Photographers Neuschwanstein timing

Info: If you want to take photos in the castle you will need special permission.

"No photographing or filming is allowed in the castle. Photo and film shootings are basically subject to approval and charges. Here you will find information on photography permits / film permits. Taking pictures of the outside of the buildings for private use does not require a permit. "

plus your inside tour has to be with a timed group, 20-30 minutes inside is all you get.

When I was there, it was so foggy the castle couldn’t be seen from 50 yards away. My answer is, the best time is dependent on time of year and the weather. Maybe you’ll have better luck than I did. The castle is a pretty decent walk, uphill, from the parking area, so you’ll probably not want to go up and down very often while waiting for the perfect shot.

From Füssen you can hike up to the Kalvarienberg and then down to the Schwansee for some good long distance shots of both Schloss together with the mountains behind. The less traveled non-touristic route. Nice viewing platform on the Kalvarienberg along with the church tunneled into the rock. Good views of Füssen too. The walk around the Schwansee is worth the time and in warm weather a swim. Don't confuse the Schwansee with the Alpsee. Start in Füssen at the Frau am Berge church (Filialkirche Unserer Lieben Frau am Berg). The path is a little difficult to find. This will help find the way: https://www.fuessen.de/wandern/wanderungen/kalvarienberg-runde.html
Hopefully you will have good weather. I too had fog so thick once in late October that you could not see two meters. I'd have run into the Schloss about the time I saw it.

Depends on time of year. I was there in December and the sunrise was at 7:40 am and sunset at 4:30 pm. We were there around 11 and the light was very nice even for mid day. I would suggest arriving early for that nice beautiful morning light and avoiding crowds. I would be hesitant about the afternoon (and I could be wrong) because of the mountains blocking the late afternoon light. Much of the grounds were closed off too, due to icy conditions and exterior work being performed on the castle. If you are there in late spring, or summer, or fall, you can get some great shots from the grounds behind the castle. Like others have said, there are no pictures allowed in the castle itself.

Hopefully you can get behind the castle and get some really cool shots.

Thanks for the advise. I think I’ll stick with my original plan to go to the castles first thing.

We stayed in Alterschrofen which is an easy walk to both Hohenschwangau and Fussen. From our hotel, Schloss Neuschwanstein was almost due west. You can get the latitudes and longitudes of the castles from Google maps and there are several web sites that will provide you solar/lunar transit information (azimuth and elevation) either for specific times or as a table for a period of time if you’re looking for specific lighting effects.

Are you talking primarily about the iconic shot from Marienbrücke bridge? I was there at ~9:00 am last June on a sunny day and got the pictures I wanted.

Get up early and go unless the weather is bad. Any shot's a good shot - right?