Part 1 Highlights, Redandwhite Tours
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Free Things To Do In Vienna
Museums, churches, parks, and events, each with the rule that comes attached. Plus 12 pay-what-you-want walking tours with local guides.
Free today, no condition attached:
- Wien Museum Karlsplatz: permanent exhibition "Vienna. My History"
- Jesuitenkirche (Universitätskirche)
- Schönbrunn Palace Park (gardens and grounds)
- Vienna's free drinking fountains and tap water switched off in winter
- musa (Wien Museum contemporary art venue)
- 12 free walks, 11 on GuruWalk and 1 on freetour.com
- 111 places checked against their own rules
- No price anywhere: reserve free, tip at the end
Free Things To Do In Vienna On The Map
16 free places across Vienna. Green pins are free outright; amber pins are free with a condition, spelled out beside each one.
Tap or click the map to pan and zoom. Numbers match the list.
musa (Wien Museum contemporary art venue)
Entrance to musa is free per the Wien Museum.
Free walk from here: 2 Hours 15 Minutes, Guide MirkoBelvedere Palace Gardens (Upper to Lower Belvedere)
The French style palace gardens between Upper and Lower Belvedere are admission free.
Augarten (Baroque park)
The park is free to enter; the porcelain museum and factory tours are paid separately.
Wien Museum Karlsplatz: permanent exhibition "Vienna. My History"
The permanent exhibition Vienna. My History is free for everyone, no ticket needed.
Free walk from here: Part 1 Highlights, Redandwhite ToursNaschmarkt
Walking the market is free; you pay only for food and goods you buy.
Free walk from here: Part 1 Highlights, Redandwhite ToursBrunnenmarkt (Vienna's largest street market)
Walking Vienna's largest street market is free; purchases at stalls cost extra.
MuseumsQuartier courtyards
The courtyards are freely accessible without a ticket.
Free walk from here: Historical Spots Walk, Guide JanAustrian Parliament: free guided tours and visitor centre
Guided tours are free of charge, with booking and a security check required.
Free walk from here: 2 Hours 15 Minutes, Guide MirkoBelvedere 21: Sculpture Garden
The sculpture garden is accessible free of charge during museum opening hours.
Wurstelprater (Volksprater amusement area)
Walking into the amusement area is free; every ride and attraction is paid separately.
Resselpark (Karlsplatz)
The public park by the Karlskirche is free to enter.
Free walk from here: Part 1 Highlights, Redandwhite ToursNaschmarkt Saturday flea market (Flohmarkt)
Browsing the Saturday flea market stalls is free; purchases cost extra.
Free walk from here: Part 1 Highlights, Redandwhite ToursVienna City Hall (Rathaus): free guided tour
The guided tour is free but requires registration and runs only on set days.
Free walk from here: 2 Hours 15 Minutes, Guide MirkoSt. Marx Cemetery (Mozart's grave area)
Admission to the cemetery is free; opening hours differ between summer and winter.
Donaukanal (Danube Canal) street art and legal walls
The walkway and street art along the canal are public and free.
St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom): entering the church
You can enter the cathedral freely, but some areas inside cost a fee.
Free walk from here: Jewish Traces, Hitler's Vienna
Free Walking Tours In Vienna: Real Reviews And How They Work
Local guides, no ticket, no fixed price. You reserve a spot for free and tip what the walk was worth at the end.
Jewish Traces, Hitler's Vienna
4.88 · 2,513 GuruWalk reviews
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Evening Highlights Walk
8.5/10 · 1,985 freetour.com reviews
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Good Vienna Tours, Classic Highlights
4.9 · 5,854 GuruWalk reviews
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2 Hours 15 Minutes, Guide Mirko
4.94 · 3,250 GuruWalk reviews
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Vienna's Classic Sights WalksDark History Tours Of ViennaVienna By Night ToursHidden Gems And Street Art Tours
Chris (or Kris) was personable, professional and highly knowledgeable. His tour was the perfect way to start our visit in Austria. The 10 stops covered the centre well and gave us a solid picture of the historical arc of Vienna and the Empire. We all learned so much. We definitely recommend him and this tour. After the tour we asked for some referrals and he sent us to the best Gasthaus for lunch. You’ll need to go on the tour and ask him!
