Munich: Beer & Schnapps Day Tour with Local Bars & Food

4.98

(147 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I opened my eyes to Marienplatz already buzzing—people everywhere, pigeons dodging feet, that faint yeasty smell from somewhere nearby. Our guide Max grinned as he handed out tiny wooden dice for a drinking game right there in the square. I was terrible at it (blame nerves or excitement), but nobody cared. First sip of Bavarian beer before noon felt both rebellious and perfectly normal here. Max told us how this wasn’t just about drinking—it’s history in a glass, he said, and I actually believed him.

The next stop was a beerhall tucked behind Viktualienmarkt, not one of those touristy giants but a place where old men argued over cards and the barmaid called everyone “Schatz.” The light inside was golden and sticky somehow, clinging to the wooden tables. We tried a schnapps that tasted like apples and something herbal—Max explained the recipe came from his grandmother’s village. I couldn’t pronounce it; Li laughed when I tried to say it in German—definitely butchered it. The pretzels were warm, salty, perfect with the second round of beer (the “light fare” turned out heavier than expected). I liked watching locals nod at each other as they came in—there’s a rhythm to it.

Later we wandered past Müller’s Public Bath—never thought I’d see such an Art Nouveau building on a beer tour—and ducked into another centuries-old hall where monks still brew their own stuff. The Benedictine beer was darker and smoother than anything I’d had back home. There was this moment when everyone just went quiet for a bit, sipping slowly while outside bells rang somewhere. Maybe it was the schnapps or just Munich doing its thing.

The last stretch took us through streets lined with little craft bars—Max pointed out which ones had started pushing against tradition (“the uprising,” he called it). My head felt fuzzy but good. It was only mid-afternoon but honestly? Felt like we’d been part of something older than any clock tower or cathedral around us. Still think about that golden light on the table sometimes.