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Visiting Vienna State Opera: Guided Tour vs Seeing an Opera

ByTina Riegelnegg Updated on

Visiting the Vienna State Opera is one of those classic Vienna experiences that sounds incredibly glamorous. And honestly, the building is stunning. From the grand staircase to the historic opera hall, it absolutely lives up to the hype visually.

But after doing both the guided tour and seeing an actual opera there, I realised they’re two very different experiences.

Personally, I ended up preferring the guided tour. I loved learning about the history of the building and hearing all the behind the scenes facts about the Opera Ball and the daily stage changes. The opera itself, on the other hand, just wasn’t for me.

So if you’re trying to decide whether to book the guided tour, see a performance, or do both, this guide will help you figure out which experience makes the most sense for you.

Vienna State Opera Guided Tour

Booking the Tour and Finding the Entrance

Exterior of a grand historic opera house with arched windows, detailed stone carvings, and statues along the roofline under a bright blue sky. Cyclists and pedestrians pass by the large building beside a wide city street with tram tracks.
Hand holding a ticket reading "GUIDED TOUR DEUTSCH" in front of a grand staircase inside an ornate theater lobby. A matching sign labeled "DEUTSCH" stands beside green carpeted stairs and decorative vintage lamps.

I highly recommend booking the guided tour online in advance because it sells out quickly. Same day tickets are sometimes available, but I wouldn’t rely on it.

The tours are offered in multiple languages, including German, English, and Spanish.

The famous front entrance is closed during the day, so guided tour visitors need to use a side entrance on the left side of the building (left when you face the entrance). There are signs pointing you in the right direction, so you can’t miss it.

Inside, you show your ticket, get a small paper ticket with your language on it, and then wait at the matching language sign until the guide collects the group.

What You See on the Tour

  • Empty opera house auditorium with rows of red velvet seats and several tiers of cream colored balconies with red curtains. The curved ceiling and ornate detailing emphasize the grand scale of the theater interior.
  • View of a theater stage and auditorium from an upper balcony with rows of wooden seats and red velvet side boxes. A large stage set with a giant smiling heart prop is being assembled by crew members below.
  • Ornate hallway inside a historic theater with gilded columns, painted ceiling frescoes, marble accents, and a deep red carpet running through the center. Soft lighting reflects off the gold decorative details and mirrors along the walls.
  • Lavishly decorated theater salon with painted arches, chandeliers, marble walls, and detailed gold trim across the vaulted ceiling. Bust sculptures line the walls beside tall mirrors and decorative fireplaces.
  • Elegant lounge area with tall red velvet seating, marble café tables, crystal chandeliers, and large windows letting in natural light. The pale walls and geometric ceiling create a bright and refined atmosphere.
  • Long reception hall with parquet flooring, crystal chandeliers, and large tapestry covered walls beside neatly arranged dining tables. Warm lighting highlights the gold accents and spacious interior.
  • Modern café bar inside a historic building with tall arched ceilings, marble topped counters, gold lamps, and curved contemporary light fixtures. Guests sit and stand around the softly lit seating area near large windows.
  • Entrance to the "HAMTIL & SÖHNE VIENNA OPERA STORE" with postcard racks and souvenir displays outside the wooden doorway. Brochures featuring Vienna landmarks line the storefront beneath arched stone architecture.
  • Wide staircase hall inside a historic theater with vaulted ceilings, marble railings, statues, chandeliers, and colorful painted ceiling panels. Visitors walk along the balconies beneath richly decorated arches and gold trim.

The order of the stops vary since there are multiple tours starting at once and every tour starts at a different spot. These were my highlights of the tour:

  • We started inside the auditorium, where the guide explained the history of the opera house. I had no idea that most of the building was destroyed during World War II and later rebuilt in a similar style.
  • We also watched a video showing how the opera house is transformed for the Vienna Opera Ball. Seeing the entire hall converted into a ballroom in just two days was honestly really impressive.
  • Another highlight was the grand staircase and the special room upstairs that you can only visit on the guided tour. We also got to sit in the emperor’s lodge, which now contains some of the most expensive seats in the opera house.
  • We also visited several beautiful break rooms that guests use during intermission.
  • At the end you walk through the opera café and the souvenir shop.

The Most Interesting Things I Learned

The most fascinating fact for me was that the opera house never performs the same opera two days in a row. That means the stage constantly has to be rebuilt for different productions.

I also learned that Opera Ball tickets work through a lottery system before you even get the chance to buy them, and tickets still cost around €400 afterwards.

Another feature I really liked was the subtitle system. Every seat and even the standing areas have small screens where you can choose subtitles in different languages. German and English are always available.

