Hello Vienna! The enchanting capital of Austria and a city that effortlessly combines the grandeur of its imperial past with the vibrancy of modern European life. Nestled along the serene banks of the Danube River, Vienna is a destination that beckons travelers with its rich history, classical music heritage, and a thriving cultural scene. Known as the “City of Music” for its association with iconic composers like Mozart, Beethoven, and Strauss, Vienna has been a muse to the world’s greatest musical minds. Prepare to immerse yourself in the culturally symphony of Vienna, where the past and present dance in harmony, inviting you to experience the city’s refined charms and artistic wonders.
Vienna awaits your exploration!
When I am researching activities and things to see in a new city, I wish I found more itineraries that ranked the list of activities they recommend. Everyone’s time is different in a new city and it’s important to be able to prioritize activities that are a MUST versus activities that are nice, but could possibly be skipped. I like to schedule my days and build an itinerary with one MUST item, one TRY TO DO item, and one SKIP item a day in case something happens or we are too tired, we can always hit the MUST item and SKIP the item that’s not as important.
★★★ MUST SEE
★★ TRY TO DO
★ SKIP (BUT WORTH IF YOU HAVE TIME)
★★★ St. Stephen’s Catherdral
★★★ Schönbrunn Palace
★★ Stephansplatz
★★ Viennese Dinner
★ Vienna Plague Column
★ Graben Street
Use these jumps to navigate to a specific day or just keep scrolling to read the full itinerary!
When: August 2019
Who: My Best Friend and I (just 2 adults) ~ we did more of a budget trip as we just had graduated college and hadn’t started full time work yet
Where we stayed: South Vienna
Day 1 Information ~
Airbnb ~ where we booked our accommodation
Arrive in Vienna: We arrived in Vienna pretty late; we flew in from Iceland. Our flight landed ~10PM. The international airport was nice though and we were able to follow the signs to the public transportation to take us to our Airbnb. The CAT non stop train got us to our Airbnb stop in about 20 minutes which isn’t too bad. We purchased a ticket at a kiosk before we boarded and it cost ~$14 euros.
Check into Airbnb: We stayed in an Airbnb just south of the main city center. It was an okay Airbnb, but it only cost ~$90 for two nights!
Day 2 Information ~
Schönbrunn Palace ~ reserve tickets ahead of time
Stephansplatz: To get from our Airbnb to Stephansplatz, we took the U-Bahn orange line; walking to/from the stops and the actual ride itself took only 20 minutes. It cost ~$2 a trip. Stephansplatz is a central and iconic square located in the heart of Vienna. It is home to St. Stephen’s Cathedral which we went to next.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral: The magnificent Gothic cathedral was our next stop. You must stand outside and walk around to admire the soaring spires, intricate stonework, and details that make it a masterpiece of medieval design. The history dates back all the way to the 12th century. We did go inside the cathedral which is free, but you will have to pay a small fee to climb to the top of one of the towers for a panoramic view of the city (which we chose not to do). The inside of the cathedral is very impressive with highlights being the High Altar, the pulpit, and the beautiful stained glass windows. Mozart did grow up near here and came here on several occasions. We spent ~45 minutes walking around and going inside the cathedral.
Vienna Plague Column: After St. Stephen’s Cathedral we walked down the famous Graben street. Here we stopped at the Vienna Plague Column or Wiener Pestsaule. It is a historic monument that stands as a significant symbol of the city’s history and religious devotion. It was erected in response to the devastating plague epidemic that struck Vienna from 1679 to 1680. It is free to walk up to and take pictures.
Lunch: After walking along Graben street, we went to a market for lunch. The market is called Naschmarkt. It was very cute with all these little restaurants with long picnic tables to see and eat. We got bread, eggs, and coffee. We walked here from Graben street which took about 20 minutes.
Schönbrunn Palace: After lunch we took the U-bahn green line about 25 minutes outside of Vienna to the Schönbrunn Palace. The Palace is one of Austria’s most iconic and historic landmarks that’s known for its stunning Baroque architecture, beautiful gardens, and estate rooms. Having been to Versailles, I think it definitely challenges the France palace for some of the most beautiful estates rooms. We purchased our tickets with a timed entry ahead of time which is necessary. There are different combinations of tickets you can purchase, but we did the Grand Tour for ~29 euros each. The tour was an hour long and gave us access afterwards to the amazing gardens. The Palace is absolutely a MUST SEE! The Palace tours run starting at 8:30AM until 5:30PM.
Dinner: We really wanted to try an iconic Viennese dinner so we went to a restaurant named Stadtheuriger Gigerl and ate schnitzel! Wiener Schnitzel is a breaded and fried veal or pork cutlet that’s tender and delicious. We got a pork one and some chicken which both were outstanding. The schnitzel was kind of expensive being ~27 euros, but it was a great experience.
We sadly left Vienna after just one day 🙁
We did however travel to another country in Europe which was super fun.
We took the train (Europe Rail Pass) from Vienna to Ljubljana, Slovenia. The trip took about 5 hours and cost ~68 euros a person. The train ride was very nice and relaxing. We had the cabin mostly to ourselves the whole time so we could stretch out and sleep/watch movies. I definitely recommend using the trains to get around Europe!
Vienna experiences a temperate continental climate with distinct seasons throughout the year. Here’s an overview of the weather year round:
Spring: Highs will be around 68℉
Spring: Lows will be around 48℉
Summer: Highs will be around 77℉
Summer: Lows will be around 61℉
Autumn: Highs will be around 72℉
Autumn: Lows will be around 55℉
Winter: Highs will be around 39℉
Winter: Lows will be around 30℉
Vienna offers a diverse range of accommodation options to suit various preferences and interests. Here are some popular areas to consider:
Vienna boasts an efficient and well-developed public transportation system that makes it easy for residents and visitors to get around the city. Here are some key aspects to transportation in Vienna:
