Vienna Tour Guide
Top Things to Do in Vienna
Discover the best Vienna tours, Tickets, Activities and Day Trips to make your Vienna Holiday Memorable.
Vienna has many things to see and do, from stunning palaces to historic architecture, serene churches, memorable concerts and performances, Cultural tours, Food Tours, and so much more!
Wanderlustria has selected our recommendations of the Best Things to See & Do in Vienna. We have included the best tickets and tours covering a wide range of the most popular activities in Vienna including: churches, palaces, museums and performances.
We recommend booking your trips and activities with Get your Guide or Viator. Both are reputable companies that have many tours, trips and activities – that you can review all in one place.
We also support many local operators and have provided their links for your convenience.
We recommend booking the popular tours in advance so you don’t miss out!
In addition, to the Most Popular Sights and Activities, there are other options, including:
If you are still looking for things to do while visiting Vienna, there are several half-day and full-day Day Trips where you can visit Wachau, Melk, and Bratislava, as well as longer journeys to Hallstatt, Salzburg, and Budapest.
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Quick Vienna Planning Summary
♦ Arriving in Vienna– Getting to the City from the Airport, by Train, Bus or Boat
♦ We recommend using Vienna’s world-class Public Transport
♦ Plan with our Free One-Day or Two-Day Vienna Itineraries
♦ Top 30 Vienna Bucket List
♦ Planning to visit the Vienna Christmas Markets? Buy ourVienna Christmas Market Itinerary
Our Recommendations | Where we stay in Vienna
♥ Perfect for families, we loved staying in a Maisonette (two bedrooms over two floors) at the König von Ungarn -directly in the centre of Vienna behind Stephansdom.
♥ Motel One Staatsoper, a great mid-range choice one block from the Opera and close to everything.
♥ I also love staying at the Hotel Pension Museum in Spittelberg, directly across from the U3 Metro Stop and Museums Quartier and Theaterhotel & Suites Wien in the 8th district- where I used to live, so this hotel feels like home.
You can find more hotel recommendations in our Vienna Hotel Guide
Vienna’s Popular Sights and Activities
Stephansdom
Visit the 12th-century Stephansdom (St Stephen’s Cathedral), its catacombs, the North and South Towers and Dom Museum Wien, and learn about the city’s history and culture.
Karlskirche
Visit the 18th-century baroque Karlskirhe (St. Charles Church), designed by the famous Baroque architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach.
Capuchins Crypt
Beneath the Kapuzinerkirche (Church of the Capuchin Friars) is the final resting place of 149 members of the Habsburg royal family, including Empress Elisabeth (Sissi) and Emperor Franz Joseph. The Kapruzinergruft, has been the Habsburg’s burial vault since 1618.
Schönbrunn Palace
The famous yellow 18th-century Schönbrunn Palace was the Habsburg’s summer residence. Tour the palace’s scrumptious baroque interiors, where four-year-old Mozart performed his first public appearance before Empress Maria Therese. Outside, visit the gardens, the Gloriette, the Schönbrunn Zoo (the oldest working zoo in the world), the carriage museum and the Children’s Museum.
Wanderlustria’s Schönbrunn Tour Recommendations
♥ Guided Tour of Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens
♥ Audio Guide Tour of the Palace
♥ Visit the oldest working zoo in the world, Tiergarten Schönbrunn (Schönbrunn Zoo). The Zoo, established in 1752, is part of a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site and has now been named Europe’s best zoo six times in a row.
♥ The Children’s Museum lets children (and adults) experience what life was like for little Archdukes and Archduchesses with hands-on activities.
♥ The Carriage Museum The Imperial Carriage Museum near Schönbrunn Palace has an impressive collection of carriages that once belonged to Austrian royalty.
Hofburg Imperial Palace
The Hofburg Palace was the seat of the Habsburg Court from 1273 to 1918. The Hofburg is one of Vienna’s most magnificent baroque Palaces.
Visitors to the Hofburg can explore the Imperial Apartments, the Sisi Museum, the Imperial Treasury and the Austria National Library.
Wanderlustria’s Hofburg Palace Tour Recommendations
♥ Visit the Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments -See the grandeur of the Hofburg
♥ Visit the Imperial Treasury
♥ Visit the National Library – the Grand State Hall is one of the most impressive rooms in Vienna.
Belvedere Palace
Schloss Belvedere was designed by Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and built as the summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy. The Unteres Belvedere (Lower) built in 1712-16 has state apartments, ceremonial rooms and the lavish red marble Mamorsaal. The Oberes Belvedere (Upper) built in 1717-23 is now a museum housing Medieval art, impressionists and its most famous exhibits of Klimt masterpieces. The impressive Marble Hall was where the Allies signed the treaty that gave Austria its independence after WWII occupation.
