Vienna, Austria is a phenomenal, elegant metropolis stuffed with baroque structure and sprinkled with its quintessential espresso homes. Filled with historical past, music, and tradition, it’s also one in all our favourite European cities. I’ve put collectively these Vienna itineraries that will help you work out what number of days you want in Vienna and what to do when you are there.
One warning I’d give is that though there’s a lot to do, don’t let your Vienna journey itinerary get too full. If you’re nervous about what number of days in Vienna you’ve got, you might be tempted to pack all of it into a brief go to, however it’s good to take the time to benefit from the coffeehouse tradition, the identical manner you’ll loosen up and folks watch at a Parisian cafe.
What number of days in Vienna do you want?
If you’re questioning what number of days to spend in Vienna, I’d say you need to spend not less than two full days in Vienna to get an actual sense of the town and have sufficient time to see the principle points of interest. in case you are planning on flying straight into Vienna from the USA, I’d suggest not less than 3 days in Vienna because the candy spot, particularly since your first day might be your arrival day and you can be combatting jet lag.
We spent 5 days in Vienna on a mixed Vienna-Budapest journey. Between the 2, we most popular Vienna by far and we might have simply spent every week. Ideally, you’ll keep as much as 5 days in Vienna, particularly if you wish to take any day journeys from Vienna to Salzburg, Bratislava, or elsewhere.
The place to Keep in Vienna
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Palais HAnsen Kempinski Vienna
We completely beloved our keep on the Palais Hansen Kempinski! The central location was best. It was proper off the Ringstrasse (Ring Street) and away from the touristy areas, making it tremendous handy. But it surely was additionally quiet and extra genuine feeling than the lodges across the Vienna State Opera Home. It was steps away from two tram stops and a block to an underground station.
The service on the Kempinski was the most effective of any resort we’ve got skilled. Each time we got here and went, we had been greeted by identify. The doormen, bell workers, and concierge had been exceedingly useful. The housekeeping workers was additionally top-notch, with nightly turn-down service and kid-friendly facilities.
We had booked a Grand Deluxe Room however had been very joyful to obtain the Virtuoso improve to a Ring Suite. The suite was so spacious with a really massive lounge with a pull-out couch mattress and views of the town. The master suite featured a comfortable king mattress, additionally with a phenomenal metropolis view.
Certainly one of my favourite issues concerning the Kempinski was the intensive world breakfast buffet (free, thanks to a different Virtuoso perk!) The breakfast options champagne, freshly squeezed juices (or a do-it-yourself juicer, eggs made to order, contemporary fruits, pastries, meats and cheese, cereals, and even a kid-sized youngster buffet with cereal, juice containers, and different snacks.
Airbnb
If you’re in search of a extra reasonably priced possibility within the metropolis centre, there are many good Airbnb or vrbo choices in Vienna, a few of that are extraordinarily reasonably priced. Once we returned to Vienna, we ended up choosing a two-bedroom condo in a historic constructing close to Judenplatz, very centrally situated inside the Ringstrasse.
The condo was very spacious, with two massive bedrooms, a full bathtub with bathe and tub, a kitchen, a eating desk, and a small couch. They are saying it will probably match as much as six folks (two on the couch mattress), and it was greater than sufficient area for the three of us. It was an incredible possibility in case you are touring on a good price range.
What’s the BesT time to Go to Vienna?
Many guests flock to Vienna to searching for the most effective Christmas markets in Central Europe in December, particularly these embarking on river cruises. Nonetheless, the most effective occasions to the capital of Austria might be within the shoulder seasons of April and Might or September and October. At the moment you’ll encounter delicate climate and manageable crowds.
In the summertime months, you’ll discover bigger crowds and better costs. We truly visited in March on a European spring break journey and located the climate ranged from raining and chilly to sunny and heat.
2 Day Vienna Itinerary
If you’re simply in search of the most effective issues to do in Vienna in 2 days on a primary go to to Austria, here’s what I’d recommend. We extremely suggest staying within the metropolis heart, the place you may simply take public transportation or stroll to all the principle websites.
Day 1
With simply 2 days in Vienna, I’d begin off on the Hofburg Palace and the Sisi Museum, which is the previous Imperial Palace of the Habsburg dynasty, situated within the First District proper within the heart of city. Followers of The Empress sequence on Netflix will get pleasure from attending to see and be taught extra about Franz and Elisabeth.
You’ll be able to tour the Palace however when you have restricted time, simply get pleasure from strolling by way of the gate and across the exterior. From right here, you’re in shut proximity to the Opera Home, Museums Quartier, and the Spanish Driving Faculty.
The Spanish Driving Faculty has been practising the UNESCO-recognized equestrian type of Haute Ecole, a really specialised type of dressage, for over 450 years.
