Country guide · Austria
Best places to visit in Austria
4 destinations compared, so you can choose where to spend your time.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Superbass, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
For a first trip to Austria, start with Vienna: Imperial palaces, coffee houses, Klimt and world-class music. Vienna is the least expensive of the destinations in this guide.
Key facts
- Destinations in this guide
- 4
- Best months overall
- May–June and September
- Start with
- Vienna
- Least expensive here
- Vienna
4 places to visit in Austria
Best: April–June and September–October · 4 days
Vienna
Imperial palaces, coffee houses, Klimt and world-class music
Best: May–June and September · 2 days
Hallstatt
A salt-mining village on a narrow lakeshore beneath the Dachstein
.jpg){kind=link}
Best: June–September and December–January · 3 days
Innsbruck
Habsburg old town on the Inn with cable cars to 2,000-metre peaks
.jpg){kind=link}
Best: May–June and September · 3 days
Salzburg
Mozart's Baroque city beneath a hilltop fortress on the Salzach
Compare the destinations
| Destination | Known for | Best time | Ideal stay | Mid-range per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna | Schönbrunn Palace and Coffee houses | April–June and September–October | 4 days | $170–$300 |
| Hallstatt | Lakeside village views and Salt mine | May–June and September | 2 days | $180–$320 |
| Innsbruck | Golden Roof and Nordkette cable cars | June–September and December–January | 3 days | $170–$300 |
| Salzburg | Mozart and Hohensalzburg Fortress | May–June and September | 3 days | $180–$300 |
When to visit Austria
Across these destinations the most reliable months are May–June and September. Timing still varies by place: Vienna is best in April–June and September–October; Hallstatt is best in May–June and September; Innsbruck is best in June–September and December–January.
Signature dishes across Austria
Events through the year in Austria
| Month | Events |
|---|---|
| January | Vienna: New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic at the Musikverein (1 January); Innsbruck: Four Hills Tournament ski jumping at Bergisel (usually early January) |
| February | Vienna: Vienna Opera Ball (usually February, before Lent); Innsbruck: Carnival (Fasching) events (February) |
| March | Vienna: Easter markets at Schönbrunn and Freyung (March or April, depending on Easter); Salzburg: Salzburg Easter Festival (around Easter, March or April) |
| April | Vienna: Vienna City Marathon (usually April); Salzburg: Salzburg Easter Festival (around Easter) |
| May | Vienna: Wiener Festwochen arts festival (usually mid-May to June); Salzburg: Whitsun Festival — baroque and opera programme (usually May or June, around Pentecost) |
| June | Vienna: Donauinselfest — huge free open-air music festival on the Danube Island (usually June); Hallstatt: Corpus Christi — boat procession on the Hallstätter See (May or June) |
| July | Vienna: Film Festival on Rathausplatz — free open-air opera and concert films with food stalls (July–August); Innsbruck: Innsbruck Festival of Early Music (Festwochen der Alten Musik, usually July–August) |
| August | Vienna: Film Festival on Rathausplatz continues (until late August); Hallstatt: Kaiserfest in Bad Ischl — celebrations for Emperor Franz Joseph's birthday (around 18 August) |
| September | Vienna: Vienna Wine Hiking Day — walking routes through the city's vineyards (usually late September); Innsbruck: Almabtrieb — cattle drives down from alpine pastures in surrounding valleys (usually late September) |
| October | Vienna: Long Night of the Museums (usually early October) |
| November | Vienna: Christmas markets open at Rathausplatz, Spittelberg, Schönbrunn and elsewhere (usually mid-November); Innsbruck: Christmas markets open in the old town and other squares (usually mid-November) |
| December | Vienna: Christmas markets (until 24–26 December, some until early January); Hallstatt: Advent markets in the Salzkammergut (usually December) |
How far apart they are
| From | To | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Vienna | Hallstatt | 215 km |
| Vienna | Innsbruck | 386 km |
| Vienna | Salzburg | 251 km |
| Hallstatt | Innsbruck | 172 km |
| Hallstatt | Salzburg | 52 km |
| Innsbruck | Salzburg | 138 km |
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I go on my first trip to Austria?
Vienna: The Habsburgs ruled from Vienna for more than six centuries, and their palaces, museums and churches still define the city. Inside the Ringstrasse, the old centre holds St Stephen's Cathedral, the Hofburg and dozens of…
+When is the best time to visit Austria?
Generally May–June and September, though it varies by region.