5+ Munich Christmas markets you MUST visit in 2026!

Last updated on June 6th, 2026

Looking for the best Munich Christmas Markets to visit? We’re sharing our 6 top markets, plus bonus market ideas!

One of the top items on our travel bucket list was to visit Christmas markets in Europe. We dreamt of sipping on kinderpunsch while strolling through different stalls, trying new foods, admiring the twinkling lights, and soaking up the holiday cheer. And in December 2023, we finally made our dream come true!

We kicked off our month-long winter Europe trip in Germany, a country known for having some of the best Christmas markets in the world. And since our focus in Germany was on visiting southern Bavaria and the Bavarian Alps, Munich made for a great place to experience our first European Christmas markets.

In this guide we’re sharing our 6 must-visit Munich Christmas markets, which we suggest prioritizing during your Munich Christmas market tour. Plus a handful of extra markets that are also worth checking out if you have more time. We’ll be giving you important details about dates, hours of operation, what to expect at each one, as well as general Munich Christmas market tips to make sure your visit is a success!

Munich Christmas Markets Map

Must-visit Munich Christmas Markets 

With over a dozen Munich Christmas markets to choose from, it is hard to know where to begin. In Munich you can find traditional Christmas markets, plus a market inside of a palace courtyard, a Bavarian themed Christmas market, one that is illuminated in pink, and one with circus tents. There is a lot of variety among the Munich Christmas markets!

During our Munich Christmas market tour we visited close to 10 markets all around the city. Below are our 6 favorites, which we highly suggest prioritizing on your visit (not listed in order of preference). 

Looking for even more ideas? We’re sharing some bonus Munich Christmas markets later on!

1. Marienplatz Christmas Market (Münchner Christkindlmarkt)

Location: Marienplatz
Dates: November 20 – December 24, 2026
Hours of operation: Monday-Saturday from 10 AM-9 PM, Sunday from 10 AM-8 PM, and Christmas Eve from 10 AM-2 PM.
Why we liked it: This is the classic Christmas market experience in Munich. The setting in Marienplatz makes it straight out of a Christmas market dream!
Must try items: Some of our favorite items here were apfelkücherl (fried battered apple slices covered in sugar), plus Quarkbällchen (quark cheese “donut holes”) near the Rindermarkt and dampfnudeln (steamed yeast rolls bathed in a vanilla cream sauce).

The Christkindlmarkt is Munich’s oldest Christmas market, with the original version of it dating back to the 14th century. It is located right in the heart of Munich at Marienplatz, the city’s main square, with gothic architecture all around. 

Because it’s located right in the center of the city, it is the most popular and crowded Christmas market. But in our opinion, it is the top market you must visit!

Here you can find over 130 stalls to explore, both in the main square and the surrounding streets. These stalls sell anything from gluhwein, to delicious sweet and savory German treats, ornaments, clothing items, nativity scene items, and so much more. But besides all of the stalls, there are some fun festivities that take place at this market.

From Sundays to Thursdays at 5:30 PM you can watch performances of German folk music (Bavarian Stubenmusic) and holiday songs from the Town Hall balcony. These performances are a half hour and only happen once, so make sure to arrive on time!

Also, if you visit on the second Sunday in December (December 8 this year!) you’re in for a unique treat–the Krampus run! This is when locals (and visitors if they so choose!) dress up like the demonic looking Krampus and run around the streets, scaring people along the way (but all in good fun).

And while you’re at the market, make sure to pop into the courtyard of the Rathaus (town hall). Here you can send a postcard that will have a special Munich Christkindlmarkt stamp! To do this, you’ll first need to purchase a postcard, plus postage. We paid for our postage at a self pay kiosk at the Post Office around the corner. Then you can drop it into one of the yellow drop boxes, where it will receive its special stamp and be mailed!

A+K Tip: To see a view of the Marienplatz Christmas Market from above, head to the top of St. Peter’s Church Tower. To learn more about this, plus other fun things to do in Munich, check out this guide!

