Sanssouci Palace
Sanssouci Palace
4.5
About
Friedrich the Great's amazing 18th-century palace, reminiscent of the grandeur of Versailles, is surrounded by a magnificent 600-acre park.
Duration: < 1 hour
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- Ed cartvalePrestwick, United Kingdom958 contributionsPowerSituated in a massive park, quite a small house, but worth the wonder. Not much in the way of furnishings inside but the chambers are beautifully decorated. Spend about fifteen minutes, then go out enjoy the garden walks and the working windmill the car park charges for parking, as usual u need change for the toilets adjacent to the car parkVisited April 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten April 22, 2024
- Melissa P69 contributionsHistory, Beauty And nature in harmonyBeautiful experience A way to really connect with nature in history in a relaxed setting. Our tour guide was very rude on the new palace tour. A luscious and artistic gardens around the palace. Lots of places to get pictures with fountains and statues. See this attraction it brings out the happiness from withinVisited May 2024Traveled with familyWritten May 17, 2024
- Renee CEugene, Oregon182 contributionsMassive and needs better maps/signageBe very careful to know which location your ticket is for. We arrived on time but at the wrong place. It was a long walk to where we should have been and we arrived late; luckily the man at the door was nice enough to let us in for the tour. The site is massive and really deserves a whole day to visit. More signs on the paths and/or better maps would make this a much easier site to see.Visited June 2024Traveled with familyWritten June 29, 2024
- Monique103Berlin, Germany335 contributionsBeautiful castle complex in PotsdamWe visited the castle with the audio guide as part of the team day (of work). It takes about 45-60 minutes. After that, you should allow time for the park as well as other buildings. It is best to book a timeslot ticket in advance. You can easily get there by bus from Potdam central station.Visited June 2024Traveled on businessWritten July 6, 2024
- Pedro GHavana, Cuba557 contributionsIf you are in Berlin you should not miss visiting it, it is almost essential.It is my second visit to Berlin and this time we could go to Postdam and visit the Palace of Sans Souci, although it was a rainy day you could visit the Palace and its surroundings. Actually the Palace is a small gem, it is true that there are bigger and more luxurious but this has the seal of its creator, Frederick II or Frederick the Great, as they called him. When you walk through its interior you realize that it is a more livable, more earthly building, there are rooms to serve visitors, to house friends, the library to study and work etc.. but everything is enjoyed in a more human dimension. With a simple but very delicate decoration, in the French style, it preserves many pieces of its original furniture and allows us a more real idea of how the Prussian emperors lived at that time. In order to enjoy it and understand it they must hire an audio guide, they have several languages, including Spanish, with which you get to know in quite detail, everything that exists inside. The tour is about an hour or so and maybe it will last longer if you then rush through the surrounding gardens. It is certainly a must if you visit Germany.Visited June 2024Traveled with familyWritten July 10, 2024
- Pascale TCanada37 contributionsBeautiful outing in PotsdamFrom Berlin RE1 in the direction of Potsdam, as soon as you understand the metro a little, it goes very well. 30 minutes and we get to PP Sansouci station. WARNING: good walking shoes and water... because we walk a shot!! It’s worth going there on a beautiful sunny day, or at least not in the rain. The castle is cute not very big but worth visiting. If like me you take the French translation 9 to any other language except German obviously... manage to be away from the Guide to hear. We were a small group it went well. Then walk and walk... especially my favorite orangery..... then either on foot or by local bus go to the city center of Potsdam, Shopping, bistro and a lot of beautiful things to see (on foot or by BigBus). Definitely worth a visit!Visited July 2024Traveled soloWritten July 25, 2024
