Attending Oktoberfest before the Ultimate Alps & Dolomites tour

Johnps

This is probably a longshot to ask. We are on the September 23rd departure of the Ultimate Alps and Dolomites tour. We are getting into Munich a day early. This is also the opening weekend of Oktoberfest. If it is at all doable we would like to go and see what Oktoberfest is all about. Does anyone have any experience attending Oktoberfest either with a Tauck tour or independently?
We will be arriving into MUC at about 1 PM on Saturday Sept. 22nd but by the time we get to the hotel it will be later in the afternoon. We will most likely be jet lagged so I don’t know if we will want to do it that day. The tour does not officially start until 6 PM on Sunday so we have all day Sunday. Any comments or advice from prior Oktoberfest attendees would be most appreciated.

joycesw

See if you can get reservations at some pavilion. We were there on a holiday, and it was next to impossible to get into most of the pavilions without them..

TravelGuy

We have done Oktoberfest a few times prior to or during a Tauck tour. If you just want to see what it is like, just take the subway(?) to a stop near the grounds. I don’t remember the stop, just follow the crowd or get directions at your hotel. You can generally get into a tent after waiting for a few minutes although opening weekend might present a problem. There are maybe 10 tents so if one is backed up find another. Don’t expect to get seated unless you have a reservation although my friend went early on a weekday and was able to sit at a table. It is very crowded inside and very festive. If you don’t like crowds don’t go in – it is shoulder to shoulder with the lady servers pushing their way through holding six giant glasses of beer! It is quite an experience!! There are also various food stands on the grounds. Have a sugar-coated piece of fruit.

FxChpl2

Excellent info, TravelGuy. Thank you!

WorldSeeker

Great Minds Think Alike Johnps!

I really want to take my husband on a surprise, early stop, to Oktoberfest prior to starting our trip too! Did Tauck mention if they could get you in with reservations? I plan on arriving to Munich at least 3 days early to get over possible jet lagged and enjoy the sights too. Look forward to what adventures are in store!

British

Did you find this website? https://www.oktoberfest.de/en/article/Oktoberfest+2018/About+the+Oktoberfest/Dates+and+General+FAQs/751/

Tauck will not help you with tickets before the start of a tour. If you have an American Express platinum card, this is something their concierge service maybe able to help you with. We occasionally use them to get hard to get hold of tickets for the theatre and things like that. We also use them to book hotels and flights.
But the above website explains about tickets.
Enjoy, it's not my thing, but if you go I'd love you to post a review here.