Neuschwanstein from MunichNeuschwanstein Tour with Alpine Coaster
This Neuschwanstein tour with alpine coaster is run by Mike's Bike Tours Munich and costs $87 for an 11-hour day. The coach leaves central Munich at 8:30 AM and takes up to 49 people along part of the Romantic Road. The morning gives you a choice: a 60-minute stop in Oberammergau or the Kolbensattel alpine coaster, a 20-minute chairlift up and a mountain coaster run down. You cannot do both. Lunch is at a brewery overlooking the castle, and the afternoon is the guided hike or shuttle to the Marienbrücke and the castle interior. The castle ticket is not included, so bring euros in cash. It is one of several Neuschwanstein tours from Munich, and this page sets out what it covers and what it does not.
About This Tour
Mike's Bike Tours runs this as a coach day from a shop near Marienplatz, with no hotel pickup. The route passes part of the Romantic Road on the way south. The morning is a fork in the road: half the group does the Kolbensattel alpine coaster above Oberammergau while the other half gets 60 minutes in the village. Lunch follows at a brewery that looks over the castle, where your order is taken on the bus so the food arrives quickly.
The afternoon belongs to Neuschwanstein. The bus parks at the base, Hohenschwangau Castle is seen from outside only, and your guide leads a hike or a shuttle ride up to the Marienbrücke. The interior visit is a guided tour with skip-the-line tickets bought from the guide on the bus in cash. Drop-off is at Isartor S-Bahn station at about 7:30 PM.
$87 per person on Viator, rated 4.9 from 778 reviews. The castle ticket and the alpine coaster are extra and paid in cash.
11 hours, from the 8:30 AM meeting to the Isartor drop-off at about 7:30 PM.
Discover Bavaria shop, Hochbrückenstraße 10 at the corner of Bräuhausstraße, near Marienplatz and the Hofbräuhaus. Meet at 8:30 AM.
A luxury coach for up to 49 people, driven along part of the Romantic Road. An English-speaking guide stays with the group all day. No hotel pickup.
Included: the coach, the guide, the guided hike to the Marienbrücke and access to skip-the-line castle tickets. Not included: the castle ticket, the alpine coaster, the shuttle bus up to the bridge, the carriage down, lunch and drinks.
Castle ticket €26.50 cash for adults, €3.50 for age 17 and under. Alpine coaster €18 cash (the itinerary also quotes €16.50). Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
Check Dates and Availability
Live dates and prices for this departure appear below. Book early for summer, when castle slots sell out weeks ahead.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer Costs, times and cash in one glance
This tour costs $87 and runs 11 hours, meeting at 8:30 AM near Marienplatz and returning to Isartor at about 7:30 PM. The castle ticket is not included: you buy it from the guide on the bus for €26.50 cash per adult. The alpine coaster adds €18 cash if you choose it over Oberammergau.
Key takeaways
- See how this day compares with every other Neuschwanstein castle tour from Munich before you commit.
- Check the full Neuschwanstein from Munich for price, group size and castle time side by side.
- Counting cash? The day costs $87 plus €26.50 for the castle, €18 for the coaster and your lunch. See what the price covers.
- Not sure about the 11 hours? The late start tour from Munich leaves at 9:30 AM instead.
What the Price Actually Covers
The $87 covers the coach, the guide and the logistics. Most of what you actually use on the day costs extra, and two of the extras are cash only.
Included
Your $87 buys the luxury coach for up to 49 people, a professional English guide who stays with the group from the shop to the drop-off, the 60-minute stop in Oberammergau or the alpine coaster slot, a reserved lunch at the brewery with your order taken on the bus, and the guided hike up to the Marienbrücke. Access to guaranteed skip-the-line castle tickets is also part of the deal, but the tickets themselves are not. If you skip the castle interior, the operator offers alternatives around the castle grounds.
