Schloss Linderhof is a popular day-trip destination from Munich with easy transportation, long opening hours, and the easiest ticket availability of Bavarian King Ludwig’s three fantasy castles. The popular Venus Grotto has reopened.
Schloss Linderhof Palace, near Oberammergau and Ettal in Bavaria, Germany, is a popular day-trip destination from Munich. A visit is easily combined with nearby Schloss Neuschwanstein and Schloss Hohenschwangau, making Linderhof one of Bavaria’s best day trips. Opening hours are long, with Linderhof Palace open daily, including on Mondays and most public holidays. The park is unfenced, while tickets for the palace tours are fairly easy to obtain. Transportation to Schloss Linderhof is easiest by car, but buses and tours from Munich are also available. A hotel and restaurant are located at Linderhof Park, with many further options in nearby Ettal and Oberammergau, the town famous for hosting the Oberammergauer Passion Play every decade.
Linderhof Palace and Park at a Glance
🎟️ Booking ahead is recommended, but same-day tickets are usually available
⏰ Timed entry required for the palace and grotto
🚶 Allow 30–40 minutes uphill to the entrance
🚌 Tours from Munich often include guaranteed admission, easy transportation, and seeing Neuschwanstein on the same day
👨👩👧 Children under 18 enter free (reservation still required)
⭐ Why visit?
Schloss Linderhof is a compact but opulent palace in a beautiful park. The Venus Grotto better explains King Ludwig’s fantasy world than even fairy-tale Neuschwanstein Castle.
Linderhof is the smallest of King Ludwig II’s three royal fantasy residences but the only palace he completed and lived in for extended periods.
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Opening Hours for Schloss Linderhof Palace in Bavaria
Schloss Linderhof Palace is open daily, including Mondays. Opening hours are:
- In summer, from mid-April to mid-October:
- Daily from 9 am to 6pm for Linderhof Palace, the Venus Grotto, the Moroccan House, and the Royal Lodge (Königshäuschen).
- In winter, from mid-October to mid-April:
- Daily from 10 am to 4 pm for Linderhof Palace only.
Most of the smaller buildings and grottos in the garden are only open in summer. (Depending on the Easter weekend, the summer season may start a few weeks earlier.) Many statues and decorations in the garden are covered in winter, but the palace and most of the garden remain open.
The water features in Linderhof Park operate from mid-April to mid-October. The main fountains and cascades in front of the Schloss play every half hour.
Schloss Linderhof Palace is closed on December 24, 25, and 31, January 1, and Faschingsdienstag (Mardi Gras). (Most things in Bavaria are closed on these five days.)
The Venus Grotto reopened in 2025 and requires separate tickets and time slots, while the Maurische Kiosk (Moorish Pavilion) is closed for restoration until at least mid-2028.
Buying Tickets to Visit Schloss Linderhof Castle
The interior of Linderhof Palace may only be seen on 30-minute guided tours, while separate tickets (and time slots) are required for the 15-minute tour of the Venus Grotto. Tours are available in German or English. The tour times are stamped on the admission ticket, allowing visitors to roam the garden and see other sites while waiting for the tour to start.
You can buy admission tickets for Schloss Linderhof in advance online or in person for all sights at the ticket center at the entrance to Linderhof Park. Unlike Neuschwanstein, advance reservations have no surcharge and most tickets remain available at the palace ticket office rather than online.
The following tickets are available at Schloss Linderhof (same prices online, or at the ticket center):
- €18 — Combination Ticket (Kombitarif) for both Linderhof Palace and the Venus Grotto.
- €11 — Schloss Linderhof tour (30 minutes)
- €9 — Venus Grotto tour (15 minutes)
- Tickets for the Royal Lodge (Königshäuschen) are €2 and are only sold directly at the lodge.
- Admission to the park is free.
When picking timeslots, allow for 30 minutes from the ticket center (parking area) to the palace and around 15 minutes between the palace and Venus Grotto.
Admission to Linderhof Park itself is free. The park is suitable for wheelchairs and strollers, but the palace itself is not. Some inclines in the park are steep and slippery in wet weather.
Save with the Bavaria Castles Ticket
Before buying tickets, consider the big savings on sightseeing admissions offered by the Bavaria Castles and Parks Season Ticket. This deal gives admission to more than 40 top sights in Bavaria, including Linderhof Palace, Neuschwanstein Castle, and Schloss Herrenchiemsee.
It is available as a two-week pass (€40 individual / €80 family) or an annual pass (€55 individual / €100 family). This ticket is great value, often not clearly advertised but available from any site.
The pass allows for online reservations at Linderhof (free) and at Schloss Neuschwanstein (€2.50 but great value to ensure admission without queuing or risking no tickets being available at all).
- For more details, see Bavaria Castles and Palaces Pass: Save on Admission Tickets.
Transportation to Schloss Linderhof in Bavaria
A private car is the easiest way to reach Schloss Linderhof, Linderhof 14, 82488 Ettal, Germany, but bus services are also available. When on a day trip from Munich, a car or tour allows Linderhof to be seen on the same day as Schloss Neuschwanstein and other sights such as the Wieskirche, Oberammergau, and Ettal. Using public transportation, only Ettal and Oberammergau combine well with seeing Linderhof.
