Schönbrunn Palace is the former summer residence of the Habsburgs, in Vienna, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. It is open 365 days a year, from 8:30 am; the park is free. The Palace Ticket, which covers the whole piano nobile (main floor), costs €42 for an adult; the palace warns that its genuine tickets are sold online only on imperialtickets.com. This page brings together the ticket options, the hours by period, metro access, the visiting rules and a table that crosses park closing time with sunset, month by month. To combine several visits, see whether the Vienna Pass is worth it.
Schönbrunn can be visited in half a day from the center: see our Vienna travel guide, our page on the best time to visit Vienna and our comparison Prague or Vienna.
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Schönbrunn Palace: key facts
- Palace: 8:30 am–5:30 pm until 2 November 2026, then 8:30 am–5 pm from 3 November to 31 March 2027 (5:30 pm on certain days in December and on holidays); last entry 45 minutes before closing — checked on 24 October 2026 on schoenbrunn.at
- Park: free, open from 6:30 am; closing from 5:30 pm (November to February) to 9 pm (May to August)
- Palace Ticket: €42 adult, €30 for ages 6 to 18, about 75 min with audio guide — checked on 24 October 2026 on schoenbrunn.at
- State Apartments: €30 adult, €20 for ages 6 to 18, about 40 min
- Purchase: palace ticket offices or the official ticket shop imperialtickets.com; beware of fraudulent sites
- Access: U4 metro, trams 10 and 60, bus 10A, Schönbrunn stop
Why visit Schönbrunn?
According to the official site, the estate has belonged to the Habsburgs since 1569, when Maximilian II bought the Katterburg property; legend attributes the name (Schönbrunn, « beautiful spring ») to Emperor Matthias. At the end of the 17th century, Leopold I commissioned the architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach to design a hunting lodge for the future Joseph I, which became a great palace of state in the 18th century. Under Maria Theresa, in the middle of the 18th century, the palace was the imperial summer residence and the center of court life.
You visit the state rooms and the private apartments of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth (Sisi), preserved in their original decor. Passed to the Republic in 1918, the palace has been managed since 1992 by a company owned by the Austrian state, which has to fund its conservation itself, without public subsidies.
Which ticket to choose for Schönbrunn
| Option | What it includes | Duration | Adult | Ages 6–18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Apartments | A selection of state rooms on the main floor | About 40 min | €30 | €20 |
| Palace Ticket | The whole main floor: Franz Joseph and Sisi’s apartments, Maria Theresa’s rooms | About 75 min | €42 | €30 |
| Classic Pass (summer season) | Palace Ticket + Crown Prince Garden, Maze, Orangery Garden, Gloriette terrace | 3 to 4 h | €49 | €36 |
| Exclusive gardens (summer season) | Maze, Crown Prince Garden, Orangery Garden, Gloriette terrace | Free pace | €16 | €11 |
| Sisi Pass | Palace Ticket + Sisi Museum (Hofburg) + Furniture Museum, valid for one year | — | €60 | €38 |
For winter, the palace offers a Winter Pass combining the Palace Ticket, the zoo, the Desert House and the Palm House; its price for the 2026–2027 season was not yet displayed on 24 October 2026. The Sisi Museum, included in the Sisi Pass, is closed until its announced reopening on 19 November.
Decision guide
- You have an hour: State Apartments, then the free park.
- You want Sisi’s and Maria Theresa’s apartments: Palace Ticket.
- You are staying half a day between late March and 2 November: Classic Pass, which the palace presents as 20% cheaper than separate tickets for an adult.
- You are also visiting the Hofburg: compare with the Sisi Pass.
- You have the Vienna City Card: book your time slot on the site indicated by the palace (timeslot.schoenbrunn-group.com).
Tickets: official or reseller?
The palace warns its visitors: « Due to the growing number of fraudulent websites, you may end up buying forged tickets. » It states that genuine tickets are sold online only on imperialtickets.com, as well as at the ticket offices — checked on 24 October 2026 on schoenbrunn.at. Guided-tour platforms may offer packages with a guide or transport: check that a valid entry ticket and a time slot are included, and compare with the official price shown above. The Palace Ticket and the State Apartments are only offered as self-guided visits with an audio guide or booklet, provided free of charge.
Opening hours: palace, park and attractions
- Palace: 8:30 am–5:30 pm from 27 March to 30 June 2026, 8:30 am–6 pm in July–August, 8:30 am–5:30 pm from 1 September to 2 November; 8:30 am–5 pm from 3 November 2026 to 31 March 2027, with extended opening until 5:30 pm on 5 to 8 December, 12, 13, 19 and 20 December and from 25 December to 6 January.
- Crown Prince Garden, Maze, Gloriette terrace: 9:30 am–4 pm from 25 October to 2 November 2026, end of the summer season.
- Children’s Museum: every day from 10 am to 5 pm.
