Best Day Trips From Munich: Neuschwanstein, Salzburg and the Alps
The six day trips most guides pick from Munich, ranked by how many name them, with the train, ticket rules, hours and what is closed right now.
Most guides send you to Neuschwanstein, the castle near Füssen, because it’s the fairytale castle everyone has seen on a postcard and a regional train plus a bus gets you there. 18 of the 19 guides Roam Munich read name it, in English, German, Spanish and Italian. Berchtesgaden comes second, then Salzburg, Dachau, the Zugspitze and Nuremberg, which 15 guides each name. Hours, prices and closures below come from the official pages, not from the guides, so check them on the day.
Every trip here works as a day out from the city, but they’re not equal. Neuschwanstein and Berchtesgaden are long days, and the other four fit into a morning or an afternoon. For the city itself, see things to do in Munich, and for a bed to come back to, where to stay in Munich.
The short list
| Pick | Guides naming it (of 19) | From its own page |
|---|---|---|
| Neuschwanstein | 18 | Guided tour only, €21 |
| Berchtesgaden and Königssee | 16 | Eagle’s Nest closed after a fire |
| Salzburg | 15 | Bayern-Ticket reaches Salzburg |
| Dachau Memorial Site | 15 | Free, open daily |
| Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the Zugspitze | 15 | €70.50 round trip |
| Nuremberg | 15 | Documentation Centre €7.50 |
The ticket that covers most of it
The Bayern-Ticket is a day pass for regional trains in Bavaria. Deutsche Bahn’s page lists €34 for one person in second class, up to five people on one ticket, valid from 9:00 on weekdays and from midnight on weekends and holidays. It reaches Salzburg Hbf. It doesn’t cover ICE or IC trains, which matters for Nuremberg. Mountain lifts, castle tours and boats are paid on top.
Neuschwanstein
Recommended by 18 of 19 guides read.
Ludwig II’s hilltop castle is visited only on a guided tour of about 30 minutes, with a set time on your ticket. The castle page gives daily tours from 9:00 to 18:00 until 15 October and from 10:00 to 16:00 from 16 October, and says it’s closed on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January. A ticket is €21, plus a €2.50 service fee online. The ticket FAQ says there are no phone reservations and no waiting list. A limited number of same-day tickets go on sale at 8:00 at the Ticket Center in Hohenschwangau and often sell out by late morning. Book online ahead.
Take the regional train from Munich Hauptbahnhof to Füssen, then bus 73 or 78 for about 15 minutes to the Hohenschwangau stop, per the castle’s directions. The city’s own page puts the whole journey at about three hours. Two works notices apply now. The Bayerische Regiobahn lists schedule deviations on the Munich to Füssen line from 10 November to 12 December, and the castle site says the B 17 through Schwangau is closed from 15 September to about 18 December. Add time and check the timetable.
The viewpoint is the Marienbrücke. The castle site says it closes in winter when ice and snow make it unsafe, and that the castle and its tours stay open either way.
Berchtesgaden and Königssee
Recommended by 16 of 19 guides read.
The far southeast corner of Bavaria has a long alpine lake that you cross by boat. Schifffahrt Königssee lists a return to St. Bartholomä, the church on the lakeshore, at €23.40 for adults, and says boats run all year except 24 December. The guides put the trip at about two and a half hours each way by train and bus, which makes it the longest day here. Leave early.
Several guides pair it with the Eagle’s Nest, the Kehlsteinhaus. It’s closed. The Kehlsteinhaus site says all operations, including the bus shuttle and the elevator, are closed until further notice after a fire on 23 October 2026. Don’t plan around it.
Salzburg
Recommended by 15 of 19 guides read.
Mozart’s city is the one trip that crosses a border, and the Bayern-Ticket covers the regional train to it. The guides put the journey at 1.5 hours on the faster services and a little under two on the regional ones. The old town is small enough to walk from the station.
The fortress above it is the usual first stop. Its hours page gives 9:30 to 17:00 from October to April, and says it’s open every day of the year. For 9 to 13 November 2026 the funicular is under maintenance and the museums and indoor areas are closed, though the walking path and outdoor areas stay open. After that the hours apply as normal.
Dachau Memorial Site
Recommended by 15 of 19 guides read.
The memorial stands on the grounds of the first Nazi concentration camp, about 20 km northwest of the city. The visitor FAQ says it’s open daily from 9:00 to 17:00, closed only on 24 December, and that entry is free with no booking. Guided tours for visitors aged 13 and over cost €4 and last about two and a half hours. In English they run at 11:00 and 13:00. You buy the ticket at the visitor center at least 45 minutes before, and reservations aren’t possible.
Take the S2 to Dachau, about 25 minutes, then bus 726 to the KZ-Gedenkstätte stop, as the directions page describes. It’s the quickest trip on this list. Give it a quiet half day. See the Dachau entry.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the Zugspitze
Recommended by 15 of 19 guides read.
