What to See Inside the Hofburg
Updated October 2, 2026
A dozen things inside the Hofburg are open to visitors and they are not equally worth your afternoon. This is the order we would take them in, with the price and the operator for each, because four different organisations sell tickets at this address and none of their tickets covers another. Prices read from each operator on 18 September 2026.
- #1
The Imperial Apartments
The rooms Franz Joseph and Elisabeth actually lived in.
In the Imperial Chancellery Wing and the Amalia Residence, furnished and authentically restored on historical models. On the palace ticket at EUR 20 with the Sisi Museum and Silver Collection. About two hours for all three.
- #2
The Imperial Treasury
The crown of the Holy Roman Empire and the Holy Lance.
In the Swiss Court, the oldest part of the palace, run by the Kunsthistorisches Museum. EUR 16 online, under-19s free, closed Tuesdays. Allow an hour: it is the densest hour in the complex.
- #3
The Sisi Museum
Her own objects, against the myth the films made.
In the Stephan apartments since 2004, designed by Rolf Langenfass and inspired by her poetry. Same ticket as the apartments. Closed 6 October to 18 November 2026 for refurbishment.
- #4
The Spanish Riding School
Lipizzan stallions in a hall built for them in 1735.
Performances from EUR 26, the morning training about $20, a guided tour about $28. The training session is the cheapest way into the Winter Riding School.
- #5
The State Hall of the Austrian National Library
The baroque library room at Josefsplatz.
One enormous frescoed hall with Venetian globes and Prince Eugene's library. The library sells its own ticket: EUR 12 for an adult, free under 19, and included in the Vienna PASS and FLEXI Pass.
- #6
The Albertina
State rooms and a serious collection, open late twice a week.
At the palace's southern tip. EUR 20.90 for an adult, under-19s free, open to 21:00 on Wednesdays and Fridays, which makes it the right last stop.
- #7
The Silver Collection
135,000 objects from the imperial dining table.
On the ground floor of the palace route and included in that ticket: porcelain, gilt-bronze centrepieces, and the imperial napkin still folded to the old pattern.
- #8
The Neue Burg museums
The quiet wing: world cultures, armour and old instruments.
Weltmuseum Wien, the Imperial Armoury and the Collection of Historic Musical Instruments, on one audio-guided ticket of about $26. Closed Mondays.
- #9
The courtyards and gardens
Free, open and the only way to grasp the scale.
In der Burg, the Schweizerhof, Heldenplatz, Michaelerplatz, the Burggarten and the Volksgarten. Cost nothing, open at any hour, and worth an hour before you buy any ticket.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to see inside the Hofburg?
The Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum and Silver Collection on one ticket, plus the Imperial Treasury, the State Hall, the Spanish Riding School, the Albertina and the Neue Burg museums, each with its own.
What should I see if I only have two hours?
The palace museum route, which is about two hours on its own. If you would rather see one dense thing, the Imperial Treasury takes an hour.
How many museums are in the Hofburg?
Enough that no single ticket covers them: four operators sell admission at this address, and the Neue Burg alone holds three collections.
Sources