2. Christmas Village at the Residenz (Weihnachtsdorf im Kaiserhof der Residenz)

Location: Courtyard (Kaiserhof) of the Residenz
Dates: Mid November through mid December
Hours of Operation: 11 AM-9 PM every day, except for December 22, when they close at 8 PM.
Why we liked it: The smaller feel made it feel a bit less touristy, plus how cool is it to visit a Christmas market in the courtyard of a palace?!
Must try items: We loved the currywurst, gebrannte mandeln (roasted candied almonds), and käsespätzle (cheesy noodles with fried onions on top) here.

The Christmas Village is located right in the center of the Residenz, a Bavarian palace. This is a much smaller market than the Christkindlmarkt, but no less magical. I mean, it’s located in the courtyard of a palace afterall!

Despite being smaller, you can still find a good assortment of stalls selling the typical German Christmas market food and drink items, like currywurst, crepes, pommes frites, and gebrannte mandeln. And the environment itself is really chill, with a less overwhelming feeling than the Marienplatz market.

Plus there are animatronics! In the back corner you’ll find several stalls with animatronic displays of Christmas stories and fairy tales, like Hansel and Gretel. Not going to lie, some of these were a bit creepy and one display reminded us of Chuck E. Cheese, but it gave the market a unique flair!

3. Medieval Christmas Market

Location: Wittelsbacherplatz
Dates: November 20 – December 23, 2026 (closed November 22)
Hours of Operation: Every day from 11 AM-9 PM. This market is especially cool at night, as the darkness really adds to the medieval vibes.
Why we liked it: The historical feel, firepits, and costumed workers make it a fun and one of a kind experience.
Must try items: A must-have item here is flammkuchen (flatbread with toppings) and feuerzangenbowle (a flaming alcoholic drink)!

Travel back to the Middle Ages by heading to the Medieval Christmas Market! This market replicates what a medieval market scene would’ve been like in Munich years ago. And it was easily one of our favorite Munich Christmas Markets because it is unlike any of the others!

Instead of being decorated with Christmas flair, you’ll find wooden huts, workers that are dressed in medieval attire, clay goblets for drinking, a pig cooked on a rotisserie, and food cooked over a beechwood fire. Plus instead of selling the typical German Christmas market souvenirs, you’ll find swords, shields, and other medieval goodies for sale. 

Make sure you grab a drink here, whether it’s alcoholic or not, as they are served in clay goblets. Bonus points if you get the feuerzangenbowle, which has a flaming top! 

4. Märchenbazar (Fairytale Bazaar)

Location: Olympiapark
Dates: November 26 – December 28, 2026
Hours of Operation: Monday-Wednesday from 2 PM-10 PM, Thursday and Friday from 2 PM-11 PM, Saturday from 12 PM-11 PM, and Sunday from 11 AM-9 PM. They are closed on Christmas Eve and have special hours the week of Christmas.
Why we liked it: While it may have a less Christmas feel to it, the circus theme is SO fun and we found the food options here to be unique, diverse, and very high quality. It also felt a bit more local to us!
Must try items: This market is loaded with delicious foods, but we highly recommend trying the butter chicken, chai tea, and schupfnudeln with cheese.

One of the most whimsical Christmas markets in Munich is Märchenbazar, also known as the fairytale bazaar. This market is located in Olympiapark and has a bohemian and artistic vibe, with different circus tents, fire pits, locally made products, and outdoor stands. It truly feels like you walked into a circus! 

And while we’re hesitant to say it was our favorite Munich Christmas market, since the classic feel of Marienplatz is hard to beat, it definitely had our favorite vibe overall. Plus some of the best food!

Compared to many of the Munich Christmas markets, which all had similar food offerings, you can find a wide mix of foods from all around the world here. We enjoyed butter chicken, ramen, and chai, plus saw many other foods from other cuisines. But don’t worry, you can get some of the classic German Christmas market foods here too!

Another reason why we loved this market so much is that it had live performances, which is something the other markets lacked unfortunately. Plus there are fire pits outside to sit around and activities for kids (including an area to climb around in). It just gave off a really fun, local, and community focused feeling. 

