This post for a winter day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle and Füssen will prepare you for a visit to a place where fairy-tale charm meets winter wonderland.

Nestled in the snowy Bavarian Alps, Neuschwanstein Castle looks like a fairy tale come to life, especially during the holiday season.

The scenic views of the surrounding winter wonderland make the day trip an unforgettable experience, full of charm and beauty.

My husband and I visited Neuschwanstein Castle and the small town of Füssen nearby as a day trip from Munich during our Germany Christmas Market vacation in December 2023.

You can read my travel tips for visiting the Munich Christmas Market here as well as Nuremberg’s here.

In a rush?

Neuschwanstein Castle Ticket Information

Buy your tickets to Neuschwanstein Castle online here AS SOON AS YOU KNOW YOUR TRIP DATES!

While our November 28th visit was outside what is considered ‘busy season’ for Neuschwanstein Castle (July to September), I purchased our tickets in early October.

Tickets are for a fixed admission time with a guided tour (there are no self-guided tours available) but in reality – our ‘tour’ had a guide walking along with us while we listened to an audio guide in our own language ;0.

There is a ticket center at the site that will also release a limited number of same day tickets at 8am each morning however this option should really only be your last resort if you forgot to buy tickets online.

From what I have learned, these tickets go quite fast and you have to be there in person.

However, even if you do not get tickets, you can still visit the exterior viewing platform as well as Marienbrücke (if it is open).

The tour is only 30 minutes and sadly no photos are allowed inside ;(.

The photo below is where the tour starts and is one of only a couple of interior photo options you will have.

How to Get to Neuschwanstein Castle

We used the company Daytrip for the first time for this day trip from Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle and Fussen.

What a fabulous way to experience this beautiful area of Germany and not have to worry about anything but the view out the car windows – learn more about this worldwide company here ;).

Our driver was quite punctual and courteous and made us feel very safe on the snowy/icy roads of rural Germany (we were visiting when a days long heavy snowstorm had just started).

We were dropped off at the base of the road to the castle in the village of Hohenschwangau which is the closest a private car can get to the castle.

This is also where our driver waited for us when we came back down from the castle hill (in the snow!).

If you choose to not use Daytrip (even though I highly recommend that you do!), you can also use your own car but parking in the small village of Hohenschwangau is minimal and there is no dedicated castle parking lot.

You can also take the train from Munich to Füssen – buy your tickets online at Bahn.com then you will take a bus from the Füssen train station to Hohenschwangau.

No matter which method you use to arrive in Hohenschwangau, you will still have to get to the top of the ‘hill’ where the castle is located and can do so via foot, horse and carriage ride, or a shuttle (only running on days without inclement weather) – you can learn more about all these options here.

Because our visit was during the start of a snow storm, the shuttle was not running and there was a line for the horse and carriage ride therefore we decided to do the 40 minute walk up the hill.

If you also decide to make the scenic walk uphill – BE SURE YOU LEAVE PLENTY OF TIME BEFORE YOUR TICKETED TIME otherwise you will not be allowed into the castle ;(.

How Much Time You Need at Neuschwanstein Castle

While the interior tour is only 30 minutes, the majority of your time visiting Neuschwanstein Castle will be spent oohing and awing from outside (which you actually can do without a tour ticket if you decide to not purchase one for the inside of the castle!).

I purchased 12 noon tour tickets and our Daytrip driver dropped us off at the bottom of the hill at 11am (we left Munich around 9:30am).

After walking for about 25 minutes, you will arrive at a viewing platform with outdoor lockers to leave any large bags or strollers as well as a small gift shop and snack bar.

However the snack bar was closed during our visit which was a bummer for us because we were actually quite hungry as soon as our tour was over ;0.

From this platform, you have another 5-10 minute walk uphill ~ and again remember you MUST BE AT THE CASTLE AT YOUR ASSIGNED TICKET TIME!

Because we were not able to walk to Marienbrücke (see below), we were back in the car with our driver by 1:30pm that afternoon and continued on to the town of Fussen for a late lunch.

Our 8 hour day trip started at 9:30am as mentioned above and we were dropped back off at our Munich hotel at 5:30pm with 2 of those hours being at the castle (including the walking up and down the hill and the interior tour)

What to Expect with Your Castle Tour

Waiting for Your Entrance Time

Now even though I have mentioned multiple times to allow enough time to get up to the castle and not to be late for your timed ticket entrance time, we got to the waiting area at around 11:40am for our 12pm ticket time.

