Vienna in 3 Days: The Complete City Guide

Vienna has ranked among the most liveable cities in the world for years, and anyone who spends three days here quickly understands why: distances are short, public transport runs every few minutes, and there is rarely more than a fifteen-minute walk between imperial palaces, museums and coffee houses. A plan is still worthwhile.

That is exactly how this guide is structured. Day one belongs to the Innere Stadt between St Stephen's Cathedral, the Hofburg and the Ringstrasse, day two to the palaces and museums from Schönbrunn to the Belvedere, day three to green Vienna with the Prater, the Danube Island and the Heuriger wine taverns – or to a day trip to the Wachau valley. Added to that are a district table for choosing your hotel, the essentials of the Wiener Linien network and information on getting there. You will find an overview of the destination with all accommodation on our Vienna page.

Day 1: Innere Stadt – St Stephen's, the Hofburg and the Ringstrasse

St Stephen's Cathedral and Stephansplatz

With its 136-metre south tower and brightly glazed tiled roof, St Stephen's Cathedral is Vienna's landmark. The front part of the nave is free to enter; for the main nave, the catacombs and the towers there is a combined ticket for approx. €20–25. The energetic take the 343 steps up the south tower (approx. €6–7), the more comfortable ride the lift to the Pummerin bell in the north tower. Allow around an hour and a half.

Graben, Kohlmarkt and the Hofburg

From Stephansplatz, the Graben with its baroque Plague Column leads to the Kohlmarkt, the most expensive shopping street in Austria, and on to Michaelerplatz with the curved facade of the Hofburg, residence of the Habsburgs for more than 600 years. Inside, several museums compete for your time: the Sisi Museum with the Imperial Apartments and Silver Collection (approx. €20) is the classic, the State Hall of the National Library (approx. €10) is the most beautiful room in the city. If you choose only one, take the State Hall.

Alpengast tip: You do not need a restaurant at lunchtime. A Würstelstand – on Hoher Markt or by the Albertina, for instance – serves Käsekrainer with a Semmel roll and mustard for approx. €5–7. This is everyday Viennese culture, and the queue of suited office workers and tourists is part of it.

The Ringstrasse and the State Opera

In the afternoon, head for the Ringstrasse, the 5.3-kilometre grand boulevard built from 1865 on the site of the city walls. Take tram lines 1, 2, D or 71, which cover sections of the Ring and are valid with a normal Wiener Linien ticket: past the University, the Votivkirche, City Hall, the Burgtheater, Parliament and the two court museums to the State Opera. The State Opera offers daily guided tours (approx. €15), but the real experience is the standing room: for approx. €15–20 you stand in one of the world's finest opera houses in the evening, with tickets sold online on the day.

Coffee House Culture in the Evening

A day in the Innere Stadt is not complete without a Melange. Classic addresses are Café Central on Herrengasse, Café Hawelka behind the Graben and Café Prückel on Stubenring. A Melange costs approx. €5–6 and comes with a glass of water and as much time as you like. For dinner, the Beisl taverns of the Innere Stadt are the natural choice: a Wiener Schnitzel of veal with potato salad costs approx. €22–28.

Day 2: Schönbrunn, the Naschmarkt and the Great Museums

Schönbrunn Palace in the Morning

Take the U4 to Schönbrunn and be at the entrance when it opens at half past eight – in the morning the Habsburgs' summer residence is noticeably emptier. The Imperial Tour (22 rooms, approx. €25) is enough for a first impression; the Grand Tour (40 rooms, approx. €30) adds the state rooms of Maria Theresa. Book online with a time slot. The palace park is free: the climb to the Gloriette takes a quarter of an hour and rewards you with the famous view over the palace to St Stephen's Cathedral.

Lunch at the Naschmarkt

Back on the U4 to Kettenbrückengasse: the Naschmarkt stretches for 1.5 kilometres along the Wienzeile, lined by Otto Wagner's Art Nouveau houses. At the front are the stalls with cheese, olives and spices; further back are the eateries with Middle Eastern mezze, Viennese cooking and sushi; a lunch plate costs approx. €12–18.

MuseumsQuartier and the Kunsthistorisches Museum

Ten minutes' walk further on lies the MuseumsQuartier in the former imperial stables. For one afternoon you have to choose: the Leopold Museum holds the world's largest Egon Schiele collection and important works by Klimt (approx. €17), while mumok shows art of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Opposite, on Maria-Theresien-Platz, the Kunsthistorisches Museum awaits with its Bruegel collection, Vermeer's The Art of Painting and the Kunstkammer (approx. €21–25).

Belvedere: Klimt's Kiss

The finale is the Belvedere, which you reach from the Ring in ten minutes on tram D. The Upper Belvedere, summer palace of Prince Eugene, houses the world's largest Klimt collection including The Kiss, plus Schiele, Kokoschka and Waldmüller. Admission is approx. €18–20, and the last time slot usually starts at 5 pm. Afterwards, stroll free of charge down through the baroque garden to the Lower Belvedere – the view of the city skyline is most beautiful in the evening backlight.

Alpengast tip: If you have to decide between the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Belvedere, take the Belvedere: shorter distances, a compact building, Klimt and the garden as a bonus.

Day 3: Prater, Danube and Heuriger – or the Wachau

For the third day there are three programmes, depending on weather and mood. Option A shows green Vienna on the Danube, option B heads up into the vineyards to a Heuriger, option C leaves Vienna for a day in the Wachau valley.

