- €18 Palace + Grotto (summer)
- €11 Palace only
- Under 18 Free entry
- ~25 min Palace tour
- Same-day Tickets usually available
Ludwig's only finished palace — and his most personal
Linderhof grew out of a hunting lodge Ludwig II inherited from his father. He enlarged it from 1869 and had the interior essentially completed by 1878, making it the only one of his three palaces he lived to see finished — and the one he lived in most. Behind a Baroque façade unfolds a Second Rococo interior that is an homage to his idol, the French Sun King Louis XIV.
Since 12 July 2025 Linderhof has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "The Palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria," and its restored Venus Grotto reopened in April 2025 — driving an 18% jump in visitors. Even so, Linderhof draws well under half of Neuschwanstein's traffic, which makes it the calmer, easier half of a two-castle day. Coming from Munich? See how the two fit together in our guide to getting to Neuschwanstein from Munich.
Other experiences you might enjoy
Linderhof Palace pairs naturally with the rest of King Ludwig II's Bavaria. Most visitors combine it with Neuschwanstein Castle and his childhood home Hohenschwangau Castle, while the nearby villages of Oberammergau and Ettal (with its abbey) make easy add-ons. From Munich, full-day trips also reach the Marienbrücke viewpoint, the Alpine Coaster, and the emerald lake Königssee near Berchtesgaden. Independent travellers routing via Füssen can grab a skip-the-line Neuschwanstein ticket to guarantee entry.
Linderhof ticket prices & opening hours for 2026
| Ticket | Regular | Reduced | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palace only | €11 | €10 | Year-round |
| Venus Grotto only | €9 | €8 | Summer only |
| Palace + Venus Grotto | €18 | €16 | Summer only |
| Royal Lodge (Königshäuschen) | €2 | €1 | Sold only at the lodge |
The other follies — the Moroccan House, Hunding's Hut and the Gurnemanz Hermitage — are free and need no ticket (summer only). Palace hours are daily 9:00–18:00 (15 April–15 October) and 10:00–16:30 (16 October–14 April); the Venus Grotto and Moroccan House run 9:00–18:00 in summer and close 16 October–14 April.
2026 change: the old "Königsschlösser" combination ticket (Neuschwanstein + Linderhof + Herrenchiemsee) was discontinued at the end of 2025. If you're visiting all three Ludwig palaces, compare the €40 14-day ticket (€80 partner/family) against buying individual admissions — but note even the pass still requires a timed free ticket at each site's desk, and it does not cover privately-owned Hohenschwangau.
Inside the palace: the Hall of Mirrors and the "magic table"
A visit is only possible on a guided tour (German and English) of about 25 minutes; tours run every 5–10 minutes for up to 40 people, following Ludwig's original royal route from the Vestibule through a sequence of jewel-box rooms to the Hall of Mirrors. The standouts:
- Hall of Mirrors — Ludwig's drawing room, where the "Night King" read through the night. Parallel mirrors create the illusion of an endless candlelit avenue; the central table has a lapis-lazuli and amethyst inlaid top.
- Bedchamber — the largest room, styled on the ceremonial bedroom at Versailles, with the bed raised on steps behind a gilded balustrade beneath a 108-candle chandelier.
- Dining Room — home to the famous "Tischlein-deck-dich" ("Table, Lay Yourself"), a dumbwaiter that lowered the whole set table to the kitchen below, so Ludwig could dine alone. The mechanism survives.
- Audience Room — never actually used for audiences; Ludwig used it as a study, with two malachite-topped tables gifted by a Russian grand duchess.
The grounds, the fountains, and the Venus Grotto
The park blends terraced formal gardens — cascades, fountains, and a roughly 25-metre gilt fountain jet — with an English landscape park. Walking between the follies means steep paths (up to a 20% grade), and the Venus Grotto sits about 50 m above the palace, so wear proper shoes. The fountains play roughly every half hour in season.
Venus Grotto
An artificial dripstone cave built for Ludwig alone in the 1870s — about 90 m long and up to 14 m high, the largest artificial cave of the 19th century. It stages Act I of Wagner's Tannhäuser, with a heated lake, a gilded shell-shaped boat and a wave machine, and was lit from 1878–1881 by 24 dynamos — Bavaria's first electricity plant. After about a decade closed, it reopened on 11 April 2025 following a €58.9-million restoration.
Moorish Kiosk — closed until 2028
Bought by Ludwig in 1876 and fitted with a glittering Peacock Throne, the Moorish Kiosk is currently closed for a €16.6-million restoration, with reopening targeted for the 2028 season — it is scaffolded and not viewable inside or out. The Moroccan House, Hunding's Hut and the Gurnemanz Hermitage are open in summer only.
Pair Linderhof with Neuschwanstein from Munich
$88 · ★ 4.6 (15,000+ reviews) · ~10.5 hours · Free 24-hour cancellation
Because there's no fast public-transport link between the two palaces (about 45–60 minutes by car), a coach or car is essential to see both in a day. Gray Line's full-day coach from Munich does exactly that — Linderhof and Neuschwanstein together — and it's the most-reviewed Munich option that includes Linderhof, which fewer than a third of castle day trips do.
- Round-trip coach from Karlsplatz 21, Munich
- Linderhof Palace + Neuschwanstein in one day
- Optional on-board castle-ticket purchase
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Doing Neuschwanstein too? Our tickets & booking guide explains why its timed entry sells out — and how to guarantee it.
How to reach Linderhof — and pace the day
There's no direct train from Munich. The public-transport route is a train (~2 hours) to Oberammergau, then RVO bus 9622 to Linderhof — about 2.5 hours each way in total. By car it's roughly 1.5 hours from Munich via the A95/B2. From Neuschwanstein it's about 45–47 km, roughly 45–60 minutes by car, with no quick public link (3+ hours with transfers), so most visitors combine the two by car or coach.
A sensible plan for a two-castle day is Linderhof in the morning — short waits, tickets usually available on the door — then Neuschwanstein in the afternoon, or vice versa. Buy the €18 Palace + Venus Grotto ticket in summer for the marquee sights; in winter only the palace (€11) is open, so treat Linderhof as a quicker palace-only stop.
Linderhof Palace FAQ
How much is a Linderhof Palace ticket in 2026?
In 2026 the palace alone is €11 (€10 reduced); the combined Palace + Venus Grotto ticket is €18 (€16 reduced) and is sold only in the summer season (15 April–15 October). The Venus Grotto alone is €9. Everyone under 18 enters free. Card payment is not accepted below €20 on site, so carry cash.
Is the Venus Grotto at Linderhof open?
Yes — the Venus Grotto reopened on 11 April 2025 after a major restoration and is open in the summer season (roughly 15 April–15 October), closing 16 October–14 April. It is a separate time-slotted tour from the palace. Note the Moorish Kiosk is closed for restoration until the 2028 season.
Can you visit Linderhof and Neuschwanstein on the same day?
Yes, and most day tours from Munich do exactly that. The two palaces are about 45–47 km apart, roughly 45–60 minutes by car, with no fast public-transport link — so a car or coach is essential. A common plan is Linderhof in the morning (short waits, tickets usually available on the door) and Neuschwanstein in the afternoon.
Do you need to book Linderhof Palace in advance?
Linderhof is far less crowded than Neuschwanstein and tickets are usually available on-site the same day. You can reserve online for free to skip the cash-desk queue. Plan roughly a half-day: the palace tour is short (~25 minutes) but the park, Grotto and follies reward two to four hours in summer.