When I started creating our Munich itinerary, I knew I would include the BMW Welt and BMW Museum on our list because my son is a Mini fan, I am a BMW fan, and my hubby has some BMW models he likes.
We knew a bit about the history of the building – because at an auto event and exhibition, we were fortunate enough to talk to the PR manager for BMW and he shared so much interesting and useful information. So this article is my guide to visiting BMW Welt and BMW Museum in Munich, Germany.
My husband had visited both buildings in the past, during one of his business trips (we even had souvenirs at home from here, both cars and fridge magnets), so we knew what to expect when visiting the BMW Welt and BMW Museum. However, the experience was magical, so much more fun than expected!
Because indeed, what will fascinate you from the beginning is that after you enter BMW Welt, you are instantly transported in another world, almost.
Munich houses the headquarters of BMW – and the factory.
So one thing I can tell you from the beginning is that this is the ULTIMATE BMW showroom. It is one of a kind!
And it is definitely worth a visit even if you are not a BMW fan!
Kids and adults alike will love this!
How much time do I need to reserve for BMW Welt and BMW Museum
Well, here it will depend on whether you are a fan or not and if you are travelling with kids or not.
If you are not a fan, then BMW Welt can be seen in 1,5 hours. Maybe plan 2 hours around lunch if you want to eat here (there is a cafe/restaurant, I am sharing the details below).
If you are a fan, even if you travel WITHOUT children, plan more time.
Why?
Because apart from numerous models – BMW cars, Mini cars, BMW motorcycles, Rolls Royce cars – there are numerous fan areas, games, a souvenir shop – all wonderful and if you do not want to hurry…. you will need time.
If you are visiting BMW Welt with a child plan for 3 hours. We spent around that much time (2,5 hours), but we would have stayed longer (but we wanted to visit BMW Museum too, which took us another almost 2 hours – though you can stay longer). We wanted to go somewhere else after BMW – we went to Sea Life Munich so we were under a rather tight schedule.
How to get to BMW Welt and BMW Museum
Located near Olympiapark, the BMW Welt and BMW Museum are easily accessible by public transport.
As mentioned in other articles about Munchen here, I recommend installing the dedicated app – MVV-App – which will get you anywhere you want to go in Minich by public transport.
What to expect when visiting BMW Welt and what you need to know about BMW Welt
Now, I have a lot of information (again, huge BMW fan + connections with the public relations manager of BMW in my country), but I do not want to make this article a history lesson.
I will just share the essential with you – but an essential that will put things in perspective.
As a note: the entrance to the BMW Welt is free of charge! All the games are free of charge – sometimes there may be a queue, but you do not pay to play.
In Munich, there is the iconic BMW Headquarters. Called BMW Hochhaus (translated tall house) this was designed by architect Karl Schwanzer, finished in 1972, but officially inaugurated in 1973. The building was meant to be ready and visible for the Olympic Games – Munich, 1972.
The design is spectacular, and so are (were) the techniques used (you can learn more about the history of that building from this official article).
Close to this iconic Munich building was built BMW Welt – from August 2003 to the summer of 2007 and opened in October 2007.
This is what you can visit.
BMW Welt
BMW Welt is all about discovering the latest models of BMW, BMW Motorrad, MINI, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
It is also filled with entertaining options – games (with consoles), a corner that, based on your preferences and movements, suggests the perfect BMW car for you (my son had so much fun here, and we so many adults trying this), interactive corners (including a love one in the Mini section) + other fun games, including a place where you can play a racing game with a wheel and special driving chair.
All of these are cool and fun – but also time-consuming.
I will however emphasize the word fun – we spent a lot of time at all of them:D
And how do you know we had fun?
We didn’t take pictures. Just enjoyed ourselves!
What did we choose to do?
Well, we looked closely at some of the new BMW models – checked the features, got inside some of the cars (we need spacious cars) – and even saw some offers.
Eric and I tried all the fun places and games 😀
We also visited the souvenir shop – obviously!
We then went up to the BMW Motorrad section where I finally saw a motorcycle that I could accept 😀 (obviously, the top one and the most expensive :)) – my husband was sure that was the only one I’d like – but, then again, I have some standards.)
We then chose to eat something at the restaurant inside the BMW Welt.
The restaurant is not fancy, but they have a few options that are quite good. You also have a wide selection of drinks to choose from.
We all got a burger, fries (surprisingly, we all chose the SAME burger!), and something to drink.
After that, we went to BMW Museum.
What to expect when visiting BMW Museum
First of all, unlike BMW Welt, this museum has an admission ticket.
It is closed on Mondays and open Tuesday to Sunday – 10:00 am – 6:00 pm.
The price for a ticket is 12 euros – but there are some special offers – we paid 20 euros – the family ticket – we were 2 adults, 1 child.
The museum was opened in 1973 – it is closer to the iconic BMW Hochhaus – BMW Headquarters.
The museums has a clear path of visiting it – so you will not miss any section.
It features motors (the beginning of BMW history), motorcycles and, obviously, cars.
There are many models and fun and interesting information – yes, spend some time to learn more about the exhibits.
There are also some interactive areas – more fun for kids and learning opportunities for them.
We loved as well the car that Elvis owned – it is now beautifully exhibited!
Of course, we loved Formula 1 cars and the other racing cars exhibited 🙂
There is a souvenir shop here as well – sooo many options to choose from.
I could spend a day in such a museum.
We had to go through it faster, though because we wanted to go to the Sea Life Munich before closing. Even at a fast-paced rhythm, the museum still has a lot to offer and is impressive.
There are some tours offered too – we chose to have a self-guided tour – so we went in our rhythm. But, if you have the time and want, choose a guided tour as it will get you a lot of inside scoop on the models.
At the BMW Museum you will also see an interesting car – BMW 1602 Elektro.
The car is not complete – you see less than half of it.
But what it is interesting, it its history.
And it is a rather funny story.
This story actually made me recall our visit to the Technical Museum in Vienna where you can see many cars, including old – and where you learn that the electrical models are not a new thing, it is a very old idea, but one that didn’t stick at its launch (and you discover why).
Conclusion: Are BMW Welt and BMW Museum worth visiting
Definitely, whether you are a fan of the company or not.
How much time you need to book to visit these two places?
It all comes down to how much you love the cars, how much you want to learn about the new models, how much you want to enjoy the fun experiences BMW Welt is offering, and how much time you usually spend at a museum: if you read the explanation, admire the exhibits or is just a walk-through.
For us it was more than half a day – but we were on a tight schedule.
BMW Factory Tour
You saw that I did not mention visiting the BMW Factory. While that is possible (from Monday to Friday), when we tried to book online such a tour, there were only tours in German available – and it was only one that still had room for more people (in the period when we were there).
So, if you want to visit the factory, make sure you book it in advance! I did not find places in May for end of June…
In conclusion, we liked the two famous Munich attractions and we recommend them for those who travel to Munich and who did not visit them so far.