- Helena BMarket Drayton, United Kingdom314 contributionsLovelyFor the palace tours, From the main station once you exit on the side that doesn’t have a Costa on and there’s a stand with various members of staff. Very helpful staff and nice covered vehicle. If you’re non-German you get a folder to have during the tour. There’s 3 palaces to stop at but the stops aren’t for long. 30 minutes a piece. You can leave the tour at any point. We decided to leave the group at sans souci, toured the lovely gardens. Didn’t go inside so not sure on price but it’s extra. Gift shop not great best things were the postcards. There’s the I believe 495 you can get to the main town. But there is more than bus stop so be careful if you’re doing this you go to the main road one.Visited July 2024Traveled with familyWritten August 3, 2024
- Sergey PaschkovBerlin, Germany1,577 contributionsSanssouci Castle is the main attraction in PotsdamSanssouci Castle is the main attraction in Potsdam. It's better to come on a weekday. Admission to the castle is charged, but the park around the castle is free. From the train station it is only a few stops by bus. Take water with you. You can have a snack in one of the outdoor cafes: Sausages or a hamburger. The free parking is small, about five hundred meters away.Visited August 2024Traveled with familyWritten August 17, 2024
- claudio lMelzo, Italy941 contributionsPartially under restorationPalace of enormous size, created by Frederick William I and then continued and modified until the fourth generation. It housed what were the royal apartments complete with residual original furnishings. Fabulous story that you can hear with audio guides. About an hour of enjoyment of the view and aesthetics. Indispensable, although some rooms are currently under restoration.Visited August 2024Traveled with familyWritten August 20, 2024
- Tina DBirmingham, United Kingdom6 contributionsRecommend visiting but avoid Mondays and TuesdaysAmazing World Heritage Site. Beautiful gardens, statues and palaces. Although most Google websites say Palace is only closed Mondays, we went on a Tuesday and was disappointed. So avoid Mondays and Tuesdays as not everything is open. Some of the buildings are closed Mondays, others Tuesdays and the cafe is closed Tuesdays. Sanssouci Palace is not free and you need to purchase tickets from the cafe.Visited August 2024Traveled with familyWritten August 22, 2024
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Alessandro P
Mignanego, Italy388 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Family visit to the palace complex of the residential city of Potsdam. The palaces are inserted within the huge Parks Sanssouci park, is the palace of Sanssouci is one of them. The visit will take you throughout the day, also because the distances between the palaces within the park are considerable, and the visits to the palaces are made in small groups and in the case of the Neue Palais there will also be a 'chaperone (if you have children, at the entrance of each building you will find stools available) but the most important thing is that the visits are scheduled and contingent. Try therefore to take time between buildings so that you can enjoy the garden which has remarkable palaces, views, interesting and distant architectural buildings. The cost is based on how many palaces you want to visit, if you are a family take the 22€ (all-inclusive) two adults and two children, it is the best option. Recommendation to start at the Neue Palais and then choose according to your preferences the other palaces, but try to get to the palace of Sanssouci from the park of the Great Fountain to have a more suggestive visit. Also of considerable beauty is the Bildeglerie, with a valuable painting, but equally valuable is the treasure chest or the palace. If you start your visit from Neue Palace and arrive from Berlin by public transport, use the train because it is convenient and fast, the stop will be Park Sanssouci, so you can also see the Kaiserbahnhof station for use by the imperial family. If you want to take as few steps as possible, just outside the station there is the BUS stop where you can take the 605 that goes around the park from the outside but makes stops near the various buildings, otherwise from the station are 7 m walk to the ticket office. On the contrary, if you want to leave from Sanssouci Palace you have to get off at Potsdam station and use the BUS X15/695/614 in the opposite direction and stop wherever you like. Anyway I leave photos of the seedlings to make you understand better. Inside there are no “restaurants” that offer hot dishes but only kiosks in the most popular places (check the map that I have the host) with sandwiches and drinks, so if you want to have lunch with hot dishes stay outside the building where you will find good restaurants. I therefore Recommendation comfortable shoes and to calculate a whole day because the park is very large and the buildings are far from each other, but it is worth visiting an iconic and historically interesting place like the Parks Sanssouci.
