Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens Tour
Description
Visit the Baroque gem in Austria’s crown on this small-group half-day Schönbrunn Palace tour in Vienna. Follow a historian guide through the palace’s ornate gardens, and admire fine views over the pretty hilltop archway. As you explore, listen as a guide brings the House of Habsburg era to life. Then, step through the palace’s beautiful bedrooms and suites, and marvel at the ornate decorations in the Great Gallery, the Hall of Ceremonies, and the Yellow Salon. Enjoy personal attention from your guide on this small-group tour, limited to six people.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We begin our encounter with the astonishing High Baroque Schönbrunn Palace (built to rival Versailles) with a stroll through the magnificent formal gardens, exploring the Baroque landscaping principle of interlaced nature and architecture that is illustrated everywhere in the layout of the grounds. Approaching the Gloriette, a huge triumphal arch situated on a hilltop with panoramic views of Vienna’s woods, we recall the military victories that made Empress Maria Theresa’s reign (1740-1780) a highpoint of the Habsburg dynasty’s political and cultural dominance in Europe. The park was opened not only to the court but to the general public from 1779, a populist gesture that reveals Maria Theresa’s canny charm offensive towards her subjects. Indeed, it was under Maria Theresa’s direction that Schönbrunn Palace became the focal point of Austria’s imperial policy and the centre of court life, in addition to functioning as the summer residence of a reigning family counting not less than 16 children! Several of this teaming brood of young royals did not survive to adulthood but the palace preserves the memory of their infancy, childhood summer activities, illnesses and early loss.
Generations of Habsburg rulers put their stamp on Schönbrunn. The Franz-Joseph & Elisabeth Apartments tell the story of a couple torn apart by the burdens of state. In 1854, Emperor Franz Joseph married the Bavarian princess Elizabeth (known better under the affectionate nickname Sisi) who despised the rituals of court life and the ornate environment of the summer palace. Visiting one lavish room after another gives us an ample sense of the opulence which country-reared Sisi fled: The dining room with precious tableware and “imperial napkins” in the form of a “fleur de lys” witnessed countless state dinners; the Hall of Ceremonies records the pompous Baroque celebrations it hosted, such as the wedding of Crown Prince Joseph, depicted in a series of scenes by court painter Martin van Meytens; the so-called “Porcelain Room” (office of Maria Theresa), completely done in imitation of precious china with orientalist drawings drafted by the imperial children. The unique “Millions Room” owes its name to a fabulous price in gold ducats paid for it: antiquated Indo-Persian miniatures with rococo-frames, wall hangings manufactured of carved rosewood from the Antilles make the “Millions chamber” one of the most accomplished combinations of Oriental and European decorative art from the Rococo era.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Your guide will help you to purchase your Schönbrunn Palace & Park entrance tickets
Reviews(124)
Stephan was very friendly and easy to ask questions to. He had good information on every question. He helped ensure we got the most out of the tour. Highly recommended.
Thank you for the wonderful review. We're so pleased you enjoyed your tour. Hope to see you on another Insight Cities tour in Prague, Berlin, Budapest, Vienna, or Salzburg. Safe travels!
A very good guide who gave us a great experience at the beautiful castle. I highly recommend her 🙂
Takk for den fantastiske anmeldelsen. Vi er så glade for at du likte turen. Håper å se deg på en annen Insight Cities-tur i Praha, Berlin, Budapest, Wien eller Salzburg. God reise!
The castle was the first destination of the visit to Vienna. Describing it is difficult because the majesty, the beauty, the care of the spaces leave you speechless. The greatness of the Habsburgs is inferred.
Grazie per la splendida recensione. Siamo davvero felici che il tour le sia piaciuto. Speriamo di rivederla in un altro tour di Insight Cities a Praga, Berlino, Budapest, Vienna o Salisburgo. Buon viaggio!
Meeting our guide was easy as was getting our tickets, and bypassing the lines to get into the palace. Stefan our guide was knowledgeable, pleasant, fun and focused. We were able to see a great deal of the palace rather quickly, learning more than those around us as his commentary was directed exactly to us and where we were in the palaces, as well as very deep if we asked to dive into any topic. It made the most of our time without any feeling of being rushed, highly recommend.
Thank you for the wonderful review. We're so pleased you enjoyed it. Hoping to see you on another Insight Cities tour in Prague, Berlin, Budapest, Vienna, or Salzburg. Safe travels!
Loved the tour. Kristina was great. We were lucky in that it was just the two of us so it was kind of like a private tour. Kristina was very informative and gave us tons of helpful information and history
Thank you for the wonderful review. We're so pleased you enjoyed it. Hoping to see you on another Insight Cities tour in Prague, Berlin, Budapest, Vienna, or Salzburg. Safe travels!
We took a small group tour with Kristina. As it happened, we were the only two this time so it was more like a private tour. Score! She was wonderful. Friendly and informative. She explained about each of the rooms usage and the history of the Hapsburg family. Not just dates, but who they were personally and their stories which I find more interesting. Not only was it an interesting tour, but she gave us some great recommendations on restaurants, dishes, we should try and some places we should consider visiting. All in all an excellent experience.
Thank you for the wonderful review. We're so pleased you enjoyed it. Hoping to see you on another Insight Cities tour in Prague, Berlin, Budapest, Vienna, or Salzburg. Safe travels!
Excellent guide inside the castle, a lot of history knowledge, but she live us in the garden without the tour or advise what to see.
Thank you very much for the feedback. We're thrilled you had a great time with our guide inside the palace. We will make sure that in the future our guides give a better tour of the gardens as well. Safe travels.
Great tour. Highly recommend Elisabeth. She was very pleasant, knowledgeable, and provided a lot of great information. Can highly recommend without reservations.
Thank you for the wonderful review. We're so pleased you enjoyed it. Hoping to see you on another Insight Cities tour in Prague, Berlin, Budapest, Vienna, or Salzburg. Safe travels!
Our tour guide, Alexander, really knew his history when it came to this tour. If you are into details and stories of what life was like back in the time that the palace was most active, he is your guide. The rooms are stunning and the information that you come out of it with will stay with you for a long time. You can tell that Alex has a true passion for history and this particular gem.
Thank you for the wonderful review. We're so pleased you enjoyed it. Hoping to see you on another Insight Cities tour in Prague, Berlin, Budapest, Vienna, or Salzburg. Safe travels!
Wolfgang was a very knowlegeable guide after being a career attorney. He met us ontime and got us into an Uber following the tour.
Thank you so much for the great feedback. We'll definitely pass that on to your guide. Safe travels.
