Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Exclusive Skip-the-Crowds Tour

4.9
(89 reviews)
Munich, Germany

9 hours 30 minutes to 11 hours (approximately)
Pickup offered
Offered in: German and 1 more

The famous Fairytale Castle NEUSCHWANSTEiN is the 2nd most visited attraction in Germany. It captivates 1.5M visitors with its dreamy beauty, inspired by characters from Wagner's epic operas. Unfortunately this means that up to 8,000 visitors/day crowd the place all year long.

This tour gives you the unique opportunity to avoid these crowds and enjoy the calm magic also at HOHENSCHWANGAU in peace. Immerse yourself in the magnificence of the castles and grounds: Let the fairy tale come to life around you!

Our expert guide will give you space to enjoy numerous other sights as well while being at your disposal and alert to your needs & questions at all times.

WHY WITH US:

• Know that your day is planned and conducted by a friendly & professional tour guide
• Look forward to an unique excursion package
• Enjoy the perfect symbiosis of traveling in relaxed comfort and fully leveraging your precious vacation time

What's Included

Drive in new and luxurious Mercedes- or VW Minivan (a/c) - only your group participates!
Skip-the-Line Ticket Neuschwanstein Castle, even for bookings at short notice
Professional English-speaking tour guide
No hidden costs!
Hotel pick-up and drop-off from Munich (outside of Munich additional costs may apply)
Bottled water
if desired: Skip-the-Line ticket Hohenschwangau Castle: Adult € 26.00 / Child (0-6 years): € 2.50
Lunch
Gratuities

Meeting and pickup

Pickup points
You can choose a pickup location at checkout (multiple pickup locations are available).
Pickup details:

.
Pickup at ANY hotel/ANY address within the Munich city area – if your pickup address isn't listed, please let us know under 'Special requirements' (which you'll find during the booking process after selecting the pick-up point) You’ll then get a confirmation from us. The 'Munich city area' is defined as a circle with the 'Marienplatz' at the center and a radius of 8 km / 5 miles.
.
Pickup (and/or drop-off) outside the Munich cty area is also possible on request (e.g. Munich Airport MUC) – please ask us about any possible extra costs!

Itinerary

Duration: 9 hours 30 minutes to 11 hours (approximately)
  • Theresienwiese (Pass by)

    All of the sights mentioned here are carefully selected recommendations. Since you have booked this tour as a private tour, we are happy to accommodate additional requests as far as possible. --> Please also note the following point 'Additional Info'! ... but now: look forward to a wonderful tour and rest assured that you are in the best hands of your friendly and professional guide, who will take you on an eventful, informative, yet relaxing trip in our luxurious minivans. We'll pass the place where King Ludwig I (Ludwig II's Grandfather), celebrated his wedding more than 200 years ago, which we know today as the Oktoberfest! (Depending on traffic conditions or your pickup address, we reserve the right to show you a different attraction.)

    Admission ticket free
  • 1

    20 min later we reach the impressive Lake Starnberg, also known as the “Dukes lake”. Magnificent villas stretch along the lakeshore, including the summer residences of Sissi, the pretty but unfortunate Empress of Austria. See the spot in the lake where King Ludwig II mysteriously died on June 13, 1886. Learn about the strange relationship between Ludwig and Sissi, and why he didn't want to marry Sissis younger sister. The only island of the lake ("Roseninsel") which was in royal possession, too, was the meeting place of Ludwig and Sissi several times...

    15 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 2
    Hohenschwangau

    After another hour drive through the beautiful rural Bavarian countryside we approach the range of the Alps and can see the towers of Neuschwanstein at an altitude of about 1000m/3000ft. Soon we will reach the little village of Hohenschwangau which is the starting point for both castles Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. From your guide you will receive the skip-the-line tickets for NEUSCHWANSTEIN castle and a very detailed map of the surrounding area. He will give you tips on how to spend your stay in the best possible way (e.g. visiting the viewpoint Queen Mary's bridge, using the shuttle buses or horse-drawn carriages, and where it is best to eat or shop). If you would also like to visit HOHENSCHWANGAU Castle, you will receive information from us immediately after your booking on how to purchase skip-the-line tickets online.

    10 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 3
    Schloss Neuschwanstein

    The famous Fairytale Castle NEUSCHWANSTEiN is one of the most popular landmarks of Germany. It captivates visitors from all over the world with its dreamy beauty, inspired by characters from Wagner's epic operas. You have the option to walk up to the castle, take the shuttle-bus (not during snow and ice) or the horse-drawn carriage --> details see "Additional Info". The guided tour in Neuschwanstein castle takes approx. 35 min, afterwards you'll walk for another 15 min through many more rooms by yourself. About the particularities of these rooms you will be well informed by your guide.

