VIENNA AIRPORT · VENUE TRANSFER

Vienna Airport (VIE) → MAK Museum transfer

The MAK (Museum für angewandte Kunst) at Stubenring 5 is the museum of applied arts and design founded in 1863 as the first of its kind in continental Europe — modelled on London's Victoria and Albert Museum. The Italian Renaissance building, designed by Heinrich Ferstel, opened in 1871 on the new Ringstraße. The MAK collection spans applied arts from the 15th to the 21st century, with particularly strong sections: Wiener Werkstätte (founded in 1903 by Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser — the complete archive of 18,000 objects: furniture, jewellery, ceramics, textiles), Gustav Klimt's Beethovenfries cartoons (the original full-size drawings of 1902 for the Beethoven Frieze in the Secession Building), the Wiener Porzellanmanufaktur (18th-century imperial porcelain), the Gothic carpet collection (one of the finest in Europe) and the Oriental carpet collection (Persia, Ottoman Empire). MAK also hosts Designmonat Vienna in May, the Vienna Biennale and the MAK Nite programme (Thursday evenings until 22:00 with DJ sets). For a passenger landing at Schwechat, what counts is access along the eastern side of the Ringstraße and an awareness of the alternative MAK Tower (the depot in the 11th district) for selected exhibitions.

Approx. distance 18 km Transfer time 25-35 min Pickup from Vienna Airport
Reserve a chauffeur
MAK (Museum für angewandte Kunst)
VIE · vie

The ride from Vienna Airport to the MAK covers about 18 km and usually takes 25-35 minutes. The route typically follows the A4 motorway towards Vienna, then the A23 urban motorway, with the final approach via Landstraßer Hauptstraße and Stubenring. The MAK lies on the eastern side of the Ringstraße, at the junction with the Donaukanal and Stubentor, close to the University of Applied Arts (Hochschule für angewandte Kunst — an administratively separate but thematically linked institution).

After landing, your chauffeur meets you in Terminal 3 arrivals with a name board, assists with luggage and drives directly to the MAK entrance on Stubenring 5. The entrance is reached via a marble staircase into the representative hall with a mosaic floor (formerly the showroom of the Imperial-Royal Museum of Industrial Arts). If you have booked a visit to MAK Tower (the Geymüllerschlössel depot) or the MAK Center for Art and Architecture (Los Angeles — a sister institution, we do not handle transfers to the United States), we confirm the correct address. For evening MAK Nite (Thursday 18:00-22:00, with extended opening hours, DJ sets and curatorial tours) we plan the drop-off with a buffer.

We also handle return transfers after the visit, rides between the MAK and Innere Stadt hotels (Hotel Sacher, Park Hyatt, Le Méridien) and onward routes to the Belvedere, the Albertina or the Kunsthistorisches Museum as part of a cultural day. A transfer to the MAK works well for premium guests, designers, architects, lovers of Wiener Werkstätte and Bauhaus, and corporate organisers using the Säulenhalle (Columned Hall) or the Klimt Beethovenfries cartoon rooms as event venues.

Arrival logistics

The standard drop-off is at the main entrance on Stubenring 5. The MAK sits on the eastern side of the Ringstraße — a short kerbside stop is possible, longer waiting requires moving to paid car parks around Stadtpark or the Hofburg. On Thursday evenings (MAK Nite), pickup after the programme is from the same zone. For MAK Tower (Geymüllerschlössel depot) the drop-off is at a different address in the 11th district.

We cover

  • permanent Wiener Werkstätte collection (1903) — the complete 18,000-object archive of Hoffmann and Moser
  • Klimt cartoons for the Beethoven Frieze (1902) — the original drawings for the Secession Building
  • MAK Nite (Thursday 18:00-22:00) — DJ sets in the Säulenhalle, curatorial tours
  • Vienna Biennale and Designmonat May — international design events

Frequently asked questions

Is the transfer fare to the MAK fixed?

Yes. The fare is confirmed at booking and includes flight tracking, name-board pickup in Terminal 3, waiting time after landing and arrival at the Stubenring 5 entrance without temporary-exhibition surcharges.

How long does the transfer from VIE to the MAK usually take?

Most rides take 25-35 minutes over about 18 km. The MAK is one of the shorter transfers from the airport, as it sits on the eastern side of the Ringstraße and is well linked to the A4 via Landstraßer Hauptstraße.

What is MAK Nite, and do you handle evening transfers?

MAK Nite is a Thursday evening programme (until 22:00) with extended opening hours, DJ sets in the Säulenhalle and curatorial tours. We handle evening transfers and collect you at an agreed time after the programme.

Can I see Klimt's original cartoons for the Secession Building at the MAK?

Yes. The MAK holds Gustav Klimt's original cartoons for the Beethoven Frieze of 1902 (the frieze itself is at the Secession Building, a five-minute walk from the MAK via Karlsplatz). The two sites combine well into a single cultural programme.

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