Attending Oktoberfest is something thats on a lot of peoples bucket lists. However, it can get pretty expensive and because it’s during a limited window of time it can be hard to actually make it there. We recently spent a day exploring all we could at Oktoberfest and are so glad we were able to experience it! So in this post we are answering the question, is going to Oktoberfest worth it?
*Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This means at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through a link and make a purchase. This post may also contain other affiliate links and non-affiliate links to products and websites.
Where is Oktoberfest?
Oktoberfest occurs every year in Munich, Germany for 16 days starting the second to last week in September through the first week of October. It is located on the outskirts of Munich. You can easily access it by taking the U-Bahn or the S-Bahn, two of the German train lines that have numerous stops in and around Munich. Because it’s so accessible from the city, it makes it really easy to get to! You will see a lot of people on the train dressed in traditional dirndl and lederhosen so don’t worry about missing the train stop. When everyone gets off you will know to get off too!
Of course there are Oktoberfest celebrations throughout Germany (as well as many other countries) but for this post we’re talking about the main Oktoberfest celebration in Munich.
Oktoberfest celebrations have been occurring for over 200 years and continue today as a popular celebration amongst both locals and visitors! Originally started as a wedding celebration for King Ludwig II, the components of Oktoberfest have changed but some elements (like the beer and chicken) have remained the same!
- The interesting part of Oktoberfest is that you will see a lot of locals attending as well as people from other countries. Many times large festivals end up being only foreigners and targeted to tourists but it’s really nice that it’s still so much a part of the German culture.
- We met a family on the train who attend Oktoberfest every year. They were so enthusiastic to give us the names of their favorite tents.
Do You Need Tickets to Attend Oktoberfest?
You do not need to purchase tickets to attend Oktoberfest! To walk around the Oktoberfest grounds, get food and enter into the beer tents is completely free. The entire area is similar to a large carnival with food stalls, games and rides, and people walking around.
You don’t need tickets or reservations for any of the beer tents either (if you do not want to). There is a percentage of tables in each tent left open for those without reservations. Although that doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a seat because it gets very crowded very early in the day!
- Reservations for tables within a tent are for the entire table (about 10 people) which costs over 300 Euros so it’s something to do with a big group to guarantee your party a spot.
- If you are looking to make reservations make sure to make them well in advance. You can book them (as well as find a ton of useful information) on the official Oktoberfest website.
Prior to going we didn’t reserve anything for specific tents. We went into 4 tents with no problem! We actually had a woman walk up to us and give us 2 wristbands for free because a few of her friends weren’t coming meaning she had extras. It meant we got to skip the line to get in which was so nice of her! We have no idea what her name is but we were very appreciative. While it might be more convenient, it’s definitely not 100% necessary to make reservations.
Read More: Complete Guide to Visiting a German Christmas Market
What Are the Beer Tents Like?
Each beer tent is slightly different and is known for something. Our biggest piece of advice would be to ask someone who has attended Oktoberfest previously about which tent they like the best. Unless you’re planning to spend a few days (you’re cooler than us) it’s hard to see every tent in one day. But in our opinion it’s also not completely necessary to go into every single tent. You can go in a few tents and enjoy yourself and still have a really good experience at Oktoberfest!
Generally speaking there are bouncers at the door of each tent. Sometimes they’re looking at people trying to come in because it’s full inside already. We’ve also heard sometimes they’re looking to see if you’re wearing dirndl and lederhosen and appropriate shoes. However, we wore regular clothes (jeans and rain jackets) and had no problem so that might not always be the case.
Once inside, there are seating options around the outside as well as in the middle with a pathway going around the tent. Every tent we went into was crowded with loud music and a lot going on. Be careful of the waitresses who are holding multiple steins (beers) in their hand. It’s impressive that they can carry that many because those things are heavy but they don’t hesitate to scoot you out of their way a little. You’re also bound to see ladies carrying big baskets with pretzels. If you haven’t already you need to try one of the big pretzels from Germany!
Here are the four beer tents we went into. Honestly its not because these are necessarily the best but just the ones we went into! We would recommend all of them!
Armbrustschützenzelt
Armbrustschutzenzelt was the loudest tent we went into! Being our first tent it was honesty a little overwhelming but wait a few minutes and you get used to it all. There were a lot of people though all that were having a good time! If you’re looking for a lively tent this is a good option!
- This tent is known for crossbow shooting which is why you’ll see animal heads mounted around the tent walls.
Hofbräu Festzelt
Hofbräu Festzelt was the second tent we went into. This tent is very family friendly so it’s a good option if you’re visiting with kids! It’s actually a fairly new tent but has lots of options for food and features an impressive band!
Hacker-Festhalle
Hacker-Festhalle is known for the blue sky with white clouds that cover the ceiling of the tent. If you’re visiting when it’s nice you might see the ceiling open which I’m sure would look really cool! Because of the uniqueness this tent is almost always busy!
- Because it’s so picturesque this tent is very popular with foreigners but it’s still worth going to see!
Paulaner Festzelt
Paulaner Festzelt is recognizable from the inside by the large rotating beer glass that it’s in the middle of the tent. It’s known for it’s especially fast beer pouring system! This is the tent we spent the longest in so we are a little partial to this one. We met some really nice people, drank some beer and sang along to all the songs too!
- This tent has a highly coveted outdoor area so if it’s nice outside this is a good tent to try to get a spot at!
