Schönbrunn Palace: Which Ticket Is Worth It? Tours, Prices and Tips (2026)

Schönbrunn Palace is Vienna's most visited attraction, and the one with the most ticket options. Since 2026 the tours have new names: the "Imperial Tour" and "Grand Tour" no longer exist. Here you'll find all current tickets with price and duration, plus a clear recommendation on which one suits you. As of October 2026.

Good to know up front: The palace park is open to the public free of charge. If you only want to stroll, see the facade and walk up to the Gloriette, you don't need a ticket.

The Three Palace Tours

Palace Ticket: The Entire Beletage

With the Palace Ticket you see the entire Beletage (the palace's main floor): the private rooms of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth, the reception rooms and Maria Theresa's apartments. The tour begins with a presentation on the history of the palace and, with an audio guide, takes about 75 minutes.

• Adults: €42
• Children 6 to 18: €30
• Students 19 to 25: €31.50

State Apartments: The Short Version

The State Apartments tour leads through the ceremonial rooms at the heart of the palace, including the Great Gallery. With an audio guide it takes about 40 minutes.

• Adults: €30
• Children 6 to 18: €20
• Students 19 to 25: €23

Maria Theresa Palace Tour: With a Guide

On the Maria Theresa tour, a guide accompanies you through the palace. It starts in the Bergl Rooms on the ground floor, which aren't part of the other tours, and then continues through the Beletage. Duration: about 75 minutes. In German daily at 09:30, 11:30 and 14:30; in English at 10:00, 12:00 and 15:00.

• Adults: €44
• Children 6 to 18: €34
• Students 19 to 25: €37.50

Combination Tickets

• Classic Pass – €49: Palace Ticket plus the Gloriette terrace, the Maze and Labyrinth, the Crown Prince Garden and the Orangery Garden. Allow three to four hours. Summer season only; in 2026 from March 27 to November 2.
• Classic Pass Plus – €81: like the Classic Pass, plus Schönbrunn Zoo, the Palm House and the Desert House. You visit the palace on the day you choose, and each of the other attractions once until the end of the season. Also summer only.
• Exclusive Gardens – €16: Gloriette terrace, Maze, Crown Prince Garden and Orangery Garden, without the palace. Single tickets for the Gloriette are no longer available. Summer only; at the garden ticket desks you can only pay by card.
• Sisi Pass – €60: Palace Ticket at Schönbrunn, the Sisi Museum with the Imperial Apartments in the Hofburg, the former imperial palace, and the Furniture Museum Vienna (Möbel Museum Wien). Valid for one year. Until November 18, 2026, the museum section of the Sisi Museum is closed for redesign; the Imperial Apartments remain open.

Which Ticket Suits You?

• You want to see the palace properly, once: Palace Ticket. It's the complete tour, and the €12 extra over the State Apartments is worth it.
• Short on time, or kids who won't last 75 minutes: State Apartments.
• You want stories instead of an audio guide: the Maria Theresa tour, only €2 more than the Palace Ticket, and it includes the Bergl Rooms.
• A summer day with gardens and views: Classic Pass. Bought separately, the Palace Ticket and Exclusive Gardens would cost €58.
• Family planning a zoo visit: Classic Pass Plus, if you want to do the palace and the zoo on two different days.
• Sisi fans: Sisi Pass, Schönbrunn and the Hofburg on one ticket.

Time Slots: Buy Online

You can only enter the palace with a fixed entry time. So buy your ticket online in advance; the only official shop is imperialtickets.com. Online you pay the same as at the ticket desk, but you secure your time slot and go straight to the turnstile. Be on time: if you arrive late, your ticket expires.

The audio guide is included and available in 21 languages. Tripods, selfie sticks and flash photography are not allowed in the palace. According to Schönbrunn, it's least busy in the morning.

The Vienna Pass only includes the shorter State Apartments tour, and even then you need a time slot. With the Vienna City Card, the Classic Pass costs €42 instead of €49. We've done the math on what the two cards are worth overall in Vienna City Card or Vienna Pass.

Opening Hours

The palace is open every day, including public holidays. Last admission is 45 minutes before closing.

• until November 2, 2026: 08:30–17:30
• November 3, 2026 to March 31, 2027: 08:30–17:00
• in July and August: until 18:00

The palace park opens daily at 06:30 and, depending on the month, closes between 17:30 (November to February) and 21:00 (May to August). Dogs are not allowed in the park or the palace, and bicycles are not allowed in the park.

The Gloriette terrace and the gardens are only open during the summer season. In 2026 it ends on November 2; in the final week before that, they already close at 16:00. In winter you can still walk up to the Gloriette, you just can't get onto the terrace.

Zoo, Palm House and Imperial Carriage Museum

• Schönbrunn Zoo: €29, children 6 to 18 pay €17, under 6 free. Daily from 09:00; in October until 17:30, after the clocks change until 16:30. Combination ticket with the Palm House and Desert House: €38.
• Palm House: €9, open year-round.
• Desert House: €9, children €7, directly opposite the Palm House.
• Imperial Carriage Museum (Kaiserliche Wagenburg): €12, the carriages and sleighs of the imperial court.

Getting There

Take the U4 to Schönbrunn station, trams 10 and 60, or bus 10A to "Schloss Schönbrunn". For the zoo, the U4 station Hietzing is closer. From Westbahnhof, tram 60 gets you there in about 15 minutes.

Schönbrunn in Winter

From November 6, 2026 to January 6, 2027, the Christmas market stands in front of the palace, with free admission. During the same period, the "Imperial Lights" light garden glows in the park, daily 16:30–22:00 (closed on December 24). The entrance is the Meidlinger Tor gate, a few steps from the U4. You'll find more markets in our post on Christmas markets in Vienna 2026.

As of October 2026. Sources: schoenbrunn.at, imperialtickets.com, zoovienna.at, bundesgaerten.at. Prices and times change, so check them on the official website before your visit.