Every tourist who lands in Munich faces the same minor dilemma at the Hauptbahnhof ticket machine: there are two glossy-looking guest cards on offer, both promising free public transport plus dozens of attraction discounts, and they cost almost exactly the same. The Munich city card (officially “München Card”) and the CityTourCard are not, as some travel blogs imply, the same product with two names – they’re run by different companies, partner with different attractions, and are worth different amounts depending on how you actually plan to spend your time. This guide compares both honestly for 2026, with current official prices, real worked examples, and the unglamorous answer most people don’t want to hear: a lot of visitors should skip both and just buy a regular MVV day ticket instead.

Quick verdict: which card, for whom?

Munich City Card vs CityTourCard: comparison table

Feature	Munich City Card (München Card)	CityTourCard Munich
Operator	München Tourismus / Turbopass	MVG (Munich transport) / easyCityPass
1-day price, single, Zone M	16.90 €	17.50 €
3-day price, single, Zone M	29.90 €	29.50 €
5-day price, single, Zone M	40.90 €	40.50 €
3-day price, group (up to 5), Zone M	47.90 €	47.90 €
Maximum duration	5 days	6 days
Shortest option	1 day (24h from activation)	24h or 48h sliding window
Transit zones offered	None / Zone M / Overall (M-6)	Zone M / M-6 / M-12 (Alps)
Discount partners	100+ (museum-heavy)	80–100+ (experience-heavy)
Typical discount range	10–70 % (often 10–20 %)	10–50 % (some “free entry”)
BMW Museum included	No	No
Where to buy	Online (munich.travel/Turbopass), Marienplatz Tourist Info, MVG machines	Online (citytourcard-muenchen.com), MVG machines, MVV ticket counters, hotels
Mobile or paper	Both – mobile voucher PDF or printed	Both – HandyTicket app or paper
Validation needed?	Online tickets: no. Machine-bought: yes (stamp before first ride)	Online: no. Machine-bought: stamp first
Refund / cancellation	Unused, unvalidated tickets: refundable through seller terms (Turbopass: typically up to 14 days)	Unused, unvalidated tickets refundable through easyCityPass; activated tickets non-refundable

Munich City Card explained

The Munich city card – marketed as the “München Card” by the city’s official tourism arm, simply-munich.com – is the older of the two products and is distributed by Turbopass in cooperation with München Tourismus. It bundles two things: optional unlimited public transport, plus a discount sticker that gets you 10–70 % off at over 100 museums, palaces, restaurants, and tours. Discounts are mostly redeemed on-site by showing the QR code on your phone or paper voucher.

Munich Card 2026 prices (adults, 15+)

Option	1 day	2 days	3 days	4 days	5 days
Discounts only (no MVV)	5.90 €	6.90 €	7.90 €	8.90 €	9.90 €
+ Zone M transit (city)	16.90 €	24.90 €	29.90 €	34.90 €	40.90 €
+ Overall network (M-6, incl. airport)	28.90 €	41.90 €	49.90 €	62.90 €	74.90 €

Munich Card Group (2–5 people, including 2 kids = 1 adult)

Option	1 day	2 days	3 days	4 days	5 days
Group, no MVV	10.90 €	12.90 €	14.90 €	16.90 €	18.90 €
Group + Zone M	29.90 €	42.90 €	47.90 €	60.90 €	70.90 €
Group + Overall network	44.90 €	69.90 €	79.90 €	98.90 €	118.90 €

Top Munich Card discount partners (sample)

• Deutsches Museum – €2 off the standard adult ticket
• Munich Residenz & Treasury – reduced (“ermäßigt”) admission, roughly 20 % off
• Alte Pinakothek – 25 % off (does not stack with the 1-€ Sunday rate)
• Neue Pinakothek / Pinakothek der Moderne / Brandhorst / Glyptothek – around 25 % off the standard ticket
• Lenbachhaus – reduced admission (approx. 25–30 % off)
• Münchner Stadtmuseum / Jewish Museum / Valentin-Karlstadt-Musäum – reduced rate
• Nymphenburg Palace + Marstallmuseum + park palaces – combination ticket discounted
• Botanical Garden Nymphenburg – around 25 % off
• Bavaria Filmstadt – around 15–20 % off
• FC Bayern Museum + Allianz Arena tour – around 10–15 % off
• SEA LIFE München – around 15–20 % off the door price
• Munich Walk Tours / Radius Tours / Mike’s Bike Tours – 10–15 % off bookings
• Olympiapark Tower (when reopened post-renovation) – reduced
• Hop-on/hop-off city sightseeing buses – typically 10 % off
• Hofbräuhaus restaurant – small percentage off select dishes
• Beer & Oktoberfest Museum – reduced admission
• Hellabrunn Zoo – around 10 % off
• Therme Erding – discount on selected tickets

That’s the headline list. The real-world Munich Card discount on most museums is closer to €1.50–€2.50 per ticket, not the “up to 70 %” hero number on the booking page – that figure applies only to a handful of expensive partners like bungee operators or thermal spas. Always check the partner PDF before assuming a big saving.

