Vienna / The verdict
Which Schönbrunn Palace ticket should you buy?
Buy the Palace Ticket (42 EUR, about 75 minutes): it covers every room on the palace tour, and travelers who took it say it is enough. Upgrade to the 49 EUR Classic Pass only if you want the Gloriette terrace, the maze and the paid gardens.
By The Real Traveler Experiences team. We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict.
The Vienna story
Vienna is imperial Europe polished to a shine: palaces, the Ringstrasse, world-class museums and coffee houses where a single melange buys a table for the afternoon. It is one of the easiest capitals to navigate, immaculate transit, legible layout, manners included, and the concert and opera calendar is the real thing rather than a tourist product.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Our pick: Palace Ticket (runner-up: Classic Pass)
Buy the Palace Ticket (42 EUR, about 75 minutes): it covers every room on the palace tour, and travelers who took it say it is enough. Upgrade to the 49 EUR Classic Pass only if you want the Gloriette terrace, the maze and the paid gardens.
Go if
- You want the full palace interior, including Maria Theresa's rooms, with the free audio guide
- You can book a timed slot on the official ticket site before you go
- You have at least half a day for the palace and the free park
Skip if
- You only want the gardens: the park is free, and the paid garden spots have their own 16 EUR ticket
- You have under an hour: the 30 EUR State Apartments ticket covers the main state rooms in about 40 minutes
- You dislike Baroque palace interiors; some travelers skip Schönbrunn for art museums
The options
Palace Ticket Go
Most first-time visitors who want every room on the palace tour with the free audio guide.
Good
- Covers the full piano nobile, including Maria Theresa's rooms, per the official site.
- Travelers who took the longer tour describe it as worth the extra time.
- Costs 12 EUR more than State Apartments for about 35 extra minutes.
Watch out
- 42 EUR for adults in the summer season.
- The Great Gallery is the most crowded room, according to reports.
- No garden attractions included.
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Classic Pass It depends
Visitors spending most of a day who want the Gloriette terrace, the maze and the paid gardens.
Good
- Adds four paid garden attractions to the Palace Ticket for 7 EUR more.
- Travelers who bought it liked having the major spots on one ticket.
- Good for families, since the maze and labyrinth are included.
Watch out
- Sold only until 2 November 2026 and valid on the date of issue.
- The paid gardens open at 9:30 am and close at 4 pm from 26 October.
- Most of the park is free, so the extras matter only if you will use them.
State Apartments It depends
Visitors with limited time or budget who want the main state rooms in about 40 minutes.
Good
- Cheapest palace ticket at 30 EUR with the audio guide.
- Includes the Great Gallery and the main state rooms.
- Some travelers and a local forum regular say it is enough for most visitors.
Watch out
- Stops before Maria Theresa's private rooms.
- Same timed-slot booking as the longer ticket.
- Saves only 12 EUR against the Palace Ticket.
Classic Pass Plus Skip
Only families planning two days at Schönbrunn with the Zoo.
Good
- Adds the Zoo and Desert Experience House to the Classic Pass.
- Extras stay valid until the end of the season.
Watch out
- Costs 81 EUR for adults.
- The official site puts the duration at about 1 to 2 days, and a traveler found it too rushed for one day.
- Sold only in the summer season.
| Criterion | Palace Ticket | Classic Pass | State Apartments | Classic Pass Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official adult price | 42 EUR | 49 EUR | 30 EUR | 81 EUR |
| Official child price (6 to 18) | 30 EUR | 36 EUR | 20 EUR | 58 EUR |
| Palace rooms | Full piano nobile, about 75 min | Palace Ticket rooms, about 75 min | Selected state rooms, about 40 min | Palace Ticket rooms, about 75 min |
| Extras included | None | Privy Garden, Orangery Garden, Maze, Gloriette terrace | None | Classic Pass extras plus Zoo and Desert Experience House |
| When sold | Not published | 27 March to 2 November 2026 | Not published | 27 March to 2 November 2026 |
| What travelers report | Most recommended interior ticket | Good value if you use the garden extras | Enough for a short visit | Too much for one day |
What it costs
- State Apartments (selected state rooms, audio guide): €30 (about 40 minutes; children 6 to 18 pay 20 EUR; subject to seasonal price changes). Official source, checked Sep 2026.
- Palace Ticket (full piano nobile, audio guide): €42 (about 75 minutes; children 6 to 18 pay 30 EUR; subject to seasonal price changes). Official source, checked Sep 2026.
- Classic Pass (Palace Ticket, Privy Garden, Maze and Labyrinth, Orangery Garden, Gloriette terrace): €49 (summer season only, 27 March to 2 November 2026; valid on the date of issue; children 6 to 18 pay 36 EUR). Official source, checked Sep 2026.
- Classic Pass Plus (Classic Pass plus Zoo and Desert Experience House): €81 (summer season only; the official site gives a duration of about 1 to 2 days; children 6 to 18 pay 58 EUR). Official source, checked Sep 2026.
- Exclusive Gardens (Privy Garden, Maze, Orangery Garden, Gloriette terrace, no palace): €16 (one entry per attraction until 2 November 2026; children 6 to 18 pay 11 EUR). Official source, checked Sep 2026.
- Guided Tour Maria Theresia: €44 (about 75 minutes with a guide; English tours daily at 10 am, 12 pm and 3 pm; children 6 to 18 pay 34 EUR). Official source, checked Sep 2026.
