Book the combo if you want two royal interiors and an Alpine drive in one day. Skip it if Linderhof's grotto, fountains or garden pavilions are why you're going. From 16 October 2026 to mid-April 2027, Linderhof's Venus Grotto and its park buildings are closed, and its fountain doesn't run. The palace itself stays open daily from 10:00 to 16:30 for a guided tour of about 25 minutes. Winter combo tours visit Linderhof in the morning and Neuschwanstein in the afternoon, on a long day of 10–10.5 hours. Choose a combo for the variety of two palaces; for time to enjoy Neuschwanstein, a castle-only tour is better.
Linderhof is the smallest of King Ludwig II's palaces, and the only one he lived to see finished. It's a gilded rococo jewel box tucked into the Graswang valley, about as far from Neuschwanstein's soaring towers as you can get. In summer the palace is half the story: the formal gardens, the cascade, the golden fountain shooting skywards and the blue-lit Venus Grotto with its swan boat. In winter you get the other half: the palace rooms, snow on the terraced gardens and a quiet that's hard to find in July.
Below you'll find what's open, what isn't and how a winter combo day runs, so you can decide whether two palaces in one short winter day suit you. For the palace in every season, see our Linderhof Palace guide.
| What | Winter status | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Linderhof Palace (guided tour) | Open daily, 10:00–16:30 | 16 October 2026 – 14 April 2027 |
| Ticket office | Open 9:30–16:00 | Same period |
| Palace ticket | €11, or €10 reduced; under-18s free | 2026 prices |
| Venus Grotto | Closed | 16 October 2026 to mid-April |
| Fountains and water features | Off; they run only from 15 April to 15 October | Until 15 April 2027 |
| Park buildings (Moroccan House, Hunding's Hut, Hermitage of Gurnemanz) | Closed | 16 October 2026 to mid-April |
| Moorish Kiosk | Closed for restoration and under scaffolding | Interior expected to reopen at the start of the 2028 season |
| Royal Lodge (Königshäuschen) exhibition | Sundays and public holidays, 12:00–16:30, and daily in the Bavarian school holidays | Winter season |
| Gardens | Open to walk; the statues are boxed in for winter | All winter |
| Ludwig's Bistro & gift shop | Daily, 9:30–17:00 | 16 October – 31 March |
Linderhof is closed on 24, 25 and 31 December, 1 January and Shrove Tuesday (9 February 2027). Shrove Tuesday is not a closing day at Neuschwanstein, so a combo tour on that date may change its plan.
A common mix-up: you'll see Linderhof's winter hours given as both "10:00–16:00" and "10:00–16:30". Both are right. The ticket office closes at 16:00, and the palace closes at 16:30.
The Venus Grotto is Linderhof's showstopper. It's an artificial cave built for Ludwig to watch Wagner scenes from a gilded shell-shaped boat, lit in colours that were cutting-edge technology in the 1870s. It reopened in April 2025 after a restoration of about ten years. Because it has only just come back, plenty of travellers book a Linderhof tour specifically to see it.
If that's you, don't book this tour in winter. Come between mid-April and mid-October instead.
If it isn't, a winter visit to Linderhof still gives you:
If two palaces in a day sounds rushed, split them. Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castle fill a day on their own, and Linderhof Palace pairs well with Oberammergau and Ettal Abbey. From Munich, the Zugspitze, Salzburg and the city's Christmas markets round out a winter week.
Winter combo tours visit Linderhof first, in the morning, and Neuschwanstein in the afternoon. The order makes the most of the 10:00 palace opening and gets everyone to Neuschwanstein before the light goes.
| Approximate time | What happens |
|---|---|
| Early morning | Leave central Munich |
| From about 10:00 | Linderhof: palace tour (about 25 minutes) plus a short walk in the gardens |
| Late morning | Drive to the Neuschwanstein area (see the road note below) |
| Around midday | Arrive in Hohenschwangau; lunch and free time |
| Early afternoon | Walk up to Neuschwanstein; timed castle tour (about 30 minutes) |
| Around 15:45–16:00 | Head back down as the light fades |
| Early evening | Back in Munich |
The trade-off: two palaces in a short winter day feels rushed. It's the most common complaint in reviews of combo tours. Some reviewers wanted more time at Linderhof, and others wished they'd had longer at Neuschwanstein. Both castle tours last under half an hour, so most of the day goes on transport and walking.
