Linderhof Palace

Linderhof is the only palace King Ludwig II lived to see finished: a compact rococo villa with a garden of fountains and fantasy buildings, including the Venus Grotto, an artificial cave that reopened in 2025 after a ten-year restoration. From 16 October to 14 April only the palace is open (10:00–16:30), on a 25-minute guided tour at a set time; the grotto, which needs its own ticket, and the park buildings open again from 15 April. Tickets are much easier to get than at Neuschwanstein: the €11 palace ticket, the same price all year, can be booked online with no fee, and the cash desk usually still has tickets when the online quota has gone.

About Linderhof Palace

What to see

1. The Hall of Mirrors and the Bedroom

   The two set pieces of the 25-minute palace tour. The Hall of Mirrors, where Ludwig read through the night, uses facing mirrors to make the room seem endless. The bedroom, enlarged in 1885–86 and not quite finished when he died, has the bed on a raised dais behind a gilded balustrade and a glass chandelier for 108 candles. No photos inside.

2. The 'Tischlein deck dich' dining table

   The dining room's table was lowered on a lift into the kitchen, laid with the next course and raised again, so the king could dine alone. Ask the guide about it if they move on quickly; groups of up to 40 go through every 5–10 minutes.

3. Venus Grotto

   A 90-metre artificial dripstone cave, up to 14 metres high, with an underground lake, a gilded shell boat, a painting of Tannhäuser and Venus and the restored shell and crystal thrones. It reopened in 2025 after restoration from 2015 to 2025 and is lit again in the historic colours. Seen only on a 15-minute guided tour (up to 50 people, every 20 minutes) with a separate ticket, and only from 15 April to 15 October. It is 50 metres above the palace on a steep path: allow 30–45 minutes from the ticket office.

4. The fountains and the Water Parterre

   From 15 April to 15 October the gilded Flora fountain in front of the palace shoots up to about 25 metres every half hour from 9:00 to 18:00, and the cascade of 30 marble steps behind the palace runs down to the Neptune fountain. In October 2026 the main fountain was switched off because of a water shortage after the hot summer; the other water features were running.

5. Hunding's Hut and Gurnemanz Hermitage

   Two stage sets from Wagner operas built in the woods: a rough Germanic hunting hut from Die Walküre (rebuilt in 1990 after a fire) and a hermit's hut from Parsifal. Free to look into from 11:00 to 18:00 in summer; closed in winter.

6. Moroccan House and Moorish Kiosk

   Ludwig bought both from world's fairs: the Moroccan House (Vienna 1873) is open in summer without a ticket. The Moorish Kiosk, with its peacock throne, is under scaffolding for façade and roof repairs and cannot be seen inside or out; the palace administration hopes to reopen it at the start of the 2028 season.

7. The Royal Lodge exhibition

   The original forester's house that Linderhof grew from, moved 200 metres in 1874, now holds an exhibition on how the hunting lodge became a palace. €2 at the door. It is the one park building open in winter, on Sundays, holidays and Bavarian school holidays from 12:00 to 16:30.

Linderhof Palace tickets: which to buy and where

Buy the timed palace ticket (€11, under 18 free) in the official Linderhof ticket shop, or the €18 palace and Venus Grotto combination in summer, and pick slots at least 45 minutes apart. There is no booking fee and tickets are rarely sold out, but the time is fixed: you cannot join a later tour if you miss yours, and tickets cannot be changed or refunded.

• Ticket Palace (guided tour of Linderhof Palace)

  €11 adult, €10 reduced; under 18 free

  Official ticketsSkips the ticket line

  Includes

  A 25-minute guided tour in German or English at a fixed time, up to 40 people; the park and the free park buildings

  Best for

  Everyone, and the only ticket you can get from 16 October to 14 April

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  Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Combined tariff Palace & Grotto

  €18 adult, €16 reduced; under 18 free

  Official ticketsSkips the ticket line

  Includes

  Timed guided tours of the palace (25 minutes) and the Venus Grotto (15 minutes), each starting at its own building; 15 April to 15 October only

  Best for

  A summer visit: it saves €2 on the two tickets bought separately

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  Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Ticket Grotto (Venus Grotto)

  €9 adult, €8 reduced; under 18 free

  Official ticketsSkips the ticket line

  Includes

  A 15-minute guided tour of the restored grotto (up to 50 people, every 20 minutes), starting at the grotto entrance; closed 16 October to 14 April

  Best for

  Visitors who have seen the palace before, or who have a 14-day or annual pass for the palace

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  Official site · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Same-day ticket at the Linderhof cash desk

  Same prices: €11 palace, €9 grotto, €18 combination

  Official ticketsDoes not skip lines

  Includes

  The same timed tours, from the share of tickets not sold online. Cash desk open 8:30–17:30 (15 April–15 October) and 9:30–16:00 in winter

  Best for

  Spontaneous visits, and when the online shop shows no slots left

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  Official cash desk (by the car park) · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

• Royal Lodge exhibition

  €2 adult, €1 reduced

  Official ticketsDoes not skip lines

  Includes

  The exhibition 'From Lynder-Hof estate to Linderhof Palace' in the old forester's house; ticket sold only at the lodge door

  Best for

  Visitors with time between tours, and winter visitors

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  Official (at the Royal Lodge) · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)

Guided tours of Linderhof Palace

Every ticket includes the palace's own guided tour, so you never need to pay for a guide to see the inside. A paid tour is worth it for the transport: Linderhof is awkward to reach by public transport from Munich, and coach day trips combine it with Neuschwanstein. The catch is time: most give you about 1.5 hours at Linderhof, which is enough for the palace tour and the gardens near it, but not for the Venus Grotto.

• Included guided tour

  Official guided tour of the palace and the Venus Grotto

  Bavarian Palace Administration (palace staff)

  Live tours in German and English only. Palace tours of up to 40 people leave every 5–10 minutes; grotto tours of up to 50 every 20 minutes. For other languages, you can download a room-by-room description as an mp3 via a QR code.

  Included in the €11 palace ticket; grotto €9, or €18 for both

  Duration: About 25 minutes (palace) and 15 minutes (grotto)

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

• Coach day trip with guide

  From Munich: Neuschwanstein & Linderhof Castle Full-Day Trip

  Gray Line Munich Day Tours

  Linderhof comes first (about 2 hours from Munich), with the palace tour optional and no Venus Grotto; then a drive through Oberammergau without stopping and about 2 hours in Hohenschwangau. Guides in English and German, recorded commentary in eight more languages. The 'late departure' option skips Linderhof altogether. Not suitable for wheelchair users.

  from €76; palace tickets for Linderhof and Neuschwanstein €42 extra (card only, bought on the bus), or an option with tickets included

  Duration: 10–10.5 hours

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

• Coach day trip with guide

  Neuschwanstein Castle and Linderhof Palace Day Trip from Munich

  Mentor Reisen (Munich coach operator), sold on Viator

  Meets at 8:45 at Sonnenstraße 1 by Karlsplatz (Stachus); arrives at Linderhof around 10:45 and stays 1 hour 30 minutes, then about 4 hours at Neuschwanstein. Entry tickets for both castles (about €37 adult) are sold on the coach by card only. English-speaking guide.

  €72–76 without entry; €125 with entrance fees; €195 VIP small-group option with entry

  Duration: 10.5 hours

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

• Guide for a group with its own coach

  Culture and nature trip: Wieskirche, Oberammergau, Ettal and Linderhof

  Füssen Tourismus und Marketing

  A local guide from Füssen's tourist office joins your coach for a loop via the Wieskirche, a guided walk in Oberammergau, Ettal Abbey and the Linderhof park, with the palace tour optional, then back via the Plansee. German or English. Only for groups with their own bus, booked on request.

  €320 per group (plus €35 for a foreign language, €20 on Sundays); entrance fees extra

  Duration: About 8 hours, including lunch

  as of October 2026

  See this tour → (opens in a new tab)

Linderhof Palace deals and discounts

• Free for under-18s

  Children and teenagers under 18 enter free; they still need a free timed ticket, online or at the cash desk. Children under 14 must be with an adult. Pupils over 18 at Bavarian general and vocational schools also go free with a student ID.

  schlosslinderhof.de (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• 14-day ticket and annual pass (Bavarian Palace Administration)