Attending to see these Lippizaner stallions and their riders carry out is kind of a deal with! Make sure you examine the schedule earlier than you go to see should you can match a efficiency into your journey (tickets should be bought prematurely), or maybe peek in on one in all their morning practices.
After visiting the Spanish Driving Faculty, make a beeline for one in all Vienna’s well-known coffeehouses. In the event you can arrive earlier than midday the traces might be shorter. I’ve an entire listing of our favourite espresso homes in Vienna, and from the Hofburg, it’s a quick stroll to Demel, Cafe Central, or Cafe Sperl.
Upon getting completed lunch, artwork historical past followers ought to head to the Museum Quarter or go to both the Albertina, Leopold Museum, or Belvedere Museum within the Higher Belvedere Palace, the place you could find the “Kiss” by Gustav Klimt, made well-known by the “Girl in Gold” film. In the event you aren’t into artwork, Vienna has a beautiful Pure Historical past Museum.
When it’s time for dinner, be sure you strive some conventional wiener schnitzel and strudel. You will get the traditional Viennese delicacies at Griechenbeisl or Figmüller (try my submit on the place to eat in Vienna for extra choices.)
Day 2
In your second day in Vienna, head out to the Schönbrunn Palace, the summer time residence of the Habsburgs. The Schönbrunn was constructed within the late seventeenth century by Emperor Leopold I, who commissioned the Baroque architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach to design an imperial looking lodge for his son, Crown Prince Joseph, who later to grew to become Emperor Joseph I.
Take an Imperial or Grand Tour of the Royal Residences and Rooms. That is simply a half-day tour, or longer should you additionally go to the world’s oldest zoo or get pleasure from any particular occasions that could be occurring on the time. The Imperial tour offers perception into the totally different eras of the imperial monarchy and contains visits to the staterooms and personal flats of Franz Joseph and Sisi.
The Grand Tour additionally contains the 18th-century interiors from the time of Maria Theresia. If visiting with tweens/teenagers that aren’t historical past buffs, the Imperial Tour is enough. However if you wish to be awed by ornate interiors, spring for the Grand Tour.
If you’re visiting with younger kids, you have to additionally go to the Youngsters’s Museum at Schönbrunn Palace. Right here, children will find out about toys from the previous, get to set the imperial eating desk, participate in a themed tour, and even gown up as a prince or princess!
Make sure you depart time to benefit from the out of doors gardens and take a stroll as much as the Gloriette for sweeping views of the Palace and the town past. The traces could be lengthy so I’d suggest a skip-the-line tour.
You probably have children, they could get pleasure from a go to to the zoo subsequent door, Europe’s oldest. Households might additionally spend the afternoon on the Prater amusement park again in Central Vienna, and experience the large Ferris wheel (learn the way to skip the road.) The Prater was as soon as an imperial looking floor and solely accessible for the aristocracy, however as we speak it’s an amusement park and inexperienced area with swings, curler coasters, the Big Ferris wheel, and occasions areas.
For these not visiting with households (and even in case you are!), make time to go to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, which towers over the town heart. Constructed within the 12th century, the roof of St. Stephen’s is roofed in colourful tiles, laid to create the coat of arms of the town of Vienna.
The Cathedral is open to the general public, and you can too take a guided tour of the cathedral, catacombs, and two towers. The tower room is kind of a climb — 343 steps to the highest, however you can be rewarded with lovely views over Vienna. Within the reverse tower hangs the Pummerin, the second-largest free-swinging chimed church bell in Europe.
Within the night, I’d additionally suggest squeezing in a go to to the opera or different musical efficiency when you are in Vienna. Even when there isn’t one thing enjoying on the State Opera Home, there are different venues within the metropolis. Plan forward to absorb a night efficiency, simply be sure you analysis the efficiency prematurely. We went to a really avant-garde efficiency of Don Giovanni by Mozart and it was nothing like what we anticipated.
3 Days in Vienna Itinerary
You probably have 3 days in Vienna, the extra day gives you time to dig somewhat deeper into the town’s tradition and historical past. Begin off by following the two days in Vienna itinerary above, after which for the third day, plan a guided tour (after all you may all the time shuffle the times and occasions round to fit your schedule.)
There are two guided excursions that we actually loved once we visited Vienna.
Jewish Historical past Tour in Vienna
The primary was a Vienna Jewish historical past tour with Context Journey. This three-hour tour led to very attention-grabbing discussions about Vienna’s previous, how its tragic Jewish historical past is being remembered, and the rebirth of the Viennese Jewish neighborhood.
The historical past of Jewish Vienna goes all the best way again to 1190 with the founding of the primary synagogue within the metropolis. But should you stroll round Vienna as we speak, it’s simple to go by the proof of the as soon as vibrant Jewish neighborhood with out noticing.
