Private guided tour

Over many centuries, the Habsburg family collected art and other objects of cultural and historical significance. Get to know one of the many collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in more detail: Our art educators will show you particular items and give you an insight into their historical background. We would also be glad to accompany you through the Imperial Armoury, the Collection of Historic Musical Instruments, the Ephesos Museum, the Imperial Treasury, and the Imperial Carriage Museum in Schönbrunn Palace. 
 

Would you like to find out more about a particular painter – their life, their style, their legacy? Together we pay a visit to one of the old masters and take the time to get to know their works in detail. 

• Titian and Venetian painting
• Pieter Bruegel the Elder (and his descendants)
• Caravaggio and the Caravaggisti
• Diego Velázquez and his time
• Albrecht Dürer and the German Renaissance
• Vermeer’s art of painting and the Dutch Baroque
• Raphael and the Florentine Renaissance
• Peter Paul Rubens and the Flemish Baroque

Discover three great stylistic periods of early modern art with us! What do these terms really mean? Which works and stylistic principles are characteristic of the respective period? Together we will identify their distinguishing features. You want to know even more about it? No problem – the tour can also focus on just one of the three periods.

The objects in the princely cabinets of curiosities were intended to fascinate and confound people. Particularly popular were so-called wonders of nature. Some objects were even said to have special healing powers – their owners hoped they would provide magical help. A guided tour for all those who like to marvel!

Is there life after death? The people of Ancient Egypt were firmly convinced of this. Death was only the transition to the afterlife. To arrive safely in this ‘second life’, a few things had to be observed. Those who could afford it built elaborate tombs, had themselves mummified, underwent the tests of the Book of the Dead, and filled their own resting place with valuable treasures (to be on the safe side). Take a short trip into eternity with us! 

On stone monuments, thin papyrus, or dusty shards: Hieroglyphics tell us exciting stories from thousands of years ago. Do 
a crash hieroglyphics course with us! We discuss magical formulae, the meaning of individual characters, and the development of the most beautiful of all ancient Egyptian scripts.
 

Immortal love, cruel revenge, fantastic transformations, and tragic death – ancient myths fascinated us for well over 2,000 years. They reflect interpersonal relationships and conflicts that have lost none of their relevance. 
Ancient Egypt had a multitude of gods who not only had specific tasks, but were also up to all kinds of mischief. Vases, sculptures, and reliefs from the Collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities bring the world of Greek and Roman legends to life. If you want to know how Renaissance and Baroque artists depicted ancient myths, the Picture Gallery is the right place for you. No matter which collection you choose – a tour full of discoveries awaits you!

Imagine an ancient statue from Greece or Rome: What does it look like? A white marble sculpture immediately comes to mind, 
captivating the eye with its pale elegance. You will be amazed at how colourful and lively antiquity really was. 
Join us on a search for traces (of colour)!

Travelling back in time together: Do you want to discover pyramids in Ancient Egypt or meet ancient heroes? Want to discover the secrets of Renaissance and Baroque painters or marvel at precious objects made of gold, coconut, or ivory? Our art educators will introduce you to one of the museum's collections! In the Hofburg and Wagenburg, they reveal interesting facts about knightly fashion made of steel, specific musical instruments, imperial crowns, or vehicles in which the Habsburg family travelled by coach.

Everyone has heard of mummies! But are you brave enough to meet one? Here at the museum you have the opportunity to do just that: We will discuss how and why the dead were mummified in Ancient Egypt, how expensive this was, and which objects were a must in Ancient Egyptian tombs. 

Have you ever heard of Hercules, Odysseus, or Ariadne? Ancient myths often tell of heroes who experience exciting adventures: They bravely face fearsome monsters or use strength and cunning to put a stop to their opponents. Learn more about the glorious deeds and misadventures of ancient heroes, in which the gods usually had a hand.

Watch out, things are getting wild: Many animals are hidden in the museum – very small and really huge, harmless and dangerous. And a few mythical creatures are also up to mischief here. Do you dare to pay them a visit? Come with us on an exciting journey through the Picture Gallery!

Travel through the year with us – without sun cream and a thick winter coat: Spring shows itself in a vibrant dress of flowers, and Ms Summer brings us colourful delicacies with a grin! Then autumn leaves the trees bare, and we pay a visit to cold King Winter: When he rules, there's snow, frozen lakes, sleigh rides, and ice stock sport. We will discuss what the seasons meant for people's lives in past centuries, and how they were depicted.  

Whether hard as stone, soft as wax, red as fire, or white as snow – many different materials can be found in the Kunstkammer. They have all been transformed into extraordinary works of art by artists. In the Kunstkammer, we reveal which tricks and techniques were used. You will also find out where the materials originally came from, and what properties and powers people attributed to them in the past. 

There are more elephants and rhinos in the Kunstkammer than in any zoo in the world! However, they are not always easy to spot. Go in search of the pachyderms and discover some amazing things: When was the first elephant brought to Vienna? How did people imagine rhinos? And why were the grey giants so popular with rulers of the past? 

Travel with us back to the age of chivalry and see the most expensive fashion of all time: What did Emperor Maximilian I wear when he held a tournament? What weapons did knights fight with? What did the winner get? And how does it feel to wear metal garments? Find out: A real helmet, huge gloves, and a heavy metal sword await you!