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Experience Our Austria

Our customized, private insider tours of Austria feature our favorite places and experiences in the country.

Markets...

We love Vienna’s foodie Naschmarkt, the Julius Meinl gourmet market, and the festive Christmas markets that make winter a magical time to visit the city.

Secret recipe...

Though many have tried to imitate it, the recipe for the Original Sacher Torte from the Hotel Sacher Wien has been a closely guarded secret since 1832.

An equine ballet...

Watch white Lippizaner Stallions display their graceful dressage skills under crystal chandeliers at the Hofburg Palace’s Spanish Riding School. Artisans of Leisure arranges private behind-the-scenes visits to the horse stables.

Don’t miss...

The Vienna State Opera. Even if you cannot make it to a performance, be sure to tour the magnificent Neo-Renaissance building. Artisans of Leisure can arrange a behind-the-scenes tour of the Opera House and VIP performance tickets.

For Renaissance art lovers...

The Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History) has an impressive collection of Venetian Renaissance artists and Flemish and Dutch masters, including Titian, Tintoretto, Rubens, Bruegel and Rembrandt, housed in a Renaissance-style building.

For contemporary art lovers...

The vast MuseumsQuartier arts complex’s quartier21 hosts cutting-edge art, music, design and new media initiatives.

Fun for kids...

The Ferris wheel at Prater Amusement Park, the Vienna Boys Choir, Swarovski Crystal Worlds, a ride into the salt mines of Salzburg, practicing yodeling and watching Tyrolian dancing in Tyrol, visiting Olympic sites in Innsbruck, learning to make strudel and ginger bread houses, alpine hiking, porcelain painting, castles, palaces, labyrinths.

Crystal & glass...

Austria is renowned for its high-quality crystal and glass. Browse chandeliers and crystal wares at the J & L Lobmeyer shop in Vienna, enjoy a visit to the Reidel’s factory or an exclusive wine tasting using their specially-shaped crystal wine glasses, or learn how crystals are made at the prestigious Swarovski Innsbruck.

The hills are alive...

Many of the film locations of the original Sound of Music are located in Salzburg and the nearby Salzkammergut Lake District.  

Fantastic architecture...

Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s Expressionist Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna is a riot of colors and planes, and incorporates natural features, including a tree growing inside the house and grass on the roof. It is also a functioning apartment building.

Local pastime...

Celebrate Carnival season in January and February like the Viennese, by attending an elegant ball. Over 450 balls take place, including the famous Opera Ball and New Year’s Balls. We can arrange for the most sought-after tickets of the season.

A perfect day trip from Vienna...

Just an hour outside of Vienna, the Wachau Valley is one of our favorite places to send travelers for a day of exploring picturesque towns, private tastings of local Gruner Veltliners and dry Reislings, cruising past castles on the Danube River, and sampling the world’s best Marillenknoedel (apricot dumplings).

Stroll through Salzburg...

Lose yourself wandering through Salzburg’s Old Town, taking in Mozart’s birthplace, the Jewish district, the 13th-centurty Old Market Square, and architecture spanning centuries.

Drink like a local... 

Heurigen, traditional wine taverns, are a great way to relax and see the countryside while enjoying the season’s freshest young wines and traditional food such as schnitzel. 

Snack like a local...

Vienna is full of great street food, including sausage stands that sell frankfurters and kasekrainer (a cheese-filled sausage).  Chestnuts and sliced potatoes roasted on open drums and a cup of mulled wine are particularly terrific on cold winter nights.

Legendary sandwiches...

Trzesniewski has been wildly popular since 1902 for the 21 choices of spreads it serves open-face on sourdough bread. Favorites include smoked salmon with horseradish and bacon with egg.

Cafe society...

The 140-year-old Cafe Landtmann is as famous for its apple strudel as it is for its illustrious clientele past (Marlene Dietrich) and present (Sir Paul McCartney).

Vienna, the City of Music...

The spectacular Wiener Musikverein, home to the fabled Vienna Philharmonic, has rows of golden caryatids and outstanding acoustics. It is often considered the best concert hall in the world. We can arrange VIP tickets to this and other venues throughout the country.

A star is born...

You can see the room where six-year-old Mozart played his first concert before Empress Maria Theresa in 1772 at Vienna’s breathtakingly Baroque Schoenbrunn Palace. The complex also includes a park, a labyrinth and a zoo featuring giant pandas.

If you love Klimt...

The Belvedere Museum holds the world’s largest collection of Klimt paintings.

Exclusive access...

We can arrange access to closed rooms at palaces, private night time tours, and special dining experiences throughout the country.

Experience Our Austria.

Contact Artisans of Leisure to start planning a private, customized Austria tour.

 

Austria in Photos

  • Just Back: Austria
  • Just Back: Vienna, Prague & Berlin
  • Just Back: Austria, Germany, France & Switzerland

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Austria on Our Blog

  • Architecture & Design Touring in Vienna
  • Thanksgiving Abroad: Unique Trips Families Will Love
  • Just Back: Austria, Germany & Switzerland
  • Classical music: a Central European tradition
  • Family festivities during Christmas season in Vienna
  • Antiquing in Vienna

Visit our blog...

In the Press

  • Departures
  • Conde Nast Traveler
  • The New York Times
  • Wall Street Journal
  • CNN
  • Travel + Leisure
  • Town & Country

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Testimonials

"We had a great time in Austria. The guides were wonderful in Vienna, Graz and Salzburg. Hotels were great, music venues were excellent. Thanks for all of your hard work in setting up the logistics. When we are ready to start planning our next trip I will be in touch."
~ L.Z., Plymouth, MN

"Thank you for all your help with our family’s Germany and Austria trip. Everything went great, and we were very pleased with all the guides, drivers, accommodations, and daily tours. Everything went off without a hitch. We certainly will use Artisans of Leisure when our travel plans call for your services and will recommend you to our friends who are looking to plan such a trip."
~ M.M., Charlotte, NC

"My clients just called me from the airport. They said the trip was absolutely fantastic, and that they loved the guides in Prague & Vienna. They cannot wait to tell me more about how incredible the trip was when they get back.Thank you so much for arranging everything."
~ B.W., Dallas, TX (travel agent)

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