Visiting Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna: Highlights & Tips for Your Trip
While visiting Vienna, taking a day to visit Schönbrunn Palace is a must. This stunning palace offers not just the main palace, but many gardens, a zoo, and a few other buildings to explore so not only can you spend all day visiting Schönbrunn Palace, but you may also need to have a plan of action to see it all!
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About Schönbrunn Palace
Located just outside of the city center of Vienna is the spectacular Schönbrunn Palace. With over eight million visitors per year, it is Austria’s most visited tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage Site as of 1996.
Schönbrunn Palace is a modest 1,441 room palace. While only 45 of the rooms are able to be visited, you will not want to miss the opportunity to explore it. For comparison, Buckingham Palace in England is only 775 rooms! Of course, the Palace of Versailles has an incredible 2,300 rooms.
Fun Fact: Schönbrunn means “beautiful spring”. It was named after the well where the court got their water.
Brief History of Schönbrunn Palace
First commissioned at the end of the 17th century by Emperor Leopold I, Schönbrunn Palace was designed to be an imperial hunting lodge for the Crown Prince Joseph. It remained unfinished until it was gifted to Maria Theresa. Under her supervision it grew to be a palatial summer residence. That was the real start of its grandiose status in Austrian history.
In 1918 Schönbrunn Palace was passed to the Republic of Austria when the monarchy came to an end. Then, in 1992 it was entrusted to Schloss Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H., a limited-liability company owned by the Republic of Austria. They are responsible for the preservation, revitalization, and financial upkeep of the palace.
The Basics of Visiting Schönbrunn Palace
Planning a day to tackle the Schönbrunn Palace in all of its glory, can be a bit overwhelming with so many options! Not only will we take a look at the multiple options, but also some recommendations to help you make those tough decisions!
How to Get to Schönbrunn Palace
There are lots of ways to make your way from Vienna’s city center to Schönbrunn Palace. The best options are of course to walk or take the seamless public transit in Vienna.
- Walk: You can walk to Schönbrunn Palace in just 40 minutes from the city center.
- Bus: Take bus route 10A to Schönbrunn station.
- Subway (U-Bahn): Take subway route U4 to Schönbrunn station.
- Tram: Take tram route 10 or 60 to Schönbrunn station – you will likely need to connect if coming from the city center.
Visiting Vienna? Check out: How to Spend 1 Day in Vienna: Itinerary for First Time Visitors
Or, if you’re coming from someplace further away, you may want to evaluate other options.
- Train: Take the train to Schönbrunn station.
- Drive: You can drive yourself to Schönbrunn Palace. There is public parking nearby.
Understanding the Tickets and Tours of Schönbrunn Palace
The first challenge will be determining which tickets (or tours) you want to purchase. There is a whole brochure of options! They all mix and match the various attractions at Schönbrunn Palace. To determine which ticket you want, I recommend pinpointing which activities you’re most interested in to help narrow down the ticket that’s right for you.
The 4 Imperial Sites
Activities at Schönbrunn Palace
- Imperial Tour: 22 Rococo State Rooms
- Grand Tour: Imperial Tour + 18 more rooms
- Orangery Garden (Exotic Plants)
- Privy Garden (Baroque Design)
- Maze & Labrynth
- Gloriette Panorama Terrace
- Children’s Museum
- Schönnbrunn Zoo (The World’s Oldest Zoo)
- Desert Experience House
- Palm House
You can view all Schönbrunn Palace ticket options online.
Which Ticket Should You Purchase?
Ultimately, it depends on what you want to see. After deciphering the ticket brochure, I decided on the Classic Pass to include the Grand Tour (audio guided tour of inside parts one and two, about 40 rooms), the Orangery Garden, the Privy Garden, Gloriette – the overlook point, and the Maze! I felt it provided the most well-rounded tour at a manageable price. But, this is obviously different for everyone!
Book a Tour in Advance
Visiting Schönbrunn Palace is a must for all visitors to Vienna. While you should be able to buy tickets the day of, if you are tight on time or simply a planner, book your tickets in advance.
- Skip-the-Line Schönbrunn Palace Tour with Gardens
- Attend a Schönbrunn Palace Classical Concert
- Dinner and an Evening Concert at Schönbrunn Palace
Tips for Visiting Schönbrunn Palace
Getting to Schönbrunn Palace is pretty straight forward but you may need some tips to help navigate the gigantic grounds and dozens of ticket options. Here are some tips to make your adventure to Schönbrunn Palace amazing.
Go Early to Experience Schönbrunn Palace Without the Crowds
Schönbrunn Palace typically open at 9:30am but the grounds and gardens open at 6:30am. This makes early morning the best time to go and explore. You will have most of the gardens all to yourself.
Tour the Inside of Schönbrunn Palace
The gardens of Schönbrunn Palace are beautiful, but you have to take a tour inside of the Palace to fully appreciate just how elegant it is! There are rooms truly dripping with luxury. Note that you cannot take pictures inside.
Listen to the Audio Guide
While the Audio Guide describes the lives of the royalty in somewhat excruciating detail, it also provides some fascinating facts and background about the beautiful rooms you are visiting and gives you a peak into what royal life was like.
Explore the Palace Gardens, including the Maze
The gardens are amazing. Try to visit at least one of them. If you have kids, or are just a kid at heart, have fun getting lost in the hedge maze. Or head to the smaller one and enjoy all of the obstacles encountered like surprise water fountains, spring boards, a floor xylophone, distortion mirrors, and climbing poles.
Climb the Gloriette for Great Views
Walk past the Neptunbrunnen all the way back to the Gloriette with its beautiful arches. Once there, climb the stairs to the top of the Gloriette. This is one of the best views of Schönbrunn Palace but you can also see the whole city of Vienna in the background.
Attend a Concert in the Orangery
Inspired by the days that Mozart played at Schönbrunn Palace, there are concerts still put on in the Orangery. Try to attend one while you’re in town.
Visiting Austria and the Surrounding Areas
If you’re visiting Schrönbrunn Palace and Vienna, you’ll want to also check out some of the surrounding areas. Here are some posts to get you started:
- How to Spend 1 Day in Vienna: Itinerary for First Time Visitors
- Visiting Belvedere Palace in Vienna: The Ultimate Guide
- How to Spend One Day in Innsbruck: Itinerary for First Time Visitors
- How to Travel from Cesky Krumlov to Salzburg + Best Stops In-between
- Finding the Bratislava of Eurotrip: “I open my own hotel!”
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