🎟️ How much do Schönbrunn tickets cost and what tours are available

Schönbrunn Palace eats up at least half a day. It is the former summer residence of the Habsburgs in western Vienna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the main attractions in Austria. Around the palace lie baroque gardens, pavilions and the world's oldest zoo.

Entry inside is strictly timed. So the main challenge of the trip is not the cost, but choosing the right ticket. In summer the ticket office line stretches to an hour, and without a time slot you risk not getting into the hall you want.

This guide breaks down all ticket and tour options for Schönbrunn: prices, opening hours, route lengths and what will suit your trip.

Short answer: if it's your first visit and you're not in a rush, get the Palace Ticket, which is the full route through 40 rooms. Short on time? Then State Apartments (22 rooms) will do. If you want both the palace and the park with pavilions in one day, the Classic Pass is the better deal: €49 for an adult (as of 09/2026, official Schönbrunn website).

Ad: this article contains affiliate links, we earn a commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you.

Schönbrunn Palace at a glance

💡 In short:

Palace: timed entry, audio guide already included in the price.
Park: entry is free, you only pay for individual attractions.
Tickets and opening hours: 09/2026, verified on the official website.

Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna from above, view of the park

Schönbrunn Palace (German: Schloss Schönbrunn) opens up the world of the Habsburg dynasty, which ruled much of Central Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. From the mid-18th century the complex served as the imperial family's summer residence.

Schönbrunn is most closely tied to the reign of Maria Theresa. Later Emperor Franz Joseph lived here with his wife Elisabeth, whom everyone called Sisi.

The palace has more than a thousand rooms, but only a small part is open to visitors. These are the state rooms, imperial apartments and rooms with 18th-century wall paintings.

The complex includes formal baroque gardens, fountains, a maze, the Gloriette pavilion on the hill, the Palm House, the Privy Garden and Schönbrunn Zoo. The zoo was founded in 1752 and has operated continuously longer than any other in the world (as of 09/2026, Schönbrunn Zoo).

Today tickets for the interior are sold for a specific entry time. This is how the palace manages the flow and spreads tour groups across the halls.

What to know before your visit

Illuminated Gloriette at Schönbrunn at night with reflection in the pond

Schönbrunn has two large zones, and the difference between them matters for your budget.

The park and gardens are almost free. You can stroll the paths, past fountains and viewpoints, without a ticket. The park gates open at 6:30 year-round and close from 17:30 in winter to 21:00 in summer (as of 09/2026, park schedule).

Some corners of the park still require payment. Tickets are needed for the Privy Garden, the maze and the Gloriette viewing terrace.

The palace's interior rooms are fully paid, and entry is strictly timed. You choose a slot when buying and arrive a little early. The palace closes seasonally: from late March to late June at 17:30, in July and August at 18:00, from November at 17:00. Last entry is 45 minutes before closing (as of 09/2026, palace opening hours).

How to get to the palace

The palace stands in western Vienna, 20-30 minutes from the historic center. The easiest way is by metro: line U4 to Schönbrunn station, then a few minutes on foot to the main gates and ticket office.

Arrive at the gates 10 minutes before the time on your ticket. Go through the gates and courtyard, then check your bag and outerwear at the entrance. Large bags must be left in the cloakroom.

Then pick up the audio guide: it's free and included in the ticket, available in several languages. Photography and video are not allowed inside. Save your attention for the gardens, otherwise the best shots will stay only in your memory.

From central Vienna you can also easily reach Schönbrunn by tram, but the metro is faster and avoids traffic. Train and bus schedules across Austria are easy to check via trains on Trip.com.

What tickets are available at Schönbrunn

One of the first surprises for visitors: there are too many tickets. Keep the main point in mind.

Most of the park is free. For individual outdoor attractions, the Privy Garden, the Orangery Garden, the maze or the Gloriette, tickets are required. The palace's interior rooms are always paid.

To avoid the ticket office line, buy tickets online in advance. One or two days before your visit is enough.

All tickets fall into four groups:

tickets inside the palace with an audio guide;
combined tickets for the palace and park;
guided tours, official and from third-party operators;
separate tickets only for park attractions.

Below I go through each group in order.

1. Tickets inside the palace with an audio guide

St. Stephen's Cathedral in central Vienna

The standard palace tour is self-guided, with an audio guide included. You follow a fixed route at your own pace.

In 2026, the indoor tickets are called State Apartments and Palace Ticket. The old names Imperial Tour and Grand Tour still appear in guidebooks, but they are the same routes (as of 09/2026, all Schönbrunn tickets).

