Neuschwanstein Castle is a 19th-century Romanesque Revival palace located in the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in Bavaria, Germany. Commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the castle was designed as a retreat and homage to Richard Wagner, the king’s favorite composer.

Neuschwanstein Castle’s popularity has been further increased by its association with Walt Disney, who based his Disneyland castle on its design. The castle has also been featured in several films, including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Great Escape. Today, more than 1.5 million visitors come to see Germany’s fairy tale castles, making it one of the most visited castles in the world.

Day trip to Neuschswanstein castle from Munich takes a day itself. Here we’re breaking out the journey to make it easy.

How to get to Neuschswanstein Castle

From Munich you need to take a train to Fusen which journey takes around 2 hours. There are direct Train from Fusen to Munich but depending on the time some of the trains are not direct.

From Fusen take the Bus no.78 to Schwangau Village. The Bus time table from Fusen to Schwangau and vice versa is adjusted with the train timetable so you don’t need to worry of waiting too long for the bus.

For this day trip we purchased Bayern ticket for 24 hours from the ticket machine inside the train station. We took the train from Munich to Fusen at 09.55am because Bayern ticket can only be used on weekdays after 9am.

Now that you know how to get to the castle, let’s get introduced to Bayern Ticket. You will need this ticket if you are planning to do day trip from Munich.

What is Bayern Ticket

Bayern ticket is a whole Day Train Ticket Bavaria. The ticket allows up to 5 adults traveling together to use unlimited all regional trains in Bavaria for one day. It is valid on all regional trains in 2nd class. The ticket allows the use of the underground trains (U-Bahn), suburban trains (S-Bahn), trams and public buses in Munich and other Bavarian cities and of almost all public regional bus services beyond Munich (RVO, SEV). The ticket covers also travels to following destinations outside Bavaria: Salzburg, Kufstein, Reutte, Ulm and return.

For families: 1 person of the adult group (parent or grandparent) can be accompanied by an unlimited number of own children/grandchildren aged under 15 for free.

The ticket is valid on:
Weekdays Mon – Fri from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. the following day (18 hours)
Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from midnight to 3 a.m. the following day (27 hours).

Price of the Bayern-Ticket 1 traveller EUR 26,-, for every person more additionally EUR 8,- (max. 5 adults) valid for 1 person EUR 26,-
valid for 2 persons EUR 34,-*
valid for 3 persons EUR 42,-*
valid for 4 persons EUR 50,-*
valid for 5 persons EUR 58,-*

If you travel exclusive in the night from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.,there is also a Bayern-Ticket-Night. The pricing is: 1 traveller EUR 24,-*, for every person more additionally EUR 5,- (max. 5 adults)

You can buy the ticket at ticket machines or online via internet. If you are buying at the ticket counters, you are required to pay service charge of EUR 2,- . There are ticket machines at the railway station, at almost all subway (U-Bahn) and suburban train(S-Bahn) stations and at many tram stops.

Schwangau Village

Tourist usually stop by to Schwangau Village on their way to Neuschwanstein Castle and this is also where the ticket office to the castle is located. Schwangau Village itself is a small village located in the Bavarian Alps in Germany, just a few kilometers from the Austrian border.

Schwangau village is situated in a beautiful natural setting, surrounded by rolling hills, dense forests, and crystal-clear lakes. It is most famous for being the home of two of the most beautiful castles in Germany – the famous Neuschwanstein Castle and the lesser known Hohenschwangau Castle.

Because November is not a peak season, we didn’t buy the the entrance ticket for the castle online and chose to buy ticket on the spot. If you are traveling in peak season it is advisable to purchase the ticket online here because they limit the number of people inside the castle and there is a time slot for the tour inside the castle. If you buy online ticket, you need to redeem the ticket at the booth 90 minutes before the tour starts. After purchasing the ticket for the tour, we strolled around Schwangau Village and see the surrounding. Schwangau village itself is charming and picturesque, with traditional Bavarian architecture, shops, and restaurants

There are many things to see and do in Schwangau village, including:

Visit Neuschwanstein Castle

This fairy-tale castle, built by King Ludwig II, is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Germany. Visitors can take a guided tour of the castle’s interior and enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding area from the castle grounds.