Seeing an Opera at Vienna State Opera

How to Get Tickets

Smiling woman with glasses leaning on a red velvet balcony inside an ornate opera house auditorium. Curved tiers of cream colored balconies with red curtains fill the background behind her.
One of the most expensive tickets
Downward view of a theater balcony seating area with a red velvet railing, numbered seat marker "20," and visitors standing nearby. A pink bag and yellow shoes are visible against the dark floor and warm lighting.
One of the cheapest tickets (standing)

Tickets for the Vienna State Opera sell out weeks in advance, especially for popular performances.

Standing tickets only go on sale on the day of the performance at 10 am. If you want one, you need to book right when sales open because they also sell out fast.

They save a quota of tickets for the standing room box office (entrance at Operngasse), which they sell 80 minutes before the performance. But you need to queue up before the ticket office opens if you want to get a ticket.

I ended up buying a standing ticket online because all the normal seats were either sold out or extremely expensive. There are different priced standing tickets, I got one for €15.

My Experience With Standing Tickets

I specifically chose a shorter opera (~2h) because some performances can last up to five hours. Even with a shorter opera, I found standing for two hours surprisingly exhausting.

I normally walk a lot while travelling and don’t mind being on my feet all day, but standing still for that long somehow felt much more tiring.

Towards the end, I even noticed a few people sitting down on the floor because they couldn’t stand any longer.

Dress Code and Atmosphere

Grand marble staircase inside an ornate opera house with vaulted ceilings, gold detailing, statues, and glowing chandeliers. Visitors walk along the green carpeted stairs and balconies beneath richly decorated arches and painted frescoes.
Tina wearing glasses and a dark patterned dress standing beside a marble railing inside an elaborate opera house staircase hall. Ornate arches, statues, gold accents, and layered balconies fill the softly lit background.

One thing that surprised me was how dressed up many people were. Some visitors wore normal clothes like jeans, but most looked like they were heading to a gala.

Our tour guide told us that people with ripped jeans or shorts would be refused entry.

I wore a nice everyday dress and I felt slightly underdressed to be honest.

Seeing the opera house full of people definitely creates a very special atmosphere though. You can enter through the grand main entrance, spend time on the beautiful staircase, and really experience the glamour the building is famous for.

My Honest Opinion on the Opera

Honestly, I realised very quickly that opera just isn’t for me.

I found the pacing extremely slow, and it often felt like the songs went on for ages without much happening in the story. I personally enjoy musicals much more because they feel more story-driven.

That being said, I still think seeing an opera at the Vienna State Opera is an interesting Vienna experience, even more so if you already enjoy opera.

Personally though, I preferred the guided tour much more than the actual opera.

Marble statue standing beneath a grand archway inside an ornate opera house with painted ceiling murals, gold detailing, and decorative columns. Warm lighting highlights the intricate frescoes and classical architecture surrounding the staircase hall.
The building itself is without a doubt stunning and worth visiting

Guided Tour vs Opera: Which Should You Choose?

If you mainly want to see the beautiful building and learn about its history, I’d definitely recommend the guided tour.

It’s cheaper, less exhausting (compared to the standing ticket), and you still get to see the most impressive parts of the opera house, including one room that regular visitors normally can’t access.

That being said, seeing an actual opera still feels like a very classic Vienna experience. The atmosphere is much more glamorous once the building fills with people dressed up for the evening.

But personally, if I had to choose just one, I would pick the guided tour.

Another Beautiful Theatre in Vienna: Burgtheater

Grand exterior of Burgtheater with neoclassical columns and statues under a bright blue sky, with people gathered at the entrance. Signs across the facade read "ALLES WIRD BURG".
Burgtheater in Vienna

If you’re more interested in theatre plays than opera, I’d also recommend checking out the Burgtheater. It’s one of the most beautiful theatres in Vienna but somehow feels much more underrated than the Vienna State Opera.

They only perform German language theatre plays there, so it’s a great alternative if opera is not really your thing (and if you speak German).

Just like at the opera house, you can also join a guided tour of the Burgtheater. During my visit, I learned that the Burgtheater was actually twice as expensive to build as the Vienna State Opera, which honestly surprised me.

I also have a full guide about visiting the Burgtheater in Vienna if you want to learn more about the tours, tickets, and what to expect next.

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Collage featuring ornate interiors and the exterior of the Vienna State Opera with painted ceilings, marble statues, chandeliers, and historic architecture. Large white text across the center reads "State Opera in Vienna" with "AustrianVeganerlust.com" written along the bottom.
Is the Vienna Opera House Worth Visiting?

Tina Riegelnegg is the founder of Austrian Veganderlust. After travelling the world and documenting her adventures on Veganderlust, she created this blog to share the beauty of her home country, Austria. Tina now focuses on helping travellers discover the best spots in Austria, including where to find the most delicious vegan food.