Spanish Riding School: Tours & Tickets

I was unable to get tickets for a performance concert with the Lippizane horses so I booked the Morning Exercise tour. I was very pleasantly surprised. Love it. About 20 minutes is long enough to watch them but they are so beautiful. Most of the time they are just walking around with their trainers but some of them will do a bit of jumping and it's so worth it to see them (the horses that is, not the trainers- lol!) A little tip - annoyingly, although you may have your booking confirmation printed or have it on your phone, you still have to get a ticket printed when you get there. However, you don't have to stand in the long queue - just walk into the hall and at the end of the reception desk there is a couple of staff who will print your ticket out for you. Enjoy!

The tour was excellent--Josh was knowledgeable, personable, and easy to hear. I knew we were going to get a tour of all of the facilities, and I had been disappointed to not be able to attend either a show or "morning exercises" because of our schedule, but when we got to see the Stallions up close in their stalls, I was touched and thrilled. And although we are not allowed to touch them or take pictures of them, just being able to look many of the horses in the eye and say a little something to them made me feel connected to them. I only wish the gift shop were open when the tour ended--perhaps extending the hours so that those who take the tour can visit the shop at the end would be good.

A lovely setting with an interior with elaborate decoration. Good viewing areas, both sitting and standing. A small amount of commentary to explain what we were viewing and its history. It was 36 degrees outside and a little cooler inside, so a fan may be useful. Our group consisted of adults and teenagers and all enjoyed 20 mins, but we stayed longer as there were "horse" fans among the group and they were thrilled. We were asked not to take photos, but pictures and brochures are on sale. The site said it may be smelly, but we didn't really notice any.

On the second tier we looked down on the horses from a higher level than anticipated. Also I had hoped there would be live music. Still, seeing these horses perform so elegantly was wonderful fulfillment of a childhood fantasy that began with a Walt Disney movie about the horses.

We especially loved seeing the Mother horses & their babies running free in the park. Our guide told us about this opportunity that takes place on nice days about 5-5:30 ish. What a perfect opportunity to see these beautiful horses up close.