Must See~£22
Schönbrunn Palace
Hietzing
The Habsburgs’ summer palace, with 1,400 rooms, formal gardens and a hilltop viewpoint.
- Suggested time: 3 hrs
- Book ahead
- Suits: Families · Culture lovers
Daily, roughly 8:30–17:30 (later in summer)
Plan your Vienna trip
- Flight + Hotel PackageRecommended Best option if you want the trip arranged together. View Packages Packages
- Hotels Prefer to book accommodation separately? View Hotels Hotels
- Flights Already have accommodation? View Flights Flights
- Things To Do Tours, attractions and experiences. View Activities Activities
Overview
Why go to Vienna
Vienna is grand, elegant and full of music, from Habsburg palaces to the opera and cosy coffee houses. It is very walkable, superbly organised and good value for what it offers.
- Where
- Vienna, Austria
- Recommended stay
- 3–4 nights
- Best time to go
- April–June and September–October; Christmas markets in December are famous.
- Approx. daily budget
- £80–155 a dayPer person, excluding flights. Indicative.
What does Vienna cost?
Full cost guide- Budget traveller£70–105a day
- Mid-range traveller£140–200a day
- Luxury traveller£280+a day
Approximate per person per day, including a share of a twin room, and excluding flights. Not live prices.
Things To Do
See all 31 Top picks in Vienna
Must See~£16
Hofburg Imperial Palace
Innere Stadt
The winter residence of the Habsburgs, with apartments, silver collection and the Sisi Museum.
- Suggested time: 2h 30m
- Booking recommended
- Suits: Culture lovers
Daily, roughly 9:00–17:30
Must SeeFree
St Stephen’s Cathedral
Innere Stadt
A Gothic cathedral with a patterned roof and a tower that offers views over the old city.
- Suggested time: 1 hr
- No booking needed
- Suits: Photographers
Daily; tower and catacombs have set hours
Must See~£17
Belvedere Palace and Klimt’s Kiss
Belvedere
A baroque palace holding Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss, with gardens between two palaces.
- Suggested time: 2 hrs
- Booking recommended
- Suits: Culture lovers
Daily, roughly 9:00–18:00
Hidden Gems
See all 8 Beyond the checklist
Day Trips~£40
Wachau Valley Day Trip
Wachau (80 km)
A UNESCO valley of vineyards, castles and river cruises, west of Vienna.
- Suggested time: Full day
- Booking recommended
- Suits: Couples · Food lovers
Tours and trains run daily in season
Hidden GemsFree
Hundertwasserhaus
Landstrasse
A colourful, wonky apartment block by Friedensreich Hundertwasser with trees growing from its balconies.
- Suggested time: 30 min
- No booking needed
- Suits: Everyone
Open-air; the building is a residence
Hidden GemsFree
Zentralfriedhof
Simmering
One of Europe’s largest cemeteries, with honorary graves of Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert and Strauss.
- Suggested time: 1h 30m
- No booking needed
- Suits: Culture lovers
Daily; hours vary by season
Hidden GemsFree
Spittelberg Quarter
Neubau
A quiet, cobbled Biedermeier neighbourhood of small galleries, cafés and a Christmas market.
- Suggested time: 1h 30m
- No booking needed
- Suits: Everyone
Open-air; venues open daily
Hotels
All 3 hotels Best-value hotels in Vienna
Well reviewed and fairly priced for what you get: not simply the cheapest.
Best ValueBest Luxury Value
Example listingHotel Ringstrasse Imperial
Innere Stadt, Vienna
Excellent valueValue score 87 out of 100
Rated 9.1/10, priced in line with similar 5★ hotels in Vienna, in a central location.
From £210 per night · check current availability
Best Mid-Range HotelBest for Families
Example listingSchönbrunn Garden Hotel
Hietzing, Vienna
Excellent valueValue score 84 out of 100
Rated 8.5/10, about 16% below typical 4★ prices in Vienna, in Hietzing.
From £110 per night · check current availability
Best Budget ChoiceBest for Couples
Example listingNaschmarkt Boutique Rooms
Wieden, Vienna
Good valueValue score 65 out of 100
Rated 8.7/10, priced above typical 3★ hotels in Vienna, for a higher-end stay, in a central location.
From £95 per night · check current availability
Food & Restaurants
See all 12 Where to eat
Figlmüller
A famous restaurant for the Wiener schnitzel, served larger than the plate.
Known for: Wiener schnitzel
About £17–35 per person
Local favourite Good for Families · Groups
Café Sperl
A quintessential Viennese coffee house from 1880, with billiard tables and newspapers.
Known for: Coffee and cake
About £17–35 per person
Local favourite Good for Couples · Families
Bitzinger Würstelstand
An outdoor sausage stand beside the Albertina, a classic Viennese late-night snack.
Known for: Käsekrainer sausage
Under about £17 per person
Local favourite Good for Families · Groups
Zum Schwarzen Kameel
A delicatessen and restaurant in an Art Nouveau interior, open since 1618, known for open-faced sandwiches.
Known for: Canapé sandwiches, sparkling wine
About £35–60 per person
Local favourite Good for Couples · Groups
A suggested Vienna itinerary
3 nights Couple
Vienna · Highlights
Vienna in 3 nights
A balanced first-visit plan built from our Vienna picks: the headline sights, a local favourite or two and time to breathe.
- Day 1 · Vienna State Opera, Hofburg Imperial Palace, Belvedere Palace and Klimt’s Kiss, Karlskirche
- Day 2 · Wachau Valley Day Trip, St Stephen’s Cathedral
- Day 3 · Schönbrunn Palace, Spittelberg Quarter
Plan Vienna your way
Tell us your dates, who’s travelling and what you enjoy. We’ll build a first draft you can edit.