How to Spend 3 Days in Vienna (Updated 2023)

Posted: 7/21/23 | July twenty first, 2023

Steeped in tradition, arts, music, and historical past, Vienna is likely one of the most stunning cities in Europe. (At least I feel so!)

The total historic middle of Vienna is a chosen UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s full of numerous museums and artwork galleries, grand Baroque palaces, conventional markets, and implausible eating places.

I’ll admit that I didn’t love Vienna once I first visited. I discovered it a bit stuffy and imperial (which is smart given its historical past). But, after a few visits, I grew to adore it and located it a metropolis energetic, artwork, and music. I beloved it a lot I took teams of readers right here!

There is quite a bit to do right here. (In truth, there’s a lot that you may simply spend per week right here and never get bored.)

But, for those who solely have a number of days, right here’s my urged three-day Vienna itinerary for those who’re brief on time. It hits all of the highlights.

Vienna itinerary: Day 1

Take a free strolling tour
I all the time take a strolling tour each time I arrive in a vacation spot. Starting your journey with a strolling tour is a enjoyable strategy to get a way of the town, as a style of its historical past and tradition. Plus, you’ll be able to ask your information questions on the place to eat and go since they’re all the time locals so that they know the within scoop!

Two glorious free strolling excursions are:

If you’d prefer to cowl extra floor, take into account taking a motorbike tour. I like the tour supplied by Pedal Power Vienna. It’s three hours and covers all the main highlights.

Admire St. Stephen’s Cathedral

Built in Romanesque and Gothic types, the Stephansdom has been standing for the reason that twelfth century. It is most well-known for its colourful roof of 230,000 glazed tiles, however the inside is ornately embellished as nicely, with excessive archways, vaulted ceilings, and a plethora of statues and spiritual work. There are two stunning altars inside too: the Seventeenth-century High Altar and the Fifteenth-century Wiener Neustadt Altar.

The cathedral has been destroyed and rebuilt over time, with the present model largely initiated by Duke Rudolf IV (1339–1365). Its most up-to-date reconstruction happened simply after World War II.

Stephansplatz 3, +43 1 515523530, stephanskirche.at. Open for worship Monday-Saturday 6am-10pm and Sundays 7am-10pm. Open for guests Monday-Saturday 9am-11:30am and 1pm-4:30pm, and Sunday 1pm-4:30pm. Admission is 20 EUR, guided excursions are 3.50 EUR, and audio guides are 6 EUR. Catacomb excursions are 6 EUR; going up the towers prices 5.50 EUR for the South Tower and 6 EUR for the North Tower. Dress respectfully, as it’s a place of worship.

See the Imperial Palace

The Thirteenth-century Hofburg was the principal palace of the Habsburg dynasty (probably the most outstanding in European historical past) for greater than seven centuries. Today, it’s the official residence of the president of Austria.

You may simply spend half a day right here exploring all of the points of interest, which embrace the Sisi exhibit (highlighting the lifetime of Empress Elisabeth), the Imperial Silver Collection, and the royal flats themselves. It’s large.

My favourite part is the Imperial Treasury, with its royal artifacts, crowns, scepters, and detailed historical past of the Hapsburg household and empire. And, though it’s not free, I like to recommend getting the audio tour, which provides a ton of context to the reveals. It’s definitely worth the cash.

Michaelerkuppel, +43 15337570, hofburg-wien.at. Open day by day 9:30am-5pm. Admission is 16 EUR. If you’ve gotten the Vienna PASS, it’s free. Skip-the-line excursions begin at 48 EUR.

Wander the Naschmarkt
This is Vienna’s largest open-air meals market. It has 120 stands, together with eating places, road stalls, and grocers, and, on Saturdays, a flea market too. It’s a bit of touristy (don’t go grocery buying right here) nevertheless it has a cool vibe and it’s a pleasant place to take a seat and eat. Despite its fame, you’ll nonetheless discover plenty of locals right here so don’t really feel like this can be a vacationer solely place. Be positive to hit up Umarfisch for seafood and wine. The meals there’s scrumptious.

