Neuschwanstein from MunichPremium Neuschwanstein and Linderhof Tour from Munich
This premium Neuschwanstein and Linderhof tour from Gray Line Munich Day Tours packs three stops into 10.5 hours on a luxury coach capped at 28 guests. Reserved skip-the-line tickets and guided tours at Neuschwanstein and Linderhof are already in the $221 price, which is rare among Munich day trips. You also get 2+1 seating, extra legroom, Wi-Fi and free snacks and drinks on board, plus a 30-minute stop in Oberammergau. The trade-offs are real: about 2.25 hours of driving each way, roughly 30-35 minutes inside Neuschwanstein, lunch at your own cost, and a steep uphill walk to the castle gate. This page sets out what you get, what the day looks like hour by hour, and who should book a different tour. Start with the full Neuschwanstein castle tour from Munich comparison if you are still weighing options.
About This Tour
Gray Line's premium coach day runs from Karlsplatz in central Munich to three Bavaria stops: Neuschwanstein Castle, the village of Oberammergau and Linderhof Palace. Both castle tickets are reserved in advance, so you skip the ticket line at each one and join a guided interior tour with your English-speaking guide. The coach holds no more than 28 guests in 2+1 seating, with air conditioning, panoramic windows, extra legroom, Wi-Fi and complimentary snacks and drinks on the road.
The day is long and the pace is set for you. You spend about 3.75 hours around Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, which covers the guided castle tour, lunch at your own expense, free time and the walk to the Marienbrücke when it is open. Then it is on to Oberammergau for 30 minutes and Linderhof for about 70 minutes. In winter the order flips: Linderhof first, Neuschwanstein in the afternoon, and Oberammergau may be dropped between December and March.
$221 per person, booked on GetYourGuide. Reserve now and pay later is available, and you can cancel up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
10.5 hours, morning departure, back at Karlsplatz 21 in the evening. The exact departure time is shown at checkout.
Karlsplatz 21 (Stachus), next to the Buddy Hotel. From the U-Bahn take exit G or F. No hotel pickup.
Luxury coach with up to 28 guests, 2+1 seating, extra legroom, Wi-Fi, snacks and drinks. Guided in English only.
Skip-the-line entry and a guided tour at Neuschwanstein and at Linderhof, the guide, snacks and drinks on board, and Wi-Fi. Lunch is not included and is eaten in Hohenschwangau at your own expense.
No mandatory extras, though the shuttle bus or a horse carriage up the hill costs extra in season. Free cancellation until 24 hours before departure.
Check Dates and Availability
The listing flags this tour as likely to sell out, so check your date early. Departure time appears at checkout.
Quick answer Price, duration and tickets
This premium Neuschwanstein and Linderhof tour costs $221 per person, runs 10.5 hours and includes reserved skip-the-line tickets with guided tours at both castles. You travel by luxury coach from Karlsplatz 21 (Stachus) with no more than 28 guests, 2+1 seating, Wi-Fi, snacks and drinks. About 3.75 hours is spent around Neuschwanstein, then 30 minutes in Oberammergau and about 70 minutes at Linderhof.
Key takeaways
- See what else is in the price in the cost breakdown below.
- Follow the day stop by stop in the itinerary.
- Not your shape of day? Compare all Neuschwanstein tours from Munich side by side, including the VIP Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Venus Grotto day trip from the same price band.
What the Price Actually Covers
At $221 this is one of the pricier coach days from Munich, so it matters to know exactly where your money goes and where it stops. The table below splits the listing's verified includes from the items the listing names but does not pay for.
Included in the $221
The verified includes are the skip-the-line tickets for Neuschwanstein and Linderhof with guided tours of both, the small-group format, the guide, snacks and drinks on board, and Wi-Fi. That covers the two biggest costs and risks of a two-castle day: entry, which is timed and sells out in high season, and transport. A ticket bought alone at face value is €21 plus a €2.50 online fee for Neuschwanstein ($23.95), and Linderhof is €11 ($12.54), so the ticket bundle is a real part of the value here.