State Apartments: the short route

State Apartments covers 22 of the best rooms, including the southern reception rooms, and takes about 40 minutes. The route includes the private apartments of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth, the Mirror Room where Mozart performed as a child, the Great Gallery, and the state rooms.

Panorama of Vienna rooftops with high-rises on the horizon

The focus here is on the 19th century and the private lives of Franz Joseph and Sisi. The 18th-century rooms, such as the Bergl Rooms, are skipped on this route.

State Apartments is a good fit if you are short on time or Schönbrunn is part of a packed city itinerary. It is a relaxed choice if you do not want to overload your day.

Palace Ticket: the full route

Palace Ticket is the full option, 40 rooms in about 50-60 minutes. In addition to the rooms on the short route, you see the state rooms of Maria Theresa, the Bergl Rooms with wall paintings, the Million Room with rosewood paneling, and the Blue Chinese Salon, where Emperor Charles I signed his abdication.

Stephansplatz in central Vienna with Haas House

If interiors, political history, or the full Habsburg story matter to you, go with Palace Ticket. It offers more context, and the route does not feel rushed.

The Mirror Room is interesting not for its decor but for its history: it is where the young Mozart played for the imperial court. The Great Gallery spans the entire width of the palace and was used for receptions and balls. The Million Room is finished with rosewood paneling and deserves a closer look.

The short route is cheaper than the full one, but it covers fewer rooms. If you are unsure, go with the full option: it includes noticeably more rooms, and you will not miss the state rooms. Both routes run on a seasonal schedule, so book a ticket for a specific time slot.

Always check the route composition and prices on the official website. If you want to skip the line and not depend on the ticket office, take a look at Schönbrunn tickets with a time slot.

2. Combined palace and park tickets

Schönbrunn Palace and park from the Gloriette hill

If you want more than just the palace rooms, combined tickets give you more for your money. Below are the three options people choose most often.

Classic Pass: the best baseline

The Classic Pass combines five attractions: the Palace Ticket with the full 40-room route, the Privy Garden, the maze, the Orangery Garden, and the Gloriette viewing terrace. The ticket is valid for one day and is designed for roughly three to four hours. Price: €49 for an adult and €36 for a child aged six and up (as of 09/2026, Classic Pass page).

This is a convenient option if you want to see both the palace and the main corners of the park in a single visit. Separate tickets for the same attractions cost more, so the Classic Pass pays for itself by the second item.

Winter Pass: for the cold months

The Winter Pass is a seasonal winter package: it includes the Palace Ticket plus entry to Schönbrunn Zoo and the Palm House. In the cold months the gardens look more modest, so the ticket shifts toward indoor attractions. Take it if you are in Vienna from November through March and do not want to depend on the weather.

Sisi Pass: for fans of imperial history

The Sisi Pass connects three imperial sites: the Palace Ticket at Schönbrunn, the imperial apartments at the Hofburg with the Sisi Museum, and the Imperial Furniture Collection in central Vienna. The ticket is valid for a full year, so you can see everything without rushing. It suits you if you are interested in Habsburg history across several places in the city.

3. Guided tours of the palace

Schönbrunn Palace facade with tourists and lawn

With a guide you get more context. A guide tells stories about the Habsburgs that are hard to pull out of an audio guide.

Official palace tours

The palace runs themed tours of about 75 minutes and takes you places the standard route does not go. This is a good choice for people who have already been to Schönbrunn and for history lovers.

There are two popular themes. The Maria Theresa tour takes you into her state apartments, which are noticeably more lavish than the private quarters of the later rulers. The Franz Joseph and Sisi tour opens up the emperor's personal rooms, surprisingly plain and restrained (as of 09/2026, official website).

Official tours run by reservation and in small groups. In the noisy halls the guide speaks through headphones, so you do not fall behind and can hear everything.

Tours from third-party operators

Many people choose tours from outside organizations. They usually include skip-the-line entry, a guided walk through the gardens, and extras like a concert, dinner, or wine tasting. This format is convenient if you want everything arranged for you, especially on a short trip.

Compare two options: the skip-the-line palace and gardens tour works well for a first visit, while the evening format with dinner is worth looking at separately if you are celebrating an occasion.

4. Tickets for the park and pavilions only

Gloriette at Schönbrunn with reflection in the pond

If you do not want to go inside the palace, tickets for the park attractions are sold separately. On site people buy them on a whim, but you can also buy them in advance, including as part of a combined package.

Exclusive Gardens

The Exclusive Gardens ticket opens up the best park attractions without entering the palace. With it you get into the maze, the manicured Privy Garden, the historic Orangery Garden, and the Gloriette terrace with its panorama of the park and all of Vienna.