  €40 for one person or €80 for two adults and their children for 14 days from first use (annual pass €55 / €100), covering more than 40 state palaces including Linderhof, Neuschwanstein, Herrenchiemsee, Nymphenburg and the Munich Residenz. Linderhof (€11) and Neuschwanstein (€21) alone cost less, so it pays off once you add a third palace. You still need a free timed ticket for the tour: at Linderhof you can book it online in the official shop or collect it at the cash desk. No separate quota is kept for pass holders. Passes bought online are posted (slowly abroad), so buy it at the first palace's cash desk instead. Not valid at Hohenschwangau Castle or the King's House on Schachen.

  schloesser.bayern.de (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• Palace & Grotto combination

  €18 instead of €20 for the palace (€11) and the Venus Grotto (€9) bought separately; reduced €16. Only from 15 April to 15 October, when the grotto is open.

  ticketshop-schlosslinderhof.de (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• Reduced tickets

  €10 instead of €11 for the palace (€8 for the grotto, €16 combination) for students with a student card, disabled visitors (an escort goes free if the disability card says one is needed) and people doing voluntary or community service. Show the original proof at the entrance.

  schloesser.bayern.de (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• The park is free

  You do not need a ticket to walk the gardens, the cascade and the terraces, or to look into the Moroccan House, Hunding's Hut and Gurnemanz Hermitage in summer. Only the palace, the Venus Grotto and the Royal Lodge exhibition are ticketed.

  schlosslinderhof.de (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

• Bayern-Ticket from Munich

  A day ticket for regional trains and buses across Bavaria: €34 for one person, €44 for two (2nd class). It covers the train to Oberammergau and the bus to Linderhof. On weekdays it is valid from 9:00.

  bahn.de (opens in a new tab) · as of October 2026

Best time to visit Linderhof Palace

Tips and tricks

Gathered from travel forums, locals and the sight’s own advice, rewritten in our own words. What worked for others, not a guarantee.

1. Book the grotto at least 45 minutes after the palace

   The grotto is 50 metres above the palace on paths with up to 20% gradient, and the shop itself says to allow 30–45 minutes from the ticket office. A late arrival is not let in and cannot join a later tour.

   From Linderhof ticket shop and schlosslinderhof.de, 2026

2. Do not queue at the cash desk with an online ticket

   With a QR code you go straight to the palace or grotto entrance. Only people buying on the day need the cash desk.

   From schlosslinderhof.de, admission page, 2026

3. If online shows sold out, go anyway

   Only part of each day's tickets are sold online. The palace says the cash desk usually still has tickets, and travel writers report that same-day tickets are usually available.

   From schlosslinderhof.de and European Traveler, 2026

4. Watch the fountain on the half hour

   The Flora fountain in front of the palace jumps every 30 minutes in season. Stand by the Water Parterre or climb to the Temple of Venus on the terrace above for the view over the jet to the palace. In October 2026 it was off because of a water shortage, so check the palace's news before planning around it.

   From schlosslinderhof.de, opening hours page, 2026

5. Leave big bags at the lockers

   Rucksacks, large bags and camera gear are not allowed in the palace. Lockers for big items are opposite the Schlosshotel, and smaller lockers by the toilets near the palace. Prams can be left at the palace entrance.

   From schlosslinderhof.de, general information, 2026

6. No photos inside, no drones anywhere

   Photography and filming are banned in the palace, the Venus Grotto and the Royal Lodge. The grounds are part of the Ammergebirge nature reserve, so drones are banned too. Photos of the outside for private use are fine.

   From schlosslinderhof.de, general information, 2026

7. Use the bus change to see Ettal

   If your connection leaves a gap in Ettal, get off and look into the abbey church: it is free and open 8:00–18:00 outside services. It is on the same bus line as Linderhof.

   From European Traveler and Kloster Ettal, 2026

8. Allow half a day on a combined tour

   Coach trips that pair Linderhof with Neuschwanstein usually give about 1.5 hours here. That covers the palace tour and the gardens next to it but rarely the Venus Grotto, and visitors on forums say Linderhof is best seen slowly in good weather.

