Prices, hours and rules checked against the official pages of the Bavarian Palace Administration and the Ticket Center Hohenschwangau. The booking page always has the final word.
Neuschwanstein Castle tickets are timed tickets for a guided tour; there is no free roaming inside. A single organisation sells them, the Bavarian Palace Administration, in two ways: online through the Ticket Center Hohenschwangau shop and at the counter in the village, where only same-day tickets are sold. Everything else, from the day trips with the ticket included to the tickets listed on GetYourGuide or Tiqets, is a package built on top of those allocations. Once you understand that, you avoid the most common mistake: arriving in Hohenschwangau at 11:00 on a Saturday in July and expecting to walk in.
Ticket types and prices
| Ticket | Price | What you need to know |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (18 and over) | €21 | guided tour of about 30 minutes with a fixed time slot printed on the ticket |
| Reduced | €20 | students, visitors over 65, people with disabilities and groups, under the rules of the Bavarian Palace Administration |
| Under 18 | free | a named €0 ticket is still required; online, the booking fee is charged for children too |
| Online booking fee (official shop) | €2.50 per ticket | online purchases only; nothing extra at the Ticket Center counter |
| Day trip from Munich with the ticket included | varies by operator | coach or minivan, guide and a reserved castle slot in one booking |
The combination ticket (Königsticket) covers Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castle on the same day, with two separate time slots at least two and a half hours apart; Hohenschwangau belongs to the Wittelsbach foundation, not the state, so it is not part of the annual passes for Bavarian state palaces. The Museum of the Bavarian Kings by the lake has its own ticket with no time slot: you go in when you like.
Where to buy Neuschwanstein tickets
Official online shop
shop.ticket-center-hohenschwangau.de: €21 plus a €2.50 booking fee per ticket, in English and German, card payment, PDF ticket to show at the turnstile. Sales open months ahead and the slots thin out gradually. Once paid, a ticket cannot be changed or cancelled.
Ticket Center in Hohenschwangau
Alpseestraße 12, opens at 8:00 (until 16:00 in summer, 15:30 in winter). It sells whatever is left for the same day, in order of arrival: in high season the queue starts around 7:00 and the comfortable slots are gone by 9:00. No reservations by phone or e-mail.
Tours and tickets on GetYourGuide / Tiqets
Day trips from Munich with a reserved castle slot and no queue: they cost more than €21 because transport and a guide are included, but they draw on the operator's own allocation, show up when the official shop is empty, and most can be cancelled free of charge.
How the day works with a ticket
- Be in Hohenschwangau at least an hour and a half before the time printed on your ticket. With an online ticket you do not need to go to the Ticket Center at all.
- Go up to the castle: 30-40 minutes on foot along a paved but steadily climbing road, by shuttle bus to the "Jugend" viewpoint and then 10-15 minutes downhill, or by horse-drawn carriage to a point about 300 metres below the gate. Bus and carriage are paid separately and may not run in winter.
- In the courtyard a display shows your tour number: the turnstile opens only when your number is called. Late arrivals are not admitted and the ticket is not refunded.
- The tour lasts about 30 minutes, in a group, with a guide speaking German or English, or with the audio guide in one of 17 languages. You see fourteen rooms on two floors plus the kitchen.
- You leave through the kitchen on the ground floor, past the café and the shop, then walk down. From the Marienbrücke the path through the Pöllat gorge takes another 40 minutes to the village.
Sold out: what you can still do
Three routes remain. The first is the counter: the Ticket Center releases the day's leftover tickets every morning, the queue starts around 7:00 in summer, and there is no guarantee. The second is a day trip from Munich with the ticket included, which uses the operator's own allocation; GetYourGuide and Tiqets keep listing these when the official shop has nothing left. The third is to move the date: weekdays and the winter months have far more availability. And even without a ticket the trip is not wasted: the Marienbrücke, the courtyard, the Alpsee and the walk around Hohenschwangau are free.
Cancellation and refunds
A ticket bought in the official shop cannot be changed or refunded, and a missed tour is a lost ticket. Tour operators are different: on GetYourGuide and Tiqets most offers can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before the start, with the exact terms stated on every product page. If your plans are not yet fixed, or you are watching the weather for the Marienbrücke, that flexibility alone is an argument for the tour.
Children, discounts and passes
Admission is free up to the age of 17, but every child must be listed in the order and, online, the €2.50 booking fee applies to them too. The reduced price of €20 goes to students, visitors over 65, people with disabilities and groups of 15 or more; proof is checked at the turnstile. The Bavarian Palace Administration's annual pass and its 14-day combination ticket are valid at Neuschwanstein, but you still have to reserve a time slot, with the booking fee. There is no family ticket, no city-card discount and no reduction for booking early.
Buying from the UK or the US
The official shop takes international cards and sends the PDF by e-mail, so there is nothing to collect on the day; prices are in euros and your bank sets the exchange rate. Note the time zone when sales open for a date you need: slots are released on Central European Time. If the shop shows no availability for your date, check the tour operators before you give up, and be wary of third-party sites that resell bare entry tickets at a large mark-up: the ticket itself is only ever worth €21 plus the fee.
Frequently asked questions about tickets
Do I need to print the ticket?
No. The PDF on your phone works at the turnstile. Bring a charger or a power bank: mobile coverage at the castle is patchy and the display sometimes needs a second look.
Can I change my ticket to another day?
Not an official ticket. Most tour operators' offers can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours ahead, after which you book a new date.
What is the Königsticket?
A combination ticket for Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castle on the same day, with two separate time slots at least two and a half hours apart.
Is the shuttle bus included in the ticket?
No. The bus from the village to the Marienbrücke area and the horse-drawn carriage are paid separately and may stop in snow and ice.
When do online sales open?
Months ahead; the exact opening day changes from year to year and is announced on the shop's home page. Summer slots fill gradually from the moment they appear.
Are tickets cheaper for a group?
Groups of 15 or more pay the reduced €20 rate per person, and the administration asks for group bookings to be made in advance through the Ticket Center.
Do I get a refund if the Marienbrücke is closed?
No. The bridge is a free viewpoint outside the ticketed area, and its closure for ice or wind does not affect the tour or the ticket.
Secure your time slot now
Availability changes by the hour. Compare entry tickets and day trips with the ticket included, and pick your date.
Availability on GetYourGuideTiqets