- Luxury coach and English guide all day
- Oberammergau stop (60 minutes) or the alpine coaster
- Reserved brewery lunch with pre-taken orders
- Guided hike to the Marienbrücke
- Guaranteed skip-the-line castle ticket access
Not Included, and What It Costs on the Day
The castle ticket is bought from the guide on the bus in cash, no cards: €26.50 ($30.22) per adult and €3.50 ($3.99) for age 17 and under. The official face value is €21 ($23.95) plus a €2.50 booking fee when booked online, so the extra is the operator's reservation service and the guarantee of a slot that fits the coach timetable. The alpine coaster is €18 ($20.53) cash in the instructions, though the itinerary quotes €16.50, so ask the guide for the final figure.
The shuttle bus to the bridge is excluded too: the valley rate is €3.50 ($3.99) up or €5.00 ($5.70) round trip. The horse carriage down is about €4. Lunch and drinks are your own cost, and tips are not covered.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tour price | Yes | $87 per person, coach and guide |
| Castle ticket | No | €26.50 ($30.22) adult, €3.50 ($3.99) age 17 and under, cash to the guide on the bus. Face value is €21 ($23.95) plus a €2.50 fee |
| Alpine coaster | No | €18 ($20.53) cash, itinerary quotes €16.50, may not run in high winds |
| Shuttle bus to the bridge | No | €3.50 ($3.99) up or €5.00 ($5.70) round trip at the valley rate |
| Carriage down | No | About €4, excluded per the listing |
| Lunch and drinks | No | Brewery meal at your own cost, or bring your own |
The Honest Math
Add it up and a coaster day with the castle interior costs roughly $87 plus €26.50, €18, the bridge bus and lunch, about $138 for one person before the shuttle, lunch and souvenirs. The listing itself says cash is still king in Bavaria and asks you to bring enough for the castle ticket and other extras. If that stings, the budget option is real: Oberammergau is free, you can bring your own lunch and skip the castle interior, exploring the grounds instead.
Sources: Ticket Center prices, Opening times
The Kolbensattel alpine coaster above Oberammergau. Photo: User:Mateus2019, CC BY 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The itinerary below follows the operator's own listing, with the stated times and durations. The 8:30 AM start is fixed, the rest shifts with traffic and the castle entry time.
Morning: the Romantic Road and the Big Choice
You meet at 8:30 AM at the Discover Bavaria shop on Hochbrückenstraße 10, near the Hofbräuhaus. The coach then drives the first stretch of the Romantic Road, with views of the Alps and Bavarian countryside on the way south. The morning splits the group in two: a 60-minute drop-off in Oberammergau, or 60 minutes at the Kolbensattel alpine coaster, which is a 20-minute chairlift up and one of the longest coaster descents in Europe.
You cannot do both. The coaster costs €18 in the instructions (€16.50 in the itinerary), paid to the guide in cash, and can close in high winds. In that case you effectively get an unplanned Oberammergau stop.
Lunch at the Brewery
The lunch stop lasts 60 minutes at a working brewery with a view of the castle. Your order is taken on the bus on the way there, so the food arrives when you do. It is not included: you pay for what you order.
On a budget you can walk to the local supermarket instead and eat outside.
Afternoon: Hohenschwangau from Outside, Then Up to the Bridge
The bus parks at the base of Neuschwanstein. Hohenschwangau Castle, the childhood home below, is seen from the outside only, with no option to go in because of time. Your guide then leads the way up towards the Marienbrücke, a 35-minute segment, by a scenic forest hike or the shuttle bus.
Note the shuttle is an extra cost at €3.50 up. In high season the queue for the bridge can get too long to make your castle entry time. The guide decides, and instead of waiting the group goes to an alternative viewpoint the listing calls a photo spot for the bridge and castle together.
The Castle Tour and the Ride Home
The interior visit is the guided tour of Neuschwanstein, roughly 30-35 minutes through the finished rooms, with your skip-the-line ticket from the guide. Remember the walk up from the village is 1.5 km and steep, 30-40 minutes on foot, and there are more than 300 steps inside. Afterwards the coach passes the Wieskirche church and village on the drive back and reaches Isartor S-Bahn station at about 7:30 PM.
The operator asks you not to book any train or flight before 9 PM and to keep dinner reservations after 8 PM, since traffic can delay the bus.
Who This Tour Rules Out
This is a long day with real walking and several cash payments. Some travellers should book a different listing, and each case has an alternative below.