4.47 across 1,309 GuruWalk reviews
Very interesting to learn from a street artist’s perspective, their motivation, mindset, culture, etiquette, expression, etc. It is gritty and very different from District 1. Worth seeing if you’ve done all the standard tourist activities.
4.0 across 8 GuruWalk reviews
Absolutely incredible tour with Wolfgang. He was very engaging, funny and the 2 hours flew by. Definitely recommend!
4.9 across 5,854 GuruWalk reviews
Moritz was fantastic - funny, knowledgeable and a great representation of Vienna! We had a great time.
4.73 across 6,036 GuruWalk reviews
The best tour guide we ever had! Mirko was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining! Thank you!
4.94 across 3,250 GuruWalk reviews
Elizabeth was very fun and approachable, she knew many interesting facts and stories and knew how to engage with the group. Would definitely recommend bookinh a tour with her!
4.56 across 2,189 GuruWalk reviews
Jan was fantastic. He gave us a solid introduction and background to Viennese history which made it much easier to place all the different monarchs and buildings associated with them. He was very kind and showed us spots we wouldn’t have seen elsewhere. He was very helpful and I recommend him
4.93 across 60 GuruWalk reviews
Our guide Moritz is very knowledgeable about Vienna's history and talks about it with enthusiasm. At each stop of the tour he explains what happened there and how that fits in the historic and political climate of the time, creating a lively picture of how things must have been. Every now and then he whips out a folder from his bag and shows illustrations and maps which are really useful and interesting!
4.88 across 2,513 GuruWalk reviews
Which Free Things To Do In Vienna Fit Your Day?
Three taps, and the shortlist rebuilds from all 12 walks.
This is just a starting shortlist of the best-reviewed tours. Pick an answer below to reshape it.
Part 1 Highlights, Redandwhite Tours
4.73 · 6,036 GuruWalk reviews · free, pay what you want
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Good Vienna Tours, Classic Highlights
4.9 · 5,854 GuruWalk reviews · free, pay what you want
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2 Hours 15 Minutes, Guide Mirko
4.94 · 3,250 GuruWalk reviews · free, pay what you want
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Which Free Museums In Vienna Can You Visit?
Every museum writes its own rule. 2 are free for everyone; the rest depend on a condition, spelled out on each card.
Full free museums guideFree For Everyone, Every Day
No residency test, no age gate, no time window.
- Wien Museum Karlsplatz: permanent exhibition "Vienna. My History"No ticket needed, but queues are possible.
- musa (Wien Museum contemporary art venue)A separate Wien Museum site, not covered by paid-site rules.
Austrian Parliament: free guided tours and visitor centre
EveryoneTours last about 55 minutes in German, English, Italian or Spanish.
Vienna City Hall (Rathaus): free guided tour
EveryoneTours run Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 pm in German only.
Wien Museum sites: free first Sunday of the month
Everyone on first SundaysCovers permanent and special exhibitions at all locations; under 19s always admitted.
Kunsthalle Wien
Under-19s and pay-what-you-can visitorsLast Sunday of each month is sponsored by the Dorotheum.
Vienna Secession (Beethoven Frieze)
Everyone on first WednesdaysFree admission on the first Wednesday of every month.
Free admission for under-19s: museum by museum, never a blanket rule
Under-19sLeopold, Kunst Haus Wien and Dom Museum Wien charge under-19s.
MAK (Museum of Applied Arts)
Under-19sTuesday evenings are reduced price, not free.
Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien (KHM)
Under-19sAdmission only with reserved time slots from 8 September 2026.
Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (NHM)
Under-19sHalls 29 to 32, the Birds, are closed for reconstruction.
Albertina
Under-19sAlbertina Modern requires a separate ticket.
Belvedere: Upper and Lower Belvedere galleries
Under 19sAdult prices are day dependent, shown as a day current price.
Imperial Treasury (Kaiserliche Schatzkammer)
Up to 19Closed Tuesdays; adults pay EUR 16 online, EUR 18 on site.
mumok (Museum of Modern Art)
Under 19sChildren and young persons under 19 are free.