Allée with trimmed green arches in the Schönbrunn gardens

The ticket is sold only from March through November. This is a sensible choice if you want to take in the baroque gardens at your own pace, especially in summer, when the flowerbeds and hedges are at their best. You can buy it online or directly at the palace ticket offices. Outside the season, some park attractions are closed. Then the choice narrows to the palace, the Winter Pass, and the Palm House.

Children's Museum

If you are traveling with children, stop by the Schönbrunn Children's Museum. Through interactive exhibits, children learn how the young Habsburgs lived. The museum is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00 (as of 09/2026, Children's Museum).

Schönbrunn Zoo

Schönbrunn Zoo (Tiergarten Schönbrunn) was founded in 1752 and is considered the oldest operating zoo in the world. Today it houses more than 700 species: pandas, elephants, penguins, polar bears. A ticket costs €29 for an adult and €17 for a child (as of 09/2026, official sales page).

African ostrich at the green enclosure door

With restaurants, play areas, and scheduled feedings, you can easily spend four to six hours here. Plan your time in advance, otherwise you won't be able to fit the rest of your day around it.

The zoo is located right in Schönbrunn Park, so it's easy to combine with a stroll along the park's paths.

Comparing tickets and tours

Schönbrunn Palace from the garden parterre

This table will help you choose the option that fits your trip.

Category	Ticket or tour	What's included	Duration	Who it's for	Notes
Palace ticket with audio guide	State Apartments	22 rooms: Franz Joseph and Sisi's apartments, the Mirror Room, the Great Gallery	about 40 minutes	Short on time	The most popular basic ticket
Palace ticket with audio guide	Palace Ticket	40 rooms: Maria Theresa's apartments, the Bergl Rooms, the Million Room, the Blue Chinese Salon	50-60 minutes	History lovers	Full palace tour
Combined ticket	Classic Pass	Palace Ticket, Privy Garden, Orangery Garden, the maze, the Gloriette terrace	half a day or a full day	Palace and park in one visit	Best value and a simple plan
Combined ticket	Winter Pass	Palace Ticket, Palm House, the zoo	half a day or a full day	Winter months	Indoor attractions only
Combined ticket	Sisi Pass	Palace Ticket, Hofburg apartments, the Sisi Museum, the Furniture Museum	valid for one year	Fans of imperial history	Covers several sites in Vienna
Official tour	Guided tour	Thematic tour about Maria Theresa or about Franz Joseph and Sisi	about 75 minutes	Deep historical context	Takes you into rooms outside the standard route
Operator tour	Skip-the-line tour	Skip-the-line entry, garden guide, extras	2-4 hours	Short trip	Often includes priority entry
Park tickets	Park attractions and children's attractions	Zoo, Children's Museum, Privy Garden, the maze, Orangery Garden, Gloriette	flexible	Families and garden walks	Can be purchased individually or as an add-on

The table makes the key point clear: the short and full tickets differ in the number of rooms, and the combined packages pay off if you also plan to visit the park.

How much Schönbrunn tickets cost

Schönbrunn prices depend on the season and the route. The Classic Pass price is listed above (as of 09/2026, official website). The basic indoor ticket is cheaper, the full route is more expensive. Check the exact price for your date in the official shop at imperialtickets.com.

Discounts apply to children under 18, people over 65, guests with disabilities who have documentation, and students with an international student ID. Group rates are available for groups of 10 or more.

The Vienna Pass includes one palace visit, usually on the short route. It's best to activate it on a day when you're visiting several museums, otherwise it won't pay off.

I recommend buying tickets online in advance, especially from April through October. Going back to the ticket office in peak season isn't worth it.

Below you can pick a ticket for your desired date right away.

Tours and tickets in Vienna

Guided tours, skip-the-line tickets and activities — most offers can be cancelled free of charge.

See offers on Tiqets

The widget loads once you give your consent.

Which Schönbrunn ticket to choose

Choose based on the purpose of your trip, not the ticket price.

If you	Get	Why
Are visiting Schönbrunn for the first time	Palace Ticket with audio guide	A full overview of the palace and Habsburg history
Are short on time but want to go inside	State Apartments	The essentials in 40 minutes
Are interested in Sisi and Franz Joseph	Tour about Franz Joseph and Sisi	Private rooms and family stories
Love politics and empire	Tour about Maria Theresa	State rooms and historical context
Want the palace and park in one day	Classic Pass	The palace plus key park attractions
Are traveling in winter	Winter Pass	Indoor attractions only
Are planning several imperial sites	Sisi Pass	Good value for Schönbrunn and central Vienna
Want everything arranged for you	Skip-the-line operator tour	Priority entry and a garden guide

A simple rule: if it's your first visit and you have half a day, take the full route; if you're short on time, the short route is enough.

