Big Bus Vienna in front of Kunsthistorisches Museum Photo: Big Bus Vienna

Discovering Vienna at first sight: a guide for your first visit to Vienna

The first time in a city means discovering the most important sights in a short time. To make sure you don't miss anything, here is the guide for your first visit to Vienna.

  1. Vienna's city center is called 1st district
  2. EasyCityPass Vienna with benefits and discounts
  3. Vienna's sights outside the city center
  4. Vienna's baroque boulevard
  5. Hop-on Hop-off: City tour with Big Bus Tours Vienna

The classic sights are in the center

Vienna's city center is called the 1st district and is located inside the Ring. The 1st district is not very big and therefore an excellent way to discover the main sights, such as the Hofburg, by foot. You will pass sights, shopping opportunities, great cafes, and restaurants every minute.

View of the Vienna Hofburg Photo: Olaf Luft
Vienna Hofburg

Our EasyCityPass - Vienna's best City Card - grants advantages and discounts at many places in Vienna's 1st district.

Our little insider tip among our partners for the 1st district is the Dom Museum next to St. Stephen's Cathedral. A few minutes away you will find the Mozarthaus. It is also suitable for "Vienna with children", as well as the House of Music or Time Travel Vienna with its virtual time travel through Vienna.

Mozarthaus Vienna, Entrance area Photo: Olaf Luft
Mozarthaus Vienna

Vienna is more than the 1st district - Sights outside the city center

Schönbrunn Palace, Belvedere Palace, Aqua Terra Zoo, the Hundertwasser House, the Danube Tower, and the Prater are all outside the 1st district. If you want to discover all these sights, you need suitable footwear or an alternative.

The right choice here is the local transport service of ÖBB and Wiener Linien. You can use public transport as much as you like when buying EasyCityPass Vienna.

Aqua Terra Zoo, trees Photo: Olaf Luft
Aqua Terra Zoo

Relaxed and at the same time with an attractive discount you can use our partner Big Bus Tours Vienna. A hop-on hop-off bus with its own lines, which go to all the important and above-mentioned sights.

Big Bus steht vor dem Kunsthistorischen Museum Wien Photo: Big Bus Vienna
Big Bus Vienna

The Ring - Vienna's magnificent baroque boulevard

The Ring surrounds the stately 1st district like a city wall. From the upper deck of a bus of Big Bus Tours Vienna, you can easily walk around it. Nothing is left out: the Votivkirche, the Burgtheater, or the City Hall can be seen as well as the Museumsquartier, the Stadtpark, the Volksgarten, and the Opera with the Hotel Sacher hidden behind it. You get off and get on again later at all places where you want to linger or discover something.

Small tip: take a break at the Danube Canal and then walk to the city center - the 1st district.

Try it out: Get on, get off, keep going - Hop-on Hop-off with Big Bus Tours Vienna.

Explore Vienna Sightseeing