Germany’s highest mountain is a regional train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which the guides put at about 1 hour 20 minutes, then the cogwheel train or the Eibsee cable car to the top. Zugspitze’s rates page lists a round trip at €70.50 online or €78.00 at the ticket office. The Bayern-Ticket pays for the train to Garmisch and nothing above it. Pick a clear day, because the view is the whole point.
Nuremberg
Recommended by 15 of 19 guides read.
Nuremberg is the city day trip, with a castle, a walled old town and a heavy 20th-century history. The guides put the ICE at about an hour and the regional train at about two, and the ICE isn’t in the Bayern-Ticket. The Documentation Centre at the former Nazi party rally grounds is open Monday to Friday 9:00 to 18:00 and weekends 10:00 to 18:00, closed on 24 and 25 December. Admission is €7.50, and the exhibition isn’t suitable for children under 14.
Less common picks
Linderhof Palace is named by 12 guides, Herrenchiemsee and Lake Chiemsee by 11, Rothenburg ob der Tauber by 11 and Regensburg by 10. Linderhof has no direct public transport, so most guides pair it with a tour. Lake Starnberg, Tegernsee, Bamberg and Augsburg are named by six guides or fewer.
Picking one
- One day, one sight, and you don’t mind the schedule: Neuschwanstein, booked ahead.
- A foreign city with no driving: Salzburg on the Bayern-Ticket.
- Mountains on a clear day: the Zugspitze.
- Short on time: Dachau, in half a day.
Before you go, see Munich travel tips, where to eat in Munich and the Munich Oktoberfest guide. The map shows what’s on in the city on the days you’re back.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best day trip from Munich?
Neuschwanstein, according to 18 of the 19 guides Roam Munich read. Berchtesgaden is second, and Salzburg, Dachau, the Zugspitze and Nuremberg tie for third.
Do you need to book Neuschwanstein tickets ahead?
Yes. Visits are only on a timed guided tour. Same-day tickets are limited and often sell out by late morning, and the castle doesn’t take phone reservations.
Does the Bayern-Ticket go to Salzburg?
Yes. Deutsche Bahn’s page says it’s valid to Salzburg Hbf. It doesn’t cover ICE or IC trains.
Is the Eagle’s Nest open?
No. The Kehlsteinhaus site says it’s closed until further notice after a fire on 23 October 2026.
Is Dachau free?
Entry to the memorial is free. A guided tour costs €4.
Sources: 19 guides in English, German, Spanish and Italian, and 16 official pages
Guides in English
- Best day trips from MunichTime Out
- Best day trips from MunichTravelling King
- Best day trips from MunichThe Planet D
- The 15 most exciting day trips from MunichDirectionally Challenged Traveler
- 10 best day trips from MunichDivergent Travelers
- 10 top sightseeing day trips from MunichBig World Small Pockets
- The 25 best day trips from Munich, as ranked by a localAnnées de pèlerinage
- Best day trips from Munich: lakes, castles and easy train tripsReverberations
- Day trips from Munich: best places to visit nearbyHostelworld
- Best Munich day trips by trainCity Unscripted
- 5 best day trips from Munich by trainInternational Living
Guides in German
- Ausflugsziele München: Seen, Schlösser und Gipfel vor der HaustürPhototravellers
- 11 tolle Tagesausflüge von München ausMit Vergnügen München
- Die besten Tagesausflüge ab MünchenNomado Travel
- Die besten Tagesausflüge ab MünchenThe Better Vacation
- Ausflüge ins Umland: Tipps für den München-Besuchmuenchen.de
Guides in Spanish
- Las 6 mejores excursiones desde MúnichMochileando por el Mundo
- Mejores tours y excursiones desde MúnichViajeros Callejeros
Guides in Italian
Official pages
- Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Ticket Center, ticket priceshohenschwangau.de
- Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Ticket Center, Neuschwanstein Castlehohenschwangau.de
- Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Ticket Center, FAQhohenschwangau.de
- Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Ticket Center, how to find ushohenschwangau.de
- Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Ticket Center, Marienbrückehohenschwangau.de
- Bayerische Regiobahn, RB 68 Munich Hbf to Füssenbrb.de
- muenchen.de, Neuschwanstein day tripmuenchen.de
- Deutsche Bahn, Bayern-Ticketbahn.de
- KZ-Gedenkstätte Dachau, visitor FAQkz-gedenkstaette-dachau.de
- KZ-Gedenkstätte Dachau, directionskz-gedenkstaette-dachau.de
- Festung Hohensalzburg, opening hoursfestung-hohensalzburg.at
- Zugspitze, tickets and rateszugspitze.de
- Schifffahrt Königssee, pricesseenschifffahrt.de
- Kehlsteinhauskehlsteinhaus.de
- Museums of the City of Nuremberg, Documentation Centre hoursmuseums.nuernberg.de
- Tourismus Nürnberg, Documentation Centretourismus.nuernberg.de
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