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Guide to Visiting Space Center Houston, Texas

Last updated: December 16, 2023 . Written by Laurence Norah - 8 Comments

If you are visiting Houston in Texas, one attraction we can highly recommend you spend some time at is the Space Center Houston.

Space Center Houston is the official visitor center of the NASA Johnson Space Center, which is the home of NASA’s Mission Control and where U.S. astronauts are trained. It’s also a Smithsonian affiliate museum.

There are two main parts to a visit to the Space Center. There’s the large self-guided Space Center museum itself, which is home to numerous exhibits on space exploration and space in general.

Then there’s the tram tour, which takes you onto the grounds of the NASA Johnson Space Center facility itself, where you can see actual working government facilities, as well as historic locations like the original Mission Control room.

In this post, we’re going to share everything you need to know to make the most out of your visit to Space Center Houston, from getting there, to what to see and do, to how to save money on your ticket.

Let’s get started.

Table of Contents:

A Guide to Visiting Space Center Houston

Where is space center houston.

Space Center Houston is at 1601 E NASA Parkway. This is found around 26 miles southeast of the city center, or approximately a 30-minute drive in light traffic.

How To Get to Space Center Houston?

From Houston, the easiest way to get to Space Center Houston is to drive. You can just follow the I-45 out of the city centre, and then take exit 24, following signs for NASA. It should take around half an hour, although of course traffic can slow you down. There is a large car-parking lot on site, with a reasonable daily fee of $5 per vehicle.

During the week it is also possible to take public transport to Space Center Houston, using Bus service 249. This takes around an hour and costs $3. You can see schedules and timetables on the Houston Metro site . Public transport is not available on the weekends.

There is a Hop-on Hop-off bus service in Houston , but it does not go to the Space Center.

You can also take a taxi or ride share service like Uber. Prices will vary, but will be in the region of $30 – $60 each way depending on traffic and time of day. You can also get these back from the Space Center.

Finally, it’s also possible to take a guided tour from the city centre out to Space Center Houston. As an example, this tour includes a tour of Houston, transport to and from Space Center Houston, as well as entry to the Space Center.

How Much Does it Cost to Visit Space Center Houston?

Standard entry to Space Center Houston for an adult (12+) is $29.95 – $34.95 depending on the day and time you visit. It’s $24.95 for children (aged 4-11) and $27.95 for seniors (65+). Prices are correct as of February 2023.

There are a variety of discounts available for active and retired military with I.D., AAA members with I.D., and groups. Children 3 and under are able to enter for free.

You can see all the details of the pricing and discount eligibility on the official site here . Note, tickets bought on the official site are non-refundable. You can also buy your ticket online in advance here for the same price , with the option of free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance of your visit.

You can also buy tickets in person. The price is the same, but if you print your ticket at home or download it to your mobile device, then you can skip the ticket line and go straight to the entry turnstile. This can save you a bit of time on busy days.

Space Center Houston is also included on the Houston City PASS . This can save you significant money if you plan on visiting some of the other attractions that the pass covers – up to 50% savings in fact! We found the pass very useful for our trip to Houston.

The Houston City PASS includes entry to five of Houston’s most popular attractions, but you only need to visit two or three of them for it to start saving you money.

See what it covers and buy yours in advance here . You can also buy it here with the option to cancel up to 24 hours before your trip if you need the flexibility.

Note – the CityPASS includes the standard tram tours but not the Mission Control tram tour, which is a paid extra. Last time we checked in 2023, you can upgrade on site for $15, subject to availability.

Are there different ticket types and experiences at the Space Center?

There are a number of different ticket options for Space Center. These are:

• the standard ticket
• the standard ticket with Mission Control Tour
• the Breakfast with an Astronaut Experience
• the VIP tour

The difference between these tours is reflected in the experience you have as well as the price you pay. See below for more on what each of these tickets includes and the difference between them, as well ar pricing.

Ticket types for Space Center Houston

The standard entry ticket gets you access to all the exhibits in the Space Center as well as the tram tour of NASA Johnson Space Center. This is the ticket included on the Houston City PASS . This costs $29.95 – $34.95 for an adult.

The standard entry ticket with Mission control tour . This is the same as the standard entry ticket but it also includes the Mission control tram tour. This costs an extra $15 per ticket, so for adults it varies from $44.95 – $49.95.

The breakfast with an astronaut experience. This includes your standard entry, plus, as the name suggests, you get to have a meal with an astronaut. You’ll hear stories and anecdotes from an actual NASA astronaut, plus have the opportunity to take photos.

This is only available once or twice a week, and it depends on astronaut availability. This experience needs to be booked in advance, and you can find out more here about availability and what it includes. It currently costs $99.95.

Finally, the NASA VIP Space Center Houston tour is the ultimate VIP experience, for those who want a truly unique and special experience. The highlight of this experience is a 3 hour guided tour of the NASA Johnson Space Center, giving you much more access than the tram tour.

The VIP costs $199.95, and the includes your entry to Space Centre Houston, so you have plenty of time to see everything. The tour needs to be booked in advance, which you can do here . It is only available for those aged 14 and older. Tours run twice a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They actually visit different locations, so you could book both for the ultimate experience!

Experiences at Space Center Houston

As well as the different ticket options, Space Center Houston also offers a variety of educational programs geared to families and children’s organizations and groups (e.g., Boy Scouts, school groups).

For example, they offer a number of overnight experiences, including a family oriented overnight experience. This gives you the opportunity to actually stay overnight at the facility, either in your own tent outside, or inside amongst the artefacts.

You can see all the upcoming events and experiences on the events page here .

What can you do at Space Center Houston?

There is a lot to do at Space Center Houston, with over 400 space artifacts, a number of permanent and temporary exhibitions, learning experiences, theaters, and more!

Here’s a quick overview of the major attractions and activities you can enjoy at Space Center Houston. It’s not absolutely everything, but it should give you an idea of the scope of what’s on offer!

The NASA Tram Tour at Space Center Houston

This tour of the NASA Johnson Space Center takes you to some of the highlights of the Johnson Space Center, and is one of the most popular parts of a visit to the Space Center.

The tour may change depending on what’s happening at the facility and security considerations with active missions and programmes, but it normally has the option to visit one or more of the following, depending on the time of year and tram tour chosen:

• The Mission Operations Control Room 2, commonly known as Mission Control, which was where the Apollo missions were coordinated from.
• The Space Vehicle Mockup Facility, where astronauts train on replicas of space vehicles like the ISS.
• Rocket Park, home to a Saturn V rocket (the size has to be seen to be believed) as well as a number of other rockets from different stages of the space program.

We have more detail on the tram tour in the section dedicated to taking the tram tour elsewhere in this guide.

Independence Plaza

Independence Plaza is a large space outside the main Space Center building. It is home to an actual Boeing 747 aircraft, atop which is mounted a replica space shuttle.

The 747 in question was one of two Shuttle Carrier Aircraft developed by NASA to transport the space shuttle from it secondary landing site back to the main Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center.

Often, bad weather would prevent the shuttle from landing at Kennedy, and so the 747 was developed to transport it back.

At Independence Plaza you can go all the way up into the replica shuttle, as well as through the length of the 747, where there are a variety of exhibits and interactive installations, telling the story of the vehicle.

Starship Gallery

Inside the main Space Center building, one of the most impressive galleries in our opinion is the Starship Gallery.

This is home to three actual spacecraft which have flown to space, the Mercury 9 capsule, the Gemini 5 capsule, and the Apollo 17 command module.

There’s also a lunar module test vehicle, a lunar rover test vehicle, a full-scale Skylab trainer and more.

Finally, the Starship Gallery is home to an actual piece of lunar rock, which is one of only eight in the world that you are allowed to touch. Yes, you can touch a piece of the moon in the Starship Gallery!

Mission Mars

One of the newest exhibits at the Space Center is Mission Mars. This exhibit focuses on NASA’s project to ultimately send manned space missions to Mars.

It covers the various challenges that need to be overcome for that to be successful, the vehicles that are being developed to take us there, and an overview of humanity’s relationship with the red planet.

There are also galleries explaining what life on Mars might be like when we finally send people there, including the habitats, clothing, and equipment that might be used.

This is a very interactive exhibit, with lots of touchscreens and hands on opportunities. You can also touch a Mars meteorite here.

Astronaut Gallery

The astronaut gallery is a display of astronaut clothing and spacesuits that have been on real-life missions.

Some of the highlights of this gallery include Pete Conrad’s Apollo 12 suit, Michael Collins’ Apollo 11 garment, and Wally Schrira’s Apollo 7 suit.

However, there are a great many wonderful exhibits here, spanning all of NASA’s space flight programmes. There is also the crew wall, which features portraits of every NASA astronaut who has flown in space, from Alan Shepherd and Neil Armstrong up to those currently in orbit on the International Space Station.

International Space Station Gallery

The International Space Station (ISS) is one of mankind’s most impressive space achievements. This massive science laboratory, which orbits the earth at over 17,000 miles per hour, is the largest structure ever built in space. It is home to astronauts from all over the world.

The ISS gallery is designed to give you a sense of what life on the ISS is like, as well as to give an insight into the sort of research and experiments that take place on the ISS.

There’s also a live daily interactive show, Living in Space, which uses the latest projection mapping technology to explain what day to day life on the ISS is like. This usually takes place 3 – 4 times a day, and you can find out showtimes for the day of your visit from the Guest Services Desk on site.

There are two main theatres at the Space Center, the Destiny Theater and the Space Center Theatre.

The Destiny Theater shows the “Human Destiny” film, which uses NASA archival footage to tell the story of how NASA was formed, followed by the story of key NASA events and accomplishments. This is around 15 minutes in duration, and plays throughout the day continuously.

This theater is also home to the lectern used by US President John F. Kennedy when he gave his seminal speech announcing his intention to land an American on the moon.

The Space Center Theater is a state of the art 4K theater, and at time of writing, is the largest 4K theater in Texas. This plays a variety of space related films, documentaries, and animations.

The best way to see what is showing in the Space Center Theater when you visit is to download the official Space Center Houston app . You can also check with the Guest Services desk when you arrive for showtimes.

Entry to both theaters is included with your standard admission ticket.

Mission Briefing Center

If you want to know what’s happening in the world of space exploration right now, you’ll want to head to the Mission Briefing Center.

