Vienna Unwrapped's Vienna Travel Concierge Reviews 51

I am so glad we used Barbara to help plan our trip to Vienna! She was so patient with my many questions and helped us to book an unforgettable trip. She booked a local restaurant for us that was delightful and booked a private courtyard tour for us that was the perfect combination of history, architecture and fun. I also appreciated having our itinerary available on my phone in the Destinationbook app. We usually plan trips on our own, but I highly recommend using Barbara to help book your trip to Vienna as she truly does bring a local perspective that helps to make your trip extra memorable and special.

We'd been to Vienna on vacations twice before, about two weeks in 1999 and several days in 2017 as part of another trip. We wanted to visit a city reachable by direct flight from Washington DC that we liked but that hadn't become greatly overwhelmed by tourists. Vienna fit the bill, but left to our own devices, we feared that we'd mostly do the things we'd done before. Barbara listened to our likes and dislikes, and created a plan that blended new attractions with selected old favorites, which greatly enriched our trip. (In the past we'd proudly avoided reliance on guides and trip planner; Barbara has changed our approach, at least if we can find people as talented and helpful as she was.)

Barbara Cacao, owner of Vienna Unwrapped, helped us to have a great experience in Vienna. We wanted to go to a ball. During the 2024 summer she met me there as I was exploring the possibility. Then, for the ball itself the following winter, she knew how to get the tickets, how many to get per person (3!), great places to see, best app for subway, help in getting a cheap hotel within walking distance of everything. Would strongly recommend engaging her on your first visit to Vienna.

Great time in Vienna. Beautiful city and so much to see. Barbara was so responsive and gave great suggestions. The app was easy to use and she gave on the fly changes to our itinerary that made it extra special. It was very hot and we asked about a place to swim and cool off. We rented a car and set out on a short trip to the country and experienced a nice Sunday afternoon at Bad Fischau which was a highlight of our trip to a natural spring fed swimming spot and hanged out with the locals. Highly recommend!

Vienna Unwrapped, guided by Barbara, delivered an exceptional experience tailored precisely to our preferences, fully reflecting the initial brief. As a family we travel a lot round the world, always looking for hidden germs in places we visit. The itinerary Barbara crafted allowed us to get precisely that and immersed us in Vienna's history and musical heritage during our private tour by Katarina. Proposed dinning was also a highlight, particularly the Easter Brunch at Mezzanin 7 salon privé, reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. Barbara's attention to detail ensured every moment was memorable. Highly recommended for anyone seeking an insightful and delightful journey through Vienna's cultural tapestry. We highly commend Vienna Unwrapped for their excellent recommendations and exceptional service.

I had viewed Vienna unwrapped website during my research on Vienna, so I decided to engage Barbara for some advice.

Barbara gave us several dining options during the Christmas period and was very generous with her time and expertise. To be able to book a traditional Austrian restaurant 2 weeks before Christmas was incredible -we are very excited.

I can't wait until we arrive in Vienna.

I would not hesitate in recommending Barbara's services. She is knowledgeable and most importantly a great ambassador for Vienna.

What made our experience great? One word, Barbara! Austria was my dream trip for multiple reasons since I was a child. So once the availability of time and adequate budget came together, we booked our trip. I tend to research and plan very extensively. one of the resources I used was Vienna Unwrapped (our trip was divided equally over 2 weeks between Vienna and Salzburg). I have been planning or vacations for the past 34 years, so I thought, I have got this. I was very mistaken, Vienna is a complex city and we had a large itinerary. I quickly became overwhelmed, I decided to contact Barbara for help. Best decision made regarding this trip. I gave her our wish list and she did the rest, she put together a beautiful itinerary, so detailed and it included an user friendly app. We were given the opportunity to make revisions and give our approval. Not that it was really necessary, for us it was more of a courtesy, because Barbara got it right really on the first try. Initially we only used Barbara's expertise for Vienna, after we saw the final product we added Salzburg. This is money well spent, we stated so many times, "thank goodness we had Barbara" on our trip. We would have struggled to figure out timing of sights, how to get there, and certainly would have missed out on some amazing meals. This for us was a trip of a lifetime, a trip that saddens me to say. once in my lifetime trip. If this speaks to you, just think of your disappointment at experiencing your trip minimally. Barbara made sure to maximize our experience to a 110%, she made our reservations, she was always quick to reply, she made our trip one we will never forget or regret. we had the time of our lives, it was Austrian magic that did not disappoint. Sweet dreams and memories made! And for that we cannot thank you enough Barbara!