Where to buy and how to activate

• Online: munich.travel or Turbopass – you get a PDF voucher with a QR code, valid from the date you choose. No stamping required.
• Marienplatz Tourist Info (Old Town Hall) – the validity dates are printed on the card at purchase.
• MVG ticket machines at every U-Bahn and S-Bahn stop – only the Munich Card is sold here (not the City Pass). You must stamp the ticket before your first ride; the date stamp starts the validity.

Note: “Munich Card” and “Munich City Pass” are different products from the same publisher. The City Pass is a much more expensive (39.90–68.90 € for 1 day, no transit) “free entry” pass for ~45 attractions, closer to a London Pass model. The Munich Card uses a discount model. This article compares the discount card to the CityTourCard, not the City Pass.

CityTourCard Munich explained

The CityTourCard is run by easyCityPass under license from MVG (the city transport operator), which is why you’ll see it advertised on the back of every U-Bahn ticket and inside the MVG app. It’s structurally identical to the Munich Card – transit + discount partners – but the partner mix leans more toward experiences (sightseeing buses, FC Bayern, SEA LIFE, Bavaria Filmstadt, Olympiapark, helicopter flights) and less toward classical museums. It also offers a 6-day option and the newer Zone M-12 for trips out to the Bavarian Oberland (Tegernsee, Schliersee, Chiemsee).

CityTourCard 2026 prices (single, adults)

Duration	Zone M (city)	Zone M-6 (incl. airport)
24 hours	17.50 €	28.50 €
48 hours	25.60 €	41.50 €
3 days	29.50 €	48.50 €
4 days	34.50 €	59.50 €
5 days	40.50 €	71.50 €
6 days	46.50 €	81.50 €

CityTourCard Group (up to 5 adults; 2 kids 6–14 = 1 adult)

Duration	Zone M (city)	Zone M-6
24 hours	28.90 €	43.90 €
48 hours	42.90 €	67.90 €
3 days	47.90 €	75.90 €
4 days	60.90 €	94.90 €
5 days	70.90 €	113.90 €
6 days	80.90 €	134.90 €

Top CityTourCard discount partners (sample)

• Bavaria Filmstadt – around 15 % off film studio tour
• FC Bayern Museum & Allianz Arena – around 10 % off
• SEA LIFE Munich – typically 20 % off door price
• Schloss & Botanical Garden Nymphenburg – reduced admission (combo ticket)
• Munich Residenz – reduced admission, similar to Munich Card
• Lenbachhaus – reduced admission
• Olympiapark / Olympic Stadium tour – €0.50 off
• MUCA (Museum of Urban & Contemporary Art) – 20 % off
• Pasinger Fabrik cultural venue – 30 % off entry, 50 % off own events
• CitySightseeing Munich hop-on/hop-off – around 10 % off
• Mike’s Bike Tours bike rental – 10 % off
• Radius Tours walking and beer tours – around 10–15 % off
• Unlimited Biking bike tours – around 10 % off
• Theater.Bayern Crime Dinner – 35 % off
• ALPEN AIR sightseeing flights – 10 % off flight price
• Tölz City Museum – free entry (M-12 zone)
• Werksviertel-Mitte-Kunst – one free drink
• Hofbräuhaus, Augustiner Keller, various restaurants – small discounts or freebies
• Schönbrunn outlet, shopping partners – 5–10 % off purchases

Where to buy the CityTourCard

• Online: citytourcard-muenchen.com (direct) or via the MVG app as a HandyTicket. Online tickets do not need stamping; you choose a start time.
• MVG/MVV ticket machines at every station – must be stamped at the blue validator before first use.
• Hotels & tourist info at Marienplatz and Hauptbahnhof.
• Third-party resellers like GetYourGuide, Klook, Musement – fine, but prices usually match official and you get fewer service options.

Head-to-head: which card wins on what?

Transit value: a near-tie, CityTourCard slightly cheaper short-term

For Zone M single tickets, the CityTourCard is about €0.40–0.60 cheaper at every duration except the 1-day, where the Munich Card edges it (16.90 € vs 17.50 €). For groups, the 3-day Zone M price is identical (47.90 €). On M-6 (with airport), the CityTourCard is consistently €1–3 cheaper for singles. But neither difference is meaningful enough to choose by price alone.

What actually matters: an MVV Single Day Ticket Zone M costs 9.70 €, and a Group Day Ticket (2–5 people) costs 18.70 €. So a 1-day Munich Card or CityTourCard only “breaks even” on transit if you also save about €7–8 on the discount side – which is roughly two museum visits.

Discount value: Munich Card wins for museums, CityTourCard for experiences

If your Munich trip looks like “Pinakotheken, Residenz, Deutsches Museum, Stadtmuseum, Jewish Museum, Lenbachhaus,” the Munich Card has more relevant partners and the % discounts are slightly higher on average. If your trip looks like “Allianz Arena tour, SEA LIFE, Bavaria Filmstadt, Olympiapark, hop-on bus, day trip to Tegernsee,” the CityTourCard partners line up better, especially with the M-12 zone option.

Where they overlap – and the cheaper one wins

Roughly 30–40 partners appear on both cards: Residenz, Lenbachhaus, Nymphenburg, FC Bayern Museum, Olympiapark, Mike’s Bike Tours, Radius Tours, hop-on/hop-off, Hofbräuhaus, SEA LIFE, Bavaria Filmstadt. Where they overlap, the discount percentage is usually identical – because both cards negotiate with the same “ermäßigt” tier the venue already publishes. So for these overlapping partners, simply pick whichever card is a few cents cheaper for your duration. At 3 days Zone M, the two cards are within €0.40 of each other.

The “buy both cards” hack – almost never worth it

You’ll occasionally see Reddit threads suggesting buying the cheap Munich Card “no MVV” (5.90 € for 1 day) for the museum discounts, plus a CityTourCard for transit. In practice this saves nothing: a 1-day Zone M transit alone via CityTourCard (17.50 €) plus a Munich Card discount-only (5.90 €) totals 23.40 €, vs a single Munich Card with Zone M at 16.90 €. You’d be paying €6.50 extra to get a slightly broader discount partner list. The only edge case where stacking makes sense: a multi-day trip where you genuinely want both partner lists and you’re using the no-transit version of one because you already have a Deutschlandticket. For everyone else: pick one card.

When NEITHER card is worth it

• You’re in Munich for under 36 hours. A single MVV day ticket (9.70 €) plus two paid museum tickets will usually beat the card on price.
• You plan to walk the Old Town. Marienplatz, Viktualienmarkt, Residenz, Frauenkirche, Asamkirche, Hofgarten and the English Garden’s southern tip are all within 25 minutes’ walk of each other. You may need transit only twice in 3 days.
• You’re visiting on a Sunday and hitting the 1-€ museums. Every Sunday, the Pinakotheken (Alte, Neue, Moderne), Brandhorst, Glyptothek, Antikensammlung, Five Continents Museum, Egyptian Museum, Lenbachhaus Schackgalerie, and Bavarian National Museum charge just 1 €. A Munich Card discount of 25 % off the normal 9-€ tick

  

  et gets you to 6.75 € – nearly seven times more expensive than just paying the Sunday rate. Skip the card and queue early.
• You’re a family of 4+ doing mostly transit. The MVV Group Day Ticket (18.70 € for 2–5 adults in Zone M, kids 6–14 ride free in 2026) usually beats the group tourist cards once you stack three days. Three day-tickets = 56.10 €, vs a 3-day CityTourCard Group at 47.90 € – close, but the card wins only if you also redeem several discount partners. Run the numbers.
• You already have a Deutschlandticket (58 €/month). Skip transit; if you really want the discounts, buy the Munich Card “no MVV” version (5.90–9.90 €) or the CityTourCard Munich Light (similar idea).
• You’re primarily here for Oktoberfest or a beer hall crawl. Neither card discounts beer in any meaningful way. Save the money for maß.

Real-world cost scenarios for 2026

Scenario 1: 2-day solo traveler, classic culture trip

Itinerary: Day 1 – Marienplatz, Residenz, Pinakothek der Moderne, walking. Day 2 – Deutsches Museum, Nymphenburg, U-Bahn back to hotel.

• Munich Card 2-day Zone M: 24.90 €. Estimated discount savings: Residenz €2 + Pinakothek der Moderne €2.50 + Deutsches Museum €2 + Nymphenburg combo €2 = €8.50. Effective transit cost: 16.40 € for 2 days of unlimited Zone M. Verdict: worth it, even though savings aren’t huge.
• CityTourCard 48h Zone M: 25.60 €. Similar discount savings (~€6–7 because Pinakothek der Moderne isn’t a CityTourCard partner). Slightly worse value for this itinerary.
• Pay-as-you-go alternative: 2 × MVV Day Ticket (19.40 €) + 4 full-price museums (~€34) = ~53.40 €. The Munich Card saves ~€10.
• Winner: Munich Card.