- Fountains: switched off from mid-October to April (winter closure).
- Illumination: the festive lighting of the palace and the Gloriette is suspended to save energy.
Park closing time and sunset, month by month
The park is free and opens at 6:30 am all year. The table crosses its official closing time with calculated sunset: it shows when a walk up to the Gloriette at sunset is still possible.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Park closing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:40 | 16:27 | 8 h 47 | 5:30 pm |
| February | 07:02 | 17:16 | 10 h 14 | 5:30 pm |
| March | 06:08 | 17:59 | 11 h 51 | 7:00 pm |
| April | 06:05 | 19:44 | 13 h 39 | 8:00 pm |
| May | 05:15 | 20:27 | 15 h 11 | 9:00 pm |
| June | 04:53 | 20:56 | 16 h 03 | 9:00 pm |
| July | 05:09 | 20:51 | 15 h 41 | 9:00 pm |
| August | 05:48 | 20:09 | 14 h 21 | 9:00 pm |
| September | 06:31 | 19:08 | 12 h 37 | 8:00 pm |
| October | 07:13 | 18:06 | 10 h 53 | 7:00 pm |
| November | 07:01 | 16:16 | 9 h 16 | 5:30 pm |
| December | 07:38 | 16:01 | 8 h 23 | 5:30 pm |
From November to January, the sun sets before 4:30 pm while the park stays open until 5:30 pm: the end of your visit happens at dusk. From May to August, the park closes at 9 pm, shortly after sunset, which lets you see the evening light on the façade from the Gloriette hill.
Getting to Schönbrunn Palace
The palace gives the following access information — checked on 24 October 2026 on schoenbrunn.at:
- Metro: line U4, Schönbrunn station.
- Tram: lines 10 and 60, Schönbrunn stop; bus: line 10A.
- From the airport: journey stated as 60 minutes by public transport, via Wien Mitte then the U4. Note that the palace says the S7 line section between Wien Praterstern and Wien Hauptbahnhof is closed from 7 September 2026 to the end of October 2027, and that the City Airport Train is replaced by buses over the same period.
- By car: « Schönbrunn – Best in Parking » car park, open 24 hours a day; cars are not allowed into the park.
Visiting rules and accessibility
- Photos: allowed in the rooms for private use, but no tripods, selfie sticks or flash.
- Dogs: not allowed in the palace or in the park; guide dogs admitted.
- Bicycles and drones: prohibited in the park and across the whole estate.
- Audio guides: free, in 21 languages, handed out after the turnstiles.
- Lockers: free at the Group Center, with a four-digit code.
- Wheelchairs: palace fully accessible, elevator to the first floor, wheelchairs lent free of charge; the Gloriette and the Crown Prince Garden platform can only be reached by stairs — checked on 24 October 2026 on schoenbrunn.at.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Buying on an unofficial site: the palace reports forged tickets.
- Arriving less than 45 minutes before closing: no more entry to the attractions.
- Bringing your dog or bicycle: they are prohibited in the park.
- Planning on the Classic Pass in winter: it is only sold during the summer season.
- Counting on the City Airport Train until the end of October 2027: replaced by buses according to the palace.
What to see nearby
Schönbrunn Zoo, the Palm House and the Desert House are on the same estate. For the rest of your stay, our guide to visiting Vienna covers the Hofburg and the center; to continue in Austria, see Salzburg and Hallstatt.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to visit Schönbrunn Palace?
€42 for the Palace Ticket and €30 for the State Apartments (adult), according to the official site consulted on 24 October 2026. The park is free.
Is Schönbrunn park free?
Yes, the palace park is free to enter during opening hours, from 6:30 am. The Maze, the Gloriette terrace and some gardens are paid.
How long does it take to visit Schönbrunn?
About 40 minutes for the State Apartments, 75 minutes for the Palace Ticket and 3 to 4 hours with the Classic Pass, according to the palace.
Where can you buy Schönbrunn Palace tickets?
At the palace ticket offices or online on imperialtickets.com, the only official online ticket shop according to the palace, which warns against fraudulent sites.
How do you get to Schönbrunn Palace?
By U4 metro to Schönbrunn station, by tram 10 or 60, or by bus 10A.
Can you take photos inside the palace?
Yes, for private use, without flash, tripod or selfie stick.
Our sources
- Schönbrunn Palace (schoenbrunn.at): Tickets, Palace Ticket, State Apartments, Classic Pass, Exclusive Gardens, Sisi Pass, Winter Pass, Opening Hours, Getting Here, Barrier-free Access, FAQ and The Palace pages, consulted on 24 October 2026
- Wikipedia, « Schönbrunn Palace » article (coordinates), consulted on 24 October 2026
- Astronomical calculations: NOAA solar algorithm, applied by Destination de Voyage to the palace’s coordinates (Wikipedia) (15th of each month, year 2027, clear horizon)
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026.