Hop-on Hop-off Vienna Bus Tours
Find the best hop-on hop-off bus tour for sightseeing in Vienna. This review and comparison with top stops and tips will help you. 3 sections show you the most important differences, the respective pros and cons and the top highlights on the different routes. This makes it easier for you to make your decision between the two providers: Vienna Sightseeing Tours or Big Bus Tours?
The Comparison Table lists in more than 20 positions the similarities and differences with price information about the hop-on hop-off providers in Vienna. So you are able to compare at a glance the ticket types, number of bus routes and stops, operating times, interval times, cancellation options ...
In the section Top Hop-off Stations you will be able to learn which of the city highlights are located on the various routes. In addition, you get some tips about short walks on which you can have a close look at the impressive sights of Vienna.
In the Short Description with Review Conclusion you can see a brief summary with the most important points to the two providers Big Bus Tours and Vienna Sightseeing Tours. Included are also the advantages and disadvantages of the different city sightseeing tours with several highlighted pluses and minuses.
Current Information:
- Big Bus Offer: Save now 10% on your ticket order! You just have to enter the code CITYWALKS10VIE at the Big Bus basket web page* or the checkout page in the field promotional code and you will receive online additional 10% discount.
1. Comparison Table
| Hop-on Hop-off from: | Big Bus Tours* |
Vienna Sightseeing Tours* |
|---|---|---|
| Tickets for: | 24 and 48 hours | 24, 48 and 72 hours |
| Number of lines: | 2 routes | 3 routes |
| Stops: | approx. 20 | approx. 25 |
| First departure / last arrival red route: | 9:30 / 18:50 o'clock ¹ | 9:15 / 18:45 o'clock ¹ |
| Interval times red route: | 20 min ¹ | 30 min ¹ |
| The center tour takes (red route): | approx. 110 min | approx. 60 min |
| Link to the route map: | Big Bus Map* | Vienna Sightseeing Map* |
| Free WIFI in the bus: | ||
| Audio guide with earphones incl.: | ||
| Number of languages: | 13 | 16 |
| Audio guide for children (English & German): | ||
| Mobile app with routes, maps and info: | Big Bus Tours App* | |
| Open top buses: | ||
| Digital self-guided walk incl.: | ||
| Guided walking tour: | incl. with 48hrs tickets | |
| Boat ride or Giant Ferris Wheel: | incl. with 48hrs Explore ticket | |
| Bus night tour: | ||
| Included in sightseeing pass: | Vienna City Card, All-Inclusive & Explorer Pass | Vienna Pass & City Card, Flexi Pass |
| Mobile ticket on smartphone: | ² | ² |
| Rebookable online tickets: | ||
| Free cancellation option: | ||
| Approx. prices when ordering online: | hours 24: € 41,00 48: € 44,10 48 Explore: € 53,10 Now -10% Discount! |
hours 24: € 37,00 48: € 39,00 72: € 55,00 |
¹) Varies depending on the season.
²) Will be exchanged for a paper ticket at the first use.
Prices & info as of March 27, 2024
2. Top Hop-off Stops
Vienna Sightseeing Tours red line:
- Stop 2 Kunsthistorisches Museum: Maria Theresien Platz and Heldenplatz with Hofburg
- Stop 3 Mariahilfer Straße: most popular shopping street in Vienna
- Stop 5 Burgtheater: Parliament, Volksgarten and Town Hall
- Stop 15 Kursalon: Stadtpark with Johann Strauss Monument
Tip for a walk:
From the stop 13 MAK/Wien Mitte you can walk in about 20 minutes through the Stadtpark to the stop 15 Kursalon. The Stadtpark is perfect for a small walk in the green and you should not miss the golden statue of Johann Strauss.
Vienna Sightseeing Tours yellow line:
- Stop 34 Schloss Belvedere: Belvedere Palace
- Stop 30 Schloss Schönbrunn: Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens
Top Hop-off Stops
Big Bus Tours red route:
- Stop 1 Opera: Vienna Opera House
- Stop 3 Lower Belvedere: Belvedere Palace
- Stop 4 Museums Quartier: Maria Theresien Platz
- Stop 5 Hofburg: Heldenplatz with Hofburg
- Stop 16 Stadtpark: Stadtpark with Johann Strauss Monument
Tip for a walk:
For this short walk you will need to calculate about 30 minutes. On the way you will pass by at some top attractions in Vienna. Walk from the stop 4 Museumsquartier via the Maria Theresien Platz right between the Museum of Natural History and the Art History Museum to the Heldenplatz with the Hofburg. From there, you will reach the parliament building via the well-maintained Volksgarten. To get back on a hop-on hop-off bus, you now only have to walk about 250 m back along the Ringstraße to Station 5.