The fastest route from Linderhof to Neuschwanstein crosses into Austria over the Ammersattel pass and past the Plansee lake to Reutte. In normal conditions the drive takes about 45 minutes to an hour, and it's one of the most scenic stretches of the day.
In winter, though:
If you're driving yourself, check the Bavarian (Bayerninfo) and Tyrolean traffic information on the morning you travel. Your car also needs winter tyres with the Alpine symbol in wintry conditions.
Many combo tours include Oberammergau, the painted-house village famous for its Passion Play, or Ettal Abbey, a baroque basilica open daily all year. The Gray Line Premium tour warns that between December and March it can't always guarantee the Oberammergau stop, which may be dropped because of weather and road conditions. Some budget tours only drive through the village.
In late November: Oberammergau's Christkindlmarkt runs on Sunday 29 November 2026 only, so check whether your tour stops there that day.
| Neuschwanstein + Linderhof combo | Neuschwanstein only | |
|---|---|---|
| Palaces | Two interiors | One interior |
| Pace | Fast; little free time | Relaxed; time for viewpoints and the village |
| What winter takes away | The grotto, fountains and pavilions at Linderhof | Nothing extra (the Mary's Bridge risk applies to both) |
| Scenery | Alpine drive, Plansee, Ammergau Alps | Allgäu foothills, Alpsee |
| Time on the road | More | Less |
| Typical day length | 10–10.5 h | 9–10 h |
| Best for | First-timers on a single Munich day trip who want the full Ludwig story | Anyone who wants to see Neuschwanstein properly, plus photographers and families |
Our take: in winter, Neuschwanstein only is the better day for most people. The combo is better value if you'll only ever do one day trip from Munich and you'd prefer two interiors briefly to one at leisure.
Compare the options in our best winter day tours from Munich, or read whether a winter tour is worth it at all.
GetYourGuide ratings as of 26 October 2026. Ratings, prices and inclusions change, so check the booking page.
Best value · From $88 · 4.6★ (17,185 reviews)
Best premium · From $226 · 4.8★ (1,805 reviews)
Best private · Private Tours Munich · 5.0★ from only 8 reviews
Also consider: Mike's Bike Tours runs a private Neuschwanstein and Linderhof day with an 08:00 hotel pickup. You buy the castle tickets yourself through a link sent in advance. It isn't sold on GetYourGuide.
What we'd skip: combos where Linderhof is "usually exterior only" in the small print. In winter, the palace interior is the main reason to go.
Yes. Linderhof Palace is open daily in winter, from 16 October to 14 April, from 10:00 to 16:30, with the ticket office closing at 16:00. All its buildings are closed on 24, 25 and 31 December, 1 January and Shrove Tuesday (9 February 2027).
No. The Venus Grotto and all of Linderhof's park buildings except the Royal Lodge close for the winter from 16 October and reopen in mid-April. The grotto reopened in April 2025 after a restoration lasting about ten years.
No. Linderhof's water features run only from 15 April to 15 October. In winter the fountain is switched off and the garden statues are boxed in for protection.
It's worth it if you want to see two of Ludwig II's palace interiors and Alpine scenery in one day. If you want Linderhof's grotto and fountains, or a relaxed visit to Neuschwanstein, a Neuschwanstein-only tour (or a summer combo) is the better choice.
Most winter combo tours visit Linderhof in the morning and Neuschwanstein in the afternoon.
About 25 minutes. It is guided only, in German or English.
About 45 minutes to an hour by road via Plansee in Austria in normal conditions, and longer on the Bavarian route via Oberammergau. In winter the Austrian road can close at short notice when there is a risk of avalanches.
