The Ultimate Oktoberfest Guide

If you’re lucky enough to be in Germany during late September/early October, you simply cannot miss the crazy experience that is Oktoberfest. Check this guide for everything you need to know about the German festival:

Oktoberfest attracts thousands of visitors every year, and many locals have their own repertoire of lederhosen and dirndls for every weekend. No only that, but the festival is not only drinking. There are carnival rides, activities, and typical German food. Here’s a great overview if it’s your first time:

What is Oktoberfest?

Oktoberfest is a crazy, fun-loving festival for beer lovers. Contrary to popular belief, Oktoberfest is welcome to all ages! While the adults may spend all their time drinking inside the “beer tents,” there are also all kinds of attractions and carnival rides for kids outside of the tents but still on the grounds. Tourists come from all over the world to attend this awesome festival.

Where is Oktoberfest located?

The festival is held annually in Munich, Germany. This region of Germany, called Bavaria, is a beautiful and culturally rich part of the country. If you’re coming to Germany for Oktoberfest, the least you could do is spend some time visiting around, such as traveling for 2 weeks in Germany.

Munich is an interesting city to see itself, so definitely set aside some time to visit around! An amazing day trip from Munich as well is the Neuschwanstein castle, which was the inspiration for the castle in Snow White! This amazing castle is definitely one of the coolest sights I’ve seen in Europe!

What did Oktoberfest originally celebrate?

The festival originated in October of 1810 after a royal celebration of marriage. The celebration lasted for five days and concluded with a horse race. The following year, it was repeated, with the addition of an agricultural fair.

Throughout the years, the festival has grown and grown into what it is today! It is now a 2.5 week long festival, held the last few weeks of September and the first week of October in Munich, Germany.

Where to stay for Oktoberfest:

Bookings for Oktoberfest sell out FAST. I recommend that you start looking for accommodation at least 6 months before, if not much sooner. The great thing about Munich though, is there are options for every budget and it is very easy to get around the city.

Hotels

Hotels are always a great option. I should warn you though that it can be very difficult to find one with availability for Oktoberfest with a price that hasn’t skyrocketed. The festival is located right in the city center so if you stay in a hotel, it’s very easy to reach!

Campsite

There are campsites that are used specifically for Oktoberfest and Springfest (a smaller version that takes place in the, you guessed it, springtime.) The last time I went to Oktoberfest, I stayed at a campsite with friends. I think campsites can be hit or miss.

For one, it can be a great way to make friends, as many people are there to drink and be merry. They have meals at the campsite and drinks, and sometimes a bar or an afterparty.

The downside is of course, that you are sleeping in tents. The weekend we went was cold and wet so sleeping in a tent was miserable. The experience could have been much more enjoyable if we would have gone even the weekend before, when the weather was a bit warmer.

If you’re interested in staying at a campsite you can check out these websites:

• Stoke Travel
• Festanation

Airbnb

If you can, I would definitely recommend an Airbnb. This way, you will have your own space as well as a local to ask about the festival and Munich in general. I stayed at an Airbnb the first year and my host was super helpful and accommodating!

What to wear for Oktoberfest:

Chances are, if you’ve seen pictures of Oktoberfest, you’ve seen the outfits. You can show up in normal clothes of course, and some people do, but dressing up is half the fun.

The name of the outfit is lederhosen for guys, and dirndl for girls. You can order your lederhosen or dirndl ahead of time, but when you arrive in Munich you’ll find a plethora of shops for any color and style you could ever imagine.

Many people are surprised at the price of lederhosen or a dirndl. These outfits can cost hundreds of euros, especially for the Munich locals who attend Oktoberfest every year. However, around Marienplatz in Munich center you’ll be able to find ones as cheap as 50 euros. Please please please do NOT buy a cheap Halloween costume lederhosen because the quality really stands out. If you decide to wear normal clothes rather than spend money, try to at least wear a plaid shirt or something similar in order to blend in.

Some good websites to buy the outfits are:

https://www.dirndl.com

https://www.krueger-dirndl.de/en/

Different parts of lederhosen

The guy’s outfit consists of the trachten and the lederhosen. The Trachten is the shirt and the lederhosen are the sort of overalls. Most guys wear the over-the-knee lederhosen and a long sleeve trachten.

Different parts of dirndl

The dirndl consists of a blouse, dress, and apron. Normally in stores, you buy these separately. Most of the time, blouses come in white, cream, or black. The dress goes on top of the blouse and the bodice should feel very tight. Next, you can choose an apron that matches well with the dress and blouse as well as any accessories.

* A word of caution for the girls: Try not to order the ‘mini’ dirndl dresses online. Most people wear a ‘midi’ and the ‘mini’ is just a bit too short (unless you’re going for that). It also tends to be a bit cold, so the more coverage the better. Be sure to pack a push-up bra (preferably a balconet). The dresses are designed to feel like they’re suffocating you and tend to not fit right if you aren’t wearing the correct bra. They also sell these type of bras in the festival stores. For shoes, be sure to wear something comfortable like sneakers, since you’ll be on them all day and want to stay comfortable.

Even in late September, it can be very cold in Germany, as the weather prepares for winter in Europe. Bring some nude colored tights and a coat in case the weekend you visit turns out to be incredibly cold! An umbrella would be smart too just in case it starts to rain.

Which tent should I go to?

When you arrive at Oktoberfest, you will see many traditional looking buildings. These are all beer tents! While tent is a bit of a funny word for the building, you’ll discover that the buildings are not what they seem! Some tents have amazing artwork or a band. Some are traditional and filled with locals and some more modern for the young tourists.

There are many MANY tents at the festival with all different vibes. Here are a few of them:

Hacker-Festzelt

One of the biggest and most popular, Hacker-Festzelt attracts a crowd of young and old alike. The main music is rock-n-roll, and this unique tent has a vast mural on the ceiling of the sky.

Hofbräu-Festzelt

This is another big one, and very beautiful. This one is a bit more international and is the only tent with a standing area.

Schottenhamel-Festhalle

The oldest tent in Oktoberfest houses the youngest crowd. This one plays traditional Bavarian music and has an amazing firework for the grand finale (last Sunday of the festival).

Schützen-Festzelt

Colorful and cozy, this tent tends to be mostly locals. If you start to feel bloated from all the beer you’re drinking though, Schützen has other wines and spirits to choose from, at a slightly lower price than other tents.

How can I reserve a tent?

What?? I have to reserve?!

In short, no. However, it will sure make things a lot easier. There can be very long lines to get into the tent and even once you’re in, many tables will be taken or have people holding a spot for their friends.

Reservations open up in early spring. They sell out pretty fast, so if you want to reserve, you should do it as soon as possible. To reserve, you will need to go directly the tent’s website. The reservations are free but you do need to pay for vouchers. These are for drinks and food that you’re likely going to buy anyway so it’s not a bad deal!

If you decide not to reserve or don’t do it in time, you can still get into the tents. I recommend to go very early and get a spot in your favorite tent. Plan to stay there all day. If you’re a big group you can split up to have some people reserve the spot and others to scout out other tents.

I hope this Oktoberfest guide answers some of the questions and confusion you had! Let me know in the comments any tips you have!