Big Bus Tours blue route:
- Stop 6 Schloss Schönbrunn: Schönbrunn Palace and Gardens
- Stop 8 Upper Belvedere: Belvedere Palace
Tip for a walk:
Schönbrunn Palace gardens is certainly one of the most beautiful spots for a walk in Vienna. The station 6 is about 100 m away from the main gate. Through the main gate you will reach the large square (Ehrenhof) in front of Schönbrunn Palace. If you walk across this square, you will come directly into the palace gardens via two entrances next to the palace.
3. Short Description with Review Conclusion:
Big Bus Tours offers in Vienna the hop-on hop-off tours on 2 routes with a total of around 20 stops. The buses stop at the main attractions in the city. If you visit Vienna for the first time and schedule 1 to 2 days for a bus tour, then you will definitely have plenty of opportunities to discover the city. As usual, the buses provide free earphones for the audio guide in different languages. This allows you to listen to the recorded audio comments for the numerous locations on your sightseeing bus route.
The 3 different standard tickets are valid for either 24 or 48 hours and are named as Discover, Essential and Explore Ticket. The tickets are valid for at least 24 hours and not only for one calendar day. Therefore, you do not need to start already in the morning to use the hop-on hop-off bus as long as possible. With the 48hrs tickets, you may attend a guided walk free of charge. The walk is available in English and German language, takes place daily and lasts about 90 minutes. It starts usually at the opera. The 48hrs Explore Ticket includes additionally a river cruise on the Danube or a visit of the Giant Ferris Wheel. The ticket must be booked for a specific date but can be flexibly rebooked.
A special feature is available with the Big Bus Tours App*. In addition to the information about the sights and the available routes, you have the opportunity to follow the current locations of the buses on a city map in real time. This allows you to shorten your waiting times.
- 2 routes to the main attractions
- flexible rebookable ticket
- 48hrs tickets with guided walk
- Explore Ticket with river cruise / Ferris Wheel
- app with bus locations in real time
- no free cancellation
- no audio channel for children
The well-structured hop-on hop-off offer from Big Bus Tours is perfectly suited for discovering the top attractions in Vienna. There is no need to rush because of the long operating hours. The 48hrs Essential Ticket offers the possibility to use all 2 bus routes and includes a guided walk at a very reasonable price. The 48hrs Explore Ticket is an interesting package offer. It includes furthermore a river cruise or the Giant Ferris Wheel. A special service is offered by the smartphone app with the display of the real-time bus locations.
If you order the tickets online, directly from the provider, you can get a discount of 10%. Just use the promotional code CITYWALKS10VIE at: Big Bus Tours*
The hop-on hop-off offer from Vienna Sightseeing Tours covers with 3 bus routes most of the important sights in the city center, Schönbrunn Palace and the Mariahilfer Straße, the most popular shopping street in Vienna. On the bus, you will get some information about the respective attractions via the audio guide. Among the different languages, you will also find a children's channel in English and German for the audio guide. This is a great advantage for families with kids.
The offered 24, 48 and 72-hour tickets are not only valid for the respective calendar day but for the complete time. If for some reason you are not able to start your tour on the first day in the morning, you will not lose this time. You can simply continue to use the bus on the last day until your initial start time.
The 24, 48 and 72-hour tickets differ only in the period of validity. Unfortunately, no ticket variant includes the additional services of a guided walking tour in the city center, a boat ride on the Danube or night tour with the bus. But therefore you will get the different tickets at a quite reasonable price*.
Although you need to enter the exact date for your hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour when placing your online order, you remain completely flexible. You can activate the ticket within 12 months from the date of purchase, and you may cancel it free of charge up to 24 hours before the date.
- 3 lines to attractions
- flexible ticket valid for 12 months
- low priced tickets
- audio guide for children in English & German
- no guided walk incl.
- no river cruise incl.
- no real time bus location in app
The 4 hop-on hop-off lines from Vienna Sightseeing Tours are going to most of the famous sights in the city area. In addition to the standard audio guide channels in various languages, there is also a special channel for children. Unfortunately, there is no guided walking tour, river cruise or bus night tour included in the different offers. But you will get the online tickets at an attractive price and you will remain flexible due to the free cancellation possibility and the 12 month validity time of the tickets.
The best prices are usually available online, directly from the provider: Vienna Sightseeing Tours*
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