The 15 Best Tours & Day Trips in Austria

1.Schönbrunn Palace & Gardens Skip-the-Line Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 7,739 reviews · 2 hours · from $63Our pick

Meet at the Ehrenhof Fountain under the green umbrella for a two-hour guided visit to Schönbrunn. Your guide leads you through 22 state rooms, the 40-meter Great Gallery, and the Hall of Ceremonies, then points out garden highlights and the Gloriette. Audio devices help you follow the commentary, with tours offered in 11 languages.

“The tour was wonderful. Lisa was fantastic, and a good sense of humor and information.”

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2.Vienna Spanish Riding School Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 6,765 reviews · 55 min · from $28

Spend 55 minutes inside Vienna’s Spanish Riding School with an English or German-speaking guide. Visit the Winter and Summer Riding Schools, the Stallburg stables, tack room, exercise areas, and Lipizzaner stalls. Guides such as Sisi, Natasha, Lorelei, and Inga explain the horses’ training, care, breeding, and long equestrian tradition.

“It was a really nice experience. The length of time was good for the price. The guides were great and very knowledgeable. Very professional.”

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3.The Original Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 6,129 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $90

Join an English-speaking guide such as Peter, David, Antonio, or Bridget for a four-hour coach tour of Salzburg’s Sound of Music filming sites. Sing along on the bus, stop at Mirabell, Leopoldskron, Hellbrunn, and Lake Wolfgang, then explore Mondsee and its wedding basilica.

“What a fun and comfortable tour of the main sites. Mitch was a highly entertaining and engaging guide with endless anecdotes and details about the movie, actors and sites. While the drive to St Michael's basilica takes some time, it goes through stunning mountain scenery. My mum, being the ultimate Souns of Music fangirl had a blast!”

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4.Skip-the-Line Sisi Museum, Hofburg and Gardens Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 5,918 reviews · 2h 30m · from $61

Spend 150 minutes exploring Vienna’s Hofburg with a licensed guide such as Alex, Mario, Nicole or Mirko. Skip the ticket line for the Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments, then see the courtyards, Spanish Riding School, Heldenplatz and Burggarten. Tours run in English, German, French, Italian or Spanish, with only one language used per group.

“Mirko was an amazing guide that made this tour special. He made us laugh, look and discover palace room by room, taking a peeking into imperial life. It was a wonderful tour and I highly recommend it”

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5.Skip-the-Line Schönbrunn Palace & Gardens Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 5,411 reviews · 2h 30m · from $76

Spend 150 minutes at Schönbrunn Palace with a licensed guide such as Alex, Mario, or Nicole. Reserved entry covers 22 rooms, including spaces beyond the standard individual route, followed by the courtyards, gardens, fountains, Roman Ruins, and views toward the Gloriette. Choose English, German, French, Italian, or Spanish.

“An excellent tour with Mario, in the palace and around, many interesting stories. thank you.”

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6.Original Sound of Music Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 5,059 reviews · 4 hours · from $88

Spend four hours tracing The Sound of Music around Salzburg and the Lake District. Guides such as José, Kylie, Connor, and Mitch mix film facts, local history, music, and humor on a comfortable coach. See Leopoldskron, Nonnberg, Hellbrunn, Lake Fuschl, St. Gilgen, and Mondsee Cathedral, with free time in Mondsee.

“Absolutely amazing from start to finish. This guide was funny, made us laugh and was so very knowledgable. This is an absolute must do tour 100%”

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7.Guided Walking Tour of City Center Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 4,989 reviews · 2 hours · from $25Best value

Walk Vienna’s historic center with a licensed English or German guide, passing the Hofburg, Spanish Riding School, famous coffee houses, Blutgasse, and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Guides such as Alex, Sandra, Wolfgang, and Stephan are known for clear storytelling and humor. The tour costs $25, lasts two hours, and works well as a first-day introduction.

“Alex was a great guide very knowledgeable. The tour does what it says, city centre highlights. The history covered a lot of Emperor/Empress times, not so much else. Good way to learn some interesting main points of Vienna!”

