Vienna: Schönbrunn, Belvedere, Big Bus, Giant Wheel & Cruise

Vienna’s grand sights are spread across the city, and this pass combines two imperial palaces with transport that helps you get between them. You can use the 48-hour Big Bus tour to get your bearings, then visit your chosen attractions over seven days from your first use.

I like that you can choose three, four or five attractions, and that the palace visits have real substance: Schönbrunn includes access to 40 rooms, while Belvedere includes its exhibition and Klimt’s The Kiss. I also like the flexibility of pairing a bus tour with a cruise and a Ferris wheel ride if you choose the larger pass.

The main catch is that the cruise and Giant Wheel are not part of every pass. Check exactly which option you are booking, and confirm how to redeem each included attraction so you are not surprised by an extra charge at the gate.

• Schönbrunn’s Grand Tour covers 40 rooms, with an audio guide through the former Habsburg summer residence.
• Belvedere admission includes the exhibition, including Klimt’s The Kiss, as well as the palace’s state rooms and gardens.
• The Big Bus ticket lasts 48 hours, but you have seven days from first use to visit the attractions in your pass.
• The cruise comes with the four- and five-attraction options, with a choice of Danube or Canal route.
• The Riesenrad is the fifth attraction, reaching 65 metres and offering a fast-track ticket to the turnstiles.
• The bus begins at Opera/Walfischgasse, where you exchange your voucher with Big Bus staff at Stop 1.

Start with the Big Bus, not the palace queue

The pass is most useful when you treat it as a small, flexible sightseeing plan rather than a single guided day out. Your first step is to exchange your voucher with Big Bus staff at Stop 1, Opera/Walfischgasse, at Walfischgasse 2, opposite Zara Home on the corner. This is also the tour’s stated end point.

The 48-hour ticket gives you two days to hop on and off near the sights, with audio commentary in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and Russian. A free Big Bus app provides route information and live bus tracking, which can help you decide whether to wait for the next bus or make your way to a stop on foot.

The bus is a practical way to get an overview before you commit to palace visits. Its routes include 18 stops and offer short and long options, so you can use it for a broad city orientation or as transport between included sights. The hop-on, hop-off format is the point: you are not locked into a continuous ride or a fixed sequence of attractions.

Your bus ticket also includes a guided city walking tour and a free VOX digital walking-tour download. Those extras can add context at street level, especially if you want to step away from the bus for a while. Details such as the walking tour’s schedule and the digital route’s exact content are not specified, so check the current information before planning around them.

One of the bus’s strongest practical advantages is the flexibility to get off, explore, and continue when it suits you. Big Bus staff are described as helpful and friendly, a welcome plus when you need assistance with the route or voucher. Still, a sightseeing bus is not a substitute for walking: use it to cover distance and connect the main sights, then explore each area at your own pace.

Schönbrunn: 40 rooms and a former imperial summer home

Schönbrunn Palace is the most substantial interior visit in the three-attraction pass. The Grand Tour includes access to 40 rooms and an audio guide, giving you a structured look at the former summer residence of the Habsburgs. This is the right choice if you want more than a quick glance inside a palace.

The audio guide lets you move through the rooms at your own pace, rather than relying on a live group schedule. That freedom matters in a large historic interior: you can pause where the furnishings or rooms catch your attention, and keep moving when you are ready. The pass information does not specify the tour’s length, so leave room in your day rather than trying to squeeze Schönbrunn between tightly timed stops.

The palace’s parks are another reason to allow time here. The grounds make the visit feel broader than a sequence of decorated rooms, and they offer a chance to slow down after the indoor tour. The palace and its park are repeatedly praised as spectacular, but the main trade-off is time: pairing a thorough palace visit with the bus and another major attraction can turn a day into a rushed checklist.

Use the bus to make the journey easier, but plan the palace as a main event. If Schönbrunn is high on your list, consider visiting it on one of your two Big Bus days and leaving the rest of the day open. You have seven days from first use to complete the pass, so there is no need to force every attraction into one outing.

Belvedere: palace rooms, gardens and Klimt

Belvedere gives the pass a different kind of palace experience. Admission includes access to an exhibition featuring The Kiss by Gustav Klimt, along with ornate state rooms, grand staircases and the Marble Hall. The gardens add an outdoor contrast to the art and interiors.

If you are choosing between the two palaces, think about what you want from the visit. Schönbrunn’s Grand Tour focuses on the former imperial residence and its 40 rooms, while Belvedere combines palace architecture with an art collection. The inclusion of The Kiss is a major draw for anyone who wants to see one of Klimt’s best-known works in person.

Belvedere’s appeal is not limited to the painting. The state rooms and staircases give you a sense of the palace’s ceremonial scale, while the gardens let you take a break from galleries and interiors. The pass does not specify how long you should allow, or which precise exhibition spaces are included beyond the stated admission, so check current opening and entry details when planning your visit.

There is also a practical point worth keeping in mind: a palace ticket is not a promise that every attraction can be visited at any time without planning. The pass gives you flexibility across seven days, but you still need to make sure you understand how to redeem each entry. That is especially important if your plans depend on visiting a popular sight at a particular hour.

