Travel · Vienna · Schönbrunn
Vienna Zoo (Schönbrunn Zoo): Our Visit, Tickets and Tips
We spent a good two to three hours at Vienna Zoo, the Tiergarten Schönbrunn, as a family, and what stayed with me most was how green it felt. The paths were clean, there was plenty of greenery and shade, and the enclosures looked roomy to us, nothing like animals lined up in small cages.
If you’re wondering whether Schönbrunn Zoo deserves a place in your Vienna plans, my short answer is yes. Here’s how our visit went, along with the practical details I’d want in front of me before going.
Green, clean and room to breathe
The first thing I noticed was the greenery. Trees and plants are part of the setting here, not just a backdrop, and the whole place felt tidy and easy to wander through. Pelicans stood beside a pond under the trees, and I stopped by the leafy railings for a photo.
The enclosures looked spacious to us, which made the walk more enjoyable. It was an easy place to wander without ticking things off a list.
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It was an easy place to wander without ticking things off a list.
Penguins, flamingos and a jellyfish surprise
Plenty made us stop. Penguins gathered around their rocky pool, and a group of flamingos stood at the water’s edge. We photographed them through glass, so you can still see the reflections in the frame.
Then came the jellyfish: orange bells and trailing tentacles against dark water, a completely different picture from the sunlit enclosures outside.
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Giraffes reaching for leaves, tortoises among the plants
Outside, the giraffes stretched towards leafy branches beside their building, and two large tortoises sat among the grass, rocks and plants.
You don’t need to turn the visit into a checklist of every animal to have an interesting few hours. Leave yourself time to stop, look and enjoy the surroundings.
Giraffes stretching towards the leafy branches.
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Is Vienna Zoo worth visiting, and how long do you need?
For us, yes: it was an easy, green outing that we enjoyed as a family. We spent around two to three hours. Treat that as a starting point rather than a promise that you’ll see everything in that time. Allow more room in your day if you like a slower pace or want to combine the zoo with other parts of Schönbrunn.
We bought our tickets right at the zoo. There were other visitors, but we had no particular problems with queues. It felt like a good outing for a family or a couple.
- 2–3 hoursWhat we spent at the zoo
- At the zooWe bought our tickets right there
- No queue troubleDuring our visit, not a guarantee
Vienna Zoo tickets, opening times and getting there
The zoo’s website currently lists adult day tickets at €29, tickets for ages 6 to 18 at €17, and free entry for children under six. It opens at 9 a.m. every day, with closing times that move through the year between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. Last admission is half an hour before closing, so don’t arrive at the last minute. Check the dates you’re planning before you set off.
By public transport, head for U4 Hietzing and the main entrance at Hietzinger Tor. The zoo sits within the Schönbrunn Palace grounds, so check the entrance as well as the route, and if you’re driving, remember that the car park is small.
Adult€29
Ages 6–18€17
Under 6Free
Day tickets, per person, as currently listed. The reduced rate needs photo ID. These are today’s prices, not what we remember paying.
Closing time
- January
- 16:30
- February
- 17:00
- March
- 17:30
- April–September
- 18:30
- October, until clocks change
- 17:30
- October–December
- 16:30
Opening
- Opens daily
- 09:00
- Public holidays
- Open
- Last admission
- 30 min before closing
Getting there
- Underground: U4 to Hietzing, then the main entrance at Hietzinger Tor.
- Tram and bus: lines 10, 49, 52 and 60 and buses 51A, 56A, 56B, 58A and 58B are also listed.
- By car: limited public parking at Seckendorff-Gudent-Weg, 1130 Wien. Park & Ride at Hütteldorf (U4) and Siebenhirten (U6) is another option.
A small souvenir on the way out
We bought a soft toy as we were leaving, and I posed with it outside a large glasshouse nearby: a small keepsake from a family outing we really enjoyed.
For us, Schönbrunn Zoo was worth making time for. It gave us an interesting walk, animals to watch and surroundings we liked spending time in. Give it a few hours of its own in your Vienna plans, rather than squeezing it into the last part of the day. For the evening, I wrote about the Prater, Strandcafé and 7Stern Bräu.
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