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8.Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus Tour in 19 Languages

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 4,518 reviews · 1 - 3 days · from $41

Explore Vienna by yellow hop-on hop-off bus for 24, 48, or 72 hours. Red covers the Ringstrasse, Yellow reaches Schönbrunn and Belvedere, Blue heads to the Prater and Danube, and the summer Green route climbs toward Grinzing and Cobenzl. Audio commentary comes in 19 languages, with free Wi-Fi and a self-guided walking app included.

“Fantastic value for money - 3 different lines so got to see all of Vienna. Commentary throughout so you knew a bit of the history alongside the attractions”

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9.Time Travel and Magic Vienna History Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 3,879 reviews · 1 hour · from $27

In Vienna’s old center, Time Travel Vienna takes you through 2,000 years of local history in about an hour. Expect multimedia rooms, a 5D cinema, animated historical figures, VR glasses, a wartime shelter scene, and a virtual horse-drawn carriage ride. The experience suits families and first-time visitors, but requires climbing about 50 steps.

“A fun tourist experience that takes you through the story of vienna. The effects are fun and well produced and it takes about an hour. Would recommend for anyone visiting the city.”

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10.Half-Day Tour to Hallstatt

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 3,596 reviews · 5h 30m · from $100

Travel by coach from Salzburg through the Salzkammergut to Hallstatt, with guide commentary in English or German. You get 2.5 hours to walk by the lake, see Mullbach waterfall, visit the Bone House if open, and browse at your own pace. The salt mine is not included, and the Skywalk funicular is closed until summer 2026.

“Our tour guide Susie was amazing. She was full of energy and information. The tour was well organized with good transportation. Hallstatt is a beautiful village and is a must visit. I hope all tourists kept their volume levels down as you can see a lot of locals are not happy with the massive inflow of tourists.”

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11.Big Bus Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour by Open-Top Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 3,529 reviews · 90 minutes - 2 days · from $36

See Vienna from an open-top double-decker bus on city and palace routes covering the Opera, Hofburg, Schönbrunn, Belvedere, Hundertwasserhaus, and Danube Island. Choose 24 or 48 hours, then add a guided imperial-history walk, night tour, or Viennese sausage plate where offered. Audio runs in eight languages.

“Really good way to see the city, helpful/friendly staff. traffic does get a bit congested so can take time between stops.”

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12.Vienna Central Cemetery Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 3,307 reviews · 2 hours

Spend two hours exploring Vienna Central Cemetery with a live English- or German-speaking guide. You’ll see honor graves, soldiers’ memorials, religious sections, famous names such as Falco and Udo Jürgens, and the impressive Luegerkirche. Guide Johann is praised for mixing strong historical detail with dry humor, though the guide may vary.

“Imposant zu sehen! Sehr interessant gestaltet von unserem Guide Johann, der sein grosses Wissen mit Humor Preis gab!”

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13.Bus & Schönbrunn Palace Skip-the-Line Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 2,802 reviews · 3h 30m · from $81

This 210-minute tour pairs a bus ride past Vienna’s grandest sights with priority entry and a guided visit inside Schönbrunn Palace. You’ll see the Opera, Hofburg, Parliament, museums, and City Hall from the coach, then hear palace stories from a multilingual guide. Expect limited garden time and a return near the Vienna State Opera.

“rich history explanation and snippets are truly valuable not to be found on Google!”

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14.Guided Walking Tour of City Highlights & Hidden Gems

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 2,180 reviews · 2 hours · from $27

Walk Vienna’s historic center with a local guide in English, German, or Italian. In two hours, you’ll see the Minoriten Church mosaic, Hofburg, Heldenplatz, Spanish Riding School, Albertina, Opera, and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Expect exterior visits, lively storytelling, and listening equipment when needed. Private groups are available.

“Raffael was an exceptional guide. His extensive knowledge and infectious enthusiasm were evident and greatly appreciated. I wholeheartedly recommend taking this walking tour.”

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15.Viennese Underworld Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,865 reviews · 1 - 2 hours · from $37

Go below central Vienna with a German-speaking guide such as Bella, using an optional English audio guide on your phone. Depending on your chosen 1, 1.5, or 2-hour route, you may see World War II relics, old air raid shelters, a pharmacy laboratory, medicine cellars, and former refuge spaces.

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