Independent guide
Big Bus Vienna: routes, stops and tickets
Independent guide, not operated by or affiliated with Big Bus Tours.
We list 4 Big Bus ticket options in Vienna, from 1.5–2 hr. Big Bus Tours sells the Vienna hop-on hop-off routes on its own Vienna pages. This guide covers 2 routes, its 20 distinct stops, when to ride and who it suits, then lines up the tickets.
- Routes2
- Stops20
- Tickets4
Route and stops
- Red Route
- Blue Route (Schönbrunn and Belvedere)
City-centre route past the Opera, Hofburg, Rathaus and Votivkirche, then out to the Prater, UNO City and the Danube Island before returning via Stadtpark. The route page and overview count stops differently.
Red Route
Show all 13 stops
Seven-stop route from the Opera and Albertina to Schönbrunn Palace, the main railway station and the Upper and Lower Belvedere.
Blue Route (Schönbrunn and Belvedere)
Big Bus tickets in Vienna
Want to see every hop-on hop-off bus in Vienna, not just this one? Compare hop-on hop-off tours in Vienna.
What riders say
Across these tickets travellers rate Big Bus Vienna 4.0 out of 5 from 1,962 reviews.
This Big Bus provided clear audio. It was great in seeing Vienna and getting information about each stop so we could later return to spend more time. Recommend this!
Great way to see the city in a short time. Contact guide ahead to decide where you would like to Hop off also to have the list of stops I wasnt able to find the list
It was easy to find the pick up spot and the staff were there making it easy. We always find this trip is informative and great to seeing everything in the city.
Best time to ride
Late spring and early autumn are generally mild and well suited to an open-top ride, while winter can be cold on the upper deck. Mornings are quieter at the Schönbrunn and Belvedere stops.
Who it suits
- Families
- The Blue Route includes stops at Schönbrunn Palace and Zoo, and the Red Route passes the Prater with its giant Ferris wheel.
- Couples
- Stops at the Belvedere gardens, the Hofburg and Stadtpark suit a leisurely day; a 90-minute guided Evening Tour is sold separately.
- Seniors
- Hop-on hop-off lets riders choose a few stops across a spread-out city. Check the operator for current accessibility details before booking.
- First-time visitors
- The two routes together cover the old town, the Ringstrasse sights and the two main palaces.
Tips before you go
- Two daytime routes, Red and Blue, are listed; the Blue Route covers Schönbrunn and the Belvedere.
- The Blue Route runs about every 20 to 30 minutes according to the overview page.
- Stop counts on the Red Route page differ from the overview, so check the live map.
- Red Route stops link to Danube River Cruise piers at Schwedenplatz and the Blue Danube piers.
- The Purple Evening Tour leaves from a single stop at Opera / Walfischgasse and is not hop-on hop-off.
Sights along the way
Vienna State Opera, Hofburg, MuseumsQuartier, Rathaus, Votivkirche, Prater, Schönbrunn Palace, Belvedere.
Top-ranked in Vienna: Hofburg Imperial Palace (Hofburg Wien) , Schönbrunn Palace (Schloss Schönbrunn), Rathaus, Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien (Museum of Fine Arts), Heroes’ Square (Heldenplatz). All things to do in Vienna.
Why take the bus in Vienna
The case for a sightseeing bus here is geography. The Ringstrasse sights and the heart of the old town are close together, yet the two great palaces lie in opposite directions, and the Prater and the Danube side of the city are further again. A bus links those pieces without you working out tram and metro connections on your first day, and the upper deck gives you a view of the Ringstrasse's monumental buildings that street level does not.
Walking is the better choice for the inner core. Hofburg, Heroes' Square, the Spanish Riding School, the Albertina, the State Opera, St Stephen's Cathedral and the Kunsthistorisches Museum form one cluster that is comfortable on foot, and the lanes around the cathedral are not somewhere a bus can take you anyway. If your plan is mostly that cluster, a good pair of shoes does most of the work and a bus ticket adds little.
The metro suits quick, point-to-point hops once you know where you are going. The bus suits first-time orientation, trips with children or older relatives who want to choose only a few stops, and days when you want commentary and a seat between sights rather than a map. Compared with a guided walking tour, which typically runs a couple of hours at a measured pace in one neighbourhood and goes deep on stories, the bus covers more ground and goes less deep. Many visitors use both: a walk for the centre, the bus for everything beyond it.
