Oktoberfest

OFFICIAL GUIDE
Oktoberfest
2013
München
Deutschland
EMBRACE EXPERIENCE.
How the Greatest Beer
Festival Came to Be
The Munich Government Building
(90% destroyed in WWII, rebuilt with glass to
signify the governments openness)
Oktoberfest began as a marriage ceremony between Prince
Ludwig and Princess Therese on October 12, 1810. All of the
townspeople where invited to attend the festival which took place
in the fields outside of the city gates. Following the wedding
the fields were named Theresienwiese after the Princess. The
party was such a hit that the townspeople asked King Ludwig to
continue the celebration the following year. 2012 marked the 205
anniversary of the festivities. Why stop a good thing!?
View of Armbrustchutzen Festzelt Tent
and St. Paul’s Church
Today the remnants of the gates still stand and the fields, known
by locals as the Wies’n, now host the largest beer festival in the
world: Oktoberfest! Oktoberfest has transformed into a 17 or
18-day festival in which 6-7 million people from around the world
participate in, consuming more than 6 million liters of Bavarian
beer. That’s 1 million gallons of beer! Oktoberfest officially begins
Tour guests at the Wies’n gates
heading to their tent reservation
on the second to last Saturday in September at noon when the
mayor of Munich taps the first barrel at the Schottenhamel
Tent, crying “O’zapft is” (It’s open). The festival concludes the
first Sunday of October following German reunification day on
October 3.
There are 14 main beer tents at the Theresienwiese grounds
Tours Guests enjoying a Maß at the
Hacker Pschorr tent dubbed “Himmel
der Bayern” Heaven of the Bavarians,
for its magnificent ceiling
serving brews by the Maß (1-liter stein). Of the 14 tents there
are 6 large tents, which rotate up to 12,000 people per day! That
is a whole lot of beer! Only six breweries are represented at the
Oktoberfest grounds - Späten, Augustiner, Paulaner, HackerPoschorr, Hofbräu and Löwenbräu. Everyone has their preferred
brew by the end, which one will be yours? Also, for those of you
who fancy a break from the frothy brews there is a special wine
tent called Weinzelt.
Sun peering through the Old City Hall
at Marienplatz (city center)
Hints (Surviving)
Taking a nap on the hill
(don’t be that guy!)
4 Leave your passport at your hotel, take only a copy of it with you when
you venture out
4 Bring only as much cash as you are willing to spend
4 DRESS UP! Everyone wears the traditional lederhosen and dirndl’s,
get yourself a pair and join in
Tour guests cheers-ing at an
outdoor biergarten
4
Don’t drink too much… Yaya this goes without saying and some of you
have even been training for this but remember a Maß of beer contains
33 ounces of beer and has an alcohol content around 6%. A typical beer
can holds 12 ounces and is about 3.5% alcohol. Do the math
4
•
Dancing is a must in the tents but do not dance on the tables.
The benches are fair game but you will be kicked out immediately if
you stand on a table
Refrain from steeling beer mugs, you will be caught, kicked out and
possibly fined
4 Take some time to experience Munich not just the Wies’n grounds.
Some staff favorites are the Englischer Garten and the 72’
Olympic stadium.
4 If you are going to the tents without a reservation go early, especially on
the weekends!
4 Eat before going to the tents, you’ll want something to soak up all the beer.
4 Buy a pretzel!
Tour guests on the balcony in the
Schottenhamel Tent (the first keg
is tapped at this tent on opening day)
Traditional Bavarian
women in dirndls
View of the 72’ Olympic Stadium
4
The dirndl bowtie explained:
• Left: If a woman ties her dirndl bow on the left it means she is single
• Right: If a woman ties her dirndl bow on the right it means she is taken
• Middle: If a woman ties her dirndl bow in the middle – good luck
Frequently
Asked Questions
Tour gallery view at
Augustiner-Festhalle tent
Maß of beer
View of the Oktoberfest grounds to
the Bavarian Statue (you can climb
up the statue for breathtaking views)
4
Do I need a reservation to get into the beer tents?
You do not need a reservation to get into the beer tents, however a
reservation is the only way you are guaranteed entrance and a table.
Most reservations include 2 beers (1 liter each) and 1 food voucher
(usually a chicken plate). It is sometimes possible for us to include a second
beer tent reservation in your package for an additional charge - just ask!
Oktoberfest is a once in a lifetime experience, don’t take your chances or
waste your time standing in line… just come with us!
4
How much does a liter of beer (the “Maß” Oktoberfest Beer) cost
at the tents?
The price for a Maß of beer costs between €9 and €10 and it is good
practice to tip your server. With up to 10,000 people in the tent at a time you
want to be sure your server likes you so your never holding an empty Maß.
4
Oktoberfest starts in September…why is it called Oktoberfest?
The festivities originally began October 12, 1810 and lasted for almost a
week, until October 17. In the following years, the galas were repeated
every October and were prolonged. Eventually the party was moved forward
into September primarily to ensure better weather.
4
Is there a best tent?
Many people hear about Hofbräu and think they must go to that tent.
Truthfully there is no best tent. All of the tents have a unique aspect about
them but none of them are any better than the others. Locals prefer the less
known tents while college kids like the Hofbräu. No matter what tent you
are in your going to have the time of your life. Just don’t drink too much and
take some pictures so you remember it!
View of the Bräurosl Tent
View of the Hippodrom Tent
Hacker Pschorr tent dubbed “Himmel der
Bayern” Heaven of the Bavarians
2013 Oktoberfest:
The Trip of a lifetime!
Tour guests
s drinking one
for the ages
Experience Oktoberfest:
What’s Included:
 Sold out beer tent reservations! Some tents rotate through over 10,000
people per day, don’t be left out! ( Our tent reservations include two Maß
beers and a meal, normally a half chicken dinner)
 4 day / 3 nights accommodations at a 3 or 4 star property ideally located
blocks to the Oktoberfest grounds and city center
“Spyder” on the famous Munich
Bike Tour heading for a beer
View of Neuschwanstein Castle
Tour gue sts bonding over brews
at the welcome dinner
 Munich bike tour: see the breathtaking sites, learn a bit about Munich’s rich
culture and drink some beers at one of the largest biergartens in the word
(guest and staff favorite)
 Private transfers upon arrival and departure (if you are coming in from the
Munich airport you’ll get to speed down the autobahn)
 Full day excursion to Neuschwanstein Castle (the Disney Castle is
modeled after it!)
 Exclusive access to the official Oktoberfest After Party (when the tents shut
down the party continues all night here!)
 Traditional Bavarian welcome dinner with other Tour guests at one of our
favorite Munich eateries

welcome gift bag complete with the official Oktoberfest 2013 mug

guided assistance and expertise throughout your trip
 Expert knowledge of an Oktoberfest pro
 24/7 guide assistance
 And much much more!
Choose from three weekends:
Opening Weekend:
September 20 – 23
Tour guests at the Shottenhamel
Tent, friends for life after this day
Mid Weekend:
September 27 – 30
Closing Weekend:
October 4 – 7
The Munich Mayhemers! (You’ll
need to ask us about these guys)
Where will you be when the World’s biggest party is happening?
BE THERE.
WANT MORE INFORMATION?
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