If you actually need a deep dive into the market, you may also take a guided tasting tour.

Vienna Itinerary: Day 2

Explore the Museumsquartier

Start day two with the Museumsquartier (MQ). Once the imperial stables, it now encompasses over 90,000 sq. meters and 60 cultural establishments, together with the Leopold Museum for Art Nouveau and Expressionism; Kunsthalle Wien, with rotating exhibitions; and the Museum of Modern Art, which has the biggest such assortment in Central Europe. The MQ can also be residence to a number of festivals all year long, together with open-air concert events and a style week. If you’re keen on artwork, this place is a should.

A move to 5 of the principle museums is 35 EUR. Guided excursions of the district are additionally supplied for simply 8 EUR.

Additionally, be sure you vist the close by Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Fine Arts). Created by Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1891, that is now largest artwork museum within the nation. You may simply spend a number of hours right here (if no more). Most objects are from the Hapsburgs’ outdated assortment, with artifacts from historic Egypt and Greece in addition to work by Rubens, Raphael, Rembrandt, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, and extra. The inside itself is extremely ornate too, boasting plenty of marble, gold leaf, and murals.

Museum of Fine Arts: Maria-Theresien-Platz, +43 1525240, khm.at. Open day by day 10am-6pm (9pm on Thursdays). Admission is 21 EUR (get your tickets upfront right here).

Take a Food Tour
After a morning of museums, head out on a meals tour across the metropolis to pattern a few of Vienna’s conventional eats. Vienna Food Tours has a number of completely different tour choices, with their hottest tour providing a go to to a espresso home, in addition to Austrian favorites like chocolate, cheese, sausage, and, in fact, wine. There are often 4-8 stops on most meals excursions, which suggests you’ll need to convey an urge for food. There are additionally vegetarian excursions obtainable too in case you’ve gotten dietary considerations.

Tour costs differ however most are a minimum of 100 EUR and final 2.5-4 hours.

Admire Schönbrunn Palace

End your day with a go to to certainly one of Vienna’s hottest websites. Originally a Seventeenth-century looking lodge, this palace later grew to become the Hapsburgs’ summer season residence within the 18th century. There are over 1,400 rooms, however solely a handful are open to the general public (you’ll see 22 rooms on the Imperial Tour and 40 rooms on the Grand Tour). However, there’s greater than sufficient for a number of hours of wandering the exquisitely restored, extremely ornate rooms full of elaborate work, woodwork, chandeliers, and decorations. This is certainly one of my favourite locations in the entire metropolis. Bring some meals and wine and have a picnic in backyard. Since it’s on a hill, you get a tremendous view of of Vienna.

Schönbrunner Schloßstraße 47, +43 1 81113239, schoenbrunn.at. The palace is open day by day 9:30am-5pm (longer hours in the summertime). The park is open day by day 6:30am-5:30pm (8pm in the summertime). The Imperial Tour is 22 EUR and takes round 40 minutes, whereas the Grand Tour is 26 EUR and takes over an hour; each embrace an audio information. If you’ve gotten the Vienna PASS, admission is free. Skip-the-line guided excursions value 48 EUR.

 

Vienna Itinerary: Day 3

Tour the Albertina
Start your final day on the Albertina, among the finest museums on the town (which says quite a bit in a metropolis filled with nice museums)! Housed in one of many outdated non-public residence wings of the Imperial Palace, it’s most well-known for its assortment of over a million prints and 60,000 drawings.

The constructing itself was once a Habsburg residence, and included in your museum ticket is a self-guided tour of the 20 restored Habsburg State Rooms. You’ll get an fascinating look into Nineteenth-century aristocratic life as you stroll via the exquisitely embellished rooms with their gilded chandeliers, grand fireplaces, delicate furnishings, and detailed wall coverings.

For followers of extra modern artwork, the Albertina Modern opened in 2020. Located only a few blocks away from the Albertina itself, the museum focuses on post-1945 modern artwork, with an enormous assortment of over 60,000 works by 5,000 artists.

