In a nutshell
- We show you the 8 best vienna tours that are genuinely worth your time and money.
- If it’s your first time in Vienna, we recommend a classic walking tour of Vienna or a boat ride on the Danube Canal.
- Our favorites for unique guided tours in Vienna are the Vienna Underworld and the tour through Vienna’s coffee houses.
Classic Walking Tour of Vienna
Our tip for first-time visitors to Vienna: a classic walking tour through Vienna’s historic center.
The guided tour lasts 2 hours and gives you a great overview of the city as you walk past many of Vienna’s highlights, such as St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the Hofburg Palace.
The Vienna city tour begins near the Hotel Sacher, where you should treat yourself to a slice of the famous Sachertorte before heading out on your tour well-fueled.
The classic Vienna walking tour costs around 22 euros.
Book the Old Town walking tour of Vienna
Tour into Vienna's Underworld
On this unique guided tour of Vienna, you’ll experience the city from a completely different perspective — from below!
You’ll venture into the mysterious Vienna Underworld, with crypts, coffins, and mummies as well as historic cellar vaults and medieval excavation sites. Seriously exciting!
For us, the tour through Vienna’s Underworld is one of the best vienna tours you can do.
The tour starts at Michaelerplatz, lasts 1.5 hours, and costs around 28 euros.
Book the Vienna Underworld tour
Walking Tour of Vienna's Central Cemetery
This walking tour of a different kind takes you through Vienna’s Central Cemetery, one of the largest cemeteries in Europe.
At the Central Cemetery, you’ll find graves of famous figures from the worlds of art, culture, and politics, including Beethoven, Udo Jürgens, and Falco.
During the tour, you’ll hear stories and background on individual graves and see burial sites from various religions such as Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism.
The walking tour lasts 2 hours and starts at 25 euros.
Book the Central Cemetery walking tour
Guided Tour of Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens
Schönbrunn Palace is one of Vienna’s most famous attractions and is sure to be on your wish list for your city trip to Vienna.
The best way to explore the vast grounds with the palace park and gardens is on a guided tour.
The big advantage: you skip the lines at the entrance and pick up loads of fascinating detail about the history of the Habsburgs along the way.
This guided Vienna tour of Schönbrunn Palace starts at 54 euros and lasts 2 hours.
Book the Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens tour
Sigmund Freud Walking Tour
On this one-of-a-kind Vienna walking tour, you’ll learn everything about the life and work of Sigmund Freud in Vienna.
You’ll stroll through Vienna’s old quarter with your guide and explore the neighborhoods where Freud lived. The tour ends at Freud’s former apartment, which today houses the Sigmund Freud Museum. By the way, the Sigmund Freud Museum is one of the best museums in Vienna in our opinion!
The tour lasts 2 hours, starts at 39 euros, and is conducted in English.
Note: Admission to the Freud Museum costs 15 euros and is not included in the tour.
Book the Sigmund Freud walking tour
Guided Tour of Viennese Coffee Houses
Our tip for coffee lovers: on this guided tour through Vienna’s coffee houses, you’ll definitely be drinking a lot of coffee!
Your guide will introduce you to the iconic Viennese coffee house culture and you can watch a barista prepare coffee up close. Honestly, this is one of our favorite vienna guided tours — totally worth it.
The tour lasts 3 hours and starts at 68 euros.
Book the Viennese Coffee Houses tour
Boat Tour on the Danube Canal
Cruising leisurely along the Danube Canal and discovering Vienna from the water? Don’t miss this one.
On the small boat tour, you’ll spend 1 hour and 15 minutes sailing along the Danube Canal right through historic Vienna.
If you also want to pass by the Danube Island, Prater, and the Danube Tower by boat, you’ll need to book the grand river cruise (3.5 hours).
The small boat ride on the Danube Canal starts at 29.50 euros. The tour departs from the dock at U-Bhf. Schwedenplatz.
There’s a restaurant on board and you can also add lunch to your booking.
Book tickets for the small Danube Canal boat tour
Book tickets for the grand Danube river cruise
Read our detailed tips on boat trips on the Danube:
Hop-on/Hop-off Bus Tour of Vienna
Only spending a weekend in Vienna and short on time? Or exploring Vienna with kids and want to keep things stress-free? Then the Hop-on/Hop-off bus tour is a great alternative to a classic walking tour.
There are two Hop-on/Hop-off operators in Vienna, running up to three different routes through the city. All buses stop at Vienna’s most important attractions and you can hop on and off whenever you like.
Our pick for Hop-on/Hop-off in Vienna is Vienna Sightseeing Tours — the tickets are more affordable, buses run frequently, and you can choose between 24-, 48-, and 72-hour passes.
Book your Hop-on/Hop-off ticket with Vienna Sightseeing
Read our detailed articles on the hop-on/hop-off bus in Vienna:
