Find out how to Spend 3 Days in Vienna (Up to date 2023)

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

Steeped in tradition, arts, tune, and historical past, Vienna is without doubt one of the most lovely towns in Europe. (No less than I believe so!)

All the historical middle of Vienna is a delegated UNESCO Global Heritage Web site, it is stuffed with numerous museums and artwork galleries, grand Baroque palaces, conventional markets, and improbable eating places.

I’ll admit that I didn’t love Vienna once I first visited. I discovered it a bit of stuffy and imperial (which is sensible given its historical past). However, after a few visits, I grew to like it and located it a town lively, artwork, and tune. I liked it such a lot I took teams of readers right here!

There’s a lot to do right here. (If truth be told, there’s such a lot that you should simply spend every week right here and now not become bored.)

However, for those who best have a couple of days, right here’s my urged three-day Vienna itinerary for those who’re brief on time. It hits the entire highlights.

Vienna itinerary: Day 1

Take a loose strolling excursion
I at all times take a strolling excursion each time I arrive in a vacation spot. Beginning your shuttle with a strolling excursion is a amusing approach to get a way of town, as a style of its historical past and tradition. Plus, you’ll be able to ask your information questions on the place to devour and cross since they’re at all times locals so that they know the interior scoop!

Two very good loose strolling excursions are:

If you happen to’d like to hide extra flooring, imagine taking a motorbike excursion. I really like the excursion presented by means of Pedal Energy Vienna. It’s 3 hours and covers the entire primary highlights.

Respect St. Stephen’s Cathedral

In-built Romanesque and Gothic types, the Stephansdom has been status for the reason that twelfth century. It’s most famed for its colourful roof of 230,000 glazed tiles, however the inside of is ornately embellished as smartly, with top archways, vaulted ceilings, and a plethora of statues and spiritual artwork. There are two stunning altars inside of too: the Seventeenth-century Top Altar and the Fifteenth-century Wiener Neustadt Altar.

The cathedral has been destroyed and rebuilt through the years, with the present model in large part initiated by means of Duke Rudolf IV (1339–1365). Its most up-to-date reconstruction came about simply after Global Warfare 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 six EUR for the North Tower. Get dressed respectfully, as this can be a position of worship.

See the Imperial Palace

The Thirteenth-century Hofburg was once the main palace of the Habsburg dynasty (some of the distinguished in Eu historical past) for greater than seven centuries. These days, it’s the reputable place of abode of the president of Austria.

It’s essential simply spend part an afternoon right here exploring the entire sights, which come with the Sisi show off (highlighting the lifetime of Empress Elisabeth), the Imperial Silver Assortment, and the royal residences themselves. It’s massive.

My favourite phase is the Imperial Treasury, with its royal artifacts, crowns, scepters, and detailed historical past of the Hapsburg circle of relatives and empire. And, even though it’s now not loose, I like to recommend getting the audio excursion, which provides a ton of context to the shows. It’s well worth the cash.

Michaelerkuppel, +43 15337570, hofburg-wien.at. Open day by day 9:30am-5pm. Admission is 16 EUR. In case you have the Vienna PASS, it’s loose. Skip-the-line excursions get started at 48 EUR.

Wander the Naschmarkt
That is Vienna’s greatest open-air meals marketplace. It has 120 stands, together with eating places, boulevard stalls, and grocers, and, on Saturdays, a flea marketplace too. It’s a little bit touristy (don’t cross grocery buying groceries right here) nevertheless it has a fab vibe and it’s a pleasing position to take a seat and devour. Regardless of its status, you’ll nonetheless in finding a large number of locals right here so don’t really feel like it is a vacationer best position. You should definitely hit up Umarfisch for seafood and wine. The meals there’s scrumptious.

If you happen to actually need a deep dive into the marketplace, you’ll be able to additionally take a guided tasting excursion.

Vienna Itinerary: Day 2

Discover the Museumsquartier

Get started day two with the Museumsquartier (MQ). As soon as the imperial stables, it now encompasses over 90,000 sq. meters and 60 cultural establishments, together with the Leopold Museum for Artwork Nouveau and Expressionism; Kunsthalle Wien, with rotating exhibitions; and the Museum of Fashionable Artwork, which has the most important such assortment in Central Europe. The MQ may be house to a number of fairs right through the 12 months, together with open-air live shows and a manner week. If you happen to love artwork, this position is a will have to.

A go to 5 of the primary museums is 35 EUR. Guided excursions of the district also are presented for simply 8 EUR.

Moreover, make sure you vist the close by Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Effective Arts). Created by means of Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1891, that is now greatest artwork museum within the nation. It’s essential simply spend a number of hours right here (if now not extra). Maximum pieces are from the Hapsburgs’ outdated assortment, with artifacts from historic Egypt and Greece in addition to artwork by means of Rubens, Raphael, Rembrandt, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, and extra. The internal itself is amazingly ornate too, boasting plenty of marble, gold leaf, and work of art.