Here, there are daily presentations on current NASA missions, with real-time updates on progress and events, both in space and on earth.

This is a wonderful way to find out what’s happening right now in NASA, plus the live briefing finishes with a Q&A with the mission briefing officer, so you can ask your own questions and find out about the things that really interest you.

The content of the briefings changes, but they usually run three times a day and last for 30 minutes. Times for the briefings are displayed at the entrance to the Mission Briefing Center, as well as on the daily schedule in the map and guide you will receive. You can also ask at Guest Services for timings.

Ah yes, the gift shops! You definitely don’t want to leave the Space Center without picking up some sort of memorabilia of your trip, be that a t-shirt, a toy, or some astronaut ice cream.

There’s one major gift shop at the Space Center, as well as a smaller gift shop near the tram departure area. We noticed that these do carry slightly different items, so do check both of them.

One tip – don’t leave your shopping until the last minute. A lot of people do this, as we did, and there tends to be a mad rush for the tills right at the end of the day. So perhaps head over to the gift shop at least an hour before closing so you can browse and check out at a more leisurely pace.

That’s just some of what is on offer at the Space Center Houston. As well as all the above, there are also regularly changing and updated temporary exhibits. So you definitely won’t run out of fun things to see and do!

How Long do you Need at Space Center Houston?

As you can see from all the things to do at Space Center Houston, you could easily spend a full day here.

We would suggest spending a minimum of 3 – 4 hours here, which will give you time to see some of the highlights and take a tram tour.

However, ideally you would plan to spend the full day here so as to have time to see and do everything without feeling rushed.

There’s a huge amount to see and do, especially when you consider the tram tour,  films, interactive exhibits, and so on, and you should make the most of your ticket.

Do you Need to do the Tram Tour at Space Center Houston?

The tram tour at Space Center Houston is not mandatory and you can spend your time just exploring the museum.

However, if you have not visited the Space Center before and taken the tram tour, we would definitely recommend doing it as it is one of the highlights of the experience.

There are three options for the tram tour, depending on your interest. Two of these are included on your entry ticket whilst the third requires an additional fee payable when you book.

The tram tours are as follows:

• George W.S. Abbey Rocket Park Tour. Visits the Rocket Park where the Saturn V rocket can be found. Included on general admission, requires boarding pass (book on arrival with staff members at Guest Services Desk or with free app ).
• Astronaut Training Facility Tour. As well as Rocket Park, this tour also visits the Astronaut Training Facility to see where NASA astronauts train. Included on general admission, requires boarding pass (book on arrival with staff members at Guest Services Desk or with free app ).
• Historic Mission Control tour. This tour visit the actual mission control where NASA co-ordinated all the Apollo missions. It also includes Rocket Park. This tour has an additional fee and must be booked in advance when purchasing your general admission ticket. When you book you will choose a timeslot. If you are visiting with a CityPASS , you can pay $15 on site to upgrade to the Mission Control Tram Tour, subject to availability.

Of the tours, personally, I would pick the Mission Control tour as it’s such an iconic location. However, if you don’t want to pay the extra I would opt for the Astronaut Training Facility Tour as it includes Rocket Park.

Note that when we visited Mission Control it was being done up for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo landings, so this image isn’t representative of the experience you will have, however I did want to share it as I still though the consoles looked pretty cool – even in plastic wrap!

If you want, you can actually take multiple tram tours. However, as the tours last 90 minutes to 2 hours, this will use up a lot of the day.

Note also that the locations the trams visit can vary depending on operational schedules and other factors.

The Mission Control tour has pre-booked timed slots which you select when you book your admission ticket.

If you are not taking the Mission Control tram (or are visiting with a CityPASS and want to upgrade to the Mission Control tram), then we would suggest that you make booking your tram tour the first thing you do on arrival.

To take a tram tour, you need a timed boarding pass. You can either get this from the Guest Services desk at the entrance, or you can download the free Space Center Houston app and book that way.

Note that if you take the VIP tour, you have your own private minivan tour of the NASA Johnson Space Center.

Tram tours normally run from fifteen minutes after the Space Center opens, and run every 20 minutes, until 2 hours before closing. For example. if the Space Center closes at 5pm, the last tram will depart at 3pm.

We highly recommend checking times and booking your boarding pass for the tram as soon as you arrive, so you can be sure not to miss out.

Once you have booked the tram tour, you can explore the remainder of the museum at your own leisure until it is time to board.

What are the Highlights of Space Center Houston?

If you are visiting the Space Center for a limited amount of time, you might be wondering what the best way to make the most of your time would be.

If it was me, my priority would be to take the tram tour over anything else. That’s because this is a really unique experience that you can’t get anywhere else.

The museum and all the exhibits are also excellent. However, if we had to pick some favourites for your visit, we’s suggest you visit:

• Independence Plaza, home to the world’s only shuttle replica, which is mounted on an actual shuttle carrying 747 aircraft
• The original Apollo 17 Command Module, which has flown to the moon. This is in the Starship Gallery
• The moon rock exhibit where you can actually touch a piece of moon rock. This is also in the Starship Gallery
• The gift shop, because it’s awesome!

Ideally though you will be able to see and do a lot more than the above.

Is Food Available at Space Center Houston?

Yes, food is available for purchase at the Space Center. The dining area is called the Zero-G diner, and it has a range of food options from sandwiches and vegetarian options through to grilled food, burgers, and pizzas.

Food is not included on your entry ticket unless you have the lunch with an astronaut tour pre-booked, in which case you will have lunch served in a different location.

The Zero G diner does offer a 10% discount to Space Center Houston members, members of the U.S. military, and senior citizens. Be sure to present your I.D. before ordering to claim any discounts.

Is there an Audio Tour of Space Center Houston?

Space Center Houston offers the Space Center App for smartphones. This includes an audio tour, GPS maps of the location, AR experiences, and more.

This is available as a free download for both Android and Apple smartphones. You can find the correct link here .

We’d highly recommend getting this in advance of your visit, and remembering to bring a pair of headphones so you can take full advantage of it.

Up until 2018 there was a separate audio guide that was purchasable for a fee, however this is no longer offered as an option.

Is Space Center Houston Accessible?

Space Center Houston has made great efforts to provide a fully accessible experience across a range of accessibility needs.

In terms of general physical accessibility, all the exhibitions, theaters and tours are fully accessible to wheelchair users. There are also wheelchairs available on site on a first come first served basis.

Beyond physical accessibility, there are a number of other accessibility features, including events and programs for autism and sensory accessibility, deaf and hard of hearing accessibility and visual accessibility. Service animals, as defined by the ADA and Texas laws, are also permitted.

There’s an excellent page on the official Space Center website here , all about the various accessibility options and programmes available. We’d also recommend you reach our directly to the Space Center with any accessibility questions or needs you may have prior to your visit if you have any further queries.

Other Attractions near Space Center Houston

Space Center Houston is around 30 – 40 minutes drive south east of Houston, so you might be wondering if there are other attractions in the area.

The closest attraction which is popular with visitors to Houston, which is also covered on the Houston City PASS , is the Kemah Boardwalk . This is a large boardwalk which is home to a number of amusement rides, games, restaurants, and attractions. A great place for families.

You can either visit here yourself with a car, or you can take a tour from Houston that includes both the  Space Center and Kemah Boardwalk like this .

For more inspiration on other things to do near the Space Center and in Houston in general, see our guide to things to do in Houston .

How Busy is Space Center Houston?

The Space Center is one of the most popular attractions in Houston, and as such it does get quite busy. The busiest times are on holidays, weekends, and during the summer.

If possible, we’d advise visiting outside of these times. During the busiest times, there can be long wait times for the tram tour in particular.

In addition, the Space Center is popular with school groups. These visit throughout the year, but the main months are March, April, and May.

These can definitely raise the volume level in the Space Center, and make it much busier, so bear this in mind if visiting during these months.

Opening Hours for Space Center Houston

Space Center Houston is open year round except on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Standard opening times are from 10am – 5pm, however during busy times they can open at 9am, and close at 6pm.

You can see a full day by day schedule of opening hours on the official website here . Note that opening hours are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances, although this is rare.

Contact Information for Space Center Houston

If you want to contact the Space Center, you have a few options. First, most of your questions should be answered on their website, which you can see here .

If you still have questions about your visit, you can contact the Space Center by e-mail or phone.

Contact e-mail addresses are [email protected] or  [email protected] . The phone number is +1 281-244-2100.

In my experience, e-mail was the fastest way to reach them for specific queries. The phone line has a number of automated response options with ticketing information and prices, but I wasn’t personally able to reach a human. E-mail responses on the other hand were fast and accurate.

Our Experience Visiting Space Center Houston

We visited Space Center Houston mid-week in late September, which turned out to be a great option as it was not too busy. The first thing we did was visit the tram tour info point, where we learnt the tram schedule for the day.

It was obvious when we visited the info point that there weren’t going to be major lines for the tram on the day of our visit.

This isn’t always the case of course, and at busy times the lines for the tram can be much longer – we were just lucky!

In addition, as we were lucky to be visiting on a quieter day, the tram was scheduled to visit all the highlights, so we didn’t have to pick a tram route.

We decided to come back to around 15 minutes in advance of a departure and spend some time exploring some of the exhibits. We visited the ISS display, the Starship Gallery, and the Mission to Mars exhibit.

Then, it was time for the tram ride. As previously mentioned, there are usually different tram routes to choose from, but the day we visited it was less busy and so they were running a combined tour. This means we got to visit Mission Control, the astronaut training center, and the Rocket Park, which was pretty awesome.

The tram ride took just under two hours, and was the definite highlight of our experience. Seeing the historic Mission Control room, which was home to so many important moments in the space programme, was really something special. And this was despite much of it being covered in wrapping due to refurbishment!

We also enjoyed seeing the huge astronaut training center, but I have to say, the Rocket Park was something else. There’s nothing quite like being up close to a Saturn V rocket to give you an idea of the scale of these vehicles.

We were lucky enough to visit the US Space and Rocket Center  whilst attending Space Camp in Huntsville Alabama , which is home to two more Saturn V rockets, and they were just as impressive!

Finally, after the tram tour, we visited the remainder of the main sights we wanted to see. The Independence Plaza was definitely a highlight – being able to get up inside one of the actual 747 shuttle carrier aircraft was a real experience, and seeing the scale of the shuttle against the 747 was amazing.

