Christmas at Neuschwanstein

Is Neuschwanstein open at Christmas 2026?

Closed on Thursday 24 December, Friday 25 December, Thursday 31 December 2026 and Friday 1 January 2027. It is open from 10am to 4pm on every other day, including 26 December.

Hohenschwangau Castle keeps the same closed days, and the shuttle bus to Mary's Bridge does not run on any of the four. Saturday 26 December is open as normal, and so are the days between Christmas and New Year. Those are some of the busiest days of the winter, and the Ticket Center warns of considerable waits at the bus and carriage stops around Christmas and New Year.

Book the castle ticket before you book anything else for the holidays. Same-day tickets at the Ticket Center go on sale at 8am, subject to availability, and can be gone by late morning. Official online tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded, so pick the date and time you can keep.

Can you see Neuschwanstein and Munich's Christmas markets in one day?

Yes. The castle and Christmas markets tour leaves Munich in the morning by bus, visits the castle and is back in the city in time for a guided market walk from 28 November to 23 December, per the listing.

The listing's schedule: depart 8.30am from Hochbrückenstraße 10, arrive in Hohenschwangau at 11am with free time for lunch, walk up with the guide at 12.30pm, castle tour at 1.20pm, leave at 3.45pm and arrive back at Isartor around 5.45pm. The optional walk then takes you through the Old Town and its markets. From 26 December, with the markets closed, it becomes an Old Town walk on the city's history and landmarks. The whole day runs 9 hours.

Castle entry is optional and the operator reserves it months ahead: €26.50 for adults and €3.50 for under-18s per the listing, paid in cash to your guide on the morning. Bring the exact amount. Arthur (Dec 2025) on the inside: “it's really worth taking the tour inside the palace too, it's a beautiful place.” And Brenna (Dec 2025): “Our guide then took us to some Christmas markets in Munich and it was a nice way to round out the night.”

The castle by day and Munich's Christmas markets after dark: a luxury coach with Wi-Fi and a WC, a guide all day and a guaranteed castle slot you pay for on the bus.

★ 4.8 · 9 hours · from $92.05

Explore the castle and Christmas markets tour → Tour details

When is the Munich Christkindlmarkt 2026?

From Friday 20 November to Thursday 24 December 2026, around Marienplatz. It opens Monday to Saturday 10am to 9pm, Sunday 10am to 8pm, and 10am to 2pm on Christmas Eve.

It is closed on Sunday 22 November for Totensonntag and reopens the next day. The City of Munich counts 138 stalls, from Marienplatz to Rindermarkt, and lights the tree on 20 November at 5pm: a 22-metre silver fir from Sauerlach with more than 3,000 LED lights. On 27 November and 12 December some stalls may stay open until 10pm, though not all of them.

A few dates for the diary: the Krampus run on Sunday 13 December from 3pm to 5pm, and carol singing under the tree in front of St Michael's Church at 4.30pm on 25 November and on 2, 9 and 16 December. The tree stays lit from dusk until 6 January 2027, long after the stalls are gone.

What can you buy at the Christmas markets and the castle?

At Marienplatz, nativity scenes: the Kripperlmarkt in front of Alter Peter sells complete cribs, single figures and accessories. In Hohenschwangau, the castle shop and the Museum of the Bavarian Kings shop.

The Kripperlmarkt keeps the same hours as the main market. At Neuschwanstein, the tour ends on the second floor with a shop and a café, so you can pick something up without leaving the castle. Down in the village, the Museum of the Bavarian Kings by the Alpsee has its own shop, and the Heimatladen in the village sells souvenirs.

Pack cash. The Christmas markets tour asks for the castle entry in cash, and its listing notes that many places do not accept cards. The shuttle bus is cash only too.

What about New Year's Eve and New Year's Day at Neuschwanstein?

Both are closed: 31 December 2026 and 1 January 2027. The nearest open days are Wednesday 30 December and Saturday 2 January 2027.

The shuttle bus does not run on either day. If you are in Munich for New Year, put the castle on 30 December or 2 January and book ahead, because the days between the holidays fill up early. The Christmas markets tour runs its Old Town walk from 26 December per the listing; check the listing for your date.

Already staying in Füssen or Hohenschwangau? The guided tour with tickets starts at Alpseestraße 1 and has castle tickets reserved even on sold-out days. From Munich, the full-day trip by train leaves castle entry optional. Going without a tour is in our guide to visiting on your own.

How cold and snowy is Neuschwanstein at Christmas?

Expect winter conditions and dress for them. Nobody can promise snow, but when it comes, the shuttle bus stops and Mary's Bridge closes.

The tour listing asks for gloves, a hat and layers, and warns that in sub-zero, snowy or icy weather the shuttle bus and carriages often stop for safety. Then it is the 35 to 40 minute walk up the paved road, so wear sturdy shoes. The Ticket Center posts every morning whether Mary's Bridge is open.

The full winter rules, from hours to the bus timetable, are in our winter post, and our World Heritage post explains the castle's new UNESCO status.

Frequently asked questions