![How Many Days in Vienna is Best? [2 or 3+ day Vienna itinerary]](https://we3travel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Capriole_c-Spanische-Hofreitschule_Herbert-Graf-e1508970287721.jpg "How Many Days in Vienna is Best? [2 or 3+ day Vienna itinerary]")
Vienna, Austria is a stupendous, elegant metropolis filled with baroque structure and sprinkled with its quintessential espresso homes. Full of historical past, music, and tradition, it’s also one in all our favourite European cities. I’ve put collectively these Vienna itineraries that will help you work out what number of days you want in Vienna and what to do when you are there.
One warning I might give is that regardless that there may be a lot to do, don’t let your Vienna journey itinerary get too full. If you’re nervous about what number of days in Vienna you may have, chances are you’ll be tempted to pack all of it into a brief go to, however it’s good to take the time to benefit from the coffeehouse tradition, the identical means you’d chill out and other people watch at a Parisian cafe.
How many days in Vienna do you want?
If you’re questioning what number of days to spend in Vienna, I might say it is best to spend not less than two full days in Vienna to get an actual sense of the town and have sufficient time to see the principle points of interest. if you’re planning on flying straight into Vienna from the United States, I might suggest not less than 3 days in Vienna because the candy spot, particularly since your first day shall be your arrival day and you may be combatting jet lag.
We spent 5 days in Vienna on a mixed Vienna-Budapest journey. Between the 2, we most well-liked Vienna by far and we might have simply spent every week. Ideally, you’d keep as much as 5 days in Vienna, particularly if you wish to take any day journeys from Vienna to Salzburg, Bratislava, or elsewhere.
Where to Stay in Vienna
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Palais HAnsen Kempinski Vienna
We completely liked our keep on the Palais Hansen Kempinski! The central location was splendid. It was proper off the Ringstrasse (Ring Road) and away from the touristy areas, making it tremendous handy. But it was additionally quiet and extra genuine feeling than the resorts across the Vienna State Opera House. It was steps away from two tram stops and a block to an underground station.
The service on the Kempinski was the perfect of any resort we’ve skilled. Every time we got here and went, we have been greeted by identify. The doormen, bell employees, and concierge have been exceedingly useful. The housekeeping employees was additionally top-notch, with nightly turn-down service and kid-friendly facilities.
We had booked a Grand Deluxe Room however have been very comfortable to obtain the Virtuoso improve to a Ring Suite. The suite was so spacious with a really giant front room with a pull-out couch mattress and views of the town. The main bedroom featured a comfortable king mattress, additionally with a stupendous metropolis view.
One of my favourite issues in regards to the Kempinski was the in depth world breakfast buffet (free, thanks to a different Virtuoso perk!) The breakfast options champagne, freshly squeezed juices (or a do-it-yourself juicer, eggs made to order, recent fruits, pastries, meats and cheese, cereals, and even a kid-sized youngster buffet with cereal, juice containers, and different snacks.
Airbnb
If you’re in search of a extra inexpensive choice within the metropolis centre, there are many good Airbnb or vrbo choices in Vienna, a few of that are extraordinarily inexpensive. When we returned to Vienna, we ended up choosing a two-bedroom condo in a historic constructing close to Judenplatz, very centrally situated inside the Ringstrasse.
The condo was very spacious, with two giant bedrooms, a full tub with bathe and tub, a kitchen, a eating desk, and a small couch. They say it could actually match as much as six folks (two on the couch mattress), and it was greater than sufficient house for the three of us. It was an ideal choice if you’re touring on a good funds.
What is the BesT time to Visit Vienna?
Many guests flock to Vienna to looking for the perfect Christmas markets in Central Europe in December, particularly these embarking on river cruises. However, the perfect occasions to the capital of Austria shall be within the shoulder seasons of April and May or September and October. At that point you’ll encounter delicate climate and manageable crowds.
In the summer time months, you can see bigger crowds and better costs. We really visited in March on a European spring break journey and located the climate ranged from raining and chilly to sunny and heat.
2 Day Vienna Itinerary
If you’re simply in search of the perfect issues to do in Vienna in 2 days on a primary go to to Austria, here’s what I might recommend. We extremely suggest staying within the metropolis heart, the place you possibly can simply take public transportation or stroll to all the principle websites.
Day 1
With simply 2 days in Vienna, I might begin off on the Hofburg Palace and the Sisi Museum, which is the previous Imperial Palace of the Habsburg dynasty, situated within the First District proper within the heart of city. Fans of The Empress sequence on Netflix will take pleasure in attending to see and study extra about Franz and Elisabeth.
You can tour the Palace however if in case you have restricted time, simply take pleasure in strolling by the gate and across the exterior. From right here, you’re in shut proximity to the Opera House, Museums Quartier, and the Spanish Riding School.
The Spanish Riding School has been practising the UNESCO-recognized equestrian type of Haute Ecole, a really specialised type of dressage, for over 450 years.
Getting to see these Lippizaner stallions and their riders carry out is kind of a deal with! Be certain to verify the schedule earlier than you go to see in the event you can match a efficiency into your journey (tickets should be bought upfront), or maybe peek in on one in all their morning practices.
After visiting the Spanish Riding School, make a beeline for one in all Vienna’s well-known coffeehouses. If you possibly can arrive earlier than midday the strains shall be shorter. I’ve a complete checklist of our favourite espresso homes in Vienna, and from the Hofburg, it’s a brief stroll to Demel, Cafe Central, or Cafe Sperl.
Once you may have completed lunch, artwork historical past followers ought to head to the Museum Quarter or go to both the Albertina, Leopold Museum, or Belvedere Museum within the Upper Belvedere Palace, the place you will discover the “Kiss” by Gustav Klimt, made well-known by the “Woman in Gold” film. If you aren’t into artwork, Vienna has a beautiful Natural History Museum.
When it’s time for dinner, you should definitely strive some conventional wiener schnitzel and strudel. You can get the traditional Viennese delicacies at Griechenbeisl or Figmüller (try my put up on the place to eat in Vienna for extra choices.)
Day 2
For your second day in Vienna, head out to the Schönbrunn Palace, the summer time residence of the Habsburgs. The Schönbrunn was constructed within the late seventeenth century by Emperor Leopold I, who commissioned the Baroque architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach to design an imperial looking lodge for his son, Crown Prince Joseph, who later to turned Emperor Joseph I.
Take an Imperial or Grand Tour of the Royal Apartments and Rooms. This is definitely a half-day tour, or longer in the event you additionally go to the world’s oldest zoo or take pleasure in any particular occasions that could be occurring on the time. The Imperial tour gives perception into the completely different eras of the imperial monarchy and consists of visits to the staterooms and personal flats of Franz Joseph and Sisi.
The Grand Tour additionally consists of the 18th-century interiors from the time of Maria Theresia. If visiting with tweens/teenagers that aren’t historical past buffs, the Imperial Tour is ample. But if you wish to be awed by ornate interiors, spring for the Grand Tour.
If you’re visiting with younger youngsters, you could additionally go to the Children’s Museum at Schönbrunn Palace. Here, children will study toys from the previous, get to set the imperial eating desk, participate in a themed tour, and even costume up as a prince or princess!
Be certain to go away time to benefit from the outside gardens and take a stroll as much as the Gloriette for sweeping views of the Palace and the town past. The strains might be lengthy so I might suggest a skip-the-line tour.
If you may have children, they might take pleasure in a go to to the zoo subsequent door, Europe’s oldest. Families might additionally spend the afternoon on the Prater amusement park again in Central Vienna, and experience the enormous Ferris wheel (learn how to skip the road.) The Prater was as soon as an imperial looking floor and solely accessible for the aristocracy, however at present it’s an amusement park and inexperienced house with swings, curler coasters, the Giant Ferris wheel, and occasions areas.
For these not visiting with households (and even if you’re!), make time to go to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, which towers over the town heart. Built within the 12th century, the roof of St. Stephen’s is roofed in colourful tiles, laid to create the coat of arms of the town of Vienna.
The Cathedral is open to the general public, and you may as well take a guided tour of the cathedral, catacombs, and two towers. The tower room is kind of a climb — 343 steps to the highest, however you may be rewarded with lovely views over Vienna. In the other tower hangs the Pummerin, the second-largest free-swinging chimed church bell in Europe.
In the night, I might additionally suggest squeezing in a go to to the opera or different musical efficiency when you are in Vienna. Even if there isn’t one thing taking part in on the State Opera House, there are different venues within the metropolis. Plan forward to soak up a night efficiency, simply you should definitely analysis the efficiency upfront. We went to a really avant-garde efficiency of Don Giovanni by Mozart and it was nothing like what we anticipated.
3 Days in Vienna Itinerary
If you may have 3 days in Vienna, the extra day will provide you with time to dig a bit of deeper into the town’s tradition and historical past. Start off by following the two days in Vienna itinerary above, after which for the third day, plan a guided tour (after all you possibly can all the time shuffle the times and occasions round to fit your schedule.)
There are two guided excursions that we actually loved after we visited Vienna.
Jewish History Tour in Vienna
The first was a Vienna Jewish historical past tour with Context Travel. This three-hour tour led to very fascinating discussions about Vienna’s previous, how its tragic Jewish historical past is being remembered, and the rebirth of the Viennese Jewish neighborhood.
The historical past of Jewish Vienna goes all the best way again to 1190 with the founding of the primary synagogue within the metropolis. Yet in the event you stroll round Vienna at present, it’s simple to go by the proof of the as soon as vibrant Jewish neighborhood with out noticing.
