The Hofburg, Innsbruck's imperial palace, opens daily from 09:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30); the Imperial Apartments cost €10.50 for adults in 2026 and everyone under 19 goes in free. Across the road, the Court Church (Hofkirche) holds Emperor Maximilian I's tomb ringed by 28 larger-than-life bronze statues, for €9. Note that the Hofburg closes for maintenance from 11 January to 7 February 2027.
The Hofburg is open daily through the Christmas season, and the Old Town and Maria-Theresien-Strasse Christmas markets are both a few minutes' walk away. Free guided tours run every Saturday and Sunday at 11:00, with no booking needed. Plan around the annual closure: the palace is shut from Monday 11 January to Sunday 7 February 2027 for maintenance work.
The Court Church has special holiday hours: free entry on 24 December 2026 from 09:00 to 16:00, through the main portal on Christmas Day from 12:30, and 09:00 to 14:00 on 31 December.
Innsbruck Christmas markets 2026: dates, hours and where to stay
GetYourGuide
One of the finest folk-culture collections in the Alps, a few steps from the Hofburg and open every day.
Departs from Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum, beside the Hofkirche, Innsbruck city centre · About 1 to 1.5 hours
GetYourGuide · 5.0/5 from 3 reviews
A private Advent walk through Innsbruck's Christmas markets with a licensed guide who knows the stories behind them: the old town market by the Golden Roof, nativity scenes, the Swarovski crystal tree and the lit avenue on Maria-Theresien-Strasse.
Departs from Your hotel lobby in central Innsbruck, the car and coach park or the station · About 1.5 hours
Our take on each: Tyrolean Folk Art Museum tickets (Volkskunstmuseum Innsbruck) · Innsbruck Christmas market tour with a licensed guide.
Where to stay for this
City centre, by the Hofgarten, Innsbruck city centre · 4 stars
Stylish 15th-century family house by the Hofgarten, a short walk from the Hofburg
A 15th-century family house turned stylish city hotel, with themed signature rooms, a rooftop terrace and sauna; great for couples.
From £132 a night
City centre, beside the Landestheater, Innsbruck city centre · 4 stars
Big city hotel next to the Landestheater, facing the Hofburg quarter
A big, well-equipped city hotel next to the Landestheater with a rooftop pool; for families, skiers and short city breaks.
From £215 a night
Summer brings music into the palace. The Innsbruck Promenade Concerts are held in the Hofburg's inner courtyard; in 2026 they ran from 3 to 30 July. The Festival of Early Music uses historic venues around the city, and in 2026 it ran from 24 July to 30 August. Dates for 2027 were not published in October 2026.
The Hofgarten park next to the palace is a shady place to rest between the Hofburg and the Court Church.
GetYourGuide
One of the finest folk-culture collections in the Alps, a few steps from the Hofburg and open every day.
Departs from Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum, beside the Hofkirche, Innsbruck city centre · About 1 to 1.5 hours
GetYourGuide
The best single place to understand Tyrol, told in the great halls of an arsenal Emperor Maximilian I built around 1500.
Departs from Museum im Zeughaus, Zeughausgasse 1, Innsbruck · About 1 to 2 hours
GetYourGuide · 4.9/5 from 69 reviews
The easiest and cheapest way to get your bearings on your first day: one hour on foot through the old town with a state-certified Austria Guide, for less than the price of lunch.
Departs from Innsbruck Information, Burggraben 3 (Stadtführung meeting point sign) · About 1 hour
Our take on each: Tyrolean Folk Art Museum tickets (Volkskunstmuseum Innsbruck) · Museum im Zeughaus tickets (Innsbruck Armoury) · Innsbruck walking tour of the old town (Welcome Tour).
Where to stay for this
City centre, Innsbruck city centre · 4 stars · 84 rooms
Four-star above a classic coffee house, a short walk from the palace and the theatre
Four-star city hotel above a classic Viennese coffee house, with a fourth-floor spa; suits couples and business travellers.
Altstadt (old town), Innsbruck old town · 4 stars · 43 rooms
Historic old town inn, close to the Hofburg courtyard concerts
A historic family-run inn in the car-free old town, a minute from the Golden Roof; for couples and first-time visitors.
From £139 a night
Hofburg, prices from 1 January 2026: Imperial Apartments €10.50 (reduced €8); the Maximilian1 exhibition or the special exhibition 'Sisi als Medienstar' €8.50 each (reduced €6). Imperial Apartments with one exhibition €16, all three €21 (reduced €16). Children and young people under 19 go free.
