· 6 min read
Vienna isn’t cheap, but a surprising amount is free. These twelve are all admission-free.
- Schönbrunn gardens and Gloriette. Gardens and the walk up to the Gloriette free. The interior tour costs, the park doesn’t.
- Belvedere gardens. Between the two palaces, with sculptures and a south-facing view, free.
- Volksgarten and Burggarten. Inner-city parks, both free. Volksgarten with roses, Burggarten with the Mozart statue and butterfly house (butterflies cost, garden doesn’t).
- A Ringstraße walk. Tram 1 or 2 is a sightseeing tour, but walking the whole 5 km is free and more intense.
- St. Stephen’s Cathedral inside. Main nave free, only the altar area and tower cost.
- Kahlenberg via bus 38A, view across Vienna is free.
- Donauinsel. 21 km of beach, swimming in summer costs nothing.
- Walk through the Naschmarkt without eating. Olive tastings are sometimes free.
- Karl-Marx-Hof in the 19th district. A Red Vienna classic, worth seeing from outside.
- Wien Museum at Karlsplatz (the main exhibition has been free since the 2023 reopening).
- Heldenplatz and Hofburg courtyards you can walk freely through (interior museums cost).
- Friedhof der Namenlosen (11th district). A quiet little Danube cemetery, very particular atmosphere.
Some museums are free sometimes
- Wien Museum free year-round.
- Albertina, KHM, Belvedere: often reduced or free entry on the last Sunday of the month for certain groups. Check the website before you travel, this changes.
- ZOOM Kindermuseum and the zoo aren’t free, but family passes are good value.
What you still pay, but barely
- Bus to Kahlenberg: a regular Vienna ticket.
- Café toilets: an espresso usually covers it.
More routes in our 48 Hours in Vienna piece.