How I Recommend Spending 2 or 3 Days in Vienna as a First-Time Visitor: A Complete Itinerary

One joy of living in Europe is how easy it is to visit some of its great cities on a weekend trip, and I would very much count Vienna in my “great cities” list. I’ve visited Austria’s capital several times, and it’s one of my favorite places to spend a few days when I want a change of scenery. 

Even though Vienna is a decent-sized city, you can very easily spend 2 or 3 days here. You probably won’t see everything, but you can do quite a lot. The public transport system is very good, for starters, and many of the main sights and museums are very close to each other. If you’re smart with your accommodation, you can pack even more in, too. 

Based on my deep experience as a frequent visitor, I’ve put together this complete itinerary for first-timers in Vienna. I’ll show you how I recommend structuring your days, but will include enough flexibility for you to add things you like and take out what doesn’t interest you. Moreover, you’ll get practical tips for how to use your time more effectively. 

Wait… Is This Even Enough Time for a Trip to Vienna? 🤨

Yes, but you’ll need to make some sacrifices. This itinerary is for first-time visitors and designed to cover several interests, but you can customize it however you want. For example, you can dedicate more time to galleries if you’re visiting Vienna for art and culture. If you want to see the city’s architecture, you can spend more time doing that.

You can follow this itinerary year-round, too. I have visited Vienna throughout the year, and in my opinion, there isn’t really a “bad” time to visit. Even during the summer, which is my least favorite season to travel in general (well, my least favorite season in general), I had a good time in the city. 

Depending on your interests, you may have to skip some attractions. The ones that you make will depend on whether you plan to visit Vienna again in the future. If you live in Europe, it’s easier to do that than if you’re traveling from Australia or Asia. I would say to skip the places you wouldn’t regret not seeing, unless you have some extra time. 

I also would stay specifically in Vienna if you only have 2-3 days on a weekend trip. If you’re visiting Austria as part of a bigger itinerary, this is also a good amount of time before you see the rest of the country. 

Another useful thing to note: I usually eat two meals a day when I travel, and in Vienna, I generally eat breakfast at my hotel. However, I have included some recommendations for places to eat. 

And more useful stuff… I wrote a separate guide with my tips on things to know before you visit the Austrian capital.

My Full Itinerary for First-Time Visitors to Vienna

Now that you have the most important practical information for a trip to Vienna, I’ll go into my full itinerary. Each day is flexible; I’ve listed things in the order that I think is more optimal, but you can change them according to your own schedule. 

Day 0: Arriving in Vienna (This Is Primarily for Those Arriving Late)

If you arrive in Vienna during the afternoon or evening, it shouldn’t take you too long to get out of the airport and into the city. I recommend using the ÖBB trains rather than the City Airport Train. The ÖBB trains are still pretty quick and relatively frequent, and they’re significantly less expensive than the CAT. You can buy tickets at the machines after clearing customs. 

Depending on when you arrive, you can drop your bags at your accommodation or check in if it’s time to do so. What I personally do with the rest of my day then depends on the time and my energy levels. If it’s late, I’ll aim to get a good night’s sleep and start afresh tomorrow.

If you still have some time in the day, you can go for a walk around whichever neighborhood you’re staying in. As a side note, I’ve written a full guide on where to stay in Vienna, which includes my favorite hotels and neighborhoods. 

Day 1: Vienna’s Main Highlights

Morning

On your first full day in Vienna, I suggest spending most of it checking out the city’s main highlights. You will find plenty of fun things to do in the Austrian capital, and I recommend waking up early. I usually just have breakfast at my hotel, but if you choose not to, you’ll find a number of cafés in the city. 

To begin with, I think it’s best to take the Metro out to Schönbrunn Palace. Even if you don’t go inside to see the rooms, the gardens—which are free to visit—are well worth visiting. You could also go later in the day if you want, and if you’d like to see the rooms without skipping the crowds, you can book an after-hours tour. 

You can spend pretty much the whole morning at Schönbrunn Palace. The gardens here are pretty big, and I also really enjoyed visiting the nearby Japanese garden. Because, you know, the number one rule after you’ve visited Japan is to never stop talking about it. 

Beyond that, you can get some nice views of Vienna from close to the hilltop Gloriette. You need a ticket to actually enter the building, though, which I personally didn’t feel was worth my time. You might be different, though. 

If you’re feeling hungry afterward and want some lunch, I really enjoyed Hollerei. It’s not too far away, and the restaurant serves vegetarian and vegan food. Even though I’m not fully plant-based, it was still quite nice. You’ll have plenty of time for Schnitzel and the like during this trip, so don’t worry about that 😄. I recommend booking a table in advance. 

Afternoon & Evening

Once you’ve headed back into Vienna, you can spend the rest of your day in the city center. If you still have time to visit some museums, you’ll find many of them within the Museum Quarter. I really enjoyed the Architecture Center, for example. Depending on how many you plan to visit (and if you want to also visit the gardens at Schönbrunn Palace in-hours), you may want to consider buying the Vienna Sightseeing PASS. While I don’t recommend getting the Vienna City Card in most cases, the Vienna PASS can be useful. 

