In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Riesenrad (Giant Ferris Wheel) has been turning since 1897. A flexible ticket is €17 and valid for 365 days, dated online tickets are from €14.50, and no reservation is needed. A ride takes 12 to 15 minutes. The Wurstelprater funfair is free to enter and open round the clock, with each ride €3.50 to €15 and many cash only. Attractions are open daily to 31 October; from 1 November only some open, in good weather, and the Riesenrad stays open all year. Or book: the skip-the-cashier-desk-line Giant Ferris Wheel ridead on GetYourGuide is from €14.50.
The tickets, compared
Prices are the adult rate from the Riesenrad and the Prater.
| Ticket | Price | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Riesenrad, dated online ticket | From €14.50 | Valid in opening hours on the booked date. Children aged 3 to 14 pay the children’s rate |
| Riesenrad, flexible ticket | €17 | Valid for 365 days from purchase |
| Riesenrad, Platform 9 | €89 | An airy ride along the wheel’s steel structure with a glass floor, opened in 2022 |
| Combination tickets | Varies | The Riesenrad sells combinations with the Miniature Railway, Madame Tussauds, Schönbrunn Zoo, the Danube Tower and the Haus des Meeres |
| Wurstelprater rides | €3.50 to €15 each | Each attraction is paid for separately, often in cash only |
| Wurstelprater entry | Free | Open 365 days a year, round the clock |
- Free entry: the Riesenrad is free with the Vienna Pass and the Lower Austria Card.
- Pratercard: an electronic payment card, bought online at pratercard.at, accepted by the participating businesses. Some businesses give discounts with a Vienna City Card.
- Online pre-sales: the Riesenrad and Madame Tussauds sell online. For most other attractions, tickets are sold on site only.
How to buy
- At wienerriesenrad.com, or at the cash desk at the wheel. The operator says you can simply buy online or at the desk.
- Dated or flexible: a dated ticket is for one day, and the flexible ticket suits an uncertain forecast.
- Cards: the Riesenrad and Madame Tussauds take cards. Many of the other rides take cash only, and the area has seven ATMs.
A wooden wagon on the Riesenrad. Photo: Manfred Werner (Tsui), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tours worth paying for
The Riesenrad needs no tour. The GetYourGuide products below are tickets. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
The Giant Ferris Wheel ride
From €14.50 · 8,602 reviews
Vienna: Skip-the-cashier-desk-line Giant Ferris Wheel Ridead is GetYourGuide’s biggest Prater product, at the operator’s from price for dated tickets.
Madame Tussauds
From €23.85 · 1,234 reviews
Vienna: Madame Tussauds Admission Ticketad is for the wax museum at the Prater, which is open all year.
What to see
The Riesenrad was built in 1897 for the 50th anniversary of Emperor Franz Joseph’s reign. A fire in 1944 destroyed almost all of it except the steel structure, and it resumed in 1947 with 15 cabins instead of the original 30.
The Riesenrad and the Prater Tower. Photo: Jebulon, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
- The Riesenrad (12 to 15 minutes). The wheel is 60.96 metres across, with its highest point 64.75 metres above the ground. There are 15 wagons, each for up to 15 people.
- Platform 9. The glass-floor ride along the steel structure that opened in 2022, at €89.
- The Panorama Museum. At the wheel, with the eight cabins that returned in 2002 in its “Wheel of Time”.
- The Wurstelprater. More than 250 attractions, from rides to the Kingdom of Railroads and the Rollercoaster Restaurant. Walk through it for nothing, and pay for the rides you choose.
- The Winter Market at the Riesenradplatz, from mid-November to early January, 12:00 to 20:00.
What to skip: Platform 9 unless you want the glass floor. It costs €89 against €17 for the ordinary ride.
A swing ride at the Wurstelprater. Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Hours, rules and getting there
- Season: the Wurstelprater’s attractions are open daily from 15 March to 31 October. The winter season runs from 1 November to 14 March, when some businesses open in good weather. Most rides are closed in January.
- Riesenrad hours change by season. The operator publishes them on its opening times page.
- Information desk at the Riesenradplatz: 11:00 to 22:00 from 15 March to 31 October.
- Rules: no eating or drinking in the wagons, no smoking, and dogs on a leash and a muzzle are welcome.
- Getting there: the Riesenrad is at Riesenradplatz 1. Go to Praterstern, on the U1 and U2, tram O and 5, and bus 80A.
Vienna hop-on hop-off compares the bus tours that link the main sights, Schönbrunn Palace among them. What to book before you go to Vienna lists the Prater as a free stop, and Vienna Pass or Vienna City Card says the Riesenrad is free with the Vienna Pass. 3 days in Vienna puts the wheel in its last afternoon, and Vienna public transport has the fares for the U1 and U2. The Prater’s winter market is in Vienna Christmas markets. For somewhere to sleep, see where to stay in Vienna, and for dinner where to eat in Vienna.
Common questions
How much is a Riesenrad ticket?
The flexible ticket is €17 for an adult and is valid for 365 days from purchase. Dated online tickets are from €14.50 and are valid during opening hours on the booked date. The children's rate applies to ages 3 to 14. Platform 9, the glass-floor ride on the wheel's steel structure, is €89.
Do I need to book Riesenrad tickets in advance?
No. The operator says no reservation is needed: buy online or at the cash desk. The flexible ticket can be used on any day in its 365 days.
How long is a ride on the Riesenrad?
A ride takes about 12 to 15 minutes. Each of the 15 wagons holds up to 15 people, and eating and drinking are not allowed in them. The wheel's highest point is 64.75 metres.
Is the Prater free?
Entry to the Wurstelprater is free and the area is open round the clock, every day of the year. Each attraction is paid for separately, at about €3.50 to €15 a ride, and many take cash only.
Is the Prater open in winter?
The attractions are open daily from 15 March to 31 October. From 1 November to 14 March only some businesses open, in good weather. The Riesenrad, Madame Tussauds, the Kingdom of Railroads and the Rollercoaster Restaurant open all year.
How do I get to the Riesenrad?
Go to Praterstern, on the U1, U2, tram O and 5, and bus 80A. The Riesenrad is at Riesenradplatz 1, in the Prater.