How the routes work together
There are two daytime routes, and they are designed to complement each other rather than overlap heavily. The Red Route is the city-centre and river-side loop. It runs past the Opera, Hofburg, Rathaus and Votivkirche, then heads out to the Prater, UNO City and the Danube Island before coming back through Stadtpark. Think of it as the Ringstrasse plus the leisure side of Vienna.
The Blue Route is shorter and more focused. It links the Opera and Albertina area with Schönbrunn Palace, the main railway station and the Upper and Lower Belvedere. Think of it as the palace route: two headline imperial residences and the stop for the station in between.
The Opera area is where the two meet. The Red Route stops at Opera / Walfischgasse, about 50 metres from the State Opera, and the Blue Route stops at Opera / Albertina, about 150 metres from it and right at the Albertina Museum. That makes it the natural base for a day that uses both routes. Hofburg is a stop on the Red Route itself, and the Spanish Riding School is about 150 metres from it.
Some sights sit away from the stops. St Stephen's Cathedral is about 450 metres from the Red Route's Schwedenplatz stop, so expect a short walk into the old town. Melk Abbey is a separate excursion from the city rather than something the bus reaches.
A sample day on the bus
Give the palace and gardens the largest block of your day; they are the one place where rushing is a mistake.
Back on the bus, continue toward the Belvedere. The Upper Belvedere stop is right at the palace, and the Lower Belvedere stop follows. The Upper Belvedere is where Klimt's The Kiss hangs, so it is the better choice if you only have time for one of the two. Finish this half of the day with a coffee and cake somewhere near the gardens, which suits the city's habits better than a rushed lunch.
In the afternoon, return to the Opera area and switch to the Red Route. Get off at Hofburg and walk the cluster: Heroes' Square, the Spanish Riding School exterior and the Albertina are all within an easy stroll. Then rejoin the bus for the Rathaus or carry on toward the Prater if energy allows. If you only have half a day, pick one route: the Blue Route for palaces, or the Red Route for the Ringstrasse and a look at the Prater's Ferris wheel. Evening is for the opera district on foot or a concert.
Booking advice
Decide first which routes you actually want. If Schönbrunn and the Belvedere are your priorities, make sure the ticket you choose covers the Blue Route; if the Ringstrasse and Prater matter more, check the Red Route. The ticket page for each product describes its route, so read it before buying rather than assuming.
With two or three days in the city, the useful question is whether you will really ride the bus more than once, since much of the centre is better on foot.
Look at what else a ticket bundles. Several products add a river or boat cruise, and some pair the bus with an attraction or another activity. Those can suit a family day, but they also tie you to the extras, so only pick one if you wanted them anyway. Check the languages offered for the commentary on the ticket page, as the range across products is wide, and confirm any accessibility needs there too. A guided evening tour is a separate product from the daytime hop-on hop-off routes.
Sights worth the stop
Schönbrunn Palace is the stop that justifies the bus for most visitors, and the Upper Belvedere is its natural partner. Both are better with an unhurried morning. On the Red Route, the Hofburg stop puts you at the imperial palace and within a short walk of Heroes' Square and the Spanish Riding School, while the Rathaus stop is directly at City Hall.
The State Opera and Albertina Museum sit beside the stops where the routes meet, which makes them easy additions to a bus day. The Kunsthistorisches Museum is about 250 metres from the Museums Quartier stop on the Red Route, a good place to spend a wet afternoon. St Stephen's Cathedral takes a short walk from Schwedenplatz but is worth it for the tiled roof and the lanes around it.
More on Vienna sightseeing
Questions about Big Bus Vienna
How many routes are there in Vienna?
Two daytime hop-on hop-off routes, Red and Blue, plus a Purple evening tour.
Which route goes to Schönbrunn?
The Blue Route stops at Schönbrunn Palace and Zoo.
Does it stop at the Belvedere?
Yes, the Blue Route has stops at the Upper and Lower Belvedere.
Is there an evening tour?
Yes, a 90-minute Evening Tour with live guides leaves from Opera / Walfischgasse; it is not hop-on hop-off.
Does the Red Route reach the Prater?
Yes, the Prater is on the Red Route.
How many Big Bus ticket options are there in Vienna?
We list 4 Big Bus ticket options in Vienna, lasting 1.5–2 hr, rated 4.0 out of 5 across 1,962 traveller reviews.
Route and stop details checked 2026-10-13; routes and times change with the season, so confirm on the ticket page before you travel.