Austria · VIENNA TOURS
Vienna is a morning city and an evening city with a long flat afternoon in between. Build a first visit out of these 15: a palace before the coaches, a gallery when the light goes, and a concert hall once the shops shut.
Spend 75 minutes inside Vienna’s Karlskirche with Orchestra 1756, a period-instrument ensemble performing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Expect Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, plus changing works by Mozart, Bach, Biber, or other major composers. Choose your seat carefully, arrive early, and dress for the church’s cold winter air.
“Amazing! this venue is perfect and the concert was fantastic.”
Spend one hour watching Lipizzaner stallions and their riders train in Vienna’s magnificent Winter Riding Academy. You’ll see relaxation work, dressage movements, muscle-building exercises, and perhaps some advanced steps. Classical Viennese music accompanies the session. This is a practical, lower-cost alternative to a full Spanish Riding School performance.
“Exactly what was advertised. A practice session watching 5 riders/horses going through their paces with a nice touch of waltz music in the background.”
Scan your QR code at the Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel in Wiener Prater and ride in one of its spacious vintage carriages. The 12 to 15 minute trip reaches almost 65 meters, with views toward the Vienna Woods, Danube, Marchfeld, and Pannonian Basin. A small panorama museum is included before boarding.
“The Ferris wheel offers a fantastic view of all the attractions in Vienna. The park has something for everyone, regardless of age, and there are no long queues for the rides. While some attractions accept card payments, others only take cash, so it's good to be prepared. Overall, it's a great place to visit, especially for families with kids!”
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.”
Enter Vienna’s Votive Church for a 30-minute, six-act presentation of Genesis told through 360-degree projections, color, and specially composed music. You sit inside the historic church as light reaches the walls and ceiling. The ticket costs $25, and the show is best for adults and children over six who can handle flashing light and seasonal temperatures.
“It was absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. Half an hour of mesmerising light show and music. Wrap up warm though as it did get cold.”
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.”
Spend two hours at Vienna’s Musikverein, hearing Mozart and Haydn in the first half and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in the second. Your concert may be in the famous Golden Hall or the smaller Brahms Hall. Tickets cost about $17, but seat views vary, and cash is needed for the coat check and optional €3.80 program.
“Beautiful concert, played by very talented musicians, who were able to bring across all of the different emotions. The publicum however was a different story to me - even though explicitly stated in the beginning, so many people took photographs, videos and were on their phones in general, which I find somewhat distracting and quite rude. I would wish that the rule of "no phones during concert" would be more enforced, but I also realize the impossibility of that. But all in all very much worth the price!”
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”
Travel from Vienna to Hallstatt with an English-speaking guide such as Sofia, Lily, or Dasha. Stop at Schloss Ort, ride up to the Hallstatt Skywalk when open, then enjoy free time for lunch, photos, shopping, or a boat ride. Expect a full 13-hour day and several hours on the road.
“Dasha was a wonderful guide, our day was perfect ..the views were stunning”
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.”
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!”
Spend one evening hearing the Classic Ensemble Vienna perform familiar works by Vivaldi, Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Haydn, and Schubert inside St. Peter’s Church. The one-hour concert takes place in the church’s atmospheric vaults, with seating in designated sections. Arrive early for the best choice of pews or chairs.
“Lovely performance from 4 talented young musicians. Great location too. Very enjoyable and thoroughly recommended.”
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”
Watch Lipizzan stallions perform the High School of Classical Horsemanship inside Vienna’s Baroque Winter Riding School. Choose a 70-minute Standard Performance, a 1.5-hour Gala Performance with live moderation, or the 2-hour Tribute to Vienna. Tickets include a 5% souvenir-shop discount, but not a building tour or transport.
Spend about an hour hearing classical music inside St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna’s central landmark. Choose a program featuring Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Christmas music, Mozart’s Requiem, or the 12,000-pipe Giant Organ. Seats are assigned within your ticket category, and earlier booking generally means a better view.
“The musicians were phenomenal and acoustics were very favorable for the event.”
Pick a palace, a mountain or a concert hall.
