Austria

Vienna

Palaces, world-class art and coffeehouse culture. Stay 3 days. Rathaus and palace markets, coffee houses and New Year's Eve; 3 nights. We have mapped 7 sights, 3 activities and 3 places to eat here, each with a reason to go.

Plan Vienna with friends Browse 18 places

Places: 18
Curated routes: 2
Best season: Apr – Jun, Sep – Oct
Warmest month: July
Coolest month: January
Wettest month: June

Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.

Things to do in Vienna

18 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.

See

7 sights worth building a day around across Hietzing, Innere Stadt and Landstraße. 3 of them are free.

Photo: C.Stadler/Bwag · CC BY-SA 4.0
See
Schönbrunn Palace
Habsburg summer palace with 1,441 rooms and formal gardens up to the Gloriette.
Tip Book a timed ticket online; the gardens are free.
- Hietzing
- $$
- 3 hr
- Morning
Photo: C.Stadler/Bwag · CC BY-SA 4.0
See
St. Stephen's Cathedral
Gothic cathedral with a patterned tile roof and a 343-step south tower climb.
- Innere Stadt
- $
- 60 min
- Morning
Photo: Lorella De Lotto · Google
See
Kunsthistorisches Museum
Old masters including the largest Bruegel collection anywhere, in a domed palace.
Tip Have cake in the café under the cupola.
- Innere Stadt
- $$
- 3 hr
- Afternoon
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
See
Belvedere
Baroque palace holding Klimt's The Kiss and other Austrian art.
Tip Upper Belvedere holds the Klimts; skip the lower palace if short on time.
- Landstraße
- $$
- 2 hr
- Morning
Photo: Max Pfandl · CC BY 2.0
See
Wiener Christkindlmarkt
The city's biggest market fills the Rathausplatz, with lit trees in the park and an ice trail in front of City Hall.
Tip Skate the ice trail in the Rathauspark after dark.
- Innere Stadt
- Free
- 1.5 hr
- After dark
Photo: traveljunction · CC BY-SA 2.0
See
Schönbrunn Christmas Market
Craft market and tree in the forecourt of the Habsburg summer palace, which becomes a New Year market after Christmas.
- Hietzing
- Free
- 2 hr
- Blue hour
Photo: VasuVR · CC BY 4.0
See
Graben
Pedestrian boulevard hung with giant light chandeliers in December; on December 31 it is part of the Silvesterpfad.
- Innere Stadt
- Free
- 30 min
- Blue hour

Do

3 activities for when the group wants to do more than look across Innere Stadt and Leopoldstadt.

Photo: sava brankovan · Google
Do
Vienna State Opera
One of the world's top opera houses, with daily performances most of the year.
Tip Standing-room tickets go on sale online the day before for a few euros.
- Innere Stadt
- $$$
- 3 hr
- Evening
Photo: David López · Google
Do
Prater and Giant Ferris Wheel
Park with the 1897 Riesenrad, offering slow views over the city.
- Leopoldstadt
- $$
- 60 min
- Sunset
Do
Silvesterpfad
Vienna's New Year's Eve trail: stages, food stalls and waltz lessons through the old town, with St. Stephen's Pummerin bell at midnight.
Tip Gather near St. Stephen's before midnight to hear the Pummerin, then the Danube Waltz plays in the squares.
- Innere Stadt
- Free
- 4 hr
- December 31

Eat

Where we would book a table in Vienna across Mariahilf and Innere Stadt.

Photo: Bahnfrend · CC BY-SA 3.0
Eat
Café Sperl
Classic 1880 coffeehouse with billiard tables and slow, formal service.
Tip Order a Melange and Sperl torte.
- Mariahilf
- $$
- 60 min
- Afternoon
Photo: Figlmüller – Restaurant Wollzeile · Google
Eat
Figlmüller
Known for oversized Wiener schnitzel since 1905.
Tip Reserve ahead for the Wollzeile location.
- Innere Stadt
- $$
- 75 min
- Lunch
Photo: Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0
Eat
Café Central
Vaulted coffee house in Palais Ferstel, open since 1876, for Melange and Apfelstrudel.
Tip Expect a queue mid-morning; it moves quickly.
- Innere Stadt
- $$
- 60 min
- Morning

Drink

Our picks for a drink in Vienna in Heiligenstadt.

