Neuschwanstein from Munich: which day trip, and can you do it on your own?
Updated October 13, 2026 · 6 min read
For most first-time visitors, book the full-day trip to Neuschwanstein and Linderhof by coach: from €76 per person, 4.6 stars from 17,025 reviews, 10 to 10.5 hours, two castles in one day. The €76 buys the transport and the guide; the castle tickets are a choice you make when you book. If you only want Neuschwanstein and a smaller group matters more than the price, the van tour further down is the one to look at.
| Day trip | From | Group | Castle tickets | Hotel pickup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neuschwanstein and Linderhof by coach | €76 | Coach | Optional, bought on the bus | No, central meeting point |
| Neuschwanstein by train and van | €71.10 | Guided group | Optional, about €24 on the day | No, office near the station |
| Neuschwanstein by van, with Wieskirche | €125 | Up to 8 | Not included, €21 plus €2.50 fee | Yes |
| Premium small group, Neuschwanstein and Linderhof | €194 | Up to 28 | Both included | No, central meeting point |
Prices are per person and exclude lunch on every one of these.
The coach trip: two castles, one long day
The route goes to Linderhof first, passes through Oberammergau without stopping (the listing is explicit about that), then spends about two hours around Hohenschwangau before the castle visit. Of those two hours, plan on lunch at your own expense and the walk up, which the listing puts at 30 to 40 minutes on a steep road of about 1.5 km. Inside, the guided visit of Neuschwanstein is about 30 minutes.
The thing to understand before you pay is the ticket. The booking page offers an option with tickets and one without. If you take the cheaper option, the guide sells you the reserved entrances to both castles on the bus for €42 per adult including fees, €10 per child, by debit or credit card only. That brings the day to about €118 per adult, which is the real price to compare against the others. The operator notes that tariffs may change, so read the booking page on the day you book.
Linderhof is the small, intimate one: Ludwig II’s only palace completed in his lifetime. In winter the palace is open from 10 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., and most of the park buildings are closed, including the Venus Grotto, which opens in the summer season only. The premium coach’s listing says the winter order is Linderhof first, then Neuschwanstein in the afternoon.
The train-and-van trip: cheaper, and one castle
This is the lighter version: about two hours by train or bus each way, a guide who walks you around the grounds and viewpoints, and free time in Hohenschwangau. It is built around Neuschwanstein alone, with Marienbrücke, the waterfall gorge and the view of Hohenschwangau castle. The inside visit is optional, at about €24 paid on the morning, so the comparable figure is around €95 for the castle interior. The listing warns that transport is sometimes a private bus instead of the train, and that the walk uphill is about 20 minutes; an optional horse-drawn carriage or a bus covers some of it.
Be clear about what you are giving up: hotel pickup is not included, you meet at the operator’s office at Dachauer Straße 4, and the guide speaks English. Returns are about 6:30 p.m. or 7:15 p.m., depending on the departure.
The van tour: eight people and a farm stop
At €125, it costs about €49 more than the coach fare, and what you get is size. The listing limits the group to eight and includes pickup and drop-off at your hotel in Munich. The route runs along the Romantic Road and adds the Wieskirche, the UNESCO pilgrimage church, and an optional cheese-and-sausage platter at a Bavarian farm. Castle entry is not in the price: €21 plus the €2.50 booking fee, paid in cash to the guide. That brings it to about €148.50 per person before lunch.
The farm stop changes in winter. From November to mid-April the cheese farm is open Friday to Sunday only; on weekdays the stop is a brewery tavern in Schwangau instead.
The premium coach: both tickets in the price
At €194 it is the trip where both tickets are always in the price; on the standard coach that is true only of the option with tickets. It includes skip-the-line tickets to both castles, snacks and drinks on board, and a coach with extra legroom and a 2+1 seating plan, capped at 28 guests. The itinerary adds a short stop at Oberammergau (which the standard coach skips), and the listing says the stop may be dropped between December and March depending on weather and road conditions. Tours are in English only.
Against the standard coach with tickets bought on board, the premium costs about €76 more. You are paying for comfort and a smaller coach, not for extra sights.
Going on your own
It works. The train to Füssen takes a little over two hours, a local bus about 10 minutes more, and then a walk of about half an hour uphill. Tickets are the part that decides it. The official ticket centre in Hohenschwangau sells the day’s remaining tickets from 8 a.m., and they can be gone early. Online, admission is €21 in 2026 plus a €2.50 booking fee, children under 18 free. Your entry slot is fixed, and arriving late can mean being turned away.
Linderhof is the hard part. There is no railway station there; reaching it yourself means a train to Oberammergau and then a bus, so check the timetable before you plan two castles in a day. This is the main reason the coach tour exists. If you would rather drive, castle parking is listed at €12 a day by one operator, and you can compare hire cars for Munich — read the excess and deposit terms on the booking page, since they differ by supplier.
Who should take what
If you want two castles and do not mind a full coach, take the standard coach trip, and pick the ticket option so you are not fumbling for a card on the bus. If one castle is enough, the train-and-van trip is the cheapest guided way in. If hotel pickup and a group of eight matter, the van is the one; the extra cost buys that and the Wieskirche stop. And if you want both tickets, legroom and snacks settled before you leave the hotel, the premium coach is that.
For mobility: all four listings say they are not suitable for wheelchair users or people with mobility impairments, and the walk to the castle is steep. Confirm with the operator before you book.
One thing on timing: in 2026 the castle’s summer hours (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) ran from 28 March to 15 October, and the winter hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Marienbrücke may also be closed in bad weather in winter. For the full range of trips, see all day trips from Munich and the Neuschwanstein tours.
Our pick for most travellers: the Neuschwanstein and Linderhof coach trip.
