Turin / The verdict
Is the Royal Palace of Turin worth it?
Yes, for most visitors: EUR 15 buys not one palace but a whole royal complex, state apartments, an armory several reports call the best room in Turin, the Shroud chapel, the Galleria Sabauda and the gardens. Give it half a day and do not stop at the throne room.
By The Real Traveler Experiences team. We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict.
The Turin story
Turin is Italy's most underrated big city: Savoy arcades and grand cafes, an Egyptian collection second only to Cairo's, the cinema museum inside the Mole Antonelliana's improbable spire, bicerin and gianduja in the chocolate shops, the Royal Armoury's thousands of weapons in one hall, and the Alps parked at the end of the avenues. It feels like the capital of a country that kept its elegance quiet.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Go
Yes, for most visitors: EUR 15 buys not one palace but a whole royal complex, state apartments, an armory several reports call the best room in Turin, the Shroud chapel, the Galleria Sabauda and the gardens. Give it half a day and do not stop at the throne room.
Go if
- History and monarchy fans: this was the working seat of the Savoy and, for a while, of the first kings of united Italy.
- Museum visitors who like range: one ticket strings together palace, armory, chapel, art gallery, antiquities and gardens.
- Travelers on a wet or cold day: reports repeatedly call it the ideal Turin rainy-day anchor.
- Budget planners: at EUR 15 for 90-plus minutes, and free under 18, it is the city's best value big sight.
Skip if
- You land on a Wednesday, the complex's only closed day.
- You dislike ornate interiors: reports describe room after room of gilt and fresco as overwhelming, even over-decorated.
- You are coming mainly for the Leonardo self-portrait: it is currently off display while the drawing rests.
- You arrive after 18:00, when last entry has passed; the ticket is better spent on a full morning or afternoon.
What it costs
- Royal Museums full ticket: €15 (one ticket covers the Royal Palace, Royal Armory, Chapel of the Holy Shroud, Sabauda Gallery, Museum of Antiquities and Royal Gardens). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Reduced ticket (ages 18 to 25): €2 (free under 18, for visitors with disabilities plus a companion, ICOM members, and Abbonamento Musei or Torino+Piemonte Card holders). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Open ticket (any time on the chosen day): €18 (flexible entry option valid through 31 December 2026). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Free admission days: €0 (first Sunday of each month plus 25 April, 2 June and 4 November; groups of 7 or more pay EUR 10 to 15 each with required booking). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 12 traveler reports (Oct 2024 to Sep 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 0 were negative.
What people like
- 4 of the logged reports single out the Royal Armory as the unexpected highlight: thousands of weapons and armor under the Beaumont frescoes.
- 3 of the logged reports stress the value of one ticket covering palace, armory, chapel, gallery, antiquities and gardens.
- 3 of the logged reports describe the state apartments as opulent, from the throne room to the Chinese Cabinet.
- 2 of the logged reports call it the ideal bad-weather anchor for a Turin stay.
What people complain about
- 1 logged report finds the procession of ornate, over-decorated rooms tiring, especially visitors with little interest in monarchy.
- 2 of the logged reports warn the complex is closed Wednesdays and last entry runs an hour before the 19:00 close.
- 1 logged report notes the Leonardo self-portrait is off display, a disappointment for anyone expecting the famous sheet.
- 1 logged report flags the scale: art-focused visits can run 4 to 5 hours if you take in every wing.
How to do it right
- Go on any day except Wednesday, when the whole Musei Reali complex is closed.
- Buy the EUR 15 ticket online or at the desk on Piazzetta Reale; it covers every part of the complex, so keep it handy.
- Follow the full route, not just the apartments: the Royal Armory in the Beaumont gallery is the part reports most often call the highlight.
- Budget 2 to 3 hours for palace, armory and chapel, longer if you add the Galleria Sabauda and antiquities wing.
- If you wanted Leonardo's self-portrait, know it is off display while the drawing rests; the Royal Library still shows substitute sheets.
- Finish in the free Royal Gardens for the view back toward the Mole, or book a guided palace tour if you want the Savoy story told.
The trap to avoid
Treating it as a throne-room photo stop and leaving after the apartments. The single EUR 15 ticket also covers the Royal Armory, the Shroud chapel, the Galleria Sabauda and the antiquities wing, and reports consistently name the armory the sleeper highlight of the whole complex.
What to do instead
Why this verdict
The Royal Palace earns a go because the EUR 15 ticket is really five museums pretending to be one. The state apartments deliver the expected gilt, thrones and Juvarra’s scissor staircase, but the reports keep circling back to the Royal Armory, one of Europe’s richest weapons collections under the Beaumont frescoes, as the room that makes the ticket. The Shroud chapel, the Galleria Sabauda, the antiquities wing and the gardens come along on the same stub, which is why several reports call it the best-value big sight in Turin.
The real counters are about appetite and timing. One report found the procession of ornate rooms over-decorated and preferred the near-empty Galleria Sabauda; if royal interiors bore you, this will not convert you. The complex also shuts every Wednesday, last entry runs an hour before closing, and the full route measures about 3 kilometers, so it is a real half day rather than a quick stop. Note too that the Leonardo self-portrait in the Royal Library is off display while the sheet rests.
Context helps the case. This was the working seat of the Savoy from the 17th century and the first palace of united Italy, UNESCO-listed since 1997, and the armory only reopened in late 2025 after months of works, so the complete circuit is back. At EUR 15 full, EUR 2 for ages 18 to 25 and free under 18, with free first Sundays, the price-performance is hard to argue with; the reports who treated it as a rainy-day anchor all walked out satisfied.
Timing and tickets
Open Thursday to Tuesday 9:00 to 19:00, last entry 18:00, closed Wednesdays. EUR 15 covers the palace, armory, Shroud chapel, Galleria Sabauda, antiquities and gardens; EUR 2 for ages 18 to 25, free under 18, or EUR 18 for the open-day ticket. Free entry first Sunday of the month plus 25 April, 2 June and 4 November. Book ahead for weekend mornings.
Book or check times
Tickets and opening times (Musei Reali)Visiting information
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Questions
What does the Royal Palace ticket include?
One EUR 15 ticket covers the royal apartments, the Royal Armory, the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, the Galleria Sabauda, the Museum of Antiquities and the Royal Gardens. Reports repeatedly warn that visitors who only see the state rooms miss the armory, the complex's most praised gallery.
When is the Royal Palace closed?
Every Wednesday. Otherwise it runs about 9:00 to 19:00 with last entry at 18:00, and admission is free on the first Sunday of each month plus 25 April, 2 June and 4 November.
Is the Royal Armory part of the palace visit?
Yes, it sits on the same ticket inside the Beaumont gallery: one of Europe's richest arms and armor collections, over 5,000 objects, and the part of the complex reports most often call underrated. It reopened in late 2025 after months of energy-upgrade works.
Can I see Leonardo's self-portrait there?
Not right now: the museum notes the famous red-chalk self-portrait is off display while the fragile drawing rests, with substitute Leonardo studies shown in the Royal Library instead. Check the museum page before building a visit around it.
Is the actual Shroud of Turin on display?
No. The Guarini chapel inside the complex was built to hold the relic and is visitable, but the shroud itself stays sealed in the Cathedral next door and is only shown on rare special display years. Visitors expecting to see it should know the chapel is the sight.
Is the Royal Palace good value compared with other Turin sights?
At EUR 15 for five museums in one, yes: reports call it the city's best value ticket, and under-18s plus ages 18 to 25 pay EUR 0 to 2. It is also the sight most often recommended for a rainy Turin day.