8 Essential Things to Do in Vienna for an Unforgettable City Trip

Grand imperial palaces... Students philosophising in coffeehouses… Glamorous couples waltzing across parquet floors, and horse-drawn carriages rattling over cobbled streets.... Vienna is all these things. But the stately former capital of the vast Habsburg empire is no museum – it’s a vibrant, dynamic city with a buoyant cultural scene that thrives in its new role at the centre of the expanded Europe. Its quality of life and unhurried attitude see it regularly crowned the world’s most liveable city. We’ve whittled down what we love into the top eight essential things to do in Vienna during your visit.

Our tip: The Vienna City Card is a great investment, giving you free public transport and discounts at lots of attractions. There are options for 24 (€17), 48 (€25) and 72 hours (€29). The brilliant ivie app gives you lots of info on both big-ticket and off-beat attractions, plus themed walks, events and plenty of other things to do in Vienna.

Begin your exploration at the city’s beloved emblem and focal point, St. Stephen’s Cathedral. The lofty Gothic masterpiece, one of Europe’s most revered cathedrals and affectionately known as the “Steffl”, towers over the city with its distinctive tiled roof graced by the imperial double-headed eagle. Soak up the tranquillity of the Stephansdom’s soaring interior, before going underground to the eerie relics in the catacombs. The breathtaking views from the South Tower make the climb up 343 steps more than worth the effort.

Let the tower be your orientation point as you explore the centre of the original city, now the 1st District. The main arteries Kärntner Strasse, Graben and Kohlmarkt are Vienna’s most prestigious shopping streets and perfect if you’re in the market for designer-label attire. But veer off and you’ll find elegant buildings that span centuries lining a maze of narrow streets which open onto quiet courtyards or regal squares, all packed with art galleries, bars, cafés and quirky shops. Just follow your nose!

• St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Stephansplatz 1010 Vienna.
• Open: 6am–10pm Mon–Sat, 7am–10pm Sunday.
• Visiting the church itself is free. There are charges for tours and for visits to the catacombs or the towers, or you can get an all-in-one ticket for €25 (€7 for kids). Tickets can only be bought at the cathedral (cash only).

Our tip: Watch the sun go down over the Steffl and the city skyline over great cocktails at Das LOFT, on the 18th floor atop the SO/ Vienna luxury hotel.

If you’re expecting a magisterial edifice to rival Buckingham Palace or Versailles, the Hofburg isn’t it. (Schönbrunn, below, is.) The main residence of the Habsburg emperors for over seven centuries is a grand, sprawling patchwork of buildings – Kaiser Franz Joseph had lofty plans to reshape his residence, but by the early 1900s the dynasty was well and truly in decline. Today the still-impressive palace complex is the official seat of Austria’s president.

The Hofburg is crammed with opulent state rooms and museums filled with everything from art to armour, but if time is tight we recommend a visit to the Sisi Museum. Here you can delve into the glamorous but tragic life of Empress Elisabeth, and get a taste of the extravagance amid which she lived with her husband Franz Joseph at the Imperial Apartments (Kaiserappartements).

Experience the pinnacle of classical equestrianism at the Spanish Riding School (Spanische Hofreitschule) at a morning training session or a full performance featuring the famed dancing Lipizzaner horses.

• Sisi Museum, Hofburg, Michaelerkuppel, 1010 Vienna.
• Open: Daily 9am–5:30pm (last admission 4:30pm).
• Tickets cost €17.50 (children €11) including admission to the Imperial Apartments. Buy your tickets online with a fixed time slot to beat the crowds.

In 1857, Kaiser Franz Joseph decreed that what remained of the medieval city walls should be razed, to be replaced by a grand boulevard. The construction of the Ringstrasse – actually a “U” shape which arches 5.3 kilometres around the old town – ignited an unprecedented building boom. The rising bourgeoisie rushed to build themselves impressive palaces, while monumental public buildings in a smorgasbord of historicist architecture styles rose up between them.