Scenario 2: 3-day family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids aged 8 and 11), kid-focused

Itinerary: SEA LIFE, Bavaria Filmstadt, FC Bayern Museum + Allianz Arena, Hellabrunn Zoo, Deutsches Museum kids’ area.

• CityTourCard 3-day Group Zone M: 47.90 €. Discount savings: SEA LIFE 20 % (~€9 for 4 people) + Bavaria Filmstadt 15 % (~€10) + FC Bayern 10 % (~€6) + Hellabrunn 10 % (~€6) = ~€31 in discounts. Plus 3 days of group transit (would otherwise cost 56.10 €). Net saving vs pay-as-you-go: ~€39.
• Munich Card 3-day Group Zone M: 47.90 €. Same pool of discounts roughly. Identical price.
• Pay-as-you-go alternative: 3 × Group Day Tickets (56.10 € – though kids 6–14 ride free in 2026 so a Single Day Ticket per adult might be cheaper: 2 × 9.70 € × 3 = 58.20 €) + full-price attractions. Slightly more than the card.
• Winner: CityTourCard (slight edge on partner mix), but it’s a coin flip.

Scenario 3: 5-day group of 4 friends, mixed sightseeing

Itinerary: Mix of museums, Allianz Arena tour, day trip to Dachau, day trip to airport (departure), beer halls.

• Munich Card 5-day Group Overall (M-6): 118.90 € for the whole group of 4. Covers airport transit and Dachau (Dachau is in zone M-4 – included in M-6). Estimated discount savings: ~€35–45 across 4 paid museum/attraction visits for 4 people.
• CityTourCard 5-day Group M-6: 113.90 €. €5 cheaper. Includes airport.
• Pay-as-you-go alternative: 5 × Group Day Ticket M-1 (~30.50 € × 5 = 152.50 €) + full-price attractions. Both cards win comfortably.
• Winner: CityTourCard, marginally, on price.

Scenario 4: 4-day couple already holding Deutschlandtickets

You don’t need to pay for transit at all – your monthly Deutschlandticket covers all MVV regional and city trains, U-Bahn, S-Bahn, bus, tram, including the airport S-Bahn lines.

• Munich Card no-MVV 4-day: 8.90 € per person. Pure discount sticker. If you do 3–4 paid museum visits, you’ll easily save €8–12 each, so it pays itself off.
• CityTourCard Munich Light (similar concept): available as a discount-only ticket for D-Ticket holders.
• Winner: Whichever has more partners on your shortlist.

Mobile app vs paper voucher: which to choose?

• Mobile (HandyTicket / PDF QR): Faster to buy, no need to find a stamp validator, easier to show at venues. The MVG app accepts the CityTourCard as a HandyTicket. The Munich Card from Turbopass arrives as a PDF voucher. Risk: dead phone battery means no transit and no discounts.
• Paper (printed PDF or machine-bought card): Resilient, doesn’t need data signal. Slightly slower to redeem because some venues still scan or hand-check. Machine-bought tickets require validation at the blue stamping box before first ride – forget this and inspectors will fine you 60 € flat for “Schwarzfahren” (riding without a valid ticket).
• Best of both: buy online, screenshot the QR, then also print a backup. Most savvy travelers do this.

Refund and cancellation policy

• Munich Card (Turbopass): Unactivated, unused tickets can usually be refunded within 14 days of purchase via Turbopass customer service. Once the validity start date passes or the QR is scanned for the first time, no refund.
• CityTourCard (easyCityPass): Same general rule – unactivated/unstamped tickets refundable; activated tickets are not. Some third-party resellers like GetYourGuide offer their own “free cancellation up to 24h before” terms, which can be more generous.
• Lost paper cards: Generally not replaceable. Mobile/online tickets are tied to your purchase email, so re-downloading is easy.

