5 Days Travel Itinerary and Best Things to Do in Vienna

October 20, 2020 Mustafa Natalwala 3915 Views

Vienna is the national capital city of Austria. It is one of the most historically significant cities in Europe as well as the world with major contributions in art, music, science and politics. Majority of the tourist visit Vienna for its rich history, Austrian culture, cuisine, art, and architecture. Some of the most popular places to visit in Vienna are its imperial palaces. Majority of museums have been created inside these regal structures. The city is also incredibly popular among artists, innovators and musicians. It ranks third in Innovation Cities Global Index.

The contemporary art scene in the city is incredibly vibrant with several venues, galleries and cultural centers across the city. Exploration of historic, modern and contemporary art is among top things to do in Vienna, Austria. You don’t even have to enter a gallery to explore art in the Austrian capital. You can enjoy amazing street art alongside Vienna sightseeing as well. As for music, world renowned musicians like Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert are associated with the city. The house museum of Mozart is a popular place to visit among Vienna tourist attractions. Concert halls and Opera house are as important Vienna attractions as museums and historical landmarks. These musical venues have a rich history of their own which is a major aspect of Vienna travel.

The city features beautiful buildings in Gothic, Art Nouveau and Baroque styles of architecture. Majority of things to see in Vienna would exhibit either of the three styles or their combination. The richness of Vienna’s history can be estimated by the fact that there are more than 100 museums in the city. Not just the museums, you will see equally beautiful libraries among places to see in Vienna. It is one of best cities in the world to see European art at its finest.

Besides sightseeing, shopping and exploration of cuisine are also among best things to do in Vienna. The experience of the city remains incomplete without hopping between stores at famous streets and markets. These places to visit in Vienna offer some of the best items in Europe and even the world. The cuisine of Austria, especially the deserts, attract several tourists to visit Vienna for gastronomical experiences.

The list of places to visit in Vienna is quite exhaustive. Hence, we have provided a 5 day itinerary in the section below. This list covers some of the most popular and important places to see among Vienna’s top attractions. In the section that follows the 5 day itinerary of Vienna, we have listed all the tourist attractions and things to do in the city.

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Table of Contents

Top Things to Do and See in Vienna in 5 Days (5 Days Travel Itinerary)

Day 1

1. St. Stephen’s Cathedral

It is one of the most recognized landmarks in Vienna and among it top attractions. You will need an hour at least to explore the beautiful architecture and even more beautiful interior of this Cathedral.

2. Hofburg Palace

This palace was the royal seat of the Hasburg dynasty of the Austria-Hungary Empire. As there are many things to do in Austria in and around this palace, you should count at least 2 hours for this place.

3. Spanish Riding School

This world renowned riding school offers one of the top things to see in Austria. You will need an hour for this Vienna attraction.

4. Imperial Treasury

Imperial Treasury is one of the tourist attractions in Hofbug Palace. It is one of the largest treasuries in the world. You will need 1 hour to explore it.

5. Naschmarkt

This is the largest market of the city featuring numerous shops. It is a great place for shopping for variety of items among places to visit in Vienna. If you intend to indulge in shopping, you will need about 2 hours for this market.

6. Schonbrunn Palace

Schonbrunn Palace is known for its Rococo architecture. The grand palace houses numerous exhibits for Vienna sightseeing. You will need at least 1 hour to explore the attractions here.

Day 2

1. Belvedere Palace

This exceptionally large palace is known for its baroque style of architecture. It is one the finest structures in Europe of this style. Owing to the numerous museums and exhibits in the palace, it will take you about 2 to 3 hours to explore this palace.

2. Stadtpark

This grand park is popular among places to see in Vienna for the statues of several famous personalities from Austria including Franz Lehar, Robert Stolz, Johann Strauss II, Franz Schubert and more. If you stroll the entire park, it will take you about an hour.

3. Albertina Art Museum

Albertina Art Museum is among Vienna’s top attractions. The museum has one of the finest art collections in Europe. You can keep aside 2 hours or more to explore the exhibits in the Museum.

4. Vienna State Opera

This 1860 monument is located at the center of the city. There is not much to see inside the Opera House, so unless you are attending a concert or an event; you won’t need more than 30 minutes for this place.

5. St. Charles Church

Also known as Karlskirche, this church is yet another fine example of baroque architecture among Vienna tourist attractions. You will need 30 to 45 minutes to explore this attraction.