Tours of Space Center Houston

If you are visiting Houston and would prefer to take a tour that includes the Space Center, we’ve found the following two options for you to consider. These both include entry to the Space Center, return transport, plus some time exploring Houston itself.

• The first option is this 6 hour tour of Houston which also includes transport to and from Space Center Houston, as well as entry and a tour of the city
• The second option is this longer full day tour  which includes a 1.5 hour tour of Houston, as well as time at the Space Centre and the Kemah Boardwalk.

Hopefully one of those tours might work for you!

Where to stay near Space Center Houston

If you plan on spending a full day at Space Center Houston, as we recommend that you do, then you might prefer to stay near the Space Center. This means you can be first in the door when it opens, and maximise your time.

We’ve found a number of accommodation options near the Space Center, at a variety of price points.

• Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham – This well rated budget 2* hotel is the closest option to the Space Center – it’s less than ten minutes walk across to the Space Center. There’s free on-site parking, work desks in the rooms, private bathrooms, and continental breakfast is included.
• Super 8 by Wyndham  – Another well rated 2* property, this one is just a mile from Space Centre Houston. Rooms have private bathroom and coffee makers, there’s free parking, and continental breakfast is included.
• Best Western Webster – Another highly rated budget 2* property (there’s no shortage of choice in this area). Found 10 minutes drive from the Space Center. Rooms have refrigerators and microwaves, as well as work space. Parking is free and breakfast is also included.
• Springhill Suites Houston – A well rated 3* hotel around 6 minutes drive from the Space Center. Rooms are all suites with separate living areas as well as a refrigerator and microwave. Breakfast and parking are included, and laundry / gym services are offered.
• TownePlace Suites by Marriott – Found 2 miles from the Space Center, this well-rated 3* property offers self-catering suites which include a microwave, oven, stove and refrigerator. There’s also a gym, pool, and jacuzzi. Breakfast and parking are also available on site.
• Holiday Inn Kemah  – If you want a hotel near the Kemah Boardwalk, this well rated 3* option would be our pick. It’s within walking distance from the boardwalk, and rooms feature microwaves, fridges, and tea/coffee making facilities. Free parking is included, and breakfast is optional.

Between these options we hope you will find something to suit your needs and budget.

Further Reading

Well, that’s it for our guide to visiting the Space Center in Houston, Texas. Before you go, we wanted to share some other content that we think you’ll find useful in planning your trip.

• There’s lots more to do in Houston beyond the Space Center. See our guide to things to do in Houston for some inspiration.
• If you’re visiting a number of cities in Texas, we have guides to a number of those as well! We have a guide to things to do in Austin , things to do in San Antonio , as well as a guide to things to do in Dallas
• If you do visit San Antonio, we also have a detailed guide to visiting the Alamo , and the  San Antonio River Walk , which will help you plan your time visiting these two popular San Antonio attractions
• Love space? So do we, and the Space Center in Houston is far from the first space attraction we’ve written about! We have a guide to visiting the U.S. Space and Rocket Center , a guide to attending Space Camp , a  guide to  getting into space as a tourist , and a guide to New Mexico’s Space Trail , for more space related fun!
• We also have lots of resources to help you plan a trip to the USA. See our guides to  how much it costs to travel in the USA  and  driving in the USA  as starting points.
• If you want some road trip inspiration, see our itineraries for a  USA Deep South road trip ,  California Road Trip ,  Route 66 Road Trip  and  Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip
• We’ve visited a lot of other cities in the USA! See our guides to  Things to do in Huntsville ,  Things to do in Savannah ,  Things to do in Charleston ,  Things to do in Albuquerque ,  Visiting New Orleans During Mardi Gras ,  Things to do in Cambria  and  Things to do in Santa Fe  to get started!

We hope you’ve found our guide to the Space Center in Houston useful! As always, we’re happy to hear your feedback and answer your questions. Just use the comments section below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

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There are 8 comments on this post

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Maryam Boone says

25th February 2023 at 2:34 am

Your information was EXCELLENT! I’ve lived in Houston for 2 years now but haven’t had a chance to visit the Space Center -even though I’ve driven past it going to Galveston several times. My daughter and son-in-law are coming to visit and we are going this weekend. I had viewed the Space Center’s website last month but still had a few questions. Your information answered all of my questions and was much, much better than the Space Center’s site! Thank you so much for giving such detailed and informative information. If this is the type of information you provide about other attractions you visit, then these attractions should pay you for the excellent information you provide!

Laurence Norah says

25th February 2023 at 6:07 am

Hey Maryam,

Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and let me know! It’s much appreciated 🙂 I hope you guys have an awesome visit to the Space Center! I’d love to hear how it goes, and if you notice anything there that isn’t quite right in my guide, feel free to let me know 🙂

Philip Baker says

12th March 2021 at 10:48 am

Hi, thinking of having a holiday in Texas march 22 if they let us fly from UK and was looking on Google maps for places to visit, two days later your site popped up on my phone, must say best travel site I have seen. Phil

12th March 2021 at 10:59 am

Thanks so much Phil, that’s very kind of you to take the time to let us know! I hope you are able to take advantage of our tips on a trip to Texas, and if you have any questions, just let me know 🙂

Kurt Peterson says

27th October 2019 at 1:24 am

Laurence and Jessica, Thank you for the great piece on The Space Center in Houston. My wife and I are looking forward to our visit in mid November. We have been privileged to have had the opportunity to visit both The Kennedy Space Center and the NASA facility in Huntsville. We are throughly excited about seeing the ‘real’ mission control room. Seeing the Saturn 5 rocket is always pretty amazing. Thanks again, Kurt and Veronica Peterson

27th October 2019 at 1:57 pm

Our pleasure Kurt! Have an amazing time, and do let us know how you enjoy it compared to the other locations you’ve visited 😀

Sesh Komanduri says

13th August 2019 at 11:43 am

Excellent write-up, Jessica and Laurence. I finally found the guide I was looking for!! One quick question. Is it easy to get a Uber/lyft on the way back from the Space Center to downtown? I want to use that option rather than a standard tour so that I have maximum time at the Center and return as per my convenience. But dont want to get stranded there without transport!!

13th August 2019 at 12:05 pm

So we’ve not personally done this ride with Uber or Lyft, but looking at what other travellers have said and checking the Uber app, it does look like it shouldn’t be a problem 🙂

Have a great time!

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The Shark Valley area is home to a diverse number of animals and plants. The various species change with the seasons and water levels throughout the year. As a result, every journey through the Everglades offers a different experience for visitors. MORE

Experience the Everglades

At the half-way point of the Everglades tour, a 45 foot high observation deck gives visitors an opportunity to experience panoramic views of the Everglades, extending outward 20 miles in all directions. A gradual ramp provides easy access to the observation tower deck. MORE

Ride the Everglades Loop

Bicycling the 15 mile Everglades loop is an excellent way to view the area at your own pace. A great alternative for those who prefer to explore “on their own.” The small elevation changes in South Florida make this an ideal place to bike. MORE

Shark Valley Tram Tours

The captivating and educational way to see the everglades.

The Everglades is a unique and fascinating ecosystem. When you take an Everglades National Park tour at Shark Valley, you’ll travel in a relaxed setting, learning about the ecology and history of The Everglades from our friendly and knowledgeable Park-trained naturalists. They’ll turn your sightseeing visit into a highly educational tour of the Everglades, and at the halfway point on your adventure, you can walk to the highest accessible point in Everglades National Park, the viewing platform of the Shark Valley Observation Tower.

Pay us a visit and experience one of the world’s most unique eco-systems at Everglades National Park. Take advantage of local insight offered on a  guided Everglades tram tour or venture out on your own on a self-guided Everglades bike tour .  Either way, you’ll be creating memories for a lifetime.

• 11 Scenic Tram Rides To...

11 Scenic Tram Rides to Take Around Vienna

Although there are plenty of guided bus tours you can take around the city, often the best and cheapest way to see the sights is by hopping on and off Vienna’s public transport system. The city’s tram network has existed since the 1800s and is one of the most popular forms of transport for tourists and locals alike, with around 30 different lines in operation. Here are 11 tram (known locally as also Straßenbahn ) rides that you should try.

Prater to ringstaße, the number 38, hietzing to mariahilf.

The number 60 tram takes you from the district of Hietzing (home to the famous Schonbrunn Palace , with its glorious and sprawling gardens), past the Technology Museum and up to the less scenic area of Westbahnhof , where you can wander along the shopping street of Mariahilferstrasse and then venture into one of the city’s coolest neighbourhoods, the happening Mariahilf .

The 46 line begins at the heart of the city and ends at Ottakring , the multicultural 16th district, a heavily populated residential area with a distinctly local vibe. Although not particularly scenic, it is an interesting ride if you want to become acquainted with a lesser-known part of the city.

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From this tram you can see a great deal of the Austrian capital, including prominent landmarks and Viennese suburbia. Starting from outside the city’s Technology University at Karlsplatz, travel all the way up to Hietzing, from where you can then head to the Lainzer Tiergarten , a section of the ‘green lung’ that is the Vienna Woods .

Leafy and suburban Döbling is one of the most wealthy areas of Vienna: a neat cluster of beautiful, winding old streets and views to the vineyards. This tram takes you from the heart of the city (from Schottentor) up to the hills, where you can go for a wander among the wooded areas or sample some Viennese wine from a Heuriger .

Tram to Baden

Explore the hip part of town by heading out on the 49, which leaves from the heart of town. Neubau is akin to some of the more vibrant neighborhoods you might find around London’s southeast or in Berlin, with throngs of independent shops, galleries and cafés frequented by fashionably attired youths.

This tram will take you from the Prater to the city centre, passing many notable sights along the way. It also takes you around Schwedenplatz , close to the canal promenades of the River Danube, where many people hang out in the hot summer months.

This is another journey that will take you through a few of the lesser-known neighbourhoods of the city, starting at Baumgarten – the 14th district of Penzing – and ending up at the less than picturesque Westbahnhof , a busy shopping area that has some hidden gems in the backstreets leading off Mariahilferstrasse .

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Austria ‎ > Vienna   > Vienna Ringstrasse Tram Tour  

Top 10 Vienna Tips | Suggested Itineraries For Vienna

• Top 10 Things To Do
• Old Town Walking Tour
• Ring Tram Tour
• Schönbrunn Palace
• More Sights
• Best Day Trips
• Helfpful Visitor Tips
• Suggested Itineraries

Ringstrasse Tram & Walking Tour:

Location :  Vienna’s Ringtrasse ( Ring Road ). Cost :  Free, 4-14€ for tram pass ( optional prices below ). Style : Do-It-Yourself Hop-On Hop-Off Tour ( Self Guided ). Start :  Museum Quartier ( Museumsquartier Subway Stop ). Stop :  Burggarten ( Burgring Tram Stop ). Map Key :  Red Tram #1 is in  BLUE , Red Tram #2 is in  RED , Trams #71 & #D are in PURPLE , and the Yellow Tourist Tram is in YELLOW .  Subway lines are also marked. Distance :  Tram loop is 3.6 miles ( additional walking is light ). Time : 25 Minutes for loop ( 4-5 Hours with stops ). Fun Scale :  9 out of 10.

Ringstrasse Tram Tour Overview:

The 3.2-mile-long Ringstrasse ( Ring Road ) looping around Old Town Vienna traces the path of the impressive Medieval wall that once protected the city.  The Medieval wall was completed in 1257 as an expansion outward to accommodate the flourishing trade town.  This new  wall was very heavily fortified  with watchtowers & bastions, was surrounded by a moat, and ringed with a wide building-free meadow ( glacis ) separating the city from the suburbs.  This protection helped Vienna  fight off the Turkish Sieges  of 1529 & 1638 which may have saved the rest of Europe from being overtaken.

Vienna kept prospering over the centuries, and by 1860 the then 500,000-person town needed to grow outward again.  With the urging of controversial Mayor Karl Lueger, Emperor Franz Joseph had the Medieval wall tore down and the dry moat filled into to create a grand boulevard to help modernize the expanding city.  During the massive project, the Ringstrasse ( pronounced Ring-Strassa ) quickly became lined with some of Europe’s most impressive buildings and gave the needed space for Vienna’s population to explode.  By 1900, Vienna had grown to 2.5 million people and the 5th largest city in the World at the time.  You can imagine how the grand Ringstrasse became the place to see and be seen.

Today the spacious Ringstrasse is as delightful as ever with world-class museums, inviting beer gardens, grand cathedrals, and impressive architecture on every block.  To help you get the most out of your visit, we have put together a helpful do-it-yourself Vienna Ring Tram Tour so you can visit all of the best sights.  Consider it a very easy hop-on, hop-off walking tour around the Ringstrasse that you get to do at your own pace.  We have also included tips to help you utilize the public transportation options ( tram & subway ) listed below to help save your feet as some of the sights are spread out.  Hope you enjoy our Ringstrasse tram tour in Vienna!

Suggested Tram Line Options:

1. red #1, #2, #71, & #d trams :.

While the Tram #1 and #2 lines overlap for part of the Ringstrasse you will have to switch lines halfway through to complete the full loop.  Each line goes a couple of miles out of the way where they split from the loop so you have to pay attention when it’s time to switch lines.  In the East, Tram #1 splits off with access to the Hundertwasserhaus and Prater Amusement Park while Tram #2 splits off to the North to Augarten Park with its famous Flak Towers.

Another helpful set of Red Trams are #71 and #D ( purple on our map ) which run up the Western and Southern side of Vienna’s Ring Road along the same tracks as #1 & #2.  This stretch is where most of the sights are making these two trams a good addition to your tram tour mix.  As they exit the Ring Road in the East, Tram #71 runs along the Northside of Belvedere Palace all the way to both Mozart’s and Beethoven’s Graves ( see our map ).  Tram #D splits to run along the Southside of Belvedere Palace for easy access to see the grounds and goes all the way to Vienna’s Main Train Station.

Red Tram Hours : 4am-Midnight, every 5-10 minutes.  Tickets : Single ride tickets are 2.20€ and you’ll have to use one every time you get on.  Unlimited City-wide Tram/Bus/Metro Pass is 7.60€ for 24 Hours, 13.30€ for 48 Hours, & 16.50€ for 72 hours.

2. Tourist Bus Tours :

About The Bus Tours : If you want to get a more inclusive journey around the Ring Road, you can also consider buying a pass for the BigBus Tour ( website ) or the yellow Vienna Sightseeing Bus ( website ).  These hop-on-hop-off buses offer are quite a bit more expensive than the do-it-yourself tram method; however, they have pre-recorded commentary and an open-air upper level for unobstructed views.

While we prefer using the much cheaper tram, the bus makes a lot of sense if you have children, mobility issues, the weather is poor, or if you want to stay on board for the entire route.  Remember that while the do-it-yourself tram option can get you around the Ring Road loop in around 30-40 minutes if you stay on the tourist bus, it will take nearly 2 hours for their main route, but buses leave each stop in both directions every 20 minutes.  The bus can also take you to Schonbrunn Palace, Belvedere Palace, Prater Amusement Park, and the Danube Tower, depending on your options.  The same can also be don (for cheaper) with a combo of tram and subway.

3. Underground Subway :

About The Subway : While the road level tram lines are the best way to experience the Ringstrasse, you can also hit up most of the sights by using Vienna’s extensive underground Subway lines ( marked on our map as thin lines ).  Printable Subway Map : Click Here .

4. Yellow Tourist Tram (No Longer Running):

About The Yellow Tourist Tram : Prior to 2020, there was a Yellow tourist tram option with a stop in Schwedenplatz that would do a continuous 25-minute loop around Vienna’s Ring Road.  While the non-stop loop had come with narration, it was a bit overly commercialized and frankly unneeded since you can piece together your own hop-on-hop-off tram tour

Vienna Ringstrasse Tram Tour:

1. museum quartier :.

About The Museum Quartier :  We love to start our Vienna Ring Tram Tour on foot exploring the Museum Quartier which has the best collection of museums in town.  Framing the vast Maria Theresa Square are two huge twin museum buildings which were originally planned to be part of an even larger called the Emperor’s Forum ( Kaiserforum ) .  The Kaiserforum was meant to serve as an Imperial Forum celebrating the might of Austria.  The forum complex, like the construction of the Ringstraße over Vienna’s Medieval wall, was one of Emperor Franz Joseph I’s ambitious civil projects in the mid-18000s that helped to rapidly grow the city.

As seen in this 1865 mockup sketch , the Emperor’s Kaiserforum complex was planned out to be massive with tons of building when construction started in 1872.  Unfortunately, there were maybe too many projects going on at once as after 19 years of elaborate construction the project was scaled back to its present yet still impressive form.  Before exploring the museums, don’t overlook the imposing statue of Maria Theresa ( the namesake of the central square ) who was the only female ruler in the Hapsburg Dynasty ( 1740-80 ), revitalized the fluttering empire, and influenced much of Europe.

Visiting the Southside of the square you’ll come to the  Art History Museum  ( Kunsthistorisches, website ) which holds Vienna’s greatest collection of paintings covering very fun loving art from over a 200-year span.   The most famous painting is the 1563 masterpiece by Bruegel depicting the Tower of Babel in Babylon ( modern day Iraq ).  We love the view from the third floor of the round central hall in the museum which is one of the most beautiful rooms in Vienna.  Locally this wonderful art gallery, which also has an excellent Egyptian collection, is known simply as the Kunst.

Opposite the Kunst, in the nearly identical building on the North side of the square is the  Museum of Natural History  ( Naturhistorisches,  website ).  This museum holds Austria’s most famous work of art, the  Venus of Willendorf , in its vast collection.  The only 4-inch-tall Venus statue is a chubby, naked female figure carved into limestone and is dated to be from between 24,000-22,000 BC.   The Natural History Museum also has a very famous collection of slides from the 1700s of microscopic organisms called the Mikrotheater.

On the relative outskirts of the two main museum buildings ( to the West ) is a third collection worth a stop for any modern art lover, the  Leopold Modern Art Museum  ( website ).  Our favorite piece at the Modern Art Museum comes right away and is an upside down house home smashed into the side of the Museum called House Attack.  Interesting, this very modern art museum is housed inside the old Imperial Horse Stables.

Art History Museum Hours :  Tuesday-Sunday 10am-6pm, open on Thursday until 9pm, closed Mondays.   Art History Cost :  14€ for Adults, Children and teens are free, but a guided tour is 3€ extra. Combo ticket to include Neue Berg is 20€ for both or for the Leopold is 22€ for both.   Natural History Museum Hours :  Wednesday-Monday 9am-6:30pm, open on Wednesday until 9pm, closed Tuesdays.   Natural History Museum Cost :  10€ for Adults, Children and teens are free, but a guided tour is 3€ extra.  The best deal also includes the nearby Neue Berg for just 20€ for both.   Leopold Museum Hours :  Tuesday-Sunday 10am-6pm, open on Thursday until 9pm, closed Mondays.   Leopold Museum Cost :  12€ for Adults, students 8€. Combo ticket to include Kunsthistorisches is 22€ for both.

2. Hero’s Square ( Heldenplatz ):

About Hero’s Square :  As you cross into Hero’s Square, you’ll immediately run into a massive gateway over the road called  Auberes Burgtor .  The columned gateway is all that remains from a wall built around the Palace in 1817 after the original castle wall was damaged during the Napoleonic Wars of 1809.

While the wall was repaired after the Napoleonic Wars,  the  didn’t last long as the entire Medieval around Old Town Vienna was torn down in 1860 by Emperor Franz Joseph I to make way for the Ringstrasse loop.  This move helped the growing city expand and was part of an extensive series of enhancements the Emperor made to the City.

As you pass through the gateway, it opens up into the large  Heldenplatz  ( or Hero’s Square ) complete with a backdrop of beautiful  Neue Burg  ( or New Castle ).  It can be easy to get distracted by the fantastic curved building, but the square itself is worth investigating.  Heldenplatz and two other large gardens ( Burggarten & Volksgarten ) were laid out after parts of a Medieval castle wall that stood here were destroyed Napoleonic Wars.

While the other Gardens have remained green, most of Heldenplatz has been paved over during the decades, but a couple of the original equestrian statues remain.  Our favorite statue is  Prince Eugene of Savoy  and sits right by Neue Burg’s main entrance.  Eugene left France for Austria after being denied admission to their military for appearance and went on to become the greatest Generals in Austrian history.  He led military campaigns for 60 years over 3 different Holy Roman Emperors based out of Vienna and was very successful.  The gain fame with battles over the Ottomans was later gaining massive praise from Napoleon all while getting super rich from his endeavors.

To this day Eugene serves as a point of Austrian pride and willpower.  On your walk over to Volksgarden in 2 stops, you’ll also pass a great statue of  Archduke Charles of Austria  riding a horse while triumphantly holding a flag.  The statue of Charles, erected in 1860, was meant to portray the Habsburg Dynasty as great Austrian military leaders.

3. New Royal Palace ( Neue Burg ):

About Neue Burg :  While you’ve already visited the first parts of Emperor Franz Joseph’s  Kaiserforum  at the Museum Quartier, the  Neue Burg Wing  ( or New Castle ) wing of Hofburg Place was probably the biggest part of the new complex.  This huge palace section was started in 1881, but its construction was drug out for over 30 years into the beginning of WW1 which Austria lost, further delaying the project.  Because of the enormous delays, most of the rest of the Kaiserforum complex was scrapped , but the completed buildings are really impressive.

Once inside Neue Burg, it is easy to be in awe of the marble-lined corridors, grand staircases, and our favorite is called the Hunting Plateau which is a common place for weddings.  The incredible details of the grand Neue Berg make it the perfect setting for the building many museum collections.  The 1st collection that was housed here came from Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1908 after he got back from an extensive trip around the World.  After the Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914, which sparked WW1, his entire collection was given to Neue Berg giving a starting to a series of wonderful museums.

Today the building houses Collection of Ancient Musical Instruments,  Collection of Arms and Armor , Papyrus Museum, and  Ephesus Museum .  Our favorite of these museums is the Ephesos which has a great collection of classical and even ancient statues.  The highlight of the Ephesus Museum is the Parthian Monument, part of an antique altar erected at Ephesus ( modern-day Turkey ) during the Hellenistic Period.

While the Neue Burg section of the Hofburg Palace is run by the Kunsthistorisches Museum the main part of the Palace sits just to the North and also worth a visit.  Because of the location of the entrance the main Hofburg Palace is best seen in our  Old Town Walking Tour .  Highlights of visiting this historic landmark include the Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, and the Imperial Silver Collection.  We suggest getting the Sisi ticket as you will also be able to see the Imperial Furniture collection and a free pass to tour Schönbrunn Palace.

Neue Burg Museum Hours :  Wednesday-Sunday 10am-6pm; Closed Monday & Tuesdays.  If you only have time for one museum stop, consider the world-class collection of museums at nearby Museum Quartier instead of Neue Berg.   Museum Cost :  15€ for Adults; Children are free; and guided tours are 3€ extra.  Your ticket covers all of Neue Burg’s Museum plus the Art History Museum ( Kunsthistorisches ) in Museum Quartier.  You can also get a combo ticket to include the Natural History Museum and Leopold Modern Art Museum for a couple euros more. We’ve bought the combo ticket and they let us see the two museums on different days, but ask to make sure.   Neue Burg Website :   Here .

4. The People’s Garden ( Volksgarten ):

About Volksgarten :  The People’s Garden Park was one of the first public parks in Vienna and led to the Royal family significantly expanding public spaces.  The park has an excellent free  Rose Garden  which is a real treat to visit during the Summer months.

If you are looking for the most peaceful spot in Vienna’s city center, look no further than Volksgarten’s white-washed  Empress Elizabeth statue and alter .  The Empress, known as Sissi, was the wife of Emperor Franz Joseph I in the late 1800s.  Sisi was widely known for her beauty and was endeared by citizens.

Probably the most prominent sign of ancient influence on early Vienna is Volksgarten’s modern replica of the  Greek Temple of Hephaestus ( Theseion, Greek patron of the craftsmen ) .  The original temple in Athens, Greece opened in 433BC while the Celts had a small camp in Vienna along the Danube.  Later, the Romans started fortifying Vienna in 97AD and parts of their ancient Vindobona Fort can still be seen around Old Town today.

5. Austrian Parliament :

About The Austrian Parliament :  Gleaming over the Ringstrasse like a mighty Roman Temple, the Austrian Parliament is truly a powerful looking government building.  In front of the beautiful building is a substantial white fountain capped off with a  statue of Athena , the Greek goddess of wisdom, wearing golden armor is the main attraction.  This fountain is a real statement piece and leads to some of the coolest photos in Vienna.  If you choose to join one of the free guided tours of the interior, you’ll tour both chambers of the building, the  National Council ( Nationalrat )  and the  Federal Council ( Bundesrat ) .

Free Guided Tours :  55 minute guided tours are available at the top of the hour Monday-Saturday at 11am-4pm.  In the offseason, they only have the Noon and 1pm tour on Saturdays.   Parliament Website :  Here .

6. City Hall & Beer Garden ( Rathaus ):

About Vienna’s Town Hall : The City Hall is an enjoyable place to take a break during the tram tour.  As you step off the tram, you’re confronted with the enormous Neo-Gothic towers of City Hall which overlook a vast square, called Rathaus Platz.  This square is famous for hosting Vienna’s main Christmas market and ice skating rink in the Winter and often turns into a huge beer garden throughout the Summer months ( July & August ).  There are even outdoor movies and concerts that happen here most weeks of the Summer and Fall.  The setting with the amazing backdrop of the City Hall over the square is stunning.

The largest of the towers on Vienna’s Town Hall is over 321 feet tall and is capped by a 17-foot-tall Rathausmann  who stands guard over Vienna.  The watchman might not look that big from the ground, but he weighs over 1400 pounds and is so large that he takes a size 31 shoe!  When the City Hall was completed in 1883, the Emperor made sure that the tower was 3 feet smaller than the 324-foot-tall tower of neighboring  Votive Church .  Technically though, City Hall is 342 feet tall with the Rathausmann and flagpole added to the top.  You are free to hike the 331 steps to the top of the tower for some great views although it is closed in 2019 for restorations.

There are ongoing tours three times a week to see the interior of Vienna’s Town Hall, but they are a bit boring in our opinion.  Luckily though you can see the famous Marble Staircase any time of the business hours Monday-Friday.  To reach the gorgeous staircase you can enter the Southern door and it will be on your right ( look for the sign Feststiege 1 ) or you can enter from the Information Office on the Westside and work your way through the courtyards.  Make sure to walk up the steps to the top to get the most famous view of the multi-level white marble staircase covered in bright red carpeting.  This space on one of the highlights of our do-it-yourself free Vienna Ring Tram Tour.

Free Guided Tours :  If you want to get a closer, in-depth, look at City Hall’s Senate Chamber, Coat of Arms Room, Festival Hall and more they have free tours.  The City offers free guided tours in German at 1pm on Monday, Wednesday, & Friday.  To join a tour group, check their  tours website  ahead of time.  If you don’t speak German, don’t worry, they have a ton of multilingual audio guides available for checkout.   Town Hall Website :  Here .

7. National Royal Theater ( Burgtheater ):

About Burgtheater : Sitting directly across from Vienna’s Town Hall, it is impossible to miss the beautiful facade of the renowned National Royal Theater  ( Burgtheater ) as you take our Ring Tram tour.  The first Royal Theater was opened in 1741 in an unused banquet hall of Hofburg Palace along Saint Michael’s Square with Empress Maria Theresa’s permission.  It was only one generation later, in 1776, that the successful theater became the official Royal Theater ( Burgtheater ) under the watch of Emperor Joseph II.  Many  famous premieres  took place at the theater including Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro in 1786 and Beethoven’s 1st Symphony in 1800.

After 14 years of construction, the new Royal Theater building opened in 1888 at its current location and was one of the final projects to help round out the new Ringstrasse ( Ring Road ).  While the building was damaged during WW2, the theater was rebuilt in the 1950s.  Through the centuries the Burgtheater has been considered the best theater in the German-speaking world and has a permanent ensemble of more than 80 actors and actresses.  If you are looking to catch a great show, the theater still houses some of the best playwrights and performances in Austria even though new theaters have been built.

Right next to the National Theater is the most popular cafes on the Ringstrasse called  Cafe Landtman  ( website ).  The Cafe, opened in 1873, has been visited by Sigmund Freud, the Dutch Queen Juliane, Hillary Clinton, and Paul McCartney.

Guided Tours :  Daily tours at 3pm last 1 hour and are in German Monday-Thursday and English Friday-Sunday.  In July and August, each tour session is in both languages.   Show Tickets :  Show tickets can be bought online  Here  and range from $2.50 for standing room tickets up to about $51 for prime seats.   Theater Website :  Here .

8. Beethoven’s Pasqualati House :

About Beethoven’s Pasqualati House :  The Pasqualati House is where Beethoven lived and composed for 11 years from 1804 to 1815.  While it is a huge house, Beethoven only rented out two large rooms on the 4th floor which was still luxury for his time.

Today Beethoven’s former residence is preserved as a museum complete with many of his original possessions.  When he lived her,e Beethoven’s rooms had excellent views on what was then the  Vienna Woods .  Beethoven composed a few of his most important works in the apartment including the Fourth, Fifth and Seventh Symphonies, Fourth Piano Concerto, Violin Concerto, and his only opera Fidelio.

By the time Beethoven moved out of the Pasqualati House in 1815, he had become quite famous and almost completely deaf.  After Beethoven died in 1827, the dark green door from the house he died in was moved to the Pasqualati House and is still used as the entrance.

If you are a huge Beethoven fan, you should consider visiting  his grave  site in the nearby Zentralfriedhof Cemetery which is stop #2 on our  Additional Attractions Page .  There is also a statue of Beethoven toward the end of this free Vienna Rine Tram Tour on Beethovenplatz.  If you are not interested in touring the inside of Beethoven’s home, from outside of the building, the windows his rooms can easily be seen straight above a large chunk of the old city wall on the 4th floor.

Museum Hours :  Tuesday-Sunday 10am-6pm with an hour break from 1-2pm; Closed Mondays.   Cost :  Adults 4€, People under 19 are Free.   Museum Website :  Here .

9. Votive Church ( Votivkirche ):

About Votive Church : Completed 4 years before Vienna’s City Hall in 1879, the massive Votive Church ( vol-teaf ) was built on the site of a failed 1853 assassination attempt  of Emperor Franz Joesph by a Hungarian nationalist.  The church was commissioned by Franz’s brother Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph, who later become emperor of Mexico, as a way of giving  praise to God ( votive offering )  for sparing Emperor Franz Joesph’s life.  There was also a sub-message in the grand building to remind other possible revolutionaries of the Habsburg’s divine power.

As an added bit of religious symbolism, the floor plan of the Church itself is laid out in the shape of a cross.  Votive’s two overpowering towers are awesome places to take pictures and even though it can be hard to fit all into one frame.   Church Website :  Here .

10. Sigmund Freud’s Home :

About Sigmund Freud’s Home : Welcome to the home and office of Sigmund Freud, one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th Century who is credited as the  father of Psychoanalysis .  He was very innovative and believed that both libido and unconscious drives could explain a lot about a person’s mental state as well as actions.  By digging into patients repressed emotions and memories, Freud was able to reveal their unconscious thoughts and motivations to help them control their impulses.  When visiting Freud’s home and office you get to sit in the same waiting room his patients would wait in to meet with the Doctor.

Hours : Daily 9am-6pm.   Cost : 10€ Adults; 7.50€ Students.   Guide Tours : While an audio guide is included for free, there are also guided tours for 3€  at 11am & 2pm daily.   Museum Website :  Here .

11. Rossauer Military Barracks :

About Rossauer Military Barracks :  The castle-like, red brick Rossauer Military Barracks ( Roßauer Kaserne ) is one of 3 barracks Emperor Franz Joseph had built in Vienna during the late 1800s.  This one housed 4000 troops and almost 400 horses, but wasn’t built to defend against outside forces ; instead it was created to protect against the Austrian public’s growing desire for Democracy.  The 1848 Revolution was viewed as a significant threat to the Empire and the new Barracks was a good tool to remind the Public of the Emperor’s might.  The Barracks is not open to the public, but the contrast of the building’s red-brick exterior to its surroundings is a favorite among photographers.

Located just inside the Ringstrasse, the  Vienna Stock Exchange Building  ( or Borse ) looks like a smaller version of the Barracks.  The Stock Exchange, often called the Temple of Money, even seems to be made out of the same red bricks as the Barracks.  It was near the Stock Exchange that the Roman training colosseum  was built just outside the walls of the fort Vindobona as early as 97AD.

12. Anti-Gestapo Memorial Site :

About The Memorial Site : The Vienna headquarters of the Nazi’s evil Secret Police group, the  Gestapo , was located at this very spot in the Hotel Metropol which was destroyed in WW2.  The Gestapo relied on terror to get what they wanted as prisoners were often tortured for weeks to obtain false confessions, and were even sometimes even sent to prison camps or killed.  Today a memorial sits over the spot of  the former headquarters  to remind us of the suffering and murder of countless people.

Near the main Memorial, there is a large relief on the facade the building across Salztorgasse which depicts the agony that thousands of prisoners had to endure.   Footprints that lead into the building through what was the back entrance of the Gestapo headquarters and symbolically don’t return out the other side.

13. Saint Ruprecht’s Church ( Ruprechtskirche ):

About Saint Ruprecht’s Church :  Saint Ruprecht’s Church is considered by many to be the  oldest church in Vienna .  The church was first founded in 740 by 2 Monks from Salzburg and the current building was built sometime between 900-1100.  The name comes from Bishop Ruprecht who founded Salzburg’s Saint Peter’s Abbey in 696 and later became the Patron Saint of the Salt miners after his death on Easter Sunday in 710.  At the time the church was built it sat inside the original wall of the Roman camp Vindobona before it was expanded outward as modern Vienna through Medieval times.

Along the outside of the nave and lower part of the tower are remains from the only section of this part of Vienna’s city wall to make it through the Fire Of 1276 which burned a lot of Old Town.  The Church’s Romanesque, almost Gothic, the tower looks stunning in the summer and fall while covered with  lush leafy vines .  The trunks of the vines spider all the way up the wall of the Church and give photographers a treat as they beautifully frame statue of Saint Ruprecht.

Inside Saint Ruprecht’s Church, the central  stained glass windows  also survived the great fire and date back to 12070.  If you search around the small chapel, you find the skeletal  remains of martyr Saint Vitalis  elegantly dressed in a glass coffin which Empress Maria Theresa gave to the Church as a gift in 1765.   Church Website :  Here .

Stopping at Saint Ruprecht gives you the best opportunity to  explore the Medieval streets  of the Roman Camp Vindobona which pre-date Vienna.  Some remains of the Roman camp can still be seen across the canal in the form of small run-down rock walls.  One Block Southwest of the Church was once the Pine Market ( Keinmartkt ) which was a popular market from 1247.  Straight South of the Saint Ruprecht’s is the City Jewish Temple which is one of the only ones in Vienna to make it through WW2.  Just beyond that is  Hoher Market  which dates back to the 1300 and holds Vienna’s worthwhile Roman Museum.

A personal favorite of ours is the  Griechenbeisl Restaurant  and Inn open since 1447 with wine cellars date back to the 1300s.  It’s said that bagpiper Marx Augustin wrote his hit song Lieber Augustin here in 1679. A beautiful marker for Augustin with a lush vine backdrop is one of Vienna’s best photo opportunities.  If you were thinking about visiting either the Mexican Church, Donautrum Tower, or Prater Park ( all listed in our  additional attractions  section ) this is a great spot to jump on the metro and do so.

14. Vindobona & High Market ( Hoher Markt ):

About Vindobona :  As you walk from Saint Ruprecht’s Church to Hoher Market you will be headed toward what was once the heart of the  fortified Roman camp  called Vindobona ( meaning White Village ) which predates the founding of modern Vienna.  The fort was built in 97AD and housed 6,000 Roman legion soldiers with another 24,000 civilians living outside of the walls.

While Vindobona was much smaller than the 50,000-person regional Roman capital of Carnuntum just 30 miles to the East, it helped to define the Northern edge of the Roman Empire.  After the Northern part of the Empire collapsed in 433AD, the remaining citizens around Vindobona moved inside the walls of the abandoned camp which then hit a steady decline.

The former camp was re-fortified including a small castle  Berghof Restsiedlung  built in 800AD over former Roman baths next to today’s Hoyer Market to help defend against Magyar ( Hungarian ) armies.  Shortly after, in 881, Vindobona took the name Vienna ( Wein ) after the Vienna River ( Weinfluss ) which is  Celtic for Wood Creek .

In 1156, Heinrich II of Babenberg was forced by the Holy Roman Emperor to give up his title Duke of Bavaria to Henry the Lion and was named the 1st Duke of Austria by the in return.  With a fresh canvass at his disposal, Heinrich II moved to Vienna and built  Castle Babenbergerpfalz  inside the Southwest corner of the old Roman wall on the foundations of Vindobona’s former barracks.  This established the 1st official Royal Court and elements of Vindobona’s Roman past started to become harder to find.

In 1246, Ottokar Duke of Moravia ( King of Bohemia ) moved the royal castle out of Vindobona and started to expand the city wall in all directions to follow the path of the Ringstrasse.  More changes happened when the next Duke, Rudolf I of Hapsburg ( King of Germany ), was elected starting what would be a 500-year family dynasty.

Hoher Market also saw changes under Hapsburg rule as it revamped into a lively market square in the 1300s complete with a beautiful fountain.  By the 1700s the square surrounded by grand mansions and the fountain was done in bronze and marble with a wedding theme.  It was business as usual for the square until 1949 when post WW2 sewer line excavations revealed ancient  Roman barrack foundations  from the days of Vindobona below Hoher Market.  The findings were unexpected as the foundations had complete sections of walls from Roman military officer villas and geothermal heaters from nearby baths.  The excavations were opened to the public shortly after and were later combined with additional artifacts from Michael’s Square found in 1990.

Today the ruins are part of Hoher Market’s  Roman Museum  highlighting the history of early day Vindobona.  We highly suggest a visit along with a bite to eat at the square’s famous Wurstel Vienna Sausage Stand.  If you are lucky, you will also be able to catch a show at the  Anker Musical Clock  while at Hoher Market.  Built from 1911-1914 the Art Nouveau clock has a “parade” show daily at Noon and Xmas songs during Advent at 5 & 6pm.

Roman Museum Hours :  Tuesday-Sunday 9am-6pm; Closed Mondays.   Roman Museum Cost :  Adults 7€ ; kids free.   Wurstelstand Hours :  9am-4am.

15. Hermann Park Beach :

About Hermann Park Beach :  Maybe the best hidden gem on the Ringstrasse is the huge Hermann Park Beach on the shore of the Danube River.  There are a couple other man-made beaches on the Danbue, like the nearby Danube City Beach ( website ), but the Strandbar ( website ) at Herman Park makes it the best choice.  The bar sits right in the middle of the large beach and has tons of umbrella chair seating to help make the experience like no other.

We also love the backdrop of beautiful buildings like the domed  Urania Theater  built as an observatory by Emperor Franz Joseph in 1910.   Hermann Beach was also the  location of Castrum  a small Celtic settlement at the mouth of the Vienna River going back to 500BC which greatly pre-dates the Roman Camp of Vindobona ( 97-433AD ).

Hermann Beach Bar Hours :  Daily 10am-2am.   Danube City Beach Bar Hours :  Daily 1pm-11pm.

16. Viennese City Park ( Stadtpark ):

About Viennese City Park :  The Viennese Park honors the music that makes the Viennese Balls possible with a ton of statues of the famous local composers and musicians.  The gold colored concert hall on the south end of the park is called the Kursalon and was opened in 1867 by the  Strauss brothers  who essentially created the Waltz.

A statue of one of the brothers, Johann Strauss, depicts him covered in gold while playing his violin.  Johann was famous for playing his violin while conducting and the beautiful statue is one of the most highly photographed spots in Vienna.  If nothing else, the Viennese Park serves as a great place to relax and people watch for a while.  On the far Northwest corner of the park, a statue honors former Mayor Dr. Karl Lueger, who pushed the Emperor to modernize Vienna in the mid-1800s.

17. Schwarzenberg Square :

About Schwarzenberg Square :  Schwarzenberg Square ( Schwarzenbergplatz ) is best known for having a couple of interesting statues.  The first statue is a green equestrian one of  Prince Charles Schwarzenberg  who fought against Napoleon, typically this statue is covered in pigeons and bird poop.  The second statute, at the end of the square, is a columned fountain in honor of the Soviets who died freeing Austria from the Nazis in WW2.

Don’t feel discouraged if you are underwhelmed by this stop as it is the best place to hop off the Ringstrasse Tram Tour to visit either nearby  Belvedere Palace  or our next stop Saint Charles Church.  Check out our  additional attractions  section for details on Belvedere Palace which is connected to Schwarzenberg Square by Tram Line D.

18. Saint Charles Church ( Karlskirche ):

About Karlskirche :  The giant white Saint Charles Church dates back to the early-1700s and is a favorite of photographers with its large green dome and huge  reflecting pool .  The Church was commissioned by the Emperor after Vienna’s last bout of Plague as he felt that his prayers were the reason why the Plague stopped.  That train of thought is a common theme throughout Vienna’s history as after each tragedy the ruling Emperor would use it as a reason to build an even bigger and more extravagant Church.

Cost :  4€.   Hours :  Daily 9am-7pm.   Website :  HERE .

19. Naschmarkt :

About Naschmarkt :  The 6 block long Naschmarkt is Vienna’s most popular produce market .  An active market has been operating here since 1780 and today has 100 vintage stalls.  Near the start of the Naschmarkt is the  Session Art Museum , windowless space known as the Cabbage Head. The building has a large golden dome made in a modernist style by the Secessionists.  Design of the building is meant to be a white canvass for exhibits instead of a classic museum.

Cost : Free.   Hours : Stalls open Monday-Friday 6am-7:30pm; Saturday 6am-6pm; food & drink Monday-Saturday until 11pm.   Website :  HERE .

20. State Opera House ( Staatsoper ):

About The Opera House :  In a city known for music, the 1,200 person State Opera House takes the cake.  The hall has housed some of Austria’s best musicians over the years and still has 70 different works with over 300 performance a year.  The Opera House is also a great place to start our  City Center Walking Tour . which is a great compliment to this Vienna Ring Tram Tour.

Opera House Tours : 6.50€ also includes the Opera Museum, 1-4 tours daily, times vary by day but is updated monthly on their website, the tour is great and brings you to a lot of backstage areas.   Performances : If you are not that into three hours of opera, they also sell 567 standing room only tickets per show, 160 of which can be right below the Emperors’ box.  Standing room tickets are cheap, 2€ upstairs and 3.50€ downstairs, and allow you to easily leave when you’ve had your fill.  Standing room only tickets go on sale 60 minutes before each show at the front door and 80 minutes before the show inside the side door at the Stehplatze booth.   Website :  HERE .

21. Castle Park ( Burggarten ):

About Castle Park :  Burggarten, or Castle Park, was revamped in the early 1800s and has been a favorite of visitors ever since.  The park has some an awesome backdrop thanks to the enormous Neue Burg Wing of Hofburg Palace. Through the large green space are elegant statues and even a relaxing pond.  Our favorite place to reflect on the day is in the Northwest corner of Burggarten where there is a small open area with an excellent white-wash  Mozart statue .

As part of the front end of a large makeover to the Hofburg Palace, the Emperor had a gigantic greenhouse over 22,000 square feet built, dubbed the  Palmen House .  The greenhouse was a huge luxury and housed a ton of tropical plants and palm trees.  The greenhouse has since been turned into of our favorite restaurants in Vienna where you can eat under the palms no matter how cold it is outside. Consider stopping at the tropical  Butterfly House  which is attached to the North side of the restaurant.

Other Sights Near The Ringstrasse:

22. vienna city center walking tour :.

About Our Old Town Walk :  If you are looking to further explore the rest of the amazing sights in Old Town Vienna then the area around Burggarten is the perfect place to pick up our  Free Old Town Vienna Walking Tour  which starts from the Opera House.  The tour covers the real heart of Vienna from the Medieval shopping streets, Imperial crypts, the might Saint Stephen’s Cathedral, and even the modern sights.

Read More :  Free Old Town Vienna Walking Tour .

23. Upper Belvedere Palace :

About Belvedere Palace :  Completed in 1723, the Upper Belvedere Palace was built by  Prince Eugene  after he successfully held off attacks on Vienna by Ottoman forces.  The full grounds of Belvedere, meaning beautiful views in German, are quite expansive with the beautiful Upper Palace ( Eugene’s party house ) and the Lower Palace ( his garden villa ) separated by a vast garden.

The use of green space is fitting as part of the palace grounds were once used as a botanical garden in Roman times.  Both the exterior and interior of the Upper Belvedere are impressive although they pale in compassion to the amazing Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna which is among the top 2 in all of Europe.  We suggest visiting the Upper Palace if you have time and skip the Lower section.   Hours :  Daily 10am-6pm.

Read More :  Belvedere Palace Tours .

24. Schönbrunn Palace :

About Schönbrunn Palace :  This sprawling 1,441-room yellow palace is among the top five royal estates to tour in all of central Europe.  It sprung up in the 1700s from the Hapsburgs Royal Hunting lodge, which at the time are considered far into the country from the city walls of Vienna.  While Schönbrunn Palace is home to the world’s oldest zoo, we love the property for its magnificent gardens and lavish interior.  Most of the biggest changes to the estate were made in the 1800s by Emperor Franz Joseph I and his wife Elizabeth, known as Sisi.  Stories of this famous royal couple are a true highlight of any guided tour of their wonderful summer palace.

Read More :  Schönbrunn Palace Tours .

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Visiting Vienna

Vienna Ring Tram

The service is no longer running and has been unavailable for a long time now. You can always check locally to see if it’s started up again (and I keep my eyes open). Fortunately, the Hop on Hop off services function as a suitable alternative .

Previous review:

All Vienna’s trams carry the red and white city colours. Well, almost all. A bright yellow tram circling the giant Ring boulevard offers a protest vote against the tyranny of uniformity. This is the “sightseeing tram”: the Vienna Ring Tram.

• Short 25-minute tram tour past many city sights
• Good if you’re short of time or good weather
• …otherwise consider walking the route
• The Ringstrassen boulevard
• Hop on Hop off alternatives

The Ring Tram tour

(The tram stands out through its yellow livery)

Vienna’s Ringstrasse (actually a continuous series of roads) marks the border of the old town and essentially builds a ring around it: hence the name.

Many of Vienna’s top sights border this route. Examples include the Naturhistorisches and Kunsthistorisches  museums, the Parliament building, the Rathaus , the Staatsoper , and the Hofburg palace complex.

One option for taking in these sights from the comfort of a seat is to jump on the dedicated Ring Tram for a sightseeing tour. This is not a hop-on, hop-off opportunity: the bright yellow tram starts and ends at the Schwedenplatz station (see map below).

On board, you enjoy a roughly 25 minute guided tour around the Ring, courtesy of headphones in your choice of various languages (including English).

So is it worth it?

If you’re pressed for time (or out of energy), this is a convenient way to get a swift look at many of the buildings you’re supposed to have seen in Vienna, with a brief guide so you know what you’re looking at.

You also get to go on a lovely quaint yellow tram (yay!) and the conductor proved jolly friendly and accommodating when we did our trip.

However…

If you have the time and energy, you might prefer seeing the Ring on foot for a true appreciation of the majesty of Habsburg Vienna.

And for longer or more comprehensive tours, consider the hop on, hop off sightseeing buses .

You can also travel part way around the Ring on municipal trams using standard public transport tickets , particularly lines 1 and 2 (but neither do a complete circle so you miss out on some sights unless you switch between the lines).

• The tram travels around the Ring on the right, so the right side of the tram as you face forward has less chance of having a view blocked by an inconvenient bus. But note that the top sights are on both sides of the Ring, so picking your side isn’t critical.
• Switch the language to the German channel on your headphones, then again to the local Vienna dialect for an interesting insight into the linguistic differences.
• In the winter months and nearer Christmas, take the latest tram you can and enjoy the lights: some of the hotels along the Ring put up delightful displays and you’ll pass the Rathausplatz, for example, in all its seasonal splendour .

How to get to the Ring tram

Schwedenplatz is just a short walk from the very centre of Vienna and itself a transport hub.

Incidentally, the adjoining stretch of water you see from the Ring Tram stop is not the famous Danube (a common misunderstanding) but an arm of the river known as the Danube canal .

Reach Schwedenplatz via…

Subway: U1 and U4 lines

Tram/bus: the 1 and 2 tram or the 2A bus

Address: Schwedenplatz, 1010 Vienna

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Everglades National Park | SHARK VALLEY TRAM TOUR

• PARK AT A GLANCE
• VISITOR CENTERS
• FLAMINGO AREA
• GULF COAST AREA
• ROYAL PALM AREA
• SHARK VALLEY AREA
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Shark Valley Tram Tour boarding area

If you don’t want to bike or walk Shark Valley’s 15-mile loop road, then the Tram Tour is your only other option because the area is not open to vehicles. The two-hour tour leaves from the Shark Valley Visitor Center and is run by Shark Valley Tram Tours, an approved park concessionaire. Reservations are accepted and highly suggested during the busy winter season. For the latest prices and schedule, visit the Shark Valley Tram Tours web page.

Shark Valley is going to be packed during the winter. My advice—and advice that applies to any park at any time of the year—is to arrive as soon as it opens. You can never go wrong getting there first thing in the morning. My 9 AM-Saturday tram tour in early February was not full, which worked out well because you want to get on the very end of the bench seats so you can at least have a good view out of one side, and when the tram is not full you have room to maneuver around. I actually had my own row, so I could slide to either side of the bench to get photos. You won’t have this luxury later in the day. In fact, I ended up on the 9 AM tour because the rest of the day was already booked solid.

Shark Valley is hands down the best place in the Everglades to see wildlife ( Royal Palm is close, but not quite as good). It’s like being in an outdoor zoo with no cages. So many people visit the area that the animals couldn’t care less about human presence. Alligators sit on the side of the road like dogs. Anhingas and cormorants dry their wings while people take their photos as if they are super models. The rule is to stay at least ten feet away from any animal, but sometimes they are so close to the road that you can’t get ten feet away. At Shark Valley you can see just about every animal species you’re going to see in the Everglades.

Anhinga drying its wings

Alligators on the side of the tram road at Shark Valley

The tram travels along the loop road in a clockwise direction, heading first to the eastern side of the park. The eastern side is not as exciting as the western side because the terrain is vast and open. Animals can be far away, and to get a good photo you often need at least a 400mm lens. For those interested in bird watching, be sure to bring your binoculars.