Wanderlustria’s BelvedereTour Recommendations
Upper Belvedere Tickets See Masterpieces of Austrian art from the Middle Ages, including masterpieces by Klimt (Der Kuss), Schiele, Funke, Messerschmidt and van Gogh.
Lower Belvedere Tickets : Art exhibitions from all periods at the former residential palace of Prince Eugene and at the Orangery.
Treasures from the Middle Ages
The Spanish Riding School
The Spanische Hofreitschule (Spanish Riding School) was established in the 16th century, and is the world’s oldest school of classical equitation. Experience the traditional classical dressage in guides tours, watch a training session or a performance.
Picture © Spanische Hofreitschule
♥ Have a look behind the scenes of the 60-minute Guided Tour
♥ Witness a Spanish Riding School training session of the Lipizzaners and their riders
♥ See a Spanish Riding School Performance.
Museums
Thanks to the Habsburg’s extensive art collections and the home of the Fin de Siècle Vienna Succession Art movement of the late 19th- century, Vienna is a paradise for art and museum lovers with over 100 museums.
Wanderlustria’s Museum Recommendations
♥ Kunsthistorisches Museum: The Museum of Art History’s collections include the picture gallery (16-18th century masterpieces), the Egyptian Collection, Greek and Roman Antiquities and the coin collection. The museum also has a popular cafe.
♥ The Albertina Museum exhibits the Batliner Collection- Monet to Picasso, temporary exhibitions and Albertina’s graphical collection.
♥ The Leopold Museum has one of the world’s most important collections of Austrian art from the second half of the nineteenth century and Modernism- including the Egon Schiele collection and significant works by Gustav Klimt, Richard Gerstl, Oskar Kokoschka, and Alfred Kubin.
♥ The Kunsthaus Wien is dedicated to Friedensreich Hundertwasser, a painter, architect, ecological activist and philosopher. He was one of the most important avant-garde artists of post-war modernism.
♥ Vienna Jewish Museum & Museum Jedenplatz Learn about the history of Jewish Vienna. The exhibition takes you back to Jewish Vienna from the Middle Ages to the Holocaust and discover the medieval synagogue.
Classical Concerts & Performances
Vienna is the capital of classical music and former home of many of the greatest composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, Haydem, Schubert and Mahler.
No trip to Vienna is complete without experiencing a classical music performance.
From performances with musicians in period costumes to the premier performances at the Vienna State Opera House, performances of the Wiener Sangerknaben (Vienna Boys Choir) to the Vienna Philharmonic at the Muzikverein- there is are performances to please all tastes and budgets.
Wanderlustria’s Classical Music Concert Recommendations
Note: Tickets for the Vienna State Opera go on sale two months in advance on the first of the month.
There are no performances of the Opera, Vienna Philharmonic or Vienna Boys Choir in the summer from July to end of August.
Vienna State Opera Performances
Vienna Philharmonic
Vienna Boy’s Choir
image © Lukas Beck
Vienna Concerts
Other Popular concerts include:
♥ Vivaldi-Four Seasons by Orchestra 1756 Concert at Karlskirche
♥ Mozart Concert in the Golden Hall of Muzikverein.
♥ Classic Ensemble at St Peter’s Church
♥ Classical Viennese String Ensemble Concert in Annakirche (St Anne’s Church)
Viennese Cooking Classes and Food & Wine Tours
Create a delicious memory and learn how to cook classic Viennese dishes like Apfelstrudel, Wiener Schnitzel, or Kaiserschmarrn.
Wine and Food Tours
Austrian Wine Tasting guided by a certified sommelier. Enjoy six top-quality wines from Austrian regions paired with local charcuterie.
Best of Vienna Food Tour Guided walking tour in Vienna where you enjoy Austrian delicacies in a Viennese Palais and an old wine cellar.
Gerstner Royal Confectioner Show. Discover the majic of apple strudel baking in the historic rooms of Schönbrunn Palace.
Family-Friendly
Vienna has alot of activities that appeal to families. From great city parks, museums and activities. Here are some additional activities that are family-friendly.
NOTE:
Children under six travel free on the municipal transport system. Kids under 15 also travel free during official school holidays, on Sundays, and on public holidays.
Under 19s get free entrance into all federal museums. This includes, for example, the Kunsthisthorische, Albertina, Wien Museum Karlsplatz, Natural History museums, and others.
Day Trips to Hallstatt
We do not recommend a day trip from Vienna to Hallstatt. The journey is at least 3.5 hours each way, leaving minimal time to visit Hallstatt properly.
READ our Hallstatt Guides
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Essential Vienna Planning Tips
Click on one of the topics below to start planning your visit to Vienna.
Getting to Vienna
Vienna Public Transport Guide
Vienna Tours & Tickets Guide
Top 30 Things to Do & See in Vienna
12 Best Things to Do on a Rainy Day in Vienna
Vienna Christmas Market Itinerary
Vienna Easter Markets
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