The Best Neighbourhoods to Stay in for Oktoberfest

Which Munich neighbourhood should you stay in when you come for Oktoberfest?

Munich isn’t a huge city, but there is still a staggering amount of choice when it comes to finding a place to stay for the city’s biggest event of the year.

After living in Munich for several years, we’ve learned a trick or two about choosing the best Oktoberfest accommodation for friends and family, so let me now pass those tips onto you!

This Oktoberfest neighborhood guide will help you choose the best neighborhoods to stay in Munich during Oktoberfest, whether your priority is location, budget or overall experience.

We hope you find it helpful!

What neighbourhood is Oktoberfest in Munich?

Munich is divided into 25 boroughs, but all the interesting stuff for tourists is mostly clustered around the the 7-8 boroughs in the middle. Luckily, Oktoberfest is located in one of these!

Officially, Oktoberfest is located at Theresienwiese, which is part of the Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt borough.

Staying in any hotel here will put you in close distance to the Oktoberfest grounds, and also close to a lot of fun action in Munich.

This is the borough that houses a lot of lively Munich districts, including the Glockenbachviertel, the epicenter of Munich’s LGBTQ/party scene, the Gärtnerplatzviertel, where you’ll find one of the prettiest squares in Munich, popular with young people/hipsters and also the area, and the world famous Deutsches Museum, the largest science/technology museum in the world.

Which U-Bahn Lines to Stay Near for Oktoberfest

The main entrance of Oktoberfest has an U-Bahn station right in front of it called Theresienwiese. This is the main point of entry for most visitors. Theresienwiese is on the U4 and U5. Also nearby on the U4/U5 (and by the West entrance) is Schwanthalerhöhe.

The east entrance of Oktoberfest has an U-Bahn station in front of it called Goetheplatz. This stop is serviced by U3 and U6 trains. In the south, there is an entrance near the Poccistrasse stop, also serviced by the U3/U6.

So it’s simple enough! If you want to find Oktoberfest accommodation that is easily reachable to Theresienwiese by public transport, look for a hotel very close to either a U3, U4, U5 or U6 line.

Munich is a very compact city, so staying by any stop on these lines will not take you more than 30 minutes by train to reach Theresienwiese.

NOTE: While all stops on the U4/U5 are within the Munich M-Zone for public transport, all the Garching stops on the U6 are located in Zone 2, so you’ll need to pay more for public transport tickets in/out of here. You can learn more about the Munich transportation system in this guide here.

The Best Neighbourhoods to Stay in Munich for Oktoberfest

So for a visitor, what is the best area to stay in Munich for Oktoberfest? Here are some choices, along with hotel recommendations.

Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt

While Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt (the neighborhood containing the festival grounds) is definitely the best pick location-wise, with this proximity comes numerous trade-offs, including lack of availability, noise/crowds and most importantly, PRICE!

The truth is, Munich hotels near Oktoberfest book up months, even a year in advance, and so prices are, quite frankly, absurd, especially if you want to book something of high quality.

The main benefit of booking something so close is that you don’t need to worry about transportation, and can easily walk back after a day of drunken revelry…

If you value convenience over budget, then there are many hotels within walking distance to Oktoberfest in/around the Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt area.

Here are some Theresienwiese hotels that don’t compromise on style and experience despite their central location.

All of the following hotels have an 8+ rating on Booking.com, are located in the Inner Zone (Innenraum) of public transportation and will get you to Oktoberfest in 25 minutes or less.

Looking for something in Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt that’s a little cheaper? The following hotels are all decently priced (relatively speaking), especially considering their close distance to Oktoberfest.

WARNING: They book up very very quickly, so snatch them up if you see any availability. I’m seeing most of them are already fully booked (as I write this in March).

Neighborhoods Along the U4/U5 U-Bahn Lines

The Theresienwiese U-Bahn Station (at the Oktoberfest main entrance) and the Schwanthalerhöhe U-Bahn Station (at the Oktoberfest west entrance) are both conveniently located on the U4 and U5 underground train lines.

So, if you’re looking for an affordable place to stay that nonetheless offers a direct connection to Oktoberfest (without needing any transfers), staying somewhere along the U4 or U5 is a good idea.

If you want to be close to the main sights in Munich as well, I’d recommend trying to find somewhere near Odeonsplatz or Lehel.

Here is a table of different hotels that are along the U4/U5 line, all with reviews of 8 or higher on Booking.com, and will get you to Oktoberfest in less than 25 minutes:

Neighborhoods Along the U3/U6 U-Bahn Lines

The Goetheplatz U-Bahn Station (at the Oktoberfest east entrance) and the Poccistrasse U-Bahn Station (at the Oktoberfest south entrance) are both conveniently located on the U3 and U6 underground train lines. So, if you’re looking for an affordable place to stay that nonetheless offers a direct connection to Oktoberfest, staying somewhere along the U3 or U6 is a good option.

Staying at Marienplatz, Odeonsplatz, Universität or Sendlinger Tor will put you in close proximity to most of Munich’s main tourist hotspots. These stops are all very central, so hotels will likely be pricier, but they are ideally situated for sightseeing.

The area around Münchner Freiheit is lively and fun as well, with lots of restaurants and bars.

And last but not least, the Olympiazentrum stop is at the Munich Olympic Park, a beautiful area (that I used to live in!) While it’s not right in the city center, it is a beautiful area to stay in, with lots of cool, unique sights as well.

NOTE: Anything outside of the stops mentioned above will be fairly boring and residential, with not much to offer for tourists. This might be good if you want a quieter place to stay that’s still connected easily to Oktoberfest, but there won’t be much sightseeing around the hotels themselves.

Here is a table of different hotels that are along the U3/U6 line, all with reviews of 8 or higher on Booking.com, and will get you to Oktoberfest in less than 30 minutes:

Munich Hotels Map

Last but not least, if you want a clear, visual way to browse different hotels and neighborhoods around Oktoberfest, here’s an easy map for you to use:

Booking.com

Any other questions about the Best Oktoberfest Neighborhoods?

I hope you enjoyed that guide on the best neighborhoods to stay in Munich for Oktoberfest. Let me know in the comments if you have any more questions! Have an amazing trip!