Best Day Trips to Rothenburg from Munich

Located just three hours from Munich, Rothenburg offers a unique beauty in the state of Swabia. This walled city will amaze you with its perfectly preserved medieval center and open landscapes, and makes for an ideal visit from the Bavarian capital through Germany's romantic route full of mountains, villages and castles.

There are many ways to get to Rothenburg, but whether you do it on an organized tour, by train, by bus or by car, you will find that it is a visit that should be on your list of things to see and do in Munich.

Here are the best excursions you can choose to experience this medieval paradise and the wonders along the way, because Rothenburg is just the last regular destination on a route that includes magical stops.

This is the most common tour to visit Rothenburg because on the way it includes an intermediate stop at the Fortress and Harburg Castle, one of the largest in Germany.

This organized tour usually includes round-trip transfers from Munich, all on a bus tour with the assistance of an expert guide.

This tour usually starts at a certain point in the old town and goes along the romantic route through Bavarian villages, mountains and forests to the first stop in Harburg.

The castle is accessible without queuing, although you should be aware that it is a steep walk from the bus to the entrance of the building. After the visit to Harburg the tour continues along the same route to the next destination.

In Rothenburg these tours include a complete tour of the city, including the city wall, the old town and the lookout point. The duration of this tour is approximately three hours and then the bus returns to Munich. This type of organized tour usually lasts approximately eleven hours.

This is an interesting option because, in addition to the tour of Rothenburg and Harburg, it includes stops for lunch and shopping along the way.

Also despite being a full day tour it allows you to do it in an orderly and leisurely fashion, with several hours at each destination.

Details of interest

• Price... These tours with round-trip transfers from Munich usually start at approximately 56 euros.
• Duration of tour... Approximately eleven hours in total.
• Starting point... These tours start at a certain point in the old town and some include hotel pick-up.

This tour is one of the most popular in winter, especially on Christmas Eve, because in addition to a visit to Rothenburg it offers a tour of Heidelberg, the city with one of the largest Christmas markets in the country.

The tour of these excursions is done in private vans and is in great demand by groups, as it is very common for visitors to want to tour the romantic route of Germany.

In Heidelberg you will feel in a fairy tale, especially if you take such an excursion at Christmas, because the city has a Christmas market with more than a hundred stalls and an Advent festival.

Then the tour will continue through Rothenburg and all its attractions, including the city wall, the old town and the lookout point.

Because of its length and to enjoy both destinations, the tour of this type of excursion lasts two days, although the tour price does not usually include hotel accommodation and meals.

If you are planning to visit Munich in winter and are looking at what options the city has at Christmas, a tour like this may be perfect for you and your group.

Details of interest

• Price... This type of two-day private tour with transfers and expert local guide starts at €650 for the whole group. Meals and hotel accommodation are not included.
• Duration of tour... Approximately ten hours of sightseeing each day.
• Departure point... Generally these tours include hotel pick-up.

If you are traveling in a group, you can opt for a private van tour with an expert guide to visit Rothenburg, Dinkelsbühl, Harburg and the Bavarian Mountains along Germany's Romantic Road.

These tours, which usually include hotel pick-up, are a private alternative that will allow you to get the most out of the destinations with the convenience of tailoring the tour to your own pace.

On these tours you can opt for a total tour of ten or twelve hours, timing the intermediate stops as you wish. It is an expensive but relaxing alternative for those who travel in a group and may have trouble finding room for everyone on an organized bus tour.

These private tours also offer a stop in Dinkelsbühl, one of Germany' s ancient knights' towns. There you can visit St. George's Cathedral, the city gates and the wine market.

The offer of private tours for the romantic route of Germany is very common since many visitors come in groups to tour it. Rothenburg is the destination of choice for all tourists, but the road has many magical stops to offer.

Details of interest

• Price... This type of private tour with transfers and expert local guide starts at €470 for the whole group.
• Duration of tour... Ten to twelve hours in total.
• Departure point... Generally with hotel pick-up.

While organized excursions or private tours are the best options because they include the time-saving assistance of an expert local guide and visits to other towns along the way, there are also options to get there by train, public transport bus or rented car, although they can be inconvenient or somewhat expensive alternatives.

Traveling by train from Munich to Rothenburg with a transfer in Nuremberg

If you are on a tight budget or prefer to visit Rothenburg on your own, you can do so by train from Munich Central Station to Nuremberg by boarding service 41 to Essen Hbf. In Nuremberg you will take service 61 to Ansbach and from there train RB80 to Steinach. The last part of the journey is on the RB82 to Rothenburg.

As you will see, with tickets starting at 39 euros, it is an economical option although it will take you more than five hours and you will have to make several transfers, which makes it a somewhat uncomfortable alternative.

You should also take into account that you will miss a large part of the romantic route of Germany and you will not visit essential destinations such as Harburg, Dinkelsbühl and Heidelberg.

