How to Invest 3 Days in Vienna (Upgraded 2023)

Published: 7/21/23|July 21st, 2023

Steeped in culture, arts, music, and history, Vienna is among the most gorgeous cities in Europe (A minimum of I believe so!)

The whole historical center of Vienna is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Website, it is filled with numerous museums and art galleries, grand Baroque palaces, conventional markets, and great dining establishments.

I’ll confess that I didn’t enjoy Vienna when I initially checked out. I discovered it a bit stuffy and royal (that makes sense offered its history). However, after a number of sees, I grew to enjoy it and discovered it a city complete of life, art, and music. I liked it a lot I took groups of readers here!

There is a lot to do here. (In truth, there’s a lot that you might quickly invest a week here and not get tired.)

However, if you just have a couple of days, here’s my recommended three-day Vienna travel plan if you’re brief on time. It strikes all the highlights.

Vienna travel plan: Day 1

Take a totally free walking trip
I constantly walk trip whenever I show up in a location. Beginning your journey with a strolling trip is an enjoyable method to get a sense of the city, as a taste of its history and culture. Plus, you can ask your guide concerns about where to consume and go because they are constantly residents so they understand the within scoop!

2 exceptional totally free walking trips are:

If you wish to cover more ground, think about taking a bike trip. I like the trip used by Pedal Power Vienna It’s 3 hours and covers all the significant highlights.

Admire St. Stephen’s Cathedral

Integrated In Romanesque and Gothic designs, the Stephansdom has actually been standing because the 12th century. It is most well-known for its vibrant roofing system of 230,000 glazed tiles, however the within is ornately embellished too, with high archways, vaulted ceilings, and a variety of statues and spiritual paintings. There are 2 gorgeous altars inside too: the 17th-century High Altar and the 15th-century Wiener Neustadt Altar.

The cathedral has actually been damaged and restored for many years, with the existing variation mainly started by Duke Rudolf IV (1339– 1365). Its latest restoration happened simply after The second world war.

Stephansplatz 3, +43 1 515523530, stephanskirche.at. Open for praise Monday-Saturday 6am-10pm and Sundays 7am-10pm. Open for visitors Monday-Saturday 9am-11:30 am and 1pm-4:30 pm, and Sunday 1pm-4:30 pm. Admission is 20 EUR, assisted trips are 3.50 EUR, and audio guides are 6 EUR. Catacomb trips are 6 EUR; increasing the towers expenses 5.50 EUR for the South Tower and 6 EUR for the North Tower. Gown respectfully, as it is a location of praise.

See the Imperial Palace

The 13th-century Hofburg was the primary palace of the Habsburg dynasty (among the most popular in European history) for more than 7 centuries. Today, it’s the main home of the president of Austria.

You might quickly invest half a day here checking out all the destinations, that include the Sisi exhibition (highlighting the life of Empress Elisabeth), the Imperial Silver Collection, and the royal homes themselves. It’s big.

My preferred area is the Imperial Treasury, with its royal artifacts, crowns, scepters, and in-depth history of the Hapsburg household and empire. And, although it’s not totally free, I suggest getting the audio trip, which includes a lots of context to the displays. It deserves the cash.

Michaelerkuppel, +43 15337570, hofburg-wien. at. Open daily 9:30 am-5pm. Admission is 16 EUR. If you have the Vienna PASS, it’s totally free. Skip-the-line trips start at 48 EUR.

Roam the Naschmarkt
This is Vienna’s biggest al fresco grocery store. It has 120 stands, consisting of dining establishments, street stalls, and grocers, and, on Saturdays, a flea market too. It’s a little touristy (do not go grocery shopping here) however it has a cool ambiance and it’s a great location to sit and consume. In spite of its popularity, you’ll still discover a great deal of residents here so do not seem like this is a traveler just location. Make sure to strike up Umarfisch for seafood and red wine. The food there is scrumptious.

