Our top pick4,387 reviews
10 hFrom Munich: Neuschwanstein Castle Full-Day Trip
★ 4.7 · 4,387 reviews
- Ten hours, 2-hour train or bus ride
- Guided walk around castle grounds
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
$89$8.90 / hour
Check availability→ Castles, cities, lakes or history
Best day trip from Munich: how to pick yours
The best day trip from Munich is the one that matches what you came to Bavaria for. Eleven day trips leave the city: three to Neuschwanstein, three cities, two lakes with a palace or a chapel, and three guided visits to the Dachau Memorial Site. Below we sort them by interest, budget, transport and hours, then give a straight verdict.
Quick answer
The short answer. For most first visits, the best day trip from Munich is Neuschwanstein. Our top pick costs $89 per person, takes 10 hours by train or bus with a guide, and carries 4,387 reviews at 4.7; the castle ticket is paid separately. For a second city, take Salzburg by train at $89. For a lake and a palace, take Herrenchiemsee at $66.
The best day trip from Munich at a glance
- Day trips out of the city
- 11castles, cities, lakes, memorial site
- Our top pick
- Neuschwanstein$89 per person, 10 hours
- Day trips start from
- $66Herrenchiemsee, per person
- Most reviewed
- 16,984 reviewsNeuschwanstein and Linderhof, rated 4.6
- Shortest days
- 5 to 6 hoursthe three memorial site visits
- Longest day
- 10.5 hoursRothenburg and the Romantic Road
- Hotel pickup only on
- Two van daysNeuschwanstein by van and Königssee
- Smallest group
- Up to 8the van day to Neuschwanstein
- Lunch
- Not includedon any of the eleven
- Cancellation
- Free cancellationon every listing; check the deadline
Four questions
Four questions that pick the day for you
Interest first, then money, transport and hours.
Most of these trips fill nine to ten and a half hours, so the real choice is not about distance. It is about what you want to see, what you want to spend, how you like to travel and how long a day you can enjoy.
Answer those in order and the best day trip from Munich usually picks itself. If you came for King Ludwig II, head south to the castles. For a second old town, take the train to Salzburg or Nuremberg, or the coach to Rothenburg. For water and mountains, take a boat on Chiemsee or Königssee.
If your plan has room for only one day trip in Munich, start with the castles; the sections below show when another day fits you better.
By interest
Your Munich one day trip, chosen by interest
The places near Munich for day trip planning fall into four groups. Here is what each group holds and which trip leads it.
- Castles: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Hohenschwangau
Three ways south. Our top pick at $89 walks the castle grounds with a guide. At $85, a coach adds Linderhof on the full-day option. At $140, a van of up to 8 tours the castle inside.
- Cities: Salzburg, Nuremberg and Rothenburg
Salzburg and Nuremberg go by train with a guide, at $89 each. Rothenburg goes by coach along the Romantic Road at $92, with a stop at Harburg Castle.
- Lakes and mountains: Chiemsee and Königssee
Herrenchiemsee combines a train, a boat and King Ludwig II’s palace in the image of Versailles. Königssee goes by van to the lake below the Watzmann.
- History: the Dachau Memorial Site
Three guided visits of 5 to 6 hours, by public transport, with English-speaking guides. The Nuremberg day also includes a guided tour of the Nazi Party rally grounds.
Every trip, current fare
All eleven day trips: price, hours and what you get
Each day trip that leaves the city, with its current price per person. Lunch is not included on any of them; read the last column before you choose the best day trip from Munich for your group.
