Neuschwanstein castle tickets

How much does a Neuschwanstein Castle ticket cost?

€21 for adults and €20 reduced in 2026, per the Bavarian Palace Administration. Children and teenagers under 18 go free, and the official online shop adds a €2.50 service fee per ticket.

The reduced rate covers seniors from 65, students, visitors with disabilities, guest-card and Königscard holders, and groups of 15 or more paying guests. Bring ID. The Ticket Center's price list adds that one registered escort of a visitor with a disability goes free.

What the ticket does not cover: the shuttle bus, the carriage and parking, which you pay separately in the village. Here are the official tickets and the ticket options on this site in one place:

Sources, in plain text: the Bavarian Palace Administration (neuschwanstein.de) and the price lists of the Ticket Center Hohenschwangau (hohenschwangau.de), prices valid from 1 January 2026. Combination tickets are valid for one visit date only.

Do children need a ticket for Neuschwanstein?

Yes. Under-18s enter free, but every child needs a ticket of their own, babies and toddlers included, and online each free ticket carries the €2.50 service fee.

The Ticket Center gives the reason plainly: safety, for example in an evacuation. Each tour currently has a hard limit of 35 people at Neuschwanstein, which is also why children have to go into the same order as the adults. In the shop, the drop-down for children sits right below the one for adults. A child's ticket cannot be added later.

Two more family rules from the Bavarian Palace Administration: children under 14 may only enter with an adult, and parents keep the duty of supervision throughout. Prams can wait in a designated room at Neuschwanstein, but they do not go on the tour. Over at Hohenschwangau Castle, children aged 7 to 17 pay €12.

How far in advance should you buy Neuschwanstein tickets?

As soon as your date is fixed. The official pages give no release date or booking window; they say to buy online in good time, because tickets can sell out quickly.

Our view: for July, August, weekends and holiday weeks, do not wait. The online shop is updated daily, so if your day shows nothing, check the days either side before giving up. If the shop only lets you pick one ticket, that tour has one place left; choose the total number of people first and the shop will show you the tours that still fit your group.

• Buy from the official shop. The Ticket Center warns of unauthorized websites using its name and logo. The official shop is run by the Wittelsbacher Ausgleichsfonds and is linked from the Ticket Center's own pages.
• Payment: credit card (American Express, Diners Club, JCB, Mastercard, Visa) or PayPal only.
• No printing needed: the QR code on a charged phone or tablet works, as long as the screen is clear and undamaged.
• No reservations by phone or email, and no waiting list.

Can you buy Neuschwanstein tickets on the day, or at the castle?

Not at the castle. On the day, a limited number of tickets go on sale at the Ticket Center Hohenschwangau from 8am, first come, first served, and on most days they are gone by late morning.

The Ticket Center is at Alpseestraße 12 in Hohenschwangau, at the foot of the hill. It sells from 8am to 4pm in summer (28 March to 15 October) and from 8am to 3.30pm in winter (16 October to 27 March). Counter tickets are for that same day only; you cannot buy a future date there, and nobody can hold tickets for you. The Bavarian Palace Administration's advice is to be there for the 8am opening or a little earlier. If the day sells out, there is no visit inside that day.

Driving in for the counter? There is a strict no-stopping zone in front of the building and along the street, so park in P1 to P4. Even without a ticket you can walk right up to the main gate of Neuschwanstein and wander the grounds outside.

Pre-reserved tickets even on sold-out days, an English-speaking guide and the bus up to Mary's Bridge when it runs, starting in Hohenschwangau.

★ 4.8 · 3 hours · from $69.87

Explore the guided tour with tickets → Tour details

What can you do if Neuschwanstein tickets are sold out?

Check other dates in the official shop, try the Ticket Center at 8am on the day, or book a ticket or tour that holds reserved entry. Several options on GetYourGuide come with tickets for sold-out dates.