Photo: Mayer am Pfarrplatz - Heuriger - Beethovenhaus - Weingut · Google
Drink
Mayer am Pfarrplatz
Heuriger wine tavern in a house where Beethoven lived, serving its own Vienna wines.
Tip Take tram D toward Nussdorf and walk up.
- Heiligenstadt
- $$
- 2 hr
- Evening

Shop

Markets and shops worth the detour across Mariahilf, Wieden and Neubau.

Photo: C.Stadler/Bwag · CC BY-SA 4.0
Shop
Naschmarkt
Long open-air market with produce stalls, delis and casual eateries.
Tip Saturday adds a flea market at the far end.
- Mariahilf
- $
- 75 min
- Saturday morning
Photo: Friedrich Böhringer · CC BY-SA 3.0 at
Shop
Art Advent Karlsplatz
An arts-and-crafts market in front of the baroque Karlskirche, with organic food and a straw-filled play area.
- Wieden
- $
- 60 min
- Evening
Photo: Geolina163 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Shop
Spittelberg Christmas Market
Stalls of handmade goods along the cobbled Biedermeier lanes of the Spittelberg quarter.
- Neubau
- $
- 60 min
- Evening

Stay

1 place to stay we would book in Innere Stadt.

Photo: Tobias Kleinlercher · CC BY-SA 4.0
Stay
Hotel Sacher
Grand hotel opposite the State Opera, home of the original Sachertorte.
- Innere Stadt
- $$$$

How to fit Vienna into a trip

Vienna shows up on 2 of our curated routes, so you can work it into more than one kind of trip.

Stop 2 of 3
Prague, Vienna & Budapest
Three imperial capitals linked by rail
Trip length
9 days
Best season
Apr – Jun, Sep – Oct
Pace
easy
- Before: Prague
- Next: Budapest
See the full itinerary
Stop 3 of 3
Hallstatt, Salzburg & Vienna
Lake village snow to Vienna's New Year
Trip length
7 days
Best season
Late Nov – early Jan
Pace
easy
- Before: Salzburg
See the full itinerary

Getting here and onward

Vienna to BudapestBudapest is about 214 km / 133 mi away in a straight line
Prague to ViennaPrague is about 251 km / 156 mi away in a straight line
Salzburg to ViennaSalzburg is about 252 km / 156 mi away in a straight line

Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.

Vienna month by month

Average daily highs run from 3°C / 37°F in January to 28°C / 82°F in July. June is the wettest month, with about 91 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.

Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Vienna weather and the best time to visit →

Near Vienna

8 other destinations from our guides within about 350 km (217 mi), measured in a straight line.

Vienna questions, answered

How many days do you need in Vienna?

Our route notes suggest 3 days or 3 nights in Vienna. On our Prague, Vienna & Budapest route it is stop 2 of 3 in a 9-day trip. The listed visit times for our 18 places add up to roughly 30 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.

What is Vienna best known for?

Palaces, world-class art and coffeehouse culture. Stay 3 days. Standouts on our list: Schönbrunn Palace (Habsburg summer palace with 1,441 rooms and formal gardens up to the Gloriette); St. Stephen's Cathedral (Gothic cathedral with a patterned tile roof and a 343-step south tower climb); Kunsthistorisches Museum (Old masters including the largest Bruegel collection anywhere, in a domed palace).

When is the best time to visit Vienna?

Our routes through Vienna are best Apr – Jun, Sep – Oct or Late Nov – early Jan. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in July (28°C / 82°F), the coolest in January (3°C / 37°F) and the most rain in June (about 91 mm).

What are the best things to do in Vienna?

Start with Schönbrunn Palace, St. Stephen's Cathedral, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Belvedere and Vienna State Opera. Our guide lists 18 places in all, from 7 sights, 3 activities, 3 places to eat, 1 bar or café, 3 shops and 1 place to stay.

Where should a group eat in Vienna?

Our picks: Café Sperl (Mariahilf); Figlmüller (Innere Stadt); Café Central (Innere Stadt). Order a Melange and Sperl torte (Café Sperl).

What is near Vienna?

The closest destinations in our guides are Budapest (about 214 km / 133 mi), Hallstatt (about 216 km / 134 mi) and Prague (about 251 km / 156 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.

Plan Vienna with your crew

Open the Prague, Vienna & Budapest route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 18 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.

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