Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!

E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!

Discover

Europe Travel: Unique Vienna Activities

15 items

Alina

There are a million and one places to hear about the most popular Vienna sights. For something a little different, check out this list of interesting tours and activities that show you a perspective of the city beyond the highlight reel.

I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through some of the links on this list. Commission rates or availability did not factor in to the activity selections for this list; I curated it based on what I genuinely...

Sections

Guided Tours

Quirky Museums

Other Notable Activities

Guided Tours

These tours each present a different, unique angle on Vienna that you might not see in your standard highlights tour.

This fascinating tour focuses on Vienna’s place before, during, and after WWII. It goes beyond simply drawing attention to significant locations and delves into some lesser-known history of Vienna, and the way the political climate influenced Hitler.

Vienna: World War II Historical Walking Tour

Now, these tours are in German, but don't let that dissuade you! English-language audio guides are available so that you can follow along. Choose your theme from 5 different tour options, all providing access to private underground spaces not accessi...

Vienna: Viennese Underworld Guided Walking Tour

It's not hard to find beauty and highbrow entertainment in Vienna. But doesn't a tour focused on “the bad taste of rich people” sound fun? Check out Whoosh for more unique Vienna experiences.

Vienna Ugly — Whoosh

This is not a “sightseeing” tour. This is for locals or visitors who want to understand issues like homelessness and addiction from the perspective of an affected person, and help them in the process. Regular tours are in German, but private tours in...

Tours in Vienna guided by homeless and addicts

This tour focuses on hidden, lesser-known, and unique stories and features of Vienna that may not even be familiar to locals. If you've seen the main sights and want to dig a little deeper, this private is a great option. The tour is wheelchair acces...

Secrets in the heart of Vienna | Secret Vienna walking tour

Quirky Museums

The federal and state museums of Vienna are wonderful, and you should absolutely visit them! But there are others outside of MuseumsQuartier that are worth a visit.

This museum, in a former furniture factory, is dedicated to the delightfully whimsical art and architecture of Friedensreich Hundertwasser. It couldn't be more different from the grandeur of the former Hapsburg empire, but it's well worth a visit!

Tickets for Kunst Haus Wien: Museum Hundertwasser

For those who aren't afraid of a little dark humor - this funeral museum is located beneath the Vienna Central Cemetery's historic Chapel of Rest. Between the unusual, interactive exhibits and the funny gift shop t-shirts, it's certainly one of the m...

Funeral Museum at Vienna's Central Cemetery

If you are a clock and watch enthusiast, or have any in your party, you may wish to make some time (ha!) for the clock museum (Uhrenmuseum). Their unique collection of timepieces (arranged, of course, in chronological order) is sure to fascinate.

Vienna Clock Museum

Haus der Musik may not be quite as quirky as the others in this section, but it's worth a mention for the unique experience it provides. It is an interactive, experiential museum, allowing you to engage with the subject matter in unique ways, like ma...
It's a small museum and open fairly late, so it's a great option for an evening activity. Enjoyable for kids and adults alike.

Vienna: Tickets to Haus der Musik

If you are at all interested in cartography, the Globe Museum in the Austrian National Library should be on your list. It isn't large, but it's a nice stop if you're in the area. Bonus: it's co-located with the Esperanto museum to please the linguist...
If you have more time to spend, the library itself is absolutely worth a visit.

Globe Museum of the Austrian National Library

If you're going to visit the Hundertwasserhaus, you might as well also visit this small museum across from it: the museum of art fakes. In a city with so much impressive art, this museum focuses on art forgery and the stories behind the forgeries dis...

Museum of Art Fakes

Other Notable Activities

This is no ordinary laser light show. Set in a remarkable ornate cathedral, the precision of the show's design, perfectly complementing the architecture, is stunning. This is well worth making time for.

The show is wheelchair accessible; however children under 6 are not allowed to attend.

Vienna: Light of Creation Votive Church Immersive Light Show

Inkeeping with interactive light and music themes, Mythos Mozart provides an immersive experience and an opportunity to see where Mozart composed in his final years.

Vienna: Mythos Mozart Experience

Make yourself some chocolate in a chocolate museum! Create and decorate 3 chocolate bars, and visit the museum to learn about the origins of cacao.
Not recommended for children under 5, or people who hate chocolate.

Vienna: Chocolate Workshop in Chocolate Museum w/ Tasting

Try a “stadtwanderweg," or city hike, if you've got a few hours to spare. There are several around the city, showcasing the unique characteristics of each part of Vienna. The linked page contains maps of each, including where they start. Many of them...

City Hikes In and Around Vienna