   From Viator and GetYourGuide listings, 2026; Fodor's Europe forum (search snippets)

How to get to Linderhof Palace

• By public transport from Munich: regional train to Oberammergau (one or two trains, usually changing at Murnau), then bus 316 to the stop Linderhof, Schloss. The bus was called 9622 until the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district joined the Munich transport network (MVV) on 1 January 2026; the palace's own site still uses the old number. The ride from Oberammergau station via Ettal takes about 30 minutes, with buses roughly every hour; the last buses back leave around 17:00–18:00. Allow about 2.5 hours door to door in the morning.
• From Oberau and Austria: on weekends and holidays from 1 May to 27 September 2026, bus 319 (formerly 9624) ran from Oberau station via Ettal and Linderhof to the Plansee and Reutte in Tyrol, with connections from Munich. It does not run on weekdays or in autumn and winter.
• By car: A95 from Munich, then the B2 to Oberau, the B23 through Ettal, and left onto the St2060 into the Graswang Valley; the palace is about 10 km past Ettal. Coach tours take about 2 hours from central Munich. The road on to Reutte in Austria is a shortcut to Neuschwanstein, but it can close in ice and snow.
• Parking: a paid car park with 550 spaces and 14 coach bays, plus 10 electric charging points. The palace does not publish the rate; visitors reported paying by card. Six disabled bays, free for holders of a severe-disability card. The ticket office is about 260 m from the car park, and the palace about 400 m further.
• Combining with Neuschwanstein: by car you can drive between them via Reutte in Austria (the shortcut, closed to vehicles over 16 tonnes) or via Oberammergau and the Wieskirche. By public transport both in one day is barely possible; a coach day trip is the practical way.

Scams and problems to watch for

• Paying a reseller for an €11 ticket

  Ticket and tour sites use the palace's name and photos and sell 'entry' at a mark-up, sometimes with service fees. The official shop is ticketshop-schlosslinderhof.de with no booking fee, and the cash desk sells the same tickets at the same price. Anything above €11 for the palace, or any charge for under-18s, is not the official price.

• Ticket packages on day-trip coaches

  Coach tours sell palace tickets on the bus as a bundle: one large operator charges €42 per adult for Linderhof and Neuschwanstein 'including reservation and system fees' and €10 per child, where buying yourself costs €11 plus €21 and a €2.50 fee, and children enter both palaces free (apart from Neuschwanstein's €2.50 booking fee). The convenience may be worth it, but check the price for children before you pay.

• Day trips that give 1.5 hours or skip Linderhof

  Combined Neuschwanstein and Linderhof trips typically stop about 1.5 hours here, with the palace tour optional and no Venus Grotto. Some 'late departure' or 'no Linderhof' options drop it entirely. Read the itinerary for the time at Linderhof and whether the grotto is included.

• Expecting the grotto, the kiosk or the fountains

  The Venus Grotto needs its own ticket and is closed from 16 October to 14 April; the Moorish Kiosk is under scaffolding until at least 2028; the park buildings close in winter; and the main fountain was switched off in October 2026 for lack of water. A tour advertising 'Linderhof with Venus Grotto' in winter cannot deliver it.

• Missing your tour slot

  Tickets are for a fixed time and cannot be changed or refunded, and you cannot join a later tour. People who park at the last minute lose their slot: from the car park it is 10–15 minutes to the palace and up to 45 minutes to the grotto.

• Stranded after the last bus

  The palace and park stay open until 18:00 in summer, but the last buses back to Oberammergau leave around 17:00–18:00 and fewer run at weekends. Check the bus 316 timetable on mvv-muenchen.de before booking a late tour.

Accessibility

Combine it with

• Neuschwanstein Castle

  On Sightsale

  Ludwig's most famous castle, reached by car via Reutte in Austria or via Oberammergau and the Wieskirche, and run by the same palace administration. The two are the classic day trip from Munich; book Neuschwanstein's timed ticket first, because it sells out and Linderhof rarely does.

• Ettal Abbey

  A Benedictine monastery founded in 1330, 10 km down the valley on the bus route, with a baroque basilica on an unusual figure-of-eight plan under a large dome. The church is free and open 8:00–18:00 outside services, and the Bräustüberl next door has a beer garden.

• Oberammergau

  The village of the Passion Play (next in 2030), 20–30 minutes away by bus. Walk its streets for the Lüftlmalerei, the painted house fronts, and the woodcarving workshops; the train back to Munich leaves from here.

• Plansee

  A clear Alpine lake just over the Austrian border, 20 to 30 minutes west by car along the valley road from Linderhof, on the way to Reutte and Neuschwanstein. In summer weekend bus 319 also stops there.

• Wieskirche

  A rococo pilgrimage church in a meadow on the road between Oberammergau and Neuschwanstein. Easy to fit into a driving day, hard to reach by bus on the same day.

Questions people ask about visiting Linderhof Palace