As within the historical past of Jewish teams all through the world, the historical past of Jews in Vienna is kind of turbulent, with a sequence of pogroms and expulsions. After a few centuries of relative peace, the Jews have been first expelled from Vienna in 1420, once they have been suspected of opposing the Habsburgs. Then, within the seventeenth century when the Protestants and Catholics have been at conflict they usually wanted cash, Vienna introduced again the Jews.
In 1825 the City Temple was constructed and later, in 1867, a transfer was made to permit for equal rights for all religions in Vienna, ushering in almost 70 years of prosperity till the Nazi rise to energy. By 1938, there have been 170,000 Jews in Vienna, representing about one-tenth of the inhabitants. Tragically, after World War II, solely 5,512 Jews have been left in Vienna, and of those, solely 3,000 have been initially Viennese.
On November 9, 1938, the night time of Kristallnacht (or night time of crystal or damaged glass), 24 synagogues have been utterly destroyed. Today, there are someplace between 12,000-20,000 Jews in Vienna and plenty of synagogues have been rebuilt.
Even if that is extra time than you need to dedicate, not less than take the time to go to the Holocaust Memorial in Judenplatz. This Memorial is within the type of a library, the place all of the titles face in and the library door doesn’t have a deal with, representing all of the lives with tales unwritten and untold. The symbolism is extremely highly effective.
Vienna Food Tour
If you’re extra of a foodie, I’d suggest a meals tour with Food Tours Vienna. One of my favourite methods of exploring a metropolis is thru its meals.
Lukas, our tour information/chef, confirmed us fairly just a few small companies we’d not have discovered on our personal and launched us to a few of Vienna’s specialties. Even in the event you don’t take a meals tour, spend a while wandering by the kilometer-long Nashmarkt outside meals market.
We began our tour in one in all Vienna’s class espresso homes, Cafe Sperl. Built in 1880, Cafe Sperl has lengthy been a favourite hang-out for composers, singers, writers, and artists. Today, it maintains its historic really feel and native appeal and is without doubt one of the solely cafe that also bakes its personal pastries in-house day by day.
You can actually style the distinction and in the event you go to, you should definitely strive the unassuming Sperl cake. It doesn’t appear like a lot however this chocolate cake is scrumptious. Of all of the cafes and low homes we visited in Vienna, Cafe Sperl was in our high two and I favored the Sperl cake far more than the well-known Sacher Torte.
One of my favourite stops was on the Bitzringer’s Sausage Stand — probably the most well-known sausage stands in Vienna. We had already stopped by right here the day earlier than, however we have been comfortable to pattern one other model. Between the smoked and the cheese sausages, the cheese-stuffed was my favourite — not overly tacky however numerous scrumptious taste.
Unless you order a “hot dog”, the sausage is sliced and served on a plate with mustard, ketchup, and freshly shredded horseradish. Be certain to look at by the window as they put together it if somebody orders a sizzling canine. It is cool to see how they poke a gap within the bun, squirt in some ketchup, after which stuff within the sausage. Definitely make this a cease in the event you go to Vienna!
We additionally actually loved sampling Austrian wine at Melker Stiftskeller, a cute underground wine bar that includes wines from up close to Melks Abbey.
If you want extra solutions on what to see in Vienna in 3 days, cease by the Haus der Musik Sound Museum. It will solely take one to 2 hours however it’s lots of enjoyable to play with the varied sounds and study Vienna’s classical composers. This is a really enjoyable and interactive museum for music lovers of all ages.
What if in case you have extra time in Vienna?
If you may have 4 days in Vienna, you’ll want to spend a while visiting just a few extra of Vienna’s many museums (and low outlets) and take any excursions you will have missed.
With 5 days in Vienna, you should have time to take a day journey to Salzburg, Bratislava, or Melk Abbey. If you may have greater than that, you possibly can embrace a aspect journey to Budapest or Prague.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not in any respect. Four days is an ideal time to spend in Vienna if you need to go to a lot of Vienna’s museums and points of interest (if that’s the case chances are you’ll need to spend money on the Vienna Pass). You can have time to go to all of Vienna’s highlights, take just a few excursions, and nonetheless have time to understand Vienna’s espresso home tradition.
You can actually get a way of the town and see a lot of Vienna’s highlights in two days. Ideally although you’d spend three to 5 days in Vienna.
Two days in Vienna is absolutely the minimal. Ideally you’d spend not less than three to 5 days in Vienna.
Five days in Vienna provides you time to take a day journey to close by Salzburg, Melk Abbey, or Bratislava. Otherwise, you should have extra time to chill out, store, and benefit from the metropolis. If you take pleasure in artwork and music you’ll not end up bored.
Visiting Vienna?
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