Nuremberg Imperial Castle (Kaiserburg): Tickets, Deep Well and Sinwell Tower
4 min read
You can buy a Kaiserburg ticket on the spot, but the only way into the Deep Well is a guided visit, and the castle’s cashier does not sell online. If you would rather have a guide for the whole route, the three-hour castle and Old Town tour at €69 per person lists the entrance fee to the Deep Well, the Palas and the Sinwell Tower in its highlights, plus a gingerbread tasting in its title.
Hours and tickets (official)
The Bavarian Palace Administration lists the castle as open daily: April to September 9:00 to 18:00, October to March 10:00 to 16:00. Last entry is about 60 minutes before closing. It is closed on 1 January, Shrove Tuesday, and 24, 25 and 31 December.
Tickets are sold at the cashier in the outer castle courtyard, payable in cash or by card; online ordering is not possible. The 2026 prices on the official page are:
| Ticket | Full | Reduced |
|---|---|---|
| Combined ticket (Palas, Kaiserburg Museum, Deep Well, Sinwell Tower) | €10 | €9 |
| Palas with double chapel and Kaiserburg Museum | €7 | €6 |
| Deep Well and Sinwell Tower | €4 | €3 |
Children and young people under 18 enter free, and children under 14 are admitted only with an adult. The castle garden and the Maria Sibylla Merian garden are free.
The official page says the Deep Well can be visited only with a guided tour. Ask at the cashier about the next one before you plan your visit around it.
Three tours that include the castle
| Tour | Length | From | Language | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle and Old Town tour with gingerbread tasting | 3 hours | €69 per person | English | Castle, Deep Well, Sinwell Tower, then Old Town |
| Tunnels and secret passages in the city wall | 1 hour | €12 per person | English, German | Defensive corridors under the castle |
| Complete tour: castle, Old Town, World War history | 6.5 hours | €199 per person | English, German | Small group of up to 8, pickup included |
The three-hour tour starts at the Hexenhäusle, takes up to 12 people and, after the castle, walks past the Schöner Brunnen, the Church of Our Lady, the Hangman’s Bridge and Albrecht Dürer’s House; it is listed as unsuitable for people with mobility impairments, and the listing mentions climbing the 100 steps of the Sinwell Tower. The tunnel tour starts at Obere Schmiedgasse 52; it involves many old stairways and ramps, sandals and flip-flops are not allowed, and it is listed as unsuitable for people with mobility impairments, claustrophobia and wheelchair users. The full-day tour lists the castle as a 15-minute guided stop within a longer programme that also reaches the Congress Hall; its listing says castle entry is included.
Which one for you
If the Deep Well and the tower matter and you like having it organised, book the castle and Old Town tour. If you would rather see the castle on your own, buy the combined ticket at the cashier and add the wall tunnel tour for the underground part. If stairs are a problem for you, skip the tunnel tour, and know that the three-hour tour climbs the Sinwell Tower too.
