Your life is incomplete until you’ve run up to the roof of Vienna’s cathedral with a bunch of rats. I’m serious. Soar through a ballroom, shelter from an air raid, relax in a plague pit…all just some of the experiences to be had at the Time Travel tour.
- A trip back through some highlights of Viennese history
- More on the entertainment side than education
- Uses 5D cinematic experiences, virtual reality, and animatronics for a lot of fun
- Great for entertaining the children for 50 minutes
- See also: Things to do | Vienna with kids
Travel back through time
Not going to lie – I went into this with low expectations. And I came out having rather enjoyed myself: think of the Time Travel tour as an experience, rather than a tour.
It all takes place in the bowels of an ancient monastery (genuinely), with around 1.3k sq.m. fitted out with various rooms and tracts containing multimedia (and beyond) edutainment stations.
You walk from one to the next, accompanied by a friendly guide.
Each of the several stops tend to deal with a major event in Viennese history (like WWII) or a theme (like music or the Wiener Moderne). Three standout highlights for me:
- The opening 5D cinema with a film that takes you through (figuratively and literally) key historical dates, such as Roman Vienna, the plague, or the siege of 1683. Your chair moves, you feel the wind on your face and “enjoy” a particularly impressive sensory surprise (no spoilers) as you scamper up into the roof of Stephansdom cathedral
- A virtual reality tour through Vienna’s musical history. Find yourself among the dancers in an opulent ballroom, enjoying a drink in a traditional wine tavern, or standing over the shoulder of Mozart at his piano
- A flying horse and carriage journey above Vienna’s historic buildings, complete with snow, laser effects, and even fireworks
Don’t take it all too seriously and just lean back and enjoy the ride!
Tickets & visitor tips
At the time of writing, a standard adult ticket for the Time Travel tour cost €19.50 (with a discount if bought online).
We got in almost immediately after turning up to buy tickets, but you might want to reserve a time (or book cheaper e-tickets and a time) online during busy months.
A few tips:
- The tour guide and tour audio use German, but you get a free headset which gives you exactly the same information and entertainment in English (or a number of other languages)
(On my visit, the audio was timed precisely to match the visual displays. It was fine and did not make the experience any less enjoyable for me than listening in German.)
- The entrance has coat racks and lockers (requiring a returnable €1/€2 coin to operate)
- The tour ends in a shop with toys and souvenirs, as well as the chance to get some (fun but cheesy) souvenir photos
- The Time Travel people recently opened up a new location nearby that takes you on a virtual reality boat ride with Empress Elisabeth (better known as Sisi). I’ll write about that once I get the chance to visit
How to get to the Time Travel tour
Like many sights and activities in Vienna’s city centre, the Time Travel tour is probably already on your walking route through the old town.
Once there, go north for the Graben pedestrianised street that leads to Stephansdom cathedral. Or go south to reach Michaelerplatz and the start of the Hofburg palace complex.
Subway: just a short walk from two central stations: Herrengasse (on the U3 line) and Stephansplatz (on the U3 and U1 lines)
Tram/bus: trams don’t come to this part of the town as there are no tram lines through the historical heart of the city. The 1A and 2A buses that squeeze their way through the centre both have a stop at Habsburgergasse
Address: Habsburgergasse 10A, 1010 Vienna | Website