Step inside the Habsburgs' summer of empire

The Grand Tour is the fullest palace route: 40 rooms along the piano nobile, including the private apartments of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth ('Sisi'), the great state rooms — the Great Gallery, Millions Room and Vieux-Laque Room — and the private chambers of Maria Theresa. It comes with an immersive history presentation and an audio guide.

Schönbrunn admits visitors at reserved 15-minute time slots. You choose an available entry time when you book; we secure that slot and email your ticket. Arrive a few minutes before your time and walk in past the ticket-desk queue. The slot is for entry — once inside you tour at your own pace.

The Imperial Tour covers 22 rooms; the Grand Tour adds a further 18, including the dazzling Maria Theresa-era state rooms such as the Millions Room and the Vieux-Laque Room. For a first visit that does the palace justice, the Grand Tour is the one to book.

The Great Gallery, the palace's ceremonial centrepiece; the Hall of Mirrors, where a six-year-old Mozart played for Maria Theresa; the lavish Millions Room and the black-lacquered Vieux-Laque Room; and the private apartments of Franz Joseph and Sisi, preserved much as the imperial couple left them.

Schönbrunn Palace is open daily, year-round, including public holidays. Hours are generally 08:30–17:30 (to 18:00 in July and August, and to 17:00 in winter), with last admission 45 minutes before closing. Your reserved time slot falls within these hours.

Schönbrunn Palace sits in Hietzing, Vienna's thirteenth district, a short ride from the city centre. The easiest way to arrive is by U-Bahn: take line U4, the green line, towards Hütteldorf and alight at Schönbrunn station, roughly ten to seventeen minutes from the central stops, then follow the signs a few minutes' walk to the palace gates. The neighbouring Hietzing station, one stop further on the same U4 line, is handier for the gardens, the Palm House and the zoo. Trams 10 and 60 stop close to the palace gates, and several bus lines pass nearby. If you are driving, there is paid parking in the visitor car park opposite the main entrance, though public transport is far simpler in Vienna. From the airport, take the City Airport Train or S-Bahn into the centre and change onto the U4. Aim to arrive a little before your reserved entry time so you can find the visitor entrance without rushing.

The Grand Tour itself takes around an hour to an hour and a half at an unhurried pace. Give yourself extra time to explore the vast formal gardens, walk up to the Gloriette for the view over Vienna, and see the grounds — all free to enter.

No — a standard adult Grand Tour ticket carries no name and no ID is checked at entry. You simply show your e-ticket at your reserved time. (ID is only relevant for discounted categories, which we don't sell.)

No. Your ticket is a digital e-ticket — show the code on your phone at the entrance. We email it to you after you book, usually within a few hours, so it's ready well before your visit.

Early-morning slots, soon after the 08:30 opening, are the calmest and coolest. Late afternoon is quieter again as the tour groups thin out. Midday in summer is busiest — and those slots sell out first, so book ahead if you want a specific time.

Yes. Schönbrunn Palace and its gardens were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996, recognised as an outstanding example of a Baroque princely residence and a symbol of Habsburg power.

The formal gardens, the Great Parterre, the Gloriette hill and the palace grounds are free to enter and open to all — your Grand Tour ticket is for the palace interior. Some separate garden attractions (such as the Privy Garden, maze and Gloriette viewing terrace) have their own tickets.

Get in touch as early as you can and we'll do what we can to help. Changes depend on availability, and Schönbrunn tickets are non-refundable once issued, so please double-check your date and time before booking — our full terms set out the conditions.

Yes — Schönbrunn is very family-friendly, with the gardens, the Children's Museum and the famous Tiergarten (zoo, separate ticket) alongside the palace. The Grand Tour suits older children who enjoy the rooms and stories; the gardens are perfect for younger ones to run.

The price you see is an all-in concierge price covering your official Grand Tour ticket, our work reserving your timed slot, a free audio guide, support in your own language and instant delivery to your inbox. There is nothing extra to pay at the gate.

Schönbrunn Palace is a vast Baroque palace in Vienna, Austria, that served for centuries as the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers. Set in the city's thirteenth district, Hietzing, it took its golden form under Empress Maria Theresa in the mid-eighteenth century and counts 1,441 rooms behind its long yellow facade. It is the most visited sight in Austria and one of imperial Europe's great surviving courts. Behind the palace stretch formal French gardens that climb to the Gloriette, an arcaded folly on the hill with sweeping views back over the city. The grounds also hold the Tiergarten, the oldest zoo in the world. Emperor Franz Joseph was born here and died here in 1916 at the age of 86. Schönbrunn Palace and its gardens were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996 as an outstanding Baroque ensemble and a symbol of Habsburg power.