Munich: Day-rent rickshaw and explore Munich yourself

Munich sightseeing gets a playful twist on this eight-hour rental: you drive a three-wheel electric rickshaw through the city instead of following a guide. With room for one driver, two adult passengers, and up to two children, it works especially well for families or friends who want to share the day.

I like the freedom to stop when you want, and I like the practical route map covering the Old Town, English Garden, Nymphenburg Palace, and Olympic Park. The main consideration is the driving itself. The passenger weight is felt through the handlebars, especially when starting, so the driver needs some strength and control.

Key points to know before booking

• You drive the Coolly® yourself: A 15-minute lesson covers handling, starting, stopping, and city riding before you set off.
• The route can cover four major Munich areas: The map points you toward the Old Town, English Garden, Nymphenburg Palace, and Olympic Park.
• The vehicle carries up to five people: One adult drives, two adults ride as passengers, and up to two children aged eight or younger can come along.
• You have the full day from 10 AM to 6 PM: The long rental period gives you time to combine sightseeing with breaks.
• The driver needs practice and arm strength: Passenger weight is felt at the handlebars, particularly when pulling away.
• The rental is private and self-guided: You receive instructions and route help, but no guide rides with you.

What the Munich Coolly® rental is really like

This is not a standard bike tour and not a taxi ride. You are given the keys to a family-sized electric bicycle and asked to make Munich your own for the day.

The Coolly® has three wheels, a broad passenger area, seat belts, and pedal assistance. Its motor supports speeds up to 20 kilometers per hour, which is fast enough for city riding without turning the trip into a race. The design is meant to be easy to steer, but it still feels like a substantial vehicle rather than a light bicycle.

The rental runs from 10 AM until 6 PM. That timing matters because you can cover a large part of Munich without squeezing every stop into a short guided outing. You can ride to one major sight, pause for a meal or coffee, continue to another district, and still have room for wrong turns and photo stops.

You receive a 15-minute instruction session before leaving. Treat it as essential, not as a quick formality. The starting technique matters, and the driver needs to get used to the weight behind the handlebars. One German rider found that the passengers’ weight was especially noticeable in the arms and warned that pulling away takes some strength. That is useful advice for choosing your driver.

Picking up the rickshaw near Olympic Park

The shop is at Schleißheimer Street 181, in a backyard entrance. Go through the barriers and look for the green sign marked rikschaguide.com and Coolly®. The shop is about a 10-minute drive from the English Garden and only about two minutes by car from Olympic Park.

You can reach the shop by taxi, bicycle, or tram line N27, getting off at Ackermannstraße. The rental company does not deliver the Coolly®, so plan the pickup before you begin sightseeing. You also need to bring a €150 deposit, returned after the vehicle comes back.

The pickup process includes the driving lesson, route explanation, and handover of the bike. You get a Munich city map in German and English, with cycling routes designed for the day. A smartphone holder and phone charger are included, which makes navigation easier if you want to use your own map app.

One booking experience also included free car parking at the shop. Since parking arrangements can matter in Munich, ask about this when you reserve rather than counting on it without confirmation.

Starting safely on a three-wheel eBike

The Coolly® is assisted by a strong motor and pedal system, so you do not need to provide all the power yourself. Still, electric assistance does not remove the need to steer and balance the vehicle’s weight through turns and starts.

The maximum speed is limited to 20 kilometers per hour. That makes the vehicle manageable for a sightseeing day, but you remain responsible for judging streets, cyclists, pedestrians, and turns. The 15-minute practice session is the time to learn how wide the vehicle feels and how the passenger load affects the steering.

The driver should be comfortable cycling and should listen closely to the instructor. Starting from a stop is the point most worth practicing. A full load means that the handlebars can feel heavier than expected, especially for a smaller or less confident driver.

Seat belts are fitted, as they would be in a car. The passenger area is designed for two adults, with space for up to two children aged eight or younger. Keep the group within those limits. The arrangement is best for one capable driver and passengers who can sit comfortably for a day of city riding.

Following the route through Munich’s Old Town

The Old Town is the natural centerpiece of the day. Here, you can use the map to plan a route through Munich’s central sights at your own speed instead of stopping only when a guide allows it.

The benefit is control. You can pause for photographs, spend longer in a square, or leave the center when it begins to feel busy. You can also keep moving if a particular stop does not interest your group.

The drawback is that this rental does not include a guide. The instructor gives you route advice and a map, but you will need to decide where to stop and how long to stay. If you want detailed explanations at every building, choose a guided walking or cycling tour instead.

The Coolly® can make the Old Town feel social. One person drives while the other adults share the view, which is handy for a family group that wants to stay together. The children can ride along rather than tiring out on a full day of walking, though the adult driver still needs to manage the vehicle carefully in central streets.

Riding into the English Garden

The English Garden is one of the strongest reasons to choose this rental. It gives you a change from city streets and lets you use the vehicle for a longer ride rather than a series of short central stops.

The supplied route map includes the garden, so you can make it part of a larger circuit. The electric assistance helps with distance, and the vehicle’s estimated daily range is about 30 to 55 kilometers, or more depending on riding conditions and your pace.

Do not read that range as a promise that you must ride all day. The point is flexibility. You can make a shorter circuit with several stops, or cover more ground if your group wants a full-day ride. The 20-kilometer-per-hour limit keeps the pace suited to sightseeing.

The garden portion may be the most relaxing section of your outing, but remember that you are still steering a wide family vehicle. Give yourself room, follow the instructor’s advice, and avoid treating the Coolly® like a regular bicycle.

