How to Visit Schönbrunn: My Pro Tips!
Are you excited about visiting the magnificent Schönbrunn Castle in Vienna? Then you should plan your trip and check out my pro tips, to get the most out of your time in Schönbrunn!
Plan your trip
Get an overview of Schönbrunn casle and park and make a plan, what you want to see, but also what you want to skip. This is necessary, because Schönbrunn castle and park is really, really big and you might want to avoid packing your schedule too full.
Schönbrunn can be divided into three main areas:
Palace: explore the emperor's apartments, state rooms, and the grand galerie
Park: colorful flower beds, impressive fountains, and the iconic Gloriette
Zoo: The Schönbrunn Zoo houses adorable animals in a historic setting
Paid attractions
While most of the park is free, certain gardens, such as the Orangery Garden, Privy Garden, Maze, and the Gloriette's observation terrace, come with an entrance fee. However, I think that these paid areas are not a must, especially if you are vising Schönbrunn for the first time. Instead, I recommend concentrating on the free parts of the park, like the Grand Parterre with its colorful flower beds, fountains, the Gloriette, or the botanical garden.
Another sight in Schönbrunn, that you have to pay for, is the Imperial Carriage Museum (“Wagenburg”). This former riding hall is located right next to the castle and it features carriages, sleighs, and other imperial court vehicles.
Inside the castle, there are also some activities that cost extra, besinde the entrance fee. These are the children's museum and the virtual reality show.
4. Don’t overpay for tickets
Since the tickets for Schönbrunn are actually quite pricey, I recommend to buy a ticket that really covers only what you want to see.
See the castle
If you only want to visit the castle, you can choose between 3 different tours:
Option number one is the tour through the state apartments, where you will see a lot of the gliz and glam from the 18th century including the grand galery.
Tickete Option two is the imperial tour, which takes you in the apartments of Emperor Franz Joseph and his beautiful wife Elisabeth. And you will also see the grand galery.
And option number 3 is the grand tour. This is the longest tour and it combines both the state apartments aswell as the imperial tour. So with this ticket you will see all the rooms on the first floor of the palace.
Admission ticket includes an audio guide. Guided tours with a guide has to be booked extra.
By the way: I also do guided tours in Schönbrunn. If you want to know book a tour with me about that, please contact me :)
Combo Tickets
Next, let's take a look at the combo tickets. With these tickets you book multiple attractions and save money overall.
The Classic Pass includes the grand tour in the castle as well as the paid parts of the park.
With the Classic Pass Plus, you can also get admission to the zoo, the virtual reality show as well as to the Desert House and the Palm House.
If you visit Schönbrunn with your kids: You can combine the Children's Museum with the Maze in the Park or additionally with the Zoo.
Please note, that the combo tickets, that inlcude the paid gardens areas are seasonal tickets, and are not available during winter.:
Winter Pass tropical: combines the Castle with the zoo, the desert house and the palmhouse
Winter pass virtual: combines the castle, the zoo and the virtual reality show
Beside the seasonal combo tickets, there are also combination tickets with other castles. For example the Sisi Ticket, that combines Schönbrunn Castle with the Hofburg, which is the Imperial Palace and the furniture Museum.
Also, you might want to check out the Vienna pass. Which is a very popular sightseeing pass for Vienna and it also includes Schönbrunn palace as well as many other attractions in Schönbrunn. However, please note, that with this pass you will have to get your admission ticket for the castle at the ticket office in Schönbrunn. There you will also get a timeslot for your visit. If there is no time slot for the same day, you will be given one for the next day. Please consider that, when planning your schedule!
Unusual things to do in Schönbrunn
Besides the more classic activities in Schönbrunn like visiting the palace or the park there are also some more unusual things to do.
Mozart and Strauss Concert: Enjoy a spectacular Mozart and Strauss concert in the Orangerie Schönbrunn, located in the Schönbrunn Palace area, a UNESCO World Heritage site. More Information
Strudel Show with Tasting at Schönbrunn Palace: Enjoy the Strudel Show in the court bakery of the Café Residenz in Vienna. See how traditional Viennese apple strudel is made and enjoy tasting a warm, freshly baked piece of the popular delicacy at the end of the show. More information
Schönbrunn Palace Evening Tour, Dinner and Concert: After-hours tour of the Palace, dinner in a selected restaurant near the palace, and a classical music concert featuring Mozart and Strauss in the Orangery. More information
Schönbrunn Puppet Theater: State-of-the-art technology meets 250 year-old tradition: The multi-award winning marionette theater in Schönbrunn Palace enchants with its hand-made puppets and authentically detailed stage sets. See Mozart's "The Magic Flute", Johann Strauss' "Fledermaus" or "Sisi's Secret" performed with hand made puppets. -An experience for adults and children alike! More information
3. Get your ticket online
During high season you might find really long lines at the ticket counter. Also, the number of visitors to the castle is limited, and if you're unlucky, you won't even get a ticket for the same day. So, my advice is: get your ticket online ahead of time. You can do that on the Schönbrunn Website or the Schönbrunn app, where you can also select the timeslot, that suits you most.
But be careful: They're really strict about the time slots! So, make sure that you arrive at the castle little a bit earlier so you don't miss your entry!
Buy your Schönbrunn ticket online:
4. Where to eat and drink
Since your Schönbrunn visit will probably take a few hours, you might want to eat and drink something. And these are my favorite places to do so!
The easiest and most affordable way is to simply buy some snacks before your visit and enjoy them in the park. And if you get thirsty, you can fill your water bottle at one of the water fountain for free.
If you rather prefer going to a restaurant, there are also options available. My favorite spots are:
Café in the Gloriette: The view at the palace is truly beautiful. Make sure, to book well ahead of time to get a good table near the window! More information
Landmanns Jausenstation: Hidden among hedged in the park, this peaceful place lets you recharge your energy after a long day of exploring Schönbrunn. Landmann’s Jausenstation is not open during winter! Please check the website for further information.
The Imperial Beer Tavern: Located right next to the Imperial Carriage Museum. This down to earth restaurant serves hearty Austrian meals and snacks in an imperial surrounding. The beer tavern is also not open during winter season. More information
You can find the restaurants by checking the Maps in the park or by using the Schönbrunn App.
5. Use the Schönbrunn App
With the Schönbrunn app you can plan your visit, book tickets and also get exclusive offers in Schönbrunn. And there's also an interactive map where restaurants, sights and bathroom facilitys are marked. Also you will get background information on many sights in Schönbrunn.
You can download the Schönbrunn App: