Prost! 10 Essential Tips for Surviving Oktoberfest in Munich
A trip to Munich to celebrate Oktoberfest was on my bucket list years before I even tried my first beer.
When people think of Oktoberfest they immediately picture crowds dressed in lederhosen and dirndls, clinking mugs of beer and snacking on massiva Bavarian pretzels. They're not wrong, but there is so much more to Oktoberfest that's not to be missed.
First, a bit of history: Oktoberfest got its start on October 12, 1810—the day of the Royal Wedding between Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. Horse races marked the end of the celebration for all of Bavaria. The following year—1811—the horse races continued and an Agricultural Show was added to the festival. Sadly, today there are no more horse races during Oktoberfest.
So, you want to go to Oktoberfest? Fantastic—you are going to love it! Here are ten tips to make your trip as enjoyable as possible and get you prepared for this amazing festival:
1. Find your tribe. Your experience at Oktoberfest can vary greatly depending on the number of travelers you have in your squad. Lock down your tribe early so you can plan accordingly. I recommend planning your travel with one of the following crews:
A tightknit group of 4 or less. Four (or less) is a reasonable number to walk into any tent and likely be able to score a seat. If you want to enjoy a liter of beer, you'll need a seat. Servers can't deliver food or drink to you unless you have your butt in a seat. So, if you're an American, don't expect to be able to walk up to a bar, order a drink and enjoy it standing—that's not a thing at Oktoberfest.
Bring the party with a tribe of 10. If you want to make a reservation at one of the tents to score guaranteed seating, you'll (typically) need a party of ten. Check out all the different tents online.
Some tents, like Winzerer Fähndl and Schottenhamel, hold 10,000+ guests and are fairly easy to navigate and find yourselves seats without any reservations. My group, which didn't book any tables ahead of time, found ourselves at many of the midsize tents during our time in Munich: Armbrustschützen-Festhalle and Ochsenbraterei (both seating approximately 7,400 guests). I wish we could have scored reservations at Heimer's Roasted Duck and Chicken tent, which accommodates about 320, and seemed to be a favorite tent among locals. As an FYI, they begin taking reservations in February. For travelers looking to make reservations at smaller, more intimate fest tents consider Glöckle Wirt (98) or Zur Bratwurst (210).
2. Book early. There’s no shortage of people flocking to Munich to partake in this amazing annual event. That said, book your travel and accommodations as early as possible! Accommodations include everything from your Airbnb to any table reservations in the tents you’re looking to score. If you’re not a planner and you want to go to Oktoberfest you can still make it work, just be prepared to shell out some extra dollars.
3. Get in the spirit—buy the attire. At first I was a bit skeptical, worried the Germans may have just convinced tourists to rock the lederhosen and dirndl for their own entertainment. This skepticism was very wrong. In fact, this attire is innate in their culture. This attire represents German pride and is worn for festivals and celebrations ranging from Oktoberfest to traditional, formal weddings. If you’re celebrating Oktoberfest in Germany, spend the money and buy the traditional German attire. If you can’t afford the outfits—and they can get quite pricey—try leveraging clothes you may already have like a checkered shirt and brown pants, along with a few select accessories such as a hat similar to an alpine hat for the men and a basic silhouette dress and fancy skirt apron for the ladies. Please, just don’t buy some cheap Halloween imitation off Amazon, which may just get you a properly deserved side eye from the locals. Honor the traditions and values of the culture, don't appropriate them. Check out more history on the rise in popularity of dirndl and lederhosen here. Oh, and be sure to pack comfortable shoes you don't mind having beer spilled on.
4. Arrive early. If you want a seat and want to enjoy yourself, arrive early. Order a liter of beer, a traditional meal, and take it all in. There’s a lot of atmosphere in the Oktoberfest tents that can be enjoyed throughout the day. The Oktoberfest beer is easy to sip and as long as you're not rapidly slamming mugs of beer you likely won’t be too wasted even if you start drinking at 2pm. Arriving early also gives you the opportunity to explore the different tents and feel out the various vibes of each. Some tents are reservation only after a certain hour, so the earlier you go the more you’ll be able to see. Something I totally wasn’t expecting when I arrived at Oktoberfest was that it’s set up much like an American carnival—games, rides and food trucks are all over the place. Our group had a blast on the carnival rides and snacking on funnel cakes. I can’t speak for the Germans or other tourists, but for us it had a great nostalgic feeling reminiscent of our childhoods at county carnivals.
5. Master a few key phrases. This really goes for anytime you’re traveling to a country that speaks a foreign language. Take a few minutes each day in the months leading up to your travels to master even the most basic greetings and questions. Don't be embarrassed if you totally butcher the pronunciation, I believe that just putting in effort really shows respect to the native speakers. Respect for the cultures and languages of others is so important. Throw any sense of entitlement as a native English speaker out the window. There’s no room for that in your travels. Here’s a few very basic, key German phrases I recommend getting a handle on:
Hallo. – Hello/Hi
Prost! – Cheers!
Danke. – Thank you
Guten tag! – Good day!
Ein Bier bitte. – One beer please
Wo ist die Toilette. – Where is the bathroom/toilet?
Wie viel? – How much?
6. Warm up your vocal cords. A live band is an Oktoberfest tent staple—and singing along is encouraged. So, warm up your vocal cords so you’re prepared. A few songs you may want to work on familiarizing yourself with include:
7. Throw calorie counting out the window. Giant pretzels, beer by the liter, fried meats, cookies, carnival foods. I’m all about living a healthy life and eating well, but all things in moderation, am I right. Oktoberfest is not the time to be calorie conscious. Enjoy the festivities and just consider packing your favorite heartburn relief meds in your carry on.
8. Invest in hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer and travel tissues are a must, regardless of where you're venturing. The Oktoberfest tent bathrooms are typically in pretty good shape, but I found many ran out of soap and TP by night’s end. Travel, in general, can be germy, so anytime you’re packing up to go be sure to buy a couple of travel size hand sanitizers to take with you to keep the spread of germs at bay.
9. Make new friends. Beer, along with beer halls and gardens, are at their core intended to foster social interaction and enjoy leisure time among friends. I know Oktoberfest is very Insta-worthy, but please, put your phones away and instead redirect your energy to making introductions with your table mates. An hour in and I guarantee you’ll be singing together, arms around one another, laughing and enjoying the moment you’re really living in.
10. Enjoy every moment. See #9. Seriously, put the phones down people. This celebration began as a celebration of love. Head to the tents with your friends, clink your mugs and enjoy!