The Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the most beautiful buildings that you can visit in Europe. The reason that it is so popular is that Walt Disney castle Sleeping Beauty is inspired by this Bavarian castle. The environment is magical because the castle is surrounded by forest. The castle is located on top of a mountain where you have a breathtaking view.
If you have the chance to visit Neuschwanstein Castle you should do it! It is cool and is just one of those things you want to have seen during your life. In this article, we share what the best way is to visit Neuschwanstein Castle.
10 tips on how to visit Neuschwanstein Castle
You can visit Neuschwanstein Castle in different ways, you can visit it with a tour or independently. You can also take various hikes in combination with a visit to the castle. In addition to the castle itself, there are also other things worth mentioning. We share our tips so that you are well prepared for your visit to Neuschwanstein Castle. In this article, you can read our 10 tips.
Tip: use the map below to see where the best things in Neuschwanstein Castle can be found. Click on the top right corner to enlarge the map. If you click on the star symbol next to the title you can save this map in your Google Maps account. In the folder, you can show or hide different categories. You can then use this map to navigate when you are close to Neuschwanstein Castle.
Visit Neuschwanstein Castle the easy way
The best and easiest way to visit Neuschwanstein Castle is to park your car at one of the nearby parking lots. We parked our car at Parkplatz P1 Königsschlösser, which costs €8 ($9) per day. From this point, you can walk to Neuschwanstein Castle in just 30 minutes. The walk is not difficult. If you are at the bottom of the valley, the walk to the castle is indicated. You can use the above map to navigate yourself.
Tip: if you have difficulty walking, you can use the carriages at the bottom that are pulled by horses that are supported by a motor.
We recommend that you walk back via a different way so that you have different viewpoints. On the way, we recommend taking the path on the left at Kainz Restaurant. If you walk back from the castle, it is recommended to walk via Panoramablick Schwangau and Jägerhaus.
When you arrive at the castle you will be impressed by its size, probably when you drive to the parking lots you can already see it and you can see how big it is. But once standing next to the castle is impressive. Upon arrival at the entrance, you can choose to go inside.
Neuschwanstein Castle can only be visited by following a tour. This tour lasts approximately 30 minutes and tickets can be purchased here. Please note that tickets sell out quickly, as only small groups are allowed daily. You can also buy the tickets at Ticket Center of Hohenschwangau. Be at the ticket office at 8:00 am. We recommend that you buy tickets in advance.
If you are coming from Munich it is best to book this tour to visit Neuschwanstein as a day trip. This is a lot easier and cheaper.
Tip: Often websites recommend buying tickets for Neuschwanstein through unofficial websites. We do not recommend this because you often have to collect tickets from agencies, which is inconvenient. If you want to purchase tickets, it is best to do it through the official website like GetYourGuide.
We visited Neuschwanstein but did not enter because we couldn’t get tickets anymore because we were too late. We also understood that the Hohenschwangau castle is more beautiful inside than Neuschwanstein. This is because Neuschwanstein was never finished. So be on time with your reservation.
Hike Tegelbergbahn
The nicest walk you can do when you are at Neuschwanstein is the one that starts at the cable car of the Tegelberg and ends at the information point of Hohenschwangau. During this route, you walk high in the mountains so that you can always enjoy a breathtaking view. When you use the cable car, the hike starts at the panorama restaurant Tegelberg. Here you can eat and drink something and then walk towards the Neuschwanstein viewpoint.
The most beautiful part is when you arrive at the Neuschwanstein viewpoint, which is the bridge called Marienbrücke. This is the best point to overlook the castle. After this stop, you continue in the direction of Hohenschwangau. The walk is not difficult because you always walk down. Because of this, we recommend that you start the walk with the cable car of the Tegelberg because when you use the cable car the walk is mainly down. You do not have to use the cable car, this will save you €17.50 ($19) per person. See below what the differences are:
Tegelbergbahn – Hohenschwangau
- Distance: 6 km / 9.6 miles
- Duration: 2.5 hours
- Ascent/descent: 67m / 932m
- Departure and end point: Tegelbergbahn and information point Hohenschwangau
Tegelbergbahn – Hohenschwangau (without cable car)
- Distance: 9.4 km / 15.1 miles
- Duration: 4.5 hours
- Ascent/descent: 943 m / 936m
- Departure and end point: Tegelbergbahn and information point Hohenschwangau
Are you in Munich and want to visit Neuschwanstein Castle?
