The hop-on hop-off bus reviewed: 4,638 ratings, the biggest Munich-wide sample here, and ten reviews on how to use it
A 4.3 across 4,638 ratings, and what that number is made of
4.3 across 4,638 people is a thoroughly tested score for a bus that runs all day, every day, and it puts this listing third in the catalogue for sheer weight of evidence, behind the WWII walk’s 7,257 and the Alpine day trip’s 16,428 — each of them larger than the 908 held between all eleven Residenz listings put together.
A score on a very large sample is a settled one. What moves a sightseeing bus is almost never the sightseeing: it is waiting, weather, a route that changed, a language that was not available. Two of the ten written reviews here are about exactly that, and the other eight are about a ride that worked.
All ten written reviews
“Good experience. It's a great way to get an overview of the city. Then we could delve further into the places we found exciting. Good information. However, the tour information stated that you could get a Danish audio guide. That wasn't possible, so we had to make do with the Swedish one. However, it was nice and very clear.”
“Simply show the QR code at the registration desk on Luisenstr. and ride as often as you like. Since the bus runs different routes one after the other, you can often just stay seated if you want to take the next tour right away. Very easy and interesting tours. There were some fun facts about Munich, and we were able to see all the important hotspots. The audio guide works well, and there are free headphones. In the summer, it's worth wearing a hat if you're sitting on the top deck. The rear part was somewhat covered, so at least there was some shade there. Overall, it's very worthwhile if you want to discover Munich in a short time.”
“All the buses were waiting at the Central Station. We took the Schwabing tour and then went straight on to the next route! You get a good overview and can get off at the landmarks and get back on later. An easy, comfortable way to explore Munich!”
“Great way to see the city highlights with the flexibility get out and walk at your leisure. The commentary are comprehensive, clear, aligned with the outside view. The bus is cleaned. Thank you”
“Getting on and off all day is great. You experience a lot.”
“Die Touren sind sehr gut aufgebaut und informativ.”
“Easy access to the starting point and service point from the train station. Friendly staff.”
“I've been to Munich probably 30 times, but I've never done the tours. A must for every Turi.”
“The routes are well chosen, and the staff are polite and friendly”
“The weather was wonderful. I admire the bus drivers in every city where we do this tour!!! Real pros!!”
What the ten reviews are about: the ride
Ten people wrote about this bus and described routes, staff, headphones, the top deck, the Central Station and Schwabing. The bus is being rated as transport, which is what it is — and as transport it works.
So if you are choosing it as the way to reach the Residenz, plan the other half too: it drives past, a voice says something about it, and the palace is bought at the door or covered by the guided visit. The three tickets are here, the doors are here, and getting there on foot from the middle of town is a short walk.
Tina’s Danish, and Miriam’s hat
Tina booked expecting a Danish audio guide because the tour information said one was available, found it was not, and used the Swedish channel instead. She still gave it five stars and called it nice and very clear. The commentary runs in ten languages; if a specific one is the reason you are booking, that is the thing to confirm rather than assume.
Miriam’s review is the most practical one here: show the QR code at the desk on Luisenstraße, ride as often as you like, stay in your seat between routes if you want the next one, the headphones are free, and wear a hat on the top deck in summer because only the rear is shaded.
What works
- 4,638 ratings, so a 4.3 here is a real measurement rather than an impression
- Audio commentary in ten languages with free headphones, and reviewers say it works
- One and two-day versions, and reviewers report simply staying aboard between routes
- It passes and stops near the Residenz, so it solves the getting-there problem if you are staying out of the centre
- The easiest way listed here to cover a lot of Munich in a short time
Worth knowing
- A settled 4.3 on the biggest bus sample here
- Admissions are bought at each door, at this palace as elsewhere on the route
- The ten written reviews rate the ride, not the buildings — pair it with a palace ticket or the guided visit
- An advertised audio language was unavailable for one reviewer, who took another one instead
- The top deck is largely unshaded in summer, by one reviewer’s account
If the bus is your way of reaching this address
Then the thing to sort out before you board is what happens when you get off. All three parts of the Residenz are separate tickets and the theatre opens at 2 pm on weekday mornings for most of the year, so plan the theatre last or take the guided visit, which is timed around it (the timetables). The stops that actually serve this address, on foot and by U-Bahn, are on getting there — and from Marienplatz or Odeonsplatz it is a walk rather than a ride.
The city's big walkMunich: Third Reich & WWII Walking Tour
In German onlyMunich: Old Town & Viktualienmarkt City Walk in German
The guided oneMunich: Residenz Palace and Hofgarten Skip-the-Line Tour
Frequently asked questions
Does the Munich hop-on hop-off ticket include the Residenz?
No — it is the ride, not the admission: a bus ticket with an audio commentary. It passes the Residenz and stops near it, and the museum, the Treasury and the Cuvilliés Theatre are the palace’s own tickets at its own desk, or part of the guided visit (the tariff).
What does the hop-on hop-off bus’s 4.3 measure?
It sits at 4.3 on 4,638 ratings — a far larger sample than anything about the Residenz itself, where all eleven listings together hold 908, and a settled number. The written complaints are about an audio language that was not available and an unshaded top deck, not about the sightseeing.
What languages is the bus commentary in?
Ten, according to the listing. One reviewer booked expecting Danish, found it was not available on the day and used the Swedish channel instead, still rating it five stars. If a particular language is why you are booking, confirm it rather than assume it.
Is the bus a good way to get to the Munich Residenz?
It is the easy option if you are staying outside the centre or covering several sights in a day. The palace sits between Marienplatz and Odeonsplatz, both of which are U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations, and the tram stops at Nationaltheater on its doorstep. From the middle of the old town it is a walk (getting there).