24 hours in Vienna – 7 Itineraries For One Day In Vienna Austria - Vienna Unwrapped (2024)

24 hours in Vienna. Since it’s small, can you cover Vienna in one day? As many people visit Europe on a round trip they have one or two days for Wien. While you can’t totally cover Vienna in 1 day, you can slice and dice it to your own preferences.To give you an idea of what is doable, here are sevenpackages of 24 hour itineraries,.

Before you read on here are two crucial tips: First, swap your hotel breakfast for one in a local coffeehouse. You will gain an hour of experiencing real city life. Second, find a suitable 24-hour Vienna travel card to help reduce transport and sightseeing expenses.

24 Hours In Vienna: Best Of Sightseeing

A day in Vienna for classical culture travellers can look like this:

8.30am to 9.30am: Have Breakfast at a local coffeehouse close to Ringstrasse, for exampleCafé Prückel, Café Diglas or Café Museum.

9.30am to 10.15am: Get on aVienna Ringtramfor a 30min tour of theRingstrassestate boulevard. You will see a dozen of Vienna’s most important sites.

10.30am to 1pm: Join one of the guidedwalking tours. Some of theOld Town Toursalso start at 10.30am.

1pm to 2.30pm: Have lunch at one of therestaurants in Vienna’s city centre.

2.30pm to 6pm: VisitSchonbrunn Palaceand gardens. You should have time to take a breath in one of the local cafés there, either Gloriette café or the more hidden Landtmann’s Jausenstation.

6pm to 8.30pm: Return to the centre or surroundings fordinner.

from 8.30pm: Relax at one of the best bars in Vienna while seeing the city by night. Visit rooftop sky bars such as theOnyx Barat Haas Haus opposite St. Stephen’s Cathedral, or theSky Bar on top of Steffl department store in Kärntner Strasse. Alternatively, treat yourself to a night at the Vienna State Opera.

Where To Stay:Anywhere central such as Grand Ferdinand or great value-for-moneyMotel One Staatsoper.

24 Hours In Vienna: For The Romantic

If charm and romance score high on your wish list, choose small and original places.

8.30am to 9.45am: Have breakfast at Café Hawelka, Café Sperl or Café Diglas. Alternatively, head for park Café Meierei right in the middle of Stadtpark for an excellent selection of cheese and milk specialities.

9.45am to 12pm: Take a walk throughOld Vienna. For example, the areas between Himmelpfortgasse and Fleischmarkt, and between Am Hof and Seitenstettengasse are full of small romantic alley ways. Consider a 2 hourSecret Vienna tourof romantic courtyards, which will connect you with Vienna’s residential life throughout the centuries.

12pm to 2pm: Have lunch at a small atmospheric restaurant such as the elegant Art Deco café/restaurant Zum Schwarzen Kameelor down-to-earth Gasthaus Hanno Pöschl.

2pm to 6pm: Spend the afternoon atSchönbrunn Palaceand gardens, or, if you like classic paintings, at theBelvedere Viennaor theAlbertina.

from 6.00pm: Have private dinner at one of the city’s private dining places. Alternatively, wine and dine at one of the local wineries, or at a Viennese tavern such as Zu Den Drei Hacken or Silberwirt.

from 7.30pm: Visit one of the local classicalconcertsor theVienna Opera. If you visit my hometown between January and July, book tickets for a traditionalViennese ball.

Where To Stay:Hotel Altstadt,HotelSans Souci;

24 Hours in Vienna:For Not So Mobile Travellers

To begin with, a one day visit to Vienna does not need to be packed up in order to be memorable:Being such a laid-back city itself, Vienna shouldn’t rushed anyway. Here is an itinerary that both gets you around and gently tips you into the best seats.

9.00am to 12pm: Start the day touring Vienna’s best places with your own private car and driver. There are great local transfer services who will drive you around with a polite and savvy English speaking driver (and possibly tour guide, for more in-depth historical references). I visited some Vienna sights by car, and loved it. If you want to skip the lines at Schonbrunn Palace, consider this private car and Schonbrunn tour.

12pm to 1.30pm: Take advantage of your mobility and ask the driver to drop you at an original eateryoff the beaten track that is well connected for your return journey by public transport, for example Gasthaus zum Rebhuhn or Servitenwirt in the 9th district.

1.30pm to 4.30pm: Choose a top but mid-sized museum with a fine coffeehouse nearby or on site, and a good museum shop for gift shopping, for example the Museum of Fine Arts or Albertina Vienna.

4.30pm to 5.30pm: Even when just one day in Vienna,allow yourself to visit at least one of Wien’s best parks and gardens. My favourites for laid-back strolls and pretty benches are Volksgarten and Stadtpark along Ringstrasse Vienna.

7.30pm:Dine at a localrestaurant or tavern close to your hotel. Alternatively, get a Schnitzel and top view of Vienna at Danube Tower‘s 170 metre high restaurant which slowly rotates.

Where To Stay: somewhere central, for a quick rest before dinner, for example Hotel Bristol or Pension Suzanne.

24 Hours In Vienna: Spend A Free Day Like A Local

Because we have seen all the major landmarks our family just do our personal fun stuff when back in Vienna. Here is one of our day programmes that we did on our last visit.

