How to Experience Oktoberfest in Munich

Last Updated on August 26, 2022

Last year, JC and I decided that while living in Germany, we had to experience Oktoberfest in Munich at least once. I have a good friend living in Munich, so even better to show us the ropes. JC invited two of his closest friends from Dusseldorf to join us in the festivities. I bought a dirndl (typical Bavarian dress) for myself and some lederhosen for JC and voila! We were ready for Oktoberfest. Read below how to best experience Oktoberfest in Munich.

Why is Oktoberfest in September?

A common question that I myself asked, is why is Oktoberfest in September? After a quick google, I found out that Oktoberfest originally took place October 12th-17th, when it began in 1810. The first Oktoberfest was a celebration of the marriage between Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The celebration, complete with food and drink, lasted five days in Munich. The festival was such a success back then, that the dates were moved into September so that folks could enjoy the longer days and better weather. When we went last year, Oktoberfest ran from September 21st to October 6th. Keep in mind that October 3rd is a National Holiday in Germany.

What should I wear to Oktoberfest?

When attending Oktoberfest, it is much more fun to partake in the traditional Bavarian dress. This means a dirndl for women and lederhosen for men. I actually bought our outfits from the special Oktoberfest collection for H&M. My German friends would consider this sacrilegious; however, I did not want to spend too much money on something I will probably only wear once. You can definitely order even cheaper outfits on sites such as AliExpress, as well as buy authentic ones once you are in Munich. It really depends on your budget and how many times you think you’ll wear your dirndl again. There are all sorts of fun rules on tying the bow on your dirndl to indicate your relationship status. You can read the rules here.

Should I reserve a table in a tent at Oktoberfest?

This was the big question we asked ourselves leading up to the trip. The thing is, most tables are reserved a year or more in advance and often for a heavy price tag. You can read more about making table reservations at the big tents here. However, on weekends no tables are reserved before 3 pm in the tents. This means, if you don’t have a reservation or don’t want to pay for one, and don’t mind drinking in the morning, you’re in luck. The tents open at 9 am. We got in line for the entrance at 7 am. This way, as soon as the gates opened, we were able to run to the tents and grab a table for our whole group before they filled up. We ran to the Hacker-Festzelt tent.

Inside the tents at Oktoberfest

Inside the tents, waitresses will come to your table so that you can order beer, pretzels or even a full meal. Be prepared with cash and know that the waitresses are incredibly unfriendly, so don’t expect a smile or kind word. And definitely do not ask the waitresses to take your photo. You will receive no service afterwards if you do. Better to take a selfie as we did.

Inside the tent there is Bavarian music, singing and general merry-making. Even without a table reservation, if you arrive at opening you can enjoy yourself from 9 am until 3 pm, when the tables are generally reserved. If you make it until 3 pm you will definitely want to take a good nap afterwards before any evening festivities.