The following post will cover each of the hop-on-hop-off bus tours available in Vienna, as well as discounts and the pros and cons of these services.
- Is a Vienna Hop on Hop off Bus Tour Worth it?
- Hop-on Hop-off Vienna Bus Tours Compared
- Night Tram and Bus Tours
- Discounts & Deals
- Free Vienna Walking Tours
IS A HOP ON HOP OFF VIENNA BUS TOUR WORTH IT?
There are a lot of different types of bus tours, but this variety is probably the most popular in the world.
That being said, you might want to consider a few factors before purchasing tickets.
To start things off positively, let’s look into the pros of a hop-on-hop-off bus tour.
PROS
If you’re looking for a great way to get around the city with ease, a hop-on-hop-off bus tour might be exactly what you need.
Here are a few benefits you can expect to enjoy with one of these services:
Jump off at your leisure
The main advantage of this type of bus tour is that you can get off at several stops and explore the area at your leisure.
Once you are done looking around and experiencing various landmarks, you can jump back on the bus and continue your tour.
Live Tour Guides
Most hop-on-hop-off bus tours will have live guides to point out notable landmarks and historic sites in Vienna.
They may also provide interesting facts about these locations if they have the time!
Enjoy an overview of the city
In addition to offering the opportunity to hop off and explore, a hop-on-hop-off bus tour also includes both live commentary and an audio guide with a lot of useful information about Vienna.
Although they won’t go into great detail, these tours can serve as an excellent general overview showing you highlights of the city.
Great way to get around
Why pay for taxis, car rentals, or other forms of transportation?
Visitors who plan on taking a hop-on-hop-off bus tour will enjoy anywhere from 9-12 hours per day of transport to each of the major landmarks and other notable areas in Vienna.
After taking the tour, you can continue to use the bus service to get around the city with ease.
This is especially helpful if you end up getting either a 2 or 3-day ticket!
Reasonably priced service
Depending on the length of your ticket (1-3 days), prices typically range from €27 - €49 per person.
Considering that you’ll enjoy both a bus tour and transportation around the city, that’s a pretty good deal.
The longer your ticket is valid, the less you’ll pay per day of service.
For instance, while you might pay €27 for a 1-day hop-on-hop-off bus tour, you’ll only pay a bit more than €16 per day for a 3-day ticket!
As if that weren’t good enough, the 2 and 3-day tickets usually include additional tours and services at no extra cost.
CONS
Although there are a lot of great reasons to take a hop-on-hop-off bus tour, there are some aspects of this service that you may want to consider before making your purchase.
Basic commentary
While on these bus tours, you will have access to live commentary and an audio guide which provides a very limited amount of information about the city.
For many people, the details included in these tours will be more than enough.
However, if you’re looking for a more expansive outing that will cover additional historical facts, you may want to combine this service with a guided walking tour of Vienna.
Not the quickest transportation
Due to all of the information provided on a hop-on-hop-off bus tour and all the stops they must make, this is one of the slowest forms of transportation around Vienna.
Whether you’re looking for a quicker tour that won’t take as long, or you want to get around the city at a faster pace, you may want to consider other forms of transportation and/or another type of guided tour.
Seating is Not Assigned
Although some bus tours allow you to pay for the specific seat you’ll use while onboard, hop-on-hop-off bus tours offer first-come, first-served seating.
This may not be a concern during slow tourism seasons.
But, if you’re planning to visit when there will be a lot of people using these services, it could become difficult to find a good seat on the bus.
Comparing Vienna Hop-on Hop-off Tours
If you're trying to figure out the differences between each service, this chart will directly compare details such as ticket prices, hours, duration, availability, and of course reviews.
| Big Bus Tours | Vienna Sightseeing | |
| 1-Day Ticket Prices | Discover Ticket Red & Blue Routes €31.50/Adults €18/Children €90/Family (2 Adults + 2 Children) Includes VOX Digital Walking Tour | Classic Ticket Red, Yellow, and Blue Routes €25/Adults €16/Children €68/Family (2 Adults + 2 Children) Includes City Walking Tour |
| 2-Day Ticket Prices | Essential Ticket Red & Blue Routes €40.50/Adults €22.50/Children €112.50/Family (2 Adults + 2 Children) Includes Guided City Walking Tour | Royal Ticket Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green Routes €29/Adults €20/Children €79/Family (2 Adults + 2 Children) Includes City Walking Tour |
| 3-Day Ticket Prices | Explore Ticket Red & Blue Routes Green Route (Hundertwasser) €49.50/Adults €31.50/Children €144/Family (2 Adults + 2 Children) Includes the following additional activities: Guided City Walking Tour Historic Tram Night Tour DDSG River Cruise | Imperial Ticket Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green Routes €43/Adults €24/Children €111/Family (2 Adults + 2 Children) Includes the following additional activities: City Walking Tour Night Bus Tour Vienna Boat Cruise |
| Routes | Red and Blue | Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green |
| Stops | Red Route: 16 Stops Blue Route: 11 Stops | Red Route: 10 Stops Yellow Route: 8 Stops Blue Route: 22 Stops Green Route: 7 Stops |
| Hours | 9:30 am - 17:00 (5 pm) | 9:00 am - 19:00 (7 pm) |
| Duration | The Red Route is approximately 1 hour & 45 minutes The Blue Route is approximately 85 minutes | The Red Route is 1 hour The Yellow Route is 80 minutes The Blue Route is 2 hours The Green Route is 60 minutes |
| Availability | Daily | Daily |
| Reviews | 4 out of 5 stars on TripAdvisor | 3 out of 5 stars on TripAdvisor |
As you can probably see, there are some pretty big differences between these services.
At first glance, it might seem like Vienna Sightseeing is a no brainer with their price and route selection. However, the ratings make it clear that tourists favor Big Bus instead!
What I would suggest is that first timers are going to be perfectly happy and comfortable with a Big Bus Vienna tour.
On the other hand, if you're more familiar with the city, you might want to consider Vienna Sightseeing for the incomparable access to dozens of stops you might not otherwise get to visit!
For more details, make sure to read our post covering how to purchase Vienna Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour Tickets.
Vienna Hop-on Hop-off Bus Routes Map
No matter which hop-on hop-off bus tour you're taking in Vienna, you'll find the route in the map below. I also went into more detail about maps and routes in the following section!
Big Bus Vienna Map and Routes
Red Route
This bus line will take you to most of the major sites in Vienna and it includes 16 different stops.
The entire route, if you do not get off the bus, is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete.
You can expect a bus to service each stop at least once every 15-20 minutes.
Just a few of the stops on the Red Line include:
- Museums Quarter
- Vienna State Opera
- Hofburg Imperial Palace
- Beethoven Pasqualati Haus
- Mozart Museum
- St. Stephen's Cathedral
- Vienna City Hall
- and many more!
Blue Route
If you’re more in the architecture of this city, hop on this bus line to visit 11 different stops including, but not limited to:
- Schönbrunn Palace and Schönbrunn Zoo
- Museum of Military History
- Upper and Lower Belvedere
- Parliament
- St. Michael's Church
- Heroes' Square
- And any more
If you do not get off the bus, this route takes 85 minutes to complete with buses available every 15-20 minutes.
Green Route (not currently available)
This line is only available with either the premium or deluxe ticket, and it provides a tour of Hundertwasser which allows you to visit Albertina.
The route takes 1 hour to complete and service is provided once an hour.
Click on the map to enlarge.
If you want to stay close to the city and you’re planning to take care of additional activities on your own, Big Bus Tours is one of the best options in Vienna.
The multi-day tickets also include walking tours and/or night tours, so they’re almost like combo packages.
You can make your purchase up to 6 months in advance, allowing you to plan out your itinerary well before your trip to Vienna.
Tickets come with a free cancellation policy that allows you to receive a full refund if you cancel up to 24 hours before the day of your tour.
How long do Big Bus Vienna Hop-on Hop-off tours last?
- Red Route is approximately 1 hour & 45 minutes.
- Blue Route is approximately 85 minutes.
How frequently do Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off tours run in Vienna?
Both the Red and Blue routes service each stop at least once every 15-20 minutes.
Vienna Sightseeing Map and Routes
Red Route
This is their main bus line with 15 stops and it covers notable sites such as the State Opera, City Park, National Theatre, and the Strauss Monument.
It will take 1 hour to complete the route and there are buses every 6-15 minutes on average.
Yellow Route
With 9 new stops, this line will take you to historic locations like Belvedere Palace, Heroes’ Square, and Schönbrunn Palace.
The route takes 90 minutes to finish and buses run every 15-22 minutes.
Blue Route
Much like the Yellow Route, this line has 9 stops across the city including Danube Tower, the Giant Ferris Wheel, Imperial Bridge, and more.
The Blue Line takes 75 minutes to finish and runs every 18-25 minutes.
Green Route
This bus line will take you to the wine village of Grinzing and it includes 12 stops.
The Green Line is only available with multi-day tickets. It will take 1 ½ hours to complete this route and buses run every 30-45 minutes.
As you can see, Vienna Sightseeing is very similar to the other major hop-on-hop-off bus tour in the city.
The major difference is that their prices are almost exactly the same, but they actually offer more services.
If you’re looking for more than just a hop-on-hop-off bus tour, the addition of a walking tour with every bus tour is definitely nice.
Considering their multi-day tickets also include night tours and cruises, this service is almost like a combo package!
Should you need to cancel for any reason, you can do so up to 24 hours before the tour to receive a full refund.
How long do Vienna Sightseeing tours last?
- Red Route is approximately 1 hour,
- Yellow Route is approximately 90 minutes,
- Blue Route is approximately 75 minutes.
- Green Route is approximately 1 ½ hours,
How frequently do Vienna Sightseeing tours run in Vienna?
- Red Route buses run every 6-15 minutes on average.
- Yellow Route buses run every 15-22 minutes on average.
- Blue Route buses run every 18-25 minutes on average.
- Green Line buses run every 30-45 minutes on average.
NIGHT TRAM AND BUS TOURS
There are currently two-night tours via tram or bus available in this city: one offered by Big Bus Tours and the other offered by Vienna Sightseeing.