    2 hours 30 minutes Admission ticket included
  • 4

    Queen Mary's bridge ("Marienbrücke") - THE TOP VIEWPOINT - built in 1866 by King Ludwig II - one of the most famous in the world! It can be easily reached by a shuttle bus (€ 4.00 p.p.) from the parking lot or on a nice 40-minute uphill hike. From the bridge you'll reach the castle entrance within a 20-minute walk downhill and pass one more magnificent viewpoint! PLEASE NOTE: For departures after 8 a.m., there may be waiting times for both the shuttle bus and access to the bridge! But not far away we can show you another spectacular viewpoint without waiting. In snow and ice, the bridge is not accessible and Neuschwanstein Castle can only be reached on foot or by horse-drawn hybrid carriage.

    20 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 5

    Enjoy views of the spectacular Pöllat waterfall from the Neuschwanstein Castle Courtyard and from the view point Marienbrücke "Queen Mary's Bridge" (for departures after 8 a.m. waiting times are possible; in case of snow and ice, the bridge is closed). The Pöllat is a 10 km long wild river and rises not far from Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian Alps.

    5 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 6
    Schloss Hohenschwangau

    Just as worth seeing is Hohenschwangau castle, the neo-gothic summer residence of Ludwig II's father, King Maximilian II. with Ludwig's spectacular children's room. For the 45 min guided tour Skip-the-line-tickets can be booked, too - we will inform you after your booking exactly how to do this. (Skip-the-line entrance fee (2025) € 23.50 per person 18 years or older, reduction for children).

    1 hour Admission ticket not included
  • 7

    Another unforgetable stop will be at one of the overwhelming baroque churches. Your guide will provide you with all the worth knowing information, for example about the very popular Wies-Church, or – what we not recommend less – one of the other churches on the way, which are still "secret tips", quiet and peaceful far away from the tourist masses. Please note: If we drive over the Lake Plansee route to Linderhof palace or Oberammergau, the Wieskirche cannot be visited, but an equal beautiful baroque church.

    20 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 8

    For a while we pass Austrian territory on our approx. 50 minutes way to Linderhof palace on a breathtaking drive along the mountain lake Plansee. Depending on the traffic situation or - in winter - if there is a risk of avalanches, we drive a similarly scenic route on the Bavarian side.

    20 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 9
    Schloss Linderhof

    (ON REQUEST) - If you have booked the 11 hrs tour, OR AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO HOHENSCHWANGAU CASTLE, we would highly recommend the visit of Linderhof Palace, King Ludwig's smallest but most intimate castle located in a in a secluded Alpine valley with breathtaking french baroque design, spectacular Bavarian trick paintings and the famous "Magic Table" ("Tischlein-deck-Dich"). ***** Skip-the-line entrance fee (2026): € 11.00 per adult / Children under 18 are free of charge! ***** Let yourself also be enchanted by the baroque palace park, which merges into a landscape park, and where you can admire even more fairytale buildings, such as the Venus Grotto (closed in winter, see the following agenda item)

    1 hour 15 minutes Admission ticket not included
  • 10

    (ON REQUEST): At the time, the Venus Grotto in the castle park of Linderhof was considered one of the largest artificial grottoes in the world and was completed in 1877 after two years of construction. King Ludwig not only created a private opera house in the design of the famous stage set from Wagner's opera Tannhäuser, but also a private swimming pool, since the water of the lake inside the grotto (with waterfall!) could be heated... If you want to visit the grotto, please make sure to pay attention to the following notes • It’s absolutely necessary that you let us know about this request when you make the booking – under "Special Requirements" • The castle administration offers only a few tours that you can book in advance ("Skip-the-Line"). Therefore, you need AT LEAST 55 minutes for the visit to the grotto, which you will miss for other sights (The tour inside the grotto lasts 15 minutes plus 2x 20 minutes of walking --> on a VERY steep path <-- to get there) • Admission: € 9.00

    55 minutes Admission ticket not included
  • 11
    Ettal Abbey

    If you want to see (and understand) another baroque masterpiece concerning church decorations, inserted in a 12-wall domed mediaval hall from the 14th century, you should follow your guide in the Ettal Benedictine monastery near a little passo, just a 5 minutes’ drive away from Oberammergau. In the monastery shop you can buy the excellent home-brewed Ettal monastery beer or liqueur.

