1. Stay Over
Many people travel to visit the castles on a day trip or tour from Munich. While they are still very special to see, staying overnight can really enhance your experience at the castles.
The Castles are a 10 minute drive from the charming town of Fussen. I would highly recommend staying here for a night before or after seeing the castles. We loved our hotel here and the town looks like a German fairytale. The streets are delightful, it has a castle, cute bars and restaurants, shops and treats.
If you are a spa lover, another option is to stay at Hotel Das Ruebezahl. We had a room with a balcony that overlooked both castles and we stayed here on a Sunday since we knew that most German towns would be quiet on a Sunday. The price was inclusive of dinner and spa services, they had an outdoor heated pool overlooking the castles, and it was a nice place to unwind after exploring all day.
2. Book In Advance
Book your tickets in advance. We booked Hohenschwangau for 10:00 and Neuschwanstein for 1:30. This gave us plenty of time to explore both places without feeling rushed at all, and to even have a short break in between for a snack or glass of wine.
3. Don’t be Late
We saw people who missed their time and could not be accommodated at another time later in the day. You can still walk around and visit the outside of the castles without tickets, but if you want to go in you must have tickets and you must be prompt!
4. The Viewpoints
Give yourself enough time to explore the surround area as well as the castles. There are quite a few viewpoints around both castles and you’ll want to give yourself time to explore them as well. You have likely seen many of these views on instagram or in photos, they really are as amazing as they appear. Although some of the viewing areas can get crowded, the great thing here is that everyone can still get a beautiful shot. Therefore I highly recommend you make your way around to check out as many spots as you can!
5. Each Castle Tour is About 30 minutes
The castles are neat to see and both tours have audio guides for you to learn a bit more about the history and the castles themselves. The exterior in my opinion was actually more fun to see. You aren’t allowed to take photos or videos inside the castles.
6. Time out your walk between castles
The time to walk from one castle to another is about 30-45 minutes depending on your speed and how much you like to stop. If for any reason you can not walk between them there are also horse drawn carriages and a bus as an option.
7. Food/Drink
There are full service restaurants in the area that you can dine at, as well as little food truck/huts with some easy drinks and snacks. You can also pop over to Fussen which is about a 7-10 minute drive and have a little explore of the town and eat in a restaurant there. We loved the Steak Haus overlooking the waterfall and the river.
If you do not prefer the DIY version of touring this area, there are tons of options for tours and day trips. You can check them out at the button below.
If you’re interested in our entire Bavaria Road Trip you can read my post about it here —-> Road Trip Itinerary: Romantic Road in Germany
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