Book this Munich – Neuschwanstein Castle day tour.
Best viewpoints for Neuschwanstein Castle
Of course, when you visit Neuschwanstein Castle it is great to take picture of it. From these places, you have a nice view of the castle. If you also like to take pictures, this is great. If you are not a fan of taking pictures, these places are still recommended to visit because these are the best places in terms of view.
Marienbrücke
The most beautiful place to view Neuschwanstein is at Marienbrücke. This is the most famous point where you can see the side of the castle on the bridge. The bridge is a 13-minute walk from the castle entrance. This bridge is located higher in the mountains and makes it possible to reach the other side of the mountain. Because the bridge is higher than the castle, you can have a great view of the region. If you continue walking, you can walk towards the Tegelberg where you can go hiking (see the tip hike Tegelberghbahn for more information). Keep in mind that it can be busy. We recommend visiting this bridge early in the morning or later in the afternoon.
Grass field Gipsmühlweg
In front of the castle is a large lawn where you can see the entire region. The great thing when you are here is that you look up from the valley towards the castle with the mountains in the background. If you want the best view of how the castle blends into the surroundings, this is the place to be.
If you want to fly a drone at Neuschwanstein Castle, this is the best place because this is the only place where it is allowed. You can fly just outside the security zone here. It is not allowed in the other places closer to the castle. We have therefore made the drone shot of the castle on the lawn at the street Gipsmühlweg.
Panoramic view Schwangau
The moment you walk from Neuschwanstein Castle to Marienbrücke you pass Panoramablick Schwangau. The nice thing about this vantage point is that in addition to Neuschwanstein, you can also see the Hohenschwangau Castle and the Alpsee Lake.
Discover more than just Neuschwanstein Castle
Of course, Neuschwanstein Castle is more than enough reason to travel to Hohenschwangau which is the old village where Neuschwanstein is located. However, next to this castle you can see more awesome things such as Hohenschwangau Castle. This is the castle where former kings lived, making it a must to visit this castle from the inside. In addition, Füssen is a 5-minute drive away which is an old historic town that is nice to visit. Read here what you can do in Füssen and the surrounding area.
Tour or independently
If you are going to visit Neuschwanstein Castle, you have to decide for yourself whether you want to do this with a tour or independently. Each has its pros and cons. Below you can read our advice on when you should choose for a tour or independently.
Neuschwanstein castle tours
When you are in Munich or other big cities, it is easiest to book a tour to visit Neuschwanstein. This saves you a lot of research work and it is also a lot cheaper than if you do it independently. Tour from Munich to visit Neuschwanstein you can easily book here.
Neuschwanstein castle independently
Our advice is very simple, if you are in the area and have a car, it is best to visit Neuschwanstein independently.
What is the best way to get to Neuschwanstein Castle?
Due to the popularity of Neuschwanstein Castle and being only 5 minutes from Füssen, it is easily accessible. You can travel to Neuschwanstein by public transport or by private transport, in most cases, you must first travel to Füssen and then to the castle.
If you want to reach Neuschwanstein by plane, it is best to fly to Munich and then use public transport. See below how you can travel to Füssen by public transport from various destinations.
- From Munich to Füssen: use the train, check the actual train schedule here | from €23 ($25) one way | 2 hours travel time
- Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Füssen: check the train schedule via the link above | from €14.10 ($16) one way | 1 hour and 45 minutes travel time.