To soak up the majesty of the magnificent avenue, you can take one of the many city tours, but for us the fun thing to do in Vienna is simply hop aboard a tram. Starting from the neo-Renaissance Vienna State Opera, Line 1 takes you past the museums of art and natural history, the neoclassical parliament, the Flemish Gothic city hall, the neo-Baroque Burgtheater and the neo-Gothic Votive Church (Votivkirche). Interspersed along the way are manicured parks like the Burggarten and Volksgarten. Best of all, with a 24, 48 or 72 hour public transport ticket, or the Vienna City Card, you can hop off anywhere you like!

Time for a break? A stop at an iconic coffeehouse is the perfect thing to do in Vienna for a pause from the modern world. Part of the city’s culture since the eighteenth century, the Kaffeehaus has long been a meeting place for artists, writers and philosophers. Many of them unchanged for decades, cafés are a place to slow down and simply let time pass. And you can stay as long as you like!

For full cultural immersion, take a seat on a Thonet chair at a marble table and let your waistcoated waiter bring you a Melange (an espresso topped with frothed milk), always on a silver tray accompanied by a glass of fresh-from-the-Alps drinking water. The choice of cafés is almost endless: let a decadently rich slice of chocolate Sachertorte melt in your mouth at Café Sacher, or savour a fruity apple strudel under the majestic arches of Café Central (but be prepared to queue at both). Other favourite spots in the 1st district are the ‘50s retro Café Prückel, cosy artists’ hangout Café Hawelka (famed for its yeasty Buchtel buns), and the city’s oldest, Café Frauenhuber. Outside the centre, we particularly love Café Sperl, seemingly unchanged since it opened in 1888, the peaceful art nouveau Café Goldegg or Café Jelinek, with its delightful patina.

Our tip: Some cafés accept only cash – proving that time really has stood still – so make sure you have some with you. Tipping is a must – just round up your bill by 10% or so.

One of Europe’s most splendid Baroque complexes, Schönbrunn Palace was the residence in which the Habsburg royals, and their vast retinue, spent their summers. Originally a hunting lodge, Empress Maria Theresa had the palace completely redesigned from 1743; a variety of themed tours immerse you in the rococo opulence of some of its 1,441 rooms. In them Mozart performed as a child, Napoleon held court and the Conference of Vienna was convened in 1814.

The complex is set in vast Baroque gardens dotted with fountains, statues and monuments; the kids will love getting lost in the maze. Climb up to the hilltop Gloriette, where Franz Joseph and Sisi would take breakfast and which is now home to a café, for breathtaking views. The park is also home to Vienna’s zoo, Tiergarten Schönbrunn. Opened in 1752, it’s the world’s oldest, yet it’s renowned for its modern, near-natural enclosures. The star residents are the giant panda family.

• Schloss Schönbrunn, Schönbrunner Schlossstrasse, 1130 Vienna. Take the U4 metro to Schönbrunn or Hietzing (for the zoo).
• The palace is open 8:30am–5:30pm April to October, 8:30am–5pm November to March. The gardens are open from 6:30am until around sunset.
• Tickets for themed tours of the palace start at €20 (kids €13) and can be booked for a set time slot online. Tickets to the zoo cost €27 (kids €15.50). Entry to the palace grounds is free.

Our tip: If your list of things to do in Vienna includes time travel, journey through the history of the palace with the Schönbrunn VR virtual reality experience.

Austria’s capital is the only major world city with a significant wine-growing industry within its borders, and a spot of wine tasting should be high on your list of things to do in Vienna. The Heuriger is a uniquely Viennese institution: a tavern where vintners serve their own wine, in summer under the shade of towering trees, in winter in cosy, wood-lined interiors. (The word “Heuriger” simply refers to “this year’s” wine.)

Take bus 38A from Heiligenstadt U4 station to the top of Kahlenberg mountain, where you’ll enjoy spectacular views over the city and the wide arc of the Danube. Then simply wander down through the vineyards, in the direction of the quaint villages of Nussdorf or Grinzing. On the way, or at the bottom, you’ll find several Heurige where you can sample a Gemischter Satz, a light white blending a variety of grapes. A couple of our favourites are Weingut Weiland and Mayer am Nussberg – they’re both only open during the warmer months when the weather’s good, but there are few better things to do in Vienna than savour a great drop among the vines with the city as your backdrop.