With about twenty other people who were all trying to stay warm and out of the wet snow situation in a small covered area…

They take the punctuality of not letting anyone in the castle before their ticket time VERY SERIOUSLY ;0.

However, I still think visiting on a late winter morning is probably better than a busy season visit because we saw the ropes to line people up if there were a crowd and I was grateful to not be in that sort of line…

Once Inside the Castle

As mentioned above, photography is not allowed in most areas of the tour.

There is a basement kitchen at the end of the tour of which photography is allowed.

And before the gift shop near the building exit, there is a small exhibit area with a small scale replica of the castle where photos are also allowed.

Marienbrücke

Marienbrücke (Mary’s Bridge) is quite famous as being the spot with the iconic postcard view of Neuschwanstein Castle.

However, because of the inclement weather, the path to the bridge at the top of the hill to the right of the castle was unfortunately closed when we were visiting.

There is however a trail from the bottom that will lead you to the bridge if you decide you really want this iconic photo view (we did not do this 2.1 mile loop trail with 661 feet of elevation gain) but here is more information on that trail:

During busy season, this iconic bridge looks a tad precarious with the amount of people on it (and our driver told us a story of a murder off the trail in summer 2023) however the full view of the castle is beautiful and if the higher trail from the castle to the bridge was open during our visit, we would have done it for sure ;).

A Day Trip to Füssen, Germany

How Much Time You Need in Füssen

After spending half our day at the castle (we would have spent a little bit more time there had the Marienbrücke path been open), our Daytrip driver drove us to the small medieval town of Füssen where we spent a little under 2 hours wandering the snowy streets and getting a late lunch.

Because our visit was on a snowy Tuesday afternoon at the end of November, many of the shops were closed and most restaurants were not open during our 2p-4p visit window (many open around 5pm or 5:30pm for dinner).

However, we enjoyed our two hours wandering the streets, taking photos, and grabbing a quick lunch at one of the only open cafes in town (a pizza parlor ;0).

When I was starting the planning of this trip, I originally thought spending a night or two in Füssen would be a nice quiet part of our 10 day winter trip.

However, now that I have experienced this area, I imagine because of the time of year and the snowy weather, those days would have been a little bit too quiet for such a short trip.

The Füssen Christmas market is only held on the first two weekends of Advent which is not when we were there ~ but that might have changed my mind if that was the case ;).

Otherwise, seeing Füssen for 2-3 hours in winter after visiting Neuschwanstein Castle will give you a feel for this cute town.

Our Full Germany Itinerary Day to Day Overview

DAY 1 | Leave for Munich from San Diego on Lufthansa nonstop

DAY 2 | Arrival in Munich at 1pm local time, check in to Rosewood Munich, eat dinner at Residenz Christmas Village

DAY 3 | Munich: Marienplatz, lunch at Schneider Brauhaus, walk to Eisbach River to watch surfers, Tucher Park, tour Residenz Palace Museum, dinner at Augustiner am Dom

DAY 4 | Munich: Flytographer photo shoot, Glockenspiel show, Sendlinger Tor, Asamkirche, St Peter’s Church, Viktualienmarkt, dinner at Marienplatz Christkindlmarkt

DAY 5 | Day trip from Munich to Neuschwanstein Castle and Fussen

DAY 6 | Travel via train to Nuremberg (1 hour)

DAY 7 | Nuremberg

DAY 8 | Day trip from Nuremberg to Rothenburg ob der Tauber

DAY 9 | Nuremberg

DAY 10 | Bonus day in Nuremberg due to blizzard closing Munich airport

DAY 11 | Fly home to San Diego from Munich

What to Wear in Winter in Germany

As you can see, a serious snow storm was starting when we were driving to Neuschwanstein Castle.

And because the majority of your time will be spent outdoors, I would suggest a warm coat, hat, scarf, mittens, etc!

I bought this red coat that I felt so festive in when I wore it on this Christmas time trip.

However on the days that dipped below 30° including this day trip to the Bavarian countryside – I was definitely in my warmer parka.

This cheery red windowpane scarf was a favorite too – especially since my cold weather accessories are really all that can be seen in any photos we took ;0.

I hope this winter day trip guide to Neuschwanstein Castle and Füssen has inspired you to plan your own extraordinary day.

A visit to Neuschwanstein Castle and Füssen during Christmas time will gift you with a magical experience of fairy-tale architecture set against a backdrop of snow-covered mountains and charming Bavarian holiday vibes.

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Oh Christmas isn’t just a day,

It’s a frame of mind.

~ Miracle on 34th Street

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Have a wonderful day my friend! I hope something makes you smile today ;).