How to Oktoberfest with Small Humans
Greetings, dear Readers, and welcome. Today, we’re jumping out of order and chatting about one of my favourite fall events: Oktoberfest. First, before we carry on, let me share my feelings: It is my firmly held belief that Oktoberfest is a totally fine place for families and children. (I mean, this is called Pint Sized Passports, after all.) If you don’t feel that way that is also totally fine; you are 100% welcome to that opinion. If that’s you, however, let me suggest that you pass on this post and catch another one that’s more helpful//relevant to you.
If you’re still with me, I assume you want to go to Oktoberfest with Small Humans. Now, before I discuss one of the funnest fests in Germany, let me make two further disclaimers.
1. All our visits with children were pre-Covid (although I have been since without children).
2. I do think that there is absolutely a dead age, if you will, from maybe 9 or 10 to 13 where it could potentially be more trouble than fun to take your children, but you know your small humans best. T1 and T2 are, at the time of this writing, 9.5 and I would take them if I had gone this year, or was planning to go next year.
Okay, now let’s get down to business.
First, you need to plan early. Oktoberfest is so fun, but it makes everything in Munich more expensive during the fest so you need to book early. Honestly, January-March of the year you want to go would be ideal. If you hit June and haven’t booked flights or lodging you should expect to pay a premium. It’s absolutely not necessary to stay right near the Theresienwiese; it’s easy to take the U-Bahn//bus to the fest grounds. You know whether you prefer hotels or AirBnBs, and I think there are benefits to both, but if you’re looking at AirBnBs for Oktoberfest read the listings really closely because honestly sometimes it’s almost “we threw an extra mattress in the corner to make some money”, and that is definitely not the vibe with children.
Next, plan your fest activities. The Oktoberfest website is really helpful, and even has a section on visiting the fest with children. Here are some things to keep in mind while planning to visit with kids:
strollers can be in the fest grounds until 6 pm during the week, and on Sundays (providing it isn’t too crowded). Strollers are pohibited on Saturdays and 3rd October.
The bag size limits also apply to diaper bags, so make sure your bag is the right size (20 cm x 15 cm x 10 cm at the time of this writing) or you’ll be out of luck when you arrive.
Children are allowed into tents in the daytime. You should expect to pay cash in tents and also for rides. You also have to pay to enter the Olde Wies’n, which is a fun old timey experience, if your kids are into that.
Children 6 and under have to leave by 8:00 pm; children 7-16 can stay at the fest, but they must be accompanied by a parent. If you are traveling with a teen, be aware that the legal drinking age (accompanied by parents) in Germany is 16.
Please also know that in tents you can only order beer by the liter. Most tents will also serve lunch. It can get crowded at lunch time, but when we’ve never had a problem finding a table to eat lunch. Also, while your bag size must fit into the stated requirements, you can of course bring snacks for children. We always brought an excessive amount of snacks and no one ever gave us a hard time at the entrance or in tents.
T1 and T2 ride a motorcycle ride at Oktoberfest
We took T1 and T2 to Oktoberfest when they were 2, 3, and 4. When they were 2 and 3, we took our double stroller with us so they could take a nap in the afternoon, and when they were 4 we made them tough it out, no stroller. When they were 2 and 3, our general plan was: everyone gets up and dressed in the morning, breakfast in//near our hotel, and head to the fest shortly after opening at 10:00 am, walk around the fest for a bit (there’s LOADS to see), head into a tent (or sit outside if it’s nice). Either stay at this tent for lunch, or walk somewhere else to find a table to eat lunch. Mid-afternoon, Hubs and I tent hopped a bit as T1 and T2 napped in the stroller for a few hours. When they woke up, we left tents and went outside to walk around the fest grounds some more and do a few little kid rides, leaving the fest around 5 or 6 pm, heading back towards our hotel and stopping for dinner on the way back. When the boys were 2, we happened to have my in-laws with us, so after we fed everyone and put our kids to bed, Hubs and I headed back to the fest grounds. If you have the opportunity to go back in the evening without kids, I’d definitely encourage you to do it.
Our vibe when they were 4 was similar, but because they were a bit older, we didn’t bring the stroller with us. I squashed a carrier into my bag, in case we needed it, and they each carried small backpacks of their own so we could have plenty of activities for them to do during the day. This was also the year we visited the Olde Wies’n, which was a fun addition to the afternoon. We also this year visited on 3rd October, which is a national holiday. It was much busier, as we expected, and we didn’t enter any tents. We just walked around and did some rides before getting on the train.
Here’s the bottom line: Oktoberfest is super fun, and you 100% can visit with kids and have a great time. Make sure to pack snacks, plan ahead, and bring enough to entertain your kids while you’re in tents. Prost!