Vienna is one of the most opulent, picturesque and glamorous cities in Europe. From the endless designer shops, magnificent buildings, delicious cakes and horse-drawn carriages, you might say it is a place of extravagance. It is famous for its variety of museums, classical music, and parks along with consistently winning the award for the most liveable city in the world, it is no wonder that it is one of the best cities in Europe for a city break. This travel guide will show you all the best things to do in Vienna, how to get around, what to eat and where to stay.
16 Fun Things To Do In Vienna
1. Eat Cake In Cafe Central
Freud, Trotsky, Hitler and Stalin all frequented this grand cafe in the centre of Vienna. In January 1913, Josip Broz Tito, Sigmund Freud, and Stalin were all in Vienna and could have very likely crossed paths in the cafe, how bizarre.
The interior is stunning. The cafe serves a lunch menu and a large number of cakes. The cakes are incredible, you go up to the counter to choose the cake, each cake has a number and then a waiter takes your order at the table. We shared a Sachertorte, passion fruit moose cake and apple strudel. The coffee is very good too, we had a melange.
I strongly recommend booking a seat online. When we arrived there was a long queue and we got to walk to the front and were seated in a few minutes.
The cafe culture in Vienna is incredible, not only are the cakes basically a work of art, but the coffee is up there with the best in the world. If you are a coffee connoisseur you don’t want to miss Austria’s famous coffees such as the Einspänner, Melange, Franziskaner and Kapuziner. A fun experience to be introduced to Austria’s coffee is a Coffee-House Tour at the famous Café Hawelka.
2. Prater Wein
A visit to Prater is a must-do during your trip to Vienna, it is such a fun place! The biggest attraction here is the oldest Ferris wheel in Europe, it is massive at 65m and has standing carriages. Some carriages are reserved for dinner and events. There are plenty of fairground rides for all levels of thrill-seeking and a really fun house of horrors.
The park is free to enter but you must pay for each ride, most rides are €5 and the Ferris wheel is €14.
Along with rides, there are plenty of food stalls, restaurants and pubs to chill out in. It is better to visit during the night because not all rides are open during the day. Also, it is very busy during the weekend but there is a great atmosphere.
3. Würstelstands
Würstelstand translates to “sausage booth” and you will find them throughout Vienna, they are so delicious! These Würstelstande are lively, especially at night, surrounded by people socialising at the counters munching down on some good sausage!
You will mostly find the following at these stands:
Käsekrainer: My personal favourite, gooey cheese-filled sausages
Bratwürst: Shallow fired, lightly spiced and absolutely massive sausages.
Frankfurter: The classic boiled sausage that we all know and likely associate with a hotdog.
Currywürst: Usually sliced with curry sauce, delicious snack
Aside from the currywürst your sausage will be served in a hollowed crispy baguette with ketchup and mustard.
Where to go: Bitzingers Würstelstand and Würstelstand zum Hohen Markt were my favourites that we kept revisiting.
4. Roller Coaster Restaurant
Located in Prater in this unique restaurant a chef makes your food & drink, a robot places the food on the coaster and it speeds down the neon-lit rails to your table. Every 30 minutes the robot puts on a show and dances to the beat of music.
The food is classic fried food, I had a burger and fries, overall the experience is fun and is a fun thing to do in Vienna for families.
5. Vienna Zoo
Vienna Zoo or also called Schonbrunn Zoo is the world’s oldest working zoo, it is a charming place that has kept its vintage architecture. There are many animals to see here such as Polar Bears, Orangutans and Giant Pandas. Vienna Zoo is one of only 27 zoos where you can see Giant Pandas.
You should allow yourself about 3 hours to explore this zoo. I advise booking the tickets online to skip the lines and directly enter the zoo with a QR code.
6. Sip A Fensterccino
Vienna is a coffee lovers heaven, it is embedded into the culture which is evident by the number of coffee shops in the city. One coffee spot we thankfully stumbled on and fell in love with was Fenster who serves drinks from a small window down a small alleyway.
Their speciality is a Fensterccino, a velvety cappuccino served in a waffle cone that is coated in milk chocolate. You might be questioning if the waffle falls apart but it actually stays intact. Not only is it sustainable but once you are finished with the cappuccino you have a tasty chocolaty cone to eat!
Unfortunately, the cafe has increased the price of their iconic Fensterccino to €11, which although I feel is insanely expensive for a coffee I think it is still worth it to taste. They also serve many other creative coffees and cocktails for a more reasonable price.
Location: Griechengasse 10, 1010 (google maps link).
7. Eat A Traditional Wiener Schnitzel
Weiner schnitzel means “Viennese cutlet”, it is veal that has been pounded down into a thin slice, breaded and deep fried. It is usually served with a potato salad and lemon wedges. It is tender, juicy, crispy and delicious!