The guide stays with the group all day in English only.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Return coach from Munich | Yes | Luxury coach, up to 28 guests, 2+1 seats, extra legroom, Wi-Fi |
| Neuschwanstein ticket and guided tour | Yes | Reserved skip-the-line entry, about 30-35 minutes inside |
| Linderhof ticket and guided tour | Yes | Reserved skip-the-line entry, about 70 minutes on site |
| Guide | Yes | Professional English-speaking guide, no other languages |
| Snacks and drinks | Yes | Complimentary on board |
| Lunch | No | Break in Hohenschwangau at your own expense |
| Shuttle bus or carriage up the hill | No | €3.50 up or €5.00 round trip by shuttle, about €8 up by carriage, in season, if you do not want the 1.5 km walk |
| Tips | No | Not stated in the listing |
| Oberammergau stop | Yes | 30 minutes, may be skipped December to March |
Sources: Ticket Center prices, Opening times
The parterre and gilded fountain at Linderhof. Photo: Rodrigo Ramos Martinelli, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing gives the shape of the day and the durations of each stop but no clock times, which are shown at checkout. In winter the order reverses, with Linderhof first and Neuschwanstein in the afternoon.
Munich to Neuschwanstein
You meet at Karlsplatz 21 (Stachus) next to the Buddy Hotel, using U-Bahn exit G or F, and board the 28-seat coach for a morning departure. The drive to Hohenschwangau is about 2.25 hours on this itinerary, a little longer than the roughly 1 hour 45 minutes a car makes with no traffic, and your guide uses it to cover Bavarian history and the life of King Ludwig II.
Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, About 3.75 Hours
This is the longest block of the day and it has to fit a lot in. Your reserved skip-the-line ticket gets you into the guided interior tour, which runs about 30-35 minutes through the finished rooms only, with over 300 steps and no photography. Getting to the door means the steep 1.5 km uphill walk of 30-40 minutes, or the shuttle bus (€3.50 up) or horse carriage (about €8 up) when they run in season.
Free time covers lunch at your own expense and, weather permitting, the walk to the Marienbrücke for the classic view over the Pöllat gorge. Budget cash or card for food, since nothing on this block is included.
Oberammergau, 30 Minutes
A short drive through the Alps brings you to Oberammergau, known for its Passion Play and its woodcarving tradition. You get 30 minutes, enough for a look at the painted façades and maybe a quick purchase, not a meal. Between December and March the village may be dropped entirely if conditions are poor.
Linderhof Palace, About 70 Minutes
Linderhof is Ludwig II's small finished palace, and the only one completed in his lifetime. Your skip-the-line ticket and guided tour are included, and the interior visit itself runs about 25 minutes, so the 70 minutes on site also buys you time in the grounds. The Venus Grotto is not part of this tour.
If you want the grotto, which opens only 15 April to 15 October, look at the VIP Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Venus Grotto day trip from Munich instead.
Back to Munich, About 2 Hours
The coach returns to Karlsplatz 21 in the evening after the roughly two-hour drive. Nothing is planned after drop-off, but with a 10.5-hour day it is sensible not to book anything fixed for the evening.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing is blunt about who should not book. Read this before you pay, because the 24-hour cancellation window gives you little room to change your mind on the day.
Wheelchair Users and Anyone with Limited Mobility
The listing states the tour is not suitable for wheelchair users. Beyond the coach access, the hill itself is the problem: the walk from the ticket office to the castle is about 1.5 km on a steep uphill road, 30-40 minutes on foot, and the interior adds over 300 steps. The shuttle bus (€3.50 up) and the carriages (about €8 up) reduce the climb but do not remove the stairs inside, and both stop in snow and ice.
If you want a day built around both Schwangau castles with a similar coach format, see the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles day trip and confirm access directly.
Travellers Who Need More Than Half an Hour Inside
The guided interior at Neuschwanstein is about 30-35 minutes, the same timed format every visitor gets, and adding Linderhof means this day gives you less free time around Neuschwanstein than a single-castle tour would. If your priority is a slow afternoon in Hohenschwangau, the viewpoints and the Alpsee, a one-castle day such as the Neuschwanstein small-group van tour with hotel pickup spends more of the day there.