Opening hours and the best time to visit

Christmas market at Stephansplatz in Vienna

The palace opens at 8:30 every day, including holidays. The 8:30 to 10:00 slots are the quietest, so take those if you want to avoid the crowds. Late afternoon is also calmer, especially outside summer.

Entry is tied to the time on your ticket, so punctuality matters. If you are late, you may not be allowed into the rooms.

The gardens are at their best from late spring to early fall. That is when the fountains run and the flower beds are in bloom (as of 09/2026, official website).

Seasonal events at Schönbrunn

Patterned roof of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna

Schönbrunn hosts seasonal events that add to the visit.

The Christmas market runs from late November to late December and turns the main courtyard into a festive space. In spring, there is an Easter market with craft stalls and food.

In summer, usually in June, the Vienna Philharmonic gives a free open-air concert right in the palace gardens.

Is Schönbrunn worth visiting

Yes, but only with a plan. Schönbrunn does not fit the format of a quick one-hour stop.

The right ticket and entry time determine what your visit will be like: relaxed or rushed. The state rooms, the gardens, and the view from the Gloriette are worth a dedicated trip. If you are ready to set aside half a day, the palace will not disappoint.

The zoo, gardens, and pavilions add several more hours to the visit. If you are planning three days in Vienna, give Schönbrunn one full day.

The interior rooms close before evening, so do not leave your visit until the last hour. A weekday morning is noticeably quieter than a weekend.

Where to stay in Vienna

In central Vienna, it is convenient to stay near the Hofburg and the Ringstrasse. A city classic, Hotel Sacher Wien, is a stone's throw from the Opera.

If you want to compare neighborhoods and prices, choose a hotel closer to the U4 line: that way you can reach Schönbrunn without changing trains. For a budget option, look at the areas around Westbahnhof station.

The best time to visit Vienna: May, June, or September. There are fewer tourists and the weather is still pleasant.

How to get to Vienna

You can fly to Vienna International Airport. Flights are easy to search on Kiwi.com, where you can see options with and without connections.

From other European cities, Vienna is easy to reach by train. Check schedules and tickets on Trip.com trains; the train arrives at a station in the city center.

From the airport to the center, S-Bahn trains and the City Airport Train run regularly; a taxi costs more but takes you to your hotel door. The stations are connected to the metro, so you can get from the train to your accommodation without switching to a taxi.

Vienna is compact, and the center is easy to explore on foot. You can reach Schönbrunn from the center by metro, as we wrote above.

Connectivity and internet while traveling

Austria has reliable mobile internet, but roaming with a SIM card from a country outside the EU is usually expensive. It is cheaper to get an eSIM for Austria and activate it right after you land.

That way you get connectivity without hunting for a local SIM card. Maps work in Google Maps, so navigating Vienna will not take up your time.

Wi-Fi is available in hotels, cafes, and museums, but it is unreliable outdoors. For maps and online tickets, it is better to have your own internet at hand.

Austria is part of the EU roaming zone, so European plans work without extra charges. For visitors from other regions, an eSIM costs less than roaming.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

How much time do you need for Schönbrunn?

Allow at least half a day. The short palace route takes about 40 minutes, the full one about an hour, and the park and pavilions easily take another two to three hours. With the Gloriette and the zoo, plan a full day.

Can you enter the palace without a timed ticket?

No. Entry is strictly by the slot you selected when purchasing. Arrive 10 minutes before the time on your ticket, otherwise you may not be allowed into the rooms and will have to change your ticket.

Is entry to the Schönbrunn park paid?

The park is free. You only pay for individual attractions: the Privy Garden, the Orangery Garden, the maze, and the Gloriette viewing terrace.

What is included in the Classic Pass?

Five attractions on one ticket: the full palace route (Palace Ticket), the Privy Garden, the maze, the Orangery Garden, and the Gloriette terrace. The ticket is valid for one day and is designed for roughly three to four hours (as of 09/2026, Classic Pass description).

Can you take photos inside the palace?

No. Photo and video recording inside the state rooms is not allowed. The gardens, the courtyard, and the views from the Gloriette, however, can be photographed without restrictions.

When is the best time to arrive to avoid standing in line?

Book slots from 8:30 to 10:00, or go late in the day outside summer. From April through October, buy your ticket online in advance so you are not dependent on the ticket office.

In short: what is worth booking

If this is your first trip and you have half a day, get the Classic Pass: the Palace Ticket is already included. If you are traveling with children, add the zoo; in winter, get the Winter Pass. Fans of imperial history will like the Sisi Pass.

Before your trip, sort out three things: accommodation, tickets, and transport.

Schönbrunn in Vienna: 2026 tickets and the best entry slot