Belvedere Palace is a jewel of Baroque architecture in Vienna, Austria.
It consists of the Upper Belvedere, Lower Belvedere, Orangery, and Palace Stables.
It’s home to the world’s largest collection of Gustav Klimt masterpieces, including the iconic painting “The Kiss.”
Tourists visit Belvedere Palace to admire its grand architecture, witness the famous paintings of Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt, and stroll along the world-class Baroque gardens.
Belvedere Palace is one of Vienna’s top attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site that attracts more than a million visitors annually.
In this guide, you’ll find essential details on tickets, tours, timings, and expert tips to help you plan a memorable visit to Belvedere Palace.
Most popular tickets
# Belvedere Palace: Skip the Line Tour
# Upper Belvedere ticketsWith high demand, tickets sell out fast. We strongly advise booking early so that you won’t miss out on this unforgettable experience.
What’s ahead
Where to Book Tickets & How Do They Work
Belvedere Palace tickets are available online and at the venue, but booking online in advance is better.
When you get them online, you avoid the long queues at the attraction’s ticket counters and also save some money.
Belvedere Palace tickets tend to sell out, especially during peak days, and booking them early helps you get your preferred time slot.
The tickets get delivered to your email address as soon as you purchase. There is no need to get printouts.
On the day of your visit, you can show the e-ticket on your smartphone and enter.
Ticket Prices for the Belvedere Palace
Belvedere Palace offers separate entry tickets for its two magnificent sections—the Upper Belvedere and the Lower Belvedere.
Upper Belvedere tickets cost €19 for visitors between 19 and 64 years. Students between 19 and 26 (with a valid ID) and seniors 65 pay only €17 for their entry.
Lower Belvedere tickets cost €17 for visitors between 19 and 64 years. Students and seniors pay only €14 for their entry.
Upper Belvedere Ticket
Upper Belvedere ticket gives you access to the permanent collection and Marble Hall.
Cost of tickets
Adult Ticket (19 to 64 years): €19
Child Ticket (up to 18 years): Free
Student Ticket with ID (19 to 26 years): €17
Senior Ticket (65+ years): €17
Lower Belvedere Ticket
Lower Belvedere ticket gives you access to the temporary exhibitions, palace stables, palace gardens, and the Orangery. However, this ticket does not include access to the audio guide.
Cost of tickets
Adult Ticket (19 to 64 years): €17
Child Ticket (up to 18 years): Free
Student Ticket With ID(19 to 26 years): €14
Senior Ticket (65+ years): €14
Guided tour of the Belvedere Palace
Joining a guided tour of Belvedere Palace offers skip-the-line access to the Upper Belvedere.
Guided tours typically last around 1.5 to 2 hours.
A historian who also doubles as a local art guide will take you around the Upper Belvedere, the Palace Gardens, the Museum, etc.
If money isn’t an issue, we highly recommend this because art and architecture are best explored with an expert.
Depending on your preferences, you can choose from:
- Regular Group Tours: Accommodates up to 24 participants, offering a comprehensive overview of the palace and its art. Duration: 90 minutes
- Small Group Tours: Limited to 8 participants, providing a more intimate experience. Duration: 90 minutes.
- Private Tours: Individuals or groups can seek a personalized tour. Duration: 1.5 hours.
These tours are available in multiple languages and offer flexible scheduling to fit your itinerary.
Cost of Tickets
Regular Group Tours: €53
Small Group Tours: €143
Private Tours: €400
Visual Story: 16 must-know tips before visiting Belvedere Palace
FAQs about the Belvedere Palace
Are audio guides available at Belvedere Palace?
Yes, audio guides are available in several languages for an additional fee, and can be rented on-site. Note that audio guides aren’t included with the basic Lower Belvedere tickets.
What are the inclusions of Upper and Lower Belvedere tickets?
The Upper and Lower Belvedere tickets give you access to permanent art collections and temporary exhibitions.
Are the Belvedere Gardens free to enter?
The Main Palace Gardens, Privy Garden, Sculpture Garden, and Botanical Garden – are free to enter. The Alpine Garden requires an entry ticket, which you can purchase from the counter at the garden’s entrance.
Is the Belvedere Palace wheelchair accessible?
Yes, Belvedere Palace is fully accessible for wheelchair users. There are ramps, elevators, and specially adapted restrooms to ensure comfortable access for visitors with disabilities.