Our tip: True Heurige are only allowed to open for a limited number of weeks per year. A sign outside saying “Ausg’steckt is” will tell you a tavern is open – or you can check the Wiener Wein Heurigenkalender online. You’re actually allowed to take your own food with you to a Heuriger, but a much better idea is to tuck into their unpretentious but delicious traditional Viennese cuisine. 

The delightful villages of Stammersdorf and Strebersdorf across the Danube enchant with alleys lined with centuries-old wine cellars, and lots of charming Heurige.

The great general Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663–1736) built himself a grand palace that’s one of the world’s most treasured Baroque ensembles: the Belvedere. It celebrated its 300th birthday in 2023. Actually two palaces, the Upper and Lower Belvedere are separated by ornamental gardens spread over three terraces.

The Upper Belvedere houses a superb collection spanning 800 years of art, displayed in fabulously lavish Baroque halls. A major focus is Austrian art, including the early-20th-century Expressionist masters Oskar Kokoschka, Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt. The undisputed star is Klimt’s “The Kiss (Lovers)”, depicting a couple locked in a deep embrace, swathed in golden robes in a field of flowers on the edge of a precipice. It’s the pinnacle of Klimt’s “gold period”, in which he mixed gold leaf with oils and bronze paint, and it stills retains every drop of its remarkable emotional impact today.

• Upper Belvedere, Prinz Eugen-Strasse 27, 1030 Vienna. From the city centre, take tram D to Schloss Belvedere.
• The Upper Belvedere is open daily 9am–6pm. The gardens open at 6:30am Apr–Oct and 7am during the colder months, and close around sunset.
• Being swept away by “The Kiss” is one of the most popular things to do in Vienna, so it pays to book online. Tickets for the Upper Belvedere are €16.70. It’s €14.60 for the prestigious temporary exhibitions at the Lower Belvedere. Under-19s have free admission at both. There are also combination same-day tickets for the upper and lower museums or for both plus the edgy contemporary exhibitions at the nearby Belvedere 21.

Our tip: When you stand in front of the Upper Belvedere and gaze over the gardens and the city, what you’re seeing is the iconic “Canaletto View”. The Italian artist Bernardo Bellotto (aka Canaletto) painted the very same scene around 1760, and not too much has changed in the city skyline since then. You can admire the painting itself in the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

Vienna’s classical music legacy is legendary. Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and others lived and composed countless important works here. The lavish Vienna State Opera is one of the great venues, with reputedly the largest repertoire in the world and a different production almost every night. And of course, Vienna gifted the world the Viennese waltz – Johann Strauss Jr’s “Blue Danube”, premiered in 1867, is the city’s unofficial anthem, and locals waltz to it every New Year’s Eve on the stroke of midnight. And an estimated 10,000 music lovers listen to live concerts – every night!

The Viennese are notoriously passionate about their music. At a concert of 12-tone music conducted by Arnold Schoenberg at the Musikverein in 1913, audience members actually came to blows!

A concert in the glorious Goldener Saal (Golden Hall) of the Musikverein is the consummate classical music experience and should be high on any music lover’s list of things to do in Vienna. Beneath a sumptuous, frescoed golden ceiling, world-renowned orchestras such as the Vienna Philharmonic perform before demanding audiences in an auditorium that is just as famed for its acoustics as its opulence.

• Musikverein, Musikvereinsplatz 1, Bösendorferstrasse 12, 1010 Vienna.
• Box office hours are Mon–Fri 9am–7pm and Sat 9am–1pm (July and August Mon–Fri 9am–midday), as well as one hour before concerts. It’s best to book in advance online, but you can often pick up tickets on the day.

All that’s left for us now is to wish you “eine wunderschöne Zeit in Wien”!