A Complete Guide to Attending Oktoberfest (Updated 2025)

"I attended the Wiesn and found it to be an intense, 16–18-day beer festival in Munich held from late September to the first weekend in October that began as a celebration of Crown Prince Ludwig's 1810 marriage; it draws about 7 million people a year (roughly 85% German), features everyone in lederhosen and dirndls, a carnival outside with rides and games, and massive communal beer tents inside with traditional music, hearty food, oversized steins, and a raucous, friendly atmosphere. I learned it's free to enter, beer costs about €12–13, full meals €12–20 (sausages around €5–6), and reservations require ordering food/drinks (typically the equivalent of two beers and half a chicken, around €30–35 per person), so budget accordingly. After staying five days I found that most Germans do one day and that multiple days can be overkill — pace yourself, hydrate, set a meet-up point, bring cash, and plan reservations only for busy nighttime hours if you have a large group; Oktoberfest is easy to reach by rail or plane and takes place on Theresienwiese, walkable from Hauptbahnhof or the Theresienwiese U-Bahn." - Matthew Kepnes