Choose the cruise for a change of pace

The Danube or Canal cruise is included only with the four- and five-attraction passes. It offers a view of Vienna from the water, with the historic centre, modern skyline and riverbank scenery forming the main sights. Commentary is included, so you can listen as the boat moves rather than trying to identify everything on your own.

A cruise adds variety to a trip built around palaces and city streets. It is a chance to sit down, see the city from another angle and give your feet a rest. The route is described as a historic Danube River cruise, with a choice of Danube or Canal; exact sailing times and duration are not provided here, so do not build a close connection around an assumed schedule.

The cruise may be less appealing if you prefer to spend your time inside museums or on foot. Its value depends on the weather, the route available and how much you enjoy seeing a city from the water. For a first visit, though, the contrast between Vienna’s historic centre and its modern skyline can help you understand the city’s scale.

A useful caution: make sure the cruise is included in the pass you select and confirm how to access it before you set out. One account of the experience described difficulty getting a cruise ticket and being told an additional payment was needed. That may come down to option selection or redemption, but it is reason enough to check the details rather than assume that every pass includes the boat.

Riesenrad: Vienna from 65 metres up

The Riesenrad Giant Ferris Wheel is the fifth attraction, included with the five-attraction pass. At 65 metres high, it gives you panoramic views of Vienna and a ride with a nostalgic feel. The ticket includes fast-track entry, allowing you to bypass the cashier’s desk and go straight to the turnstiles.

This is the simplest attraction in the package to understand: you ride, take in the views and move on. It can be a pleasant counterpoint to the detailed palace visits, especially if you want a broad look over the city after spending hours among rooms and artworks. The package does not give a ride duration or details about visibility, so treat the view as weather dependent rather than a guaranteed clear panorama.

As with the cruise, be clear about which pass you have purchased. The three-attraction option does not include the wheel, and the four-attraction option adds the cruise rather than both extras. The five-attraction version is the one that includes the full set.

The fast-track feature saves the cashier step, but it should not be confused with a guarantee of no waiting at all. The practical benefit is that you can go directly to the turnstiles with the included ticket instead of stopping at the ticket desk.

Is the $95 pass good value?

At $95 per person, the value depends on how many of the included sights you genuinely want to visit. The three-attraction pass combines a 48-hour bus ticket with two major palaces. The four-attraction option adds a cruise, and the five-attraction option adds the Giant Wheel as well. Compare the price of the version you want with individual tickets before booking, since the listed price alone does not explain the cost of every possible configuration.

The bus is a meaningful part of the calculation, not just a bonus. A 48-hour ticket, live route tracking, multilingual commentary and hop-on, hop-off stops can be useful if you plan to use the bus repeatedly. If you prefer to walk or rely on other transport, you may get less value from that portion of the pass.

The seven-day window is another advantage. You can spread the attractions out instead of trying to cram them into a single day, and the bus ticket’s two-day validity does not shorten the pass’s seven-day period. That distinction is worth noting: the bus is valid for 48 hours, while the full attraction pass expires seven days after its first use.

The main value risk is paying for options you will not use, or assuming an attraction is included when it is not. Choose three attractions if the palaces and bus are your priorities. Choose four if you also want the cruise, and five if you are likely to ride the wheel. The package is best for people who want these specific sights, not for someone looking for an all-purpose Vienna city card.

Who should book this Vienna pass?

I would consider this pass if you want both Schönbrunn and Belvedere, appreciate a flexible sightseeing bus, and would use the extra time to spread visits across several days. It also suits a first visit when you want a broad introduction to the city before exploring particular areas on foot.

It is less compelling if you only want one palace, dislike bus tours, or are unlikely to take the cruise or Ferris wheel. In that case, individual tickets may offer better value. The pass is wheelchair accessible, and the audio guides are offered in eight languages, but check the details for each attraction if you have particular access needs.

Before you book, settle on three, four or five attractions and verify that each one you want is in your selected version. Then plan around the two-day bus window and use the rest of the seven days for palace visits and any added experiences. Book it if the attractions match your own list, not simply because the package sounds like a bargain.

FAQ

How long do I have to use the attractions?

You have seven days from the first use of the pass to visit all the attractions included in your selected option.

How long is the Big Bus ticket valid?

The Big Bus hop-on, hop-off ticket is valid for 48 hours.

Which attractions are included in the three-attraction pass?

It includes the 48-hour Big Bus tour, the Schönbrunn Palace Grand Tour and entry to Belvedere Palace.

Is the Danube or Canal cruise included in every pass?

No. The cruise is included with the four- and five-attraction passes.

Is the Riesenrad Giant Wheel included in every pass?

No. The Giant Wheel is included with the five-attraction pass.

What does the Schönbrunn Palace ticket include?

It includes the Grand Tour, access to 40 rooms and an audio guide.

What does Belvedere Palace admission include?

It includes entry to the exhibition, including Klimt’s The Kiss, as well as access to the palace’s state rooms, grand staircases and Marble Hall.

Where do I exchange my voucher for the Big Bus tour?

Exchange it with Big Bus staff at Stop 1, Opera/Walfischgasse, at Walfischgasse 2, opposite Zara Home on the corner.