Austria · EVENING EXPERIENCES
Every trip has one free day too few. These 15 evening experiences justify the slot, priced and timed so you can decide in minutes and get back to the fun part.
Spend three hours aboard an MS Blue Danube, MS Vindobona, or MS Wien evening cruise. You’ll enjoy an elderflower sparkling aperitif, a three-course dinner, and views from Vienna’s canal and Danube. Choose pork, red mullet, or a vegetarian main course, with German and English-speaking staff onboard.
“We had a lovely evening cruise on the Danube and the food served was delicious. Hope to see you again sometime.”
Spend three hours aboard the MS Vindobona, MS Blue Danube, or MS Wien, cruising from Vienna’s canal toward the Danube at sunset and after dark. You’ll find an onboard restaurant, upper-deck views, live-camera images, and German- and English-speaking staff, but no regular sightseeing commentary.
“We really enjoyed this cruise, the food and beverages were excellent. There isn’t much to see through the journey though in comparison to other cruises we gave done, but it was nice to do something different and have time with family. There is quite a long period where you go through the locks. All in all it was a pleasant experience.”
Enter Schönbrunn Palace after closing, explore its imperial rooms with a self-guided audio tour, eat a three-course Austrian dinner nearby, then hear Mozart and Strauss in the Orangery. Choose VIP or standard concert seating, and request a vegetarian meal in advance.
“The palace is lovely and the after hours tour was nice. I'm assuming we skipped a long line. However the meeting place was not described well. Inside the gate to the left of a huge court yard a palace was a terrible way to describe the meeting point. We had to ask a few people where to go. Just a few more sentences about going through the gate, all the way through the courtyard, go inside the tour office which is on the left of the main building entrance.. etc. Also, we were told the tour started at 5. It started at 5:30, so we all just sat there waiting…”
Ride Vienna’s illuminated Ringstrasse and central sights from a warm, wheelchair-accessible bus. An audio guide in 16 languages covers the Opera, Parliament, museums, Belvedere Palace, and Prater Ferris wheel. The tour begins and ends near the Vienna State Opera.
“Online guide translation could be a little better But in general enjoyed the tour”
Begin with a self-guided Schönbrunn Palace tour using a 16-language audio guide, then enjoy semolina dumpling soup, Austrian roast beef, and apple strudel. Finish with Mozart, Strauss, and two opera singers at the Orangery. The evening lasts about six hours.
“We wish to say it should have been explained more clearly about having to pick up tickets. I was under the impression that all I needed was my mobile voucher. A lot of time was wasted running around finding the place to pick up the tickets.”
Ride through Vienna after dark on a 1.5-hour open-top Big Bus tour with an English-speaking guide. You’ll pass the State Opera, Stadtpark, Prater, Schönbrunn Palace, the Danube, and Ring Street, with audio commentary in eight languages. Bring a warm layer and arrive early for an upper-deck seat.
“This was a good introduction to the highlights of the city and many more sights than we thought we would see. Guide was easy to understand and driver was in sync anytime we slowed down to have a look at something specific.”
Begin with a three-course dinner near Schönbrunn Palace, then hear the Schönbrunn Palace Orchestra perform Mozart and Strauss with opera singers and ballet dancers. Choose from four seating categories, or upgrade to VIP for priority access, drinks, a program, and a sparkling wine at intermission.
“It is overrated based on what someone expects to see and to hear. The chair distribution is unacceptable creating many rows where only the expensive front vip rows have better view and acoustical access to the concert. The diagrams given when you buy the tickets are unclear”
Spend 3.5 hours on Vienna’s Danube aboard the MS Kaiserin Elisabeth. You’ll pass the Donauplatte, Danube Tower, and Millennium Tower while enjoying a changing buffet, one cocktail, and live music. Service is offered in German and English, though English announcements may be limited.
“We had a lot of fun! The music was very good, a mix of modern and old; the food was excellent! Only dessert was a bit lacking; I had the apple strudel (which was excellent) and the tiramisu (which was frozen). Fireworks were super fun to watch and the whole way was enjoyable ☺️”
Spend one hour hearing the Emperor Quartet Vienna perform Mozart, Bach, Schubert, and Haydn inside Vienna’s heated Capuchin Church, dating to 1622. Add the combo ticket to visit the Imperial Crypt before the concert, with tombs of Habsburg rulers including Franz Joseph and Sisi.
“Fantastic little concert inside a beautiful church. They open the doors 15 minutes prior to the concert, the line start much earlier. Visited the crypt first, then dinner across the street at Schnitzel One so that we could quick be back. Fantastic night.”
Start at the Graben at 4 p.m. with a private English-speaking guide, then follow Vienna’s food trail from Vollpension and Brunnenmarkt to Austrian wine, beer, dinner, and a cocktail at Hotel MOTTO. Guides may include Wolfi, Maria, Patrick, or Lena.
“We had the best time eating delicious strudel and drinking amazing cocktails at the coolest places. Wonderful tour!”
Travel from Salzburg to Oberndorf for a four-hour Christmas Eve outing with an English or German-speaking guide. Walk beside the Salzach, visit the small Silent Night Chapel, and sing the carol in several languages. Dress warmly, since the chapel holds only 12 to 15 people and the service is held outdoors.
“Great communication, our tour guide Kylie was awesome. She had such a great and fun energy. Not too much to see once the service got going and as predicted it was super cold but such a lovely thing to do on Christmas Eve. Really enjoyed it.”
Spend two or three nights at Schloss Leopoldskron, the palace linked to The Sound of Music, with breakfast, bikes, a welcome drink, chocolate, and a guided four-hour coach tour. You choose a 9:15 a.m. or 2 p.m. departure, with guides such as David, Gerhart, and Kylie leading the outing.
“The highlight of our Salzburg visit. Breakfast is served in a beautiful dining hall and you get private access to an actual Sound of Music location while the tour bus groups have to look at the location from a far distance. Worth it.”
Start at historic Pickwick’s at 8:30 pm, then follow an English-speaking guide through four central Vienna bars. You’ll get a welcome shot, 10% off at Vulcania, and free entry to Funky Monkey and Kaktus Club, but drinks are extra.
“Obwohl 4 Stunden vorher noch avisiert erschien kein Führer zu der versprochenen Kneipentour. Es erfolgte auch keine Nachricht warum niemand erschien - sehr unprofessionell.”
Spend about an hour touring Vienna at night in a private electric old-timer cabrio car for up to seven people. Your driver-guide points out major sights and Habsburg-era history while wine or prosecco is served. Confirm the vehicle style, language, drink, and pickup before booking.
“Great concept but not executed well at all. The driver was 30 minutes late with no communication to us, no Prosecco and there was a significant language barrier. I would not recommend until operators get their act together. The electric old time car was nice but not worth it for the lack of organization.”
Drive your own hot rod through Vienna after dark, following a local guide by headset as the city lights come on. The two-hour tour starts at Judengasse 4, includes a helmet and Prater Ferris wheel ride, and accepts up to 10 drivers. You need to be at least 18 and carry a valid driving license.
“We scheduled this tour for Monday, October 24th. As we schedule most of our tours through Viator, we had never encountered the problems that we did with this tour. Hence, why I am writing this as my first review. Being in Vienna for the first time, we had made many plans for tours and excursions. However, on Monday night when we showed up for our tour - the company was closed for the evening and no one ever showed up for our scheduled time. We left numerous messages for them and despite a sign on their door that said that they try and return calls within 2 minutes, but never…”
Pick a palace, a lake or a concert hall.
