How to Plan the Perfect Trip to Vienna

Vienna, or Wien as the locals call it, is rich in history, architecture, art, music, food, and wine. Located on the River Danube, Austria's capital city began as a Roman-era settlement. However, most of the city's Baroque buildings were created under Empress Maria Theresa (18th century) and Emperor Franz Joseph (19th century), and today they stand in contrast to modern glass and steel structures.

Beautiful buildings, walkable streets, delicious food, and lots to do both indoors and outdoors make Vienna a wonderful vacation destination. Voted one of the most livable cities in the world, Vienna's city limits include vineyards, parks, and the forested Vienna Woods (called Wienerwald in German), a protected natural landscape. The "coffee culture" is featured prominently in Viennese life, and coffee houses are places to relax, socialize, and enjoy the city's famous desserts.

Classical composers such as Schubert, Mozart, Haydn, Strauss, Brahms, and Beethoven all once called Vienna home, which explains its apt nickname, "the City of Music." Vienna is also known for its Ball Season, which runs from November until the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Over 400 balls take place — with the Viennese Waltz and elegant formal attire in full display.

To sum up a perfect trip to Vienna, you'll shop for snow globes, order a plate of Wiener Schnitzel, stop at a hot dog stand, and finish with the city's most famous dessert, Sacher-Torte.

Here's our guide to everything you need to know about planning an elegant trip to Vienna.

Best Hotels & Resorts

Hotel Sacher

Hotel Sacher is a classic Victorian-era hotel that features 152 exquisitely furnished rooms and suites, combining tradition with modern amenities. Fine-dining restaurants and cocktail lounges are available, and guests should not miss Café Sacher's world-famous Sacher-Torte, a decadent chocolate cake invented in the 19th century. Childcare is available, and the "Petit Sacher" program provides a welcome gift and special amenities for children.

The Hoxton

Set in a former office of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, The Hoxton is a hotel with a modernist style that pops with color and art. Overlooking Stadt Park, with a 360-degree view of Vienna from the rooftop pool and bar, the hotel has 192 stylishly decorated rooms ranging in size from the smallest "Shoeboxes" designed for solo travelers to the "Roomy" rooms with king-size beds.

Hotel Bristol

Voted the best hotel in Vienna by T+L readers in 2024, Hotel Bristol is another classic Vienna hotel that has been a beacon of Art Deco-inspired hospitality in Vienna's Old Town for over a century. The location is unbeatable, right next to the Vienna State Opera, and it's both pet- and family-friendly with discounts if you book a second room for the kids.

Ritz-Carlton Vienna

Located in downtown Vienna, the Ritz-Carlton features 201 guest rooms, including 43 suites. The historic building was once four palaces that have since been connected, and modern amenities include a fitness center, indoor pool, and spa. An excellent steakhouse, Italian restaurant, cocktail lounge, and the seasonal Atmosphere Rooftop Bar provide a range of dining offerings.

Hotel Imperial

Built for the Duke of Wurttemberg in 1863, Hotel Imperial offers 79 rooms and 59 suites, all elegantly furnished with authentic antiques. Conveniently located near the Vienna State Opera and St. Stephen's Cathedral, the hotel is also ideal for designer shopping. Family-friendly options include babysitting service, connecting rooms, and children's menus.

Best Things to Do

Schönbrunn Palace

This magnificent 18th-century palace is one of Vienna's top attractions for its architecture, history, and Baroque gardens. Tours take visitors through the rooms once used by Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Maria Theresa to see the furniture, art, and sumptuous décor.

St. Stephen's Cathedral

Also called Stephansdom, the St. Stephen's Cathedral was built as a 12th-century Romanesque church, and it has been reconstructed several times as recently as post-World War II, combining its original design with Baroque and Gothic architecture. Visitors can tour the 14th-century catacombs in an underground labyrinth or climb one of the towers for a view of Vienna from the roof.

MuseumsQuartier

Located in central Vienna, the MuseumsQuartier is a complex that includes 60 cultural institutions spanning contemporary art, history, architecture, music, fashion, theater, dance, literature, photography, street art, and children's culture. Guided tours are available, and the exterior courtyard is designed for visitors and locals to enjoy unique outdoor furniture, cafés, and restaurants.

The Spanish Riding School

The Spanish Riding School was established with the introduction of the famous Lipizzaner horses from Spain in the 16th century. Today, a variety of tours and performances demonstrate equestrian skills and take visitors behind the scenes for exercise and training sessions.

The Prater

With a history that dates back to the 18th century, the 3,200-acre amusement park was rebuilt after World War II. The Prater is home to roller coasters, old-fashioned theme park rides, the Giant Ferris Wheel, Haunted Castle, the Prater Museum, Planetarium, and more.

Best Shopping

Ringstrassen Galleries

Two buildings connected by a glass bridge create a unique atmosphere for the 16-floor mall that includes offices, luxury apartments, and restaurants as well as retail shops. The stores on the three-mile-long Ringstrasse offer clothing, accessories, jewelry, toys, art, gifts, flowers, and more in a gorgeous setting.

Kohlmarkt

One of the oldest and most elegant streets in Vienna, Kohlmarkt is home to jewelers and international luxury fashion brands including Cartier, Chanel, Armani, Burberry, Gucci, and more. Browse the high-end shops and enjoy the grand historical architecture of the area.

Steffl Department Store

This upscale department store features a wide variety of clothing and accessory brands including Dolce & Gabbana, Furla, Chloe, and Patagonia, in a convenient location. Rest a bit after shopping at the SKY Café and enjoy views of St. Stephen's Cathedral and Vienna's skyline.

