Munich Strong Beer Fest – March 19-27, 2024
This tour starts as the Starkbierfest is in full swing and includes daily tours to many places not included in other tour packages, such as Weihenstephan – the World’s oldest brewery, and Andechs – the ascent up the Holy Mountain. The Munich Strong Beer Festival is literally a well-kept secret beer festival.
$3199/pp, or $2399/pp if you purchase your own airfare (based on dual occupancy)
Single Occupancy
There is an additional hotel room charge for single occupancy of $75 per night, per person. I will try to match single travelers as roommates, wherever possible to minimize room costs. The best tour rates are achieved with dual occupancy.
Trip Details
Daily Tour Information
Sample Daily Itinerary
Munich's Strong Beer Festival - Stark bier season begins, and this is the Secret Beer Festival Locals Love. We add plenty of local culture and brewery visits to round out this tour experience.
Travel Day – Depart the USA, Arrive in Germany
Depart the USA on March 19th and arrive in Munich Germany the following morning, March 20th.
Day 1 – Munich Orientation – Our Tour Hotel
We pick up our bags in the Munich Airport, proceed through German Customs, and board the S-Bahn to take the short 1-hour ride to our tour hotel, where we drop off our bags. We take a break at the tour hotel for unpacking and then we’ll do a short walking tour of the local area to get a good orientation of the services available nearby. We’ll have dinner in Munich and then get a good night’s rest for the evening.
Day 2 –Our 1st Festival location – Paulaner Starkbierfest
We’ll head downtown for a hearty lunch before heading to the Paulaner brewery for the afternoon and evening. The strong beer season belongs to Munich like beer gardens and the Oktoberfest. The strong beer was invented at the Nockherberg by monks and the Paulaner Nockherberg is the original venue for Munich’s strong beer festival for the past 150 years. Our entry to the festival includes the first liter of Paulaner Salvator – their dark, rich, double bock beer.
Day 3 – Brewery Tours to Aying and Erding
Today, we’ll be visiting two award-winning breweries that have been in business about the same length of time but have completely different approaches to guided tours. We take local transportation to Aying, where we’ll tour the Ayinger Brewery – brewing great award-winning beers for over 140 years. After lunch, we’ll hop on the local S-Bahn and travel to the town of Erding, home of Erdinger beer – the largest wheat beer brewery in Europe, also brewing award winning beers for over 140 years, and take a tour of their state-of-the-art brewery.
Day 4 – Open Day in Munich – Walking Tour & Our 2nd Festival
We explore the city and its many scenic buildings, cathedrals that were completely rebuilt after World War II, and the Munich Central Square. We also visit a few brewery taprooms during the afternoon, including the World famous Hofbräuhaus. This evening, we’ll visit either the Löwenbräu or Augustiner Keller for another taste of great strong beer.
Day 5 – The Oldest Brewery in the World - Weihenstephan
Today, we’ll take the S-Bahn into Central Munich, grab breakfast on the go, and then board the S-Bahn again for the 45-minute ride to Freising – home of the World’s oldest brewery – Weihenstephan, brewing beer continuously since the year 1040 A.D. We’ll take a brewery tour and have a beer tasting upon tour completion. Lunch will be at the World famous Bräustüberl, then we’ll visit the brewery gift shop for souvenirs and beers, before making our way back to Munich.
Day 6 – Travel to Andechs Monastery
We take local transportation and a short bus ride to travel to the Holy Hill of Kloster Andechs (the Andechs Monastery) to enjoy great monk beers, and a hearty lunch. We’ll visit the church and gift shop, as we negotiate the cobblestone paths above the monastery restaurant and then return to Munich in time to do some afternoon shopping.
Day 7 – Local Munich Hop On-Hop Off – Farewell Dinner
We’ll depart the hotel, grab breakfast on the way to Munich’s Central Train Station, where we’ll board our Hop On-Hop Off tour bus to visit the famous Nymphenburg Palace and other city sights throughout the day. We’ll visit a local craft brewery early in the evening for our tour farewell dinner and then head back to the hotel to pack for our travel home tomorrow.
Day 8 – Travel to the USA
Our departure times are fairly similar, so we’ll journey to the airport together. We’ll depart our tour hotel and board the S-Bahn for Munich Airport to travel back to the USA. It’s best to get a bite to eat after proceeding through airport security, and then do a little final souvenir shopping as you wing your way home.
Tour Deposit
$700
Due prior to January 15th, 2024 and fully refundable if travel plans change, up until flight and hotel plans are made. Once flight and hotel plans are complete, tour fees are non-refundable and trip refunds are conducted with the travel company providing, tours, transportation, and lodging, based on their published travel policies.
Air, Hotel, Local Transportation and Bus Tours Fee
$2499, or $1699 if you purchase your own airfare + any single occupancy fee
Due by January 4th, 2024. Includes round trip airfare, hotel, local transportation fees, and all motorcoach tours. You have the option to choose your own flight itinerary, and I’ll book your flight, hotel, and the tours, as soon as your tour fee is paid. My booking process is what provides substantial tour savings, and flexibility in your flight schedules.
Travel Insurance
Optional
Travel Insurance is available at an additional cost, by a number of insurance providers, such as travel companies (Expedia, Priceline, etc…) or Berkshire-Hathaway. This can be a very cost-effective option, should anything go awry in the travel process, and I can advise on options to select, once you elect to go on tour.