If you actually desire a deep dive into the marketplace, you can likewise take a assisted tasting trip

Vienna Schedule: Day 2

Check Out the Museumsquartier

Start day 2 with the Museumsquartier (MQ). When the royal stables, it now incorporates over 90,000 square meters and 60 cultural organizations, consisting of the Leopold Museum for Art Nouveau and Expressionism; Kunsthalle Wien, with turning exhibits; and the Museum of Modern Art, which has the biggest such collection in Central Europe. The MQ is likewise house to numerous celebrations throughout the year, consisting of al fresco performances and a style week. If you enjoy art, this location is a must.

A pass to 5 of the primary museums is 35 EUR. Directed trips of the district are likewise used for simply 8 EUR.

In addition, make certain to vist the neighboring Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art). Produced by Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1891, this is now biggest art museum in the nation. You might quickly invest numerous hours here (if not more). A lot of products are from the Hapsburgs’ old collection, with artifacts from ancient Egypt and Greece along with paintings by Rubens, Raphael, Rembrandt, Pieter Brueghel the Senior Citizen, and more. The interior itself is exceptionally elaborate too, boasting great deals of marble, gold leaf, and murals.

Museum of Arts: Maria-Theresien-Platz, +43 1525240, khm.at. Open daily 10am-6pm (9pm on Thursdays). Admission is 21 EUR ( get your tickets beforehand here).

Take a Food Trip
After an early morning of museums, go out on a food trip around the city to sample a few of Vienna’s conventional consumes. Vienna Food Tours has a couple of various trip choices, with their most popular trip using a see to a coffee home, along with Austrian favorites like chocolate, cheese, sausage, and, obviously, red wine. There are normally 4-8 stops on the majority of food trips, which implies you’ll wish to bring a cravings. There are likewise vegetarian trips offered too in case you have dietary issues.

Trip rates differ however the majority of are at least 100 EUR and last 2.5-4 hours.

Appreciate Schönbrunn Palace

End your day with a see to among Vienna’s most popular websites. Initially a 17th-century searching lodge, this palace later on ended up being the Hapsburgs’ summer season home in the 18th century. There are over 1,400 spaces, however just a handful are open to the general public (you’ll see 22 spaces on the Imperial Trip and 40 spaces on the Grand Trip). Nevertheless, there’s ample for a couple of hours of roaming the exceptionally brought back, exceptionally elaborate spaces filled with intricate paintings, woodwork, chandeliers, and designs. This is among my preferred locations in all of the city. Bring some food and red wine and have a picnic in garden. Considering that it’s on a hill, you get a remarkable view of of Vienna.

Schönbrunner Schloßstraße 47, +43 1 81113239, schoenbrunn.at. The palace is open day-to-day 9:30 am-5pm (longer hours in the summer season). The park is open day-to-day 6:30 am-5:30 pm (8pm in the summer season). The Imperial Trip is 22 EUR and takes around 40 minutes, while the Grand Trip is 26 EUR and takes control of an hour; both consist of an audio guide. If you have the Vienna PASS, admission is totally free. Skip-the-line assisted trips expense 48 EUR.

Vienna Schedule: Day 3

Visit the Albertina
Start your last day at the Albertina, among the very best museums in the area (which states a lot in a city loaded with fantastic museums)! Housed in among the old personal home wings of the Imperial Palace, it’s most well-known for its collection of over one million prints and 60,000 illustrations.

The structure itself utilized to be a Habsburg home, and consisted of in your museum ticket is a self-guided trip of the 20 brought back Habsburg State Rooms. You’ll get a fascinating check out 19th-century stylish life as you walk through the exceptionally embellished spaces with their gilded chandeliers, grand fireplaces, fragile furnishings, and in-depth wall coverings.

For fans of more modern art, the Albertina Modern opened in 2020. Found simply a couple of blocks far from the Albertina itself, the museum concentrates on post-1945 modern art, with a big collection of over 60,000 works by 5,000 artists.