A+K Tip: If you happen to be in Munich during Christmas, this is one of the few markets that are open on Christmas Day. So it makes for a perfect place to spend the holiday!

5. Pink Christmas

Location: Stephansplatz
Dates: November 20 – December 20, 2026
Hours of Operation: Monday to Friday from 4 PM-10 PM, Saturday & Sunday from 2 PM-10 PM.
Why we liked it: We loved the inclusive, welcoming feeling. Plus, everything is extra fun in pink!
Must try items: Due to full stomachs, we only tried the flammkuchen here, but it was really good!

Pink Christmas is Munich’s LGBTQ Christmas Market located in Munich’s LGBTQ neighborhood, ​​Glockenbachviertel. However, the market is open to everyone (kids included)and is a really fun environment to be in.

While the market itself is small (and during our visit, VERY crowded), it makes up for its lack of size in personality. The white stalls are bathed in the glow of pink light, which you can see from blocks away. Make sure to visit at night to witness this! You can also listen to live performances and DJs.

Even if you’re not super hungry, we suggest swinging by here just to experience it. And if you’re looking for a fun souvenir, make sure to grab one of the merman ornaments! 

6. Christmas Market at the Chinese Tower (Chinesischer Turm)

Location: Chinese Tower in the English Garden
Dates: Late November through mid December
Hours of Operation: Wednesday to Friday from 11.30 am to 8.30 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 11.00 a.m. to 8.30 p.m
Why we like it: We LOVED exploring the English Garden in Munich, so being able to also grab some food and experience a market was an added bonus. Plus, curling was a fun activity to watch!
Must try items: The Ox sandwich and mushroom goulash are big hits! My brother grabbed a freshly made auszogene (Bavarian donut), which was delicious as well!

Located in the middle of the English Garden, one of the largest city parks in the world, is a Christmas market at the Chinese Tower (Chinesischer Turm). What is usually a biergarten in the summertime transforms into one of our must-visit Munich Christmas markets in the winter.

We had heard that this market was pretty small, but we were very pleasantly surprised by the amount of stands, plus the quality of the items. They focus a lot on locally sourced items, and organic when possible. We found some delicious treats here, like ox sandwiches and auszogene, which we didn’t see at other markets.

Beyond the food, the Christmas market at the Chinese Tower has a children’s carousel, carriage rides, and a curling rink. We loved watching people curl, while enjoying our food. If you want to try this out, you can make a reservation in advance by emailing them.

Other Munich Christmas markets to check out

Looking for even more Munich Christmas Markets? While the 6 markets we listed above are our top picks, there are quite a few others in town that may be worth adding to your list if you have extra time.

7. Christmas Market at the Sendlinger Gate (Christkindlmarkt am Sendlinger Tor)

Location: Sendlinger Tor
Dates & Hours of Operation: November 20 – December 22, 2026, daily 10:30 am to 9 pm (closed November 22)

Held at one of the three remaining city gates, the Christkindlmarkt at the Sendlinger Tor is one of the oldest Christmas markets in Munich, dating back to 1886. It is one of the smaller markets, but it offers many of the classic foods and drinks. Including a huge set up for bratwurst! Adam thought the bratwurst here was one of the best out of all of the Christmas markets in Munich.

This market is located pretty close to Pink Christmas, so if you plan to visit that one, you could pop by along the way!

8. Winter Magic at the Viktualienmarkt 

Location: Viktualienmarkt
Dates & Hours of Operation: Mid November through early January (closed Sundays)

The Viktualienmarkt is a year-round food market located a couple blocks from the Marienplatz and was one of our favorite places in Munich! And during the holiday season, the already incredible market gets some extra Christmas flair!

Mixed in with the regular stands you can find a handful of holiday specific stalls, selling gluhwein, ornaments, and wreaths. Since you’ll likely be going to the Viktualienmarkt anyways when visiting Munich, we recommend perusing the stalls, but since the amount of Christmas stalls is small, we wouldn’t necessarily make this your only Munich Christmas market experience.

