Vienna, Austria: travel guide
Imperial palaces, grand coffeehouses and classical music near the Danube
Capital of Austria, the imperial Habsburg city of palaces, coffeehouses and classical music.
About Vienna
Vienna was the seat of the Habsburg court for centuries, and the city still carries itself with that grandeur. Palaces, opera houses and wide boulevards sit close to the Danube, and music is part of daily life.
Things to do in Vienna begin with Schönbrunn Palace and the Hofburg, the Gothic spire of St Stephen's Cathedral, and the art collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Belvedere. Between sights, settle into a traditional coffeehouse with a slice of cake, which is a ritual here in itself.
Vienna suits culture lovers, first-time visitors to central Europe and anyone who enjoys walkable streets. Spring and early autumn are comfortable, and December brings Christmas markets.
- Country
- Austria
- Currency
- EUR
- Time zone
- Europe/Vienna
- Nearest airport
- VIE
Last updated
Top places to visit in Vienna
Freud Museum Vienna
Museum · 4.4 rating · about 1 h · entry €14 (≈ ₹1,490), Adult €14; free first Sunday of the month
Sigmund Freud's former apartment and consulting rooms at Berggasse 19, where he developed psychoanalysis, with original furniture, letters and artifacts.
Lainzer Tiergarten
Nature · 4.7 rating · about 2 h · check the fee at the gate
A 2,450-hectare enclosed forest reserve on Vienna's western edge, with free-roaming wild boar and deer, the Hermesvilla imperial hunting lodge and forest walks.
Schönbrunn Palace
Heritage · 4.5 rating · about 2.5 h · entry €24 (≈ ₹2,560)
The Habsburg summer residence — a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 1,441 rooms, imperial gardens and the Gloriette hilltop terrace overlooking Vienna.
St. Stephen's Cathedral
church · 4.7 rating · about 1 h · check the fee at the gate
Vienna's Gothic landmark cathedral with a mosaic-tiled roof, soaring 136m South Tower and catacombs beneath Stephansplatz.
Hofburg Palace
Heritage · 4.5 rating · about 2 h · entry €20 (≈ ₹2,120), Combined Sisi Museum + Imperial Apartments €19.90 adult
The Habsburg winter palace complex in the heart of Vienna, housing the Sisi Museum, Imperial Apartments and the Imperial Silver Collection.
Café Central
Cultural · 4.3 rating · about 1 h · check the fee at the gate
Vienna's most magnificent historic coffeehouse, opened in 1876 beneath vaulted neo-Gothic arcades — former haunt of Freud, Trotsky and Adolf Loos.
Upper Belvedere Museum
Museum · 4.6 rating · about 1.5 h · entry €16 (≈ ₹1,710)
The baroque Belvedere palace housing Austria's finest art collection, including Klimt's The Kiss and Egon Schiele masterworks.
Kunsthistorisches Museum
Museum · 4.6 rating · about 2.5 h · entry €21 (≈ ₹2,240), Adult €21; under-19 free; closed Monday
One of the world's great art museums, housed in a monumental Ringstrasse palace with Vermeer, Caravaggio, Rembrandt and the Egyptian collection.
Hundertwasserhaus
Heritage · 4.3 rating · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate
Friedensreich Hundertwasser's colourful 1986 expressionist apartment block — no straight lines, undulating floors and tree-covered terraces.
Museumsquartier (MQ Vienna)
Cultural · 4.5 rating · about 2 h · check the fee at the gate
One of Europe's largest cultural quarters, with MUMOK, Leopold Museum and the Kunsthalle set around a lively baroque courtyard with outdoor seating.
Stephansplatz Square
Cultural · 4.6 rating · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate
The bustling pedestrian square at the heart of Vienna, where Graben, Kärntner Strasse and the underground all converge beneath the spires of the Stephansdom.
Vienna State Opera
Cultural · 4.6 rating · about 1 h · entry €14 (≈ ₹1,490)
The neo-Renaissance Vienna State Opera, one of the world's leading opera houses, offering guided tours daily and over 300 performances a year.
Things to do
- Schonbrunn Palace Tour Heritage · 3 h · from EUR 25 per person
- Belvedere Palace and Klimts Kiss Museum · 2.5 h · from EUR 25 per person
- Hofburg Imperial Palace Heritage · 3 h · from EUR 21 per person
- Vienna Classical Concert at Mozarthaus Show · 1.8 h · from EUR 33 per person
- Day Trip to Hallstatt Day Trip · 12 h · from EUR 66 per person
- Day Trip to Wachau Wine Valley Day Trip · 9 h · from EUR 49 per person
- Vienna Coffee House Tour Food Tour · 3 h · from EUR 29 per person
- Naschmarkt Food Walking Tour Food Tour · 3 h · from EUR 33 per person
Where to stay in Vienna
Hotels
- Hotel Sacher Wien 5-star · INR 45,000 to INR 170,000 per night
- Park Hyatt Vienna 5-star · INR 40,000 to INR 150,000 per night
- Hotel Imperial Vienna 5-star · INR 42,000 to INR 160,000 per night
- The Guesthouse Vienna 4-star · INR 12,000 to INR 30,000 per night
- Hotel Bristol Vienna 5-star · INR 22,000 to INR 65,000 per night
- Hotel Altstadt Vienna 4-star · INR 11,000 to INR 25,000 per night
Where to eat
- Schweizerhaus austrian, traditional, beer_garden · about EUR 22 per person
- Café Central austrian, viennese, cafe · about EUR 22 per person
- Cafe Sacher austrian, viennese, pastry · about EUR 22 per person
- Demel austrian, viennese, pastry · about EUR 22 per person
- Naschmarkt Stalls international, austrian, market · about EUR 22 per person
- Cafe Landtmann austrian, viennese, cafe · about EUR 30 per person
- Figlmüller austrian, traditional, viennese · about EUR 30 per person
- Ramien asian, vietnamese, thai · about EUR 22 per person
Getting to Vienna
Airport: Vienna (VIE)
Getting around
- Metro
- Tram
- Transit Pass
- Walking