    25 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 12
    Oberammergau

    Shortly after visiting Linderhof we reach the world-famous Passion Play Village OBERAMMERGAU, where you should accompany your guide on a 20-minute guided tour. Marvel at the partly over 250-year-old murals ("Lüftlmalereien") as well as the impressive Passion Play Theatre. Take advantage of your subsequent free time to stroll in the historic center, where you will find shops with a huge range of the famous wood carvings, including numerous nativity sets and other enchanting Christmas items.

    30 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 13

    (ON REQUEST) - If you like to visit this attraction, please note the following: 1) It is imperative to inform us immediately (when booking in the field "Special Requirements")! 2) You will have about 45 minutes less time for the other sights 3) The coaster cannot be reserved; to avoid waiting times, we have to go there first and put Neuschwanstein Castle at the end of the tour. ***** A cosy chairlift takes you through the magnificent alpine world to a cosy mountain restaurant and to the start of the adventurous ALPINE COASTER at 1,270 m (4.170 ft) altitude: With the 1st world's longest weatherproof toboggan run with magnetic brakes, you can reach the valley at a length of 2,600 meters (1,6 miles) with breathtaking views and adventurous curves. ***** Open daily with suitable weather from approx. December - October ... Prices (2026): Adults: € 18.50/Children 8-15 years: € 13.00 *****

    45 minutes Admission ticket not included
  • 14
    Altstadt von Fuessen

    (ON REQUEST) The extremely charming medieval town can look back on a 2,000-year history. As the favourite seat of the Habsburg Emperor Maximilian I, Füssen experienced its first heyday at the beginning of the 16th century; the 'High Castle' - one of the best preserved medieval castles in Bavaria - was already decorated in 1499 with unusually rich architectural and illusion paintings. Let yourself be enchanted by the well-preserved city wall, crooked houses and the Italian-looking former monastery complex with its magnificent baroque church during a walk through narrow streets. Enjoy a refreshment in one of the numerous street cafés or the numerous shopping facilities.

    30 minutes Admission ticket free
  • 15

    (ON REQUEST) - If you like to this activity, please note the following: 1) It is imperative to inform us about it (e.g. when booking in the field "Special Requirements") 2) You will have about 60 minutes less time for the other sights, or you will have to do without them in some cases. 3) You are neither insured through our company or through the bike rental company) ***** Keen of further activities? Why not take a private guided bike ride through the picturesque Bavarian countryside. During an approx. one-hour roundtrip, you can see mountain lakes and a medieval town (perhaps bring your swimsuites). Rental bikes from 20.00 € p.p.

    1 hour 15 minutes Admission ticket not included
  • 16
    Munich

    Relax on the way back to Munich in your comfortable leather seat and let the unforgettable impressions of this eventful tour pass through your mind again – your tour guide will safely take you back to your accommodation or any other address you want in the Munich area.

    5 minutes Admission ticket free

Additional info

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Specialized infant seats are available
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Are you able to walk uphill from the car park to Neuschwanstein castle on a paved road - approx. 1,5 km/1 mile in an hour's time? If not, we have to calculate additional (waiting-) time for the horse-hybrid carriage or the Shuttle bus, since neither can be reserved (the latter is not operating during snow and ice) – Anyway, an approx. 450 meters/0.28 miles uphill walk (up to 15 % slope) or an approx. 500 meters/0.3 miles downhill walk (up to 19 % gradient) from the respective terminal to the entrance of the castle have to be managed in any case. The costs for the shuttle bus/horse-drawn carriages are not included in the travel price and can only be paid in cash on site (maximum € 12.00 per person for the round trip. As of 2026)
Supplied by Sightseeing Bavaria Exclusive
Show 7 more

Tags

Day Trips
Nature and Wildlife Tours
Full-day Tours
Bus Tours
Private and Luxury
Private Sightseeing Tours
Cultural Tours
Historical Tours
Skip the line Tickets
Castle Tours
Mountain Bike Rentals
Luxury Car Tours
Low Supplier Cancellation Rate
Low Last Minute Supplier Cancellation Rate
Short term availability

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Show more

Rating

4.9 Based on 89 89 reviews
5 stars
85
4 stars
3
3 stars
1
2 stars
0
1 star
0
from per person
Was {{formatPrice(summaryFromPriceBeforeDiscount, currency, 2)}}