As within the historical past of Jewish teams all through the world, the historical past of Jews in Vienna is kind of turbulent, with a sequence of pogroms and expulsions. After a few centuries of relative peace, the Jews had been first expelled from Vienna in 1420, after they had been suspected of opposing the Habsburgs. Then, within the seventeenth century when the Protestants and Catholics had been at warfare they usually wanted cash, Vienna introduced again the Jews.
In 1825 the Metropolis Temple was constructed and later, in 1867, a transfer was made to permit for equal rights for all religions in Vienna, ushering in practically 70 years of prosperity till the Nazi rise to energy. By 1938, there have been 170,000 Jews in Vienna, representing about one-tenth of the inhabitants. Tragically, after World Warfare II, solely 5,512 Jews had been left in Vienna, and of those, solely 3,000 had been initially Viennese.
On November 9, 1938, the evening of Kristallnacht (or evening of crystal or damaged glass), 24 synagogues had been fully destroyed. At present, there are someplace between 12,000-20,000 Jews in Vienna and plenty of synagogues have been rebuilt.
Even when that is extra time than you need to dedicate, not less than take the time to go to the Holocaust Memorial in Judenplatz. This Memorial is within the type of a library, the place all of the titles face in and the library door doesn’t have a deal with, representing all of the lives with tales unwritten and untold. The symbolism is extremely highly effective.
Vienna Meals Tour
If you’re extra of a foodie, I’d suggest a meals tour with Meals Excursions Vienna. Certainly one of my favourite methods of exploring a metropolis is thru its meals.
Lukas, our tour information/chef, confirmed us fairly a number of small companies we might not have discovered on our personal and launched us to a few of Vienna’s specialties. Even should you don’t take a meals tour, spend a while wandering by way of the kilometer-long Nashmarkt out of doors meals market.
We began our tour in one in all Vienna’s class espresso homes, Cafe Sperl. Inbuilt 1880, Cafe Sperl has lengthy been a favourite hang-out for composers, singers, writers, and artists. At present, it maintains its historic really feel and native attraction and is without doubt one of the solely cafe that also bakes its personal pastries in-house every day.
You’ll be able to definitely style the distinction and should you go to, be sure you strive the unassuming Sperl cake. It doesn’t appear to be a lot however this chocolate cake is scrumptious. Of all of the cafes and low homes we visited in Vienna, Cafe Sperl was in our high two and I favored the Sperl cake far more than the well-known Sacher Torte.
Certainly one of my favourite stops was on the Bitzringer’s Sausage Stand — one of the crucial well-known sausage stands in Vienna. We had already stopped by right here the day earlier than, however we had been joyful to pattern one other fashion. Between the smoked and the cheese sausages, the cheese-stuffed was my favourite — not overly tacky however a number of scrumptious taste.
Until you order a “sizzling canine”, the sausage is sliced and served on a plate with mustard, ketchup, and freshly shredded horseradish. Make sure you watch by way of the window as they put together it if somebody orders a sizzling canine. It’s cool to see how they poke a gap within the bun, squirt in some ketchup, after which stuff within the sausage. Undoubtedly make this a cease should you go to Vienna!
We additionally actually loved sampling Austrian wine at Melker Stiftskeller, a cute underground wine bar that includes wines from up close to Melks Abbey.
In the event you want extra recommendations on what to see in Vienna in 3 days, cease by the Haus der Musik Sound Museum. It should solely take one to 2 hours however it’s a whole lot of enjoyable to play with the varied sounds and find out about Vienna’s classical composers. This can be a very enjoyable and interactive museum for music lovers of all ages.
What when you have extra time in Vienna?
You probably have 4 days in Vienna, it would be best to spend a while visiting a number of extra of Vienna’s many museums (and low retailers) and take any excursions you’ll have missed.
With 5 days in Vienna, you should have time to take a day journey to Salzburg, Bratislava, or Melk Abbey. You probably have greater than that, you may embody a facet journey to Budapest or Prague.
Often Requested Questions
Under no circumstances. 4 days is an ideal time to spend in Vienna if you want to go to quite a few Vienna’s museums and points of interest (if that’s the case you might need to spend money on the Vienna Go). You should have time to go to all of Vienna’s highlights, take a number of excursions, and nonetheless have time to understand Vienna’s espresso home tradition.
You’ll be able to definitely get a way of the town and see lots of Vienna’s highlights in two days. Ideally although you’ll spend three to 5 days in Vienna.
Two days in Vienna is absolutely the minimal. Ideally you’ll spend not less than three to 5 days in Vienna.
5 days in Vienna offers you time to take a day journey to close by Salzburg, Melk Abbey, or Bratislava. In any other case, you should have extra time to loosen up, store, and benefit from the metropolis. In the event you get pleasure from artwork and music you’ll not end up bored.
Visiting Vienna?
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