In Vienna, there’s quite a lot to see and do here, whatever time of year you are visiting. In summer you can enjoy warm days and pleasant strolls through the streets, whilst if you visit Vienna in winter, you’ll find some of the best Christmas markets in Europe. If you are stuck with little time but want to explore to your fullest, this is the perfect itinerary plan for you to enjoy a romantic time in the city of dreams!
Just a friendly disclaimer that two days is definitely not going to give you enough time to see everything! Vienna is stuffed full of museums, palaces, art galleries, churches and restaurants, and you could spend a great deal of time here sight-seeing but we have compiled the best of the places to go in your 2 day’s worth of time!
Here's a breakdown of the best seasons and timings to visit Vienna prior to the itinerary list below. The off-season is always a good time to visit cities. And Vienna is no different.
Late March to May and September to October are shoulder months in Vienna, so you can expect fewer crowds on the streets and overall mild temperatures.
Summers are nice in Vienna, with tons of events and concerts held, but hotel prices will be super expensive around this time. If you are coming in the summer, plan and book your flights and hotels in advance. Summer months are from June to August.
Winters in Vienna are wonderful with festive decorations and Christmas markets. Just like the summer months, it is super crowded as well, but it is still bustling with activities. Winter months are from November to early February. Vienna does get snow in the winters, especially in December and January
Day 1: Museums and Palaces!
A great option for accommodation that is recommended by many travellers is the Austria Trend Hotel Rathauspark Wien and one of the reasons why it is attractive is because it is a good value hotel ( mid range) and there is free buffet breakfast included, which also consists of a variety of food! The location is close to the city center and Rathaus Underground station so it is super accessible.
If you want a high-end option to make your stay a lil more luxurious, opt for Hotel Sacher! It has a great location ( near City Center Area and the Opera House) and it is a 5-star hotel as well – with royalty-like interiors and million-dollar views of the city of Wien. Their hotel cafe makes the best and famous Sacherertorte cake as well, so you can get to try that just downstairs from your room.
Liechtenstein City Palace
The city palace is named after the ruling power who started building the palace in mid 17th century. The rooms have the best Baroque and Rococo style interiors, in all of Austria. To gain access to the inside of the city palace, you will have to book a guided tour. This is a living palace and is currently utilized by the princely family of Liechtenstein.
Maria Theresian Platz
After the City Palace, we proceeded to Maria Theresian Platz. Maria-Theresien-Platz is a large public square in Vienna built in the honor of the Habsburg Empress – Maria Theresa.
Lunch at Puerstner for delicious Schnitzels
The Schnitzel is a traditional and national dish of Austria where a juicy cut of veal meat or chicken meat is dipped into a crispy breaded batter and deep fried to perfection. It is usually served with a generous dressing of french fries, a lemon slice or two, fresh vegetables or boiled potatoes.
Head over to Puerstner for one of the best Schnitzels in Vienna!
Hofburg Palace
The Vienna Hofburg is one of the most valued buildings in Austrian history. For over 600 years, this building had accommodated the Habsburgs during the Habsburg Dynasty, the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire and independent Austria itself until the end of the monarchy.
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum, opened in 1889, focuses on the natural history of the world, with everything from meteorites to dinosaur skeletons. The building itself is truly magnificent, built in a palatial style, and is worth visiting of itself.
Spanish Riding School of Vienna
Built during the Habsburg Monarchy The Spanish Riding School is the only institution in the world today where classic equestrian skills are still practiced and preserved in its original form. The horses are trained in the art of dressage and all this practice is put into show in demonstrations and performances for the public.
For those who love riding, this is a must-see in Austria and if you are not, you can come and watch a unique life-time experience of horse riding. The performance or training sessions are not free though as you do need a ticket to spectate the training. To do so, you can simply purchase a ticket from the Riding School visiting centre or book in advance here at Native!
St Stephen's Cathedral
St. Stephen’s cathedral is truly the symbol of Vienna. Marked as a UNESCO World Heritage site, this glorious and grand cathedral welcomes millions of vistors every year. It is the epitome of Gothic opulence and represents eight centuries worth of architectural history.
The Cathedral boasts many features of value, such as its Romanesque Giant’s door at the entrance, the Organ Case, and the massive Pummerin Bell that is rung and heard only on special occasions like New Year’s Eve. There are also many activities and events held here around festive times so do come and check it out!
Vienna Opera House
Wiener Staatsoper or the Vienna State Opera is the prime Opera house in Austria. This opera house is one of the busiest in the world with over 350 performances conducted in the 2017/18 season. It was opened for the first time in 1869 with a performance of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni”. So when you step foot into the opera house or book tickets for the opera, you are enjoying a slice of rich Austrian history.
Day 2: Schonbrunn Palace and the Naschmarkt
Naschmarkt
Built in the 16th Century, this Vienna open-air market is an iconic place that fulfills a foodie’s dream come true. Being the most popular outdoor market, the colourful lively ambience dates all the way back to the late 16th century when the area was mostly populated for farmers selling dairy products. Then, merchants began to populate the area with different goods like spices, cloths and cooked food and now we have the Naschmarkt.
Right here, you can soak in the bustling life of this market, interact with locals and the commotion as well as purchase some goodies back home. Prepare cash and some change, and if you are cashless, there are ATMs nearby and at the market grounds.
The Baroque Schonbrunn Palace
And now, finally, for the grandest and most anticipated place to visit in Vienna, The Baroque Schonbrunn Palace! There is a strategic reason why we placed this palace separate from the trips of day 1, as the grounds of the palace are enormous and you can spend the whole afternoon here!
The views accompanied by the glorious architecture is stunning and it is highly encouraged for everyone to make an afternoon’s time for this place! ( Fun fact : young Mozart performed his first concert to Empress Maria Theresa right here at the palace when he was just six years old!)
Lunch at the Palace
At the Schronbunn palace, there are cafes and restaurants there to serve light meals and lunch for visitors that want to stick around in the palace grounds without having to go all the way out of the palace for food. The Café Residenz and the Court Bakery are the palace’s own eateries that provides imperial hospitality and high-quality food for visitors.
Belvedere Museum
The interior of the Belvedere Museum inside is equally as impressive as the exterior : it showcases a permanent collection primarily dedicated to Austrian art throughout history, from the Middle Ages to contemporary art today, and other artworks from other European countries. If you would like a change of scenery as well as content, give this place a visit and the rest of the afternoon by just spending time here!
Prater Fairground
The Prater Fairground is a large public park and amusement park in Vienna's 2nd district at Leopoldstadt and it is the oldest amusement park in the world! What is amazing about the Pratar area is that in 1766, Emperor Josef the II decided to dedicate the building of the fairground and surrounding parks to the people of Vienna. Since then , the park remains accessible to everyone and many other features such as cinemas, bowling alleys and merry-go-rounds were introduced to this place.
One of the best attractions in this fairground is the Wiener Riesenrad ferris wheel, a 200ft-high landmark that stands proudly at the entrance to Prater amusement park. It is the ultimate experience to see the whole of Vienna at the “top of the world” with a spin on this ferris wheel. It is best to come during the summer and spend a great afternoon at this fairground.