• Already in the area: the guided tour with tickets meets at Alpseestraße 1 in Hohenschwangau, lasts 3 hours and promises pre-reserved castle tickets even on sold-out days. The official tour inside is run by the castle's own guides. From $69.87, rated 4.8 from 1,092 reviews.
• Coming through Füssen: the ticket with audio guide is collected at the International Ticket & Travel Center at Füssen station. The time you book is the collection time, not your entry time: per the listing, a 9.30am collection goes with an 11.35am castle entry, and 11.45am with 2.05pm. The tickets cannot be picked up at the castle or the Ticket Center. From $49.80.
• Both castles: the tickets for both castles work the same way from Füssen station, with reserved slots and audio guides at Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. From $87.61.
• From Munich: the premium, small-group and private day trips include the ticket. Our day trip guide shows which trips include it, which leave it optional and which leave it out.

Claudia used the two-castle ticket in Aug 2026: "Good information in advance about ticket collection. Great organization on site through the assignment of time numbers."

Can you cancel or change official Neuschwanstein tickets?

No. Official online tickets are excluded from exchange or return, including a change of date, time or language, and you accept that before you pay.

Plan before you click. Check how you will reach Hohenschwangau, allow the 1.5 to 2 hours the Ticket Center asks for before your tour, and think about the season: in snow and ice Mary's Bridge closes and the shuttle bus stops, though the castle tours themselves still run. Adults and children must be on the same order, since nothing can be added afterwards.

If your plans might move, a GetYourGuide booking gives you room. Every ticket and day trip in this guide's booking box cancels free up to 24 hours before.

How does the timed tour work, and what if you arrive late?

Your ticket is for one tour at a fixed time, about 30 minutes long. Tours start punctually and a late arrival cannot join, which is why the official advice is to reach Hohenschwangau 1.5 to 2 hours before.

Up at the castle, go to the courtyard in good time. The tour number printed on your ticket appears on a monitor next to the turnstiles; when it shows, you go through and a guide meets you inside. The Bavarian Palace Administration also asks you to allow time for security checks, and bags can be spot-checked.

The tour covers 14 rooms on the third and fourth floors, among them the Throne Hall, the king's bedroom and the Singers' Hall, and ends on the second floor by the shop and café. The historic kitchen comes afterwards. Guided tours run in German and English. Audio-guide tours cover 17 other languages: French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Czech, Slovenian, Polish, Hungarian, Greek, Russian, Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Korean, Thai, Arabic and Hebrew. Audio devices are handed out only on the designated audio-guided tours, so pick that language when you book.

Stefan joined the guided tour in Oct 2026: "Punctual, reliable and super organized. The guided tour was fantastic!"

Timed tickets for Neuschwanstein and Linderhof booked for you, a group of 28 at most and snacks and drinks on the coach.

★ 4.8 · 10.5 hours · from $215.15

Explore the premium two-castle tour → Tour details

How do groups, pass holders and visitors with reduced mobility book?

Groups of 15 or more book on written request only, at €20 per person plus a €1.50 handling fee. Visitors who need the castle lift do not use the online shop: they send their request to the Ticket Center by email.

• The lift: it runs once an hour, for one person with limited mobility and one companion, from 10am at the earliest to 4pm at the latest. It is reserved for wheelchair users and people with severe mobility impairments, a disability certificate is required, and the reservation carries a €2.50 service fee per person. The door is 0.85 m wide and the cabin 1.30 m deep. Send the date, the number of people, the tour language and the entry time you want; the Ticket Center checks availability.
• Getting up: the road is paved but partly very steep, and the official advice is the horse-drawn carriage. It has no ramp; a folding wheelchair fits in the trunk. The shuttle bus is not recommended, because of the steep descent from its stop. Three disabled parking spaces are in car park P2.
• Pass holders: annual, 14-day and "Königsschlösser" passes from the Bavarian Palace Administration still need a timed tour ticket. In the online shop you pick the free pass-holder ticket and pay only the €2.50 fee. Hohenschwangau Castle is privately owned and not covered by these passes.

Hohenschwangau Castle has no lift and about 180 steps on the tour (90 up, 90 down), so it cannot be visited in a wheelchair. Our guide to the walk, bus and carriage covers the climb in detail.

Frequently asked questions