Museum of Effective 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 Meals Excursion
After a morning of museums, head out on a meals excursion across the town to pattern a few of Vienna’s conventional eats. Vienna Meals Excursions has a couple of other excursion choices, with their hottest excursion providing a discuss with to a espresso area, in addition to Austrian favorites like chocolate, cheese, sausage, and, in fact, wine. There are normally 4-8 stops on maximum meals excursions, this means that you’ll wish to carry an urge for food. There also are vegetarian excursions to be had too you probably have nutritional issues.

Excursion costs range however maximum are a minimum of 100 EUR and final 2.5-4 hours.

Respect Schönbrunn Palace

Finish your day with a discuss with to one in all Vienna’s hottest websites. Firstly a Seventeenth-century looking resort, this palace later was the Hapsburgs’ summer season place of abode within the 18th century. There are over 1,400 rooms, however just a handful are open to the general public (you’ll see 22 rooms at the Imperial Excursion and 40 rooms at the Grand Excursion). On the other hand, there’s greater than sufficient for a couple of hours of wandering the exquisitely restored, extremely ornate rooms stuffed with elaborate artwork, woodwork, chandeliers, and decorations. That is one in all my favourite puts in the entire town. Convey some meals and wine and feature a picnic in lawn. Because it’s on a hill, you get a terrific 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 Excursion is 22 EUR and takes round 40 mins, whilst the Grand Excursion is 26 EUR and takes over an hour; each come with an audio information. In case you have the Vienna PASS, admission is loose. Skip-the-line guided excursions value 48 EUR.

 

Vienna Itinerary: Day 3

Excursion the Albertina
Get started your final day on the Albertina, probably the most absolute best museums on the town (which says so much in a town filled with nice museums)! Housed in probably the most outdated non-public place of abode wings of the Imperial Palace, it’s most famed for its selection of over a million prints and 60,000 drawings.

The development itself was once a Habsburg place of abode, and incorporated to your museum price ticket is a self-guided excursion of the 20 restored Habsburg State Rooms. You’ll get an enchanting glance into Nineteenth-century aristocratic existence as you walk in the course of the exquisitely embellished rooms with their gilded chandeliers, grand fireplaces, subtle furnishings, and detailed wall coverings.

For enthusiasts of extra recent artwork, the Albertina Fashionable opened in 2020. Situated only a few blocks clear of the Albertina itself, the museum specializes in post-1945 recent artwork, with an enormous selection of over 60,000 works by means of 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 price ticket to the Albertina and Albertina Fashionable is 24.90 EUR. In case you have the Vienna PASS, admission to each is loose.

Discuss with the Mozart Museum
Regardless that Mozart best lived right here for 3 years within the 1780s, that is the one residence out of the entire puts he resided in Vienna that has survived. The neat little museum opened in 1941 for the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of his demise. The primary flooring is the place Mozart and his circle of relatives lived, even though you want to make use of your creativeness, as now not a lot is understood about how the rooms in truth seemed or had been used. However the museum has curated an enchanting choice of artwork, artifacts, letters, and memorabilia to be able to know about his existence, tune, circle of relatives, and pals, and be capable to concentrate to his paintings.

Domgasse 5, +43 1 5121791, mozarthausvienna.at. Open day by day 10am-6pm. Tickets are 12 EUR (loose for any individual beneath 19). Unfastened admission at the first Sunday of the month.

See the Freud Museum
Any other apartment-turned-museum, this one was once house to Sigmund Freud, the well-known founding father of psychoanalysis (the speculation that our provide is formed by means of 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 in finding it embellished with the unique furnishings and Freud’s non-public selection of antiques. There also are movies from his non-public existence in addition to the primary editions of his works. It best takes about an hour to discuss with because it’s rather small.

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

Benefit from the Vienna State Opera

Wrap up your ultimate day on the opera. Vienna is synonymous with the style, a big point of interest of existence right here. Its opera area is without doubt one of the greatest and most famed on the planet. The Renaissance Revival development was once finished in 1869, can seat over 1,700 spectators, and is impressively grand each in and out.

I like to recommend purchasing last-minute standing-room tickets for 13-18 EUR. They cross on sale beginning 80 mins ahead of the display (you’ll be able to line up previous than that regardless that). It’s first-come, first-served and you’ll be able to best purchase one price ticket in keeping with particular person.

Opernring 2, +43 151444/2250, wiener-staatsoper.at. Take a look at the site for probably the most up-to-date efficiency time table. Tickets get started at 59 EUR. A guided development excursion prices 13 EUR (loose when you’ve got the Vienna PASS).
 

Different Issues to Do in Vienna

See the Jewish Sq. (Judenplatz)
Vienna had a large Jewish inhabitants ahead of the atrocities of the Nazi regime. This group options two essential museums that offer insights into its Jewish historical past and tradition. The Vienna Jewish Museum main points the position Jews performed within the construction of town existence, whilst the Museum Judenplatz provides an original have a look at the historical past of Jewish existence in Vienna.