Albertinaplatz 1, +43 1 53483, albertina.at. Open daily 10am-6pm (9pm on Wednesdays and Fridays). Admission is 18.90 EUR ( get your tickets beforehand here). A joint ticket to the Albertina and Albertina Modern is 24.90 EUR. If you have the Vienna PASS, admission to both is totally free.

See the Mozart Museum
Though Mozart just lived here for 3 years in the 1780s, this is the only home out of all the locations he lived in Vienna that has actually made it through. The cool little museum opened in 1941 for the 150th anniversary of his death. The very first flooring is where Mozart and his household lived, although you require to utilize your creativity, as very little is learnt about how the spaces in fact looked or were utilized. However the museum has actually curated a fascinating choice of paintings, artifacts, letters, and souvenirs so that you can find out about his life, music, household, and pals, and have the ability to listen to his work.

Domgasse 5, +43 1 5121791, mozarthausvienna.at. Open day-to-day 10am-6pm. Tickets are 12 EUR (totally free for anybody under 19). Free admission on the very first Sunday of the month.

See the Freud Museum
Another apartment-turned-museum, this one was house to Sigmund Freud, the well-known creator of psychoanalysis (the theory that our present is formed by our past). He lived here from 1891 to 1938, and the museum opened in 1971 with the assistance of Anna Freud (his youngest child). You’ll discover it embellished with the initial furnishings and Freud’s personal collection of antiques. There are likewise movies from his personal life along with the very first editions of his works. It just takes about an hour to go to as it’s rather little.

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

Take Pleasure In the Vienna State Opera

Conclude your last day at the opera. Vienna is associated with the category, a significant centerpiece of life here. Its opera home is among the biggest and most well-known worldwide. The Renaissance Revival structure was finished in 1869, can seat over 1,700 viewers, and is remarkably grand both in and out.

I suggest purchasing last-minute standing-room tickets for 13-18 EUR. They go on sale beginning 80 minutes prior to the program (you can line up earlier than that though). It’s first-come, first-served and you can just purchase one ticket per individual.

Opernring 2, +43 151444/ 2250, wiener-staatsoper. at. Examine the site for the most current efficiency schedule. Tickets begin at 59 EUR. A directed structure trip expenses 13 EUR (totally free if you have the Vienna PASS).

Other Things to Do in Vienna

See the Jewish Square (Judenplatz)
Vienna had a large Jewish population prior to the atrocities of the Nazi routine. This community includes 2 essential museums that supply insights into its Jewish history and culture. The Vienna Jewish Museum information the function Jews played in the advancement of city life, while the Museum Judenplatz offers a genuine take a look at the history of Jewish life in Vienna.

There is likewise the neighboring Holocaust Memorial, developed by British artist Rachel Whiteread, which honors the 65,000 Jewish Austrians that the Nazis killed.

Dorotheergasse 11, +43 1 5350431, jmw.at. Open Sunday-Thursday 10am-6pm and Fridays 10am-2pm. Admission is 15 EUR (consists of both museums).

See Gazebo Palace
The Gazebo is a Baroque palace complex that houses an amazing art collection, with works by Renoir, Monet, and Van Gogh, to name a few. Contemporary art, movie, and music are included in the structure called the Gazebo 21. The totally free premises include gorgeous water fountains, gravel pathways, ponds, statues, plants, and flowers.

Prinz-Eugen-Strasse 27, +43 1 795570, belvedere.at. Open day-to-day 10am-6pm. Admission is 15.60 EUR for lower Gazebo tickets, 17.70 EUR for upper Gazebo tickets, and 9.30 EUR for Gazebo 21 (modern art, movie, music). You can get a day ticket with admission for all 3 for 28.40 EUR. Admission to both the lower and upper Gazebo is totally free if you have the Vienna PASS

Take a red wine trip
Take a bike trip of the spectacular neighboring Wachau Valley. You’ll get to taste a few of the very best regional red wine while taking pleasure in the surrounding landscapes. If you’re trying to find a trip operator, I recommend Discover Vienna Tours, which I utilized when I ran trips to Vienna. It’s an actually cool thing to do however it’s a full-day expedition (strategy to invest 8-10 hours) so it will be the only thing you do that day! Anticipate to pay around 85 EUR for a full-day red wine trip.