6. Musikverein

The famous Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra performer and practices here. This is their home stage. If you are just exploring the place, you won’t need more than 1 hour here.

Day 3

1. Art History Museum (Kunsthistorisches)

The museum boasts an impressive collection of art from several places and cultures. It is one of the finest art museums in the world. You will need about 3 hours or even more to explore the grand art collection here.

2. Natural History Museum

This museum has 39 exhibition halls showcasing over 30 million items. This justifies 3 hour time required to explore this place.

3. Leopold Museum

The museum exhibits 5000 works of art, specially focusing on Austrian modern art. You will need 2 hours for this Vienna tourist attraction.

Day 4

1. House of Music

The house of music is an interactive museum outlining contributions of Austria to European and world music. You will need 3 hours to explore the entire place.

2. Karnterstrasse

This is a major street for shopping among things to do in Vienna. Keep aside at least an hour to explore the market on this street.

3. Butterfly House

The butterfly house is exactly as marketed. It is a place to see various species of butterflies. You won’t need more than an hour for this place.

4. The Prater (Wiener Riesenrad)

The prater is one of the most popular amusement parks in the city, certainly the most popular place to visit in Vienna of its kind. You can easily enjoy for 2 hours here.

Day 5

1. Secession

This is the home of Secession group of artists who exhibit their work and performances here. You can put aside 1 hour for this place.

2. MUMOK

This modern art museum exhibits more than seven thousands works of art. You need at least an hour to explore the exhibits here.

3. Kunsthalle Museum

This museum of contemporary art is a popular for several International events and exhibits work by internationally acclaimed artists. You will need one hour for this Vienna attraction.

4. Gallery of Painting and Fine Arts

This gallery exhibits work by renowned artists such as Rembrandt, Rubens, Cranach the Elder and many more. This place will take one of your time from Vienna sightseeing.

5. Mariahilfer Strasse

This is yet another popular shopping street among places to visit in Vienna. You can also come here for street food. You can easily spend a couple of hours shopping and exploring this street.

If you visit Vienna for more than 5 days, you can also check out other tourist attractions and things to do in the city as listed in the article below. The list below covers all the major and minor tourist attractions in Vienna.

Things to do in Vienna

Monuments, Museums & Historical Places to Visit in Vienna

Schonbrunn Palace
Hofburg Palace
Belvedere Palace
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
Vienna State Opera
Albertine Art Museum
Kunsthistorisches Museum
Museum Quartier
Rathaus
Karlskirche
Spanish Riding School
Leopold Musuem
Museum Hundertwasser
Museum of Natural History
Secession Art Gallery
Imperial Treasury Vienna
Austrian Parliament Building
Mozarthaus Museum
St. Peter’s Church
Column of Pest
Austrian National Library
Imperial Crypt
Central Cemetery
Sigmund Freud Museum
Votivkirche Church
Mumok Contemporary Art Museum
House of Music
Museum of Military History
Museum of Applied Arts
Technical Museum
Imperial Carriage Museum
Historic Center of Vienna
Wiener Musikverein Concert Hall
Church of St. Leopold
Anker Clock
Klosterneuburg Monastery
Lower Belvedere Palace
Belvedere 21 Art Museum
Jesuit Church
State Hall of National Library of Austria
Augustinian Church
Jewish Museum of the City of Vienna
Liechtenstein Garden Palace
Museum of Ethnology
Capuchin Church
Neue Burg Palace
Castle Liechtenstein
Wiener Minoritenkirche
Schlosspark Schonrunn Palace
Gasometers of Vienna
Mozart Monument
Laxenburg Castle
Kinder Train Museum
Johann Stausee Monument
Austrian Postal Savings Bank

Nature & Wildlife Tourist Spots in Vienna

Kahlenberg Forest Hill
Lainzer Tiergarten Wildlife Reserve
Seegrotte Underground Lake
Leopoldsburg Hill
Danube Auen National Park

Entertainment & Leisure Tourist Spots in Vienna

Prater Amusement Park
Viennese Giant Ferris Wheel
Schonbrunn Zoo
Haus des Meeres Aquarium
Palmenhaus Greenhouse
Schmetterlinghaus Greenhouse
Imperial Furniture Collection
Madame Tussauds Vienna
Liliputbahn im Prater Train Ride
Desert House
Vintage Tram Ride
Fiaker Carriage Tour

