Timed Tickets and Guided Visits in Dresden
Several of Dresden’s best interiors are sold by time slot or by guided visit, and a few sell out ahead of the date. This page sorts them by what you need to book first, then covers the official prices and the closing days that catch visitors out.
Book these ahead
- The Historic Green Vault, on its own timed ticket.
- The Frauenkirche guided dome ascent, which needs a reservation.
- Semperoper Erleben tours, which run on most days but follow the calendar.
- Any special exhibition with a timed slot, such as the Correggio show in the Zwinger.
Historic Green Vault
The Historic Green Vault lies inside the Residenzschloss and admits visitors only with a timed ticket of 18 EUR (13.50 EUR reduced; pupils pay 2 EUR). No SKD pass includes it, including the 28 EUR one day ticket, so buy the slot separately. Reserve online on the Historic Green Vault site or at shop.skd.museum. A temporary exhibition of welcome goblets, “Auf ex!”, runs from 16 July 2026 to 3 January 2027.
The Residenzschloss house ticket (18 EUR, 13.50 EUR reduced) covers the Neues Grünes Gewölbe, the Rüstkammer, the Türckische Cammer, the Kupferstich-Kabinett, the Münzkabinett and the Hausmannsturm. A Kombiticket that adds the Historic Green Vault costs 28 EUR. The palace is closed on Tuesdays.
Semperoper tours
Semperoper Erleben, the opera house’s own visitor service, sells the tours. The Highlight tour takes 45 minutes and costs 16 EUR (11 EUR reduced), and children under 6 are free. A 2.5 hour combination of the opera house and the Altstadt is 28 EUR (23 EUR reduced). Anyone holding a ticket for that evening’s performance can add a 30 minute introduction for 13 EUR. Reserve through semperoper-erleben.de .
Towers with a view
The Frauenkirche dome is climbed on your own for 12 EUR, 7 EUR reduced or 24 EUR for a family. The route starts in stair tower G with 174 steps to about 29 m, continues up a spiral ramp, and finishes with more stairs, including a steep ladder-style flight, to the platform at 67 m. There is no lift. A guided ascent for up to 25 people takes about an hour and has to be reserved; the dome ascent page has the current hours.
The Hausmannsturm in the Residenzschloss is part of the house ticket. It opens from 28 March to 2 November in 2026, with the last ascent at 16:30. Because the palace closes on Tuesdays, so does the tower.
Special exhibitions and timed slots
The Correggio exhibition in the Zwinger runs from 19 September 2026 to 10 January 2027. It has its own timed ticket at 14 EUR, or 23 EUR combined with the Zwinger house ticket. The Zwinger is closed on Mondays.
Since 1 April 2026 only pre-school children enter SKD museums free, and pupils pay 2 EUR a visit. Reduced prices need proof of eligibility.
Guided visits to Jewish heritage
The Neue Synagoge at Hasenberg 1 stands on the site of Semper’s synagogue, which was burned in November 1938. Its interior opens only on a guided visit. The Old Jewish Cemetery on Pulsnitzer Straße, the oldest in Saxony, dates from 1751 and is entered through guided tours; men are asked to cover their heads. Check with the Jewish community or the Hatikva association for dates, and treat both visits as quiet, respectful occasions.
Guided city tours
If you would rather have a live guide for the Altstadt, compare private and group tours on Viator .
Read more: Dresden sightseeing and the 2 day Dresden itinerary .