Trying to pick the right Schönbrunn Palace ticket is a nightmare come true. The website lists a dozen options, each promising “exclusive” access to something mysterious. After doing my research and still showing up confused, I finally found a printed quick-guide that actually made sense. So, here’s everything you need to know before you get there.
All prices, schedules, and reservation requirements in this itinerary are accurate as of 2025 (please please please double-check official websites before your trip). This post contains affiliate links. If you book through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the blog!
Index
📋 Passes Quick Guide
Here’s the short version before the brain melt starts. Once you know which fits you, check the next section for details.
🏰 Palace tickets
- State Apartments: 25€ | 40 min | 9 rooms
- Palace Ticket: 34€ | 60 min | 40 rooms
- Maria Theresia Tour: 39€ | 75 min | 23 rooms (guided)
🎫 Combined passes
- Exclusive Gardens: 15€ | 1-2 hours | Maze, Privy & Orangery Gardens, Gloriette View
- Classic Pass: 40€ | 3-4 hours | Palace + Exclusive Gardens
- Classic Pass Plus: 76€ | Full day | Palace + Gardens + Zoo + Palm & Desert Houses
- Sisi Pass: 51€ | 1-2 days | Schönbrunn + Hofburg + Furniture Museum
- Winter Pass: 69€ | 1-2 days | Palace + Zoo + Palm & Desert House
👪 With children
- Children’s Museum: 12€
- Museum + Maze: 14€
- Museum + Maze + Zoo: 38€ (Adults) / 28€ (Child 6+)
🏰 Palace Ticket Details
If you want to know exactly what’s included in each ticket, in this website you can choose the ticket and have a sneak peek at the rooms you will have access to!
State Apartments
- 9 rooms
- 40 minutes with audioguide
- Adults: 25€ | Children (6-18): 16€ | Students (<25, ISIC card): 20€
- Quick look at the palace highlights.
- Compact intro to the ceremonial rooms. Ideal if you’re short on time or patience.
Maria Theresia Tour
- 23 rooms
- 75 minutes with guide (either English or German)
- Adults: 39€ | Children (6-18): 29€ | Students (<25, ISIC card): 33€
- Deeper, guided look into Maria Theresia’s era.
- A guided tour through the Bergl Rooms and state apartments, filled with painted walls, court gossip, and stories about one of Austria’s most powerful rulers.
Palace Ticket
- 40 rooms
- 60 minutes with audioguide
- Adults: 34€ | Children (6-18): 24€ | Students (<25, ISIC card): 28€
- Full palace visit with audio guide.
- The full experience. You’ll see the grand halls, private apartments of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth, and the rooms of Maria Theresia. The classic first-time choice.
🎫 Combined Passes Explained
The combined passes include access to Schönbrunn’s “extras”. Concretely, these are the possible activities:
- Maze & Labyrinth: Classic hedge maze and small playground.
- Privy Garden: Formal, symmetrical garden tucked behind the palace.
- Orangery Garden: Citrus trees and historical greenhouses.
- Gloriette Terrace: Panoramic viewpoint overlooking Vienna.
- Schönnbrunn Zoo: World’s oldest zoo, imperial charm meets wildlife.
- Desert Experience House: Indoor desert ecosystem.
- Palm House: Giant greenhouse filled with exotic plants.
You can either buy tickets to each of them individually, or get a bundled ticket that covers several at once, as well as a visit inside the palace.
Without any pass, this is the section of the Schönbrunn grounds available for free:
Exclusive Gardens
- Maze + Privy Garden + Orangery Garden + Gloriette Terrace
- 2 hours
- Adults: 15€ | Children (6-18): 10€ | Vienna City Card: 12.50€
- Garden-only access.
- Summer only (April - October).
Classic Pass
- Palace + Exclusive Gardens
- 3-4 hours
- Adults: 40€ | Children (6-18): 31€ | Vienna City Card: 38€
- Balance of indoors and outdoors. Popular and not too much walking.
- Summer only (April - October).
Classic Pass Plus
- Palace + Gardens + Zoo + Desert Experience House + Palm House
- 1-2 days
- Adults: 76€ | Children (6-18): 53.50€ | Vienna City Card: 71€
- The “see absolutely everything” option.
- Summer only (April - October).
Winter Pass
- Palace Ticket + Zoo + Desert Experience House + Palm House
- 1-2 days
- Adults: 69€ | Children (6-18): 47€
- Seasonal version when the gardens close.
- Winter only (November - March)
Sisi Pass
- Schönbrunn + Hofburg (Sisi Museum + Imperial Apartments) + Furniture Museum
- 1-2 days
- Adults: 51€ | Children (6-18): 33.50€ | Vienna City Card: 46€
- For anyone obsessed with imperial Vienna.
- Valid one year, single admission.
👪 Family Options
Children’s Museum Schönbrunn
- Adults: 12€ | Children (3-18): 12€ | Vienna City Card: 11€
- Interactive play museum on imperial kids’ lives.
Children’s Museum + Maze
- Adults: 14.50€ | Children (6-18): 14.50€ | Children (3-5): ticket for Children’s Museum (12€)
- Short and fun mix of history and play.
- Summer only (April - October)
Children’s Museum + Maze + Zoo
- Adults: 38€ | Children (6-18): 28€ | Children (3-5): ticket for Children’s Museum (12€)
- Full family combo: palace, puzzles, and pandas.
💡 My Recommendation
Your choice really comes down to time and budget. If you’re already spending 25€ for nine rooms, spend the extra 9€ and see the whole palace. The smaller tour feels like watching the trailer when you could’ve seen the film.
I went for the Classic Pass, mostly out of confusion, and while the maze was fun, the gardens were meh. The Gloriette views aren’t any better than the ones you get from that same point but without going up, for free.
If you’ve got the extra 6€, sure, why not. If not, stick with the Palace Ticket. You won’t regret it, and you won’t miss much either.
❓ Quick FAQs
Q: Do I need to book tickets ahead of time?
A: Yes and no. It's possible to book on site, but you'll probably have to wait for your designated entrance time, which can be 1 or 2 hours later during peak season (I used that time to walk through the gardens!). Time-slots matter, so if you know what your plan is, don't be afraid to book beforehand! This is the official ticket shop.
Q: How long should I budget for the visit?
A: If you’re doing just the palace, plan ~60 min or more. If you add gardens/zoo or take a combined pass, block several hours or a full day.
Palace only: 1 hour.
Palace + gardens: 3–4 hours.
Full passes: a whole day.
Q: Can I just wander the gardens for free?
A: The grounds of the park are freely accessible, but the special attractions (Gloriette terrace, Orangery, Maze, etc.) require a ticket/pass.
Q: Which ticket is the “best value”?
A: “Best” depends on your time, budget, and interest. If you’re only in Vienna for a short time and just want the palace, the Palace Ticket makes sense. If you have more time, some of the combined passes can keep you busy until closing time.
Q: Are kids and students discounted?
A: Yes. Various tickets have reduced rates for children (6-18) and students (under 25 with ISIC). Always check the latest conditions.
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