Imperial Palaces, elegant museums, and brilliant displays of baroque and Gothic architecture make Vienna one of Europe’s loveliest cities to visit. Vienna immediately envelops you in its culture and artistry and leaves you wanting more and more.
But there is a lot to cover and so this 4 day itinerary covers all the top things to do in Vienna, including where to stay, which cafes to settle in, and what to see! One of the easiest ways to get around to see all the top things to do in Vienna is by getting a Vienna City Card which gives you access to all of Vienna’s public transportation! So easy to use and definitely well worth it!
Top Things to do in Vienna: Day 1
| Das Triest | My first two nights in Vienna I stayed at Das Triest , a design hotel with a nod to history. This beautiful hotel full of natural light used to be the main stables for the horse drawn postal route from Vienna to Trieste in Northern Italy. All throughout the hotel you will notice arched ceilings resembling old stables.
The lobby is full of fresh flowers, changed constantly, carrying over into your room. Waking up to a giant bouquet of peonies right next to your coffee machine was wonderful! Just beyond the lobby, through floor to ceiling windows, is a magnificent courtyard to enjoy your breakfast, and in the summer they even have dinner outside.
Although Das Triest is located right next to the city center it is still peaceful and quiet. It’s artistic design history has drawn the likes of Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga, and other artists whom rent the rooms with the private gardens. There is so much to see within walking distance of Das Triest, and most notably was the Belvedere Museum, full of incredible art pieces.
Das Triest recently acquired space around them and the hotel is adding on 50 more rooms, a cafe, and a wine shop. I am particularly excited about the wine shop because it is a beautifully restored Austrian pharmacy. Original tile flooring and cabinetry still exist and I can’t wait to see the end results!
| Morning | After checking in (and checking out Das Triest) take a walk around the neighborhood. Right around the corner you’ll find Karlskirche, a popular church in Vienna for its spectacular display of baroque architecture.
| Lunch | Once you are done meandering around head over to Meissl & Schadn, and try Vienna’s finest schnitzel! An elegant Austrian cafe with an open show kitchen that serves up traditional Viennese dishes worth experiencing.
| Afternoon | Explore Belvedere Palace, be sure to see the upper and lower buildings to fully immerse yourself in the art, along with a pleasant stroll through the gardens. And as always, I recommend the audio tour!
| Dinner | Head back to Das Triest and enjoy a meal at Collio, with fare influenced by Northern Italy! After dinner make sure to stop in the super cozy lounge the Silver Bar which has hosted numerous celebrities!
Top Things to do in Vienna: Day 2
| Breakfast | Start your day off in the garden of Das Triest and the lovely array of Austrian breakfast specialties before exploring.
| Morning | After an early breakfast head over to Schonbrunn Palace, which used to be the imperial summer residence. One of Austria’s most historical and cultural monuments done in an impressive Baroque style architecture. You are able to tour the palace and the grounds. The property is insanely large so wear your walking shoes. There is even an imperial zoo on the grounds!
| Lunch | Go back towards the city and grab lunch from the Cafe Mozart, a traditional Viennese coffee house since 1794.
| Afternoon | Walk across the street and experience the Vienna State Opera house. Vienna is known for its rich musical history, and a tour is an absolute must, they are inexpensive and last 40 min to an hour. Originally done in a Neo-Renaissance style until the opera house took a blow during WWII in 1945, and didn’t reopen until 1955.
After the Vienna State Opera House tour, take a short walk to Burgartten, a former palace garden. There are numerous statues, including Mozart, and a beautiful palm house. After strolling through the imperial garden wander over to Albertina to explore the museum.
| Dinner | Hop on the tram or jump in an uber and head over to the new trendy hot spot Motto am Fluss which lies directly on the Danube River. The menu serves up a modern cuisine with an international flare, and the cocktails are on point.
Top Things to do in Vienna: Day 3
| Palace Hansen Kempinski | Check into the luxurious Palace Hansen Kempinksi on the other side of the city for two nights. This decadent hotel has two award winning restaurants, plenty of beautiful spaces, a sprawling lobby, and boasts its own flower shop!
Originally built in 1873 as a hotel for the World Exhibition in Vienna. This landmark has all the historic charm with modern innovations. Everything in the rooms are activated by touch, including the bath and shower! The rooms are large and spacious with tall windows that open out to the city.
Kempinski Hotels is Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group, and their superb hospitality stands above the rest. Everyone you encounter has a smile and their concierge is incredibly helpful. One of the most beautiful addresses in Vienna that can’t be missed!
| Afternoon | After you spend the morning checking into the Palace Hansen Kempinski, go experience the Vienna Heurigen! These are Austrian wine houses in which the winemakers will serve their most recent years’ wines. There are over 1700 acres of vines in Vienna! NOTE: these are not open year round AND make sure you bring cash! At each Heurigen they serve food so I just nibbled my way through the day! Most tourists hang out in the Grinzing area but I decided to head to the more local, traditional ones in the Neustift Am Walde area. They weren’t crowded at all and had the prettiest views, and besides 1-2 people, I was the only one that spoke English! Here are the Heurigens I went to:
Mayer am Pfarrplatz (doesn’t open until 4pm most days!)
| Evening | After bouncing around the Heurigen all day I wasn’t very hungry, so I headed back to the Palace Hansen Kempinski champagne bar 26 degrees East for a nightcap and a small appetizer of the dumplings!
Top Things to do in Vienna: Day 4
| Morning | Get up early to see St Stephen’s Cathedral the main Roman Catholic church, one of the most important Gothic structures of Austria. Even Mozart got married there in 1782. This place is insanely crowded so I highly recommend heading over as early as you can – it opens at 6a.m.!
After St. Stephens walk over to the Spanish Riding School, the winter riding school was built between 1729-1735. It is the only institution in the world to have practiced over 440 years! Every morning they have a show where you can get tickets @ 10:30am. You should definitely buy tickets as soon as you plan a trip to Vienna because they go fast! Or just walk around the complex! They also have a continuous line of horse carriages for rides if anyone wants to see the city that way!
| Lunch | Take a 7 min walk over to Ofenloch. A Traditional Viennese tavern known for serving up local fare!
| Afternoon | Just a ten minute walk over to the Heldenplatz, which is a beautiful plaza right in front of Hofburg Palace, where the President of Austria resides. Just across the way you’ll walk into the Museums Quartier, one of the largest cultural quarters in the world. After exploring that for a bit, walk over to Neues Rathaus, Vienna’s City Hall. This magnificent structure is a gorgeous example of Gothic architecture. The giant plaza out front was full of vendors, music, wine, beer and food when I went. It was like a large outdoor summer party!
| Dinner | For your final evening in Vienna head back to the Palace Hansen Kempenski and dine at Edvard. Not only are they serving up the most creative and delicious bites, but their service is top notch. Edvard does not have your average menu. You are presented with 3 choices: 1 – 3 course meal, 2 – 5 course meal, and 3 – 7 course meal. All of the options are picked by the chef and you don’t have a say in what you get. Have no worries though, this entire meal was amazing and I did not want it to end!
What’s in my Bag: Vienna
And this finishes my 4 day itinerary of top things to do in Vienna! When you go let me know what your favorites are, or if there are any that I missed!
Wow! Your trip looked amazing! I would especially love to visit the Schonbrunn Palace and the Opera House! I was a music major in college and we always read about the composers that were based in Vienna so it would be nice to experience the city in real life!
Tracy
https://www.findyourdazzle.com
So much culture and so many stories around the opera house and Schonbrunn palace! what an ideal vactation that would be for you!!!
Wow now I want to visit Vienna so badly!!!
Definitely worth adding to your bucketlist!!
This post came just in time. My sister is travelling to Vienna next month and this post would be really handy for her. Sharing this with her.
oh thats great!! so much to do in this city!!!! so much fun!!
Vienna looks gorgeous!! Looks like you had an amazing time! I really want to go visit there!
Jennifer
Effortlessly Sophisticated
oh you should! its a lovely city!!!
omg your photos are seriously amazing!! now I need to goto Vienna!