Germany for the First Time — 10 Days

Germany for the First Time — 10 Days

Germany
📅 10 days 🏛 8 cities 🛣 1244 km 🚗 By car ✨ Road trip 🌤 May–October

📷 Felix / Unsplash (Unsplash License)

Ten days from Berlin to the Alps, by car. First the historic cities — Berlin for the first two days, then Dresden and Nuremberg — followed by the Romantic Road through Rothenburg to Neuschwanstein, and finally the Bavarian mountains and lakes. Munich closes the journey with two days. The pace is active: accommodation changes seven times in ten days, so this is not a route for those who want to unpack once and stay put.

Route map

Route map — Germany for the First Time — 10 Days

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Day-by-day plan

1
Berlin
Day 1

Berlin

📷 Kai Nachtigal / Unsplash (Unsplash License)

Arrival and First Loop Through the Centre

Your first encounter with the city: the Brandenburg Gate, Unter den Linden, and Museum Island. The first day is not a race — Berlin is too vast to see in full, so you pick and choose.

🌍 Experience — Berlin
Brandenburg Gate
🟢 Free entry
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Entrance is completely free and the gate is accessible 24 hours a day. Visiting early in the morning is recommended for better photography without crowds.

Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

East Side Gallery
🟢 Free entry
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Free access, public mural on a remnant of the Berlin Wall — open 24/7.

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Museumsinsel
🎟️ Ticket required
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Individual tickets 12-14€, Bereichskarte (all island museums) 19€. The Berlin Welcome Card Museum Island is an excellent option for a one-day visit.

Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Alexanderplatz
🟢 Free entry
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Checkpoint Charlie
🟢 Free entry
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Potsdamer Platz
🟢 Free entry
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Free admission. Many restaurants, cinemas and casinos in the vicinity.

Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Berlin Wall Memorial
🎟️ Ticket required
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Topography of Terror
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DDR Museum
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Jewish Museum Berlin
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German Historical Museum
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Natural History Museum Berlin
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Fernsehturm
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Charlottenburg Palace
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Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche
🎟️ Ticket required
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🏞️ Day trips & surroundings
Spreewald
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Filmpark Babelsberg
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Berlin Zoological Garden
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Potsdam
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Saxon Switzerland
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Tropical Islands
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Wittenberg
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Activities and tours — Berlin →

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3
Dresden
Day 3

Dresden

📷 Nikolai Kolosov / Unsplash (Unsplash License)

Dresden on the Elbe

A baroque city centre rebuilt from the ruins of war: Frauenkirche, Zwinger, Semperoper, and the Brühlsche Terrasse overlooking the river. The city is best explored on foot; a vehicle is only needed to get there.

🌍 Experience — Dresden
Zwinger
🎟️ Ticket required
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Semperoper
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Residential Palace and Green Vault
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Fürstenzug
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Brühl's Terrace
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Kreuzkirche
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Kunsthof Passage
🎟️ Ticket required
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Großer Garten
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Augustus Bridge
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Pfund's Dairy
🎟️ Ticket required
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🏞️ Day trips & surroundings
Saxon Switzerland and Bastei
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Meissen
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Moritzburg Castle
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Activities and tours — Dresden →

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4
Nuremberg
Day 4

Nuremberg

📷 Ram Lanka / Unsplash (Unsplash License)

Nuremberg — Transfer Day and Imperial Castle

The longest drive of the journey: 313 km from Dresden, around three and a half hours of pure driving. This is therefore a transfer day with a selective visit, not a full programme. Kaiserburg above the rooftops and the Hauptmarkt with the Schöner Brunnen can easily fit into an afternoon; the Nuremberg Trials Memorial in Courtroom 600 remains an option, depending on arrival time and opening hours. The city does not conceal its difficult history, but that history deserves time.

