Munich Oktoberfest Traditions, Secrets and Tips in a Private Tour

Before entering the festival grounds, I will meet you in front of St. Paul's church and will introduce you to the origins of the Oktoberfest, its traditional opening procedure and the importance of the event for the Bavarian capital. You will learn how the Oktoberfest is connected to a royal wedding, why, in spite of its name, it opens its doors in September and who drinks the very first mug of Oktoberfest beer when the festival begins.

We will visit the Marstall tent and discover why it is named after the royal stables and why is a horse race, held at the beginning of the 19th century, commemorated up to nowadays at the Oktoberfest.

We will visit the Oktoberfest tent serving Steckerlfisch, a very traditional Bavarian specialty, which is a flavourful grilled fish on a stick, cooked whole over hot embers in the customary way of local fishermen.

We will stroll along the Oktoberfest street of fairground rides and you will sight, aside the new and most modern rides, the oldest and most traditional ones, learning on the way their origins, peculiarities and historic value. We’ll encounter along our way the flea circus, the Schichtl “Decapitation Theatre”, the 100-years-old “Krinoline” merry-go-round, riding to the tunes of a live Bavarian brass band, and will soak in the genuine festival atmosphere.

We will go into the Ochsenbraterei tent, specialising in roasting ox, to discover the up-to-date amount of oxen consumed at the Oktoberfest and to enjoy the traditional atmosphere in one of the largest festival tents.

We will enter the merriest and most international of all Oktoberfest tents, to greet the beer angel Aloisius and learn why he is an ever-present regular of the Hofbräu, to sing along to popular tunes played by the brass band and to admire the enormous hop wreaths decorating the ceiling of this fascinating tent.

We will visit the tent of the oldest brewery in Munich and will learn the origins of the tradition of installing large tents at the Oktoberfest. We will also discover how the popular tune “Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit” became an invitation to drink your beer to the bottom and why the tower of the Augustiner tent hosts an elevator.

We will go into the tent where the Oktoberfest gets officially opened every year and will learn why this very tent is hosting all the Oktoberfest opening ceremonies. We will also find out how the Oktoberfest beer came into being and why this special beer is nowadays brewed yearly for the festival.

We will visit the largest and best technically equipped tent of the Oktoberfest. You will discover how modern technologies intertwine with tradition to offer a unique festival experience to each and every guest of the Paulaner tent.

We will pass by the statue of Bavaria and you will learn how the bronze lady helped King Ludwig I of Bavaria drink a 3-liter beer mug and how she literally holds on her shoulders hundreds of tourist eager to admire the Oktoberfest grounds from above.

We will admire the giant Willenborg Ferris wheel, the most famous Oktoberfest symbol, and I will share with you its story and the records it registered during the 45 years of its existence.

Our tour will end in front of the Kaiserschmarrn tent, the only tent at the Oktoberfest not serving beer and the best place on the festival grounds to spoil yourself with sweet treats, irrespective of your age. You will have the chance to sight the preparation process of the so called “Emperor's Mess”, a traditional shredded pancake from the region, and I will also gladly share with you the secret of getting a chance to try a replica of the wedding cake baked in 1810 for the wedding of Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen.