Art Treasures of Vienna | June 2026

Fitness & Practicalities

The majority of ACE Cultural Tours are active in nature. To make the most of our time in a destination and provide excellent value for money, they are busy – there are often several visits included each day. As such, our tours require a certain minimum level of physical and mental fitness, mobility and stamina.

Many visits will involve navigating several steps, uneven ground, steep ascents and descents, and could involve embarking and disembarking aircraft, coaches, trains and cruise vessels. Plenty of walking, punctuated by lengthy periods of standing, is the norm. Some tours may involve long coach journeys.

It is essential that all customers are sufficiently fit and able enough to fully participate. Furthermore, every tour comprises a group of guests. We cannot allow the entire group to be negatively impacted by one participant, either holding up the pace we reasonably need to maintain or disproportionately requiring the attention and support of the tour staff.

We carefully consider the intensity, fitness and other requirements of each itinerary and describe them on the tour pages of our brochures and website. Please study these descriptions closely. When you call to book, we will reiterate those requirements and ask you to confirm that all group members are indeed fit enough and otherwise able to meet the criteria. It is your responsibility to answer fully and honestly. If it transpires that you are not able to keep pace with the tour and/or it reasonably appears you are negatively impacting (or are reasonably likely to negatively impact) the enjoyment of the rest of the group (including their ability to complete all scheduled visits), we may ask you to sit out certain days/visits, take a taxi at your own expense (if available in the location), or even, if we consider there is no other reasonable alternative, ask you to leave the tour and make your own way home.

Tour specific fitness information

Participants should have a good level of overall fitness, mobility and stamina for this tour. The itinerary involves using public transport, including getting on and off trams, and walking around the city. The walk to Otto Wagner’s Church of St Leopold in Steinhof is steep and includes steps. Please note that temperatures in Vienna can be high and places can be busy at this time of year. Therefore, our tour purposefully takes in several lesser-known sites to combat the crowds and provide unique insights into the city. Participants should meet ACE’s usual fitness requirements, as outlined in our Booking Terms & Conditions.

Minimum fitness requirements

 As a minimum, participants should be able to successfully complete the following self- assessment tests:

• Walk for one hour at a reasonable pace and without needing to take a break to rest
• Climb at least two flights of stairs at a reasonable pace
• Stand unaided for at least 30 minutes
• Stand up and sit down ten times in one minute
• Carry or otherwise move your own luggage

Please ensure you have read and understand our full fitness requirements as described in our terms and conditions.

Day 1

Depart London Heathrow 1235 on British Airways, arriving Vienna 1555. Transfer to Hotel Johann Strauss for five nights. Welcome and introduction.

Day 2

Morning: Hofburg Imperial Palace complex (former winter residence of the Habsburg dynasty), with visits to the Augustinerkirche (parish church), National Library (State Hall), Imperial Treasury and Riding School (with the possibility to observe practice). Afternoon: Stadtpalais Liechtenstein (city palace with Baroque and Rococo interiors, ornate stucco ceilings with golden accents and grand staircase) and St Stephen's Cathedral. Free evening.

Day 3

Morning visits to Secession (independent exhibition space, which displays Gustav Klimt’s Beethovenfries), Academy of Fine Arts (painting gallery with academy admissions dating back to the 18th century). Afternoon: Gartenpalais Liechtenstein (garden palace with extensive art collections, such as Rubens and Rembrandt paintings, porcelain and French ceremonial coaches). Free evening.

Day 4

Morning at the Kahlenberg (site of the relief of Vienna from the Turks in 1683 with panoramic views), Otto Wagner’s Church of St Leopold and Heiliggeistkirche (modernist church designed by architect Jože Plečnik with integration of iron and steel materials). Optional afternoon visit to Schönbrunn Palace (Baroque palace and summer residence of the Habsburg rulers with lavish interiors) or free time. Free evening.

Day 5

Morning: Karlskirche (outstanding Baroque church, with classical elements, and lift to the cupola) and Lower and Upper Belvedere Palace (largest collection of Gustav Klimt including The Kiss, Judith and the Head of Holofernes and Sunflower). Afternoon: Schottenstift Museum (displays the outstanding late Gothic Schotten Altarpiece) followed by optional walk in the area to see Kirche am Hof (Baroque church) and Maria am Gestade (Gothic church), or some free time.

Day 6

Morning visit to the Leopold Museum (collections of Austrian Modernism including Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka and Koloman Moser). Depart Vienna 1700, arriving Heathrow 1820.