3 days in Vienna

Naschmarkt

The long market between Karlsplatz and Kettenbrückengasse, with produce, spice and food stalls and a row of small restaurants. On Saturdays there is a flea market at the far end.

1 h 30 visitOpen 6:00 am–6:00 pm

Come on a weekday morning for the stalls without the crowd, or on Saturday for the flea market and a long lunch.

Open Monday to Friday 6:00 to 21:00 and Saturday 6:00 to 18:00, closed Sundays. Food stands stay open later, until 23:00 Monday to Saturday, and some restaurants open on Sundays.

Source: Vienna Tourist Board (WienTourismus), checked October 5, 2026

Hofburg Imperial Apartments and Sisi Museum

The Habsburg winter residence in the Inner City. One ticket covers the Sisi Museum and the Imperial Apartments, and the visit takes about an hour.

2 h visit (official site suggests 1 h)Open 9:00 am–5:30 pm · last entry 4:30 pmAdult ticket €20

Go at opening, then walk on to the Albertina and the cathedral without leaving the Inner City.

Entry is by time slot, so buy a ticket online for the day and hour you want. The entrance is under the Michaelerkuppel dome.

Open daily 9:00 to 17:30, with the ticket office closing at 16:30. From 6 October to 18 November 2026 the hours change to 10:00 to 16:30, with the ticket office closing at 16:00, while the Sisi Museum is refurbished. The Silver Collection has been closed since April 2023.

Source: Sisi Museum Hofburg (Schönbrunn Group), checked October 5, 2026

St. Stephen's Cathedral

The Gothic cathedral at the centre of the Inner City, with a patterned tile roof and a tall south tower. The interior, the two towers and the catacombs each have their own admission and times.

1 h 30 visitOpen 1:00 pm–4:30 pmAdult ticket €8

Come in the morning, when the interior is open and the square is quieter, and add the south tower if the weather is clear.

Visiting hours for the interior are Monday to Saturday 9:00 to 11:30 and every day 13:00 to 16:30. The towers are open daily 9:00 to 19:00, with the last climb of the south tower at 18:15 and the last lift to the north tower at 18:30. Restrictions apply during services and church events.

Source: Domkirche St. Stephan, checked October 5, 2026

Ringstrasse

The 5.3 kilometre boulevard around the Inner City, lined with the opera, the parliament, the city hall, the university and two museums. It is a walk or a tram ride, with no admission and no hours.

2 h visitAlways open

Tram lines 1 and 2 run along the Ring, so you can ride one section and walk the other.

Open at all times.

Source: Vienna Tourist Board (WienTourismus), checked October 5, 2026

Schönbrunn Palace

The Habsburg summer palace on the western edge of the city, with state rooms, private apartments and a large park. The palace tour is timed and takes about an hour and a quarter, and the park is free to walk.

4 h visit (official site suggests 1 h 15)Open 8:30 am–5:30 pm · last entry 4:45 pmAdult ticket €42

Book the first slot, tour the rooms, and spend the rest of the morning in the park before the groups arrive at the Gloriette.

Buy a timed ticket online and choose the slot in advance. Use the official ticket shop only, since counterfeit tickets are sold elsewhere.

Open daily, including public holidays. The palace opens at 8:30 and closes at 17:30 until 2 November 2026, then at 17:00 from 3 November. Last admission is 45 minutes before closing. The park gates open at 6:30 and close earlier in winter.

Source: Schloss Schönbrunn Kultur- und Betriebsges.m.b.H., checked October 5, 2026

Kunsthistorisches Museum

The Habsburg art collection in a 19th century museum on Maria-Theresien-Platz. From 8 September 2026 entry is by reserved time slot only.

2 h 30 visitOpen 10:00 am–6:00 pmAdult ticket €22

Book the Thursday evening, when the museum stays open until 21:00 and the day groups have gone.

Entry is by reserved time slot, so book online for the date and hour you want. Tickets bought before 8 September 2026 stay valid during regular hours with no slot.

Open daily 10:00 to 18:00, and until 21:00 on Thursdays. Rooms are cleared 15 minutes before closing. Public holiday openings are listed on the official page.

Source: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, checked October 5, 2026

Upper Belvedere

A Baroque palace with Austrian art from the Middle Ages to the present, including the best known works of Klimt. The gardens between the Upper and Lower Belvedere are free to walk.

2 h visitOpen 9:00 am–6:00 pmAdult ticket €23

Start at opening with Klimt's Kiss, then walk down through the garden to the Lower Belvedere.

Buy an online ticket and you go straight to the entrance without queuing at the desk. You select a time slot when you buy.

Open daily 9:00 to 18:00. The Lower Belvedere opens at 10:00. Belvedere 21 is closed from 5 October to 4 November 2026 for exhibition setup.

Source: Belvedere Museum Vienna, checked October 5, 2026

Karlskirche

A Baroque church on Karlsplatz with a green dome and two tall columns in front. The visit includes the church model, the treasury, the organ and a panoramic terrace.

45 min visitOpen 11:45 am–6:00 pmAdult ticket €9.50

Look at the dome fresco from the floor first, and then take the panoramic terrace to see it closer.

Open Monday to Saturday 9:00 to 18:00. On Sundays and public holidays the church opens late in the morning and closes in the evening. Masses are held at set times, so the visit may be limited then.

Source: Karlskirche Wien, checked October 5, 2026

Vienna State Opera

The opera house on the Ringstrasse, visited on a guided tour of about 40 minutes. Tour dates change every month and are published in the middle of the month before.

1 h 15 visit (official site suggests 40 min)Hours not confirmed. Check the official site.Adult ticket €18

If the dates do not fit your plans, buy a standing place for an evening performance instead, which is sold shortly before the show.

Tours are sold by date and time, so pick a slot on the official tour calendar and buy it online. Dates for the following month appear around the middle of each month, so check again if nothing suits.

There are no fixed daily opening hours for visitors. Tours run on listed dates only, and the opera publishes the dates for the next month around the middle of the current month.

Source: Wiener Staatsoper, checked October 5, 2026

Albertina

A museum in a Habsburg palace at the end of the Hofburg, with the state rooms, a large collection of prints and drawings and modern art. The Albertina Modern is a separate building about ten minutes away.

1 h 45 visitOpen 10:00 am–6:00 pmAdult ticket €20.90

Come on a Wednesday or Friday evening, when it is open until 21:00 and quieter after the day groups leave.

Open daily 10:00 to 18:00, and until 21:00 on Wednesdays and Fridays. Albertina Modern opens daily 10:00 to 18:00.

Source: Albertina, checked October 5, 2026

Hundertwasserhaus

A residential building from the 1980s with a colourful, uneven facade and trees on the balconies. It can only be viewed from outside, and the Hundertwasser Village opposite is open to visitors.

30 min visitAlways open

Go early or late in the day, when fewer tour groups block the corner opposite.

The exterior can be viewed at any hour. The apartments are private and cannot be visited.

Source: Vienna Tourist Board (WienTourismus), checked October 5, 2026

Wiener Riesenrad

The giant Ferris wheel in the Prater, in service since 1897. A turn takes about 12 to 15 minutes, and a Panorama Museum on Prater history is included.

1 h 30 visit (official site suggests 15 min)Open 10:00 am–9:45 pm

Go at dusk, when you can see the city in daylight and the lights coming on in one ride.

Open daily. From 5 October 2026 the hours are 10:00 to 21:45, and the times change over the year, with longer hours in summer. The official page shows the hours for each date.

Source: Wiener Riesenrad, checked October 5, 2026