Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Tour from Munich

Included and Excluded

The fare covers the air-conditioned coach, the English-speaking live guide, parking fees and the guaranteed ticket sale on the coach if you did not buy the ticket option. Entrance tickets come only with the option named Castles WITH entrance fees. Lunch, drinks, hotel pickup and the ride up the hill to Neuschwanstein are not included. The ride up is a horse-drawn carriage or shuttle bus paid in cash to the operator, at most €8 ($9.12) per person.

The honest note: about 4 hours of the 10-hour day is travel for a castle interior tour of roughly 30 minutes at Neuschwanstein and 45 at Hohenschwangau. If you buy tickets on the coach you pay €48 ($54.73) per adult against the €21 ($23.95) plus €2.50 official Neuschwanstein face value. The difference buys a guaranteed timed slot that fits the coach timetable, which matters on busy days. If you want more time on site and entry already paid, the small-group van tour with hotel pickup or the premium small-group day with both castle tickets included cost more and solve both problems.

Cash to Bring

Even on the ticket option, the carriage or shuttle up to Neuschwanstein is paid in cash, at most €8 ($9.12) per person. On the option without tickets, the castle ticket for both castles is €48 ($54.73) per adult, €17 for age 7-17 and €5 for age 0-6. Add lunch in the village and any tips.

Carry euro notes for the hill and the meal.

Meeting and Departure in Munich

Check-in is from about 8:45 AM at Sonnenstraße 1, 80331 Munich, at the bus stop in front of the Fielmann eyewear store near Karlsplatz (Stachus). Look for a coach marked Mentor Reisen. The driver and guide welcome you as you check in.

The coach departs at 9:15 AM and drives past several Munich landmarks, which the guide explains on the way out. Hohenschwangau is 118.2 km away, about 2 hours by coach each way.

Hohenschwangau Castle, About 45 Minutes

The first stop is Hohenschwangau Castle, Ludwig II's childhood home. His family bought the 12th-century castle in 1832 and rebuilt it in the Neo-Gothic style, and it served as the royal summer and hunting residence. The guided interior tour takes about 45 minutes and is covered by the ticket option, or paid for with the €48 on-board ticket sale.

Neuschwanstein Castle, About 30 Minutes

Up the hill, Neuschwanstein is visited on a guided interior tour of about 30 minutes through the finished rooms. The walk up from the village is about 1.5 km and steep, or you take the carriage or shuttle in cash, at most €8 ($9.12). There are over 300 steps inside the castle, and photography is not allowed.

Ludwig II finished only 14 of more than 200 planned rooms before his death in 1886.

The Marienbrücke, About 10 Minutes

The iron bridge of 1866 spans the Pöllat gorge behind the castle and gives the classic view down onto Neuschwanstein. The itinerary allows about 10 minutes here. It closes for ice, snow and storms, and in winter it is usually shut for safety reasons.

On busy summer days there can be a queue to step onto the bridge itself.

The Alpsee and Free Time, About 15 Minutes and More

The Alpsee sits right next to Hohenschwangau Castle and gets about 15 minutes in the itinerary, with more time possible in your free window. It is suitable for bathing in summer. The rest of the free time goes on lunch at your own expense, souvenirs and the walk between the sights.

Then the coach carries the group the roughly 2 hours back to Munich, arriving in the evening.

Anyone Who Cannot Climb Steps or Walk Uphill

There are over 300 steps to climb inside Neuschwanstein, plus the steep 1.5 km walk up from the village if the carriage or shuttle is not taken. The operator asks for at least a moderate level of physical fitness and does not recommend the day for travellers with poor cardiovascular health. It is not suitable for wheelchair users.

The carriage or shuttle is cash only, at most €8 ($9.12), and in winter they may not run at all, leaving the walk as the only option. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult inside the castle.

Late Risers and Slow Starters

Check-in is 8:45 AM and the coach leaves Sonnenstraße at 9:15 AM sharp. If that start rules you out, the Neuschwanstein Castle Late Start Tour from Munich also covers both Schwangau castles with a 9:30 AM departure from Karlsplatz 21. If a 10-hour day is simply too long, the half-day skip-the-line tour gets you back to the Hauptbahnhof by 2:20 PM.

Travellers Who Want Linderhof or a Small Group

This tour does not visit Linderhof Palace, so if the third Ludwig palace is the goal, look at the Neuschwanstein and Linderhof full-day trip or the VIP day with the Venus Grotto. There is no hotel pickup here either. For a door-to-door van of up to 8 people, the small-group tour with hotel pickup fits better.

Browse every option on the Neuschwanstein castle tour from Munich comparison.

Cancellation and the Option Choice

You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure for a full refund. The booking is paid up front, with no reserve-now-pay-later. The key choice at checkout is the option: Castles WITH entrance fees includes the guided tours of both castles, while the cheaper option leaves you buying guaranteed tickets on the coach at €48 ($54.73) per adult, €17 for age 7-17 and €5 for age 0-6.

Confirm in writing with the seller which option you hold, and the exact meeting point and check-in time at Sonnenstraße 1.

What to Bring

Wear shoes that handle a steep 1.5 km hill and over 300 steps inside Neuschwanstein. Bring euros in cash for the carriage or shuttle up the hill, at most €8 ($9.12), for lunch in the village and, on the no-ticket option, for anything the guide asks to be settled on board. Backpacks and bulky bags cannot go inside the castle, and photography inside is not allowed, so leave the big bag on the coach.

Winter and Closure Changes

The day runs rain or shine, but the Marienbrücke can close for weather and is usually shut for much of the winter, and the shuttle bus and carriages up the hill may not run in snow and ice. Neuschwanstein's guided tours run 10:00-16:00 in winter. The castle closes on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 January, so check your date against those days before booking.

Hohenschwangau Castle keeps winter hours of 10:00-16:00 as well. If a guaranteed winter departure with a Christmas market finish appeals, the winter tour with the market walk is built for that season.