Travel guide · Austria
Vienna travel guide
Imperial palaces, coffee houses, Klimt and world-class music
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Superbass, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
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 traditional coffee houses; just outside are the Belvedere with Klimt's The Kiss, the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the MuseumsQuartier. Schönbrunn Palace, the Prater's giant wheel and the vineyard taverns of the Vienna Woods are all reachable by the efficient U-Bahn and tram network. Plan 4 days for a first visit; the best months are April–June and September–October.
Key facts
- Country
- Austria
- Best time to visit
- April–June and September–October
- Ideal stay
- 4 days
- Main airports
- VIE, BTS
- Mid-range daily budget
- $170–$300 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- Schönbrunn Palace, Coffee houses, Klimt and Schiele and Classical music
Why visit Vienna
- Schönbrunn, the Hofburg and the Belvedere show the full splendour of the Habsburg court, from Sisi's apartments to Klimt's The Kiss.
- The Kunsthistorisches Museum has the world's largest collection of Bruegel paintings, and the Leopold Museum the largest of Egon Schiele.
- The State Opera, the Musikverein and the Konzerthaus stage world-class music almost every night, with standing places at low prices.
- Coffee-house culture, listed by UNESCO as intangible heritage, invites you to linger for hours over a melange and a slice of cake.
- Vineyards lie inside the city limits, where heuriger taverns pour the year's new wine.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 20 things to do.
Palace · Hietzing
Schönbrunn Palace
The Habsburg summer residence has 1,441 rooms, of which around 40 are shown on the Grand Tour, including the Hall of Mirrors where the six-year-old Mozart performed for Maria Theresa.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Views
- Kids
Palace · Innere Stadt
Hofburg Imperial Apartments and Sisi Museum
The Habsburgs' winter palace grew over six centuries into a city within the city.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Experience · Innere Stadt
Spanish Riding School
White Lipizzaner stallions perform classical dressage under the chandeliers of the baroque Winter Riding School inside the Hofburg, a tradition dating back more than 450 years.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
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Religious site · Innere Stadt
St Stephen's Cathedral
Vienna's Gothic cathedral is known for its roof of glazed tiles forming a double-headed eagle and its 136-metre south tower, climbed by 343 steps.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Views
Gallery · Landstraße
Belvedere
Two baroque palaces built for Prince Eugene of Savoy face each other across formal gardens.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Museum · Innere Stadt
Kunsthistorisches Museum
The Habsburg art collection fills a palatial building of 1891 on the Ring, with the world's largest group of paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, including Hunters in the Snow and The Tower of Babel, Vermeer's The Art of Painting, Caravaggio, Titian and Rubens, plus an Egyptian collection and the Kunstkammer of curiosities.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Where to stay
Innere Stadt is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 8 areas.
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, luxury, culture and families
Innere Stadt
The historic 1st district inside the Ring: cathedral, Hofburg and classic coffee houses
$$ · Best for budget, families, food lovers and solo travellers
Leopoldstadt
The Prater, Augarten park and a creative café scene across the Danube Canal
$$$ · Best for first-timers, families and quiet stays
Landstraße
The Belvedere palaces, the Hundertwasserhaus and the airport train terminus
$$$ · Best for food lovers, couples and culture
Wieden
Karlskirche, the Naschmarkt and the galleries and bistros of the Freihausviertel
What to eat
- Wiener Schnitzel — A thin escalope of veal, breaded and fried until the crust puffs up, served with lemon and potato or cucumber salad.
- Tafelspitz — Prime boiled beef simmered in broth with root vegetables, served in its copper pot with apple-horseradish, chive sauce and roast potatoes.
- Sachertorte — Dense chocolate sponge with a thin layer of apricot jam under dark chocolate glaze, served with unsweetened whipped cream.
- Apple strudel — Paper-thin stretched pastry rolled around apples, raisins, cinnamon and buttered breadcrumbs, served warm with cream or vanilla sauce.
- Kaiserschmarrn — A fluffy, caramelised pancake torn into pieces in the pan, dusted with icing sugar and served with plum compote or apple sauce.
- Käsekrainer — A smoked pork sausage studded with small cubes of cheese that melt when grilled, served with mustard, a slice of bread or stuffed into a baguette.
When to go
The best times to visit Vienna are April to June and September to October, when the weather is mild, the parks and vineyards are at their best and the music season is in full swing. December is very popular for the Christmas markets; January and February are cold but quiet, with the ball season adding glamour.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | March–May | Cool March turning warm in May, with blossom in the palace gardens, Easter markets and the Wiener Festwochen arts festival. |
| Summer | June–August | Warm days, open-air festivals and Danube swimming, but the State Opera takes a summer break and July and August are busy. |
| Autumn | September–November | Mild September and October with the grape harvest and new concert season, turning grey in November when Christmas markets open. |
| Winter | December–February | Cold with occasional snow, Christmas markets in December, the New Year's Concert and the ball season in January and February. |
Getting there and around
Vienna International Airport (VIE) is about 18 km south-east of the centre. The City Airport Train reaches Wien Mitte in about 16 minutes, the cheaper S7 commuter train takes about 25 minutes, and Railjet trains run to the Hauptbahnhof in about 15 minutes. Some low-cost flights use Bratislava Airport (BTS), about 55 km east, linked by coach in about an hour.
Vienna's public transport is fast, clean and frequent: U-Bahn lines, trams and buses cover the city, and one ticket works on all of them. The old centre inside the Ring is compact and mostly pedestrian-friendly.
Plan your days
Three days covers Schönbrunn, the Hofburg, St Stephen's, the Belvedere and one big art museum, plus an evening at the opera or a concert. A fourth day allows the Prater, a heuriger evening and a slower coffee-house morning; with a week, add the Wachau Valley and Bratislava.
Practical information
- Currency
- EUR
- Language
- German
- Plugs
- Type C and F sockets, 230 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is excellent, piped from Alpine springs, and drinking fountains are common in summer.
- Emergency number
- 112 (European emergency number)
- Tipping
- Round up or add about 5–10% in cafés and restaurants for good service, telling the waiter the amount when you pay.
Vienna is generally calm and orderly. Watch for pickpockets around Stephansplatz, on busy U-Bahn lines and at the Christmas markets, and take care around Praterstern and Karlsplatz stations at night.
Flights to Vienna
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in Vienna?
Three days covers Schönbrunn, the Hofburg, St Stephen's, the Belvedere and one big art museum, plus an evening at the opera or a concert. A fourth day allows the Prater, a heuriger evening and a slower coffee-house morning; with a week, add the Wachau Valley and Bratislava. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit Vienna?
The best times to visit Vienna are April to June and September to October, when the weather is mild, the parks and vineyards are at their best and the music season is in full swing. December is very popular for the Christmas markets; January and February are cold but quiet, with the ball season adding glamour.
+What is Vienna known for?
Schönbrunn Palace, Coffee houses, Klimt and Schiele, Classical music, Wiener Schnitzel, Sachertorte, Christmas markets and Habsburg history. Schönbrunn, the Hofburg and the Belvedere show the full splendour of the Habsburg court, from Sisi's apartments to Klimt's The Kiss.
+Is Vienna expensive?
Vienna is moderately priced for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $170–$300 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in Vienna?
No. Vienna's public transport is excellent and parking in the centre is limited and charged. A car is useful only for exploring rural Austria beyond the Wachau Valley.