Published on Jan, 2025
We booked the private tour as the less expensive bus tours were sold out. We did not imagine Munich to be such a hot travel destination over winter holidays, but it is, so book early. Also Neuschwanstein Castle tickets sell out quickly (despite the fact that you only get to tour 4 rooms and it is SO crowded that you are herded along like cattle). We toured the inside of Linderhof instead which was a much more intimate experience and Linderhof was actually finished in terms of construction and decoration. I think Neuschwanstein is better to be seen from the outside. Anyhow, our tour guide Alex was good; because it was private we were able to add/delete from the itinerary depending on what we wanted. He picked us up at 8am from our hotel and dropped us off where we needed at the end of the day. We covered a lot of ground, which we would have been unable to do on our own just renting a car, as he knew shortcuts, the best time to visit a certain attraction, what time ticket booths close etc. We also went to an Austrian restaurant with great food that we wouldn't have known on our own. Most of us thought it was money well spent. However after paying almost $200 per person, some in our group did not appreciate that we had to pay extra for castle tickets etc. It might be good to roll those into the tour price to avoid the impression of customers getting nickel and dimed. Some also thought it was too much to cover in one day and that it felt rushed. I think this is a personal preference thing so won't hold it against the tour company or guide. I personally would rather cover as much ground as I can in a day, so I didn't mind it.