Does Belvedere Palace have its own café or restaurant?
Schlosscafé in Upper Belvedere serves traditional Viennese coffee, cakes, pastries, snacks, and light meals. Lucy Bar in Belvedere 21 offers modern café-style dishes, snacks, beverages, and a relaxed atmosphere.
Belvedere Palace Opening Hours
The Belvedere Palace in Vienna has different opening hours for its various sections.
Upper Belvedere opens at 9 AM, and Lower Belvedere opens at 10 AM every day of the week.
The last entry to the Belvedere Palace in Vienna is generally at 5 PM for the Upper Belvedere and 6 PM for the Lower Belvedere on most days.
However, on Thursdays, the Upper Belvedere allows entry until 8 PM, and the Lower Belvedere until 9 PM.
Belvedere 21 Opening Hours
Belvedere 21 is a museum of contemporary art and part of the Belvedere complex.
Belvedere 21 is open from 11 AM to 6 PM from Tuesday to Sunday.
On Thursdays, the attraction closes at 9 PM.
Belvedere 21 remains closed on Mondays. However, it is open on Mondays for public holidays and special occasions.
- Upper Belvedere: 9 AM to 6 PM daily.
- Lower Belvedere: 10 AM to 6 PM daily.
- Belvedere 21: 11 AM to 6 PM (Tuesdays to Sundays), 11 AM to 9 PM on Thursdays.
Palace Garden Timings
The main Belvedere Palace Garden between the Lower and the Upper Belvedere opens at 7.30 AM daily.
The last of the visitors start leaving the Gardens by 5.30 PM.
Best Time to Visit the Belvedere Palace
The best time to visit the Belvedere Palace is 10 AM on a weekday—both Upper Belvedere and Lower Belvedere are open, and the crowd has yet to arrive.
If you can’t make it in the morning, the next best time is 3 PM – after the crowd has left.
Belvedere Palace is busiest from 11 AM to 2 PM, with long lines to enter the attraction.
Expect large crowds during public holidays, summer holidays, school holidays, Christmas, and Easter.
How Long Does it Take to Visit the Belvedere Palace
You will need at least three hours to explore Upper Belvedere, Lower Belvedere, and the Palace Gardens.
You may need more time if you plan to explore permanent or temporary art exhibitions at your leisure.
What to see in the Belvedere Palace?
If you are in Vienna on a short holiday, we recommend that you spend all your time on the Upper Belvedere, the Lower Belvedere, and the Palace Gardens.
However, if you are in Vienna for three days plus a holiday, we recommend you explore everything there is to see at the Belvedere Palace.
Here is the entire list of attractions that make up the Belvedere Palace. Enjoy this amazing blend of history, art, and architecture.
Upper Belvedere Palace
The Upper (Oberes) Belvedere exhibits the majority of the art collection in the Palace’s name.
The Baroque-style building itself is an architectural masterpiece and a beauty to behold.
Some of the masterpieces in Upper Belvedere are in the Ground Floor Hall (Sala Terrena), which four powerful Atlantes support.
The Upper Belvedere Palace houses the world’s largest collection of Gustav Klimt’s works, including the iconic “The Kiss” and “Judith. ”Gustav Klimt created “The Kiss” using gold leaf, silver, and platinum.
The walls of the Hall are stuccoed masterfully.
The Hall leads to the Grand Staircase, showcasing frescoes on both sides. Alexander the Great’s triumph over Darius is on the right wall, and you can see the wives of Darius before Alexander’s win on the left.
Besides this, the Carlone Hall and Marble Hall have beautiful ceiling frescoes and paintings.
The permanent exhibition spans the entire upper Belvedere, showcasing Austrian art in the context of international creativity.
The museum houses around 400 works, highlighting 800 years of art history.
It explores the intersections between art and society, including Austrian treasures, Vienna Modernism, and masterpieces by artists like Monet, Van Gogh, and Rodin.
Lower Belvedere Palace
The Lower Belvedere was to be Prince Eugene’s residence and is as beautiful in its architecture as the Upper Belvedere.
The Lower Belvedere, with spaces like the Hall of Grotesques, Golden Room, and the Marble Gallery, displays military achievements and depictions of Prince Eugene in creative paintings.
