Quick Details
- Fully guided tours of both islands
- Just a one-hour train journey to and from Munich
- Old-fashioned ‘lake train’ and two boat trips
- Palace grounds and walkways
- Palace interior tour (optional)
- Fraueninsel island and convent
Herrenchiemsee Day Trip
Our Herrenchiemsee Castle Tour brings you to Bavaria’s stunning lakeland Versailles, ‘mad’ King Ludwig II’s sumptuous island palace. A boat trip to another world.
Travel by train and boat to the “Herren” and “Frauen” islands on gorgeous lake Chiemsee, close to the Alps. Palaces, lakes, mountains: the full Bavarian experience. We take care of all arrangements: you just need to relax and enjoy it all.
Join us on a train and boat trip to Herrenchiemsee, the stunning palace on an island on Chiemsee lake. Inspired by the Palace of Versailles near Paris, the golden palace in the picture perfect setting of the Herreninsel island on the Chiemsee lake was built in the 19th century by ‘Mad’ King Ludwig II.
Known as ‘the Bavarian Sea,’ Chiemsee is the largest of many lakes near Munich. We take you on a boat trip to two islands: the Herreninsel (location of the palace) and the smaller Fraueninsel, with its lovely Benedictine Convent, whose origins stretch back 1300 years.
In some respects, as with its vast Hall of Mirrors, Herrenchiemsee actually surpasses Versailles. With its elegant gardens and walkways and its luscious interiors of gold, glass, and porcelain, it is a visually overwhelming monument to opulence. It also reflects the eccentric and troubled personality of Ludwig with features such as the celebrated elevated dining table, which could be raised and lowered through the floor to the kitchens below so that the reclusive king did not have to see his servants.
We’ll show you everything, and tell you the story, and you have the option of touring the interior of Herrenchiemsee castle. The complete day trip to Herrenchiemsee is one of the most unique and beautiful tourist experiences you can have in Germany. Just a short train ride from Munich, the Royal Castle of Herrenchiemsee is a glittering jewel on a lake island.
For the entrance and for the boad ride, there is an additional fee of 28 € per adult to be paid at our tour office!
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All our tours meet in the Radius Tours Office, located at Dachauer Straße 4, 80335 Munich.
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Please be at the meeting point 15 minutes before the starting time for your visit to Herrenchiemsee? We depart promptly at the advertised time.
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Be sure to wear suitable clothing and comfortable shoes, as we’ll mainly be outside and a reasonable amount of walking is involved. For most of the year, Chiemsee has a very pleasant climate, and perfect for walking, but the warm summer months experience occasional rain showers. Winter can be cold. Please consult the weather forecast before meeting us, and dress accordingly. We advise you to bring water on hot summer days. Our tours go, no matter what the weather.
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Yes, please! It is customary to tip in Munich and Bavaria, and our tour guides certainly appreciate your generosity. They work hard to make our tours perfect, and tips are an important part of their income.
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We have been doing this for a very long time, and we are very good at it!
If you love your day in Herrenchiemsee – and you will! – you’ll want to check out our other great tours.
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Travel just across Austria’s border with Bavaria for a sightseeing day in Salzburg, one of Europe’s most beautiful old towns. Just two hours from Munich. Perfectly complements Neuschwanstein Castle.
Book Salzburg here
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Travel to the former notorious concentration camp in Dachau, now preserved as a memorial site. A deeply moving and educational experience for everyone who wants to understand Germany’s tragic 20th century history.
Book Dachau half-day trip here
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If you want to learn more about King Ludwig after your visit to Herrenchiemsee Palace, check out our daily Munich walk. You’ll learn more about Ludwig and the other kings of Bavaria, and lots more besides as you discover Germany’s most beautful city.
Book Discover Munich here
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It’s not all about castles. It’s also parks, plazas, beer gardens, and bike rides. See a different side of Munich and Bavarian culture with our much loved Bike Tour.
Book Munich Bike Tour here
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Ludwig II built Neuschwanstein because he preferred castles to beer halls. But Ludwig was crazy. The only product of Bavaria more world-famous than Neuschwanstein Castle is Bavarian beer. Come on our Beer Evening and find out why.
Book Beer and Food Evening here
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Book our Third Reich walk here
Or simply email us to find out more about our menu of experiences, day trips, evening events and Private Tours.