Vienna’s free walking tours are genuinely free to join and run on a tip-based model, so you pay only what you feel the experience was worth at the end. We’re Prime Tours, Vienna’s original free walking tour company and the local team behind the SANDEMAN’s New Europe Vienna tours, walking guests through this city since 2016.
See why guests keep coming back: Prime Tours is rated 4.6★ on Google (2,585 reviews) and 4.4★ on TripAdvisor (1,610 reviews) from travellers who’ve joined these exact free walks.
Are Vienna free walking tours really free?
Yes. Our free walking tours are free to join, with no ticket, no prepayment and no booking fee. They run on a tip-based model, the same model SANDEMAN’s New Europe made popular across Europe: you join for free and, at the end, give whatever you feel the experience was worth. If you loved it you tip generously, and if it wasn’t for you, you owe nothing. The tip is how our guides earn their living, so it’s the heart of how free tours work, but the choice always stays with you.
How much should you tip a free walking tour guide in Vienna?
We recommend a tip of around 15 to 20 euros per person for the two-hour tour, and many guests give more if they loved it. There’s no fixed amount and no pressure. A good rule of thumb is to think about how much you learned, how much you laughed, and what a comparable paid tour would have cost, then give what feels fair. Tips are the guide’s real income, so they’re always appreciated, and cash at the end of the walk is the simplest way to give.
What does the free walking tour cover?
Our classic Free Walking Tour Vienna covers the heart of the historic city centre, from the Albertina to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the grand streets, squares and landmarks that tell the story of the imperial capital, woven together with local stories most visitors walk straight past. Each of our five free routes has its own focus, from the old town highlights to the night walk, the hidden gems of Vienna Like a Local, and the Street Art Tour, so you can pick the Vienna you most want to see.
Do you need to book a free walking tour in Vienna?
Booking ahead isn’t required to join, but we do recommend reserving your free spot online so we know to expect you and can keep groups comfortable. There’s no booking fee and no card needed to reserve. On busier days a quick reservation is the surest way to secure your place. Our classic Free Walking Tour Vienna runs daily and meets at Helmut Zilk-Platz in the historic centre, in front of the tourist info near metro station Karlsplatz (U1, U2, U4); Vienna Like a Local meets at Maria-Theresien-Platz. Check the schedule above for each day’s start times.
What languages are the tours in?
Across our five free walking tours we run in English, German, Spanish and Italian. Free Walking Tour Vienna (the classic route) runs in English, German and Spanish; Vienna Like a Local (hidden gems) adds Italian too, running in English, Spanish, German and Italian. The evening walk and Street Art Tour currently run in English, and the 1900 tour runs in English with a German slot too. Because our guides are local and multilingual, they’re happy to answer questions in more than one language along the way. If you need a specific language for a group, our private tours can be arranged in the language you prefer.
Who are the guides?
Our guides are licensed, born-and-raised locals who live in Vienna and know it inside out. They’re storytellers first, and they don’t read from a script, so no two tours are ever quite the same. As the local operator of the SANDEMAN’s New Europe Vienna tours and Vienna’s original free walking tour company, we’ve spent years building a team that combines proper local knowledge with genuine warmth. That’s the difference you feel within the first few minutes of a walk.
Why a great local guide in Vienna changes everything
The right guide turns a walk past old buildings into a day you remember. Vienna is a city of layers: imperial history, coffee house culture, hidden courtyards and quiet local corners, and a knowledgeable local guide is what connects them into a story you actually understand. A great Vienna tour guide does more than recite dates: they read the group, answer the questions you didn’t know to ask, and give you the context that makes a landmark mean something. Every Prime Tours guide is a licensed, born-and-raised local, chosen as much for warmth and storytelling as for knowledge. Whether you join a free walking tour or book a private guide in Vienna, you’re walking with someone who calls this city home.
Vienna Like a Local — Hidden Gems Free Walking Tour
Hidden Gems · Spittelberg · Palais Auersperg · Local Neighbourhoods · Born-and-Raised Guides
Trade the postcard route for the streets where Viennese people actually live. This two-hour walk winds through residential pockets most visitors never find, led by guides who were born and raised in the city. Along the way you get a free look inside Palais Auersperg before continuing through quiet courtyards and honest, unpolished local history.