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Written August 26, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AquaPacifica
Gold Coast, Australia1,615 contributions
Jan 2022 • Family
Sanssouci Palace and its surrounding gardens and estates and castles are a must visit for anyone coming to this part of world. Right now entry is via booking online only, or risking getting no tickets at all, with a time slot, do not be late or you will miss out. The interior is small for the amount of visitors. I can only imagine the hordes at peak times. If you want to see other castles in the area get the Sanssouci Plus tickets which includes free entry to all open sites in the entire estate. A lot is closed for restoration and due to Covid. Enough is open to fill an entire day.
The palace is beautifully restored and furnished with lots of paintings, chandeliers, vases, art works, mirrors and intricate decorations. It's beautiful.
Go in the morning, as the estate is enormous and bring good shoes, it's a 2km walk to Neues Palais which is a must visit and currently open.
The whole place is amazing. Highly recommended. Not great for the walking impaired.
The palace is beautifully restored and furnished with lots of paintings, chandeliers, vases, art works, mirrors and intricate decorations. It's beautiful.
Go in the morning, as the estate is enormous and bring good shoes, it's a 2km walk to Neues Palais which is a must visit and currently open.
The whole place is amazing. Highly recommended. Not great for the walking impaired.
Written January 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ktbeenthere2015
New York City, NY289 contributions
Jul 2022 • Friends
The audio guide (we used the English one) through the extravagantly decorated rooms was fantastic. Not knowing much about the era, the guide was a good starting point with enough anecdotes to keep every tourist entertained throughout the 45 minutes. The rooms are stunning.
Sadly, the other comments on the briskness -to the point of rudeness- of the staff was our experience as well. The day we went it was raining heavily. The ticket counter attendant loosely and impatiently explained the options so we were confused about what we were purchasing. There was not an ounce of kindness shared by the staff for the tourists who had stood in the torrential downpour to make the ticketing time.
It is worth a visit but just be prepared in advance that the staff work there. The ticket price does not include any obligation by the staff to show any interest or share any enthusiasm in the historical site. And, questions about Potsdam are understandably unacceptable.
Sadly, the other comments on the briskness -to the point of rudeness- of the staff was our experience as well. The day we went it was raining heavily. The ticket counter attendant loosely and impatiently explained the options so we were confused about what we were purchasing. There was not an ounce of kindness shared by the staff for the tourists who had stood in the torrential downpour to make the ticketing time.
It is worth a visit but just be prepared in advance that the staff work there. The ticket price does not include any obligation by the staff to show any interest or share any enthusiasm in the historical site. And, questions about Potsdam are understandably unacceptable.
Written July 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nordlyset
Hamburg, Germany2,831 contributions
Aug 2023
The Palace Night in the Sanssouci Palace Park on Friday, August 18, 2023 was completely overpriced for the entrance fee of €46 per person and an impertinence for the services offered. Whether at the Dutch market or at the exit at the historic mill, there were enough stalls with drinks and food. There was also said to have been something similar at the Orangery.
The illumination was there, but not to the extent that was advertised.
One or two artists came towards you along the way. The palace and the gardens were illuminated, as they should be every evening, so nothing special.
On Saturday it was apparently different, as one could read in the daily press.
The illumination was there, but not to the extent that was advertised.
One or two artists came towards you along the way. The palace and the gardens were illuminated, as they should be every evening, so nothing special.
On Saturday it was apparently different, as one could read in the daily press.

Written August 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
scififairy
New Brighton, UK4 contributions
Jan 2025 • Friends
Heard much about the Sanssouci Palace and was looking forward to my visit. Let’s start with the positives. The building and grounds are magnificent, especially (as we are musicians) seeing Frederick the Great’s music room and flute.
The audioguide was informative and went into much detail about the history and artefacts contained within. Even though the tour is quite short, there is much on display to commend.