Anyone Who Needs to Be Inside Hohenschwangau Castle
The listing is blunt: the bus parks at the base of Hohenschwangau Castle and you see it from outside, with no option to tour it because of time constraints. If the childhood castle matters to you, book the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles day trip instead, which has a guided tour of both interiors.
Travellers Who Want a Later Start or a Shorter Day
The 8:30 AM meeting and the 11 hours are not negotiable, and the operator warns against any train or flight before 9 PM. If that is too much, the late start tour from Munich departs Karlsplatz at 9:30 AM, or the half-day skip-the-line tour has you back by 2:20 PM.
People Who Cannot Manage the Climb or the Stairs
The fitness note sounds easy (suitable for all levels, strollers allowed), but the day itself demands a steep 1.5 km uphill walk of 30-40 minutes from Hohenschwangau to the castle, plus more than 300 steps inside on the guided tour. The shuttle bus softens the walk in season but costs extra and stops in snow and ice. No wheelchair access is stated, and strollers and backpacks cannot go into the castle.
For a small-group day with hotel pickup and a gentler schedule, look at the small-group van tour with hotel pickup.
Anyone Without Cash
Tickets on the bus are cash only, no credit cards: the castle ticket and the coaster both. If you would rather pay by card, the train tour from Munich sells its optional castle entry for €24 in cash or card, and the premium Neuschwanstein and Linderhof small-group tour has both castle tickets already in the price.
A painted house front in Oberammergau. Photo: Pierre André Leclercq, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What to Settle Before You Book
A few messages to the operator and a look in your wallet will prevent most of the problems this day can throw at you.
Cancellation and the Small Print
You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the scheduled departure for a full refund. The tour runs rain or shine and does not refund for bad weather on the day. The weather can still change your day: the Marienbrücke can close for weather, and in winter the shuttle bus and carriages up the hill may not run.
The coaster itself can be shut by high winds, which the operator calls seldom. None of these closures trigger a refund, so treat them as luck of the draw.
Confirm in Writing
Ask the seller to confirm the meeting point and check-in time in writing: Discover Bavaria shop, Hochbrückenstraße 10 at the corner of Bräuhausstraße, 8:30 AM. Ask which entries your chosen option includes, because the castle ticket is not in the tour price on any option. Also ask the current coaster price, since the listing itself quotes €18 in one place and €16.50 in another, and confirm whether the shuttle or the hike is running.
What to Bring
Wear shoes comfortable for a steep walk and a full day, and bring a raincoat or umbrella. Bring enough euros in cash for the castle ticket (€26.50 adult, €3.50 age 17 and under) and the coaster, because cards are not accepted on the bus. Leave backpacks and bulky bags out of the castle, they are not allowed in, and note that photography inside is not permitted.
Infants sit on an adult's lap and can ride in a stroller, and service animals are allowed.
Closures That Can Change the Day
The castle has fixed closures on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January, and winter opening shrinks to 10:00-16:00, which squeezes the afternoon slot. In winter the Marienbrücke often closes for ice and snow, and the shuttle and carriages generally stop, so the walk up is on foot. This tour does not visit Linderhof, so the Venus Grotto season (15 April to 15 October) does not affect it.
Check the forecast the morning you travel and dress for it, as the listing asks.
Itinerary
The operator's own route, with the durations stated on the listing. Clock times are only fixed where the operator publishes them.
-
8:30 AM
Meet at the Discover Bavaria shop
Meet at Hochbrückenstraße 10 at the corner of Bräuhausstraße, near Marienplatz and the Hofbräuhaus. The tour starts and ends in Munich close to Isartor station.
-
Drive the Romantic Road
The coach follows part of the scenic Romantic Road south, with views of the Alps and the Bavarian countryside.
-
Oberammergau or the alpine coaster (60 minutes)
Choose one: a 60-minute break in Oberammergau, or 60 minutes at the Kolbensattel alpine coaster, a 20-minute chairlift and a long mountain descent. You cannot do both. The coaster is paid in cash to the guide and quoted at €18 in the instructions and €16.50 in the itinerary.
-
Brewery lunch overlooking the castle (60 minutes)
A reserved table at a working brewery with the castle in view. Your order was taken on the bus, so food arrives fast. Pay for what you eat, or grab a supermarket bite on a budget.