Top Sights, Multilingual Guide
4.47 · 1,309 GuruWalk reviews · 2 hours · English, German, Spanish and Italian
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Is It Really Free? Schönbrunn, St. Stephen's, The Opera And More
15 places people ask about, answered the way each operator answers it.
| Place | Verdict | The condition | Free walks within 1 km |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dom Museum Wien | Paid | Ticketed museum, separate from cathedral | 10 |
| Votivkirche: museum in the oratory (Antwerp altarpiece) | Paid | Ticketed museum, separate from church | 1 |
| Schönbrunn Palace (state rooms) | Paid | Timed ticketed tours | 0 |
| Belvedere: Upper and Lower Belvedere galleries | Condition | Ticketed galleries, day dependent prices | 0 |
| Augarten Porzellanmanufaktur: museum and factory tour | Paid | Not free; separate from the free Augarten park | 0 |
| St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom): entering the church | Condition | Free entry | 10 |
| St. Stephen's Cathedral: South Tower (343 steps) | Paid | Not free | 10 |
| St. Stephen's Cathedral: North Tower lift (Pummerin) | Paid | Not free | 10 |
| St. Stephen's Cathedral: Catacombs guided tour | Paid | Timetabled tours needing a ticket | 10 |
| Peterskirche (St. Peter's Church): free daily concerts | Condition | Donations requested; some concerts ticketed | 11 |
| Schönbrunn: Gloriette viewing terrace | Paid | Terrace ticketed | 0 |
| Schönbrunn: Maze and Labyrinth | Paid | Ticketed special attraction | 0 |
| Schönbrunn: Privy Garden (Kronprinzengarten) | Paid | Not free: a ticketed special attraction | 0 |
| Schönbrunn: Palm House and Desert House | Paid | Not free: separate tickets, not part of free park entry | 0 |
| Tiergarten Schönbrunn (Vienna Zoo) | Paid | Paid attraction | 0 |
Walk counts are the free walks' meeting points within 1 km of each place, measured from their coordinates.
Free Things To Do In Vienna This Season
The free windows worth planning a day around.
Spring
- Fest der Freude (Heldenplatz, 8 May)2027 date is 8 May at 19:30.
Summer
- Film Festival Rathausplatz (open-air films)Food and drink at the stalls are paid; 2027 dates were not announced.
- Summer Night Concert Schönbrunn (Vienna Philharmonic)Next concert is Friday 11 June 2027.
- DonauinselfestNext edition runs 25 to 27 June 2027.
Winter
- Christmas Market at Schönbrunn PalacePalace, Gloriette, maze and zoo are separately ticketed.
- Vienna New Year's Eve Trail (Silvesterpfad)On 31 December from 2 pm until 2 am at Stephansplatz, Freyung and Graben.
Free Things To Do In Vienna Outdoors: Parks And Views
Vienna is unusually generous with its green space, and the table below sticks to parks and gardens that cost nothing to enter. Many sit within walking distance of the Ringstrasse, so a morning walk can drift from imperial facades into open lawns without a ticket in sight. Use the entries here to plan a slow afternoon or a break between tours. Nothing listed carries an entry charge.
| Park, garden or viewpoint | District or area | Nearest metro | What is free | What you still pay for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schönbrunn Palace Park (gardens and grounds) | 13th District (Hietzing) | The park gates open at 6:30 am and the palace park can be entered free of charge during opening hours. | See the separate paid records: palace, Gloriette viewing terrace, Maze, Privy Garden, Palm House and Desert House, Tiergarten Schönbrunn. | |
| Belvedere Palace Gardens (Upper to Lower Belvedere) | 3rd District (Landstraße) | The French-style palace gardens are admission free. The galleries (Upper Belvedere, Lower Belvedere, Belvedere 21), the Privy Garden and the Alpine Garden are separate. | Upper and Lower Belvedere galleries are ticketed; Privy Garden needs a gallery ticket; Alpine Garden is ticketed (all separate records). | |
| Belvedere 21: Sculpture Garden | 3rd District (Landstraße) | Accessible free of charge during museum opening hours; closed in bad weather. The Belvedere 21 galleries are separate and ticketed. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. | |
| Volksgarten (Hofburg gardens) | 1st District (Innere Stadt) | Volksgarten is a public park run by Österreichische Bundesgärten; the Vienna Tourist Board page lists opening times and no entry charge. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. | |
| Burggarten (Hofburg gardens) | 1st District (Innere Stadt) | Burggarten is a public park run by Österreichische Bundesgärten; the Vienna Tourist Board page lists opening times and no entry charge. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. | |
| Augarten (Baroque park) | 2nd District (Leopoldstadt) | The park is free to enter. The Augarten Porzellanmanufaktur museum and factory tours are separate and paid. | Porcelain museum and factory tours: separate record. | |
| Green Prater (Grüner Prater) and the Hauptallee | 2nd District (Leopoldstadt) | The green Prater parkland and the Hauptallee are open public ground, with cycling permitted on the Hauptallee. The Wurstelprater fairground and the Riesenrad are separate records. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. | |
| Wurstelprater (Volksprater amusement area) | 2nd District (Leopoldstadt) | Walking into the Wurstelprater is free (open daily, all day). Every ride and attraction is paid separately. | Individual rides and attractions are priced per ride by each operator (no single price list on the page read). | |
| Naschmarkt | 6th District (Mariahilf) | Walking the market is free; you pay for food and goods. The Vienna Tourist Board lists it among sights with free admission. Stall hours are maximums set by the city market office. | Purchases at stalls and restaurants. | |
| Naschmarkt Saturday flea market (Flohmarkt) | 6th District (Mariahilf) | Browsing is free; Saturday only. | Purchases at stalls. | |
| Brunnenmarkt (Vienna's largest street market) | 16th District (Ottakring) | Walking the market is free; the Vienna Tourist Board lists it among sights with free admission. | Purchases at stalls. | |
| Stadtpark | 1st District (Innere Stadt) | A public park (the city's official page calls it Vienna's first public park). The page prints no admission charge. | Kursalon concerts are ticketed events (not priced here). | |
| Resselpark (Karlsplatz) | 4th District (Wieden) | A public park by the Karlskirche. The Karlskirche itself is ticketed for sightseeing (separate record). | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. | |
| Setagaya Park (Japanese garden) | 19th District (Döbling) | A city-run Japanese garden. It is closed from 1 December to 28 February and in wintry conditions; the page states no admission charge. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. | |
| Türkenschanzpark | 18th District (Währing) | A public city park. The Paulinenwarte lookout tower inside is a separate item whose access terms were not verified. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. | |
| Donauinsel (Danube Island) | 22nd District (Donaustadt) | A 21 km recreational island run by the City of Vienna; the city's bathing guide marks free natural bathing spots ("Gratis Naturbadeplatz") separately from paid Strandbäder. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. | |
| Alte Donau: free public bathing spots | 22nd District (Donaustadt) | The City of Vienna says there are many free bathing opportunities on the Alte Donau (for example the lawns at Romaplatz). Four public Strandbäder are paid and are a separate record. | Four public lidos charge admission (separate record). | |
| Vienna city hiking trails (Stadtwanderwege) in the Vienna Woods | 19th District (Döbling) | The City of Vienna maintains 14 signposted hiking routes (4 to 22.9 km) reachable by public transport; the page prints no fee. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. | |
| Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) and its honorary graves | 11th District (Simmering) | Entry to the cemetery is free according to the cemetery operator. Car access to honorary graves needs an ID card; an audio guide is optional and paid. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. | |
| St. Marx Cemetery (Mozart's grave area) | 3rd District (Landstraße) | Admission is free (City of Vienna page). Opening hours differ between summer and winter. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. | |
| Lainzer Tiergarten (wildlife park and forest) | 13th District (Hietzing) | Entry to the Lainzer Tiergarten is free, per the City of Vienna; the exception is the Hermesvilla, whose admission follows the Wien Museum exhibition. | Hermesvilla is paid (separate record). | |
| Donaukanal (Danube Canal) street art and legal walls | 2nd District (Leopoldstadt) | Walkway and street art along the canal are public; the city-backed "Wienerwand" legal walls are marked with a Viennese dove. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. | |
| Hundertwasserhaus (apartment house) | 3rd District (Landstraße) | Free to look at from the street only: the Vienna Tourist Board says it can only be viewed from outside. It is a residential building, so there is no interior visit. | Kunst Haus Wien (separate record). | |
| Justizpalast and its rooftop Justizcafé | 1st District (Innere Stadt) | The Palace of Justice is publicly accessible Monday to Friday 7:00-16:00 and visiting the building or the Justizcafé requires a security check (airport-style). No ticket is mentioned. | Nothing. There is no ticket to buy here. |
Free Things To Do In Vienna On A Budget: Costs, Transport And Coffee Houses
The table below keeps the money question simple: what is free and what is not. Free public WiFi and drinking fountains appear across the city and cost nothing. Standing room at certain venues, seats in some churches and most museum admissions are paid. Check each row before you go, since a free morning and a paid afternoon are often only a street apart.