9. Feuerzangenbowle at the Isartor

Location: Isar Gate
Dates: Late November 23, 2026 – January 1, 2027
Hours of Operation: Monday-Saturday from 11 AM-10 PM, Sunday from 11 AM-9 PM, and Christmas Eve from 11 AM-2 PM.

Located at one of the other city gates, the Isartor, is a Christmas market that packs a big punch…literally!

The Feuerzangenbowle market is named after a drink with the same name, which means “fire tongs punch.” This drink includes a rum-soaked sugarloaf that is set on fire and put into mulled wine.

While you can find this drink at many of the markets, this market has the most impressive display and presentation. There is a specially made, massive 9,000 liter capacity kettle that focuses on high quality ingredients and special taste. 

10. Tollwood Winter Festival

Location: Theresienwiese
Dates: Late November through late December
Hours of Operation: It opens at 2 PM Monday through Friday and at 11 AM Saturday and Sunday. We couldn’t find set closing times, but it can run until 1 AM some nights.

The Tollwood Winter Festival is one of the largest Christmas markets in Munich, held at the Oktoberfest fairground. 

Every year the market has a different theme, with the 2023 theme being “Art washes the dust of everyday life from the soul.” During the festival you’ll find some of the best performances and acts at this festival like circus acts, trapeze artists, magicians, a tightrope walker, live music, fire dancers, and more. Plus art exhibits and lots of activities for kids in the children’s tent.

While Tollwood may have more of a carnival or festival feel than a Christmas market, it is considered by many to be one of the best Christmas markets in Munich. We opted to visit Märchenbazar instead, which is considered to be a smaller version of Tollwood.

11. Schwabinger Weihnachtsmarkt

Location: Münchner Freiheit 
Dates: Late November through late December
Hours of Operation: On its opening night on November 28 it is open from 6 PM-8:30 PM. Afterwards, it is open Monday-Friday from 12 PM-8:30 PM, Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM-8:30 PM, and Christmas Eve from 11 AM-2 PM.

One thing that you’ll notice when visiting Munich Christmas markets (as well as other markets across Europe) is that many of the items sold are cheaply made, imported goods. But that’s not the case at Schwabinger Weihnachtsmarkt.

Here you can find lots of locally made goods, straight from the creators themselves! This is a great market to visit if you want to buy high quality, local gifts for your loved ones.

But don’t worry, if you get hungry, they have food as well!

12. Munich Airport Christmas Market

Location: Munich Airport Center
Dates and hours: Mid November through late December
Hours of Operation: Every day from 11 AM to 9 PM and on Christmas Eve it runs from 11 AM to 4 PM.

If you’re flying into the Munich Airport you won’t have to wait long to get your first taste of a Munich Christmas market. As soon as you walk out of the terminal, you’ll see a large market!

At this market you can find over 40 stalls selling food and souvenirs, an ice rink, and live music. It is a solid market, but we wouldn’t go out of our way to come here. But if before or after arriving in Munich you need a quick bite to eat or need to buy a gift, it’s a good choice!

Must try foods at Munich Christmas Markets

We tried well over 20 food items throughout all of the Munich Christmas markets we visited. And we enjoyed them all! With our absolute favorites being different iterations of kinderpunsch, dampfnudeln, käsespatzle, currywurst, flammkuchen, apfelkücherl, and quarkbällchen.

To learn more about these dishes, plus other delicious foods to try at Munich’s Christmas markets, we have a comprehensive list of 29 German Christmas Market foods and drinks to try.

Things to know before visiting Christmas Markets in Munich

Opening dates and hours

Most markets begin just after American Thanksgiving (end of November) and end just before or after Christmas. If you’re visiting in late December, many of the markets may be closed, so we suggest visiting in early to mid December for the most options.

While we tried to include up to date hours, they may change as it inches closer to Christmas market season, so make sure to double check in advance.

Bring Cash

Cash is definitely king at the Christmas markets! Especially because of the deposits (more on that in a second). While many of the markets we went to did accept cards at some of the stalls, definitely plan to use cash for most.