Explore Hohenschwangau Castle

This castle, located just a short walk from Neuschwanstein Castle, was the childhood home of King Ludwig II. It is open to the public for guided tours and provides insight into the life and times of the Bavarian royal family.

Take a hike

Schwangau is surrounded by beautiful alpine scenery and offers numerous hiking trails of varying difficulty. Popular hikes include the trail to Tegelberg Mountain and the Pöllatschlucht gorge.

Swim in the lakes

The village is situated between two beautiful lakes, Alpsee and Schwansee, which offer crystal-clear waters for swimming, boating, and fishing.

Visit the Museum of the Bavarian Kings

This museum is dedicated to the history of the Bavarian royal family and is located in the village of Hohenschwangau.

Go skiing or snowboarding

In the winter months, Schwangau is a popular destination for skiing and snowboarding. The nearby Tegelberg ski resort offers slopes for all levels of experience.

From Schwangau Village there are 3 ways to get to neuschswanstein castle

1. Walk uphill for 30-40 minutes
2. Take the bus 3eur two way.
3. take the horse carriage 6eur uphill and 3eur downhill

We chose the bus as we didn’t want to wait for the horse. From the bus stop to the castle we still had to walk downhill for another 10 minutes downhill. This meant when we went back it would be a walk uphill lol. If you really want to avoid the walking uphill the best route is take the bus to the castle and return back with a horse carriage.

Neuschswanstein Castle

As we approach closer, Neuschswanstein Castle looked exactly like storybook illustrations of your favorite Disney fairy castle with its towers, turrets, frescoes, and throne hall.

You need to take a guided tour to go inside the castle. As we took the tour inside the castle at our allocated time, we learned that the story behind this beautiful castle is less idyllic. King Ludwig II of Bavaria commissioned the cliffside castle in 1868, just two years after Austria and Bavaria were conquered by Prussia during the Austro-Prussian War (sometimes called the Seven Weeks’ War), effectively stripping Ludwig II of his powers. He quickly retreated into a private fantasy world, surrounding himself with opulent castles where he could live out his dreams of being a true, sovereign king. Ludwig II never got to see the final Neuschswanstein. He died in 1886 while the final towers weren’t completed until 1892. But within weeks of his sudden and mysterious death, the magnificent castle was opened to the public, where it quickly became one of the region’s most visited attractions. The tour took 20 minutes. Be prepared to walk up and down along the stairs as you marvel at the interiors inside and if you bring young children, you have to leave the stroller outside. At the end of the tour you have the opportunity to take in views of the surrounding Bavarian countryside from its hilltop perch.

When the tour finish we stroll thru the castle grounds. The castle is surrounded by beautiful gardens and scenic views of the Bavarian Alps. You can also shop for souvenirs at the souvenir shops near the castle where you can purchase postcards, magnets, and other souvenirs to remember your visit.

The best angle to take picture of Neuschswanstein Castle was actually from Marienbruck bridge, a bridge located above the castle that offers a breathtaking view of the castle and the surrounding landscape. You can hike to the bridge or take a horse-drawn carriage to reach it. Unfortunately the bridge was closed for renovation when we went there.

Hohenschwangau castle

Hohenschwangau Castle is a 19th-century castle located within short walk from Neuschwanstein Castle. The castle was built on the ruins of a 12th-century fortress and was the childhood home of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who later went on to build the nearby Neuschwanstein Castle.

The castle was built by Ludwig’s father, King Maximilian II of Bavaria, in a Gothic Revival style and was completed in 1837. The castle was used as a summer and hunting residence by the royal family.

Similar like Neuschwanstein Castle, Hohenschwangau castle is open to the public for guided tours, which take visitors through the castle’s several rooms and show off the castle’s impressive architecture and decor. The castle’s rooms are decorated in a variety of styles, including Gothic, Renaissance, and Romantic.

Some of the notable rooms in the castle include the Tasso Room, which is named after the Italian poet Torquato Tasso and is decorated with scenes from his work, and the King’s Bedroom, which features a large four-poster bed and intricate wood carvings.

The castle also offers beautiful views of the surrounding Bavarian Alps and is located near several other popular tourist attractions, including Neuschwanstein Castle, the Museum of the Bavarian Kings, and the Alpsee lake.

We end our trip before it gets dark and take the bus and train back to Munich. It has been a long day but satisfying as we are able to see the famous and beautiful castles and strolling thru the idyllic village.