🌍 Experience — Nuremberg
Kaiserburg
🎟️ Ticket required
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Hauptmarkt with the Schöner Brunnen
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Frauenkirche
🎟️ Ticket required
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

St. Lorenz Church
🎟️ Ticket required
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Germanisches Nationalmuseum
🎟️ Ticket required
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Street of Human Rights
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Documentation Centre Reichsparteitagsgelände
🎟️ Ticket required
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Nuremberg Trials Memorial
🎟️ Ticket required
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Albrecht Dürer's House
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Historic Underground Cellars
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Weißgerbergasse
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Pegnitz with Henkersteg and Kettensteg
🎟️ Ticket required
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🏞️ Day trips & surroundings
Bamberg
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Bayreuth and the Margravial Opera House
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Franconian Switzerland
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Activities and tours — Nuremberg →

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5
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Day 5

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

📷 Roman Kraft / Unsplash (Unsplash License)

Rothenburg and the Start of the Romantic Road

A city within intact medieval walls: Plönlein, a walk along the ramparts via the Turmweg, and the square with the Town Hall. A short drive from Nuremberg leaves a full day for exploring on foot.

🌍 Experience — Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Market Square with Town Hall and Tower
🎟️ Ticket required
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Ratstrinkstube with the Meistertrunk Clock
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Plönlein
🎟️ Ticket required
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

St. Jacob's Church
🎟️ Ticket required
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City Walls and Turmweg
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Röderturm
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Burggarten with Burgtor
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Medieval Crime and Justice Museum
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RothenburgMuseum
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Historic Vaults with State Dungeon
🎟️ Ticket required
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

German Christmas Museum
🎟️ Ticket required
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Craftsman's House of Old Rothenburg
🎟️ Ticket required
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

🏞️ Day trips & surroundings
Kreglingen — Herrgottskirche and the Altar of the Virgin
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Nördlingen — A City Built Inside a Meteor Crater
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Dinkelsbühl — Fortified Town on the Romantic Road
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Activities and tours — Rothenburg ob der Tauber →

Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

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6
Füssen
Day 6

Füssen

📷 Carsten Steger / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Along the Romantic Road to Füssen

The Romantic Road heads south and ends right here in Füssen. Given the length of the journey, Neuschwanstein is not on the agenda for this day: tickets are issued for a specific time slot, and the walk from the ticket centre up to the castle takes a fair amount of effort. Today is for arriving and exploring Füssen's old town; the castles are saved for tomorrow morning.

🌍 Experience — Füssen
Hoher Schloss
🎟️ Ticket required
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Monastery of St Magnus and City Museum
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Church of St Magnus
🎟️ Ticket required
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Reichenstraße
🎟️ Ticket required
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Hospital Church of the Holy Spirit
🎟️ Ticket required
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Franciscan Church and Monastery
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Lechfall
🎟️ Ticket required
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Kalvarienberg
🎟️ Ticket required
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🏞️ Day trips & surroundings
Wieskirche
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Forggensee
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Schloss Hohenschwangau
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Tegelberg
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Treetop Walk in Ziegelwies
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Ehrenberg Castle and Highline179 Bridge
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Schloss Neuschwanstein
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Activities and tours — Füssen →

Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

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7
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Day 7

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

📷 Markus Spiske / Unsplash (Unsplash License)

Castles in the Morning, Mountains in the Afternoon

The morning is devoted to Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, with a pre-booked time slot, followed by a transfer east to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The Zugspitze does not fit into this day, nor into the next: the ascent to the summit demands a day of its own, so it remains a recommendation for a separate visit.

🌍 Experience — Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Partnachklamm
🎟️ Ticket required
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Große Olympiaschanze
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Ludwigstraße in Partenkirchen
🎟️ Ticket required
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Frühlingstraße in Garmisch
🎟️ Ticket required
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Old Church of St Martin
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Werdenfels Museum
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Michael-Ende-Kurpark
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Philosophenweg
🎟️ Ticket required
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🏞️ Day trips & surroundings
Eibsee
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Oberammergau, Etal and Linderhof
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Mittenwald
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Zugspitze
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Activities and tours — Garmisch-Partenkirchen →

Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

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8
Berchtesgaden
Day 8

Berchtesgaden

📷 Maksym Kozlenko / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Königssee and the Berchtesgaden Alps

Heading east through the Alpine belt, 193 km from Garmisch. On this drive, one great thing fits into the day — not two: Königssee, explored exclusively by electric boat to St Bartholomä. Kehlsteinhaus, perched above the valley, is an alternative for those who value a panoramic view over a boat trip — it operates seasonally, so availability should be checked before you arrive.

