The short version
For most visitors, the best route is the U-Bahn (Vienna’s underground) to Herrengasse on the U3, then a short walk to the Hofburg. The Sisi Museum’s own directions list the U3 to Herrengasse, trams 1, 2, D and 71 to Burgring, and buses 1A and 2A to Hofburg. The visitor entrance sits directly below the large copper dome at Michaelerplatz, and the individual ticket office is left of the Kaisertor in the inner courtyard.
Wiener Linien, the city’s transport operator, has an English route planner that will check times for your day. Use it for anything specific, because services change. Once you are there, see the Hofburg visiting guide for opening times and entrances.
By U-Bahn
Vienna has five U-Bahn lines: U1 (red), U2 (purple), U3 (orange), U4 (green) and U6 (brown). Trains run daily from around 5am to around midnight. On Friday and Saturday nights, and the night before public holidays, they run through the night every 15 minutes. At other times NightLine buses take over from about 1am to 5am.
| Station | Lines | Why use it |
|---|---|---|
| Herrengasse | U3 | The station the Sisi Museum recommends for the Hofburg |
| Volkstheater | U2, U3 | One stop before Herrengasse on the U3 |
| Stephansplatz | U1, U3 | The cathedral, and the start of the walk down Graben and Kohlmarkt |
| Karlsplatz | U1, U2, U4 | A major interchange. The U1 reaches Stephansplatz in one stop |
If you are coming from the Hauptbahnhof, the U1 reaches Stephansplatz in three stops, via Taubstummengasse and Karlsplatz. From Stephansplatz you can walk or take the U3 one stop to Herrengasse.
By tram and bus
Trams 1, 2, D and 71 stop at Burgring, right beside the palace. Trams 1 and 2 follow the Ringstrasse, the 5.3 km boulevard that circles the old town, past the State Opera, the Hofburg, Parliament and City Hall. That makes a 1 or 2 a cheap way to see the Ring from a window seat. Tram D links the Hauptbahnhof area with Belvedere and the Ring.
From Burgring, walk into the complex through the Heldenplatz side, which the palace faces, and follow the signs to the dome. Buses 1A and 2A, two of the small inner-city buses, stop at Hofburg. After midnight, night buses marked with an N run roughly every 30 minutes, with key interchanges at Oper/Karlsplatz, Schwedenplatz and Schottentor.
On foot from Stephansplatz
Leave St Stephen’s Cathedral on the Graben, which in 1974 became Vienna’s first pedestrian zone. At the far end it meets Kohlmarkt, a pedestrian shopping street that runs to Michaelerplatz. The Hofburg’s domed entrance faces that square. With both streets closed to traffic and lined with shops, it is an easy stroll rather than a transport leg. The cathedral has its own page: St Stephen’s Cathedral.
The airport train operator quotes about 12 minutes on foot from Wien Mitte/Landstraße to Stephansplatz, which is a useful gauge if you arrive that way.
From Vienna Airport (until the end of October 2027)
From 7 September 2026 until the end of October 2027, the S-Bahn trunk line between Praterstern and the Hauptbahnhof is closed to rail traffic. Trains do not stop at Rennweg or Wien Mitte/Landstraße. The airport directions on the Sisi Museum site (S7 to Wien Mitte) therefore do not work for now. These do:
| Option | What to expect | Then to the Hofburg |
|---|---|---|
| City Airport Train by bus | Non-stop to Wien Mitte (Marxergasse 1b), 21 minutes. Every 12 minutes from 7am to 7pm, otherwise every 15 | U3 from Landstraße to Herrengasse: Stubentor, Stephansplatz, then Herrengasse |
| Railjet or Intercity | Twice an hour to the Hauptbahnhof in about 15 minutes | U1 to Stephansplatz, then walk or take the U3 one stop |
| REX 7 | Hauptbahnhof in around 20 minutes | As above, or tram D to Burgring |
| Vienna Airport Bus, line 2 | Morzinplatz/Schwedenplatz in 22 minutes | U1 one stop to Stephansplatz |
| Vienna Airport Bus, line 4 | Karlsplatz, a route added on 5 September 2026 | U1 one stop to Stephansplatz |
| Vienna Airport Bus, line 1 | Hauptbahnhof and Westbahnhof in around 40 minutes | U3 from Westbahnhof to Herrengasse, about 15 minutes |
| S7 | Shortened to St. Marx, outside the centre | Tram 71 towards the city centre (it stops at Burgring), or walk about 10 minutes to the U3 |
The City Airport Train’s first bus leaves the airport at 6:10am and the last at 11:37pm. From Wien Mitte the first is 5:30am and the last 11:15pm. Its online tickets stay valid for six months, and children under 15 travel free. The airport bus charges an adult €11 one way or €20 return (checked October 2026). Check both operators for current prices: City Airport Train and Vienna Airport Bus.
A taxi takes around 20 to 25 minutes. Take one from the rank outside arrivals and the meter applies. The Vienna Tourist Board lists fixed prices of €37 and €42 for pre-booked rides (checked October 2026), but those apply only from a Vienna address to the airport. See its taxi page for the operators and its airport travel page for updates, and leave extra time.
From Hauptbahnhof and Westbahnhof
The Hauptbahnhof (main station) takes all long-distance ÖBB trains. Take the U1 from Südtiroler Platz-Hauptbahnhof to Stephansplatz as described above, or tram D to Burgring.
Westbahnhof handles regional express trains and WESTbahn services. The U3 runs from there straight to Herrengasse, and the Sisi Museum puts the trip at about 15 minutes. From Meidling, take the U6 to Westbahnhof and change to the U3. The same page gives about 25 minutes.
Taxis
Taxi 40100 and Taxi 31300 take bookings by phone or app, and Vienna taxis accept cards, vouchers or cash. The meter sets the fare for ordinary rides. The Sisi Museum’s directions give no parking details, so plan on public transport rather than driving. Our Vienna itinerary shows how a day around the palace can fit together once you arrive.
Tickets and passes
Wiener Linien’s core zone covers all buses, trams, U-Bahn lines and ÖBB trains within Vienna. It does not cover journeys to and from the airport, so a train to the airport needs an additional one-way ticket into the core zone, and the City Airport Train and the airport bus sell their own tickets (Vienna Tourist Board, checked October 2026).
- Single ticket: one journey in one direction, with transfers allowed but no breaks. A paper ticket is valid for 80 minutes once validated. The Vienna Tourist Board lists an adult single at €3.20, while Wiener Linien’s single journey page shows lower “from” prices that appear to be reduced fares (both checked October 2026), so check the price at checkout.
- 24 hours VIENNA: Wiener Linien’s online price is €9.70 (checked October 2026). Validate a paper ticket before your first ride.
- 7 or 31 days: longer tickets that start on a date you choose.
- Vienna City Card: free travel in the core zone plus more than 210 discounts, for up to seven days. One child under 15 can travel with you free.
Buy tickets at station machines, in trams, at tobacconists, in the WienMobil app or at the Wiener Linien ticket page. Discounted tickets cover children from their sixth to fifteenth birthday. If you would rather sort the entry before you travel, see tickets and tours.
If you plan to stay nearby, our where to stay guide explains which neighbourhoods keep you close.
