Gardaland Oktoberfest Starts September 12: Tastings Cost Extra

Gardaland’s Oktoberfest starts September 12, but its beer tastings are not part of the advertised park admission. The Italian theme park’s current event page lists the celebration through September 27, 2026, with adult entry from €44 and separate tasting packages priced at €8.90 and €16.90.

For a Lake Garda visit, the distinction is between buying a day in the park and adding a particular food and drink experience. Deep Arrival’s Gardaland park-hours calendar also shows why the date matters: September 12 is listed from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., while the following Monday closes at 5 p.m.

September 27 Is the Current Official End Date

The park is bringing Bavarian food, beer and themed surroundings into a normal Gardaland visit, with dedicated areas among its attractions. The approaching September 12 start creates a short planning window for travelers choosing a weekend outing or adding the park to a northern Italy itinerary.

There is a date discrepancy worth resolving before making that choice. A July 18 Allgäuer Zeitung report about Gardaland Oktoberfest gave an October 1 finish, whereas the operator’s event page checked September 8 now says September 27.

Use September 27 for this event, rather than assuming an October 1 visit includes it because an older listing still appears in search. The park has not explained that difference on the event page, so it should not be described as a newly announced cancellation or shortened season without further confirmation.

The distinction is also useful when comparing autumn programs: Oktoberfest is the Bavarian-themed event discussed here, not a promise about the dates, scare experiences or ticket conditions of a separate Halloween offering. An open park date and an advertised event date answer different booking questions.

The Two Tasting Packages Differ by One Meal

The €8.90 Beer Experience includes two 0.5-litre beers, one Löwenbräu and one Spaten, plus a lanyard and a special beer glass. The current page also lists a 15 percent discount on Gardaland Express time-saving tickets purchased inside the park.

The €16.90 Beer & Food Experience includes those same two specified beers and listed extras, together with one dish chosen from the menus of the Laugen Haus, The Bavarian or Souk Fried Food food trucks. It is not described as an unlimited meal plan or a credit usable at every restaurant.

The difference between the two displayed package prices is €8. That is the additional amount for the food-inclusive option at the published rates, not evidence that every dish is sold separately for €8 or that visitors receive a cash balance to spend elsewhere.

Both options specify two half-litre servings, a total of one litre per package. The event’s separate beer list also names Franziskaner Weissbier, but the bundle descriptions identify Löwenbräu and Spaten; do not assume that a beer appearing elsewhere on the page can replace a named tasting serving.

The Express benefit is a discount on a separate purchase, not an included queue-skipping pass. Because the wording specifies purchases in the park, someone comparing an online Express product should not deduct 15 percent from that price unless Gardaland confirms that the same benefit applies.

Admission and Add-Ons Need Separate Budget Lines

The event page’s adult admission figure starts at €44, while the tasting experiences have their own prices and purchase link. At those displayed amounts, one adult admission plus the Beer Experience would total €52.90, or €60.90 with the Beer & Food Experience.

Those totals are simple comparisons using the advertised figures, not quotes for every remaining ticket date. Gardaland says rates can change, and the event’s starting admission price should not be treated as the only possible ticket rate or a guarantee that a particular allocation remains available.

The operator’s general ticket page separately advertises dated, flexible and combination products. A visitor who already holds valid admission should check its terms before purchasing again; the tasting offer itself does not establish whether a particular pass or third-party ticket admits its holder on the chosen date.

Children under 90 centimetres enter the parks free under the published ticket information, but that admission rule is not a beer-package eligibility rule. The event page does not provide complete age, substitution or redemption conditions for the tastings, so confirm those directly before buying for a mixed-age group.

Likewise, a family choosing Gardaland for its rides can decline the tasting extras. The event description does not make buying a beer bundle a condition of visiting the park, and food preferences should be checked against the actual participating menus rather than inferred from the broad Bavarian theme.

Weekend Hours Leave More Room for the Event

Deep Arrival’s current dated calendar lists the three Oktoberfest Saturdays, September 12, 19 and 26, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Sundays immediately after them are listed from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., while the intervening weekdays generally run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

That gives the listed Saturdays four more operating hours than those weekdays, which can change the balance between rides, shows and a food stop. It does not establish that every food truck or tasting redemption point operates for every minute of the park day.

Check the operator’s opening-times page again for the date selected, especially before arranging an evening arrival. Gardaland’s ticket offices close two hours before the park closes, so the gate timetable alone is not the deadline for buying admission in person.

The Station Shuttle Follows the Park Day

Gardaland’s official directions identify Peschiera del Garda station, about two kilometres from the park, as the rail connection. A free return shuttle runs every 30 minutes on opening days, beginning 30 minutes before opening and ending 30 minutes after closing.

That is the station shuttle, not a promise about a hotel transfer or a late-night train departure. Match the park’s actual closing time to the rail journey separately; an Oktoberfest tasting package does not include transportation, and the published shuttle interval is not a guaranteed door-to-door journey time.

The park FAQ says guests leaving and returning on the same day must request a pass stamp at the entrance or exit turnstiles. It also says the park opens in rain, while thunderstorms or particular weather conditions can temporarily suspend attractions.

The ticket page separately says admission is not refunded in the event of rain or a power outage. That is the published park-ticket condition, not a verified refund policy for the tasting add-on; ask Gardaland about that product’s cancellation terms before assuming the same rule applies.