Walk along the Danube
The Danube, Europe’s second-longest river (the Volga is the longest), extends nearly 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) as it goes through or along 10 nations: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine. Strolling along the banks is a fantastic method to invest an afternoon, and there are a lot of bars, shops, and cafés along the water to pop into. Throughout the summer season, you can absorb the sun at the river’s lots of “beach clubs”, which have whatever you require to unwind: loungers, a bar/caf é, music, and– remarkably– sand.

Where to Remain In Vienna

Here’s my list of the very best locations to remain in Vienna if you’re on a budget plan:

Wombats City Hostel— My preferred hostel in the area remains in a fantastic place right along the Naschmarkt. Embed in a historical Art Nouveau structure, it uses all the modern-day facilities, consisting of a café/ bar, visitor kitchen area, and en suite restrooms (even in dormitory).

Jo&& Joe Vienna— Fantastic for tourists trying to find a peaceful yet budget friendly stay, this hostel is easily situated beside the Westbahnhof. It has modern-day facilities like pod beds, a movie theater space, a bar/restaurant, a big roof balcony, laundry centers, and more. If you have HostelPass, you’ll get 10% off your reservation at Jo&& Joe, and if you do not have HostelPass yet, utilize code NOMADICMATT for 25% off when registering.

Hotel Brauhof Wien— This trendy and modern-day hotel remains in an exceptional place near the Westbahnhof train station, a brief range from Schönbrunn Palace, and simply a fast U-bahn flight far from historical Vienna. It’s particularly best for beer fans, as there’s a brewery on website!

Money-Saving Tips for Vienna

To guarantee you do not spend a lot, here are a couple of handy money-saving ideas for Vienna:

1. Get a Vienna PASS— With the Vienna PASS, you get entry to over 60 destinations, museums, and monoliths throughout Vienna. It costs 78 EUR for a one-day pass, 110 EUR for a two-day pass, and after that all the method approximately 170 EUR for 6 days. If you’re preparing to go to numerous of Vienna’s most popular museums, getting the pass might conserve you a reasonable quantity of cash– particularly as it has a choice free of charge mass transit.

2. Get a transit pass— If you prepare to take the city a lot, get a pass. A 24-hour pass is 8 EUR, a 48-hour pass is 14.10 EUR, and a 72-hour pass is 17.10 EUR. The weekly pass (legitimate from Monday through Sunday) is likewise 17.10 EUR. The Vienna City Card uses limitless transport, along with discount rates on destinations (beginning at 17 EUR for one day).

3. Go to the museums free of charge— Some museums have totally free days and nights, using the possibility of conserving some euros if you time it right. Kunsthalle Wein has totally free admission every Thursday from 5pm-9pm, and lots of museums have totally free admission the very first Sunday of the month. Examine the site of the museums you wish to go to for existing totally free days.

4. Travel throughout shoulder season— Personally, I believe the very best time to go to Vienna is April-June and/or September-October. It’s still warm throughout this time, however there aren’t as lots of other travelers and rates aren’t as high as in the summer season.

5. Avoid the quick train into Vienna— Unless you remain in a rush to get downtown, avoid the City Airport Train. It’s 11 EUR, compared to the routine train (which is 4.30 EUR). The time distinction is minimal.

Vienna is among Europe’s fantastic cultural capitals. There’s a lot to see, do, and consume that you might quickly invest over a week here and not scratch the surface area. However even if you just have 3 days, you can still cover a lot of the highlights. Simply make certain to integrate in a long time hanging out at a few of the fantastic coffeehouses– a cultural organization all their own– and take in the rate of city life. It will not dissatisfy.

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