Option A: Prater and Danube Island

The Prater is two things: the Wurstelprater amusement park with its rides and the Giant Ferris Wheel of 1897 (ride approx. €14–16), and the Green Prater, six square kilometres of riverside woodland along the 4.4-kilometre Hauptallee. From Praterstern (U1, U2, S-Bahn) you are at the Ferris Wheel in five minutes; afterwards, hire a bike and roll down the Hauptallee. In the afternoon, continue on the U1 to the Donauinsel: the 21-kilometre island is Vienna's beach, with lawns, cycle paths and bars on the water.

Option B: A Heuriger in Grinzing or Nussdorf

Vienna is the only city of over a million inhabitants with significant winegrowing inside its boundaries – around 600 hectares cover the slopes of the Vienna Woods. Tram 38 takes you from Schottentor to Grinzing in 25 minutes, tram D to Nussdorf. A bunch of pine branches over the door shows that the Heuriger is "ausg'steckt", i.e. open. Order a quarter-litre of Gemischter Satz (approx. €4–5) and fetch your Jause snack from the buffet: Liptauer cheese spread, blood sausage, roast pork and bread for approx. €12–18 per person. Grinzing is famous and touristy; Nussdorf and Stammersdorf are quieter.

Option C: Day Trip to the Wachau

The Danube valley between Melk and Krems is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and easy to reach by train: from the Hauptbahnhof or Westbahnhof you travel to Melk in about an hour (approx. €20–25 each way, included with the Klimaticket). After the baroque Melk Abbey (approx. €15), board the boat: the journey to Krems takes a good three hours (approx. €35–40) and passes wine terraces, Spitz and the castle ruin of Dürnstein; from Krems the train takes you back in an hour. The boats run from April to October.

Where to Stay? The Districts Compared

Vienna is divided into 23 districts, and the address of your hotel sets the rhythm of your trip. For first-time visitors, the first district and the districts inside the Gürtel ring road are the main candidates.

The prices are a guide for the low season; during Advent, around New Year and during major congresses they rise across the city.

Getting There and Around: Airport, Stations and Wiener Linien

From the Airport into the City

Vienna-Schwechat Airport lies 18 kilometres south-east of the city. The cheapest connection is the S7: every half hour, about 25 minutes to Wien Mitte and on to Praterstern, ticket approx. €4.50. The ÖBB Railjet needs only a quarter of an hour to the Hauptbahnhof at the same price. The City Airport Train (CAT) runs non-stop to Wien Mitte in 16 minutes but costs approx. €15 each way.

By Rail: Hauptbahnhof and Westbahnhof

Vienna's Hauptbahnhof is the central hub: ÖBB Railjets arrive from Salzburg in approx. 2 hours 20 minutes, from Linz in 1 hour 15 minutes, from Graz in approx. 2 hours 35 minutes, from Innsbruck in a good 4 hours and from Munich in around 4 hours. The U1 takes you to Stephansplatz in five minutes. The private operator Westbahn serves the Salzburg–Linz–Vienna line hourly, stops at the Westbahnhof (U3, U6) and is often cheaper.

Getting Around with Wiener Linien

Five underground lines (U1 to U4 and U6, with the U5 under construction), 28 tram lines and more than 100 bus routes make up the network. A single ride costs approx. €2.50, but the time-based tickets are more interesting for visitors: 24 hours approx. €8, 48 hours approx. €14, 72 hours approx. €17, each valid from validation. The Vienna City Card combines public transport for 24, 48 or 72 hours (approx. €17–29) with museum discounts; it only pays off if you use at least two partner offers a day. Klimaticket holders travel free in Vienna. Paper tickets must be validated before boarding.

Alpengast tip: For three days, the 72-hour ticket is almost always the right choice. Validate it only for your first ride on the morning of day one – not at the airport the evening before – and it will last until your return trip to the station. For the S7 to the airport you then only need the additional outer-zone ticket (approx. €2).

When to Go, Climate and Budget

Advent, Ball Season, Summer

Vienna has three high seasons with very different characters. Advent, from mid-November to 26 December, turns the city into a chain of Christkindlmarkt Christmas markets; it is the most expensive time for hotels. From January to Shrove Tuesday follows the ball season with more than 400 balls up to the Opera Ball; the days are cold (around 0 °C), the museums empty, and hotel prices at their lowest outside the ball weekends. Summer brings 25 to 32 °C, swimming weather on the Alte Donau and the film festival on Rathausplatz – although the State Opera and many concert halls pause in July and August. The most balanced time to visit is May, June and September: mild, light until late, with the Heuriger taverns open and without the prices of the Advent weeks.

What Does Vienna Cost?

As a guide per person and day, excluding travel: with a hostel or simple guesthouse, a Würstelstand and a 72-hour ticket you can manage on approx. €90–120. A mid-range hotel in the seventh or third district, two museums a day, a Beisl in the evening and a Melange in between add up to approx. €170–250. If you stay in the first district and go to the opera, plan from approx. €320. Add the local tax of 3.2 per cent on the room price.

Conclusion: Three Days in Vienna – and Then?

Three days are enough for the cathedral, the Hofburg and the Ringstrasse, for Schönbrunn and Klimt, for a quarter-litre of Gemischter Satz with a view of the city. If you travel on, the Railjet puts you in Salzburg, the classic second chapter of an Austrian journey, in two and a half hours; a stopover in Linz splits the route. The Alpengast editorial team has compiled accommodation in all five districts of this table. You will find all bookable hotels in Vienna and throughout Austria in our hotel overview.