Negatively:
1) It’s really poorly signposted, no indication of any of the significant locations, including the Palace itself, its entrance or where to buy tickets.
2) The museum shop (next door) has a big sign outside saying ‘no tickets on sale here’…in German only.
3) We found a small sign after the shop telling us that, to buy tickets, we had to walk down a little hill and cross a road.
4) We accept that, in January, some areas may be closed, however, there is no prior info about this anywhere until you are in the booking hall.
5) Returning to the entrance, staff appear, cuckoo clock like, from a poorly labelled door to inspect your ticket. No explanation regarding times were given at any point.
6)The explanation of how to use the audio guide was factually correct, but rather staccato and barked in its delivery. It certainly didn’t invite any further questions.
7) I had a small rucksack. I was immediately told to wear this on my front (something which I find very uncomfortable). I understand the need to protect exhibits and decor however, there were so few people about that this felt very unnecessary. Unlike other museums, the Palace does not provide lockers. If it is so concerned by the presence of such rucksacks etc. then maybe it should.
8) With the exception of the ticket clerk, our overall impression was that the staff regarded us a nuisances for being there.
The audioguide was informative and went into much detail about the history and artefacts contained within. Even though the tour is quite short, there is much on display to commend.
Negatively:
1) It’s really poorly signposted, no indication of any of the significant locations, including the Palace itself, its entrance or where to buy tickets.
2) The museum shop (next door) has a big sign outside saying ‘no tickets on sale here’…in German only.
3) We found a small sign after the shop telling us that, to buy tickets, we had to walk down a little hill and cross a road.
4) We accept that, in January, some areas may be closed, however, there is no prior info about this anywhere until you are in the booking hall.
5) Returning to the entrance, staff appear, cuckoo clock like, from a poorly labelled door to inspect your ticket. No explanation regarding times were given at any point.
6)The explanation of how to use the audio guide was factually correct, but rather staccato and barked in its delivery. It certainly didn’t invite any further questions.
7) I had a small rucksack. I was immediately told to wear this on my front (something which I find very uncomfortable). I understand the need to protect exhibits and decor however, there were so few people about that this felt very unnecessary. Unlike other museums, the Palace does not provide lockers. If it is so concerned by the presence of such rucksacks etc. then maybe it should.
8) With the exception of the ticket clerk, our overall impression was that the staff regarded us a nuisances for being there.
Written January 7, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
andreaz332018
Lake Macquarie, Australia36 contributions
Jul 2022
Considering you’re selling time-based entry tickets, the cue-line is incredibly badly organised. No electronic clock counting down like it does in so many other similar places, not even a sign, not even an employee calling out the relevant entry times. Instead, the employee in charge of scanning tickets at the time emerged every now and then, grumpily calling people to come forward, impatiently waving them away if they didn’t have tickets for the time slot she was expecting them to have, or if they were too slow to find their online tickets on their devices. She yelled at some American tourists in front of us for not understanding what she meant (we didn’t, even without the language barrier as we are Native Germans). Unfortunately, staff inside weren’t any more inviting. Neither the ones handing out the audio guides, nor the ones patrolling the rooms, nor the one opening the door on the way out graced us with a smile, a good morning, a thank you, or a goodbye. While the palace is nice enough, and the audio guide sure offered plenty to educate us while moving us smoothly through the small place, for us, Sanssouci has the dubious honour to hold first place for having the most unpleasant staff of any palace, castle, monument or museum we ever visited, anywhere in the world.
Written July 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
liverpool1023
London, UK1,256 contributions
Feb 2023 • Couples
Situated atop a landscaped terrace with vines this palace can easily be seen in an hour. The audio guide is well designed to progress you through this building at the optimal pace. The palace itself is a Rococo gem built at a human scale but also opulent The history behind it is fascinating and diverting.
