Sanssouci Palace and Prussian Palaces Entry Ticket: my review
My verdict. This is the sanssouci+ day ticket sold through GetYourGuide, and it is the ticket I buy when I want more than one palace in a day. You get a fixed admission time for Sanssouci Palace and one-time entry to every other open SPSG palace in Potsdam that day. It rates 4.5 from 2,634 reviews, which is solid rather than the top of this list, and the two things that cost it points are fair: it is non-refundable, and it implies a great deal of walking.
What actually happens
You book a date and a Sanssouci slot online. On the day you come up through the park — the park itself is free, open from 8 am — and go to the Ehrenhof, the courtyard on the north side of Sanssouci Palace, for your booked time. If you have a large backpack, leave it in the free lockers at the Historic Windmill visitor centre first; small handbags are fine, prams are not allowed in the rooms. You are handed felt overshoes at the door and you walk the ten principal rooms in one direction, from the vestibule and the Marble Hall through Frederick’s apartment, the circular cedar library and the long gallery to the guest rooms and the Voltaire Room. With the free SANSSOUCI app in your ears that takes 30 to 40 minutes, or about an hour if you listen to everything. What to see inside has the room order.
Then the ticket keeps working. The same day it opens the New Palace at the far west end of the main avenue, about 2.5 km and half an hour’s walk away, and the Marble Palace across town, both year-round. In season it also covers the Palace Kitchen, the Picture Gallery next door, the New Chambers, the Historic Windmill, the Chinese House, Charlottenhof Villa, Flatow Tower, Sacrow House and the Stern Hunting Lodge. Which of those are open depends on the day, so check the list.
What the ticket includes
- Timed entry to Sanssouci Palace at your booked slot
- Entry to all open SPSG palaces and buildings in Potsdam that day
- Sanssouci Palace and New Palace (year-round)
- Marble Palace (year-round, limited in winter)
- Seasonal buildings: Palace Kitchen, Picture Gallery, New Chambers, Historic Windmill, Chinese House, Charlottenhof, Flatow Tower, Sacrow House, Stern Hunting Lodge, when open
What it does not include
- Audio guide: use the free SPSG app on your own phone instead
- A live guide of any kind
- Transport to Potsdam
- Refunds: the ticket is non-refundable
Who it is for
People who are already in Potsdam or coming by train under their own steam, who want Sanssouci plus at least one more building, and who are sure they will make the slot. If you only want the one palace, the single Sanssouci ticket from SPSG is the smarter buy; the sanssouci+ page goes through that decision. It is not for anyone whose plans might change, because there is no free cancellation, and it is not for anyone who wants someone to explain the rooms in person, because there is no standard live tour inside the palace for individuals.
What works
- A held Sanssouci slot: no queue at the Windmill counter, no gamble in July
- One ticket for every open palace in Potsdam that day
- Wheelchair-accessible listing; the palace has a step-free approach via the upper Maulbeerallee
- The audio app is free and in 12 languages, with a children’s version
- Easy booking — Hans, one of the reviewers, said exactly that
Worth knowing
- Non-refundable, and the palace is closed on Mondays
- Seeing what you paid for means a full day on your feet
- No audio device is handed out; bring headphones and a charged phone
- Seasonal buildings shut in winter, so the list shrinks from November
Book the 10:00 slot at Sanssouci, walk the main avenue west and take the New Palace in the early afternoon. Doing it the other way round means climbing the terraces when the steps are busiest. Best time to visit has the month-by-month picture.
My gripes
Non-refundable is the big one. Every guided tour on this site gives you free cancellation up to 24 hours before; this ticket does not, and if it rains or you miss the S7, that is that. The second is expectation. Frank Olaf from Germany put it well: one day is not enough to see everything. He did Sanssouci and the New Palace and stopped, which is what I would do too. The ticket is a licence to walk, not an obligation. How long to visit has three sample days.
What reviewers say
Real GetYourGuide reviews, first names only.
“These palaces are well worth a visit… the grounds are beautiful and the palaces are amazing.”
“Everything worked out wonderfully. Thanks to the time slots, the palace is not overcrowded.”
“A day ticket is definitely worth it, there are so many beautiful things to see.”
If a tour suits you better
If you are staying in Berlin and would rather not organise the train, the two departures from Berlin hold the slot for you.
From BerlinFrom Berlin: Potsdam and Sanssouci Palace Tour with Entry
PrivatePotsdam: Private Walking Tour of Potsdam and Sanssouci
Frequently asked questions
Does the entry ticket include an audio guide?
No device is handed out. The free SANSSOUCI app from SPSG covers the palace in 12 languages and has a children’s version; download it before you arrive and bring headphones. What to see inside follows the same room order.
Can I change the slot or get a refund?
The listing is non-refundable and there is no free cancellation. If your dates are not fixed, the guided tours are more forgiving — see the comparison for which ones cancel free up to 24 hours before.
Is the day ticket worth it if I only want Sanssouci Palace?
Usually not. The day ticket costs more than the single palace ticket and its point is the other buildings. If you will only walk the ten rooms and the terraces, buy the single ticket. The sanssouci+ page weighs it up.
What if I arrive on a Monday?
The palace is closed every Monday, so the Sanssouci slot cannot exist that day. The park and Frederick’s grave are open regardless. Opening hours has the full table.