Fairytale Family Day: Complete Guide to Visiting Neuschwanstein with Kids

If there's one lesson my years of adventure travel have taught me, it's that preparation is the foundation of enjoyable experiences—doubly so when traveling with children. Neuschwanstein welcomes approximately 1.5 million visitors annually, making advance planning absolutely essential.

Ticket Strategy

Book your tickets online at least 2-3 months in advance through the official Neuschwanstein website. Each ticket includes a specific entry time, and you cannot enter before or after your designated slot. For our visit with Emma and Lucas, I secured a mid-morning tour (10:30 AM)—late enough to avoid rushing through breakfast but early enough to beat the afternoon crowds and fatigue.

A word of caution: third-party vendors often sell tickets at significant markups. While sometimes tempting when official tickets appear sold out, I'd recommend checking the official site regularly for cancellations before resorting to these options.

Timing Considerations

Summer weekends are notoriously crowded. Our Tuesday visit in late June struck a perfect balance—warm enough for comfortable exploration but outside the peak August rush. If summer is your only option (as it was for us with school schedules), aim for mid-week visits and arrive at the ticket center at least 60 minutes before your scheduled entry time.

The castle grounds open at 8:00 AM, while tours typically run from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (later in summer). The surrounding paths and viewpoints are accessible even without a castle tour ticket—a helpful backup plan if interior tours are sold out.

The journey to Neuschwanstein is part of the adventure, with several transportation options depending on your starting point and family's preferences.

From Munich to Füssen

Most visitors (ourselves included) base themselves in Munich, approximately 120km from the castle. We chose the Bayern Ticket for our family journey—a fantastic value at €26 for one adult plus €8 for each additional adult, with children under 15 traveling free. This regional day pass covers trains, buses, and even some boats throughout Bavaria.

The train journey from Munich to Füssen takes about 2 hours through picturesque countryside that kept Emma and Lucas thoroughly entertained. I packed a small travel games collection which proved invaluable during brief attention lapses.

From Füssen to the Castle

From Füssen station, Bus 78 runs directly to Hohenschwangau village (the castle base) in about 10 minutes. The bus stop is immediately outside the station, and services coordinate with arriving trains. Have €2.50 per adult ready (children under 6 ride free).

Alternative Transport

If you're traveling with very young children or mobility-challenged family members, consider renting a car. While I typically advocate for public transport for environmental reasons, having a vehicle allows flexibility with nap schedules and offers a quick retreat if little ones become overwhelmed. Several parking lots (P1-P4) are available in Hohenschwangau village for €8-10 for the day.

For the adventurous family, cycling from Füssen is possible along a dedicated bike path (approximately 30-40 minutes). Having cycled extensively through Southeast Asia, I found this route relatively easy, though I wouldn't recommend it with children under 10 unless they're experienced cyclists.

Once you've arrived in Hohenschwangau village, you face the final challenge—ascending to the castle itself. This journey of approximately 1.5 kilometers involves a considerable elevation gain (about 300 meters), and how you choose to make this climb can significantly impact your children's experience.

Walking Path

The traditional approach is a moderately steep paved road that winds uphill through beautiful forest. For active families, this 30-40 minute walk offers lovely views and the building anticipation of the castle reveal. Marie's daughter Emma managed it beautifully, treating it as an adventure, while 5-year-old Lucas required frequent stops and motivation.

I recommend packing a water bottle with built-in filter for each family member. The ability to refill safely at mountain springs along the route saved us from carrying excessive water weight while keeping everyone properly hydrated.

Horse-Drawn Carriage

For families with younger children, the horse-drawn carriages offer a magical alternative. At €7 per adult and €3 per child uphill (slightly less for downhill), they provide both rest for tired legs and an enchanting experience that complements the fairytale castle destination. However, be prepared for queues of 30+ minutes during peak periods. The carriages stop about 300 meters from the castle entrance, requiring a short final walk.

Shuttle Bus

The most practical option for families with very young children or mobility concerns is the shuttle bus (€3 uphill, €2 downhill, €5 roundtrip). These buses run frequently and drop passengers closer to the castle than the horse carriages. While less romantic than the carriages, they're faster and more reliable during inclement weather.