Read More: 3 Places to Visit in Bavaria, Germany
Seating Options in the Beer Tents
You will see seating areas that are reserved and then seating areas that are not reserved and are first come first serve. It was honestly a little hard to figure out which were which. If you are looking to sit without a reservation you either need to get their early and then only leave when you’re ready to give up your unreserved spot. Or you need to make friends with someone who has reserved a table and make a spot for yourself. Either way there are far more people than seats so it gets tight and it can definitely be hard to find a spot that’s open. It’s best to go prepared not to sit. But don’t worry you can still order a beer while standing!
We got a beer in Paulaner Festzelt and were standing near an area of seats. We noticed there were open spots at the table but lingered for a while waiting to see if people were sitting there. Eventually we asked and they said we could sit there. So we jumped over the small wall and got seats! The people who reserved the table were so nice! We talked about our plans in Germany and we were so appreciative that they let us crash their table.
- They helped us order something to eat because we had no idea what the menu said. We got what was described to us as meat that doesn’t go into any other meat. Personally I thought it was delicious with a side of karloffelsalat, German potato salad.
Read More: 10 Day Austria Itinerary
What Else is at Oktoberfest Besides Beer Tents?
Besides the beer tents you will find so many food stalls selling all kinds of food. You can get tons of different sausages, bratwurst, currywurst, pretzels, roasted nuts, traditional German cookies, pastries and so much more! None of it is the cheapest food (compared to the prices in Munich and the rest of Germany outside of Oktoberfest) so definitely be prepared to spend a little bit of money.
There are also quite a few games and even carnival type rides at Oktoberfest. The beer tents are definitely not the whole thing so make sure to walk around a little to see what else there is. We didn’t expect it to feel so much like a carnival but it really does!
Do you Need to Wear Dirndl and Lederhosen to Oktoberfest?
This is a controversial question but we’re going to give our honest answer from our experience. In our opinion, no it is not necessary to wear dirndl and lederhosen to Oktoberfest, although many many people do.
We were a little worried prior to going that we would be some of the only ones not. Originally our plan was to buy dirndl and lederhosen to get the full experience. But we flew in late the night before and didn’t have time to buy anything before going. It also gets really expensive to buy because everyone knows visitors coming in for Oktoberfest are looking for an outfit at the last minute and some are willing to spend whatever it takes. It can often cost over $100 (each) for the clothing.
We were definitely not the only ones wearing regular clothes! I would say maybe 40-50% of the people we saw were dressed in their everyday clothes. It differed a little inside each of the different tents based on the type of crowd but we never felt like the only ones wearing normal clothing. If you don’t have time or don’t want to spend the money we felt like it wasn’t a big deal!
So, Is Going to Oktoberfest Worth It?
Oktoberfest is absolutely worth experiencing! It’s unlike anything we’ve done before, and definitely not something we could do everyday (for our bodies or our budget) but it was so fun to participate in! If you’re able to make the time of year work and you can afford it, go ahead and book it early because you won’t regret it!
Read More: Day Trip to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany
Tips for Oktoberfest
Here are a few tips that we think will make Oktoberfest even better for you!
1. Book a place to stay early
One of the biggest mistakes we made with Oktoberfest was waiting to book a place to stay until the last minute. Because so many people attend Oktoberfest every year during this short timeframe it means the cost of all the hotels and accommodations increase dramatically during that time. As soon as you know that you’re going to Oktoberfest pick your dates and book a place to stay.
Even miles outside of Munich there were only a few options and a lot of them were like a couch in someone’s living room for 100 Euros a night. So we ended up staying in Olching, a small town about 30 kms outside of Munich. We stayed at a business hotel in a corporate center and it was still insanely expensive. It was nice and had a train station nearby so thanks to our Eurail Global Pass we could get into Munich for free!
- We stayed at the Myhotel Olching. There was nothing wrong with the hotel (it was actually one of the only times we stayed in a true hotel) it was just expensive and far.
2. Have at least one full day to spend at the Oktoberfest tents
The number of days to spend at Oktoberfest honestly depends on what you’re looking to do. If you’re trying to go to all the tents you will probably need more than one day to give yourself enough time in each one. If you’re just trying to see a few tents and get a feel for what it’s like then one full day will do!
It’s best to give yourself more than a few hours though because the Oktoberfest area is large and the tents themselves are big so you’ll find yourself doing quite a bit of walking.
3. Bring a raincoat and don’t bring much else!
Germany in September and October means there is a high probability that it will rain. So wear your raincoat just in case because except for the tents everything is outside. We got lucky with the weather as it was raining when we got there and then lightened up throughout the afternoon and evening. Regardless throw on your raincoat and then you’ll be good if it’s raining when you leave for the night!
It gets pretty warm inside the tents because there are so many people so we quickly took our raincoats off once we were inside. It was okay to hold just that but we wouldn’t have wanted to hold much more. We also did not bring any large bags or anything. You will be squeezing past people and no one wants to carry a bunch of stuff in their hands for hours.
- There actually is a limit on the size of large bags that are allowed inside Oktoberfest. You do go through security lines to enter the area although we didn’t see anyone checking the size too closely. There is luggage storage at the entrance though if your bag is too big.
- I brought this crossbody bag that fit the essentials like my wallet, tissues, chapstick and portable battery.
4. Give yourself a budget and try to stick to it!
Oktoberfest can get pretty expensive fast. Like we said in tip #1, the cost of staying in Munich is high at that time. Then there are all your food and drink purchases while you are there. It all quickly adds up and before we knew it, we had spent quite a bit!
A stein of beer costs around 10-12 Euros. They set the price in advance and every tent charges the same amount for a liter. Food varies a lot depending on if you get it inside a tent or outside at one of the food stalls. But if you’re there for a few hours you are bound to get hungry and get a snack or two. A good way to not spend too much is to give yourself a budget and try to stick to it as best as you can. That way you know how much more you have to spend and can make sure you pick what you really want.
