Planning a trip to Munich can feel like stepping into a world brimming with history, culture, and endless things to explore. But with so much to see and do, figuring out how to navigate the city’s iconic attractions and bustling transportation system might leave you feeling a little overwhelmed.
Enter the Munich City Card and Munich City Pass—two fantastic options designed to make your visit smoother, more affordable, and packed with perks. But what’s the difference? And which one is the better option for your trip? We’ll go over each one so you can decide for yourself!
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What is the Difference Between the Munich Card vs. Munich City Pass?
The main difference between the Munich Card and the Munich City Pass comes down to attraction entrance. The Munich City Pass includes free admittance to many of the city’s biggest attractions, while the Munich Card only provides discounts on tickets. Of course, there’s also a difference in price, which we will discuss in more detail below.
What Is the Munich Card?
The Munich Card is a versatile travel card designed for tourists who want to explore Munich at their own pace, with the added benefit of unlimited public transportation and discounts (up to 70%!) to major attractions. If you are planning to walk (or if you have already bought a public transportation ticket), you can also buy the Munich Card with public transportation.
What you Get with the Munich Card:
- Unlimited Travel on Public Transport: With the Munich Card, you can hop on and off Munich’s efficient public transportation system, including U-Bahn (subway), S-Bahn (suburban train), trams, and buses. This covers the inner-city zones and the wider region.
- Discounts to Popular Attractions: The Munich Card provides discounts to a variety of museums, galleries, and landmarks. Notable places like the Deutsches Museum, BMW Museum, Munich Residenz, and Nymphenburg Palace are included in the list of participating attractions.
- Flexible Duration: The Munich Card is available in 1-day, 2-day, 3-day, and 4-day options, giving you the flexibility to match the card to the length of your stay. You can also choose between different zones, such as zones within the city or extended regional access.
- Free Entry for Children: Children aged 6 and under travel for free with an accompanying adult.
- Additional Services: The City Card also offers some added perks like discounts at selected restaurants, shops, and even on guided tours.
When to Choose the Munich Card?
The Munich Card is ideal for travelers who want a balance of convenience and savings on public transport and minor discounts at attractions. It’s especially useful for visitors who plan to explore multiple attractions in a short amount of time, without needing to visit every single one for the full admission fee.
What is the Cost of the Munich Card?
The price of the Munich Card depends on a number of different factors, including your age, number of days, and public transportation area. We’ve included ticket prices (as of 2025) for a 1-day and 3-day itinerary in Munich.
1 Day (24 hours) with Inner Area of Munich Public Transportation Ticket:
- Adult: €16.90
- Child (6–14 years): €7.90
- Group (5 adults + 2 children): €29.90
3 Days with Inner Area of Munich Public Transportation Ticket:
- Adult: €29.90
- Child (6–14 years): €15.90
- Group (5 adults + 2 children): €47.90
If you aren’t planning on using public transportation, you will pay the following prices:
1 Day (24 hours) with No Public Transportation Ticket:
- Adult: €5.90
- Child (6–14 years): €2.90
- Group (5 adults + 2 children): €10.90
What Is the Munich City Pass?
The Munich City Pass, on the other hand, is more comprehensive than the City Card. It provides free entry to most of Munich’s top attractions and also includes the public transportation benefits found in the City Card.
Key Features of the Munich City Pass:
- Free Admission to Attractions: The City Pass offers free entry to over 40 attractions across Munich. This includes major sites such as:
- English Garden (one of the largest urban parks in the world)
- Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site
- Munich Zoo (Tierpark Hellabrunn)
- BMW Welt
- Munich’s famous Beer Hall Tour
- Nymphenburg Palace and its park
- Skip-the-Line Access: In many cases, the City Pass includes skip-the-line entry, allowing you to bypass queues at some of the most popular museums and attractions. This can save you valuable time, especially during peak tourist seasons.
- Unlimited Public Transportation: Like the City Card, the Munich City Pass gives you free travel on all forms of public transport within the selected zones (U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams, and buses).
- Validity and Duration: Available in 2-day, 3-day, and 4-day durations, the Munich City Pass is perfect for travelers who want to experience as much as possible in a short period of time. You can tailor your purchase to match your travel plans.
- Free Entry for Children: Children under the age of 6 also travel for free with an accompanying adult, and children under 14 enjoy free access to certain attractions.
When to Choose the Munich City Pass?
The Munich City Pass is an excellent choice for tourists who want to visit several major attractions, particularly those that have higher entrance fees. It’s particularly cost-effective for those interested in visiting museums, galleries, and landmarks, as the pass includes free admission to these locations. Additionally, skip-the-line access makes it a great option for busy times of year when waiting in long queues can eat up valuable sightseeing hours.
What is the Cost of the Munich City Pass?
As with the other card, prices will depend based on several different factors. But to give you an estimate, here are a few prices for your 1-day and 3-day Munich itinerary.
1 Day (24 hours) with Inner Area of Munich Public Transportation Ticket:
- Adult: €53.90
- Child (6–14 years): €19.90
- Teen (15-17 years): €34.90
1 Day (24 hours) with Inner Area of Munich Public Transportation Ticket:
- Adult: €74.90
- Child (6–14 years): €28.90
- Teen (15-17 years): €49.90
If you aren’t planning on using public transportation, you will pay the following prices:
1 Day (24 hours) with No Public Transportation Ticket:
- Adult: €27.90
- Child (6–14 years): €14.90
- Teen (15-17 years): €19.90
What Attractions are Included with the Munich City Pass vs. the Munich Card?
As we mentioned, both cards will either give you free admittance or discounts to over 80 different attractions. Here’s a full list of what is included:
Besides the castles, museums, and attractions, the cards also include a few extra perks at some restaurants and retail shops. As you can see in the chart below, there’s no difference in discounts between both of the cards when it comes to shopping and gastronomy.
Where Can I Buy the Munich Card and Munich City Pass?
Once you’ve decided which card is best for you, it’s time to buy one! You can do this before you travel or once you arrive in Munich. Here are all the different locations where the Munich Card and Munich City Pass are available:
- Munich Airport: You can buy the cards at the service counter (Visitor Information Center) in Terminal 1 or 2.
- Tourist Centers: Both cards are available at Munich Tourist Centers in Marienplatz, Munich Central Station (Hauptbahnhof), and Nymphenburg Palace.
- Retail Shops: You may find these cards available at different retail shops in the city, but they often jack up the price, so beware!
- Ticket Machines: The Munich Card is also available at public transportation ticket machines. However, you CANNOT purchase the Munich City Pass through these machines.
- Online: This is your best option, as you can purchase your card ahead of time and without needing to use public transportation to travel into the city. You can buy the Munich Card here and the Munich City Pass here. This is also the best option if you want to buy the cards WITHOUT public transportation, as the in-person shops generally sell starting with the inner city public transportation pass.
What About the Munich CityTourCard?
In addition to the Munich Card and Munich City Pass, another great option for exploring Munich is the Munich CityTourCard. It’s similar in some ways to the Munich Card, but it covers a larger range of attractions across Munich and Bavaria.
This also includes public transportation outside of the city. With the Munich Card and Munich City Pass can be extended to the M-6 zone (to the airport, Starnberg, and Ammersee), the CityTourCard can be upgraded to M-12. That includes the Alpine Foothills, Rosenheim, and several lakes (like Tegernsee and Chiemsee).
It’s a good idea to review what attractions are included with the Munich CityTourCard beforehand. They are different than the ones available for the other two, so it’s best to make your decision based on which attractions you want to visit during your trip!
