3 days in Vienna

Day by day

1. Day 1: Schönbrunn Palace and Tiergarten Schönbrunn

   Schönbrunn Palace, Tiergarten Schönbrunn and Hofburg Imperial Apartments and Sisi Museum, then Prater and the Giant Ferris Wheel in the evening.

   1. Morning

      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.

   2. Late morning

      Tiergarten Schönbrunn

      Enter from the palace gardens and combine the zoo with the Schönbrunn maze and children's museum.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Wiener Schnitzel

      Traditional Beisl restaurants and schnitzel specialists across the city, especially in the 1st district.

   4. Afternoon

      Hofburg Imperial Apartments and Sisi Museum

      The Habsburgs' winter palace grew over six centuries into a city within the city.

   5. Evening

      Prater and the Giant Ferris Wheel

      Ride the Riesenrad just before sunset, then walk or cycle along the Hauptallee.

2. Day 2: Spanish Riding School and St Stephen's Cathedral

   Spanish Riding School, St Stephen's Cathedral and Kunsthistorisches Museum, then Vienna State Opera in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Spanish Riding School

      If performance tickets are sold out, book a morning exercise session or a guided tour of the stables.

   2. Late morning

      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.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Tafelspitz

      Classic Viennese restaurants and Beisln; a few specialise in boiled beef in many cuts.

   4. Afternoon

      Kunsthistorisches Museum

      Take coffee and cake in the café under the grand cupola, one of the most beautiful museum cafés in Europe.

   5. Evening

      Vienna State Opera

      Check the official site for how standing-room tickets are sold for your date, and dress smart-casual for evening performances.

3. Day 3: Belvedere and Hundertwasserhaus

   Belvedere, Hundertwasserhaus and Albertina, then MuseumsQuartier and Leopold Museum in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Belvedere

      Two baroque palaces built for Prince Eugene of Savoy face each other across formal gardens.

   2. Late morning

      Hundertwasserhaus

      Combine it with a walk along the Danube Canal or a ride on tram 1 to the Prater.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Sachertorte

      Café Sacher at Hotel Sacher, Demel on Kohlmarkt and most traditional coffee houses.

   4. Afternoon

      Albertina

      Housed in a Habsburg palace behind the State Opera, the Albertina combines restored imperial state rooms with a permanent collection running from Monet and Degas to Picasso, and one of the world's great collections of prints and drawings, including Dürer's Young Hare, shown only occasionally.

   5. Evening

      MuseumsQuartier and Leopold Museum

      Even without a ticket, the courtyard is a free and lively place for a drink in the warmer months.

Before you go

• Schönbrunn Palace: Palace tours use timed tickets that sell out in summer and at weekends; book online in advance.
• Spanish Riding School: Performances sell out weeks ahead; book on the official site.
• Belvedere: Timed tickets are recommended in summer and around holidays.
• Vienna State Opera: Seated tickets for popular performances sell out; book online well ahead.

If it rains

• Swap in Ringstrasse by tram (Ringstrasse): Ride the regular trams 1 and 2 with an ordinary ticket for most of the loop, hopping off at the Parliament and City Hall.
• Swap in Secession Building (Wieden): Read the motto over the entrance — 'To every age its art, to art its freedom' — then go straight down to the Beethoven Frieze.
• Swap in Natural History Museum (Innere Stadt): Head first to the Venus of Willendorf in her own small room and the dinosaur hall, the favourites of most children.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Innere Stadt keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Leopoldstadt ($$) suits budget, families, food lovers and solo travellers. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 23–29 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.4 hours in December to 16.1 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Vienna
• 2 days in Vienna
• 4 days in Vienna
• 5 days in Vienna
• 7 days in Vienna

Questions travellers ask