Five days of Vienna through its studios and rooms

Your immersion into Vienna begins behind the discrete doors of the city's historic first district, where centuries of royal warrant traditions remain alive and vibrant. Stepping off the cobblestones into the active workshops of the former k.u.k. (Imperial and Royal) court suppliers, you will witness the exact techniques that outfitted the Habsburg dynasty, preserved unchanged across generations. The morning begins surrounded by the scent of hand-cut leathers and vintage cedar lasts inside Markus Scheer's 11,000-square-foot atelier. Moving through the active workbench floor where craftsmen shape bespoke footwear, you will descend into the subterranean vault containing original wooden lasts carved for Emperor Franz Joseph I. In the afternoon, transition to the sunlit Biedermeier courtyard workshop of Jarosinski & Vaugoin, where silversmiths hand-hammer luxury flatware over historic anvils before guiding you to their private upper-floor museum.

Dedicate your second day to architectural genius and closed-door private collections, taking in two contrasting expressions of Viennese artistic power. In the morning light, travel to the gentle hills of Steinhof to unlock Otto Wagner's golden-domed masterpiece. Accompanied by a private architecture specialist, step inside the unlocked sanctuary of the Kirche am Steinhof to analyze Koloman Moser's luminous stained glass and Wagner's radical Secessionist design. In the afternoon, return to the inner city to cross the threshold of Stadtpalais Liechtenstein—a magnificent High Baroque city palace strictly closed to the general public. Accompanied by an expert art historian, gain exclusive access to the private state rooms and the renowned art collection of the Reigning Prince von und zu Liechtenstein, surrounded by Neo-Rococo furnishings and Baroque masterpieces in total isolation.

Day three pairs the sensory energy of active glassmaking with an unforgettable after-hours encounter inside one of the world's supreme art institutions. Start your morning on the active workshop floor of J. & L. Lobmeyr. Here, amid intense furnace heat and precise craftsmanship, watch master glassblowers shape molten crystal and engravers cut intricate designs into delicate glass. Afterward, ascend to the family's private Glass Museum for a champagne reception served in historic Lobmeyr crystal stemware. As evening arrives and the public exits, experience the ultimate museum buyout at the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Guided by a senior art historian, step into the silent galleries of the Kunstkammer and Picture Gallery. Stand entirely alone before Benvenuto Cellini's famous gold Saliera and Pieter Bruegel the Elder's masterpieces, bathed in soft evening illumination without a single stranger in sight.

The peak crescendo of your journey weaves together applied design masterclasses and solitary palace viewing in June's warm early summer twilight. Begin the afternoon at the MAK (Museum of Applied Arts), entering the historic Direktion rooms for a private exploration of the Wiener Werkstätte collection. Guided by curators, examine seminal works by Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser before trying your hand at crystal engraving on Lobmeyr crystal, taking home your custom-engraved piece. As dusk falls over the Belvedere gardens, transition to Prince Eugene of Savoy's Baroque residence at Upper Belvedere Palace. After public operating hours have concluded, the grand gates unlock strictly for you. Accompanied by a senior curator, stroll through silent, marble-lined halls to stand in absolute solitude before Gustav Klimt's golden masterpiece, 'The Kiss', along with rare works by Egon Schiele.

Conclude your Viennese journey celebrating culinary craftsmanship and historic subterranean architecture. In the morning, step past the glass observation window into the historic back-of-house pastry kitchen at K.u.K. Hofzuckerbäckerei Demel. Alongside senior master confectioners, work on the flour-dusted marble benches to pull paper-thin strudel dough by hand and craft delicate candied violets, ending with a private tasting in Demel's historic salon. In the evening, descend beneath the former city fortress wall at Palais Coburg. Guided by the Head Sommelier, navigate six medieval subterranean vaults holding over 60,000 rare vintages. Surrounded by centuries of architectural brickwork and historic bottles, conclude your trip with a rare vintage champagne and wine tasting in private subterranean luxury.