Neuschwanstein Castle Info

NEUSCHWANSTEIN CASTLE INFO:When’s the best time to see Neuschwanstein Castle?
How can I get there from Munich, and, just as importantly, how can I book a ticket?
This page is here to provide you with all the practical information you need to visit Schloss Neuschwanstein. There are also maps and tips to make sure you don’t miss out on a ticket.

Location of Neuschwanstein Castle:
Neuschwanstein Castle sits at the foot of the Bavarian Alps above the village of Hohenschwangau, south-west of Munich.
It’s about 4kms (2.5mi) away from the larger town of Füssen, which means in German, appropriately, "Feet".

WORTH THE TRIP: Neuschwanstein peeking over the autumn trees on the way up from Hohenschwangau. Picture: Stu Anderson

Directions to Neuschwanstein Castle

Getting to the bottom of the hill…

By public transport: Trains run from Munich Hauptbahnhof to Füssen roughly every hour and take about two hours. Leave early if you can, because the crowds build up fast.
You can check connections on the Deutsche Bahn (German Rail) English website here. Just type in Munich Hbf as your start and Füssen as your destination.
If you’re travelling after 9am on a weekday, or any time at the weekend, the dosh-saving Bayern-Ticket is the one to get. It costs €34 for one person plus €10 for each extra person, up to five of you, and it covers the bus up to the castles too.
From Füssen train station, take bus 73 or 78 to Hohenschwangau. It’s a ten-minute hop and drops you at the bottom of the hill, near the Ticket Center.

By car from Munich

It’s roughly a two-hour drive south-west of Munich. Follow the signs for Füssen and then Schwangau and Hohenschwangau, where there are pay car parks close to the Ticket Center. They fill up quickly in summer, so the earlier you arrive the better.

View Neuschwanstein Castle info - Directions on a larger map

….and up to the castle

THE WALK: The road up through the woods. Thirty to 40 minutes of puffing, with the odd horse-drawn carriage clopping past. Picture: Stu Anderson

The most obvious way is to walk, which takes 30 to 40 minutes uphill. If you want to get a little romantic, a horse-drawn carriage will take you most of the way up in about 20 minutes.
There’s also a shuttle bus that runs up towards the Marienbrücke (Mary’s Bridge), with its famous view of the castle. From there it’s a short walk down to the entrance. The bus doesn’t run if there’s too much ice or snow, and you pay for it and the carriages on the spot.

LOOK UP: Mary’s Bridge strung across the gorge above the castle. Those dots are people queuing for their photo. Picture: Stu Anderson

AT THE GATE: The red-brick gatehouse is where the tour starts. Turn up at your slot time, not before. Picture: Stu Anderson

Neuschwanstein Castle tickets: Well over a million people visit every year, so getting in takes a little planning. You can only see inside on a guided tour, which lasts about 30 minutes. Tours run in English and German, and there are audio-guides in 19 other languages. Photography isn’t allowed inside.
Tickets cost €21 regular and €20 reduced. Under-18s get in free, but they still need their own free ticket.

Book ahead online: This is the big one. The surest way to get in is to book a timed ticket in advance through the official Ticket Center Hohenschwangau website. There’s a €2.50 booking fee per ticket, and that includes the free children’s tickets.
No booking? The Ticket Center at the bottom of the hill sells whatever’s left for the same day only, first come, first served. In summer they can go very early, so be there for the 8am opening. If they’ve sold out, you won’t get in that day.
Remember, tickets are sold down in Hohenschwangau, not at the castle itself.

Hohenschwangau Castle: Ludwig’s childhood home sits just across the valley and is well worth seeing too. It’s privately owned, so none of the Bavarian palace passes below cover it, but you can book it through the same Ticket Center.

Combination tickets: The "Königsschlösser" (Royal Castles) ticket costs €40 and gets you into Neuschwanstein, Linderhof Palace and Herrenchiemsee once each, within six months.
There’s also a 14-day ticket (€40 single, €80 family/partner) that covers more than 40 palaces, castles and other sights across Bavaria, including the Munich Residenz, Nymphenburg and the Bavaria Statue in Munich.
Either way, you still need a free timed ticket for Neuschwanstein itself, so book that too. The old trick of walking up to the castle and joining the next tour sadly doesn’t work any more.

Neuschwanstein opening hours: From late March to 15 October, tours run from 9am to 6pm. From 16 October until late March it’s 10am to 4pm. The Ticket Center opens at 8am.
It’s closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Phone: +49 (0) 8362 93988-0 (castle) or +49 (0) 8362 93083-0 (Ticket Center)
Website: www.neuschwanstein.de
Prices and times checked October 2026.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site
Since July 2025 Neuschwanstein has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list, together with Ludwig’s other palaces at Linderhof, Herrenchiemsee and the Königshaus am Schachen. Here’s the story behind the listing.

Concerts in the Sängersaal
Concerts are held in the Singers’ Hall from time to time, in the room Ludwig built as a tribute to Wagner’s operas. Check the official website for any upcoming dates.
Are you after any other Neuschwanstein Castle info? If so, write in and let me know and I'll try and find out for you!

Pass it on

Share this page: Facebook | X | WhatsApp | Pinterest | Email

Or follow us on Facebook: