Vienna Private Tour: Schonbrunn, the Ring and the Danube Valley
Vienna rewards planning more than most cities: the palaces sit at opposite ends of the Ring, and the wine villages of the Danube valley are half an hour out of town.
Charter or private tour
Charter: car and driver, your own stops. Private tour: adds a guide for Schonbrunn and the Kunsthistorisches, where the collection is the point.
Drive times
- Vienna Airport to the centre: about 25 minutes.
- Vienna to Schonbrunn: about 20 minutes from the Ring.
- Vienna to Melk Abbey (Wachau valley): about 1 hour.
- Budapest to Vienna: about 2 hours 30 minutes.
Two days that work
Day one: the Ring on foot — Opera, Hofburg, the Imperial Treasury, coffee house lunch. Day two: Schonbrunn in the morning, then the Belvedere or the Kunsthistorisches in the afternoon.
Out of town
Wachau valley: Melk Abbey, a Danube drive, a wine tavern in Durnstein. A full day, and the best value of any day trip from Vienna.
Season
April to June and September to October. December for the Christmas markets at the Rathaus and Schonbrunn.
FAQ
Is the Ring walkable? Yes, the inner Ring is a loop of about 4 km.
Schonbrunn tickets? Timed entry sells out in summer; book ahead.
Worth a guide? Yes for Schonbrunn and the Kunsthistorisches.
Can you drive to Budapest? Yes, about 2.5 hours, a common transfer.
Is a car useful in the centre? Not really — the centre is pedestrian and transit is good; the car is for day trips.