Visiting a zoo wasn’t the main reason we traveled to Vienna, but Tiergarten Schönbrunn was different enough to earn a place on our itinerary. It’s located within the Schönbrunn Palace grounds, has a history stretching back hundreds of years and is home to an unusually wide range of animals.
We expected the giant pandas to be one of the highlights. What impressed us more, however, was how many different animals we encountered during a single visit.
Where Is Schönbrunn Zoo?
Tiergarten Schönbrunn, commonly called Schönbrunn Zoo or Vienna Zoo, is located within the grounds of Schönbrunn Palace.
The zoo’s main entrance is near the Hietzing side of the palace park. The easiest public transportation option for many visitors is the U4 underground line to Hietzing, followed by a walk through the Hietzinger Tor entrance.
The palace is only a few minutes from the zoo entrances, so the two attractions can be combined. However, both are large enough that trying to see the palace, gardens and entire zoo in one visit could turn into a very long day.
Schönbrunn Zoo is open every day of the year beginning at 9 a.m. Closing time varies by season, ranging from 4:30 p.m. during parts of the winter to 6:30 p.m. from April through September. Some indoor animal houses close before the rest of the zoo.
At the time of writing, a one-day ticket costs €29 for adults and €17 for children and teenagers ages 6 through 18. Children under 6 are admitted free.
Since hours and prices can change, it’s worth checking the official Schönbrunn Zoo website before visiting.
The Variety Was What Impressed Us Most
We’ve visited plenty of zoos over the years, so most of the animals at Schönbrunn weren’t ones we were seeing for the first time.
What was different was finding so many of them in the same zoo.
During our visit, we saw giant pandas, elephants, hippos, tigers, koalas, penguins, flamingos, meerkats and capybaras, along with many other animals. I had encountered most of them elsewhere, but I couldn’t remember another zoo where I had seen all of them during the same day.
That became the defining part of our visit.
Some zoos have one signature animal or exhibit, with the rest of the experience feeling more familiar. Schönbrunn kept giving us another reason to stop. Every time we thought we had seen the biggest highlight, we would turn another corner and find something else.
Seeing The Giant Pandas
The giant pandas were among the animals we were most interested in seeing, and we had particularly good timing.
Instead of sleeping somewhere out of view, one of the pandas was sitting outside surrounded by bamboo and steadily eating its way through lunch. We had a clear view and could spend time watching without feeling as though we had arrived only to see it disappear after a brief glimpse.
That made the pandas one of the most memorable parts of the day, but they didn’t overshadow everything else at the zoo.
They were one highlight among many.
From Hippos To Koalas
The zoo’s range became apparent as we continued exploring.
We found two hippos stretched out beside each other in the sun. Nearby, capybaras shared their space with an ostrich, creating one of those mixed-species scenes where you aren’t sure which animal to photograph first.
The koala was doing what koalas often seem to do at zoos: sleeping in a tree. Even without much activity, it was still impressive to see one up close.
Elsewhere, a room filled with flamingos created an entirely different scene.
The collection didn’t feel limited to animals from a single climate or region. We moved between tropical animals, African wildlife, Australian species and cold-weather exhibits throughout the visit.
Penguins, Tigers And Elephants
The penguins were particularly entertaining because some came directly up to the glass. One stood so close that it looked as though it was studying the visitors as carefully as we were studying it.
We also saw a tiger resting on an elevated wooden platform. Like the panda, it was positioned where we could get a good look instead of hiding somewhere in the vegetation.
The elephants gave us another memorable moment. There were several in the habitat, including a young elephant walking near the adults. Seeing an elephant calf would have been a major attraction at many zoos, but at Schönbrunn it was another notable stop during an already packed visit.
That was what kept surprising us. The zoo had enough major animals that no single exhibit needed to carry the entire experience.
A Historic Zoo That Doesn’t Feel Like A Museum
Schönbrunn Zoo dates to 1752 and describes itself as the oldest zoo in the world.
That history is visible in parts of the property, particularly around its central pavilion and older buildings. However, the zoo didn’t feel like a historical site that happened to contain some animals.
We primarily experienced it as a working modern zoo with an extensive collection.
The historic setting adds character, especially because the zoo is part of the larger Schönbrunn Palace complex. Still, we didn’t spend the visit thinking about how old the zoo was. We were too busy moving from one animal habitat to the next.
Plan On Plenty Of Walking
The zoo covers a larger area than visitors may expect when looking at the Schönbrunn grounds.
Some sections are relatively level, while others involve steep uphill paths. There are also indoor buildings and habitats, including the gorilla enclosure, located away from the zoo’s central area. Seeing most of the collection takes time.
This isn’t an attraction where I’d plan to walk in, see the pandas and leave an hour later. You could certainly concentrate on a few favorite animals, but doing that would miss what made the zoo so impressive to us.
The variety is the experience.
Anyone hoping to see a significant portion of the zoo should allow several hours and wear comfortable shoes. It also helps to pick up a map or use the zoo’s online version, since the layout isn’t always obvious when moving between sections.
We got turned around more than once.
Is Schönbrunn Zoo Worth Visiting?
A zoo probably won’t be the highest priority for every first-time visitor to Vienna. But we’re not your typical tourists. Museums and historical sites weren’t at the top of our list.
Someone with only a day or two in the city may understandably focus on St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Schönbrunn Palace, the historic center and Vienna’s museums. The zoo requires enough time to be treated as more than a quick add-on.
For anyone who enjoys zoos, though, Schönbrunn is worth serious consideration.
We had seen most of its animals before, but we had never visited another zoo that brought so many of them together in one place. Instead of leaving with one favorite exhibit, we left thinking about the range of animals we had seen throughout the day.
That was what made Schönbrunn Zoo stand out—and why it was a worthwhile destination during our visit to Vienna.
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