It has a magnificent two-story marble hall and a breathtaking marble gallery sporting several centuries-old statues.
It has a Grotesque Hall based on a popular style of art at the time. The myriad of well-preserved paintings are worth exploring.
Other highlights are the Ground Floor Hall and the murals and paintings of the Garden Pavilion.
It also has a separate space for exhibitions called the ‘Spitzhof.’
The former Palace Stables hosts special exhibitions and houses medieval art.
The Baroque gardens feature a massive reflecting pool and terraces linking the Upper and Lower Belvedere.
“Fantastic Plasatics” is an augmented reality game set in Palace Park. This smartphone game is for kids aged eight and above who hunt for virtual animals that once inhabited the Belvedere during Prince Eugene’s time.
Belvedere Palace Museum
The Belvedere Palace Museum is in Upper Belvedere and displays the enormous collection of art and sculptures owned by Belvedere Palaces.
Austrian art from the Middle Ages to the present day masterpieces is on display.
Some of the renowned artists on display at the Belvedere Museum are Van Gogh, Monet, Max Beckmann, Gustav Klimt, etc.
This museum has the most extensive collection of Gustav Klimt’s paintings, some of the most impressive being ‘The Kiss (Lovers)’ and ‘Judith.’
The Orangery
The Orangery was built to maintain the appropriate temperature for the orange trees of the Palace.
The Orangery is unique because they built a mechanism to remove the building’s roof during the summer months.
As a result, there was no need to replant the trees every year.
Nowadays, the Orangery serves as an exhibition floor for beautiful art.
The Orangery is open from 10 AM to 6 PM daily except Wednesdays when it is open till 9 PM.
The Palace Stables
The Palace Stables were initially used to keep and take care of Prince Eugene’s horses.
Today, it houses some of the most exquisite Medieval Artwork, including paintings and sculptures.
The Palace Stables are open daily from 10 AM to 12 PM.
Belvedere Palace Gardens
The Palace Gardens have beautiful sculptures and fountains and many pools offering fantastic views to the tourists from the Terraces in front of the Upper Belvedere.
The Palace Gardens are one of the key elements of the Belvedere Palace experience because it connects both the Upper and Lower Belvedere.
If you only want to view the architecture and enjoy the gardens, you can enter for free.
Belvedere 21
Most of the tourists who visit the Belvedere Palace also see Belvedere-21, a museum of contemporary art.
This Museum is located just outside the Belvedere Palace complex – 750 meters (half a mile) from Upper Belvedere. Download location map
In this museum, you see contemporary Austrian and international art, film, and music exhibits. It is also an architectural icon of post-war Modernism.
From Wednesday to Sunday, the Museum opens at 11 AM and closes at 6 PM.
On Wednesday and Friday, it remains open till 9 PM.
Belvedere 21, which is often referred to as 21er Haus, remains closed on Monday and Tuesday.
Visitors 18 years and below can enter for free. Others need to purchase an entry ticket.
Belvedere Palace layout
If you haven’t booked a guided tour of Belvedere Palace, it is better to learn about the Palace’s layout before your visit.
You can also print the layout and take it along, as it can help you find visitor services such as restrooms, restaurants, gift shops, etc.
Belvedere Palace and Vienna Pass
The Vienna Pass is an excellent way to save money and time while exploring the city of Vienna.
In fact, Vienna Pass is the only way to explore Belvedere Palace for free.
It provides free entry not just to the Belvedere Palace but also to 60 of Vienna’s other attractions.
Some of the top tourist attractions where this Pass can help you gain free entry are – Schönbrunn Palace, Giant Ferris Wheel, Spanish Riding School, Albertina Museum, etc.
The best part is that you won’t even have to wait in any lines – you can walk right in.
Vienna Pass is available for one day, two days, three days, and six days.
Tourists 19 years and older are considered adults, while kids aged 6 to 18 years need to buy the child pass. Kids five years and below can join in for free.
Buy Vienna PassIf you aren’t sure of the number of days you want the Pass for but have a fixed number of attractions in mind, you must try out the Vienna Flexi Pass.
My partner and I visited, and the garden was even more wonderful in the rain. These two palaces offer a beautiful, artistic experience. Gustav Klimt’s famous painting, The Kiss, stands out as the highlight of the stunning museum. The palaces themselves are impressive, just like the art inside. It’s definitely not to be missed!