| Trip | Price | Price is for | Length | Getting there | What the price covers | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neuschwanstein (our top pick) | $89 | per person | 10 h | Train or bus | Guide, a walking tour of the castle grounds, Füssen. Castle ticket paid on the day | 4.7 · 4,387 |
| Neuschwanstein and Linderhof | $85 | per person | 10 – 10.5 h | Air-conditioned bus from Karlsplatz | Guide; options with or without castle tickets; Linderhof on the full-day option | 4.6 · 16,984 |
| Neuschwanstein by van | $140 | per person | 10 h | Van, pickup included | Up to 8 people, a guided tour inside the castle, Wieskirche, a gorge walk. Castle tickets paid to the guide | 4.9 · 1,371 |
| Rothenburg and the Romantic Road | $92 | per person | 10.5 h | Coach | Guide in English and German, a stop at Harburg Castle, 2 hours on your own in Rothenburg | 4.5 · 2,546 |
| Salzburg | $89 | per person | 9.5 h | Train with a guide | Guided walk of the old town, then 3 hours to explore. Passport required | 4.7 · 1,805 |
| Nuremberg | $89 | per person | 9 h | Train with a guide | Old town and a guided tour of the Nazi Party rally grounds | 4.4 · 431 |
| Herrenchiemsee | $66 | per person | 9.5 h | Train, then boat | Guide and a 40-minute palace tour. Boat and palace entry paid separately | 4.9 · 150 |
| Königssee | $146 | per person | 9 h | Van, pickup and hotel drop-off | Guide in English and German, St. Bartholomä. Boat tickets paid to the guide | 4.6 · 232 |
| Dachau Memorial Site | $53 | per person | 5 h | Public train | Guided visit in English and the memorial museum exhibition | 4.8 · 3,215 |
| Dachau Memorial Site | $59 | per person | 5 h | Train and bus | Guide authorized by the memorial site; a documentary film in English | 4.7 · 2,914 |
| Dachau Memorial Site | $50 | per person | 6 h | Metro and bus from Marienplatz | About 4 hours at the site with a memorial-qualified guide. Ages 14 and up only | 4.9 · 1,838 |
By budget
What the money buys at each price
Three price bands, and what each one actually pays for.
Day trips out of Munich start from $66 per person, for the Herrenchiemsee day: 9.5 hours, a guide on the train and a palace tour. The castle days and the city days sit close together at $85 to $92. At $140 and $146, the two van days add pickup, a small vehicle and a guide who drives you.
The listings at $22 to $59 are a different kind of outing: the aquarium ticket, the hop-on hop-off bus, the bike ride through the city, and the three guided visits to the memorial site, which are priced on their own terms.
For the best day trip from Munich on a tight budget, compare the total: castle tickets, boats and palace entry are paid on top on several days.
By transport
Train, coach or van: how each day travels
How you get there shapes the best day trip from Munich as much as where you go.
- By train with a guide
Salzburg (about 2 hours each way), Nuremberg (about 1.5 to 2 hours) and Herrenchiemsee (1.5 hours, then a boat). Your guide rides with you.
- By train or bus
Our top pick to Neuschwanstein travels by train or by bus, about 2 hours each way.
- By coach
Neuschwanstein and Linderhof leave from Karlsplatz on an air-conditioned bus; Rothenburg leaves from Karlsplatz by coach.
- By van, with pickup
Only two trips pick you up: Neuschwanstein by van and Königssee, which also drops you back at your hotel.
- By public transport
The three memorial site visits travel by train, or by metro and bus, with the guide.
By hours
How long a day you can enjoy
From a five-hour visit to a ten-and-a-half-hour coach day.
Most of these days are long. The longest one day tour from Munich here is Rothenburg at 10.5 hours; the castle days run 10 to 10.5 hours, and Salzburg, Herrenchiemsee, Königssee and Nuremberg 9 to 9.5. With children or evening plans, count back from the return time before you book the best day trip from Munich for your family.
Khalid from Canada, on our top pick: «Both Castles are beautiful and the countryside views to and from the area are alone worth it.» And Sunaina from the United States, on Salzburg: «You get to see the highlights of the city in a short amount of time, but without feeling rushed.»
The memorial site visits are the shortest, at 5 to 6 hours.
Along the way
A castle, a garden, a lake chapel and a Gothic gable
Four frames from the places these days reach.
Neuschwanstein
The white castle on its wooded crag, with farmland and two lakes in the distance.
The Mirabell Gardens
Curving beds of yellow flowers, clipped trees and statues on the edge of the garden in Salzburg.
St. Bartholomä
The chapel with red onion domes on the Königssee shore, under sheer mountain walls.
Gothic stone and a golden clock
Carved pinnacles, small figures and a blue-and-gold clock face on a Gothic gable.
Staying in town
If you would rather stay in Munich
The bus, the bike and the aquarium, for a day without a long ride.
Visitors on a one day trip to Munich itself have three options inside the city. The hop-on hop-off bus costs $27 for a 1-day or 2-day ticket, with three routes and 13 stops. The bike ride costs $50 for 3 hours, through the Englischer Garten and along the Isar, with a stop at the Chinese Tower beer garden. The aquarium in the Olympiapark is $22 a ticket.
To visit Munich in one day without a car, the bus is the easiest start; the bike suits riders of at least 160 cm. Our city guide compares all three, and the bike guide covers the ride in detail.
Before you book
Five things to check before you pay
Two minutes on the listing saves a surprise on the best day trip from Munich you choose.
- Castle and palace tickets
Maria from Cyprus, on our top pick: «The entry ticket could have been included in the original price.» It is not, so budget for it.
- Boats
On Königssee, boat tickets are paid to the guide. On Herrenchiemsee, the boat and the palace entry are paid before the tour starts.
- Your passport for Salzburg
The listing is clear: bring your official passport. Driving licences are not accepted.
- Ages at the memorial site
On the 6-hour visit, children aged 13 or under are not permitted. On the half-day visit, the listing asks for parental discretion with minors.
- Königssee in winter
From mid-October to mid-April the boat only goes to St. Bartholomä, and the day adds the old town of Berchtesgaden instead.
Our verdict
Our verdict, one traveller at a time
A straight answer for each kind of traveller, with the guide that goes deeper.
- First visit, one day out: Neuschwanstein
Our top pick at $89 is the best day trip from Munich for most people. Compare the three castle days before you book.
- Two of the king’s palaces: Neuschwanstein and Linderhof
At $85, with 16,984 reviews at 4.6. See what the second stop costs in time.
- A second city: Salzburg
Mozart’s birthplace and the old town by train, at $89. Read the Salzburg guide.
- Water and a palace: Herrenchiemsee
At $66, rated 4.9 from 150 reviews. How the boat day runs.
- Mountains with pickup: Königssee
At $146, van door to door. Read the Königssee guide.
- History
For the memorial site, our guide to the three visits sets out length, transport and what each covers.
Book direct
The best day trip from Munich and three strong alternatives
Our top pick first, then the castle day with Linderhof, Salzburg by train and Herrenchiemsee. Each is a Munich one day tour with a guide, priced per person.
Bestseller16,984 reviews
10 - 10.5 hFrom Munich: Neuschwanstein & Linderhof Castle Full-Day Trip
★ 4.6 · 16,984 reviews
- 10 to 10.5 hours, Neuschwanstein and Linderhof in one day
- Air-conditioned bus from Karlsplatz
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
Guided walk of old town1,805 reviews
9.5 hFrom Munich: Salzburg Day Trip by Train
★ 4.7 · 1,805 reviews
- 9.5 hours, Train from Munich with guide
- Guided walk of old town
- 3 hours to explore independently
- Free cancellation
$89$9.37 / hour
Check availability→ 
Bestseller9.5 h
9.5 hFrom Munich: Herrenchiemsee Palace and Boat Trip Day-Tour
★ 4.9 · 150 reviews
- 9.5 hours, Train from Munich with guide
- 40-minute guided palace tour
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
$66$6.95 / hour
Check availability→ Common questions
Choosing the best day trip from Munich: questions, answered
Which day trips from Munich include hotel pickup?
Only two: Neuschwanstein by van ($140) and Königssee ($146), which also drops you back at your hotel. The other trips start at a meeting point in Munich.
Is lunch included on Munich day trips?
No, not on any of the eleven. At the memorial site, food cannot be bought on the grounds, so bring your own refreshments.
Are Neuschwanstein Castle tickets included in the tour?
Only on one option: the Neuschwanstein and Linderhof day sells an option with castle tickets. On our top pick, the ticket is paid on the morning of the tour. On the van day, the guide books the tickets and you pay the guide.
Can you see Neuschwanstein and Linderhof in one day?
Yes. The $85 day visits both on its full-day option, in 10 to 10.5 hours by air-conditioned bus. There is also an option without Linderhof that leaves later.
Do I need a passport for the Salzburg trip?
Yes. Salzburg is across the border in Austria, and the listing asks you to bring your official passport. Driving licences are not accepted.
Which day trips are small group?
Only Neuschwanstein by van states a number: up to 8 participants. The other listings give no group size.
Go deeper
More on day trips from Munich
Neuschwanstein compared
Neuschwanstein compared
Three ways to see the king’s castle from Munich, side by side: coach, van, or with Linderhof.
SalzburgSalzburg
Mozart’s city across the border by train, with a guide on the day.
HerrenchiemseeHerrenchiemsee
The palace on the island in the lake, reached by boat.
Into the AlpsInto the Alps
Which outings reach the mountains: lakes, castles and Alpine roads.
Dachau Memorial SiteDachau Memorial Site
Three guided visits to the memorial site: length, transport and what each covers.