10am to 11am: Brunch at contemporaryCaféHeuerat busy Karlsplatz or atCafé Ansari in Leopoldstadt, just across the Danube Canal.

11am to 12pm: VisitKarmelitermarkt and nearby Augarten in Leopoldstadt, Vienna’s oldest baroque garden with contemporary art space Augarten Contemporary.

12pm to 1.30pm: Lunch at Zimmer 37 at Karmelitermarkt

2pm to 4.00pm: Muse over the Fin-de-Siècle at the Egon Schiele Museum (aka Leopold Museum) at Museumsquartier. If your one day in Vienna happens to be sizzling hot, hang out at the Old Danubefor a little boat ride or swim.

4.30pm to 5.30pm: Delve into Viennese cakes at popularcake shopsHeiner or Kurkonditorei Oberlaa.

5pm to 7pm: between April and mid September: visitVolksgarten Pavillonor the city’sFilm and Food Festival(July, August) for outdoor drinks and early bite; All year round you can bag a few great objects while shopping for localdesign and crafts.

from 7.30pm: Definitely the perfect extension of one day in Vienna for classical fans isan operetta or opera. Alternatively, dive into local nightlife such as Puff Bar or Rote Bar at Volkstheater (see details in Best Bars in Vienna).

Where To Stay: Schreiner’s,Grätzl Hotel, Vienna Residences

24 Hours In Vienna:Fun and Action

For the fun and action loving, choose things to do in Vienna in one day to either follow in the locals’ footsteps or to absorb insight into the city by moving around.

8.30am to 9.30am: Have breakfast at trendy cafés Neni or Tewa onNaschmarkt (Monday to Saturday). Both open at 8am. Alternatively, why not join a local and hang out at an off-path Kulturcafé, and roam the best places at Naschmarkt and Karmelitermarkt?

9.45am to 1pm: Join a kickbike or e-scooter tour with a local that will allow you to see twice as much of Vienna as on foot.
Visit theVienna Prater. During the summer, you can rent aSegwayor afour-seater family bikein the Prater commons. Havelunch at Schweizerhaus, our local institution for crispy pork legs.

4pm to 6.30pm: Join theThird Man Movie Tourif your one day in Vienna falls on a Monday or Friday, or one of the other funprivate walking tours.

6.30pm to 9pm: Have dinner at alocal tavernorwinery.

from 9pm: Enjoy our nightlife at Volksgarten Club Disco, Puff-Bar,Rote Bar at Volkstheater, and Platzhirsch. (Guest blogger Sam has contributed a few tips for pretty wild clubs in his post on Vienna’s nightlife.)

Where To Stay:Hotels offering their own bikes, such asHotel Austria Viennaor hotels close to Prater amusem*nt park, such as theAustria Classic Hotel

24 Hours In Vienna:A Girlie Day

If your girlie day includes shopping, make sure you don’t spend a Sunday in town, as most shops are closed. For added inspiration, see what I’m doing with my mum, sister, and daughter in Vienna Travel Tips for Ladies.

9am to 10am: Have breakfast at charming vegancake heavenSimply Raw Bakery. For a more traditional experience go toCafé Sperl or Café Diglas.

10.30am to 12.30pm: Visit theMuseum of Fine Arts or the Albertinafor classical art treasures. Both museums have greatrestaurants. If you prefer a contemporary touch, visit theMuseum of Applied Arts/Contemporary Art(MAK).

12.30pm to 2pm: Have lunch at MAK’s Salon Plafond or atCafé Prückelopposite.

2pm to 5pm: Go on ashopping tourwith added sightseeing.

5pm to 6pm: Relax atPalmenhaus orangeryin Burggarten close to the Opera over coffee and snacks. Alternatively, relax inside aVienna Ringtramduring a 30min sightseeing tour.

from 6.30pm: For stylish drinks and food, take the 59A bus (State Opera to Margaretenplatz/Schönbrunner Strasse) to cult bar andrestaurant Motto.

Where To Stay:Hotel Astoriaand boudoir-styleapartment Chez Cliché, for example, are right in the historic and shopping district.

24 Hours In Vienna:A Luxury Pamper Day

9am to 10am: Have breakfast at yourluxury hotelor at Gerstner’s patisserie next to the opera.

10.45 am to 12.45pm: Visit a performance at the Spanish Riding School (certain days only); alternatively go on an exclusive one hour private tour through the Museum of Fine Arts (EUR 90 per tour exc. entrance ticket; email info.mup@khm.at to arrange at a minimum of 1 week in advance);

1.15pm to 3pm: Lunch at two starMichelin restaurant Steirereck

3pm to 5.30pm: Go on aprivate touror do a bit ofluxury shoppingwith added sightseeing of the old town. Hop into pastry shop Demel Vienna for Imperial cakes and coffee.

6pm to 7pm: Go for a 60 min chocolate spa treatment atHotel Sacher(EUR 120; bookings: sacherspa@sacher.com). While you can take Sacher Torte with you when one day in Vienna, you can’t take the masseuse.

from 7.30pm: Visit one of the local classicalconcertsor theOpera. Dine at the city’s two starMichelin restaurant Silvio Nickol. If you visit betweenJanuary and July, book tickets for a traditionalViennese ball.

Where To Stay:in one of theseluxury hotels in Vienna

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