Month guide · Vienna · Austria
Vienna in January
What January is really like in Vienna: weather, crowds, prices, events and what to pack.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: C.Stadler/Bwag, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
January is a quieter month with trade-offs. Expect average highs of 3°C (37°F), lows of -2°C (28°F), about 7 rainy days and roughly 8.8 hours of daylight. Cold and often grey, but the ball season is in full swing and museums and coffee houses are cosy and quiet.
Key facts
- Average high / low
- 3°C (37°F) / -2°C (28°F)
- Rainy days
- About 7
- Daylight
- About 8.8 hours
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in January
January is the coolest month in Vienna: days average 3°C (37°F) against a yearly average high of 15°C (59°F), and nights fall to about -2°C (28°F). Rain falls on roughly 7 of its 31 days. Compared with December (4°C (39°F)), January is about as warm; by February highs climb to around 5°C (41°F).
- Sunrise (15 January)
- About 07:40
- Sunset (15 January)
- About 16:27
- Daylight
- About 8.8 hours
Winter (December–February). Cold with occasional snow, Christmas markets in December, the New Year's Concert and the ball season in January and February.
Crowds and prices
On a 1–5 scale, January rates 2 for crowds (the peak is July at 5) and 2 for hotel prices (highest in December). That makes January one of the better-value months to book.
Events in January
- New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic at the Musikverein (1 January)
- Ball season — dozens of formal balls (January to February)
Dates move from year to year. Check the organiser’s site before booking travel around an event.
What to do in January
With cold days, plan around indoor sights and keep outdoor time flexible.
Palace · Innere Stadt
Hofburg Imperial Apartments and Sisi Museum
Allow extra time for the Imperial Treasury, which is a separate ticket but holds some of the most important regalia in Europe.
- 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
Gallery · Landstraße
Belvedere
The gardens are free and give the classic view of the Upper Belvedere reflected in its pool.
- 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
What to pack
For highs near 3°C, lows near -2°C and 7 wet days: a warm coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers; shoes with good grip for icy pavements; a packable rain jacket for showers; comfortable walking shoes.
Is January a good time to visit Vienna?
A quieter month with trade-offs, with 2 notable events on the calendar. If your dates are flexible, April–June and September–October are better overall. Compare every month.
Vienna in other months
Questions travellers ask
+Is January a good time to visit Vienna?
It is a quieter month with trade-offs. Cold and often grey, but the ball season is in full swing and museums and coffee houses are cosy and quiet.
+How warm is Vienna in January?
Average highs are around 3°C (37°F) and lows around -2°C (28°F).
+Does it rain a lot in Vienna in January?
Expect rain on about 7 days of the month.