Written March 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joanna S
Bude Cornwall133 contributions
Jul 2022
Easy to get to from Berlin, we got a bus outside Potsdam main train station, and the price of €19 was reasonable as we spent 6 hours there and explored the Windmill, the main palace, the new chambers and the orangery. Sadly the Chinese house is closed and the Roman baths are waiting to be renovated. The grounds are vast so allow plenty of time to mooch. Take a packed lunch as there are lots of places to sit, we ate at the Windmill which was reasonably priced but limited in what was on offer.
Written July 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Virginie
2 contributions
Apr 2023
We booked a family ticket at €49 which gives you the right to visit all the other castles on the same day. Tips: Plan a full day there, start early, book an early time for Sans Souci and thereafter enjoy. it is truly beautiful and worth a visit.
Written April 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AllanJGJ
Wellington, New Zealand4,259 contributions
Jun 2023 • Couples
Small but perfectly formed! What a joy this little palace is. The building and its contents are lovely but the added bonus is the excellent audio-guide which allows you to understand how important this little jewelbox was to Frederick the Great. You get a real feel for the man that built and inhabited it - his design choices, where he has conversations with Voltaire, even the chair he died in. Superb all round.
Written June 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello. My family is planning to visit in March, 2023. I have a travel book from 2016 that says that the only way to visit Sanssouci in the winter is with a tour group, and that you have to wait around for a groupto form to go. From what I've read elsewhere, you just show up at your allotted time, pick up an audioguide, then tour the palace of your own. Can someone please clarify?
Thank you for your assistance.
-Corrina
Written December 28, 2022
There is a Palace, Park and New chambers...you have to ask about opening hours direct overthere at the ticket office (see web pages). Namely the New chambers must be announced for a given hour of entrance.
Written November 1, 2022
Hello, Has anyone taken public transportation from Sanssouci Palace to Cecilienhof or the Bridge of Spies? Thanks!
Written September 15, 2019
In my experience i would rather walk, i’ve waited the bus for more than 40 mins ( even though i checked the station, days and times ) and no bus came, not even one, i ended up walking.
Written September 16, 2019
In questo periodo che tempi d'attesa sono previsti per entrare a sanssouci? Esiste un biglietto salta coda?
Written August 9, 2019
Io sono andato i primi di luglio con un tour organizzato da Berlino che prevedeva visita di Sanssouci e di Potsdam. Non mi è sembrato di vedere coda, ma in agosto non saprei. Ho preferito comprare uno di questi tour a Berlino (la città è piena di queste agenzie che li organizzano) ed è stato molto comodo, in quanto prevede trasporto in pullman a/r, visita di Sanssouci e di Potsdam, durata 5 ore.
Written August 10, 2019
Is there a way to avoid climbing the stairs at Sanssouci palace, we have knee problems, thank you
Written July 18, 2019
There's a car park near the windmill and visitor centre which leads to a gentle uphill sloped path to the palace.
Written July 21, 2019
hola, viajare pronto a Berlin y queriamos visitar este palacio, como hay que reservar la hora del pase, y haremos un fee tour por Postdam, me gustaria saber cuanto se tarda en visitar este palacio y si visitaste alguno mas y el tiempo que se tarda en visitarlos, este free tour finaliza sobre las 15,30 h
gracias
Written June 28, 2019
Las he reservado en Get Your Guide, el palacio dura como 1 hora. Solo visite ese palacio y los demas hice tour en autobus.
Written June 28, 2019
hola, se pueden recorrer los jardines en bicicletas?
Written April 12, 2019
Hola, Check the Website for more Information. I think bike are not allowed.
Written April 20, 2019
Visiting Potsdam Sunday in mid-May, intending to buy tickets online for the Palace, to get the timed entrance we want. Also want to visit the New Palace, but it appears you have to be there to get a time to enter that day--no reservations in advance. Is that true, and if so, are the queues long for the New Palace?
Written March 24, 2019
We went at 14:00 in early Sept on a Saturday and the wait was only about 15 minutes.
Written March 25, 2019
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