Walking into the Theresienwiese (essentially the Oktoberfest fairgrounds) was such a surreal moment of fun and excitement for me! We had anticipated the tents and the beer, but nothing could have prepared me for the vastness, the positivity, and the fun that was about to follow. The sights of the booths and the rides, the MASSIVE “tents”, and of course, the liters of beer at 10am!
Oktoberfest isn’t just one big beer garden. It’s sixteen days, fourteen major tents, and six to seven million people moving through a single fairground in Munich. Here’s what I wish someone had told me prior to arriving.
1. Entry Is Free. And so is the table. (kind of!)
You don’t need a ticket to walk onto the grounds or into a tent. So also don’t NEED tickets to a table, especially with smaller groups, especially early in the day. What you absolutely will pay for is beer, food, and rides once you’re inside. The catch: getting a seat, especially in the evening or on a weekend for larger groups, is a different problem entirely.
I went with a group of 4 adults. I wish someone would have told me, that you’d be fine finding a seat most of the day with proper planning. (This is where my experience will help you plan your time here!)
Top Tips:
- Tents do fill up
- Tables seat 10 people
2. The Vibes Vary Greatly Between Tents and Time of Day
If you’re looking for a party, the Hofbräu tent is where it’s at. If you’re looking for non-beer options like wine, Kuffler’s Weinzelt is the best option. And all the ones in between, each tent specializes in something a bit different.
Arriving when the tent opens, the vibes will be upbeat but more relaxed. The tents are buzzing, but nobody is drunk yet. Bands haven’t started playing, and tables are starting to fill up. As the hours go by, the tents get a bit more rowdy and you can expect a different level of “sloppiness”. As long as you know this beforehand, it’s not a big deal. But remember… it’s a beer festival.. there will be lots of drunk people.
3. It Helps To Be An Extrovert
Is it required? Absolutely not! But being a little outgoing, friendly, and talkative can help you find tables with some seats and find access to hard to get into tents at prime times. Tipping the service people will REALLY help with this. They WANT to make tips, they KNOW the tables that are light and they WILL find a spot for you, especially if you tip. If your group of 4 finds an empty table at 11am, please know that it will likely fill up with strangers as the day goes on.
4. Cash is King
Oktoberfest runs largely on cash. Cards aren’t reliably accepted at every stand or table, and you don’t want to be the person hunting for an ATM with a full stein in front of you. The servers want to get in a get out as quickly as possible to keep the tips flowing, make sure you have enough cash on hand because the ATM’s are NOT cheap and full of fees. They will have change for you. Try to make it as easy as possible on the servers (try to not order 4 beers and then ask to pay on 4 separate bills)
Understand that a liter of beer will cost 15+ euro and food is just as pricey. You do the math on how long you plan to stay and how much you typically drink!
5. It’s Fun to Dress the Part, But Don’t Stress Over Every Single Outfit Detail
You are a tourist, you will probably look like a tourist. Lederhosen for men, a dirndl for women. This isn’t costume-party energy, it’s just what people wear, tourists and locals alike. PLEASE do not buy a Halloween costume for $35, you will stand out (not in a good way). You can buy an outfit for roughly €100 to €300 or rent one for a day or two. Whatever you choose, check the weather before and bring layers if necessary. Tents get warm, evenings outside get cold fast.
If you don’t care to dress the part, nobody else will care either! Plenty of other people will be wearing jeans. You don’t need to feel pressured into dressing the part if you won’t be comfortable. I didn’t want to spend time in the destination renting an outfit and then needing to return it, so I got my dirndl from Amazon, was it authentic? No. But I only wore it for 2 days and probably won’t ever wear it again.
6. Book Your Hotel Yesterday
Seriously. Munich hotel rooms during Oktoberfest run three to five times their normal rate, and the best value ones near the festival grounds are gone by February. Waiting until summer means choosing between expensive and unavailable. As a tourist, I absolutely would prioritize a hotel within walking distance. This ensures you don’t have to spend time fighting for a spot on a train during busy times and navigating public transportation and unfamiliar neighborhoods in a foreign country.
Pro Tip: If a trip to Oktoberfest is even a maybe for you, the smartest move is booking a refundable room now and deciding later.
What I’d Tell a First-Timer Now
The key to having a good time is planning in advance. It’s the only official Oktoberfest festival in the world so it pays to be ahead of the game. I’ve been there. I know all the details. Oktoberfest is one of those trips people either plan too little or plan too rigidly, and neither one gets you the good version of it. If you’re thinking about Munich, or a Europe itinerary built around it, that’s exactly the kind of trip Sojourney Travel with Sydney builds for.
All information is accurate as of August 2026 and can change at any time without notice.
Sydney (Nieveen) Dupuis is the owner of Sojourney Travel with Sydney, an independent contractor with Sojourney Travel, a boutique travel agency based in Georgia specializing in honeymoons, couples travel, cruises, and European adventures.
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