Otherwise, you’ll spend much of your afternoon walking around the area within the Ringstraße. This is where you’ll find many of Vienna’s most beautiful buildings. For example, I really like the Vienna City Hall and also the small park close to it. 

Within the Ringstraße, you’ll also find the likes of Hofburg Palace. Burggarten is a beautiful park worth seeing, too, and it’s a nice place to have a picnic if the weather is good. I would also allocate a bit of time to see the Spittelberg district, which is really picturesque. It’s very close to the Museum Quarter. 

Day 2: Belvedere Palace and More of the City Center

The first day on this itinerary was somewhat busy, and the theme will be slightly different for the second one. If you’re leaving on day two, you can pick and choose based on the time of your departing flight. You can also add some things from the third day if those interest you more. 

Morning

Belvedere Palace is worth visiting as early as possible, in my opinion. When I came here in the summer, the crowds were quite big by around 11:00. The free gardens are worth your time even if you don’t go inside the building. 

If you do want to see one of the galleries, you should choose Upper Belvedere. I didn’t really enjoy going to the Lower Belvedere; it was very expensive for what it was, and I deliberately dragged out how long I spent there to kill some time. Upper Belvedere, on the other hand, has much more to see. It’s also where you’ll find the biggest collection of Gustav Klimt’s artwork. You can book tickets here.

Afterward, you can make the short walk to the beautiful Karlskirche church. Then, if you’re feeling hungry, you’ll find plenty of places to eat nearby. In my opinion, you should have a walk and go wherever interests you.

Afternoon & Evening

How you spend your afternoon will depend on a) your tolerance to crowds, and b) the time that you need to be back at the airport if you’re leaving on day two. 

If you can only choose one thing on your second afternoon, it would be to go to St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom). You don’t necessarily need to go and see the interior, unless you really want to; ditto for the catacombs. However, the two towers are well worth your time. Both offer great views over Vienna.

The Nordtürm has an elevator, while the Südtürm features a staircase that is quite difficult to climb if you don’t have reasonable fitness levels. It can also be claustrophobic. While the South Tower observation deck is indoors, the other one is open-air. You’ll need physical cash if you want to pay on the day. 

You’ll likely spend a few hours at the cathedral, and after that, you can go for an aimless wander with your afternoon. If you haven’t already, you could spend some time in one of the many famous Viennese cafés dotted throughout the city. I personally like going to these when I want to pretend I’m an 1850s writer and feel smarter than I actually am. 

In the evening, you can try the sausages at one of Vienna’s many würst stands. These are very affordable and filling dishes, and you’ll find them throughout the city center. Some only take cash, so it’s good to have some handy. Some will also serve vegetarian dishes. 

Day 3: Leopoldstadt, Landstraße, a Ferris Wheel, and Some Nice Views

If you have a third day to spare in Vienna, we’ll go a bit away from some of the main sights and into the city’s other neighborhoods. Leopoldstadt and Landstraße are two of my favorite districts in the city, and they feel way more “lived in”. 

Morning

In the morning, and preferably early, I recommend going to see the HundertwasserHaus; I say early because the crowds here get very big, very fast. 

If you’re into art, I can also recommend Museum Hundertwasser/KunstHaus Wien. This museum is relatively small, and it’s one of my favorites. The architecture is really cool, and I also felt like I was in Barcelona instead of Vienna. You can book tickets in advance here if you want to visit. 

Afterward, you can go for a walk around Landstraße and then take public transport to Leopoldstadt. Here, you can also find some places for lunch if you’re feeling hungry. 

Afternoon & Evening

If you’ve got a late flight, I recommend getting some dinner at Shiyu Creative Vegan Kitchen. This restaurant serves Asian-style vegan food, and I really enjoyed eating here. It opens at 17:30, so it’s worth a stop if your flight is super late in the evening. To get to the airport, you can get a direct train from Praterstern. 

If You Have 4 or More Days in Vienna…

You can choose whether you want to stay in Vienna or take some day trips elsewhere if you have more time. If you plan to see lots of museums, for example, I would actually recommend planning more than three days in the city. 4-5 days is good for exploring these at more of a relaxed pace. 

Otherwise, you have several options for day trips. For example, the Slovakian capital Bratislava is around an hour away. I personally enjoyed visiting, and it’s small enough to see in a day. 

If you want to see somewhere else in Austria, Salzburg is also a few hours away. I would actually recommend staying overnight in the city, but you can technically do it in a day. In my opinion, it’s one of the most beautiful cities I’ve been to in Europe. The nature nearby is also stunning. 

I could have added plenty of other things to this itinerary, but I wanted it to be actually fun for you to follow. You’re more than welcome to bookmark this guide and refer to it whenever you need to in the future. 

If you want to do some more planning for your Vienna trip, you can next read my complete rundown of how much I spent on a trip to the city. I’ve included the amount that my flights, hotels, and everything else cost.