Anyone Hoping for Hohenschwangau Castle Inside
Hohenschwangau Castle, Ludwig's childhood home below Neuschwanstein, is not visited on this tour. You see it from outside if at all. If you want both Schwangau castles toured, that is a different listing.
Travellers with Pets, and Non-English Speakers
Pets are not allowed, assistance dogs excepted, and the tour is guided in English only with no other languages offered. There is no stated minimum age, but children under 14 must be with an adult inside the castle, and the 10.5-hour day plus the uphill walk is a lot for small legs.
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 10.5-hour day with two timed castle entries leaves little slack, so a few things are worth locking down in writing before you pay.
Cancellation and Payment
Free cancellation applies until 24 hours before departure for a full refund, and reserve now and pay later lets you hold a seat without paying today. Inside 24 hours you get nothing back, so if your flight or train into Munich could slip, book the flexible option and confirm the exact departure time shown at checkout.
Confirm with the Seller in Writing
The listing states a morning departure but gives no clock time, so check the exact departure and check-in time at checkout and get the meeting point in writing: Karlsplatz 21 (Stachus), next to the Buddy Hotel, U-Bahn exit G or F. Both castle tickets are included, but if you book any option or date variant, confirm in writing that reserved skip-the-line entry for Neuschwanstein and Linderhof is part of your booking, and that the guide language is English.
What to Bring
Comfortable shoes are the listed essential, because of the steep 1.5 km uphill walk to the castle. Bring euros in cash or a card for lunch in Hohenschwangau, and cash if you plan to take the shuttle bus, which costs €3.50 up or €5.00 round trip, or the carriage, about €8 up. Backpacks and bulky bags cannot go inside the castle and photography inside is forbidden, so travel light and leave the camera in your pocket for the interior.
Closures That Change the Day
The Marienbrücke depends on weather and the castle administration, and in winter it often closes, as can the shuttle bus and the carriages up the hill. In winter the itinerary flips to Linderhof first and Neuschwanstein in the afternoon, and Oberammergau may be skipped between December and March. The castle closes on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January, and winter guided tours run 10:00-16:00.
The Venus Grotto at Linderhof is not part of this tour and opens only 15 April to 15 October anyway.
Itinerary
The listing gives durations but no clock times, so departure and stop times appear only at checkout.
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Meet at Karlsplatz 21 (Stachus)
Meet next to the Buddy Hotel, using U-Bahn exit G or F. Morning departure, time shown at checkout. Board the luxury coach for up to 28 guests.
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Drive to Neuschwanstein, about 2.25 hours
Panoramic windows, Wi-Fi, snacks and drinks on board while your English-speaking guide covers Bavarian history and King Ludwig II.
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Neuschwanstein guided interior tour
Reserved skip-the-line ticket included. The interior visit runs about 30-35 minutes through the finished rooms, with over 300 steps and no photography. The walk up from the ticket office is 1.5 km and steep, 30-40 minutes, or the shuttle bus (€3.50 up) or carriage (about €8 up) in season.
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Free time in Hohenschwangau and the Marienbrücke
Part of the about 3.75 hours at Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. Lunch at your own expense, then the Marienbrücke when weather and access allow. In winter the bridge often closes and the shuttle and carriages may not run.
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Oberammergau stop, 30 minutes
Drive through the Alps to the village known for its Passion Play and woodcarving. May be skipped from December to March depending on weather.
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Linderhof Palace, about 70 minutes
Included skip-the-line ticket and guided tour of Ludwig II's only finished palace. The palace tour itself takes about 25 minutes, leaving time in the grounds. In winter this stop comes first in the day.
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Return to Munich, about 2 hours
Relax on the coach back to Karlsplatz 21, arriving in the evening after a 10.5-hour day.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of what this listing does well and where it costs you.
