Is Vienna Pass Worth It (My Honest Review 2023)

Vienna (Wien) is a truly gorgeous city. Unfortunately, it’s pretty expensive, too. The entrance fees are costly and you’ll end up throwing a small fortune only to see the most popular attractions.

That’s exactly what happened to me during my first visit to Wien. I paid about €150 for sightseeing for 3 days. It was more expensive than Paris or Rome! 

At that time only the Vienna City Card was available. It offers unlimited access to public transportation plus over 210 discounts at attractions and shops. It’s a great deal if you plan to use public transport a lot. However, it wasn’t useful to me, as I stayed right in the city centre.

Luckily for my next trip, the Vienna Pass was already available. Although I didn’t use the hop-on hop-off buses, I managed to save about €50. It’s a really great deal especially if this is your first time in the city.

In this Vienna Pass review, I do the math to show you how much you can save by using it.

Although 2 days is a short time to see Vienna, you can tour the most popular attractions. Keep in mind that you need to plan your time ahead and start your day early. Also using the hop-on hop-off tour, included in the card, will save you a lot of time. 

By using the 2-day pass you can save up to €65.

Here is an example of a 2-day itinerary, that covers the must-see sites (all included in the card). You’ll be short on time, so skip the treasury and the tower of St. Stephen’s Cathedral (plus they are not covered by the pass). The cathedral itself is free to visit.

Also, visit Schönbrunn Palace early in the morning, because even with the pass you’ll need to get a timed entry ticket first. Skip the gardens and visit only the palace (you’ll need hours to explore the gardens).

Day 1

• Spanish Riding School Morning Exercise – €16
• St. Stephen’s Cathedral – free to visit
• Imperial Palace – €15
• Imperial Treasury – €12
• Rathaus – free
• Boat cruise along the Danube Canal – €24
• Viennese Giant Ferris Wheel – €12
• Guided walking tour (optional) – €15

Day 2

• Schönbrunn Palace – €26
• Imperial Carriage Museum – €9.50
• Apple Strudel Show – €6.50
• St. Charles’s Church – see it from the outside
• Belvedere Palace – €16
• HOP ON HOP OFF Bus Tour (optional) – €36

Attractions included in the card – €113
Walking tour, boat cruise and hop-on hop-off buses – €75
Total without the card – €188
If you use the card – €123
Total savings – €65

3 days is the perfect amount of time to explore Vienna. Here is a brief example of a 3-day itinerary. As you can see even if you use the pass only for its primary feature, the free entrances, you’ll save money.

By using the 3-day pass you can save up to €73.

You can always switch any of the sites below with another attraction that interests you more. For example, the Imperial Burial Vault and Mozarthaus are also covered by the pass.

Day 1

• Spanish Riding School Morning Exercise – €16
• St. Stephen’s Cathedral – free to visit
• Imperial Palace – €15
• Imperial Treasury – €12
• Rathaus – free
• Viennese Giant Ferris Wheel – €12
• Guided walking tour (optional) – €15

Day 2

• Natural History Museum or Kunsthistorisches Museum (€12 or €16)
• Burggarten and Mozart Statue – free
• St. Charles’s Church – €8 (not included in the card)
• Schwarzenbergplatz and Soviet War Memorial
• Belvedere Palace – €16
• Boat cruise along the Danube Canal – €24

Day 3

• Schönbrunn Palace – €26
• Imperial Carriage Museum – €9.50
• Apple Strudel Show – €6.50
• Wien Zoo or Danube Tower (€22 or €14.50)
• HOP ON HOP OFF Bus Tour (optional) – €36

Attractions included in the card – €151
Walking tour, boat cruise and hop-on hop-off buses – €75
Total without the card – €226
If you use the card – €153
Total savings – €73

The card is available for 1, 2, 3 and 6 days.

• 1-Day card – €87
• 2-Day card – €123
• 3-Day card – €153
• 6-Day card – €189

It’s easiest to buy the pass online (and this is what I did – I bought it online from GetYourGuide). Then you just have to collect it from the service office near the Opera State House. 

The best part is that if you book with GetYourGuide you can cancel and get a full refund up to 24 hours before the activity starts. 

The pass will be activated at its first use at an attraction. This counts as the first day. Thus to make the most of it, activate it in the morning.

What’s included in Vienna Pass

• free admission to over 60 attractions
• fast-track entry at many sites
• unlimited rides on the hop-on-hop-off buses
• boat cruise along the Danube Canal
• guided walking tour
• guidebook

Free admission to over 60 attractions

This is the primary benefit. You get a free entrance not only to the most popular attractions but also to numerous museums. Plus, you’ll save time skipping a lot of the queues with the fast track entry. All you need to do is to show the card at the entrance. And using an all-in-one ticket makes everything so easy!

You can use the fast-track option at the following sights: Belvedere 21 – Museum of Contemporary Art, Albertina, Belvedere, Desert Experience House Gloriette, Maze, Privy Garten, Orangery Garden and Children’s Museum at Schönbrunn Palace Gardens, Hofmobiliendepot · Imperial Furniture Collection, Imperial Palaces Schloss Hof and Schloss Niederweiden, Imperial Treasury Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, Leopold Museum, mumok (Museum of Modern Art Ludwig Foundation), Museum of Natural History, Museum of Technology, Schönbrunn Zoo, Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel, State Hall of the Austrian National Library.

Please note that for Schönbrunn Palace you have to get a free timed ticket at the Group Center (located in front of Schönbrunn Palace). Arrive as early as possible, because in the high season, it is possible the maximum capacity to be already reached, and you will receive a ticket with an admission time for the following day.

Unlimited rides on the hop-on-hop-off buses

Wien has a compact city centre, that you can tour on foot. However, few of the must-see attractions are located far away and you need to use public transport. The included bus tour has 5 different routes and takes you in no time to Schönbrunn Palace, Danube Tower, the Prater and many other popular attractions.

Boat cruise and guided walking tour

The included boat cruise and walking tour are nice bonuses. The 1h walking tour shows you the most famous attractions in the city centre. And the boat cruise along the Danube canal is a great way to see this beautiful city from another angle. If you have to pay additionally for these tours, it’ll cost you €39.

Guidebook

The 100+ page digital guidebook is packed with useful information about the city and its top attractions. It’s an easy way to learn something more about this imperial city and its history.

Yes, it’s totally worth it, no matter how many days you are in the city. The pass covers everything that most of the visitors are interested in. If you plan to see a lot and want to get most of the city, this is the way to do it.

Even if this is not your first time in Vienna, the pass can save a lot of money if you plan ahead your time.

If you decide not to use Vienna Pass, I strongly recommend booking tickets in advance for the following sites and events.

Schönbrunn Palace – it’s one of the most popular attractions with long queues. You can buy tickets in advance from the official website.

Spanish Riding School – one of the most popular activities in Vienna, so book tickets in advance here.

Giant Ferris Wheel – book your ticket ahead to avoid waiting in line.

Attend a classical music concert – tickets for the most popular concerts sell out fast, so book as early as you can (see all concerts here).