Vienna really made our experience great, what a beautiful city. But, having Barbara's itinerary using the app that she had us download certainly made it even better. When you only have a weekend, it was great to have it all planned out, reservations and all. You don't think, you just go, and you can just changes things in the moment, but you have a base to work from. Barbara was easy to deal with and did everything we asked. Reasonably priced, highly recommend!

This trip was spectacular for all of us. I don’t think we could truly appreciate your advice , wisdom and guidance until we were there ourselves. Truly every hotel was amazing…. We were always steps away from our interests. New Year’s in Vienna from the balcony of DO & CO was something impossible to replicate anywhere. We all took the waltzing lessons and were totally comfortable walzing away at midnight! The activities you planned and connected us to were just as spectacular (albeit the lack of snow did not always cooperate with the schedule-I never even wore a hat!). We only had to cancel the sleigh ride due to lack of snow and they were very understanding. Highlights included: St. Peter’s Stiltskulinarium dinner, the Prielau Castle private dinner (Annette was incredible and the food- only oo’s and ahhh’s)and Gerstner’s New Year’s Day brunch. The music performance on NY Day was incredible and the art crawl through Vienna were also highlights. I am still dreaming about the chocolate cake at Café Central….. well, actually, I am missing eating cake and having tea/coffee everyday! Oh…. And for some, Halstatt was a highlight for many (tell people not to skip it! Our guide was sensational through insightcities). We added on the Basquiat Exhibits and as corny as it sounds- one of my favorite memories was singing Sound of Music songs with a busload of international strangers…. So much fun! Thank you, Barbara!

Our family just completed a fabulous week in Vienna, made so in no small part to the itinerary, suggested and planned, by Barbara at Vienna Unwrapped. It was the prefect combination of "must sees" and "less knowns" that only a true local could know. Equally valuable was Barbra's experience in intimately knowing the locations and timing of suggested activities so the itinerary was efficiently planned. Barbra was available before our trip to discuss our interests and it was clear the itinerary included what we wanted and was not a quick off the shelf product. It was detailed and truly the case of having a local knowledge expert plan the itinerary. Our grown kids who we travelled with were even saying, "Barbra hit it out of the park on this one!"

Thank you Barbara, sadly we didn't have enough days to see it all and are on the way home now.

My wife and I were conducted on our tour of Vienna by Ms. Horvath. It was was equal parts thrilling, interesting, and enriching. Every element of our experience exceeded our expectations.

The value of the services provided by Vienna Unwrapped is extraordinary. Our customized tour is something that neither of us will ever forget, and we cannot overstate our complete satisfaction.

Barbara helped us plan an amazing itinerary for our week in Vienna! I am usually a meticulous planner, but I tried a travel planner for the first time and was immediately spoiled. She understood our priorities for the trip, crafted a flawless itinerary for our family, and made changes based on feedback. Her communication was timely and detailed. The guides she selected were all top-notch. The itinerary app she used was so convenient. When we had a last-minute change in plans, she graciously helped us amend our bookings. Everything about this experience was wonderful!

Our trip to Vienna was unforgettable. It was perfectly planned and well organized. We spent a wonderful few days in Vienna.
Thanks and recommendations

I'm a guide book traditionalist, and I wouldn't call myself a normal tourist: I like to see off-the-beaten-track sites, architecture, cafes, etc. VU is the first travel blog I've used that would make me feel comfortable never looking at a guide book for Vienna. The detail is nearly exhaustive, and Barbara is very helpful, friendly, and generous.