What we genuinely like
- Both castle tickets and guided tours are in the $221 price, so there is nothing to buy on the coach and no sold-out risk at the ticket office.
- No more than 28 guests in 2+1 seats with extra legroom, a rarity on coach days, which mostly run 45-seat buses.
- Wi-Fi, snacks and drinks are complimentary on board, and the 30-minute Oberammergau stop is a real stop, not a drive-through.
- About 3.75 hours around Neuschwanstein is generous for a two-castle day, and it covers lunch, the Marienbrücke and free time.
- 4.8 from 1,735 verified bookings, with free cancellation until 24 hours before and reserve now and pay later.
The honest downsides
- 10.5 hours is a long day, with about 2.25 hours of driving each way for a 30-35 minute interior at Neuschwanstein.
- Lunch is not included, so add the cost of a meal in Hohenschwangau to the $221.
- The shuttle bus or carriage up the hill costs extra, or you take the steep 1.5 km walk, and over 300 steps wait inside.
- The Marienbrücke can close for weather, Oberammergau can be dropped from December to March, and in winter the order flips to Linderhof first, so the day you booked may not be the day you get.
- English only, no hotel pickup, and not suitable for wheelchair users.
Who it's NOT for: Not for wheelchair users, non-English speakers, anyone who wants Hohenschwangau Castle inside, or travellers who cannot face a 10.5-hour day with a steep uphill walk.
Questions About This Tour
Is the Neuschwanstein castle ticket included in the $221 price?
Yes. Reserved skip-the-line tickets for Neuschwanstein and Linderhof are both included, with guided tours of each, so unlike tours where you pay the guide in cash you have nothing to settle on the day. For contrast, the Neuschwanstein small-group van tour with hotel pickup leaves the ticket as a €23.50 cash payment.
How much time do you actually spend at Neuschwanstein?
About 3.75 hours in the Hohenschwangau area, covering the 30-35 minute guided interior, lunch at your own expense, free time and the Marienbrücke. The interior itself is the same short timed visit every visitor gets, which is why adding Linderhof costs you free time, as the guide to how much time you get at the castle on the homepage explains.
Where does the tour leave from in Munich?
From Karlsplatz 21 (Stachus), next to the Buddy Hotel, using U-Bahn exit G or F. There is no hotel pickup, so if door-to-door matters to you, compare the small-group van tour with hotel pickup, which collects you inside the pickup zone.
What is not included in the price?
Lunch in Hohenschwangau, the shuttle bus (€3.50 up or €5.00 round trip) or the carriage (about €8 up) if you use them instead of the walk, and tips. The listing's verified includes are the tickets, guide, small group, snacks, drinks and Wi-Fi. Details on both lists are in the price breakdown.
Can I visit the Venus Grotto at Linderhof on this tour?
No. Your Linderhof ticket covers the palace and grounds, and the grotto opens only 15 April to 15 October. If the grotto is the reason you are going, the VIP Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Venus Grotto day trip includes it in season for $226.
What happens in winter, and can the day change?
Yes, it can. In winter Linderhof is visited first and Neuschwanstein in the afternoon, the Marienbrücke opens only at the castle administration's discretion, the shuttle bus and carriages may not run, and Oberammergau may be skipped from December to March. If a winter-specific itinerary matters, see the Neuschwanstein winter tour with Christmas market walk.
Is this tour worth $221 compared with the cheaper coaches?
It depends on what you value. You pay $135 over the $86 classic Gray Line two-castle coach for a 28-seat 2+1 coach, included tickets on both castles, a longer stay around Neuschwanstein and a real Oberammergau stop. If you would rather spend less, the Neuschwanstein castle tours from Munich sets out every option with what each one leaves out.
What Travelers Said
Highly recommend this tour. Castles were beautiful and so easy to ride the bus.
The day trip was comfortable and enjoyable with Jacky's informative and lively narrative and Smiley's smooth driving. We learned so many new facts and things on the trip too.
Easy getting to the Palaces . Everything is like clockwork Lucky to have had clear views of Neuschwanstein Castle
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