Free Street Art Tour Vienna
Every week you can experience our Free Street Art Tour Vienna at the longest open air street art gallery of the world: The Danube Canal!
Next: Sat 7 Nov, 14:00
Freetip-based
Book now
Home › Tours › Vienna Like a Local — Hidden Gems Free Walking Tour
Vienna Like a Local — Hidden Gems Free Walking Tour
The free walking tour for travellers who want to experience Vienna like a local. Hidden gems & the neighbourhoods Viennese actually love!
⏱ 2 hEN ES DE IT👥 max. 40
4.6 Google · 2,615 reviews4.4 Tripadvisor · 1,617 reviews1,000,000+ guests
Vienna Like a Local
The Real Free Walking Tour of Vienna
Less Sisi. More Spittelberg. Experience Vienna like a local on the free walking tour through the neighbourhoods Viennese actually live in, led by Viennese guides who grew up here.
Why “Vienna Like a Local” is different
First of all, if you want to experience Vienna like a local, you need to leave the postcard behind. Most Vienna tours circle the same seven square metres of the Inner City. Schönbrunn, Stephansdom, a wink at Sisi, done. Of course, we love those places too, and if that is what you are after, our Free Walking Tour Vienna – Historical City Center covers all of it. However, the imperial postcard is not Vienna. In fact, it is just the souvenir version.
Instead, this tour takes you into the neighbourhoods where Viennese eat, drink, argue about politics, and complain about the weather. As a result, you will see baroque churches that are practically empty, Biedermeier lanes that tourists never find, and the political history that shaped modern Austria, the part that happened far from any palace.
Above all, it is free to join. Afterwards, you pay your guide what the experience was worth to you. That is it.
The route: Vienna like a local in two hours
Overall, we walk for about two hours. Therefore, comfortable shoes are a good idea.
Stop 1: Maria-Theresien-PlatzFirst, we meet at the foot of Maria Theresia, the grand dame of Habsburg reform. She sits between the two great museums, looking out over the city she changed forever. As empress, she introduced compulsory schooling in 1774, one of the first systems of its kind in Europe. In other words, the reason every Austrian child goes to school today started right here on this square. It is the perfect place to begin a tour about the real Vienna.
Stop 2: MuseumsQuartierFrom there, we walk into the MQ and stop at the Minotaur sculpture on the forecourt. Here you see modern, contemporary Vienna, before we step back in time.
Stop 3: SpittelbergNext, we walk into the most beautiful Biedermeier quarter in the city, and somehow still the best-kept secret in central Vienna. You will see cobblestones, painted fronts, and courtyards that feel like a village pressed into a city block. Moreover, in December, this same square hosts one of the most charming Christmas markets in Vienna, which we explore in depth on our Vienna Christmas Market Tour with tastings.
Stop 4: Burggasse and the 7th DistrictAfter that, we head into the heart of Neubau. Here you will find small coffeehouses, vintage shops, and the kind of street where you would actually want to live. We stop where the locals stop.
Stop 5: Justizpalast and SchmerlingplatzThen we reach the spot where the July Revolt of 1927 happened. Sadly, eighty-nine people died, the building burned, and Austrian democracy began its long unravel. In short, history without a single Habsburg in sight. Furthermore, if this part of the story grabs you, our Hitler and the New Vienna 1900 Tour goes deeper.
Stop 6: Piaristengasse and the PiaristenkircheNext, you will see what is arguably the most beautiful baroque church in Vienna. The frescoes are by Maulbertsch. Surprisingly, the church is almost always empty. As a result, you will wonder why no one told you about it.
Stop 7: Lange GasseAfter that, we walk down a street of Gründerzeit townhouses with a proper Grätzl feel. Especially in the late afternoon, the light here explains why painters keep moving to Vienna.
Stop 8: Votivkirche (end of tour)Finally, we end at Votivkirche. From here, you are five minutes from the U-Bahn and ten minutes from anywhere you want to go next.
What makes this the best way to see Vienna like a local
Above all, our guides are not actors reading scripts. On the contrary, they are Viennese who pay rent in these districts, drink coffee in these cafés, and know which Beisl still serves a proper Tafelspitz. Simply put, to truly see Vienna like a local, you need someone who lives it, not someone who memorised it.
After the tour: keep going like a local
Of course, Vienna does not switch off when the walking tour ends. For example, if you want to keep experiencing Vienna like a local after dark, join our Pub Crawl Vienna Tour and see the bars locals actually drink in. Alternatively, go deeper into Austrian beer culture with our Craft Beer Tasting Vienna at Gleis//Garten. In addition, you can browse all our tours in Vienna to plan the rest of your trip. For official city info, visit wien.info or check what is on at the MuseumsQuartier.
