Tickets to Both Included, and a Day Sold as a Budget of Minutes

Theresienwiese

After a punctual pickup at the address you gave, the drive out passes the ground where Ludwig II's grandfather, then Prince Ludwig I, held his wedding celebrations more than 200 years ago. That party is now the Oktoberfest. From November to July the field is practically empty, and what stands on it is the Bavaria, the largest bronze statue cast since antiquity, with the 19th-century Hall of Fame behind her.

Starnberger See

Twenty minutes later comes Lake Starnberg, the Dukes' lake, with villas along the shore including the summer houses of Sissi, Empress of Austria. The guide shows the spot in the water where Ludwig II died on 13 June 1886, and explains the odd relationship between Ludwig and Sissi, and why he would not marry her younger sister. The Roseninsel, the lake's only island, was royal property too, and the two of them met there more than once.

Hohenschwangau

Another hour through rural Bavaria and the Alps come up ahead, with the towers of Neuschwanstein at around 1,000 m (3,000 ft). Then the village of Hohenschwangau, the starting point for both castles. The guide hands over the skip-the-line tickets for Neuschwanstein and a detailed map of the area, along with advice on how to spend the time: the Marienbrücke viewpoint, the shuttle buses or the horse-drawn carriages, where to eat and where to shop. For Hohenschwangau castle as well (only on the 11-hour version), the operator sends instructions right after booking on how to buy skip-the-line tickets online.

Schloss Neuschwanstein

Skip-the-line tickets included. Neuschwanstein is one of the best-known buildings in Germany, and what it was built out of is Wagner: the rooms follow characters from the operas. You can walk up, take the shuttle bus (not in snow and ice) or the horse-drawn carriage; details under Additional Info. The guided tour inside runs about 35 minutes, and then you walk another 15 minutes through more rooms on your own, with the guide having told you beforehand what to look for.

Queen Mary's bridge ("Marienbrücke") - THE TOP VIEWPOINT -…

The Marienbrücke, built in 1866 by Ludwig II, is the viewpoint. It is reached by shuttle bus from the car park, for a small fee, or on a 40-minute walk uphill. From the bridge the castle entrance is 20 minutes downhill, past one more good vantage point. Note: for departures after 8 a.m. there can be a wait for both the shuttle bus and the bridge itself. When that happens the guide takes you to another viewpoint nearby with no queue. In snow and ice neither viewpoint is accessible, and the castle can only be reached on foot or by horse-drawn hybrid carriage.

Enjoy views of the spectacular Pöllat waterfall from the…

The Pöllat waterfall, seen from the Neuschwanstein courtyard and from the Marienbrücke (waiting times possible for departures after 8 a.m.; the bridge closes in snow and ice). The Pöllat is a wild river 10 km long that rises not far from the castle.

Schloss Hohenschwangau

(Optional, and only on the 11-hour "XXL Time Credit" version.) Hohenschwangau castle is the neo-Gothic summer residence of Ludwig's father, Maximilian II, and it holds Ludwig's childhood room. Skip-the-line tickets for the 45-minute guided tour can be booked; the operator explains exactly how after you book. There is an entrance fee per adult, reduced for children.

Costo extra

Altstadt von Fuessen

(Optional. Füssen fits only on the 11-hour "XXL Time Credit" version, and costs 25 minutes taken from the other stops; on the 9.5-hour version it can replace another 25-minute stop.) Füssen has 2,000 years of history behind it. It was a favourite seat of the Habsburg emperor Maximilian I, and its first great period came at the start of the 16th century: the High Castle, one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Bavaria, was already decorated in 1499 with unusually rich architectural and illusionistic painting. The town wall survives, the houses lean, and the former monastery complex with its Baroque church looks Italian. Narrow streets, street cafés and shops.

Mount Tegelberg

(Optional. To do either of these: 1) tell the operator, for instance in the 'Special Requirements' field when booking; 2) you will have about 60 minutes less for the other stops, and in some cases will have to drop them; 3) for the bike ride you are not insured through the tour company or the bike rental company.) A private bike ride through the Bavarian countryside, about an hour, past mountain lakes and a medieval town; bring a swimsuit. Bikes can be rented. Or a cable car up one of the Alpine peaks.

Costo extra

Plansee

The road to Linderhof, about 50 minutes, crosses into Austria for a stretch and runs along the mountain lake Plansee. Depending on traffic, or in winter on avalanche risk, an equally scenic route on the Bavarian side is used instead.

Schloss Linderhof

Skip-the-line tickets included. Linderhof is the smallest and most private of Ludwig's palaces, in a closed Alpine valley: French Baroque design, Bavarian trompe-l'œil painting, and the Magic Table, the Tischlein-deck-dich. The Baroque park around it runs out into landscape garden, with more buildings scattered through it. The Venus Grotto is one of them, reopened in April 2025 after years of restoration. It costs a small extra charge, payable in cash only, is reached by a very steep path of about 0.3 miles, and is closed in winter.

Oberammergau

Shortly after Linderhof comes Oberammergau, the Passion Play village, where the guide runs a 20-minute tour on foot. Some of the painted house fronts, the Lüftlmalereien, are more than 250 years old, and the Passion Play Theatre is here. The free time afterwards goes on the old centre, where the shops sell the woodcarvings the village is known for, nativity sets and Christmas pieces among them.

(OPTIONAL - If you like to visit this attraction

(Optional. If you want the alpine coaster: 1) tell the operator immediately, for instance in the 'Special Requirements' field when booking; 2) you will have about 45 minutes less for everything else; 3) it cannot be reserved, so to avoid queues the day starts there and Neuschwanstein moves to the end.) A chairlift takes you up through the mountains to a restaurant and to the start of the run, at 1,270 m (4,170 ft). The toboggan run is weatherproof, with magnetic brakes, and it is 2,600 metres (1.6 miles) back down to the valley. Open daily in suitable weather, with about three weeks a year closed for inspection. Separate charge, reduced for children aged 8 to 15.

Costo extra

Ettal Abbey

For another Baroque interior, this one set inside a twelve-sided domed medieval hall from the 14th century, the guide takes you into the Benedictine monastery at Ettal, five minutes' drive from Oberammergau. The monastery shop sells the beer and the liqueur the monks make.