| What | Free or paid | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Free public WiFi (StadtWien-PublicWLAN) | Free after accepting terms | The city offers free WiFi at public hotspots after accepting terms of use. Available at hotspots in public places. |
| Vienna's free drinking fountains and tap water | Free for everyone | City drinking fountains give everyone free spring water. Fountains are switched off in winter to prevent freezing. |
| Vienna State Opera: standing room (Stehplätze) | Not free | Not free; standing room is a paid same-day ticket sold from 10:00 on performance days. Sold from 10:00 on the day of the performance; 435 standing places. |
| Hofburgkapelle: Sunday High Mass with the Vienna Boys' Choir | Free standing room only | Standing room at Sunday high mass is free; seats are sold and morning tickets go fast. Tickets for standing room are handed out before mass starts. |
| Wien Museum sites: free first Sunday of the month | First Sunday of the month only | All Wien Museum sites offer free entry on the first Sunday of each month, and under 19s are always free. Covers permanent and special exhibitions at all locations; under 19s always admitted. |
| Tiergarten Schönbrunn (Vienna Zoo) | Paid attraction | The zoo is a separate paid attraction from the free park. Sits inside the palace grounds. |
Free Things To Do In Vienna, Answered
Are the walking tours on this site really free?
Yes. Every walk listed on this site is genuinely free to join, in the pay-what-you-want sense: there is no fixed price and no upfront charge. You tip the guide at the end if you feel the walk earned it. The 12 tours here are run by independent local guides through GuruWalk, plus one evening walk listed on freetour.com. This site operates none of them and adds no fee.
How long do the free walking tours last?
Almost every free walking tour in Vienna keeps to the same window: two hours from start to finish. That covers the classic centre walks, the street art walk, the historical spots walk, the Jewish Traces and Hitler's Vienna walk, the Hitler, the Nazis and Art walk, and the evening walking tour listed on freetour.com. Two walks break the pattern. Mirko's walk through the centre of Vienna runs 2 hours and 15 minutes, and the Hidden Gems walk with its Palace Auersperg stop runs 2 hours and 30 minutes, the longest of the twelve. All of these are pay-what-you-want walks booked through each guide's own GuruWalk page, so the time commitment is the only thing you plan around.
Which free tour should a first-time visitor pick?
For a first visit, the safest pick is the classic highlights walk from Good Vienna Tours, rated 4.9 out of 5 across 5,854 reviews on GuruWalk. It covers the sights most first-timers come for, and the review base is large enough that the rating means something. The close alternative is Free Tour Vienna, PART 1, the highlights from redandwhite.tours, rated 4.73 out of 5 across 6,036 reviews. That one has the bigger review count and pairs with a PART 2 walk covering Jewish traces and Hitler's Vienna, so if you plan to go deeper into the city's darker history on a second day, starting with PART 1 keeps the story continuous. Both walks run about two hours and cost nothing to reserve.
Do I need to book a free tour in advance?
Yes, and it costs nothing. Every walk here is reserved in advance through the guide's own GuruWalk page, except the Free Evening Walking Tour Vienna from Prime Tours, which is listed on freetour.com. Booking takes a couple of minutes, you pay nothing up front, and the walks themselves are pay what you want at the end.
What free things are there to do beyond walking tours?
Plenty. Beyond the 12 pay-what-you-want walks on GuruWalk and freetour.com, this site tracks free churches, free-entry days at museums, viewpoints that cost nothing and the parks and neighbourhoods you can wander at no charge. The city also hosts genuinely free events, including a large open-air festival on the Danube island each summer. Browse the sections above for ideas that need no booking at all.
Is this site affiliated with GuruWalk or the guides?
No. This site is an independent comparison page and has no affiliation with GuruWalk, freetour.com or any of the guides. The 12 walks listed here are run by independent local guides who publish their tours through GuruWalk, with one evening walk on freetour.com. Every booking happens on the guide's own listing page, not here. This site simply gathers the free options in one place so you can compare them.