Why go
Schönbrunn was the summer residence of the Habsburgs and is the most visited sight in Vienna. Empress Maria Theresa turned an earlier hunting lodge into the palace you see today, and Emperor Franz Joseph was born here and died here. The rooms open to visitors show how the imperial family lived, worked and entertained, from formal audience chambers to the private apartments of Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth. The palace and its park have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.
Even without a ticket, the grounds are reason enough to come. The formal gardens, fountains and avenues of clipped trees are free to enter, and a path climbs to the Gloriette, a colonnade on the hill with the best view over the palace and the city.
What to see
Two main tickets cover the palace. The State Apartments route takes about 40 minutes through the principal rooms, including the Mirror Room, where the young Mozart is said to have played for Maria Theresa, and the Great Gallery, used for imperial balls and banquets. The Palace Ticket adds the rest of the piano nobile and takes about 75 minutes with an audio guide. Some rooms may be closed for restoration, so check the route on the day.
In the park, the Neptune Fountain sits below the Gloriette, while the Roman Ruin, the maze, the Privy Garden and the glasshouses of the Palm House are all within walking distance. The zoo, founded in 1752, occupies the western side of the grounds and needs its own ticket. In winter a Christmas market fills the forecourt, and from 6 November 2026 to 6 January 2027 the Imperial Lights trail illuminates part of the park after dark.
Plan your visit
From 3 November 2026 to 31 March 2027 the palace is open daily from 8.30am to 5pm, with later closing on Advent weekends and over Christmas. The gardens open at 6.30am. The Palace Ticket costs €42 for adults and €30 for children aged 6 to 18, and the State Apartments ticket costs €30. A Winter Pass adds the zoo, the Desert House and the Palm House for €73.
Every ticket has a fixed admission time, and the palace sells them online only through its official shop, imperialtickets.com. Book a day or two ahead in December and at weekends, as morning slots go first. A first visit, including the palace route and a walk to the Gloriette, takes three to four hours.
The U4 underground stops at Schönbrunn station, a short walk from the main gate. Wear comfortable shoes, as the walk up to the Gloriette is steep in places.
Nearby
The zoo and the Palm House are inside the park. The Imperial Carriage Museum is next to the palace, and Hietzing, a residential district with coffee houses and villas, lies just beyond the western gate. Back in the centre, the Hofburg shows the Habsburgs’ winter quarters. The Imperial Furniture Collection on Mariahilfer Straße, included with the Sisi Pass, completes the picture of court life.