Tostmann Trachten

Tostmann Trachten is the best place to purchase locally-made traditional Austrian clothing. In business for over 60 years, Tostmann offers dirndls for ladies and lederhosen for gentlemen. Choose from a variety of styles for adults and children.

Augarten Wien

Europe's second oldest porcelain manufacturer and purveyor to the Habsburg court, Augarten still produces timeless objects meticulously designed and painted. Dinnerware, vases, figurines, teapots, and collectible objects are available at the shop.

Nightlife

Krypt

Krypt is a subterranean bar, located two flights down into an old Viennese cellar with a speakeasy aesthetic. Expect a bold menu of whiskey highballs and classic cocktails.

Bruder

Instead of bottles, the shelves above the bar at Bruder are stocked with jars of homemade cocktail ingredients. The theme is fermentation and you'll notice many pickled ingredients in the highly creative food and drink menu.

Pratersauna

Formerly a mid-century bathhouse, Pratersauna is now one of Vienna's hottest dance clubs where you can find techno and electro music. The pool is still open in the summer as the Sauna Strand Klub, but after dark, the party goes inside and Viennese clubbers continue the party across multiple dance floors.

Best Restaurants

Mraz & Sohn

This family-run fine dining restaurant has received two Michelin stars for its creative approach to Austrian and internationally-influenced cuisine. Multi-course tasting menus offer an experience that's both sophisticated and casual, with friendly, attentive service.

Steirereck

Located in Vienna's Stadtpark and set in a modern mirrored glass building, Steirereck features rural Austrian cuisine in creative presentations. Fresh seafood, produce from the terrace gardens, wild boar, and more are treated in novel ways. Choose the tasting menu or dine a la carte.

Palmenhaus

Set in an 1822 greenhouse overlooking Hofburg palace gardens, the updated modern glass and steel structure is stunning and Palmenhaus offers both indoor and outdoor dining. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served, and the dinner menu includes seafood and (of course) schnitzel.

Café Central

Established in 1876 and set in Palais Ferstel, a palatial Italianate mansion, Café Central attracts tourists and locals who dine on Viennese dishes, coffee specialties, and bakery items in the historic setting. Through the years famous figures like Freud and Trotsky as well as poets and writers have dined there, so a stop at Café Central should be on every visitor's itinerary.

Naschmarkt

Vienna's largest and best-known food market, the Naschmarkt, is located on the concrete-covered Vienna River, with more than 120 market stands selling produce, fish, cheese, international street foods, sweets, snacks, local products, and sit-down restaurant meals. On Saturdays, a flea market next door offers books, record albums, antiques, and more.

Best Time to Visit

Vienna's climate is continental with cold winters and moderately warm summers. For mild, although sometimes chilly weather, spring and fall are pleasant times to be in Vienna. Fewer tourists make it easier to see the city's attractions, and hotel rates are lower.

Summer is warm and sunny with temperatures in the high 70s and perhaps a bit more rain. It's also a lovely time there, but the city sees more visitors during the high season, which is reflected in hotel prices. If you don't mind colder temperatures though, Christmas markets and magical decorations make December an attractive time to visit. Additionally, the ball season from November until February can be fun even if you're not ready to waltz onto the dance floor.

Neighborhoods to Visit

Innere Stadt (1st District)

This is the city center where most hotels, stores, restaurants, and attractions are located. St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Vienna Opera House, Parliament, and many museums are located in this district. The Ringstrasse, once the city's fortifications and now a fashionable boulevard, circles the district.

Leopoldstadt (2nd District),

Once Vienna's Jewish quarter, this is now a trendy area a short subway ride from the central city. Prater Park, Vienna's amusement park, is in this district, as is the Augarten porcelain factory.

Landstrasse (3rd District)

This area includes Stadtpark, Schwarzenberg Palace, Belvedere Palace, and several embassies and consulates. Stadtpark features lush lawns, playgrounds, and the excellent restaurant Steirereck im Stadtpark for Austrian cuisine.

Mariahilf (6th District)

This neighborhood features the busy Mariahilferstrasse shopping street and the Naschmarkt produce and dining market as well as theaters and pubs. Also here, Vienna's aquarium Haus des Meeres is housed in a World War II air defense tower built by Hitler's engineers.

Hietzing (13th District)

Home to Vienna's most popular tourist attraction, Schönbrunn Palace, and the Vienna Zoo, this neighborhood is an elegant residential area with gorgeous 18th- and 19th-century summer residences. The district includes the Klimt Villa, with an exhibition of the artist Gustav Klimt's life and work.

How to Get Around

Vienna's public transportation network is extensive, so familiarize yourself with the many forms and their names. The subway is called U-Bahn; local trains are Schnellbahn or S-Bahn; the tram is the Straßenbahn, and Autobus is the bus. From Vienna International Airport, there are bus, train, taxi, and rideshare services.

Buses, trains, trams, and underground lines operated by Wiener Linien make getting almost anywhere in the city quite convenient. Tickets work on an honor system, so you won't have to tap or scan to board but you can get fined if you're caught without having a ticket by a conductor doing a spot check. Children under six years old don't need a ticket. Ticket machines are located at underground stations, tobacconists, and online. In addition to single tickets, travel cards are available for longer periods of time.

The Vienna City Card provides discounts on tours and attractions as well as free public transportation on most lines. WienMobil operates approximately 185 bike stations around Vienna.