- Sisi Pass (Palace Ticket, Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments at the Hofburg, Vienna Furniture Museum): €60 (valid one year; timed slot needed for Schönbrunn only; Sisi Museum section closed 6 October to 18 November 2026). Official source, checked Sep 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 12 traveler reports (Feb 2025 to Aug 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 1 was negative.
What people like
- The free audio guide is thorough, and one writer says a guided group adds little.
- The longer Palace Ticket rooms, including Maria Theresa's apartments, are what travelers single out.
- The free park and the view from the Gloriette hill rival the palace interior.
- The Classic Pass is an easy add-on for travelers who want the terrace and paid gardens.
What people complain about
- The Great Gallery and the palace grounds get crowded once tour groups arrive in mid-morning.
- Timed slots are required and sell out in high season, so walk-up plans can fail.
- Ticket names keep changing, and guides quote old tours and prices.
- Late-day visitors can miss the Gloriette terrace, which closes before the park does.
How to do it right
- Buy online only at imperialtickets.com or at the palace ticket office; the official site warns that fake ticket websites are increasing.
- Pick the Palace Ticket unless you are short on time; the State Apartments ticket stops before Maria Theresa's private rooms.
- Book an early slot; one traveler who arrived around 8:30 am found the courtyard and gardens nearly empty, with tour groups filling in by 10 am.
- With the Classic Pass, do the Gloriette terrace and paid gardens before your palace slot if it is late in the day; the Privy and Orangery Gardens close at 5:30 pm until 25 October and 4 pm from 26 October.
- Consider entering at the top of the park by the Maria Theresia gate and walking down to the palace; forum travelers and a local recommend it to avoid the uphill climb.
- Arrive in time: the official site lists last admission 45 minutes before closing.
The trap to avoid
Quoting old ticket names and prices: many guides still sell the Imperial Tour and Grand Tour at older prices, but the official tickets are now State Apartments (30 EUR) and the Palace Ticket (42 EUR), sold online only at imperialtickets.com.
What to do instead
Why this verdict
The reports agree on the interior more than on the extras. Travelers who took the longer tour describe it as worth the time, and the rooms they single out, Maria Theresa’s lacquer and Chinese rooms, are on the Palace Ticket and not on State Apartments. One writer who has been twice says the Palace Ticket with the free audio guide covers everything worth seeing inside, and that no pricier tier is needed. So the pick is the Palace Ticket: 12 EUR more than State Apartments buys about 35 extra minutes and the rooms travelers remember.
State Apartments still has a case. A long-time blogger and a local forum regular both think the shorter tour is enough for most people, and it keeps the Great Gallery. If you are squeezing Schönbrunn into a busy day, or palace rooms are not your thing, it is the sensible cut.
The Classic Pass is the runner-up because the gap is small: 7 EUR over the Palace Ticket for the Gloriette terrace, the maze and two paid gardens. Writers who bought it liked having everything on one ticket. The catch is that the park itself is free, and several travelers were happy with the free grounds and the view from the Gloriette hill. Buy the pass only if you will climb to the terrace or have children who want the maze. Skip the Classic Pass Plus unless the Zoo is part of the plan; the official site puts it at one to two days, and one writer found it too rushed for a single day.
The mixed reports are about timing, not tickets. The Great Gallery fills with groups, and a traveler on a 3 pm tour missed the Gloriette terrace because it had closed by the time the tour ended.
Timing and tickets
Prices here are the summer season rates, which the official site says change by season. The Classic Pass and Exclusive Gardens tickets stop on 2 November 2026. Buy from imperialtickets.com, which the official site names as the only online seller of genuine tickets, and book a morning slot if you can.
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Official Schönbrunn ticketsAll tickets and what they include
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Questions
What happened to the Imperial Tour and the Grand Tour?
The official site now sells State Apartments (selected state rooms, about 40 minutes) and the Palace Ticket (all rooms of the piano nobile, about 75 minutes). These match the old short and long tours, and forum locals confirm the old 40-room Grand Tour is now the Palace Ticket. Prices quoted under the old names are out of date.
Where can you buy official tickets?
The official site says genuine tickets are sold online only at imperialtickets.com, and at the ticket desks at the palace. It warns that fake ticket websites are increasing, so check the address before paying.
Are the gardens free?
Yes. The official site says you can enter the palace park free during opening hours, with gates opening at 6:30 am. The Privy Garden, Orangery Garden, Maze and the Gloriette terrace need a ticket, which the Classic Pass and the 16 EUR Exclusive Gardens ticket include.
Can you buy the Classic Pass in winter?
No. The official site sells the Classic Pass and Classic Pass Plus in the summer season only, 27 March to 2 November 2026. In the winter season it lists a Winter Pass that pairs the Palace Ticket with the Zoo, and all prices are subject to seasonal changes.
Is the Sisi Pass a better buy?
Only if you will also visit the Hofburg. The 60 EUR Sisi Pass adds the Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments and the Vienna Furniture Museum to the Palace Ticket, valid for a year. The official site says the Sisi Museum section is closed from 6 October to 18 November 2026, while the imperial apartments stay open.
Is there a guided option?
The official Guided Tour Maria Theresia costs 44 EUR and runs about 75 minutes, with English tours daily at 10 am, 12 pm and 3 pm. A forum traveler who took it in August 2025 called it worth it and did not need any other palace ticket.