What a visit actually involves
Which palace tour: short, full or guided
The palace now sells State Apartments, about 40 minutes through selected rooms, and the Palace Ticket, about 75 minutes through the whole main floor, including Maria Theresa's apartments. Many pages still call these the Imperial Tour and the Grand Tour. A guided tour is a third option, with a live guide in place of the audio guide.
Admission has fixed times
Palace admission has fixed times, and the palace advises securing your slot in advance to avoid long waiting times. Its pages give no grace period, so arrive before your slot, and allow for the walk from the U4 station and the entrance.
The gardens cost nothing
The parterre, the Neptune fountain and the walk up to the Gloriette are free to enter during park opening hours. You can spend a full afternoon in the grounds without a ticket of any kind. The Privy Garden, the maze and the Gloriette terrace are the parts that charge separately.
An audio guide is already included
Palace admission comes with an audio guide in 21 languages at no extra cost, so there is rarely a reason to pay for a commentary add-on. A live guide earns its place differently — by answering the questions the recording cannot.
The zoo in the grounds is the oldest in the world
Tiergarten Schönbrunn was founded in 1752 as an imperial menagerie and still occupies its original Baroque layout. It is a separate ticket and realistically a separate half-day; treating it as an add-on to a palace morning is how people end up rushing both.
Who should skip the palace interior
If you have three hours in Vienna and have not seen the Hofburg, the palace interior is not the better call — the state rooms there are closer to the centre. Schönbrunn rewards a half-day: tour, gardens, the climb to the Gloriette, and the view back down the parterre that the whole place was built around.
When Schönbrunn is open
| 3 November – 26 March | 8.30am – 5.00pm daily |
|---|---|
| 27 March – 30 June | 8.30am – 5.30pm daily |
| 1 July – 31 August | 8.30am – 6.00pm daily |
| 1 September – 2 November | 8.30am – 5.30pm daily |
Opening times vary by season, so check the palace's opening-times page for your date. The gardens keep longer hours and cost nothing to walk.
In-depth guides
Practical, independently checked guides to planning your visit — written from the source, not recycled from other listings.
How to get to Schönbrunn Palace
U4, trams and buses, the airport run, how long the visit takes, and access for wheelchairs and children, checked against Schönbrunn's own visitor pages.
Read the full visitor guide → TimingThe best time to visit Schönbrunn Palace
Which slots are quiet, which months are not, and what the seasons actually change.
Read the full visitor guide → InsideWhat to see inside Schönbrunn Palace
The rooms that justify the Grand Tour, and the ones you can walk past.
Read the full visitor guide → HistoryA short history of Schönbrunn Palace
From hunting ground to Habsburg summer seat to UNESCO listing.
Read the full visitor guide → GardensSchönbrunn gardens and the Gloriette
What is free, what is ticketed, and how long the climb really takes.
Read the full visitor guide → Which ticket, and what each one includesSchönbrunn tickets: which one to book
Palace Ticket, State Apartments or a guided tour: what each includes, how fixed entry works and who should skip which, checked against Schönbrunn's own pages.
Read the full visitor guide → With childrenSchönbrunn with children
The maze, the zoo, the children's museum and how much palace a child will tolerate.
Read the full visitor guide → PlanningSchönbrunn in one day
A route that covers the palace, the gardens and the Gloriette without rushing.
Read the full visitor guide →Frequently asked questions
Is Schönbrunn worth booking in advance?
For the slot, yes. Palace admission is at fixed times, and the palace advises securing your slot online in advance to avoid long waits, so booking ahead is how you choose your time rather than accept whatever is free.
What is the difference between the Imperial Tour and the Grand Tour?
Those are older names. The palace now sells State Apartments, about 40 minutes through selected rooms, and the Palace Ticket, about 75 minutes through the whole main floor, including Maria Theresa's apartments. Both include the audio guide.
Do I need a ticket for the gardens?
No. The parterre, the Neptune fountain and the walk up to the Gloriette are free to enter during park opening hours. The Privy Garden, the maze and the Gloriette terrace itself are ticketed separately from the palace.
What happens if I arrive late for my slot?
Palace admission is at fixed times and the palace's pages give no grace period, so arrive before your slot. Allow extra time for the walk from U4 Schönbrunn and for the entrance.
How do I get there from the centre of Vienna?
U4 to Schönbrunn station is the simplest route. Trams 10 and 60 and bus 10A also stop at Schloss Schönbrunn. From the airport, allow about an hour by public transport with at least one change, and check the airport rail links for works before you travel.