Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna: a practical visitor guide

More Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna guides

• KHM in 2 hoursA 2-hour route through Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum: Bruegel, Vermeer, Raphael, Caravaggio, Velázquez and the Kunstkammer, with timings and tips.
• Hours & ticketsKunsthistorisches Museum opening hours, ticket prices, free entry under 19, time slots required from September 2026 and the best time to avoid crowds.
• Must-see worksThe 12 key works at Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum and why they matter: Bruegel, Vermeer, Raphael, Caravaggio, Velázquez, Cellini and more.
• KHM with kidsHow to visit Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum with kids: a 75-minute route, games, free entry under 19, café and the best times to go.

Why it's a must

This is the great Habsburg museum. Its Picture Gallery holds the world's largest collection of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, alongside Vermeer, Raphael, Titian, Velázquez, Caravaggio, Rembrandt and Dürer. The Kunstkammer also displays treasures such as Cellini's Saliera, and there are Egyptian, Greek and Roman collections. The building itself, with its monumental staircase and Klimt murals, is reason enough to go.

How to plan your visit

• Book a time slot online: it is mandatory from September 2026 and usually cheaper than at the desk.
• On Thursday evenings the museum stays open until 9pm and it's quieter.
• Start with the Picture Gallery if time is limited; the rest can wait for another visit.
• There is a café-restaurant under the dome, one of the most beautiful rooms in the building.
• With the AnyArt app you can point your camera at a painting and hear its story, an alternative to renting an audio guide.

Combine it with the rest of Vienna

The museum sits opposite the Natural History Museum on Maria-Theresien-Platz, a 10-minute walk from the MuseumsQuartier and the Hofburg. With one day, do the KHM in the morning and the Belvedere (Klimt's The Kiss) in the afternoon.