🌍 Experience — Berchtesgaden
Royal Palace
🎟️ Ticket required
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Stiftskirche of St Peter and John the Baptist
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Marktplatz with Marktbrunnen
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Hirschenhaus
🎟️ Ticket required
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Franciscan Church
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Nonntal
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Salt Mine
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Haus der Berge
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🏞️ Day trips & surroundings
Obersalzberg and Kehlsteinhaus
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Ramsau, Hintersee, and Zauberwald
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Rossfeld Panoramic Road
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Königssee
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Activities and tours — Berchtesgaden →

Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

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9
Munich
Day 9

Munich

📷 Matthias Schröder / Unsplash (Unsplash License)

Heading Back North and Arriving in Munich

Drive back northwest, from the mountains to the plain. In the afternoon, a first circuit through Munich: Marienplatz, the Frauenkirche, and the Residenz.

🌍 Experience — Munich
Deutsches Museum
🎟️ Ticket required
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The ticket provides access to all permanent exhibitions. Online purchase in advance is recommended. The museum is so large that it is impossible to see everything in one day — plan your priority sections ahead of time.

Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Marienplatz
🟢 Free entry
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The square is free to visit. The Glockenspiel chimes at 11am, 12pm and 5pm (in summer also at 6pm). For the view from the top of the Neue Rathaus tower, a nominal ticket of around 3 EUR is charged.

Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

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Alte Pinakothek
🎟️ Ticket required
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On Sundays, admission is a symbolic 1 EUR — ideal for visitors on a limited budget. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office or online. The museum is closed on Mondays.

Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Englischer Garten
🟢 Free entry
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The park is free and open year-round. Chinesischer Turm with its beer garden is a special attraction — beer is paid for on the spot. Surfers on the artificial wave at Eisbach are visible from the bridge.

Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Residenz Munich
🎟️ Ticket required
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The combined ticket for the Residence and Treasury costs around 14 EUR and is recommended as the Treasury contains exceptional exhibits. Arriving in the morning hours is advised. The Cuvilliés Theatre within the complex requires a separate ticket.

Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Frauenkirche
🟢 Free entry
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Entrance to the cathedral is free. The tower is currently under renovation and may be closed to visitors. A morning visit is recommended before the tourist crowds arrive. The church is an active place of worship.

Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Olympiapark
🎟️ Ticket required
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The ticket for the Olympic Tower (observation deck) costs around 13 EUR and includes views of the Alps in good weather. The park is free to walk through. The Olympic Stadium can be visited with guided tours, which are paid separately.

Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Schloss Nymphenburg
🎟️ Ticket required
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The combined ticket of 15 EUR includes the palace, the carriage museum, and the park pavilions. The park is free and accessible throughout the year. A visit in spring is recommended when the fountains are running and the gardens are in full bloom.

Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

🏞️ Day trips & surroundings
Lake Chiemsee
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Regensburg
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Therme Erding
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Zugspitze
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Skyline Park
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Zoo Hellabrunn
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Salzburg
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Schloss Neuschwanstein
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Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

Activities and tours — Munich →

Prices and availability are on the partner's website.

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10
Munich
Day 10

Munich

📷 Matthias Schröder / Unsplash (Unsplash License)

A Full Day in Munich to Finish

Your final day with no driving: explore the English Garden, visit beer halls, and choose from Munich's many museums. Munich is also the most convenient departure point for your journey home.

Plan your trip

Everything you need for Germany for the First Time — 10 Days in one place

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Accommodation Hotels, apartments and villas
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Car and transfer Car rental, transfers and local transport
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Flights and trains Flights, train tickets and intercity transport
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Tickets and tours Tickets, tours and local experiences
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eSIM Internet without a local SIM card
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