Reaching Nymphenburg Palace

Nymphenburg Palace adds a grand architectural stop to the route. It is also a good reason to reserve a full day rather than a short rental, since the palace lies away from the Old Town and takes time to reach.

The map includes Nymphenburg, allowing you to decide how much time to spend there. You can make the palace a main destination or fit it between the central city and another part of Munich.

The self-guided format gives you no fixed schedule. That is useful if your group has mixed interests. One person may want photographs, another may want a longer break, and children may need a pause before the next ride. You are not holding up a group tour.

The tradeoff is that palace context is not built into the rental. You receive transport and route help, not a historical talk. If learning about the building is important to you, plan to use your own guidebook or audio source, but do not expect the rental staff to provide a full tour.

Adding Olympic Park to the circuit

Olympic Park is especially convenient because the shop is only about a two-minute drive away by car. It is a practical place to begin or end the day, and it fits naturally into a route that also includes the English Garden and city center.

The park gives the outing a different feel from Munich’s older districts. It is a broad modern recreation area, and the Coolly® lets your group cover more of it than you would on foot. One family group chose a route through Olympic Park and the English Garden and found the combination a good fit for a day out.

Starting near Olympic Park can also help you avoid spending the first part of your rental simply crossing the city. You can collect the vehicle, complete the lesson, and quickly reach one of the named sights before continuing toward central Munich.

How much ground can you cover in eight hours?

The stated operating range is 30 to 55 kilometers per day, with the possibility of more depending on how you ride. That is enough for a broad Munich circuit, but your actual distance will depend on stops, passenger weight, terrain, traffic, and how often you use the motor.

The best plan is not to chase the maximum distance. Choose two or three main areas and let the rest of the day fill in around them. A route linking Olympic Park, the Old Town, the English Garden, and Nymphenburg Palace is ambitious but realistic as a full-day plan, provided your group does not linger for hours at every stop.

The eight-hour window is generous compared with a short city rental. You can take breaks without feeling that every minute costs you a sightseeing opportunity. You also have time to return to the shop before 6 PM, which is important because the vehicle must be brought back rather than left elsewhere.

The price and who gets good value

The price is $159 for a private group of up to three adults. That works out to $53 per adult if three adults share the cost, before considering the fact that the vehicle can also carry up to two children aged eight or younger.

For a group of three adults, the price can be good value because it covers eight hours, the vehicle, battery, instruction, route map, phone holder, and charger. You are paying for a private day rather than a seat on a fixed group tour.

The value is stronger if you plan to visit several districts. A short ride to one nearby attraction would not make as much use of the rental period. Families may also value the shared seating and electric assistance, since children can ride along instead of walking between every stop.

The price is less compelling if you want a guide, detailed commentary, or door-to-door delivery. There is no guide, and you must pick up and return the Coolly® at the shop. The €150 deposit is separate from the rental price, though it is returned after the rental.

Who should book this experience?

I would recommend it to families with children up to age eight, friends who want a shared joke-filled day, and visitors who have already seen Munich’s center and want to connect several areas in one outing. It also suits a private group that dislikes fixed tour schedules.

It is a particularly good choice for a family with a senior passenger who wants to see more without walking all day. One group included a senior woman and still managed a route through Olympic Park and the English Garden.

I would be more cautious if the person expected to drive dislikes bicycles, has trouble with steering effort, or feels uneasy handling a wider vehicle. The passenger load is not invisible. The instructor can help, but the driver must still do the work.

This is also not the best pick for anyone who wants a polished sightseeing narrative. The experience is about freedom and shared transport, not expert commentary. You get the tools to explore Munich, then make the decisions yourself.

Booking details that matter

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the rental for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later. The service is available daily from 10 AM to 6 PM, though you should check the date before booking.

Instruction is offered in English and German. The group is private, so you will not be sharing the vehicle with strangers.

Bring the €150 deposit and allow time to find the backyard shop entrance at Schleißheimer Street 181. The green Coolly® and rikschaguide.com sign marks the correct doorway.

Should you rent the Coolly®?

Book it if you want an active, flexible day that links Munich’s Old Town, English Garden, Nymphenburg Palace, and Olympic Park. The best part is the freedom to choose your pace, with enough capacity for three adults and two young children.

Before paying, choose the driver carefully and take the 15-minute lesson seriously. If your group accepts that the vehicle needs real steering effort, the Coolly® offers a fun way to see more of Munich than a walking tour can cover. If you want a guide’s stories or the ease of being driven, spend your money elsewhere.

FAQ

How long is the Coolly® rental?

The rental lasts eight hours, from 10 AM to 6 PM.

How many people can ride in the Coolly®?

The vehicle carries one adult driver and two adult passengers, plus a maximum of two children up to age eight.

Is a guide included?

No. You receive a 15-minute driving instruction, a Munich map with cycling routes, and route advice, but no guide accompanies you.

What sights can I visit?

The suggested day route includes Munich’s Old Town, the English Garden, Nymphenburg Palace, and Olympic Park.

Where do I pick up the vehicle?

Pickup is at the store in the backyard of Schleißheimer Street 181. Go through the barriers and look for the green rikschaguide.com and Coolly® sign.

Do I need to bring a deposit?

Yes. Bring a €150 deposit, which is paid back after the rental.

How fast can the Coolly® go?

The pedal-assisted eBike has a maximum speed of 20 kilometers per hour.