Court Church: €9, reduced €7, under 19 free. The Tiroler Landesmuseen combined ticket (€14, reduced €11) covers the Court Church, the Folk Art Museum, the Zeughaus and the Tirol Panorama once each and is valid for a year. With a current Hofburg ticket you get 50% off Landesmuseen tickets, and the other way round. The Hofburg is included in the Innsbruck Card.
Innsbruck Card: prices, what's included and whether it is worth it
GetYourGuide
One of the finest folk-culture collections in the Alps, a few steps from the Hofburg and open every day.
Departs from Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum, beside the Hofkirche, Innsbruck city centre · About 1 to 1.5 hours
GetYourGuide
The best single place to understand Tyrol, told in the great halls of an arsenal Emperor Maximilian I built around 1500.
Departs from Museum im Zeughaus, Zeughausgasse 1, Innsbruck · About 1 to 2 hours
GetYourGuide · 4.7/5 from 576 reviews
The best-value way to see Innsbruck if you plan a full day or two of sightseeing: the Nordkette cable cars, Swarovski Crystal Worlds with its shuttle, the museums and all the city buses and trams on one card.
Departs from Innsbruck Information, Burggraben 3, at the entrance to the old town
Our take on each: Tyrolean Folk Art Museum tickets (Volkskunstmuseum Innsbruck) · Museum im Zeughaus tickets (Innsbruck Armoury) · Innsbruck Card with public transport.
In the Hofburg: the Imperial Apartments, the Maximilian1 exhibition on the emperor most tied to Innsbruck, and the 'Sisi als Medienstar' special exhibition.
In the Court Church: Maximilian I's cenotaph, with the emperor shown kneeling before the altar, surrounded by 28 larger-than-life bronze statues known as the Schwarze Mander (black men), eight of whom are women. The church also has an Ebert organ more than 450 years old.
Both are on the edge of the Old Town, a few minutes' walk from the Golden Roof. You enter the Court Church through the Tyrolean Folk Art Museum. Allow about an hour for the Hofburg's Imperial Apartments, longer with the exhibitions, and 30 to 45 minutes for the Court Church.
Hofburg: daily 09:00 to 17:00, last entry 16:30. Court Church: Monday to Saturday 09:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30), Sundays and holidays 12:30 to 17:00.
Innsbruck Old Town and the Golden Roof: what to see, museum tickets and where to stay
The Tyrolean Folk Art Museum shares its entrance with the Court Church, and the Museum im Zeughaus is a short ride away. With the Landesmuseen combined ticket and the 50% Hofburg discount, three or four of these fit comfortably into one rainy day.
GetYourGuide
One of the finest folk-culture collections in the Alps, a few steps from the Hofburg and open every day.
Departs from Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum, beside the Hofkirche, Innsbruck city centre · About 1 to 1.5 hours
GetYourGuide
The best single place to understand Tyrol, told in the great halls of an arsenal Emperor Maximilian I built around 1500.
Departs from Museum im Zeughaus, Zeughausgasse 1, Innsbruck · About 1 to 2 hours
GetYourGuide · 4.8/5 from 33 reviews
A lively one-hour introduction to Tyrol that works in any weather: five rooms of holograms, virtual reality and 360-degree projections, right in the shopping centre on Maria-Theresien-Strasse.
Departs from Kaufhaus Tyrol, Maria-Theresien-Strasse 31, Innsbruck · About 1 hour; shows every 20 minutes
Our take on each: Tyrolean Folk Art Museum tickets (Volkskunstmuseum Innsbruck) · Museum im Zeughaus tickets (Innsbruck Armoury) · Experience Tirol immersive show in Innsbruck.
The Imperial Apartments cost €10.50 for adults and €8 reduced, from 1 January 2026. A ticket for all three areas costs €21. Children and young people under 19 go free.
It is open until 10 January 2027, then closed for maintenance from 11 January to 7 February 2027. It reopens with normal hours, daily 09:00 to 17:00.
Emperor Maximilian I's cenotaph, surrounded by 28 larger-than-life bronze statues called the Schwarze Mander, eight of them women. The church also houses an Ebert organ more than 450 years old.
Entry is through the Tyrolean Folk Art Museum next door. A single ticket costs €9, or €14 for the Landesmuseen combined ticket that also covers the Folk Art Museum, the Zeughaus and the Tirol Panorama.
Yes. A guided tour runs every Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 and does not need booking.
Sources: burghauptmannschaft.at, tiroler-landesmuseen.at, tiroler-landesmuseen.at, tiroler-landesmuseen.at, promenadenkonzerte.at, tyrol.tl, oebb.at. Checked October 2026.
