Planning a day trip from Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle is a breeze, provided you know what to book in advance, how to get there, and what to expect once you’re inside the castle. In this guide, I’m sharing everything you need to know to have the best day trip ever!
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While in Munich, a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle is a must! This isn’t a day trip you can decide to take at the last minute, though.
There are tickets to book in advance, routes to plan out, and you need to choose whether you want to visit just the famous fairytale castle or BOTH of the castles in Schwangau (plot twist: yes, there are two castles!).
Here’s everything you need to know to plan a successful day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich, with lots of tips and tricks from yours truly.
Enjoy your day trip! ~Claire
PS. Did I mention that I’ve been to Neuschwanstein Castle several times since moving to Germany in 2019? This information is based on personal experience as well as lots of research. This is a bucket list destination for so many people, and I want you to have the best possible experience!
A Little Bit About King Ludwig II and His Fairytale Castle
Neuschwanstein Castle (literally “New Swan Stone”) was built by “Mad King” Ludwig II of Bavaria.
Building began in 1869, and the castle was meant to be a sprawling mountainside retreat with 200 rooms overlooking the picturesque village of Schwangau. By the time the king mysteriously drowned in a shallow Alpine lake 1886, only 14 of the rooms had actually been completed.
Why was the castle never finished, and why did Ludwig II shell out so much money on such an elaborate structure in the first place, you ask? Let’s rewind back to the beginning.
Ludwig II grew up in Schwangau — where Neuschwanstein is located — in his father’s castle, called Hohenschwangau. His father redesigned Hohenschwangau with motifs from the Middle Ages. The walls and ceilings were covered in paintings depicting medieval legends and poems, and Ludwig II grew up loving these types of tales.
As an adult, he was a great admirer of the composer Richard Wagner, whose operas were often based on medieval legends like the ones portrayed on the walls of Hohenschwangau.
Fast forward to Ludwig II’s 18th birthday: he’s crowned king of Bavaria, only to have his powers ripped away from him two years later after losing the Austro-Prussian War. To reassert his kingliness (and, let’s be honest, escape reality), he wanted to build a medieval-style castle on the mountain ridge opposite his father’s castle. That castle was Neuschwanstein.
Between the immense costs associated with building such a castle, the ever-changing design, and Ludwig II’s drowning in June of 1886, the fairytale castle was never finished. It’s still worth adding a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle to your Munich itinerary, though!
How to Get to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich
The “best” way to get to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich depends on the type of day trip you’re looking for.
🚌 On a Guided Bus Tour
Booking a guided coach tour from Munich to Neuschwanstein is the option that most day trippers choose. It’s the pricier option, but it eliminates the need to book train tickets or rent a car, and someone else does all the navigating for you.
In addition to Neuschwanstein Castle, most of the day tours also make stops at Obergammerau and Linderhof Palace (the smallest of Ludwig II’s three palaces; pictured above).
If navigating the German train network sounds like a nightmare to you, you’re traveling with kids or older folks, or are interested in seeing more of the region in general, then a bus tour is likely the best choice for you.
This is the guided bus tour that I’ve done and would recommend! (You’ll need to pay extra for a ticket to tour the castle, FYI! Most bus tours don’t automatically include the castle ticket.)
🚂 By Train
The journey takes roughly 2.5 hours and you’ll want to book your train tickets in advance. Here’s my full guide to getting from Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle by train.
Claire’s Tip: If your train departs after 9am, you can book a Bayern-Ticket, which costs just 34 Euros and lets you take an unlimited number of trips on the regional RE and RB trains for one day. (I do NOT recommend traveling via the Bayern-Ticket if you plan to tour both Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles. Departing at 9am or later won’t allow enough time for both.)
What I liked best about getting to the castle by train is that it saved me TONS of money and I got to explore the town of Schwangau as well as visit the neighboring castle of Hohenschwangau at my own pace after touring Neuschwanstein. Oh, and I wasn’t walking around as part of a massive crowd!
🚗 By Car
It takes roughly 90 minutes to drive from central Munich to Schwangau and is the fastest and most direct way to reach the castle. There are plenty of parking lots in Schwangau, but they fill up fast!
Renting a car will give you more flexibility when planning your day trip and you can theoretically avoid the worst of the crowds by booking either a super early or super late tour of the castle.
Heads Up! You’ll Then Have to Walk or Ride From Schwangau to the Castle
Whether you choose to drive to the castle, take public transportation, or visit as part of a guided bus tour, all of those options will wind up getting you only as far as Schwangau.