Visit Linderhof Palace by Car
Schloss Linderhof Castle is on a small country road 10 km (6 miles) from the monastery town Ettal, which is near Oberammergau and Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Ample parking is available.
This lovely road continues to Reute in Austria and is a useful shortcut when traveling to Füssen and Schloss Neuschwanstein. Snow and especially ice could be a problem in the winter months, with the road to Austria often closed as a precaution on cold and windy days. (Roads via Ettal are usually open.)
Public Transportation to Schloss Linderhof
Schloss Linderhof can be reached by bus, usually around once per hour. The most frequent service is the public bus from Oberammergau train station via Ettal to Schloss Linderhof. Services are limited, especially on weekends, so double-check timetables before setting out.
The closest train station to Schloss Linderhof is Oberammergau, although Oberau (on the mainline from Munich to Garmisch-Partenkirchen) is often the better choice for changing to local buses.
- Check timetables at German Railways (Deutsche Bahn): Munich-Linderhof Schloß, Ettal.
The bus stop closest to the palace is Linderhof Schloß, Ettal. (Copy & Paste if necessary, as the bus stop name kept the ß that is no longer used in modern German for Schloss.)
From Munich, public transportation is most frequent in the mornings. The total travel time is around 2h30 in the mornings but slower later in the afternoon and often troublesome on weekends. The last bus of the day may leave Linderhof already before the final palace tours of the day start.
Use the recommended routing for the specific day and time of travel. It will be one (or two) trains from Munich, and then one (or two) buses to Linderhof. Don’t use more complicated options.
- A bus change in Ettal lasting 30 to 45 minutes is a bonus. Visit the beautiful church with its rare figure-eight-shaped floor plan and magnificent dome, especially as it is nearly impossible to get to the Wieskirche by bus on the same day.
The Bayern Ticket is often a great savings deal when using public transportation in Bavaria. It is available online from German Railways (or station vending machines) and should cover all trains and buses when traveling to Linderhof (after 9 am on weekdays, anytime on weekends).
On the whole, public transportation to Linderhof is a fine choice when staying in the area, but from Munich, few would regret taking an organized day-trip tour, especially as it could include visiting Schloss Neuschwanstein as well.
Visit Linderhof and Neuschwanstein on Day-Trip Bus Tours
Day-trip tours from Munich are the easiest way to visit both Schloss Linderhof and Schloss Neuschwanstein in a single day.
Visiting both castles on the same day is nearly impossible when using public transportation, but easy on a tour or by your own car. (If driving, definitely stop at the Wieskirche when traveling between Neuschwanstein and Linderhof.)
Schloss Linderhof Palace is a popular day-trip destination from Munich (München). However, this lovely part of Bavaria has many pleasant hotels. Further popular sights in the region include Schloss Neuschwanstein, Schloss Hohenschwangau, Ettal, Oberammergau, Füssen, Wieskirche, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and Zugspitze.
- King Ludwig’s most expensive palace, Schloss Herrenchiemsee Castle, is on the opposite side of Munich towards Salzburg and is also worth the journey.
Visit King Ludwig’s Castles and Palaces near Munich
King Ludwig II’s three famous palaces are among Bavaria’s top attractions and popular day trips from Munich. Each offers a very different experience — from the fairy-tale towers of Neuschwanstein to the intimate luxury of Linderhof and the Versailles-inspired grandeur of Herrenchiemsee. Since their inscription as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2025, they have become even more popular day-trip destinations from Munich.
Use the guides below to choose which palace to visit, check tickets and transportation, or book a guided tour from Munich.
→ ⭐ Not sure which castle to visit? Compare King Ludwig’s three palaces here.
Plan Your Visit
- Which of King Ludwig’s Fantasy Castles Should You Visit Near Munich?
- Best Sightseeing Saving Passes in Munich and Bavaria
- Save with the Bayern Ticket on Public Transportation — Buy the Bayern Ticket Online.
- Book Day-Trip Tours from Munich
Schloss Neuschwanstein and Schloss Hohenschwangau
Fairy-tale castles near Füssen with timed-entry tickets that often sell out.
- Tickets for Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau
- Transportation to Schloss Neuschwanstein
- Why Visit Schloss Neuschwanstein?
- Why Visit Schloss Hohenschwangau?
- What to See in Nearby Füssen and Schwangau
- Neuschwanstein Day-Trip Tours
Linderhof Palace and Park
King Ludwig’s only completed palace, famous for its lavish interiors and landscaped gardens.
- Why Visit Schloss Linderhof?
- Linderhof Visitor Guide: Opening Hours, Tickets, and Transportation
- Day-Trip Tours to Linderhof
Schloss Herrenchiemsee
A Versailles-inspired palace on a peaceful island in Lake Chiemsee.
- Herrenchiemsee Visitor Guide: Sights, Opening Hours & Tickets
- Why Visit Schloss Herrenchiemsee?
- Transportation to Schloss Herrenchiemsee
- Book Day-Trips from Munich to Herrenchiemsee