- Berchtesgaden to Füssen: from Berchtesgaden, it is not recommended to travel to Füssen by public transport. You have to go to Munich first to reach Fussen. Check the actual train schedule. Cost is €34 ($36) one way and travel time is 5 hours 40 minutes.
In Füssen you can take the bus to Neuschwanstein at the station. This takes an average of 10 minutes, the actual timetables for the bus can be viewed via the link.
If you travel to Germany by plane and you are looking for a car to rent, you can rent it through Rentalcars. We use Rentalcars when we want to travel by car to discover new destinations. They’re easy to use and book with.
Car to Neuschwanstein: you can easily reach Neuschwanstein by car. See below how much time it takes to get to Neuschwanstein from popular surrounded destinations. The easiest and best option is to travel from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Neuschwanstein. There are several parking spaces. We recommend parking at Parkplatz P1 Königsschlösser, which costs €8 ($9) per day.
- Munich to Füssen: 1 hour and 35 minutes | 130 km / 80 miles
- Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Füssen: 55 min | 60 km / 37 miles
- Berchtesgaden to Füssen: 2 hours and 50 minutes | 220 km / 136 miles
- Innsbruck to Füssen: 1 hour 45 minutes | 110 km / 68 miles
Travel insurance
World Nomads travel insurance policies offer coverage for more than 150 activities. Get a quote, make a claim, or buy or extend your policy while on the road.
Best time to visit Neuschwanstein Castle?
Neuschwanstein is a great place to visit all year round. in principle there is no perfect period, the only thing is that in the winter period from November to March there is a chance that there is snow, which makes it completely magical. In the other months, the sun shines more and temperatures are higher, making it more suitable if you want to go hiking in the area.
Where to eat when visiting Neuschwanstein Castle?
Near Neuschwanstein, you have a few restaurants that you pass when you walk up to the mountain which we do not recommend eating because these are very touristy and prices are a lot higher than other places. We recommend eating in Fussen instead. Our favorite places are Gasthaus Zum Schwanen and Gasthof Krone. You can read all the details about this in our article about Füssen.
Where to stay near Neuschwanstein Castle?
If you are looking for nice accommodation near Neuschwanstein Castle, it is best to stay in Füssen. Füssen has a pleasant historic center which is 5 minutes from Neuschwanstein. In Füssen you will find the most choices and the nicest restaurants. Füssen is popular because it is the perfect place from where you can visit Neuschwanstein. As a result, accommodations can be fully booked quickly. We recommend the two accommodations below.
Typical German:
Hotel Schlosskrone
The complete stay you can choose in Füssen is Hotel Schlosskrone, the price-quality ratio is excellent. The rooms are neat, breakfast is good and the quality of the whole hotel is excellent.
Stay in a small castle:
Hotel Hirsch
Another option is to stay at Hotel Hirsch, this hotel resembles a small castle upon arrival. Rooms are modern by German standards and spacious. If you want to stay in a luxury hotel, this is the best choice for you.
Want to see more of the region?
If you have visited Neuschwanstein, it is also nice to visit the adjacent town Füssen. In our article about Füssen, you can read what you can do in the city and the area.
Neuschwanstein is located in Bavaria where there are several nice places to visit. Our favorites are Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Munich and Berchtesgaden. In Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Berchtesgaden you can discover the beautiful nature of Germany. Garmisch-Partenkrichen’s main attraction is Zugspitze and Eibsee. At Berchtesgaden, a visit to Lake Königssee and a day trip to Salzburg are worth doing. Munich is the second largest city in Germany after Berlin, where you can admire some nice museums and a beautiful historic center.
If you are planning a trip through Bavaria, you can use our itinerary for inspiration. You can build your itinerary based on ours or make it simple you do exactly what we did which saves you a lot of research work.
What do you think of Neuschwanstein Castle? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Disclaimer: the prices mentioned in this article may differ from the current situation. We regularly update our articles. If you would like to help us to help other travelers to provide the best possible insight, please leave a comment with the latest information. Thank you!
Did you like the article? Then save it to Pinterest!