Highlights
- Free walking tour led by true Viennese guides
- Hidden Biedermeier quarter of Spittelberg, the best-kept secret in central Vienna
- The neighbourhoods locals actually live in: Neubau, Josefstadt, the 7th District
- The political history that shaped modern Austria, beyond the Habsburg postcard
- Piaristenkirche, arguably the most beautiful baroque church in Vienna, with frescoes by Maulbertsch
- Tip-based: pay your guide what the experience was worth to you
What's included
Included
- Licensed local guide
- Two hours at a comfortable pace
- The only real free tour of Vienna
Optional
- Tip is not included
- Food and drinks
Meeting point
Maria-Theresien-Platz
In front of the "big mama" statue - the famous Empress Maria-Theresia. When you arrive at the meeting point, watch out for a 🟡 yellow 🟡 PRIME TOURS umbrella
Photos
What guests say
“My wife and I joined the walking tour in Vienna, last-minute. Katharina was very sympathetic, providing a welcoming atmosphere to the group. She was to the point and practical, with great advice about different options in the city. Obviously someone who has lived in the city for a long time: With a lot of knowledge about its history, but also what is current…”
“Kristina was great. She was very knowledgeable and was open to answering all of our questions! Very patient with children and accommodating needs of the group. We learned so many history, facts, places we want to come back and visit, and food recommendations! 5/5”
“100% RECOMMENDED! Our tour with Katharina was even better than we had hoped for. Music, history, culinary tips, an incredible depth of knowledge with so many fascinating details, all presented with great humor. Extremely entertaining from start to finish. Everyone should do this on their first day in Vienna!”
“A truly wonderful and informative experience. We were a group of Viennese locals, and everyone was pleasantly surprised by how little we actually know about our own city, or how much we simply take for granted.”
FAQ
Can it happen that entire Free Tour is cancelled?
Yes, in emergencies we may have to cancel the tour up to 4 hours before the start. In such a case, you will be notified in good time by email. Therefore, please check your emails 4 hours before the start of the tour. Unfortunately, it can also happen that not all registered participants appear. If there are fewer than 10 guests, the local guide can decide whether the tour is canceled spontaneously. It is therefore essential that you let us know in the event of a possible cancellation. Only then can we also inform the other guests in good time.
Do I have to book in advance?
We always recommend booking this free walk through Vienna with Prime Tours in advance to get a guaranteed place. Without a booking it could happen that there is no place left on site.
Is this tour really free?
You can join the tour without any admission fee . At the end of the tour you decide how much you would like to pay for the tour. If you are not happy with the quality provided, please give feedback to the guide after the tour has ended and tell him your concerns.
Why am I unable to book a spot for the Free Tours?
You can only book a spot for our Free Tours 30 days prior to the tour date. If the tour date is within 30 days, the booking slots are not open yet. However, once the slots become available, you can easily and quickly book your spot on our website. Thank you for considering us for your tour.
How can I book the Free Walking tour?
You can book the tour by going to our booking page and entering your details in the form. Afterwards you will receive a confirmation email with the date and time of your booked tour. Thats it! If you want to book the tour for groups larger than 5 people, please contact us via our contact form.
What happens if I am late?
We start all our tours very punctual! Please be at least 10 minutes before starting time at the meeting point. Please note: We do not wait for any person who arrives late. We want to be fair to all our customers and can not wait for single individuals if the whole group is already there.
Do the guides get paid by the state or the company?
No absolutely not. Guides depend 100% on your generous tip after the tour. So please always talk to the guide if you were not happy with the quality of the tour, otherwise the guide can’t improve the tour and if you were satisfied feel free to tip accordingly!
Can it happen that entire Free Tour is cancelled?
Yes, in emergencies we may have to cancel the tour up to 4 hours before the start. In such a case, you will be notified in good time by email. Therefore, please check your emails 4 hours before the start of the tour. Unfortunately, it can also happen that not all registered participants appear. If there are fewer than 10 guests, the local guide can decide whether the tour is canceled spontaneously. It is therefore essential that you let us know in the event of a possible cancellation. Only then can we also inform the other guests in good time.
Do I have to book in advance?
We always recommend booking this free walk through Vienna with Prime Tours in advance to get a guaranteed place. Without a booking it could happen that there is no place left on site.
Is this tour really free?
You can join the tour without any admission fee . At the end of the tour you decide how much you would like to pay for the tour. If you are not happy with the quality provided, please give feedback to the guide after the tour has ended and tell him your concerns.
Why am I unable to book a spot for the Free Tours?
You can only book a spot for our Free Tours 30 days prior to the tour date. If the tour date is within 30 days, the booking slots are not open yet. However, once the slots become available, you can easily and quickly book your spot on our website. Thank you for considering us for your tour.
How can I book the Free Walking tour?
You can book the tour by going to our booking page and entering your details in the form. Afterwards you will receive a confirmation email with the date and time of your booked tour. Thats it! If you want to book the tour for groups larger than 5 people, please contact us via our contact form.
What happens if I am late?
We start all our tours very punctual! Please be at least 10 minutes before starting time at the meeting point. Please note: We do not wait for any person who arrives late. We want to be fair to all our customers and can not wait for single individuals if the whole group is already there.
Do the guides get paid by the state or the company?
No absolutely not. Guides depend 100% on your generous tip after the tour. So please always talk to the guide if you were not happy with the quality of the tour, otherwise the guide can’t improve the tour and if you were satisfied feel free to tip accordingly!
You might also like
All toursMore tours like this
Free Walking Tour Vienna at Night
Free walking tour of Vienna at night: a 2-hour evening walk with a licensed local guide past illuminated landmarks, hidden gems and fascinating stories. Tip-based.
Next: Tue 3 Nov, 18:00
Freetip-based
Book now