Austria captivates visitors with its imperial cities, Alpine landscapes, and rich musical heritage. From Vienna's grand palaces to Salzburg's baroque architecture and the stunning Tyrolean Alps, this Central European gem offers world-class culture, outdoor adventures, and legendary coffeehouse traditions.
Top food tours
Guided experiences that show you Austria through its food.
Vienna Naschmarkt Food Tour
A guided stroll through Vienna's famous Naschmarkt with tastings at 8-10 stands covering Austrian cheeses, cured meats, pickled vegetables, Turkish breads, and traditional pastries. Expert guides explain the market's history from 16th century vegetable market to cosmopolitan food hub. Saturday tours include the adjacent flea market.
Vienna Coffeehouse and Pastry Tour
A culturally immersive tour visiting 3-4 of Vienna's legendary Kaffeehäuser including Café Central, Demel, and a neighborhood Beisl, tasting classic Viennese pastries — Apfelstrudel, Esterhazytorte, Linzer Augen, and the original Sachertorte. Guides explain the coffeehouse as UNESCO-recognized Viennese cultural heritage.
Salzburg Old Town Culinary Walk
A guided food walk through Salzburg's UNESCO World Heritage old town tasting Austrian street foods, visiting the Grünmarkt farmers market, sampling Mozart Kugeln at the original confectioner, and exploring hidden courtyards where local delicacies are made. Ends at a traditional Gasthof for Salzburger Nockerl dessert.
Vienna Heuriger Wine Evening
An evening excursion to a traditional Viennese Heuriger (wine tavern) in the vineyard villages of Grinzing, Neustift, or Nußdorf, tasting local Wiener Gemischter Satz (Vienna's signature field blend) and seasonal cold buffet platters. The Heuriger is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, a centuries-old institution unique to Vienna.
Wachau Wine and Food Cruise
A full-day Danube boat journey through the Wachau Valley UNESCO wine region with stops at cellar doors in Weißenkirchen and Spitz, lunch at a riverside Heuriger with Wachau Grüner Veltliner, and visit to Melk Abbey. The Wachau produces some of Austria's finest white wines from ancient terraced vineyards above the river.
Tour formats
Different ways to experience Austria's food scene.
Street food tours
Street food tours focused on Vienna Würstelstände (sausage stands), Leberkäse sandwiches, Bosna sausages, and Käsekrainer (cheese-stuffed sausage). Naschmarkt stall sampling included. Tours available daily, no advance booking usually needed for small groups.
Market tours
Guided market tours at Naschmarkt (daily), Brunnenmarkt (Mon-Sat), and Vienna's Advent markets (December). Expert guides explain vendor relationships, seasonal produce, and how to negotiate with longtime stallholders. Language: English and German.
Restaurant tours
Multi-course restaurant tours visiting 2-3 restaurants for different courses — aperitivo at a Vinothek, main at a Beisl, dessert at a Konditorei. Pre-booking essential; available in Vienna, Salzburg, and Graz. Price: €80-120 per person.
Specialty tours
Wine region day trips to Wachau, Kamptal, and Burgenland; Heuriger wine tavern evenings in Vienna's 19th district; Schnapps distillery tours in Tyrol and Vorarlberg; cheese and charcuterie tours in Vorarlberg's Bregenzerwald region.
Cooking classes
Take a piece of Austria home with you.
Viennese Cooking Class at Kochschule im Palais Coburg
Hands-on cooking class in the kitchens of the historic Palais Coburg hotel learning traditional Viennese dishes — Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz, Viennese potato salad, and Kaiserschmarrn. Expert chef instructors teach authentic techniques developed over two centuries of Austrian culinary tradition. Enjoy the meal with Austrian wines after cooking.
Austrian Pastry and Strudel Class
Learn the precise technique of traditional Apfelstrudel (paper-thin pastry stretched by hand), Austrian Kipferl biscuits, and Gugelhupf cake at specialist cooking schools in Vienna and Salzburg. Recipes date to the Habsburg court tradition. Take home your creations plus written recipes to recreate at home.
Tyrolean Cuisine Class in Innsbruck
A hands-on mountain cuisine class in Innsbruck teaching Tyrolean specialties — Tiroler Gröstl (pan-fried potato and meat), Knödel (bread dumplings), Kaspressknödel (Alpine cheese dumplings in beef broth), and Topfenstrudel. Uses local Tyrolean products from the nearby Innsbruck market, with mountain herb garnishes.
DIY self-guided food tour
Vienna's culinary highlights are easily explored independently using the U-Bahn and tram network. This self-guided food route covers the essential Viennese eating experiences in a single day:
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1
Stop 1: Naschmarkt (Kettenbrückengasse U-Bahn) 8-10 AM — Buy Austrian Bergkäse and Speck for breakfast, taste fresh Wachau apricots in season
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Stop 2: Café Hawelka (Dorotheergasse 6, 1010 Vienna) 10:30 AM — Order Melange (Viennese coffee with foamed milk) and Buchteln (sweet yeast dumplings with jam, available after 10 AM)
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Stop 3: Bitzinger Würstelstand (Albertinaplatz 1) 12:30 PM — Try the iconic Käsekrainer (cheese-stuffed pork sausage) standing at the counter opposite the State Opera
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Stop 4: Demel Confectioner (Kohlmarkt 14) 3 PM — Sample the original Sacher vs Demel Sachertorte rivalry over coffee in this imperial-era Konditorei
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Stop 5: Griechenbeisl (Fleischmarkt 11) 7 PM — Vienna's oldest restaurant (1447), order Wiener Schnitzel with Austrian potato salad and Grüner Veltliner
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Stop 6: Heuriger Mayer am Pfarrplatz (Pfarrplatz 2, 1190 Vienna) after dinner — The wine tavern where Beethoven lived has Vienna wine by the carafe and cold buffet platters until late
Foodie tips
Get more out of every meal.
Austrian breakfast (Frühstück) is a serious affair — a traditional coffee house breakfast includes fresh rolls, butter, jam, cheese, cold cuts, and a boiled egg. Allow 45 minutes and don't rush.
Lunch (Mittagessen) is traditionally the main meal in Austria, with many restaurants offering Mittagsmenü (lunch specials) for €9-15 — excellent value compared to dinner prices.
The Würstelstand (sausage stand) is an Austrian institution operating day and night; order a Käsekrainer (cheese-stuffed sausage) with mustard and a Semmel roll for the authentic Vienna street food experience.
Austrian supermarkets (Billa, Spar, Hofer) stock excellent local products — Bergkäse, Ziegenfrischkäse, Liptauer cheese spread, and house-brand wines from Wachau and Burgenland at a fraction of restaurant prices.
Heurigen (wine taverns) display a pine branch (Buschen) outside to signal they're open, a tradition dating to an 18th-century imperial decree. Look for 'Ausg'steckt' signs meaning the tap is open.
Austrian wine is dramatically underrated internationally — Grüner Veltliner and Riesling from Wachau, Kamptal, and Kremstal are world-class; Blaufränkisch and Zweigelt reds from Burgenland are distinctive and food-friendly.
Coffee ordering in Vienna requires attention to vocabulary: Melange (half coffee, half foamed milk), Verlängerter (weaker espresso with milk), Kleiner Schwarzer (espresso), Großer Brauner (double espresso with cold milk). Never say 'Americano' in a traditional coffeehouse.
The Sachertorte debate: Hotel Sacher and Konditorei Demel have legally disputed the 'original' recipe since the 1950s. Try both (about €8 per slice) and decide for yourself — the main difference is single vs. double layer of apricot jam.