Schönbrunn zoo in Vienna
The zoo, or rather a beautiful garden filled with animals, is a must-see in Vienna. As a first-time visitor, the zoo will be a surprise, and if you are returning, it will be a pleasure. It is one of the most beautiful zoos in the world. And I came for the penguins, of course.
Tiergarten Schönbrunn literally means Schönbrunn Animal Garden and is located on the grounds of the famous Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. It is part of the palace gardens (which are magnificent as well) and one of the reasons I like to visit the zoo. You can waddle around the superb garden and visit a zoo simultaneously. It’s interesting to know that the zoo is one of the few tourist attractions where you get to meet a lot of locals—especially families with kids.
The zoo was founded by Emperor Franz I. in 1752, but only later in the year 1779 was the public allowed in. It also went through an extensive modernization program in the 1900s.
Interestingly, the old court diary reports mention how the Emperor would visit the zoo after morning mass in the company of various courtiers. He was very content to make the animal garden beautiful. Today I bet he would be very proud to hear that in 2018 the zoo won TripAdvisor, the world’s most beautiful zoo, and I can only agree.
Currently, the zoo is owned by the Federal Republic of Austria. On January 1st, 1992, the “Schönbrunner Tiergarten Gesellschaft m.b.H.” was founded and outsourced from the federal administration. Since January 1st, 2020, Dr. Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck has been the sole managing director of this company.
Accessibility
Thanks to Vienna’s excellent infrastructure, there is no problem getting to the zoo no matter how you arrive.
Public transportation
If you are traveling by public transport, the zoo can be reached by the following routes:
- U4 (underground): Station Hietzing
- Tramway: 10, 58, 60
- Bus: 51A, 56A, 56B, 58A
Public transport is our preferred way to move around any city, and in Vienna, we usually get a day ticket as we also explore the city. There are various ticket options available; for more information, click here link.
Car
If you are coming by car, there are two park & ride garages, only a couple of underground stations away from the zoo. There is also a parking lot in the vicinity. You can park along the streets close by, but a limited number of spaces are available.
Here is the link for more information on how to get to the zoo by car.
Practical Information
Opening Hours
Open daily from 9 am – 365 days a year – also on public holidays. Closing time varies according to the seasons and is between 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm.
Remember, the ticket office closes 30 minutes before closing time – this is also the latest entry time for the zoo.
ADMISSION
- Adults: 22 EUR
- Children: 11 EUR
- Penguins: free entry
For more detail, visit their website here – link.
The Animals
You can meet over 700 species in the zoo, from an elephant to orangutans or pandas, and of course, penguins. Some species are endangered, and the zoo prevents total extinction.
The grounds cover 17 hectares, and giant pandas are the star attraction. Schönbrunn is one of a handful of zoos worldwide lucky enough to be entrusted with a pair of pandas by the People’s Republic of China, but for me, it is, of course, the penguins, the stars of the zoo. Also, it is tough to spot pandas outside. I have been several times but have yet to see any outside.
There are also various experiences one can get. For example, a morning experience when the animals are only waking up slowly, and it is still calm and no people around (this will cost you about 250 EUR for two people, starts at 8 am and includes breakfast).
Among other tours you can buy is a themed tour based on your favorite animal or a backstage tour to peek behind the scenes of the zoo.
For more details, click here link.
The lemurs did not pay us much attention but were interesting to observe.
Then we saw real-life nifflers from Harry Potter!
And some other animals that were either eating or chilling.
Before moving to the main attraction – penguins – one more important thing to know when you plan your visit. The feeding times of the animals. It is a great experience and a lot of fun to see your favorite animals eating. It is time the animals are the most lively.
Check here for any updates on feeding here – link.
| Feeding Time | Animals |
| 10:00 | Elephants (Training, no feeding session/daily) |
| 10:30 | Sea lions (daily) |
| 11:00 | Northern Rockhopper penguins (daily) Arctic wolves (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays) |
| 11:30 | Peruvian penguins (daily) |
| 13:00 | Oriental Small-clawed otters (daily) |
| 13:30 | Northern Bald Ibis (daily) Coatis (March – October / daily) |
| 14:00 | Siberian tigers (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays) |
| 14:30 | Giant anteaters (daily) |
| 15:00 | Elephants (Training, no feeding session / Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays) Cheetahs (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays) |
| 15:30 | Sea lions (daily) |
| 16:00 | Koalas (daily) |
Penguins at the Vienna zoo
While waddling the grounds of Schönbrunn zoo, you will see many signs pointing you towards penguins (and other animals), but our focus is the penguins.
We always manage to come during feeding time. They behave like me when I see food – excitement! 😅
Pro tip: for the feeding, go earlier before they start to get a good spot.
You can see the penguins in the Polarium either outside or inside. On the inside, they have King penguins and Royal penguins; on the outside, it is Humboldt penguins. Both exhibitions are delightful.
The inside penguin exhibition
Inside, you can observe the penguins swimming underwater. They are speedy. We tried to take a few pictures, but they all swam too fast to capture a good photo.
They are very fast under the water and look like little torpedoes. And it is even more enjoyable to see them jump out of the water.
The outside penguin exhibition
This is my favorite one, as you feel much closer to the penguins and are not divided by glass. Still, there is a respectful distance so that nobody will touch the little fellas.
The exhibition is making it possible to observe the penguins as well underwater.
However, the best part is the feeding time. Highly recommend planning it in your schedule.
We spent most of the time with the penguins; however, remember there is more to see with over 700 species and approximately 8 500 animals that live in the zoo.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we did and say Hi! to the penguins.
