Season guide · Vienna · Austria
Vienna in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Wiener Staatsoper GmbH, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Cold with occasional snow, Christmas markets in December, the New Year's Concert and the ball season in January and February. Expect highs up to 5°C (41°F) and lows around -2°C (28°F), with about 20 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- -2°C (28°F) to 5°C (41°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 20
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3°C (37°F) | -2°C (28°F) | 7 | 8.8 h | 2/5 |
| February | 5°C (41°F) | -1°C (30°F) | 6 | 10.1 h | 2/5 |
| December | 4°C (39°F) | -1°C (30°F) | 7 | 8.4 h | 5/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 4°C (39°F) against a yearly 15°C (59°F), and 20 of the year's roughly 83 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic at the Musikverein (1 January)
- January: Ball season — dozens of formal balls (January to February)
- February: Vienna Opera Ball (usually February, before Lent)
- December: Christmas markets (until 24–26 December, some until early January)
- December: New Year's Eve trail through the old town (31 December)
Good choices for winter
Street · Ringstrasse
Ringstrasse by tram
Ride the regular trams 1 and 2 with an ordinary ticket for most of the loop, hopping off at the Parliament and City Hall.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Gallery · Wieden
Secession Building
Built in 1898 for the Vienna Secession artists' group, this white exhibition hall is crowned by a dome of gilded laurel leaves, nicknamed the golden cabbage.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
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Museum · Innere Stadt
Natural History Museum
Head first to the Venus of Willendorf in her own small room and the dinosaur hall, the favourites of most children.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Nature
Museum · Innere Stadt
Haus der Musik
An interactive museum of sound and music in a palace near the State Opera, with rooms on the Vienna Philharmonic and the city's great composers, sound experiments and a virtual podium where you conduct the orchestra yourself.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Architecture · Innere Stadt
State Hall of the Austrian National Library
Visit early in the day to see the hall before the light dims and the crowds arrive.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Day trips in winter
- Heiligenkreuz and the Vienna Woods (About 45 minutes by bus) — The Vienna Woods (Wienerwald) are crisscrossed with walking trails.
- Lake Neusiedl and Rust (About 1–1.5 hours by train and bus) — Austria's largest lake is shallow and reed-fringed, a UNESCO-listed area of birdlife, cycling paths and sailing.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Vienna?
It is a trade-off: Cold with occasional snow, Christmas markets in December, the New Year's Concert and the ball season in January and February. The best months overall are April–June and September–October.
+What is the weather like in Vienna in winter?
Highs of up to 5°C (41°F) and lows around -2°C (28°F), with about 20 rainy days over the season.