Albertinaplatz 1, +43 1 53483, albertina.at. Open day by day 10am-6pm (9pm on Wednesdays and Fridays). Admission is eighteen.90 EUR (get your tickets upfront right here). A joint ticket to the Albertina and Albertina Modern is 24.90 EUR. If you’ve gotten the Vienna PASS, admission to each is free.

Visit the Mozart Museum
Though Mozart solely lived right here for 3 years within the 1780s, that is the one condo out of all of the locations he resided in Vienna that has survived. The neat little museum opened in 1941 for the a hundred and fiftieth anniversary of his demise. The first flooring is the place Mozart and his household lived, though it’s essential use your creativeness, as not a lot is thought about how the rooms truly seemed or have been used. But the museum has curated an fascinating choice of work, artifacts, letters, and memorabilia as a way to find out about his life, music, household, and mates, and be capable of hearken to his work.

Domgasse 5, +43 1 5121791, mozarthausvienna.at. Open day by day 10am-6pm. Tickets are 12 EUR (free for anybody below 19). Free admission on the primary Sunday of the month.

See the Freud Museum
Another apartment-turned-museum, this one was residence to Sigmund Freud, the well-known founding father of psychoanalysis (the idea that our current is formed by our previous). He lived right here from 1891 to 1938, and the museum opened in 1971 with the assistance of Anna Freud (his youngest daughter). You’ll discover it embellished with the unique furnishings and Freud’s non-public assortment of antiques. There are additionally movies from his non-public life in addition to the primary editions of his works. It solely takes about an hour to go to because it’s fairly small.

Berggasse 19, +43 1 3191596, freud-museum.at. Open day by day 10am-6pm. Admission is 14 EUR (get your ticket right here).

Enjoy the Vienna State Opera

Wrap up your closing day on the opera. Vienna is synonymous with the style, a significant focus of life right here. Its opera home is likely one of the largest and most well-known on this planet. The Renaissance Revival constructing was accomplished in 1869, can seat over 1,700 spectators, and is impressively grand each in and out.

I like to recommend shopping for last-minute standing-room tickets for 13-18 EUR. They go on sale beginning 80 minutes earlier than the present (you’ll be able to line up sooner than that although). It’s first-come, first-served and you may solely purchase one ticket per individual.

Opernring 2, +43 151444/2250, wiener-staatsoper.at. Check the web site for probably the most up-to-date efficiency schedule. Tickets begin at 59 EUR. A guided constructing tour prices 13 EUR (free when you have the Vienna PASS).
 

Other Things to Do in Vienna

See the Jewish Square (Judenplatz)
Vienna had a large Jewish inhabitants earlier than the atrocities of the Nazi regime. This neighborhood options two essential museums that present insights into its Jewish historical past and tradition. The Vienna Jewish Museum particulars the function Jews performed within the improvement of metropolis life, whereas the Museum Judenplatz provides an genuine take a look at the historical past of Jewish life in Vienna.

There can also be the close by Holocaust Memorial, designed by British artist Rachel Whiteread, which commemorates the 65,000 Jewish Austrians that the Nazis murdered.

Dorotheergasse 11, +43 1 5350431, jmw.at. Open Sunday-Thursday 10am-6pm and Fridays 10am-2pm. Admission is 15 EUR (consists of each museums).

Visit Belvedere Palace
The Belvedere is a Baroque palace complicated that homes an unbelievable artwork assortment, with works by Renoir, Monet, and Van Gogh, amongst others. Contemporary artwork, movie, and music are featured within the constructing referred to as the Belvedere 21. The free grounds function stunning fountains, gravel walkways, ponds, statues, vegetation, and flowers.

Prinz-Eugen-Strasse 27, +43 1 795570, belvedere.at. Open day by day 10am-6pm. Admission is 15.60 EUR for decrease Belvedere tickets, 17.70 EUR for higher Belvedere tickets, and 9.30 EUR for Belvedere 21 (modern artwork, movie, music). You can get a day ticket with admission for all three for 28.40 EUR. Admission to each the decrease and higher Belvedere is free when you have the Vienna PASS.