There may be the close by Holocaust Memorial, designed by means of 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 (contains each museums).

Discuss with Belvedere Palace
The Belvedere is a Baroque palace complicated that properties an improbable artwork assortment, with works by means of Renoir, Monet, and Van Gogh, amongst others. Recent artwork, movie, and tune are featured within the development referred to as the Belvedere 21. The loose grounds characteristic stunning fountains, gravel walkways, ponds, statues, crops, and flora.

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 (recent artwork, movie, tune). You’ll be able to get an afternoon price ticket with admission for all 3 for 28.40 EUR. Admission to each the decrease and higher Belvedere is loose when you’ve got the Vienna PASS.

Take a wine excursion
Take a motorbike excursion of the beautiful close by Wachau Valley. You’ll get to style one of the crucial absolute best native wine whilst playing the encircling landscapes. If you happen to’re in search of a excursion operator, I recommend Uncover Vienna Excursions, which I used once I ran excursions to Vienna. It’s a actually cool factor to do nevertheless it’s a full-day tour (plan to spend 8-10 hours) so it is going to be the one factor you do this day! Be expecting to pay round 85 EUR for a full-day wine excursion.

Walk 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 nations: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine. Strolling alongside the banks is an effective way to spend a day, and there are many bars, retail outlets, and cafés alongside the water to pop into. Right through the summer season, you’ll be able to absorb the solar on the river’s many “seashore golf equipment”, that have the whole lot you want to chill out: loungers, a bar/café, tune, and — strangely — sand.
 

The place to Keep in Vienna

Right here’s my listing of the most efficient puts to stick in Vienna for those who’re on the cheap:

Wombats Town Hostel – My favourite hostel on the town is in an excellent location proper alongside the Naschmarkt. Set in a historical Artwork Nouveau development, it gives the entire trendy facilities, together with a café/bar, visitor kitchen, and en suite bogs (even in dorm rooms).

Jo&Joe Vienna – Nice for vacationers in search of a quiet but inexpensive keep, this hostel is comfortably situated subsequent to the Westbahnhof. It has trendy facilities like pod beds, a cinema room, a bar/eating place, an enormous rooftop terrace, laundry amenities, and extra. In case you have HostelPass, you’ll get 10% off your reserving at Jo&Joe, and for those who don’t have HostelPass but, use code NOMADICMATT for 25% off when signing up.

Lodge Brauhof Wien – This fashionable and trendy resort is in a very good location close to the Westbahnhof railway station, a brief distance from Schönbrunn Palace, and only a fast U-bahn experience clear of historical Vienna. It’s particularly best possible for beer enthusiasts, as there’s a brewery on web site!
 

Cash-Saving Pointers for Vienna

To make sure you don’t cost a fortune, listed here are a couple of useful money-saving guidelines for Vienna:

1. Get a Vienna PASS – With the Vienna PASS, you get right to use over 60 sights, museums, and monuments right through Vienna. It prices 78 EUR for a one-day go, 110 EUR for a two-day go, after which the entire means as much as 170 EUR for 6 days. If you happen to’re making plans to discuss with a number of of Vienna’s hottest museums, getting the go may prevent an even amount of cash — particularly because it has an possibility totally free public transportation.

2. Get a transit go – If you happen to plan to take the metro so much, get a go. A 24-hour go is 8 EUR, a 48-hour go is 14.10 EUR, and a 72-hour go is 17.10 EUR. The weekly go (legitimate from Monday via Sunday) may be 17.10 EUR. The Vienna Town Card gives limitless transportation, in addition to reductions on sights (beginning at 17 EUR for at some point).

3. Discuss with the museums totally free – Some museums have loose days and evenings, providing the opportunity of saving some euros for those who time it proper. Kunsthalle Wein has loose admission each and every Thursday from 5pm-9pm, and plenty of museums have loose admission the primary Sunday of the month. Take a look at the site of the museums you wish to have to discuss with for present loose days.

4. Trip right through shoulder season – In my opinion, I believe the most efficient time to visit Vienna is April-June and/or September-October. It’s nonetheless heat right through this time, however there aren’t as many different vacationers and costs aren’t as top as in the summertime.

5. Skip the short teach into Vienna – Except you’re in a hurry to get downtown, skip the Town Airport Teach. It’s 11 EUR, in comparison to the common teach (which is 4.30 EUR). The time distinction is negligible.

Vienna is one in all Europe’s nice cultural capitals. There’s such a lot to look, do, and devour that you should simply spend over every week right here and now not scratch the outside. However although you best have 3 days, you’ll be able to nonetheless duvet lots of the highlights. Simply make sure you construct in a while placing out at one of the crucial nice coffeehouses — a cultural establishment all their very own — and take within the tempo of town existence. It received’t disappoint.
 

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