- When: EN: Daily 11:15 & 14:45
ES: Daily 11:15
DE: Daily 14:45
IT: Daily 15:15 - Meeting point: Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Vienna – in front of the Empress Maria Theresa monument. Look for the bright yellow Prime Tours umbrella. Open in Google Maps
Book Now! | More info (EN) | More info (ES) | More info (DE) | More info (IT)
Free Walking Tour Vienna
St. Stephen’s Cathedral · State Opera · Hofburg · Spanish Riding School · Old Town
Our original city-centre route packs Vienna’s headline sights into two easy hours: St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the State Opera, the Hofburg and the Spanish Riding School among them. Licensed local guides mix hard history with the kind of fun facts that make the old town feel new again.
- When: EN: Daily at 11:00 am / 06:00 pm
DE: Sa um 11:00
ES: Todos los días: 9:45 / 10:45 / 13:45 / 16:30 - Meeting point: Helmut Zilk Platz, 1010 Vienna (in front of the tourist info, metro station “Karlsplatz” U1, U2, U4). Open in Google Maps
Book Now! | More info (EN) | More info (DE) | More info (ES)
Free Walking Tour Vienna at Night
Night Walk · Floodlit Old Town · Alternative Stories · Evening Tour
The same historic centre, told after dark. Floodlit facades, quieter streets and a different set of stories make this a favourite for anyone who wants to see Vienna’s old town without the daytime crowds — or who simply prefers exploring once the sun’s gone down.
- When: Daily at 06:00 pm
- Meeting point: Helmut Zilk Platz, 1010 Vienna (in front of the tourist info, metro station “Karlsplatz” U1, U2, U4). Open in Google Maps
Hitler and the New Vienna 1900 Tour
Vienna Around 1900 · Secession Movement · Historical Insights
A frank, guide-led look at Vienna around 1900: the artistic breakthroughs of the Secession movement alongside the darker chapter of a young Adolf Hitler’s years in the city. It’s one of our most-requested special-interest walks for visitors who want Vienna’s history without the filter.
- When: Tue, Thu, Sat at 3pm
- Meeting point: Helmut Zilk-Platz, 1010 Vienna. Open in Google Maps
Free Street Art Tour Vienna
Street Art · Urban Culture · Spittelau · Outdoor Gallery
Head off the old-town track to Vienna’s street art scene, anchored by what’s often called Europe’s longest open-air graffiti gallery near Spittelau. Expect bold colour, constantly changing pieces, and a side of the city that looks nothing like the baroque postcards.
- When: Sat, Sun at 3:00 pm
- Meeting point: Metro Station “Spittelau” U4 & U6. Open in Google Maps
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. There’s no ticket price and no prepayment on any of these five tours — our guides work on tips, so you pay what you feel the tour was worth at the end, and nothing at all if you can’t.
We recommend a tip of around 15 to 20 euros per person for the two-hour tour, and many guests give more if they loved it. There’s no fixed amount and no pressure — tips are the guide’s real income, so they’re always appreciated.
Yes, please always reserve your spot online before!
Free Walking Tour Vienna and Vienna Like a Local run in English, German, Spanish and Italian at different times — check the schedule for each tour above. The evening, street art and 1900 tours currently run in English, with a German slot for the 1900 tour.
Each tour runs about two hours at a relaxed, group-friendly pace. Comfortable shoes are the only real requirement.
First-time visitors usually start with Free Walking Tour Vienna, which covers the essential sights. If you’ve already seen the old town, Vienna Like a Local, the Street Art Tour or the evening walk each show a different side of the city.
Meeting points vary by tour. Free Walking Tour Vienna, the evening walk and the Street Art Tour meet at Helmut Zilk-Platz in the historic centre, in front of the tourist info near metro station Karlsplatz (U1, U2, U4). Vienna Like a Local (hidden gems) meets at Maria-Theresien-Platz, in front of the Empress Maria Theresa monument. Look for the bright yellow Prime Tours umbrella, and check the schedule above for each day’s exact times.
Yes. Our free walking tours are family friendly and welcome all ages. The pace is relaxed, the groups are friendly, and our guides are happy to keep younger walkers engaged. For families who prefer their own pace, a private tour can be tailored around children.
Comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, a bottle of water, and some cash for the tip at the end. Vienna’s centre is walkable and largely flat, so no special preparation is needed. In summer bring sun protection, and in winter a warm layer.
A free walking tour is a shared, tip-based walk on a set route with other travellers, a great way to meet people and get a first feel for Vienna. A private tour is just for your group, at a fixed price, with the route, pace and language tailored to you. Both are led by the same licensed local guides. See our private tours in Vienna for details.
