Private Tour

Private Tour of the Kunsthistorisches Museum: Secrets of Masterpieces | Tickets included

Overview

Available languages

German

Russian

English

3 hours

Mobile ticket

The title of masterpiece gives a work of art a special status and if you are going to visit a museum for the first time, you want to see famous works by renowned masters. The Museum of the History of Art in Vienna has many paintings, gems and statues that count to the world famous masterpieces. They include paintings by Rembrandt, Cranach, Vermeer, Raphael and Caravaggio, sculptures by Canova, Gianbologna as well as works by ancient Greek and Roman artists. And you don't need experts to enjoy their works.

This tour of the museum is for those who value both an aesthetic pleasure as well as an intellectual one. We will go through all the collections of one of the best art museums in the world and look at masterpieces from different perspectives to understand why this particular work, and not the neighbouring one, has made on the shortlist of must-see objects.

To do this, we'll follow the museum's list of most valuable exhibits and I'll not only tell you their official histories and characteristics, I'll also explain how artists have used our cognition and clever self-promotion. We will also discuss the fickleness of worldly fame and the role of the spirit and the taste of the times.

Among the major masterpieces we will break down in detail are Benvenuto Cellini's "Saliera", Raphael's "Madonna in the Meadow", Peter Brueghel's "The Tower of Babel" and "Hunters in the Snow", Caravaggio's "Madonna with Beads", Vermeer's "Allegory of Painting" as well as The Reserve Head from the Egyptian collection and Sarcophagus with Amazons from the Greek collection.

On a tour with me you can not only enjoy the art, but also learn to navigate a little more in the intricacies of such a subtle matter as "genius".

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby

Wheelchair accessible

Transportation options are wheelchair accessible

All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Confirmation will be received at the time of booking

Please come punctually to the meeting point in front of the museum main entrance. There are three doors and the central one is closed. Your guide will be waiting for you in front of it.

This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Entry or admission fee

Professional Art Historian Guide

What To Expect

Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna

‘The temple of art’ is the expression that describes the Art History Museum in Vienna the best. Even its architecture designed in the best traditions of historicism combines the details of temples from the three key Western cultures. This is the place where you will find all gods and heroes of the West European art Olympus, such as Arcimboldo, Brueghel, Velasquez, Holbein, Dürer, Giorgione, Cranach, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian (listed in alphabetical order). As any Western museum proclaiming itself universal, Kunsthistorisches Museum also features collections of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art, as well as a numismatic cabinet. Moreover, a quarter of the exhibition space of the museum is occupied by the Cabinets of curiosities, a mixed exposition of indoor sculpture, church plate, decorative elements, and scientific instruments; all in all, everything considered unique and of special value. The museum’s curators have drawn up an informative list for visitors; including 700 masterpieces for local art lovers, 100 for recurring visitors, and 35 “must-see” pieces for newbies. With this art tour we follow the curators’ short list and take a very close look at globally celebrated masterpieces, from varying perspectives to understand what makes each art piece so very special.

3 hours • Admission Included

Options

Abend

Standard

Reviews

5.00

27 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Perfection !!
David S,
Nov 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
I toured the museum with Julia. Thank you for the knowledge. It was more than I expected. I fully learned so many details about the paintings and the artifacts in the museum's great displays. And many back stories of the pieces. I'm still thrilled with the time spent learning from Julia. I really came away with a sense of the preciousness of the museum's items.
Exceptional private art tour
Mary Lynn C,
Oct 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We learned so much and feel like we saw the highlights of the museum and so much more. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and passion for art and history with us.
A Fantastic Tutorial
gibbystratton,
Oct 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
It was really a treat to be guided by a true art expert around this very diverse and excellent art museum. We loved every minute of our time with Julia and learned so much about so many aspects of art and artists through the ages. We particularly enjoyed the automaton exhibit and Julia's deep dive into Bruegel's work. This is certainly the best way to see the Kunsthistorisches Museum because there is much to see and take in. Julia covers so much in a relatively short period of time without feeling rushed and leaving you feeling you saw every important artist's work and every important aspect of the museum collection. We only wish we had more days to spend with her on some of her other tours.
Excellent guide!
Carleen D,
Oct 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Julia was amazing - very knowledgeable and excellent at communicating. We learned so much, and we were riveted to her every word. Thank you, Julia!
Outstanding art tour
Madison-WI2016,
Sep 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Julia is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about art and we learned so much about this Hapsburg collection. A great experience.
Spectacular Museum Tour - Highly Recommend!
V2404PGtimn,
Jun 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
When we booked this tour, we thought it would be a nice way to see the highlights of a large art museum on a private tour. It so exceeded our expectations! Julia is possibly the best guide we have ever had on any or our many tours. Her enthusiasm, knowledge, humor, and engaging personality drew us in immediately. We learned the historical context of why art was made, how it was used, and how it evolved, all while learning about the history and techniques used for the museum's masterpieces throughout various periods of time. The hours flew by, and Julia engaged us the entire time. It was an interesting, thought-provoking, entertaining day that left us energized from such a wonderful experience! When we return to Vienna, we would book Julia for other tours. We HIGHLY recommend booking Julia for this tour!
A guide us a must
Tracy H,
Oct 10, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
Julia was an excellent tour guide helping us to focus on the highlights vegetating list in the enormous collection. She was so knowledgeable and so interesting to listen to. We loved her and the tour!
Best tour guide
Friedrich W,
Sep 25, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
The tour guide Julia (or Julie) had complete command of the knowledge of art history, the painters/sculptors' biographies, the socio-economic backdrop of the 16th-19th centuries. She could also add humors and anecdotes to make her story-telling fun to listen. She is the perfect guide for this tour.
Must see museum.
Charles M,
Sep 20, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00
We were shown the most significant & interesting art objects & paintings. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and interesting. Highly recommend this tour.
Probably the best gallery tour I’ve been on
coffee nerd,
Aug 1, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This made our city break memorable. Julia not only talked about the paintings (6) and the artists but also gave some very interesting insights into the science and psychology of art. I found it inspirational, the time flew by (3hrs) I would do this tour again and certainly book her for the other museums