Location: In front of the palace ticket office
Who it’s for: Visitors buying or redeeming on-site tickets
Average wait time: 60 to 120 mins (peak), 20 to 40 mins (off-season)
Skip-the-line? Yes, bypassed with pre-booked skip-the-line tickets
Queues at Schönbrunn Palace can stretch 60 to 120 minutes in peak months, especially between June and August. Long waits under the summer sun or rain are uncomfortable, and lines move slowly due to fixed entry slots. General admission is cheaper, but unpredictable queues mean you risk losing an hour or more of sightseeing time.
With skip-the-line tickets, you can usually enter in 10 to 20 minutes instead of waiting up to 2 hours. Here are the best skip-the-line options you can book right now:
See all your options to skip the lines at Schönbrunn Palace
Bypass the long ticket queues and head straight inside after a quick security check. These timed-entry options help you save up to two hours in peak season, so you can spend more time exploring the imperial staterooms and gardens, not standing outside.
Pro tip: Popular slots often sell out several days in advance between June and August, so secure your entry early.
Skip-the-line tickets let you bypass the long ticket desk, but not security. With timed-entry, you use a reserved slot and typically enter within 15 to 20 minutes instead of 60 to 120. Guided tours often use a group entrance, while some packages include after-hours or early access, helping you avoid peak-hour congestion.
During Vienna’s busy summer months, Schönbrunn Palace attracts over 4 million visitors annually, leading to long and slow-moving entry queues.
Arriving right at opening or after 4pm often means a significantly shorter line, sometimes none at all.
Note: These wait times apply to the entrance ticket queue only. All visitors must also pass through mandatory security screening after scanning their ticket.
Entry to Schönbrunn Palace is through the main courtyard entrance facing the Grand Parterre, where ticketing, security, and guided tour lines are organized.
During peak summer, lines can stretch well past an hour. With this skip-the-line guided tour, you bypass the ticket desk and enter via the group entrance in about 15 minutes, giving you more time to enjoy the State Rooms and gardens.
Even with skip-the-line access, your experience will depend on timing, weather, and how early you arrive. Use this guide to book smart and make the most of your visit.
Skip-the-line tickets save you 1 to 2 hours between June and August by bypassing the long ticketing queue. You also secure a guaranteed entry slot, avoid last-minute stress, and can add a guided tour for a richer context.
Without skip-the-line tickets, waits can stretch 1.5 to 2.5 hours under the midday sun between 10am and 2pm. You risk losing preferred slots, feeling rushed inside, or even missing entry late in the day.
Yes. All visitors must pass through security, even with skip-the-line tickets. The difference is that you bypass the long ticket desk line, so most guests are inside within 10 to 20 minutes instead of an hour or more.
Schönbrunn Palace guided tours use the group entrance, which is usually faster than timed entry. You save similar wait time, but also gain expert context and headset audio, making it the more complete choice for most visitors.
No. Schönbrunn Palace skip-the-line tickets work on fixed time slots. Arriving outside your slot may mean waiting for the next available entry. This system controls crowding inside the Imperial Rooms.
Standard Schönbrunn Palace skip-the-line tickets include palace interiors and the formal gardens. Combos add the Schönbrunn Zoo, Belvedere Palace, or hop-on-hop-off bus tours. Always check inclusions when booking, as access varies by ticket type.
Skip-the-line tickets are priced higher than general admission, but what you’re really buying is time and certainty. They remove the hassle of long queues, guarantee your entry slot, and often include extras like guided tours, concerts, or attraction combos.
No. Schönbrunn Palace skip-the-line tickets are valid for a single entry only. Once you exit the Imperial Rooms route, you cannot re-enter on the same ticket. Combos apply separately to each attraction.
Yes. Wheelchair users can access via ramps and designated entrances. Staff will guide you to the lifts for the State Rooms. Remember that you can bypass the ticket queue with fast-track entry tickets, but security and accessibility checks remain mandatory.
Skip-the-line tickets are limited and usually sell out online 2 to 3 days in advance. Same-day purchases are rare, and you’ll almost certainly end up in the regular queue if you wait.
Skip the lines at Schönbrunn & explore its palace, intertiors, gardens & history with an expert guide.
Inclusions
Skip-the-line entry to Schönbrunn Palace
2.5-hour guided tour of the Palace interiors, Schönbrunn Palace Gardens, and Courtyards (based on option selected)
3.5-hour guided city tour of Vienna’s top landmarks (based on option selected)
English, German, Spanish, Italian, or French-speaking expert guide (as per option selected)
Access to 22 imperial staterooms inside the palace
Walking tour of the Schönbrunn Gardens and Courtyards (includes free-access areas; weather-dependent)
Small-group experience with a maximum of 25 guests (available on select English-guided tours only)
Headsets for groups of 10+ to ensure clear audio during the palace tour
Exclusions
Food and drinks
Souvenir photos
Tips (optional)
Gilded staterooms to giant pandas, experience two of Vienna’s top attractions in a single day, complete with skip-the-line access and expert insights.
Inclusions Schönbrunn Palace
Skip-the-line entry to Schönbrunn Palace with access to 22 imperial staterooms
2.5-hour guided tour of the Palace interiors
Expert English or German-speaking guide (as per option selected)
Walking tour of the Palace Gardens and Courtyards
Headsets for groups of 10+ for clear audio
Schönbrunn Zoo
Skip-the-line entry to Schönbrunn Zoo
Access to all public exhibits and animal enclosures
Exclusions
Food and drinks
Souvenir photos
Tips (optional)
Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Zoo
Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Zoo
Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Zoo
Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Zoo
See Vienna at your own pace with a 48-hour hop-on hop-off pass, plus priority entry to Schönbrunn and the Upper Belvedere.
Inclusions Hop-on-hop-off bus tour (Big Bus Vienna):
48-hour unlimited access to hop-on hop-off buses
Access to both Red and Blue Routes, covering Vienna’s most iconic landmarks
Pre-recorded audio commentary in 8 languages: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian & Arabic
Free Wi-Fi and complimentary headphones on board
Access to the Big Bus mobile app with route map and live bus tracking
Schönbrunn Palace (near Stop #6, Blue Route):
Skip-the-line entry
Access to 22 imperial staterooms
Walking tour of the Palace Gardens and Courtyards
Belvedere Palace (near Stop #8, Blue Route):
Entry to the Upper Belvedere Palace
Access to the main permanent collection, featuring Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss, and works by Egon Schiele, Claude Monet, and others
Exclusions
Food and drinks
Souvenir photos
Tips (optional)
Please click here for detailed route maps and boarding points. You can join the tour at any stop and hop on and off for the duration of your ticket. Red Route
Blue Route
Hop-on-hop-off bus tour
Schönbrunn Palace
Belvedere Palace
Hop-on-hop-off bus tour
Schönbrunn Palace
Belvedere Palace
Hop-on-hop-off bus tour
Schönbrunn Palace
Belvedere Palace
Hop-on-hop-off bus tour
Schönbrunn Palace
Belvedere Palace
Inclusions
Entry to Schönbrunn Palace
2-hour Mozart and Strauss concert, featuring overtures, arias, and duets
Free choice of seating in the selected category
3-course meal in a selected restaurant near the palace (excluding drinks)
Exclusive after-hours tour of Schönbrunn’s Imperial Rooms with a multilingual audio guide (available in 16 languages)
Seating options:
Category A: Open seats within the first 2 to 3 rows with a glass of sparkling wine or orange juice at the concert bar
Category B: Open seats within the middle section
Category C: Open seats within the rear section
VIP ticket holders:
Skip-the-line entry to both the entrance of the concert hall and the concert bar
Premium front-row seats
A welcome drink before the concert
A glass of sparkling wine
An exclusive VIP program booklet
Free cloakroom access
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.
You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.