food tents. I had morning tea at one, lunch at another. Later in the day I walked through one of the bigger beer tents and it was jam packed. You were in for a long wait if you weren't already seated at a table. So a big tip is to go early if you're intending on drinking. You can buy souvenirs galore as there are lots of souvenir stands and you also won't go hungry as food can be bought at stands throughout the grounds. In the tents you need to tip, I wasn't sure how much and it seems I was quite generous going on the reactions of the servers. I didn't mind as it added to the experience. It wasn't jam packed walking around as this particular day it was overcast and there were light showers on and off. There are also rides galore so if you love going on amusement rides you won't be disappointed. I went by myself but would have enjoyed it more in a group and if I ever go again I'll make sure I'm in a group. If you're a non beer drinker worried about going, don't as you'll still have a lot of fun. If you're not a crowd person go on a day that isn't sunny or hot or go mid week. If it's not on your bucket list it should be. read more
O'Zapft ist! Oktoberfest is a playground ripe with possibilities for children and adults alike. Living in Bavaria means attendance at this historic event is mandatory. So, this Sunday we loaded into the car with friends at 5AM and drove south to Munich in hopes of easy entrance into a tent and a day of fun, beer, food, and adventure. The rumors are true and I feel like our preparations (minimal that they were...) made a difference for the better. We parked near the football stadium and took the train in as opposed to attempting to park nearby in the city. This made for a stress-free entrance to the fest grounds and our first victory of the day. Secondly, we left early and decided to attend on a Sunday rather than opening day. I believe wholeheartedly this made a major difference in terms of enjoyability. We had to wait in line for the tent to open, but had no trouble finding a table inside. Since we didn't get reservations months ago, this was a gamble--hooray for winning! The forecast for Sunday was also showing rain and thunderstorms, which may have slowed the pace of fest-goers as well. After a few hours in the first tent, we realized lines were meager at other tents which was excellent. All in all, it was a magical day for everyone in our group. The various food stands are abundant, fairly reasonable, and delicious. Furthermore, the beer doesn't get much better, naturally, and was in epic supply. The staff at every tent, ride, or stand was cheerful and fun, which showcases the Bavarian hospitality we've come to enjoy on a day-to-day basis. I applaud the staff and fest-goers for a fabulous time! It was truly a memorable and mesmerizing experience with new friends and old. read more
10 years ago
Had an amazing experience. Tent hopped the entire time. Was impossible to get a table because it was so crowded, and lines to get into tents started around 5 (right before dinnertime), but it's all part of the experience. Get there early if you want a table or reserve a table months in advance! Had the signature half chicken, which was juicy and tasty, with a side of potato salad (they use mustard in this so it is tangy and a bit sweet) Sausages and sauerkraut were good, nothing special. Beers are expensive here, a lil over 10euros so it adds up fast! read more
8 years ago
Gosh, so much fun. And I thought I'd be too old for this. One thing that I should say is that you should definitely do your research before coming to Oktoberfest. Transportation can get tricky, and even the sketchy hotels are expensive in this area. We stayed nearby at Brunnenhof, which was more like a hostel than anything, but it did the trick. The neighborhood itself is a little sketchy, but only a few minutes from Old Town. People of any age can enjoy, although I'd personally avoid bringing children for anything other than the carnival rides. The music can vary from tent to tent, although it typically consists of a brass band, playing either classics or even more modern hits. Other tips for out-of-towners: - Get here early (right around 10am), if you don't have reservations. You could probably try later, but best not to risk it. Either way, be polite when asking for a table. If you're polite, they usually can find you something easily in the non-peak hours. - There really isn't a "best" tent, in my opinion. We went to 6 different tents, and they were all pretty fun, and chock full of people. We went to Ochsenbraterei, Schottenhamel, Schutzen, Hacker, Lowenbrau, and Paulaner, all of which were relatively the same. - You might get pressured to dress up in a dirndl/lederhosen, but it really can go either way. If you just want to sit and soak in the atmosphere, it's not absolutely necessary to dress up and people won't chide you for not dressing up. If you want to meet new people and strike up conversation, definitely dress up. Just stating the obvious, when it comes to social interaction. The experience is what you make of it. - Some tents have different types of beer, and the default size is a liter, so if for some god-forsake reason, you want a 1/2 liter, make sure to tell them. - Most tents don't allow you to stand on your seat and chug your beer. We learned this the hard way. Thankfully, you only just get kicked out of the tent, and not put in Oktoberfest jail. - Heart-shaped cookies taste terrible, but they are nicely decorated. Might as well keep them in the plastic wrap as a decoration. - Drink as much water as possible, to stave off dehydration. This is a marathon, not a sprint. - Get the half-chicken or pork knuckle (schweinshaxe), and note that some of the tents might have menus only in German. Just point to what you want, and know that most of the staff in each tent are actually pretty patient. - There will be drunken people who might get into your personal space. Be very assertive in securing your own space, but again, be polite. Most people will back away and leave you alone. This is all according to my own experience, so that's all I can speak to. In all, just go in with an open attitude. We met a ton of new people, drank copious amounts of beer, and really just enjoyed the general atmosphere. Definitely should be on your bucket list if you haven't tried it already. read more
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7 years ago
7 years ago
One of the most unique experiences I've had. Easily the largest party I've ever attended. Thousands of people having a good time, drinking a lot of beer and eating a wide variety of local specials. Closest comparison from the states would be a state fair on steroids!! I highly recommend attending! read more
10 years ago
** My mini-guide to Oktoberfest ** Will you enjoy Oktoberfest? Much of it depends on your personality. It's a given that this annual party is going to be full of crowds (many of which are very boisterous), that it's nearly impossible to get reservations at tables ahead of time, that getting a beer may at times seem harder than gaining entrance to chat with the pope, and that the majority of food and drink are beer and meat. If any of these things sound largely unappealing, you probably won't love it. Beer drinkers: you may love the beer, but it's damn hard to get one, and the only way you'll succeed is if you're outgoing and eager to introduce yourself to new people. I loved it. LOVED IT! The food at Oktoberfest is a foodie's dream. The schweinshaxen, a Bavarian specialty of roasted pork knuckle, is featured prominently, and absolutely ridiculously good. All the tents themselves serve traditional German food, although I highly recommend the Ochsenbraterei tent: slow-roasted ox sandwiches -- the German equivalent of the juiciest beef brisket imaginable. There's also a myriad of fish-on-a-stick, apple strudels, pretzels the size of helium balloons, doughnuts, bratwurst, currywurst, everything imaginable. Don't just confine yourself to a tent -- definitely try all the food outside of it as well! Dirndl/Lederhosen or not? We read online before we went NOT to dress this way because Bavarians would be offended. BULLSHIT! There were people from all over the world and many different ethnicities dressed in traditional Bavarian costume. No one was judgmental or penalized. As for the tents. There are about 14 tents, 10 being major ones. THOUSANDS of people fill each tent. The majority of tables in each tent are RESERVED. People/families have tenured tables and basically it's next to impossible to get a reservation at the tents unless you have a party of 10 or more and reserve it online months in advance. Since there were only two of us, we employed a strategy that relied primarily on my gumption. Which understandably swelled as I consumed more and more beer. If you go in the afternoon, I understand that it's easier to get in. But when you're stuck consuming 3+ liters before the dancing starts, and for sure you'll be falling down drunk at that point. We got there on a Sunday evening and went three nights in a row. Hofbrauhaus is CRAZY. After failing miserably there, we started at the Paulaner Winzerer tent. Large amount of outdoor seating. Noticed that the majority of people outside in one area were foreign. Found a seat and managed to get served. Sucking down that first liter (about 2.2 16 oz pints) of Paulaner felt like HEAVEN and once we had this under our belt, we headed for the Augustiner tent. The Augustiner tent was massive but I managed to see a beer maid (uh, madam), sternly waiving to some people as I walked in. She seemed to be shepherding people into a table, so I grabbed my husband's hand and jumped into a seat at a table with strangers. We had wonderful conversations with some people from Serbia and a couple of guys from Italy. We consumed another liter with a nice bunch of people from South Africa. We sang Ein Proset and laughed belly laughs. From Augustiner, we made our way straight across to Hacker. Little did we know that Hacker is supposed to be the "party tent." At this point, it was only about 7pm, but everyone was standing on the table benches. FYI, the tents all have live traditional German oompah music until about 6pm. Then things degenerate into a combination of German band vs American classic rock. We were shoved into a heaving crowd and I pretended to be associated with one of the tables of gyrating young people. The beer maid believed me when I said we were with them, and brought us two more liters of Hacker-Pschorr (quite a nice Oktoberfest brew). The young Germans who were partying and standing on the tables invited us to stand up there with them and we all danced and partied together for at least an hour or so. Singing Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" with my new German friends was probably one of my Oktoberfest highlights. The other MAJOR POINT i want to mention about Oktoberfest is the RIDES. Many, many, many rides. So many topsy-turvy rides. I forced my husband to go on a couple of them with me. The best entertainment for sure would be to stand around outside by the rides around 9pm. You'll see drunk lederhosen-clad men spinning and hurling themselves on these fair-type rides. I can't think of a better thing to do than to drink LITERS of beer and then hang myself upside down over the city of Munich. Over the course of three days, we met people from all over the world, laughed harder than I've laughed in a long time, had amazing roasted and cured meats, and chugged some of the best beer in the world. Will go back again someday. PROST! read more
What a fun and memorable experience! Unbelievably well-organized, the beer is good, the food was not bad considering how large a place it was. People come to enjoy themselves, sing along to kitschy music and let their hair down a little. And that they do! I enjoyed myself far more than I ever expected to. read more
14 years ago
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Oktoberfest - funfair - Updated July 2026
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