Shopping in Vienna

Naschmarkt
Graben Street
Kohlmarkt
Ringstrassen Gallerien
Karntnertrasse
Wien Mitte The Mall
Goldenes Quartier
Mariahelferstrasse Street
SCS Shopping Center
Donau Zentrum

Offbeat Places, Tours, & Adventure Things to Do in Vienna

Danube River Cruise

Sightseeing in Vienna

Hundertwasser House
Stephensplatz Square
Danube Tower
Stadtpark
Volksgarten
Donaukanal
Burggarten
Karlsplatz Square
Augarten
Heldenplatz Square
Maria Theresien Platz
Mariahilferstrasse Plaza
Rathauplatz Park
Michaelerplatz Square
Vienna International Center
Freyug Square
Vienna Ring Road
Karlsplatz Metro Station
DC Towers
Donau Park

Food, Dining, Restaurants, & Street Food in Vienna

Pramerl & the Wolf
Wirr
Palmenhaus
Gastwirtschaft Wratschko
Neni am Naschmarkt
Cafe Sacher
Erich
Scheweizerhaus
Lugeck
Aida
O Boufes
Wurstelstand
Tian Bristo am Spittelberg
Der Dachboden
Cafe Central
Ulrich
Mama Liu & Sons

Where to Stay in Vienna?

Here we have listed Top Rated Luxurious, Mid-range and Budget Hotels in Vienna. You can check below listed hotels for your perfect stay in Vienna.

Luxurious Hotels

Mid-Range Hotels

Budget Hotels

Custom Tours Package in Vienna

How to Reach Vienna?

By Air

Vienna International Airport is connected by direct flights to several cities in Europe, America, Canada, Africa, and Asia. You have the option of using metro, train, bus and taxi for Vienna travel from the airport. The easiest means to reach places to visit in Vienna from the airport is the S-Bahn underground train. Railjet trains are another option to reach the main station of the city from the airport. You can either take a public bus or a shuttle bus to reach Vienna tourist attractions. If you want the luxury to travel by yourself, you can take a cab to reach your hotel or go for Vienna sightseeing. Cab fares in major European cities like Vienna are quite high. It is cheaper as well as efficient to use public transport to get around the city.

By Road

You can get a direct train for Vienna travel from Budapest, Bratislava, Zurich, Prague and Munich. The bus network to reach Vienna is quite widespread. You will get direct bus to Vienna from several European cities, especially nations bordering Austria.

If you are traveling to Vienna by car routes A1, A4, A21, A22 and S1. If you are traveling via route A1, you will also get to enjoy Lainzer Tiergarten Wildlife Preserve. There are several top things to do in Vienna, Austria at the outskirts of the city which you can easily access if you travel by road.

By Water

You can visit Vienna by boat from Linz, Budapest and Bratislava via Danube River. You will find both ferry boats and cruise tours connecting these cities. The cruise tours only occur in certain seasons.

Image Reference

St. Stephen’s Cathedral – Lezlie / Flickr
Hofburg Palace – Dennis Jarvis / Flickr
Spanish Riding School – Akaash Maharaj / Flickr
Imperial Treasury – Dennis Jarvis / Flickr
Naschmarkt – Sandor Somkuti / Flickr
Schonbrunn Palace – Simon Matzinger / Wikipedia
Belvedere Palace – Kurt Bauschardt / Flickr
Stadtpark – Ann HS. / Flickr
Albertina Art Museum – By Hannes Sallmutter – FOTOREPORT.at, CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Vienna State Opera – Alex DROP / Flickr
St. Charles Church – Herbert Frank / Flickr
Musikverein – Bwag, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Art History Museum – Manfred Werner / Wikimedia Commons
Natural History Museum – Alan Cordova / Flickr
Leopold Museum – NKCPhoto / Flickr
House of Music – John Kannenberg / Flickr
Karnterstrasse – Böhringer Friedrich / Wikimedia Commons
Butterfly House – Thomas Quine / Flickr
The Prater – magro_kr / Flickr
Secession – By Thomas Ledl – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
MUMOK – Andrei! / Flickr
Kunsthalle Museum – magro_kr / Flickr
Gallery of Painting and Fine Arts – Peter Haas / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Mariahilfer Strasse – Von Gugerell – Eigenes Werk, CC0 / Wikimedia Commons