For our visit, we chose a hybrid approach that worked brilliantly—walking up in the morning when energy levels were high and taking the horse-drawn carriage down after a full day of exploration. This strategy gave us the full experience while preventing the meltdowns that often accompany overtired children.

The interior tour of Neuschwanstein presents a particular challenge for families—how to keep children engaged during a structured 35-minute guided experience focused primarily on adult-oriented historical information.

Our guide spoke excellent English but naturally directed her commentary toward the adults. Anticipating this, I had prepared a simple castle-themed scavenger hunt for Emma and Lucas on my tablet the night before. This kids tablet proved invaluable throughout our Bavaria trip, allowing me to quickly create engaging activities while keeping weight minimal.

Pre-Tour Preparation

Before entering, we spent 15 minutes on a nearby bench discussing King Ludwig II's fascinating story—framing him as a real-life prince who loved music, castles, and fairytales. This context transformed what could have been a boring historical tour into a treasure hunt for clues about this mysterious king.

The castle interior prohibits photography, which actually proved beneficial—without the distraction of capturing perfect shots, we could fully engage with the children's experience.

Highlights for Children

While adults marvel at the political implications of Ludwig's building projects, children are captivated by these specific elements:

• The artificial cave complete with stalactites and a waterfall
• The Singer's Hall with its magnificent paintings of legendary knights and maidens
• The king's bedroom with its elaborately carved Gothic bed that took fourteen carpenters four years to complete
• The modern-for-its-time amenities like running water and central heating (which fascinated technically-minded Lucas)

Managing Expectations

Be aware that the tour moves at a steady pace through relatively crowded rooms. Children must stay with the group, and there's limited opportunity to linger in favorite spaces. Prepare younger children for this constraint, perhaps promising a longer exploration of the exterior areas afterward as a reward for good behavior.

When Emma began losing interest midway through, I quietly whispered additional "secrets" about the rooms—pointing out hidden swans (Ludwig's favorite symbol) in the decorations and inventing small stories about what the king might have done in each space. This personal narration kept her engaged when the official tour information wasn't capturing her imagination.

While Neuschwanstein is undoubtedly the star attraction, the surrounding Bavarian Alps offer numerous complementary experiences that can transform a simple castle visit into a comprehensive family adventure. After our castle tour, we dedicated the remainder of our day to exploring these nearby gems.

Marienbrücke (Mary's Bridge)

This suspension bridge spanning the Pöllat Gorge provides the iconic postcard view of Neuschwanstein. Located just a 10-minute walk from the castle, it's worth visiting for the spectacular photo opportunity. However, I must caution that the bridge can be intimidating for those with fear of heights (the drop is considerable) and becomes extremely crowded by midday. We visited early, around 9:15 AM before our castle tour, when we had the bridge almost to ourselves.

Note that with very young children, you'll want to maintain a firm grip on little hands—the railings have spaces between them that might make some parents nervous.

Alpsee Lake

This pristine Alpine lake at the foot of the mountains was the unexpected highlight for Emma and Lucas. After the structured castle tour, the freedom to skip stones, watch swans, and simply run along the shoreline provided a perfect balance to the day. Several casual restaurants with lakeside terraces offer a relaxing lunch spot with stunning views.

For families with older children, rowboat rentals are available (€15 for 1 hour) from April through October, weather permitting. The lake's crystal-clear waters reflect the surrounding mountains, creating a tranquil experience that even teenagers can appreciate.

Hohenschwangau Castle

Often overlooked in favor of its more famous neighbor, King Ludwig II's childhood home sits just below Neuschwanstein. With fewer visitors and a more lived-in feeling, many children actually find this castle more relatable. The yellow fortress-like structure has beautiful gardens where little ones can burn off energy between tours.

If you're ambitious, you can visit both castles in one day (as we did), but I'd recommend spreading them across two days if your schedule permits. We found that pairing one castle with outdoor activities created the perfect balance for maintaining children's enthusiasm.

Alpine Cheese Experience

Just a 15-minute drive from Hohenschwangau village, the Reuttener Sennerei offers an engaging demonstration of traditional Alpine cheese-making. As someone passionate about fermentation science, I found this particularly fascinating, but was surprised by how captivated the children were by the process. The demonstration concludes with generous samples and the opportunity to purchase directly from the producer—we enjoyed a delightful impromptu picnic with our fresh acquisitions.