We're still in the early stages of our trip, but Barbara has been very helpful in our initial plans. Every time I shoot her an e-mail about something new, I always get an immediate response. Our itinerary is still not in place, but I am excited to see what new idea Barbara will throw our way. She is such a treasure that she should be included as an item in the Imperial Palace. Three Cheers for Barbara!

Like many others, we found Barbara's service online. We wrote her & soon received a helpful reply.

She helped us sort through a variety of options, saving us trip planning time. Our first experience using a trip planner. Well worth the effort.

Thanks again!

Trevor

I had planned the highlights for an upcoming trip to Vienna and Salzburg to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversar. I had run across Barbara's website and decided she might be a good fit to help plan some restaurants and activiites with limited walking to the sights were planning to visit. She did a great job with providing an excellent tour guide for a walking tour of Vienna, excellent car service to Stift Heiligenkreuz, as well as added suggestions of tickets to buy and sights to visit, and multiple restaurants with links to walk close to the locations we chose to visit throughout the city. Barbara handled all my requests quickly and professionally, and would highly recommend her services to anyone.

We've never used an itinerary planner before and were a little apprehensive having to part with so much money! However we have no regrets whatsoever. We travelled from Innsbruck to Salzburg with lots of stops, activities, eating and accommodation inbetween. We told Barbara our likes and dislikes and she came up with an amazing itinerary which was just fantastic. We just loved it all and I can't recommend Barbara enough!

great service , i always use and would recommend

RE: 2019 “Dancing in Vienna” Tour
We want to thank Barbara Cacao of Vienna Unwrapped for her time and assistance as our Travel Planner in setting up our trip to Europe earlier this year. Our trip began with the thought of dancing the Viennese Waltz in Vienna and then expanded to a plan for 10 days in Austria and Hungary. The planning and preparation for our visit took almost a year from the time we decided to go and the time we departed on our trip. Barbara was an instrumental part of this process as we explored our options and her suggestions and fine-tuned a plan with many changes over the course of that period. Throughout, Barbara was patient and accommodating, making changes along the way or offering suggestions to help guide us to better choices, quickly responding to our questions, and being our on-site expert.
As a result of this planning process, we were able to enjoy a wonderful vacation experience with no major problems or concerns. It was very easy to follow the schedule she laid out based on our discussions and requests and not waste time deciding where to go and what to do on any given day. Her hotel and restaurant recommendations were perfect for us, with excellent accommodations and wonderful food throughout the trip. We ate so well that the only changes we made to our final itinerary were a couple of skipped lunches when we just couldn’t eat again at the scheduled time!
The four tour guides she lined up for our tours of Vienna, Salzburg, Buda and Pest were excellent. Each brought a thorough knowledge of their area and the communication skills to allow us to learn a great deal about the history and culture of their cities. The one downside we had here was that we would like to have had even more time with them to tour! Unfortunately, even in Europe there are only 24 hours in a day.
And what can we say about the formal balls in Vienna? “Wow” is such an understatement. The evenings were perfect from the time we started getting ready to go until we somewhat slowly returned to our hotel. The dinner reservations she made for us were perfect – great food and locations just a short walk from each venue. The two balls we chose to attend with her input and advice provided memories for a lifetime, with beautiful ballrooms, wonderful fanfare and entertainment and all the dancing we could handle in a night. On top of that, we even met several people along the way that provided insights and suggestions to maximize the experience.
So, after several month of recounting our stories and singing her praises to our dance friends and families, we are finally getting around to our formal “Thank YOU” to Barbara for a job very well done. Our group of four appreciated all that she did to make our trip so memorable and enjoyable.
We are already thinking of places to go and things to do for our NEXT vacation!
With deepest appreciation from us all –
P. Sisk, K. Willis, E. Griggs, & R. Graninger