Take a wine tour
Take a motorbike tour of the beautiful close by Wachau Valley. You’ll get to style a few of the greatest native wine whereas having fun with the encircling landscapes. If you’re in search of a tour operator, I recommend Discover Vienna Tours, which I used once I ran excursions to Vienna. It’s a very cool factor to do nevertheless it’s a full-day tour (plan to spend 8-10 hours) so will probably be the one factor you try this day! Expect to pay round 85 EUR for a full-day wine tour.

Stroll alongside the Danube
The Danube, Europe’s second-longest river (the Volga is the longest), stretches nearly 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) because it passes via or alongside ten international locations: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine. Walking alongside the banks is an effective way to spend a day, and there are many bars, shops, and cafés alongside the water to pop into. During the summer season, you’ll be able to absorb the solar on the river’s many “beach clubs”, which have all the pieces it’s essential loosen up: loungers, a bar/café, music, and — surprisingly — sand.
 

Where to Stay in Vienna

Here’s my listing of the very best locations to remain in Vienna for those who’re on a price range:

Wombats City Hostel – My favourite hostel on the town is in an important location proper alongside the Naschmarkt. Set in a historic Art Nouveau constructing, it provides all the trendy facilities, together with a café/bar, visitor kitchen, and en suite loos (even in dorm rooms).

Jo&Joe Vienna – Great for vacationers in search of a quiet but inexpensive keep, this hostel is conveniently positioned subsequent to the Westbahnhof. It has fashionable facilities like pod beds, a cinema room, a bar/restaurant, an enormous rooftop terrace, laundry services, and extra. If you’ve gotten HostelMove, you’ll get 10% off your reserving at Jo&Joe, and for those who don’t have HostelMove but, use code NOMADICMATT for 25% off when signing up.

Hotel Brauhof Wien – This fashionable and fashionable resort is in a superb location close to the Westbahnhof railway station, a brief distance from Schönbrunn Palace, and only a fast U-bahn journey away from historic Vienna. It’s particularly good for beer lovers, as there’s a brewery on web site!
 

Money-Saving Tips for Vienna

To make sure you don’t break the financial institution, listed here are a number of useful money-saving ideas for Vienna:

1. Get a Vienna PASS – With the Vienna PASS, you access over 60 points of interest, museums, and monuments all through Vienna. It prices 78 EUR for a one-day move, 110 EUR for a two-day move, after which all the best way as much as 170 EUR for six days. If you’re planning to go to a number of of Vienna’s hottest museums, getting the move may prevent a good sum of money — particularly because it has an possibility at no cost public transportation.

2. Get a transit move – If you propose to take the metro quite a bit, get a move. A 24-hour move is 8 EUR, a 48-hour move is 14.10 EUR, and a 72-hour move is 17.10 EUR. The weekly move (legitimate from Monday via Sunday) can also be 17.10 EUR. The Vienna City Card provides limitless transportation, in addition to reductions on points of interest (beginning at 17 EUR for at some point).

3. Visit the museums at no cost – Some museums have free days and evenings, providing the potential for saving some euros for those who time it proper. Kunsthalle Wein has free admission each Thursday from 5pm-9pm, and lots of museums have free admission the primary Sunday of the month. Check the web site of the museums you need to go to for present free days.

4. Travel throughout shoulder season – Personally, I feel the very best time to go to Vienna is April-June and/or September-October. It’s nonetheless heat throughout this time, however there aren’t as many different vacationers and costs aren’t as excessive as in the summertime.

5. Skip the quick practice into Vienna – Unless you’re in a rush to get downtown, skip the City Airport Train. It’s 11 EUR, in comparison with the common practice (which is 4.30 EUR). The time distinction is negligible.

Vienna is certainly one of Europe’s nice cultural capitals. There’s a lot to see, do, and eat that you may simply spend over per week right here and never scratch the floor. But even for those who solely have three days, you’ll be able to nonetheless cowl lots of the highlights. Just be sure you construct in a while hanging out at a few of the nice coffeehouses — a cultural establishment all their very own — and take within the tempo of metropolis life. It received’t disappoint.
 

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