From the town of Schwangau, you’ll have to DIY the rest of your journey to the castle. Here are your options:
- On foot (30 minutes): The road up to the castle is clearly marked but very steep. Your legs will be burning by the time you reach the top, but if you’re reasonably fit this is the option I’d choose since it’s free.
- Shuttle bus (15 minute ride + 15 minute downhill walk): Shuttles depart from parking lot P4, cost 3.50 Euros one-way, and there’s a bus every 20 minutes. You’ll be dropped off at Mary’s Bridge and will have to walk down to the castle from there.
- Horse-drawn carriage (20 minute ride + 10 minute walk): The carriages depart from Hotel Müller, and an uphill ride costs 8 Euros and a downhill ride costs 4 Euros. You’ll have to pay in cash, and there’s no set timetable for the carriages!
What to Expect From Your Tour of the Castle
Remember when I told you that only 14 of the planned 200 rooms were ever completed? Well, that’s all you get to see on the tour!
The tour of Neuschwanstein Castle lasts just 30 minutes, and to be honest it’s not a great tour. Depending on the type of ticket you book, you’ll either be ferried around the rooms (at lightning speed, mind you) via audio guide or as part of a guided tour where the guide speaks softly into a microphone and you listen via an ear piece.
On the one hand, I have to be honest and say that the quality of the tour is one of the worst I’ve done in Germany — you’re rushed from room to room, and it’s tough to see all the tiny details of each space because the tour groups are so large.
But the rooms themselves look like they’re straight from a picture book! The walls and ceilings are covered in vibrant frescoes inspired by Richard Wagner’s operas, the architecture itself is a work on art, and the craftsmanship on the furniture items is unparalleled.
THAT is why I’ve toured Neuschwanstein Castle as many times as I have, not because the tour guides were amazing. If you go into your guided tour with the right expectations, I think you’ll like it!
Claire’s Tip: Either before or after touring the castle, make sure to walk the paved paths around the castle to see it from different angles, photograph the inner courtyard, and walk across the Marienbrücke (Mary’s Bridge) for *the* postcard view of Neuschwanstein Castle.
Other Places to Visit in Schwangau
Most people visit Schwangau exclusively to tour Neuschwanstein Castle. And if that’s truly all you want to see in the area or you chose to visit as part of a bus tour that stops at Linderhof Palace and Obergammerau, then that’s all you’ll have time for! And that’s a-okay.
But if you drove or took public transportation to Schwangau, PLEASE take the time to visit the other sights in town! Namely, Hohenschwangau (the castle that Mag King Ludwig II grew up in that inspired his love of the Middle Ages!) and the crystal clear Alpsee (lake).
Fewer people bother to visit Hohenschwangau Castle, so you get treated to a longer, more relaxed tour and you get to see the entire building. This is where King Ludwig II spent the bulk of his childhood, and the medieval frescoes decorating the walls give you a peek into the upbringing that inspired his love of Richard Wagner and operas.
If you have any time left after visiting both Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, head down to the beautiful Alpsee cradled in the valley between the castles. I had time to walk part way around the Alpsee and although it’s small it’s one of the most beautiful lakes I’ve ever seen!
Claire’s Tip: I arrived in Schwangau as early as I possibly could to see both Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau on my last visit. It’s totally doable, but you must book both castle tickets in advance and be prepared to stick to a schedule! This is the exact schedule I suggest if you’ll be visiting Neuschwanstein Castle by train or car.
Here’s What You Need to Book in Advance
- Your castle tickets — Book them as far in advance as possible since you have to select a time slot. If visiting both Hohenschwangau Castle and Neuschwanstein Castle, you’ll save a little money by booking a “King’s Combo Ticket.”
- Your train tickets, rental car, or guided bus tour — The farther in advance you book these things, the better deal you’ll get.
Is Neuschwanstein Castle Worth Visiting? Final Thoughts
Although the quality of the tour itself isn’t the best, the sweeping vistas and masterful interiors of Neuschwanstein Castle make planning a day trip from Munich a big, fat YES from me!
I’ve done this day trip several ways, including by train and as part of a guided bus tour, and I had a wonderful visit each time. The way you get to the castle really just depends on your budget and the type of traveler you are.
Leave me a comment below if you have any follow up questions about planning a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle. I know this is a dream destination for so many, and I want you to have the best time ever!
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