Schloss Ambras and Innsbruck: six listings compared
How the catalogue divides
Schloss Ambras stands about 3 km from the old town, on the south-eastern edge of Innsbruck at Amras, and unlike most castles of its size it does not keep its admission to itself: the castle’s own ticket is sold here at the same figure its own online shop asks, two euros under the price at the door, and it cancels free up to 24 hours before. That is the first listing below. The second is the Innsbruck Card, which carries one Ambras admission inside it, so anyone holding the card already has the castle and should not buy the ticket as well. The remaining four carry nothing of the castle at all. I have said so in the table further down rather than leaving it to a green badge.
The other thing worth knowing before you choose a date: the castle is closed for the whole of November, and from 1 November to 31 March the Habsburg Portrait Gallery and the gothic sculpture collection are shut while the Kunst- und Wunderkammer, the three armouries, the Spanish Hall, the Bath of Philippine Welser and the Strasser glass stay open. Same ticket, same counter, smaller castle. What the ticket covers, season by season.
Which one, by situation
You are going to Ambras and not much else
The castle’s own admission, around sixteen euros, rated 4.6 from more than 240 ratings. It is valid for one day, the castle’s own guidance is to allow about two and a half hours, and everyone under nineteen goes in free whichever way you buy. AP, from Germany, came in June and called it a castle worth seeing with an impressive painting gallery — June, so the Upper Castle gallery was open, which is the whole seasonal point. Nicolas, from the UK, came in December and said the same thing most winter reviewers say: get the audio guide. It is sold at the castle and is not part of the ticket.
You have two or three days and a list
The Innsbruck Card, from around sixty-nine euros and rated 4.7 from more than 550 ratings, in 24, 48 and 72-hour versions. One Ambras admission, the IVB buses and trams, the Sightseer hop-on hop-off that passes the castle gate, the Swarovski shuttle, one ride up and one down on the Nordkette and the Patscherkofelbahn, and one visit each to the Goldenes Dachl, the Stadtturm, the Alpenzoo, the Ferdinandeum, the Zeughaus, the Grassmayr bell foundry and Bergisel. One visit per attraction, so it is a card for a busy day rather than a slow one. The card against the single ticket, as arithmetic.
You want the mountain, the crystal museum or the jump
The Nordkette round trip, around fifty-six euros and rated 4.8 from more than 1140 ratings, runs from beside Congress Innsbruck up through Hungerburg and Seegrube to 2,256 m. It is the single biggest line item in an Innsbruck day and one reviewer thought it expensive for a cable car, which I have left in. What the ride covers. Swarovski Crystal Worlds, around thirty-four euros and rated 4.6 from more than 800 ratings, bundles entry at Wattens with a shared return shuttle from the Hauptbahnhof; the shuttle back fills up, and reviewers say so. The shuttle, and when to be at it. Bergisel, around eleven euros and rated 4.6 from more than 150 ratings, is the cheapest thing on this page and sits on the same Sightseer route as the castle.
What each listing actually carries
| Listing | How long it is good for | Carries Ambras entry |
|---|---|---|
| Innsbruck: Tickets for Schloss Ambras | Valid one day, allow about two and a half hours | Yes — this is the admission |
| Innsbruck: City Card Including Public Transport | 24, 48 or 72 hours from first use | Yes, once |
| Top of Innsbruck: Roundtrip Cable Car Ticket | Valid one day | No |
| Innsbruck: Swarovski Crystal Worlds Ticket and Transfer | Valid one day, Wattens and back | No |
| Innsbruck: “Welcome Tour” Guided City Walk | About one hour on foot | No |
| Innsbruck: Bergisel Olympic Ski Jump Arena Ticket | Valid one day, all year | No |
Read the third column and the shape of the day is obvious. Two rows say yes, and buying both of those means paying for the castle twice. The other four rows are a mountain, a museum in Wattens, a ski jump and an hour on foot, none of which will get you through the gate at Schlossstrasse 20.
All six listings
The castle itselfCastle admissionInnsbruck: Tickets for Schloss Ambras
Includes AmbrasAmbras includedInnsbruck: City Card Including Public Transport
2,256 mTop of Innsbruck: Roundtrip Cable Car Ticket
Shuttle includedInnsbruck: Swarovski Crystal Worlds Ticket and Transfer
On the same bus lineInnsbruck: Bergisel Olympic Ski Jump Arena Ticket
One hour, guidedInnsbruck: “Welcome Tour” Guided City Walk
The three most people weigh up
The castle ticket on its own, the card that swallows it, and the cable car that decides whether the card pays. Every row is read off the listing’s own page.
| The castle itselfInnsbruck: Tickets for Schloss Ambras | Innsbruck: City Card Including Public Transport | Top of Innsbruck: Roundtrip Cable Car Ticket | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Admission to Schloss Ambras | A city pass with Ambras inside it | A return ride to 2,256 m |
| Price per person | ~€16 | from ~€69 | ~€56 |
| Good for | One day | 24, 48 or 72 hours | One day |
| Ambras entry | Yes | Yes, once | No |
| Transport | None | IVB, Sightseer, shuttles | None |
| Suits | One castle, one afternoon | A full list and a lot of walking | A clear morning |
| Free cancellation | ✓ Up to 24 h before | ✓ Up to 24 h before | ✓ Up to 24 h before |
| Book this → | View → | View → |
All six cancel free up to 24 hours before, so a date can be pinned while the rest of the week is still loose. The one date that cannot be moved is November: the castle is shut for the entire month, and no ticket or card opens it. Wattens and the ski jump stay open when Ambras does not.
Read the listings before you choose
Each of the six has a page here with its own inclusion and exclusion lists set out the way the platform sets them out, and real reviewers quoted rather than paraphrased into mush. Each of them has a review page on this site, gathered under the reviews hub in the top navigation.
Frequently asked questions
Which of these six includes entry to Schloss Ambras?
Two. The castle’s own admission, which is the first card above, and the Innsbruck Card, which carries one Ambras entry along with the buses, the Sightseer and a ride up the Nordkette. The cable car, the crystal museum, the ski jump and the old-town walk carry none. Bergisel sits on the same bus route as the castle, which is the closest any of the other four gets.
Should I buy the Innsbruck Card and the castle ticket?
No. That is paying for Ambras twice. Decide which one you are buying first: the card earns its price on a day that also has the cable car or the crystal museum in it, and does not on a day whose only museum is this one. I have done the sums on the card page.
How long should I allow at the castle?
The castle’s own guidance is about two and a half hours, and the ticket is valid until 17:00 on the day of purchase. Matthew, from Australia, gave it four stars and called it a relaxing Sunday, which is roughly the pace the place rewards. Add travel time each way: it is about 3 km out from the old town.
Is anything here worth booking if I only have one afternoon?
The castle ticket, and then only if the afternoon is not in November. One hour in the old town with a licensed Austria Guide is the other realistic half-afternoon, though its rating base is small. What the walk covers, and what 67 ratings are worth.