Neuschwanstein Castle: Entry Ticket
From€44
Tour the castle and see Bavarian landscapes
Plan your visit
Visiting Neuschwanstein Castle
Your ticket is valid for one fixed time. Here is how to plan the day so it works out.
- Allow a buffer of 1.5 to 2 hours
- 30 to 40 minutes uphill to the gate
- What cannot come into the castle
The sequence
From the admission slot to the castle gate
Table of Contents
Opening hours
The castle opens daily, with two seasons and four closing days. Checked on 22.08.2026.
| Period | Open |
|---|---|
| 28 March to 15 October | 9:00 to 18:00 |
| 16 October to 27 March | 10:00 to 16:00 |
| 1 January, 24, 25 and 31 December | closed |
Those hours are the window in which tours run, not your visiting time. The last tour starts before closing, and which times are actually bookable on your date only becomes clear at the point of sale.
Timed entry is the real rule
Neuschwanstein Castle can only be seen on a guided tour, and the ticket is valid for one particular time. Arriving late means exclusion from the tour you booked. This is not a question of goodwill but the rhythm the house works on: 14 rooms, small groups, about half an hour per run.
Staff guide in German and English. Audio guides cover 17 further languages, among them Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, Czech, Russian, Polish, Chinese, Portuguese, Korean and Arabic.
The buffer before it
The Ticket Center Hohenschwangau asks visitors to be in the village of Hohenschwangau at least 1.5 to 2 hours before their admission time for Neuschwanstein, and at least one hour before their admission time for Hohenschwangau Castle. That sounds generous and is not. Into that window go finding a parking space in the village, collecting tickets where that applies, the climb, and the check before entry.
In practice: for an admission time of 11:00 you plan to be in the village by 9:30 at the latest, and earlier in winter, because the shuttle bus can be cancelled.
Getting to Hohenschwangau
By car on the A7 to the end of the motorway near Füssen, or via the B12 or B16. The village has private, chargeable parking only, and it fills up during the morning.
By train and bus to Füssen, then by bus to the stop Hohenschwangau Neuschwanstein Castles. Timetables come from the railway and the regional bus operator; on busy days it pays to take one connection earlier than the one that works on paper.
From Munich it is about two hours by road. Without your own vehicle the day trip with transfer is often the only version that reliably works out on time, see ticket types.
The climb
From the Ticket Center to the castle it is about 1.5 kilometres with a considerable gradient. On foot that takes roughly 30 to 40 minutes. There are two alternatives, and both come with a catch.
The horse-drawn carriages start at Hotel Müller on Alpseestraße. For reasons of space they cannot drive all the way to the castle: from the drop-off point some 450 metres and 10 to 15 minutes uphill remain.
The shuttle bus runs from the Alpsee car park P4 and ends at the Marienbrücke above the castle. From there it is 500 metres and 10 to 15 minutes downhill, on a gradient of 12 to 19 per cent. It does not run when the roads are covered in snow or ice.
Both operate all year but without a fixed timetable, they take no reservations, and neither is run by the palace administration. For your schedule that means the walk is the only option you can rely on, and those 30 to 40 minutes belong in the buffer however you end up going up.
Accessibility
The palace administration publishes its own information for visitors with reduced mobility. If that applies to you, settle it with the Ticket Center Hohenschwangau before booking: the climb, a tour across several floors and the ban on prams and child carriers are not things that can be solved on the day.
All figures without guarantee, checked on 22.08.2026. Seasonal hours and the operating times of the carriage and shuttle bus change.
Rules inside
What cannot come in with you
The Bavarian Palace Administration sets access itself, and that applies whoever you booked with.
- Luggage stays in the car or the coach, not in the castle.
- Prams and child carriers cannot be taken inside.
- Photography and video are not permitted inside, not even for private use.
- Exterior shots for private use are free and need no permission.
- The right to carry out checks is reserved, so allow time for it.
- Children under 14 are admitted only in the company of an adult.
Offers that take the climb or the journey off your hands
If the problem is the way rather than the price: these products include the carriage ride, their own guide or the transfer from Munich.
Neuschwanstein Castle: Entry Ticket + Audio Guide
From€44.90
Ticket pickup at Füssen Train Station – guaranteed castle entry time
Neuschwanstein Castle: Skip The Line Ticket + Guided Tour + Horse Carriage Ride
From€60
Secure your Neuschwanstein Castle tickets and take a guided tour
FAQ visiting
Questions about planning
Four points where timetables regularly fall apart.
What happens if I am late for my tour?+
You do not go in. The ticket is valid for a castle tour at one particular time, and anyone arriving late is excluded from the tour they booked. There is no entitlement to a later group. That is exactly why the Ticket Center asks visitors to be in the village 1.5 to 2 hours beforehand.
Can I rely on the carriage or the shuttle bus?+
Only up to a point. Both run all year but without a fixed timetable, they take no reservations, and neither is operated by the palace administration. The shuttle bus also does not run when the roads are covered in snow or ice. If you hold a fixed admission time, plan the walk as your fallback.
How do I get there without a car?+
By train to Füssen, then by bus to the stop Hohenschwangau Neuschwanstein Castles. Connections are published by the railway and the regional bus operator. If you are starting in Munich and want to avoid the changes, the day trips with return transfer are under ticket types.
Is the Marienbrücke worth the detour?+
That is where the postcard view comes from: the castle from behind, above the Pöllat gorge. The bridge sits above the castle at the upper terminus of the shuttle bus. Treat it as its own item, not a stop on the way, and check whether it is open: works and ice close it.
Timings sorted, ticket not yet?
Which of the three products fits your day depends on exactly the schedule above.