Although each outing can be taken individually, they are also included with multi-day tickets from each company.
Please read our post on how to purchase tickets if you are interested in any of the following tours.
Comparing Big Bus and Vienna Sightseeing Night Tours
Both of the companies that offer hop-on hop-off bus tours in Vienna also provide a tour after dark. These night bus tours will not allow you to hop on or off at your leisure, but they do make a few stops for photos and other purposes.
| Big Bus Night Tour | Vienna Sightseeing Night Tour | |
| Price | €31/Adults €25/Children €99/Family (2 Adults + 2 Children) Included with Deluxe Tour | €19/Adults €10/Children Included with Royal and Imperial Ticket |
| Duration | 90 minutes | 1 hour |
| Hours | 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm | 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm |
| Availability | Daily from March - November | Daily from March - November |
| Reviews | 4.1 stars out of 5 on Get Your Guide | 3.8 stars out of 5 on Get Your Guide. |
These tours aren't as highly rated as their hop-on hop-off service, and there are undoubtedly a few reasons for that.
The fact that you can't get off the bus at any stop is definitely going to disappoint some travelers, and the length of the tours is also quite short.
Even so, there are a lot of great attractions to see at night or during the sunset in Vienna, so if you're interested in learning more, please read our post covering how to get Vienna night bus tour tickets.
DISCOUNTS AND DEALS
This section covers the best ways to save money on hop-on-hop-off bus tours in Vienna.
We include details about tourist passes, combo packages, and more.
Tourist Attraction Discount Passes
Services from both Big Bus Tours and Vienna Sightseeing are included with at least one tourist pass offered in this city.
While some of these passes provide access to a variety of different activities over the course of a specific number of days, others allow you to pay one flat price for just the attractions you want.
There are also travel discount passes that focus on providing public transportation and include smaller discounts on hundreds of popular things to see and do in Vienna.
Depending on how you use these services, you could save 50% or more off general admission prices.
In addition to saving money, you’ll also receive skip-the-line access at several historic sites and attractions.
Here are the tourist passes that currently include hop-on-hop-off sightseeing buses:
Vienna Sightseeing
- Included with the Vienna Pass
- Included with the Vienna Flexi Pass
These passes ask you to pay one flat price for dozens of different attractions.
All you have to do is present your pass in order to get tickets for the Vienna Sightseeing hop-on-hop-off bus tour.
Big Bus Tours
- Included with the Go City Vienna Pass
- Included with the Vienna City Card
- Save €2 on Adult tickets
- Save €1 on Child tickets
This travel discount pass does not fully cover the cost of the Big Bus Tours hop-on-hop-off service.
That said, it is one of the most affordable tourist passes in Vienna, and it includes deals on 200+ activities and attractions.
For more details about each of these services, make sure to read our post covering all of the tourist attraction discount passes in Vienna.
Combo Packages
In addition to other discount options, there is also a selection of combo tickets you can purchase which include access to Vienna hop-on-hop-off bus tours.
One of these deals actually includes a tourist pass!
Vienna Sightseeing
Although this hop-on-hop-off bus tour is included with two tourist passes, you can actually combine your ticket with the Vienna City Card if you’re more interested in saving money at hundreds of different locations.
This combo pack features the classic hop-on-hop-off bus tour from Vienna Sightseeing, and it can be purchased with either a 1, 2, or 3-day travel discount pass.
- 1-Day Vienna City Card + Classic Ticket
- €44 per person
- 2-Day Vienna City Card + Classic Ticket
- €52 per person
- 3-Day Vienna City Card + Classic Ticket
- €56 per person
Purchase tickets or learn more.
You can also add an airport transfer to these combo packages, ensuring that almost all of your travel expenses are paid for in advance.
If you want to learn more about how much money this deal can save you, please read our post about the Vienna City Card.
Big Bus Tours
This company offers three different combo deals which include their premium ticket along with one additional service or attraction.
Here are the current discounts available:
Premium Vienna Tour + Belvedere Palace
- Vienna premium bus tour
- Upper Belvedere Palace entry
- Guided Vienna walking tour
- Hundertwasser bus tour
- €55 per person
- Purchase tickets or learn more.
Premium Vienna Tour + Madame Tussauds
- Vienna premium bus tour
- Guided Vienna walking tour
- VOX Digital walking tour
- Giant Ferris Wheel admission
- €50/Adults | €25/Children
- Purchase tickets or learn more.
Classic Tour + Vienna City Card
- Vienna classic bus tour
- Guided Vienna walking tour
- VOX Digital walking tour
- Vienna City Card
- €44 per person
- Purchase tickets or learn more.
Considering that the premium ticket on its own is €35 for adults, these packages can easily save you a lot of money by combining a hop-on-hop-off bus tour with additional activities for less than €10 more.
Discount Sites
Aside from combo packages and tourist passes, you can also save money on hop-on hop-off bus tours by using a site such as DailyDeal.
This service offers a variety of discounts on popular activities and attractions in Vienna.
This service currently offers up to 50% off some Vienna bus tours, but the deals will vary depending on when you access DailyDeal.
You may also be able to find additional coupon codes that could improve your discount.
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