Organized Tours

By Bus

City tours encompass aspects of both modern and medieval Munich, and depart from the main railway station aboard blue-sided buses. Departures, depending on the season and the tour, occur between two and eight times a day, and tours are conducted in both German and English. Most tours last no more than 2 1/2 hours, with the exception of a scientific odyssey that focuses on the technological triumphs of Munich as witnessed by various museums that include the Deutsches Museum. That experience usually lasts for a minimum of 4 hours, plus the time you spend wandering through museums at the end of your tour.

Tours cost 11€ to 60€ ($18-$96) adults, 6€ to 14€ ($9.60-$22) children 13 and under. Advance reservations for most city tours aren't required, and you can buy your ticket from the bus driver at the time you board. Tours leave from the square in front of the Hauptbahnhof, at Hertie's.

To go farther afield and visit major attractions in the environs (such as Berchtesgaden or Ludwig II's castles), contact Sightseeing Gray Line, Schützenstrasse 9 (tel. 089/549-075-60; U-Bahn or S-Bahn: Hauptbahnhof), open year-round Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and Saturday 9am to 1pm. (Travel agents in Munich, as well as the concierge or reception staff at your hotel, can also book these tours.) At least a half-dozen touring options are available, ranging from a 1-hour overview of the city to full-day excursions to such outlying sites as Berchtesgaden, Oberammergau, and Hohenschwangau. To participate in tours that go outside the city limits, advance reservations are required, especially if you want the bus to pick you up at any of Munich's hotels.

By Bike

Pedal pushers will want to try the popular Mike's Bike Tour, Hochbrückenstrasse (tel. 089/255-43-988; www.mikesbiketours.com). Bike-rental services include maps, locks, child and infant seats, and helmets at no extra charge. English and bilingual tours of central Munich run from March 16 to April 15 and September 1 to November 10 daily at 12:30pm and from April 16 to August 31 daily at 4pm. Participants meet under the tower of the Old Town Hall, a gray building on the east end of Marienplatz. The tour veers from the bike paths only long enough for a lunch stop at a beer garden. Fear not, fainthearted: The bikes are new, and the rides are easy, with plenty of time for historical explanations, photo opportunities, and question-and-answer sessions. The cost for a tour, including the bike, is 24€ ($38). It is also possible to rent a bike for 12€ ($19) for same-day return or 21€ ($34) overnight.

On Foot

Munich Walk Tours, in English (tel. 0171/2740204; www.munichwalktours.de), is a fun way to get to know the city. Munich is shared from various expert points of view; these range from a straight City Walk, taking in the highlights, to a Beer and Brewery Tour. The City Walk is offered only from January 2 to April 30 and October 17 to November 30 daily at 10:45am, lasting 2 1/4 hours and costing 10€ ($16). The Beer and Brewery tour departs January 2 to April 30 and October 2 to December 31, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 5:30pm; May 1 to September 15 daily 6:15pm; and September 16 to October 1 daily 2:30pm. It lasts 3 hours and costs 18€ ($29). Hitler's Munich -- Third Reich Tour, an intriguing sojourn, is conducted only January 2 to March 31 and November 1 to December 31 Monday and Wednesday to Sunday at 10:30am; April 1 to June 30 daily 10am. It lasts 2 1/2 hours and costs 12€ ($19). Children 13 and under with an adult go free on these tours. The meeting point for all tours is at the main entrance of the New Gothic Rathaus on Marienplatz. Call to confirm starting times and places to meet or to ask about other tours.