Grand Ducal Palace
The Grand Duke's official city residence, opened for public tours only seven weeks a year.
Renaissance facade of the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City
What to expect at Grand Ducal Palace
Built between 1572 and 1795 and now the town palace of Grand Duke Henri, this ornate Flemish-Renaissance building on Rue du Marché-aux-Herbes is closed to the public for most of the year — but for around seven weeks each summer, while the ducal family is away in Colmar-Berg, professional guides run tours through the state rooms. You see the entrance hall with its embroidered ceilings, the ballroom, the Yellow Room where ambassadors are received, and the King's Room with its 1883 portraits — all still in daily official use.
Tickets are sold exclusively through the Luxembourg City Tourist Office on Place Guillaume II and sell out days in advance in July and August, so book as soon as you know your dates. Tours last exactly 55 minutes, cameras must be left in a locker at the door, and children under 6 are not admitted. Even outside tour season, the Changing of the Guard outside the front door is worth timing — it happens every two hours.
Questions about Grand Ducal Palace
Adults $16, students $8, children 6-12 $8, under 6 not admitted. All proceeds are donated to charity.
The palace interior is never free, but watching the guard change from Rue du Marché-aux-Herbes costs nothing.
Guided tours last 55 minutes. Add 10 minutes for the security check and locker at the entrance.
Only from mid-July to early September, Monday to Saturday. Closed all Sundays, Wednesdays and the rest of the year.
Yes — tickets must be reserved through the Luxembourg City Tourist Office (Place Guillaume II or luxembourg-city.com) and often sell out days ahead.
Tram T1 stop Hamilius is a 3-minute walk. Public transport is free nationwide.
Hotels near Grand Ducal Palace
More walks
All walks
From the journal
All posts
Comparisons & rankings
Hotels with free parking in Luxembourg City, ranked
Parking in the capital runs $25-40 a day, so the 9 hotels below with free or bundled garages actually save you real money.
Comparisons & rankings
Best hotels near Vianden Castle, ranked
Ten places to sleep within a 10-minute walk of Luxembourg's most photographed castle, from $65 guesthouses to $220 river-view rooms.
Comparisons & rankings
Hotels with spa and thermal pools in Luxembourg, ranked
The country has exactly one real thermal town and about 8 hotels serious enough to book for a spa weekend — here they are.