A fun fact about the wiener schnitzel is that it is legally protected, under the Austrian culinary code it is an offence to serve a Weiner schnitzel that is not veal, if any other meat is used “Weiner” must be dropped from the name.
A few spots I recommend to try weiner schnitzel in are Griechenbeisl, Reinthaler’s Beisl, Wiener Wiazhaus and Gasthaus Reinthaler.
A fun and lifelong souvenir to take home is to learn how to make your own wiener schnitzel. This cooking class is taught by an experienced chef, you can choose to cook veal, chicken or vegetarian. Not only will you be shown how to make a schnitzel but also apple strudel.
8. Schönbrunn Palace Park
Schönbrunn Palace was declared a UNESCO heritage site in 1996, the baroque palace features a total of 1,441 rooms, 40 of which can be visited. Interestingly the palace survived a WWII bomb that crashed through the roof and 3 floors, fortunately, it did not detonate.
Schonbrunn Gardens is a must-visit attraction in Vienna! At 160 hectares it is absolutely massive! The park has a lot to see from bright flowers, diverse trees, ancient ruins and statues. The Neptune fountain and gloriette should not be missed. It takes about 20 minutes to reach the gloriette and the views are spectacular, about halfway you will come across the dazzling Neptune fountain.
Entrance to the park is free but if you plan to visit the special attractions such as the maze you will need to pay a fee, also check the opening hours for these attractions before entering as they are different throughout the year.
9. Ride the Straßenbahn (tram)
Public transport in Vienna is brilliant with trams, underground, buses and trains to take you wherever you need to go. The vintage trams are fun to ride and you should hop on one for a step back in time.
There is an honesty system, so you will not encounter barriers at stations but you are required to have the appropriate ticket and will get a fine if you meet a ticket inspector (who is often in plain clothes).
10. Explore Naschmarkt
Soak up the vibrant atmosphere at Naschmarkt, at 1.5 km long with approximately 120 stalls and restaurants you will be sure to find something of interest. There is food from all over the world from local produce, Mediterranean olives, and baklavas to Indian spices and there are many stalls selling souvenirs and clothing.
Restaurants I recommend are LA BOTTEGA DEL GUSTO for fresh pasta and Zur eisernen Zeit for traditional Austrian food.
Chocolate loves might want to drop by SCHOKO COMPANY where you pick one of their many bars of chocolate and they melt it into a hot chocolate!
11. Visit Sigmund Freud’s House
Visit the home of Sigmund Freud where he lived and worked for 47 years, it is known as the birthplace of psychoanalysis.
The museum is very interesting, you get insight into Freud’s professional and personal life. Some original furniture and decorations remain but Freud took most of his belongings to London when he fled Austria during WWII.
Location: Berggasse 19, 1090 (Google Maps links)
12. Be A Culture Vulture
There are over 100 museums in Vienna and they are known as some of the best in the world. It might be worth purchasing the Vienna Pass which has an extensive list of museums you can enter on the pass along with public transportation.
Some museums I recommend to check out are:
- Imperial Carriage Museum: Showcases the glamorous carriages and clothing of the Hasburgs, a family that ruled Austria from 1282 until 1918.
- The Hofburg Complex: With over 700 years worth of history this impressive complex is packed with information about the former Emperor and his wife Sisi.
- Leopold Museum: Houses one of the largest collections of modern Austrian art.
- Museum Of Natural History: Considered one of the most important Natural History museums in the world this large museum hosts over 100,000 objects from human, earth and life sciences.
- Haus des Meeres Aqua Terra Zoo: The former WWII anti-aircraft tower is now a zoo housing 10,000 animals. The museum is 11 floors and you can see fish, sharks, lizards, monkeys and more!
13. Discover The Danube
The Danube River Basin flows through 19 European countries, it is 2,000 km with 79 million people calling it home.
It is undoubtedly best explored on a boat with some apple strudel taking in the surrounding sights. I highly recommend this 75-minute cruise.
If a cruise isn’t your thing you can also take a nice stroll or cycle along the banks in the city.
14. Eat A K-dog at KOON
A Korean Corndog is mouthwateringly good, basically, it is a hotdog deep-fried in plain batter or potato drizzled with spicy and cheesy sauce.
At KOON you choose your fillings (cheese & sausage, sausage or just cheese), crust (plain, potato, ramen or corn) and finally you choose your sauce (I recommend spicy ketchup and cheese). They also have a vegetarian option instead of sausage. If you cannot decide which K-dog you want they also make selection boxes of 4 mini dogs.
Location: Walfischgasse 4, 1010 (google map link)
15. Pub Quiz At Billabong Bar
The Billabong is a lively Australian pub that hosts a pub quiz every Monday night from 7 pm costing €2. If you cannot make the Monday night pub quiz I still recommend heading here for food or drink, they serve classic pub food and the atmosphere is brilliant.