Once in Rothenburg you can tour the city on your own or hire a guided tour of the old town. Train services can be purchased on the official website of Deutsche Bahn or directly at Munich Central Station.

Interesting details

• Price... The train ride from Munich Central Station to Rothenburg with transfers starts at 39 euros.
• Duration of the tour... It can take more than five hours.
• Departure point... Munich Central Station.

Travel by bus and train from Munich to Rothenburg

Traveling from Munich to Rothenburg by bus and train is not a recommended option because it requires many stops and transfers that will not only leave you very tired, but also will not allow you to save money.

If, despite that, you want to opt for this alternative, you should take the FlixBus bus from Munich Central Station to Nuremberg and once there the train to Ansbach, where you will take the bus 732 to Rothenburg.

The price of the whole trip is around 47 euros and tickets can be purchased through the official website of the train service and the bus company. Once at your destination you can tour the city without assistance or hire a guided tour.

This option is rare because those who opt for an organized tour use the bus service of the tour provider and those who travel on their own usually prefer the train tour, unless they want to save the transfer in Nuremberg.

Interesting details

• Price... The total cost of the train and bus tour is approximately 47 euros.
• Duration of the tour... It can take more than five hours.
• Departure point... Munich Central Station.

If you have rented a car in Munich or plan to do so to travel the romantic route of the Bavarian mountains you can travel in this direct option, although a bit expensive compared to those offered by tourist services.

In this case the best option is to take the A9 highway. You can also take the A8 combined with the A7 or the A9 and then the A6.

The trip by car at normal road speed should not take you more than three hours and once in Rothenburg you can tour the city on your own or hire a guided tour to visit the central points of the old town and the city wall.

If you travel with time you can also make the most of your tour and visit the Dachau Concentration Camp, which is in passing, as well as the towns of Aalen and Dinkelsbühl.

Interesting details

• Price... The rental of a medium-sized car starts at 75 euros per day.
• Duration of the excursion... It will depend on the intermediate stops but if you travel from Munich direct you can reach Rothenburg in less than three hours.

You can either book directly online or once you arrive in Munich. I recommend that you book your tour in advance, as the visit to Rothenburg is very popular with visitors, especially during the high season months in Munich.

If you are traveling on your own once you arrive in Rothenburg you can choose to tour the city on your own or book a city tour with an expert local guide to see the old town, the city wall and the lookout point.

The duration of the tour will depend on the means of transport you choose, the stops you make in between and also the time you decide to stay in Rothenburg, in case you are traveling without an organized tour.

On average, tours last between ten and twelve hours, including three hours outbound and three hours return from Munich. The average stay in Rothenburg on organized tours is three hours to tour the entire town. When the tour includes intermediate villages such as Harburg or Dinkelsbühl, these stops last between one and two hours.

If you travel by car the trip can be done faster, especially if you plan a short stay in the city. Here is a list of what you can see and do in Munich in two days.

On your excursion you will travel back in time on the Romantic Road, getting lost among the mountains and villages of the Bavarian hills. You will get to know the Swabian Region, the Harburg Castle and the medieval town of Rothenburg, with its old town center, city walls and lookout point.

Whichever way you choose to go to Rothenburg, you will find a city that has been preserved in time , was not hit by the damage of World War II and has one of the most beautiful medieval centers in Europe.

I recommend that you book your tours in advance, as it is usually a very visited tour by tourists, especially in the high season months.

Also, if you decide to travel to Munich with children, don't forget to opt for this tour. Rothenburg may sound boring for children, but it has landscapes and colors that will amaze the little ones. And the Harburg Castle will also delight them!

I also advise you to have cash, as some stores and cafes in Rothenburg and Harburg do not accept credit cards or electronic payments and at ATMs you may have to pay an extra fee.

Excursions are mainly focused on the towns of Rothenburg and Harburg, but there are several more you should consider if you have time and can visit them.

Aalen is a very picturesque Bavarian village and Dinkelsbühl is considered one of the most beautiful towns in Germany, so private tours often include it in their itineraries.

If you travel by car you can also visit the Dachau Concentration Camp, the first of all those that were built later. Even if you travel by train or bus you can make the most of your trip by visiting Nuremberg and Ansbach.

Rothenburg is a medieval village that remains intact, nestled in the Bavarian mountains and on the side of a road that stands out for its beauty. The journey from Munich to Rothenburg is an experience every step of the way, with attractions in every town along the way.

If you visit Munich and have time to take a trip to the surrounding area, you can't miss out on a different side of Germany, with its medieval houses and villages lost in the mountains.

Rothenburg is not a very large city and has tours that you can cover without the assistance of a local guide but you will miss out on many of the secrets that those medieval streets hold. Whether you travel with an organized excursion or a planned tour on your own, I recommend that to get the most out of your trip you opt for a guided tour.

The assistance of a guide will also be helpful so that you don't over look the villages hidden in the mountains and their stories.