Vienna Unwrapped Inspiration and Planning For Independent Travellers who are visiting Vienna
How to further expand your horizon in Wien? For extra insight and human interaction on the ground consider hiring a private guide or joining a guided tour. And since horizons tend to expand on a boat explore a good variety of boat rides on the Danube.
Guided Tours
GetYourGuide (affiliate): Powered by more than 100 local tour operators and event organizers in Vienna alone, this international tour platform uncovers the city in depth. From key sightseeing tours for groups to small group and private themed tours and tickets for museums and attractions. While I have partnered with the platform for years I also know a few of the tour operators in person and have tested some of their tours. Having said that, you can review what customers said most recently with each activity.
Viator (affiliate): Probably the most popular international travel and tours platform Viator equally lists hundreds of activities. For some of my posts, like in Vienna Walking Tours, I’ve screened their offer for Vienna thoroughly and pulled together my personal favourites.
FindAGuide: To find a private tour guide, the Austrian Chamber of Commerce provides an exhaustive online directory of licensed tour guides. You can search by region, language, topic and special interests. Along with the tour guides names you will find all their contact details to make an inquiry for your preferred tour dates.
Private Tour of Museum of Fine Arts: Kunsthistorisches Museum lets you explore its collections with one of their expert private guides, during either 60 or 90 minutes.
Private Tour of Hofburg: To experience the Habsburg Palace on your own you can book a private inhouse guide to show you around Hofburg Imperial Palace’s Sissi Museum, the Imperial Apartments and the Silver Collection.
Danube Boat Rides
Danube Boat Rides (affiliate): Because the Danube looks very different in different places in and around Vienna it’s worth exploring what is on offer. This page not only gathers various cruise places between Wachau Valley, Vienna and Bratislava. You can choose from a larger day cruise ship to a private motorboat and even kayak tour.
Sofa Boat: Why not follow a local insider tip and rent your own sofa boat to navigate the beautiful Old Danube? Since I tried out these stylish vehicles I have become an avid fan of ‘Meine Insel’ boats. On hot summer days, take a plunge in the tranquil Old Danube, and dine on your floating little island.
Twin City Liner (affiliate): Without doubt this high speed catamaran provides the most exciting boat experience between Vienna and Bratislava. When you glide along the Danube Food Plains and past the town of Hainburg in this designer vessel the 75-min journey turns from an intercity transfer to a stand-alone experience. In between arrival and departure times you will get more than 5.5 hours to explore the Slovakian capital.
Ahoi Wachau: Local ‘river people’ Michael and Gerald, as they call themselves, turned their favourite childhood pastime into a passionate business. Instead of floating on a Zille down the Danube themselves, they now invite guests to share this small-group experience traditional wooden long boats. If you like wine, try the boat ride with wine tasting from top local vintners.
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