ATMs

We suggest getting cash out at an ATM before visiting the markets (bank ATMs usually have the best rates), but if you happen to run low, all of the markets we visited had ATMs. These will have a fee, so be prepared to spend a little extra to use them.

Want to avoid ATM fees? We have a Charles Schwab checking account specifically for international travel. They refund ATM fees from ANY ATM worldwide! This gave us lots of freedom to use whichever ATM was most convenient.

When we could pay with a credit card, we always did, since we utilize travel credit cards to travel for free and cheap. See our top travel credit cards here!

Toilets

We have good news and bad news about the toilets. First, the bad…you’ll most likely have to pay to use the restroom when in public in Germany. The good news is they are usually attended, which means the bathrooms will be nice and clean!

Every Christmas market we visited in Munich had toilets. We saw bathrooms priced around €1 or less per person. Some did take credit cards or Apple Pay, like the toilets for Marienplatz, which are located in the courtyard of the Rathaus.

Deposit (pfand) for mugs and plates 

One thing we really liked about the Christmas Markets were all of the reusable mugs and plates. To cut down on waste, many stalls charge a bit extra (called a pfand) to use their plates and mugs. So don’t be alarmed when you go to pay and it is a few euro higher than what is listed on the menu. 

Once you’re finished with the dish, take it to the return stand and you’ll get your deposit back! The return area is usually in a different area, often on an edge of the stall.

You’re certainly welcome to keep the mugs also, in fact, this is a very common souvenir! Every town and market has different mug designs, so make sure to shop around to see which you like best. If you decide you want to keep some, make sure you have enough room in your luggage. And to keep them safe while traveling, we suggest wrapping them in your clothes.

Most menus are in German 

We did find that most stalls listed items in German, so make sure to have a list of what you want to try in advance so you know what to look for. As well as have the Google Translate app on your phone and have German downloaded for offline use.

Despite many signs being in German, we found that most stall workers understand English.

Make a plan and do a lap

Go into your Munich Christmas Market adventure with a few markets in mind and what foods and items you want to purchase. Then, when you first get to a market, do a lap around and scout out what foods you’d like to try and souvenirs you may want to purchase. This helped make it a little less overwhelming for us!

split Foods (to try more!)

If you’re traveling with a partner who is open to sharing, we highly recommend splitting meals and treats so you don’t have to buy two of everything. Plus you can try many different items this way! 

Food allergies/restrictions can be tough

While some markets have a variety of options including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free, especially at the large markets, overall it can be tough. Vegetarian is definitely the easiest to find, but vegan and gluten free will have fewer options.

Bring a bag

Make sure to bring a tote bag or backpack to carry all your gifts and souvenirs! 

Parcel bus at the Christkindlmarkt

If you need somewhere to store your bags, there is bag storage at The Packerlbus (parcel bus). This bus can be found next to Deutsches Jagd- und Fischereimuseum (German Hunting and Fishing Museum), at the corner of Augustinerstraße and Kaufingerstraße.

Where to stay to visit the Munich Christmas Markets

A good chunk of the Munich Christmas markets we listed are located around Munich’s Altstadt (Old Town). And one thing we loved about Munich is that it had amazing public transportation. Between the buses, trams, the U-Bahn, and the S-Bahn, you can hop between markets easily, even the further away ones!

Because of this, you don’t necessarily need to stay right in the heart of the action. During our visit we stayed at the Holiday Inn Leuchtenbergring, which was a little bit outside of the Altstadt, but was right by a train station, making our journey into town a breeze.

We were able to stay at this hotel for free, due to our IHG credit card, but even if we had paid for it, we’d still recommend it. The room was clean, comfortable, and despite some traveler complaints about noise, we didn’t find it to be noisy at all (we had a courtyard room though).

If you’d prefer to stay in the Altstadt, here are some other hotel options:
Holiday Inn Munich City Centre
Hotel Mirabell
Hotel MIO

Ready to explore the Munich Christmas markets?

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