Hidden gotchas worth knowing

• BMW Museum + BMW Welt is not a partner of either the Munich Card or the CityTourCard. The most-Googled “Munich attraction” gives you exactly zero discount. Plan for the full €10–12 entry separately.
• Some discounts require pre-booking, e.g. Allianz Arena guided tours, Bavaria Filmstadt tours, and sightseeing flights. Walk-ups may be refused even with the card.
• The “up to 70 %” headline figure in marketing is real but applies to maybe 3–5 niche partners (mostly adventure operators). Typical museum discount is 10–25 %.
• Discounts apply only to full adult standard tickets, not to already-reduced children, student, or senior tickets. Families with kids often save more by simply buying the kid the existing children’s rate at full price.
• The 1-€ Sunday rule beats every card at the Pinakothek museums and Glyptothek/Antikensammlung. If your trip includes a Sunday, plan museum day for then and use the card for transit elsewhere.
• The free first-Sunday-of-month rule at the Deutsches Museum no longer exists since the renovation – don’t rely on outdated blog posts. Current standard adult ticket is around €15.
• 24h vs 1-day matters. CityTourCard 24h is a true 24-hour rolling window. Munich Card “1 day” is one calendar day (until 6 a.m. next day for night extension), which is friendlier if you arrive at noon and want value the next morning.
• Zone confusion: Dachau Memorial is in Zone M-4 – you need M-6 (“Overall”) coverage, not just Zone M. Same for Schloss Schleissheim.

FAQ: Munich tourist cards

Is the Munich City Card worth it for 1 day?

Marginally, only if you plan to visit at least two paid attractions and use public transport more than three times. The 16.90 € Munich Card Zone M is essentially a 9.70 € transit day ticket plus a 7-€ voucher for discounts. If you’re museum-hopping all day, yes. If you’re mostly walking the Old Town, just buy a single day ticket (or none at all).

Munich City Card or CityTourCard – are they the same?

They’re structurally the same product (transit + discount card) but run by different companies, with different partner lists and slightly different prices. CityTourCard skews toward experiences and offers 6-day and M-12 zones; Munich Card skews toward museums and offers a no-transit “discount-only” version from 5.90 €. For most travelers, the choice depends on which partners match your itinerary.

Does either card include the airport?

Only the “Overall network” / M-6 version includes the S1 and S8 trains to Munich Airport (MUC). Zone M only covers the city. If you’re using the S-Bahn to or from the airport, you need M-6 (CityTourCard M-6 1-day single = 28.50 €; Munich Card overall = 28.90 €). A single S-Bahn airport ticket alone costs 14.30 €, so the math often works out.

Can kids use the Munich City Card or CityTourCard?

Yes – both offer reduced child rates (6–14 years). However, since January 2026 children aged 6–14 ride MVV transit for free anyway, so the child card’s real value is the discount sticker. On a group ticket, two kids 6–14 count as one adult slot. Under 6 is free everywhere.

Where can I buy a Munich tourist card without buying online?

Both cards are sold at the tourist information offices at Marienplatz (Old Town Hall, ground floor) and Hauptbahnhof main station. The Munich Card is also available at every MVG ticket machine on the U-Bahn and S-Bahn network. CityTourCard is sold at machines, MVV counters, and many central hotels. Buy in cash or by card; remember to stamp machine-bought tickets at the blue validator before your first ride.

Is the Munich Card better than the Munich City Pass?

Different products. The Munich Card uses a discount model (you still pay reduced admission). The Munich City Pass (39.90 €+ per day) is a “free entry” pass to ~45 attractions. The City Pass only makes sense if you genuinely visit 4–5 paid attractions per day, every day – a punishing pace that exhausts most travelers. For relaxed trips, the cheaper Munich Card almost always wins.

Can I use the CityTourCard for Oktoberfest?

Only for transit to and from Theresienwiese (the U-Bahn lines U4/U5 are heavily used during Wiesn). Inside the tents, no discounts apply. The Beer & Oktoberfest Museum on Sterneckerstraße does honor a Munich Card discount year-round, but Oktoberfest itself is a no-discount zone.

The honest verdict

For most 2–3 day visitors doing classical Munich (Old Town, Residenz, Pinakotheken, Deutsches Museum), the Munich city card is the better pick – marginally cheaper at most durations, with a slightly stronger museum partner list, and uniquely available as a no-transit “discount-only” voucher from 5.90 € if you already have transit covered. For families with kids, for trips that include FC Bayern / Bavaria Filmstadt / SEA LIFE / Olympiapark, or for stays of 5–6 days, the CityTourCard shades it, particularly with the M-6 airport coverage. For groups of 4+ planning lots of pure transit, run the numbers against a 3-pack of MVV Group Day Tickets first – you may not need either card. And if your trip includes a Sunday and you love museums, the 1-€ Pinakothek rate beats both cards by a country mile.

For more on stretching your euros in Munich, see our guide to budget Munich, the U-Bahn and S-Bahn explainer, the standalone Munich transit passes guide, the Deutsches Museum visitor guide, and the BMW Museum & BMW Welt overview (since neither card discounts it).