Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Munich

Before you go

What happens when you get there

Leads and big dogs

Munich's dog ordinance puts adult dogs of 50 cm or more at the shoulder on a lead of two metres or less inside the Altstadtring, in pedestrian zones, in traffic-calmed streets, at markets, festivals and open-air events, near playgrounds and on all public transport including platforms and station concourses. German Shepherds, Boxers, Dobermanns and Great Danes count as big whatever their height. Smaller dogs may go off lead in those places, and everywhere else in the city the default is off lead unless a park rule or a sign says not. Playgrounds and the green-bollard lawns in city parks are closed to all dogs.

Public transport and trains

One dog travels free on the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, tram and bus with any valid MVV ticket or a Deutschlandticket. A second dog needs a child ticket unless it rides in a bag or basket. Dogs must be on a lead in every vehicle and in S-Bahn and U-Bahn stations, and a muzzle is only required if the dog could be a danger to passengers. Dogs on Bavaria's fighting-dog list aren't carried at all. On the S-Bahn and approved regional trains, including the S1 and S8 to the airport, a dog not in a carrier needs a lead and a muzzle, so carry one. On Deutsche Bahn a dog up to the size of a house cat rides free in a closed carrier. A bigger dog needs a half-price ticket, must be on a lead and wear a muzzle, and can't come into the restaurant car. No BahnCard discount on the dog's ticket and no seat reservation for it. The Sofitel sits on top of the Hauptbahnhof, so day trips to Salzburg, Nuremberg or the lakes start at the front door.

Parks

The Englischer Garten, and the Hofgarten and Finanzgarten beside it, take dogs on a lead the whole way through, from the Eisbach surfers at the southern tip to the Kleinhesseloher See and the quiet Hirschau in the north. Pick up after your dog or expect a fine. The Nymphenburg palace park also takes dogs, on a short lead, and dogs can't swim in its canals. The Alter Botanischer Garten is a few minutes from the Sofitel for the first walk of the morning.

Water

Munich has no beach. The Isar runs through the city with gravel banks and meadows, and the Flaucher in the south is where locals go. Dogs are barred all year from the bathing and sunbathing areas of the city's swimming lakes and lidos, so keep to the river and the ordinary riverbank paths.

Beer gardens and restaurants

Beer gardens are the easy win. The Hofbräuhaus says plainly that dogs are allowed, and the Viktualienmarkt lets dogs onto the market on a lead as long as they keep away from the food stalls. There's no German rule against dogs in a dining room, each place decides, and some of the big restaurant groups vary it by house, so ask when you book anywhere smart.

Oktoberfest and Frühlingsfest

No dogs on the Theresienwiese festival grounds during Oktoberfest or the Frühlingsfest. In 2026 the Wiesn runs from 19 September to 4 October, and hotel prices across the city follow it. If you want Munich with a dog, come outside those dates.

Hotels: breakfast, fees and weight

Dogs are at breakfast at the Sofitel, Hotel München Palace and MAXIMILIAN, and kept out of it at PLATZL. Fees run from EUR 15 a night at PLATZL, EUR 20 per room at The Westin Grand, EUR 25 at München Palace, MAXIMILIAN and Cortiina, EUR 30 at LOUIS and EUR 35 at the Sofitel and the Andaz, with the Munich Marriott at EUR 50 per room per stay. Only two hotels publish a weight limit: The Westin Grand at 40 kg with up to two dogs, and the Munich Marriott at 25 kg with one.

Vets

Tierklinik Ismaning, Oskar-Messter-Straße 6 in Ismaning on the S8 airport line, runs a 24-hour emergency service on +49 89 540 45 640. The LMU Kleintierklinik at Veterinärstraße 13, by the Universität U-Bahn stop on the U3 and U6, is the university small-animal hospital and says to come straight in for an emergency. AniCura Tierklinik Haar, Keferloher Straße 25 in Haar east of the city, runs emergencies round the clock on +49 89 461 48 51 0.

Best walks

The Englischer Garten end to end on a lead, from the Eisbach wave past the Monopteros and the Chinesischer Turm beer garden to the Kleinhesseloher See, and on into the Hirschau if you want an hour without crowds. The Isar from the Deutsches Museum island south to the Flaucher gravel banks. The Nymphenburg park on a short lead, with the Hirschgarten beer garden beside it.

When to go

May to early July and the first half of September are the sweet spots, warm enough for the beer gardens and the Isar without the July and August heat that makes the city's stone streets hard on paws in the afternoon. Avoid 19 September to 4 October 2026 unless you're happy to stay off the Theresienwiese and pay Oktoberfest room rates, and skip the Frühlingsfest weeks in spring for the same reason. December is cold but the Christmas markets are outdoors and the Englischer Garten in snow is lovely, just remember big dogs go on a lead at the markets.