16. Day Trip from Vienna
Salzburg
Most people know this Alpine city as the setting for Sound of Music and the birthplace of Mozart. The city is often referred to as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe due to its proximity to the Alps and rich architecture.
Getting there: You can reach Salzburg in 2.5 hours via train. The price of the ticket depends on the demand and can cost anywhere between €50 – €100.
If you do not want the hassle of arranging a train and attractions you can book a guided 13-hour bus tour that will pick you up at your hotel in Vienna. During the journey, you will see the Austrian Alps and stop at Lake Mondsee, Salzburg Old Town, Mirabell Palace and Fortress Hohensalzburg.
Hallstatt
Visit the town that allegedly inspired Disney’s Frozen, I mean it does look like a fairytale. The Alpine village has a population of under 800 and is home to the oldest working salt mine.
The easiest way to reach Hallstatt for the day is to join a group tour, this tour is 13 hours with highlights including Hallstatt, Traunkirchen, Skywalk lift and Salzkammergut.
Bratislava
Slovakian capital Bratislava is located along the Danube in the southwest of the country under the Little Carpathian Mountains. Famous for its historic Castle, Oldtown and St. Martin’s Cathedral. It has a lively cultural scene and is a popular destination for stag parties.
Getting there: A short 90-minute journey with a return ticket costing as low as €10 on Omio.com.
You can also book a guided tour including transport from Vienna, however, due to the short distance it is very easy to do on your own!
Is Vienna Worth Visiting?
Yes, Vienna is definitely worth visiting. It is an amazing city with an interesting history, delicious food and coffee, brilliant transportation and so much to see. I think 3 days is enough time to see the main sights in the city of Vienna but increasing to 4 days will allow you to sightsee at a more relaxing pace and get a day trip in.
Is Vienna Expensive?
Vienna is not a cheap destination, I found costs to be equal to my home country Ireland, specifically the capital city Dublin.
A meal in a standard restaurant costs approximately €16 per person, a pint of beer €4.50 , and wurstels are normally €4.50. Transport is affordable at €2.40 per journey but is generally not required as the city is very walkable.
Accommodation can also be pricey with an average hotel or Airbnb stay in the city centre costing €150 – €200 per night. However, don’t be afraid to stay a few km outside the city, like I said transport is fantastic and it could save you a lot of money.
How To Visit Vienna Cheaply
There are ways to cut costs when travelling, here are my tips for Vienna.
1. Vienna Pass: Choose between a 1, 2, 3, or 6 day pass, it’s important to note that the days are consecutive. This card gives you free entry to 70 attractions including fast entry, unlimited use of the hop on hop off bus, a free guidebook and the option of including a travel card.
2. Flexi Pass: If you don’t plan to visit many attractions there is another pass that allow you to choose entry to 2, 3, 4 or 5 sights and museums. You can save a total of €12.40.
3. Discounted Opera Tickets: The two best ways are (i) Book a standing-only ticket: this is called a Stephplatz and tickets can go as low as €5. You will need to buy an Austrian Federal Theatre Card, or (ii) buy a last-minute ticket 80 minutes before the show (only one ticket per person).
4. Travel Off-Season: Visit in January or February, these are the less visited months.
5. Food: Take advantage of the wurstelstands for an affordable lunch/dinner. For breakfast, the local Billa’s and Lidls sell pastries, bread and fruit.
Budget-Friendly Restaurants & Cafes in Vienna
Austrian Restaurants
Schachtelwirt
Centimeter
Leberkas-Pepi Wien Operngasse
Das Käuzchen
Where to Stay in Vienna?
Vienna has 23 districts, for first-time visitors I suggest staying in Innere Stadt, Leopoldstadt, Landstrasse, and Neubau. These areas are all close to major attractions offering a convenient stay.
- Innere Stadt – this is the heart of Vienna where most of the attractions are.
Recommended Hotels In Innere Stadt
Budget: Pension Neuer Market Mid-range: Motel One Splurge: Hotel Wandl
- Leopoldstadt – best area for families, it is central and very close to the fun Prater.
Recommended Hotels In Leopoldstadt
Budget: Best Western Arcadia Mid-range: Zola Hotel Splurge: Hotel Vienna
- Landstrasse – another central area within walking distance of all the top sights.
Recommended Hotels In Landstrasse
Budget: Rioca Vienna Posto 2 Mid-range: NH Wien Belvedere Splurge: Hotel Spiess & Spiess
- Neubau – a trendy area with excellent nightlife and dining options
Recommended Hotels In Neubau
Budget: Urban Boutique Hotel Mid-range: Ruby Marie Hotel Splurge: Hotel Schani Salon
As I have mentioned above the public transport is wonderful in Vienna, if you stay a couple of kilometres outside the city centre you can find fantastic deals such as the following hotels listed below.
Melia Vienna
Hotel Caroline
Leonardo Hotel
Austria Trend Hotel Bosei
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