Open grasslands on the eastern side of the loop road

Ibises on the east side of the Shark Valley tram road

Roseate Spoonbills

Alligator on the eastern side of the tour road

Heron flying off with a snake in its mouth

The western side of the road runs along a canal, and not only are the animals content to stay near the water, there is thick forest on the far side so they can’t go much farther than the canal anyway. The main difference is that on the open, eastern side you will find more flocks of birds. There is no room for a flock on the western side.

You can get much closer to the animals, like this Little Blue Heron, on the western side

Baby alligator

When picking a seat on the tram, assuming it is full and you have to finagle a good seat, you want to get the outside seat on the driver’s side. That’s going to give you a canal-side seat when you come around to the western side of the road. On the eastern side, the terrain is open in both directions, so either side of the tram is as good as the other, but on the western side most of the animals are going to be in the canal.

At the far end of the loop, the halfway point, is an observation tower. The tram stops there for fifteen minutes so everyone can walk to the top and see the entire Shark Valley area.

Observation tower

Panoramic view from the Shark Valley observation tower (click to enlarge)

View of the tour road from the observation tower

Shark Valley during the dry season

Alligator below the observation tower

The tram tour is more than just a wildlife-spotting tour; it is an educational experience. The tour has a live guide who tells you about the animals and the Everglades in general. If all you want to do is see some animals and take a few photos, you’re better off walking, plus you’ll have a little more money in your pocket. Also, unless you have a bike, for most people the tour is the only feasible way to get to the observation tower because most people aren’t about to walk 15 miles just for a view.

I highly recommend the Shark Valley Tram Tour, but if you don’t have the money or the tours are full when you are in the area, you can still see plenty of animals on foot when walking along the canal. In fact, your best photos are going to come on foot because you can observe and photograph the animals on your own schedule. This is why I highly suggest that you walk a short section of the road near the canal even if you do go on the tram tour. On foot you can scour the canal and wetland and see animals that you otherwise would miss when passing by at 5 MPH.

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Illuminations Tour

Simply the best way to see the famous lights – from one of our Heritage Trams.

Tours from £10

Promenade Tour

Travel in style along Blackpool’s famous Prom between North Pier, Bispham & Pleasure Beach.

Tours from £6

Coastal Tour

Along our amazing Prom and stunning Fylde coastline to Fleetwood and back.

Tours from £8

Depot Tours

Enjoy a guided walking tour of our historic tram depot and get up close with our famous trams.

Tours from £2.50

Quite simply, there’s no better place to view the famous lights than from one of our Heritage trams.

We start our tours from our Pleasure Beach Heritage Tram stop, take you along the Prom and past all three of our piers to the end of the lights at Bispham and then return you to where you started.

Our Promenade Tour takes you on a 1- hour return trip along Blackpool’s finest coastline to Little Bispham and back.

You will travel along the famous Prom and the cliffs at Bispham. On the return journey you will pass all three piers as you travel along the Golden Mile to the Pleasure Beach before turning once more to arrive back where you started.

A 2-hour tour along Blackpool’s famous Prom to the fishing town of Fleetwood and back.

In Fleetwood you’ll enjoy a 40-minute stop off. Plenty of time to visit the local public house or a freshly caught Fish & Chips.

On the return leg of your tour you’ll travel all the way back to North Pier via Cleveleys and Bispham, taking in the history and scenic views of the Fylde Coast.

As well as our regular tours, we offer a range of themed tram tours throughout the year. Click on the image for more information and booking.

The Full System Tour

Afternoon Tea Tour

Fish & Chips Tram Tour

Fish & Chips Tram Tour

Evening Tour

Experience the unique evening sights and sounds of Blackpool’s promenade

Ghost Tram Tour

Tales of the extraordinary as you take a tram along the Fylde Coast

The story behind tram 227’s famous name

A tram named in honour of Blackpool’s legendary Clown, Charlie Cairoli.

The Origins of the Western Train

The Western Train was born in 1962. Here is it's story.

What better way to celebrate your special event than to include one of our spectacular Heritage Trams in your day.

We have a range of heritage trams and historical buses available to you and we would be happy to discuss how we can fit in with your plans for your day.

A unique experience

137 years of history  …  and counting.

We started life in 1885 though have been through many changes since then. Our Heritage trams range from over a 100 years old to mere youngsters at 50.

Nowhere else in the UK can you still ride on a Heritage Tram on the line for which it was originally built – making your journey with us a totally unique experience!

Our Heritage tram fleet preserves those trams which were in day-to-day use over the past 100+ years.

Some were retired many years ago and others only when the Blackpool Tramway was updated in 2011. But all are special and we look after them so they can continue to carry you up and down the Prom as they always have.

If you like to read more about our trams, click the button below.

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Christchurch City Tour by Tram – Hop On & Hop Off

Explore Christchurch City By Tram - Hop-On & Hop-off

Christchurch Tram | Sightseeing Tour | Hop-on Hop-off | Canterbury | New Zealand

Climb aboard the charming Christchurch tram and embark on a delightful journey through the heart of the reborn city. Our heritage trams, meticulously restored to their former glory, offer a unique and fun way to discover Christchurch’s vibrant city center.

Unforgettable Christchurch Tram Experience:

• Hop-on Hop-off Convenience: Explore Christchurch at your own pace with our convenient hop-on hop-off system. The tram route winds through key landmarks, allowing you to disembark and explore at your leisure before continuing your journey.
• Live Commentary: Immerse yourself in Christchurch’s rich history and culture with our informative live commentary. Our friendly tram conductors will share fascinating stories and insights about the city’s transformation and must-see sights.
• Panoramic Views: Enjoy unobstructed views of Christchurch’s architectural gems, picturesque green spaces, and the Avon River from the open-air tram platform. Capture stunning photos and create lasting memories of your Christchurch adventure.

Christchurch City Tram is Perfect for:

• Families: A fun and educational outing for all ages.
• Sightseeing: Discover Christchurch’s key attractions and hidden gems.
• History Buffs: Delve into Christchurch’s fascinating past and ongoing revitalization.
• Photographers: Capture breathtaking panoramic views of the city.

Combine your tram excursion with a ride on the Christchurch Gondola, visit the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, or take a punt along the Avon River.

Book your christchurch tram tickets today and start planning your unforgettable tramway adventure, christchurch city tour by christchurch tram.

Christchurch City Tram Tour & Gondola combo

Price:   $40.00 per person. Children under 15 free with adult.

The City Tour by Christchurch Tram is the perfect way to experience the changing face of Christchurch City. 

The journey takes approximately 50 minutes and includes seventeen stops, allowing you to visit inner city attractions such as New Regent Street, Cathedral Junction, Art Gallery, Arts Centre, Canterbury Museum and Botanical Gardens. 

Tram drivers provide a live and comprehensive commentary. 

A ticket lasts all day and customers can get off and on as they please. The tram route winds its way past iconic landmarks, including:

• Bustling shopping precinct of New Regent Street
• Trendy and vibrant Cathedral Junction
• Christchurch Art Gallery with its impressive collection
• The Arts Centre, showcasing restored heritage buildings
• Fascinating Canterbury Museum, rich in cultural and natural history
• Tranquil oasis of the Christchurch Botanic Gardens

Price: $70.00 per person. Child $18 pp – Family pass $158 ( 2 adults + 3 children).

The Christchurch Tram City Tour is an excellent opportunity to see the changing face of Christchurch. 

The ride lasts around 50 minutes and includes seventeen stops, allowing you to explore inner-city sites such as New Regent Street, Cathedral Junction, the Art Gallery, the Arts Centre, the Canterbury Museum, and the Botanical Gardens. 

Tram drivers deliver live, in-depth commentary.

A ticket is valid for the entire day, and consumers may get on and off as they choose.

Take a trip on the Christchurch Gondola to get a bird’s-eye perspective of the Plains, Alps, Christchurch City, and Harbour. 

The Time Tunnel, the “Shop at the Top,” and the Red Rock Café are all worth a visit. Access the various walking and bike trails accessible by taking the Gondola.

Tram Tour + Botanic Gardens Tour 

City Tram Tour + Punting on the Avon

The City Tour by Christchurch Tram is the perfect way to experience the changing face of Christchurch City.

Tram drivers provide a live and comprehensive commentary.

A ticket lasts all day and customers can get off and on as they please.

Experience the natural beauty of the Christchurch Botanic Gardens on board our electric & solar powered vehicles. 

See the finest range of exotic and indigenous plants to be found anywhere in NZ and learn about the history of this treasured central city oasis. 

Price: $77.00 per person. Child $30 pp – Family pass $160 ( 2 adults + 3 children)

The journey takes approximately 50 minutes and includes seventeen stops, allowing you to visit inner city attractions such as New Regent Street, Cathedral Junction, Art Gallery, Arts Centre, Canterbury Museum and Botanical Gardens.

Tram drivers provide a live and comprehensive commentary. A ticket lasts all day and customers can get off and on as they please.

Punting on the beautiful Avon River is an iconic Christchurch attraction not to be missed. Each Punting tour is 30 minutes duration with informative commentary, and you are returned to your point of departure. Board your classic Punt at the historic Antigua Boat Sheds landing.

Your Edwardian-dressed Punter will guide you quietly past trailing willows, woodlands and leafy banks as you take in the sights. 

City Tram Tour, Punting on the Avon & Gondola combo  

Punting on the picturesque Avon River is a must-see Christchurch experience. Each Punting trip lasts 30 minutes and includes interesting commentary before returning you to your starting spot. At the historic Antigua Boat Sheds landing, board your traditional Punt.

As you take in the scenery, your Edwardian-dressed Punter will softly navigate you past trailing willows, forests, and lush banks. The Christchurch Tram’s City Tour is the ideal way to witness the changing face of Christchurch.

The ride takes around 50 minutes and features seventeen stations, including New Regent Street, Cathedral Junction, the Art Gallery, the Arts Centre, the Canterbury Museum, and the Botanical Gardens. Tram drivers deliver an in-depth commentary in real time.

A ticket is valid for the entire day, and consumers may exit and re-enter at their leisure. Take a ride on the Christchurch Gondola and take in panoramic views of the Plains, Alps, Christchurch City, and Harbour. 

The Time Tunnel, the “Shop at the Top,” and the Red Rock Café are all worth a visit. Utilise the Gondola to gain access to the numerous walking and biking trails.

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