-
Hohenschwangau Castle from outside
The bus parks at the base of Hohenschwangau Castle. There is no option to go inside this castle, you see it from the outside only.
-
35 minutes
Guided hike or shuttle to the Marienbrücke
Your guide leads the way up by forest path or shuttle bus (the bus costs extra) so you reach the bridge in time for your castle slot. In high season a bridge queue can force a switch to an alternative viewpoint.
-
Guided tour of Neuschwanstein Castle
Skip-the-line entry to the interior tour, about 30-35 minutes through the finished rooms. Tickets are bought from the guide on the bus in cash: €26.50 adult, €3.50 age 17 and under.
-
7:30 PM
Drop-off at Isartor
The coach passes the Wieskirche church and village on the way back and reaches Isartor S-Bahn station at about 7:30 PM. Do not book trains or flights before 9 PM.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of where this listing wins and where it costs you.
What we genuinely like
- The alpine coaster or Oberammergau makes a second real stop out of the drive, which most coach days spend purely on the motorway.
- Skip-the-line castle entry is guaranteed, which matters most in July and August when timed slots sell out 2-3 weeks ahead.
- The 4.9 rating across 778 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor is one of the stronger records on a big coach day.
- The guide stays with you on the bus and on the ground all day, and brewery lunch orders are taken in advance to save time.
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, and a genuine budget path: Oberammergau free, own lunch, no castle interior.
The honest downsides
- Roughly 4 hours of the 11 are spent on a coach for a castle interior that lasts 30-35 minutes.
- The castle ticket costs €26.50 cash on the bus against a €21 face value plus €2.50 fee, and no cards are accepted.
- The coaster price is quoted two ways in the same listing, €16.50 and €18, and the ride can be cancelled for wind.
- Hohenschwangau Castle is exterior only, and the shuttle bus to the bridge is an extra €3.50 on top of everything.
- The return lands at Isartor at about 7:30 PM, so no evening trains or flights before 9 PM.
Who it's NOT for: Travellers who want Hohenschwangau Castle inside, a hotel pickup, a card payment or a shorter day should compare the alternatives on the [Neuschwanstein tours from Munich](/) homepage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does this Neuschwanstein tour with alpine coaster cost in total?
The tour itself is $87 per person. On top of that the castle ticket is €26.50 ($30.22) in cash on the bus and the coaster is €18, so a full day with both comes to about $138 before the shuttle and lunch. The price breakdown lists every line.
Is the Neuschwanstein castle ticket included?
No. The ticket is not in the tour price: you buy guaranteed skip-the-line entry from the guide on the bus for €26.50 cash per adult, €3.50 for age 17 and under, against a face value of €21 plus a €2.50 fee. The tickets guide explains how official sales work.
Can I do both Oberammergau and the alpine coaster?
No, the listing states it is either or: a 60-minute break in the village or 60 minutes at the coaster. If the coaster is shut by high winds, you effectively get an Oberammergau stop instead. The full itinerary shows how the morning is split.
How fit do I need to be?
Suitable for all fitness levels per the listing, but the day includes a steep 1.5 km uphill walk of 30-40 minutes and more than 300 steps inside the castle. The shuttle up costs extra and stops in snow and ice. Details are in who this tour rules out.
What time does the tour get back to Munich?
Drop-off is at Isartor S-Bahn station at about 7:30 PM after an 8:30 AM start, so the operator asks you not to book trains or flights before 9 PM. If that is too late, the late start tour from Munich is a comparable day.
Why can I not take photos inside Neuschwanstein?
Photography is not allowed inside the castle on the guided tour, and backpacks and strollers cannot come in either. The 30-35 minute interior is only one part of the day, as the Marienbrücke guide and the viewpoints around the castle show.
What happens if the Marienbrücke is closed?
The bridge can close for ice, snow or storms, usually through much of the winter, and the tour runs rain or shine with no weather refund. In high season a long bridge queue can instead send the group to an alternative viewpoint. Winter conditions are covered in the winter tour, which is built for the cold months.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
We may earn a commission if you book through one of our links, at no extra cost to you. Full affiliate disclosure