2 Days in Vienna

Vienna is known for its beautiful Baroque architecture, rich history, museums, well-maintained parks and green spaces, and excellent public transport. Not to mention, it’s an affordable city compared to other European capitals. It’s no wonder Vienna keeps being named Europe’s “Most Liveable City.”

The same hallmarks make Vienna a wonderful destination for travellers — particularly as a long weekend city break. 

Day 1: Traditional Vienna and Cultural Treasures

Breakfast at Himmelblau

Start your day with a traditional Austrian breakfast at Himmelblau, which is Charlie’s favourite breakfast spot in Europe – what an accolade! The vegetarian breakfast includes pickled vegetables, boiled eggs, homemade rye bread, yoghurt with berries, and nuts — perfect for a nutritious start.

The cafe is bang in the middle of the Kutschkermarkt, a food and drink street market with fresh local produce and wines, which is well-worth a browse after brekkie.

Leopold Museum

After breakfast, head to the Leopold Museum, home to an impressive collection of Austrian modern art, including works by Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt. The museum is located in the stunning MuseumsQuartier, one of the largest cultural districts in the world.

Traveller Tip: Book your Leopold Museum ticket online for around €17 using Get Your Guide. The museum offers flexible entry times, making it easier to plan your day without strict time slots. Though the app says that a printed ticket is needed, the museum accepts an electronic QR code.

Walk Through Volksgarten and Rathausplatz

Enjoy a walk through Volksgarten, a well-kept park with foundations and rose garden, and Rathausplatz, the town hall square, on your way to lunch. There are often festivities in Rathausplatz including a fete and merry-go-round in the summer and a Christmas market in the winter.

Lunch at Cafe Casper

Cafe Casper is a little-known cafe that won’t be found on other tourist itineraries. Tucked behind the Rathausplatz on a quiet but grand street, it doesn’t get high footfall. It’s a great spot for a sandwich or wrap with a creative twist. Eat al fresco with an airy seat on the street or grab a cosy table inside. But leave room for what’s next…

Apple Strudel at Café Central

Café Central is Vienna’s most famous coffee house, once frequented by intellectuals like Trotsky and Freud. As you might expect, it’s a tourist hotspot and queues can be long. It is, however, one of the few touristy places that we think is worth the hype. Their classic Apfelstrudel (apple strudel) is delicious and the opulent surroundings feel quintessentially Viennese. It’s also a good spot to try an einspänner, a classic Viennese coffee topped with whipped cream.

Pro Traveller Tip: It can be a 30-40 minute wait for a table, especially on weekends. Make an online reservation and skip the queue. 

Vineyards of Grinzing

Vienna is one of the few cities in the world with its own vineyards. The Grinzing area is covered in vineyards and offers stunning views of the city and the Danube River. To get there, take the tram to Grinzing and connect for a short bus ride to the top of the hill. From the end of the bus line, it’s a 15-minute walk to Weingut Wailand. 

Grüner Veltliner and Riesling are popular white wine choices in Austria, with glasses starting at around €4. During autumn, you can enjoy a local specialty called Sturm, a young, semi-fermented grape juice with low alcohol content, around 5-6%. 

We may have polished off quite a few glasses under the late afternoon sun and devoured one of the cheese and fruit boards with some hunks of bread at the vineyard for dinner. It’s a romantic place to see the sunset, and get a little drunk.

Day 2: Belvedere Palace and Churches

Enjoy a Breakfast Pastry

The Belvedere Palace is a bit of a schlep to the edge of the city and not an area of Vienna known for its food. It’s best to eat before jumping on the tram. Vienna has some good local artisanal coffee and pasty chains across the city including Jonas Reindl and Öfferl that are perfect for a quick coffee and croissant.

Belvedere Palace

After breakfast, it’s time to visit the magnificent Belvedere Palace. The palace itself is a stunning baroque masterpiece with expansive gardens. The paintings change: when we visited it had the famous painting “The Kiss” by Gustav Klimt on display. 

The palace and its grounds are expansive. You could spend as long or as little time as you liked here, but I’d recommend at least 2 hours to enjoy the gallery. If you’re an aficionado of art or the weather is pleasant for a walk in the gardens, you could easily spend half a day or more here.

Pro Traveller Tip: Buy your Belvedere tickets online using Get Your Guide to avoid long queues. The grounds are free to explore, but for access to the art collections, tickets range from €15-€25 depending on whether you choose to visit the Upper, Lower or Belvedere 21.

Sample Traditional Beers at a Microbrewery

After a morning at Belvedere, relax with a beer flight at Salm Braü, a traditional Viennese microbrewery. For about €10, you can sample five local beers while enjoying the cosy, lederhosen-clad atmosphere. While it’s a great place for beer lovers, note that the food looked very tourist-oriented and meaty. Stick with the beer flights for the best experience.

Berg Kino Cinema

Cinema buffs might find a trip to Berg Kino, an old cinema known for its art-house film screenings, a hidden gem in Vienna. The highlight is watching The Third Man, a 1949 black-and-white classic film set in post-war Vienna. The cinema has an old-school charm, but avoid visiting in warm weather as it lacks strong air conditioning. Check the schedule for screenings of The Third Man on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Dinner at Lin‘s Veggie Dumplin‘

Whilst we try to eat local cuisine as much as possible when we travel, we heard about Lin’s Veggie Dumplin’, a hole-in-the-wall Taiwanese dumpling place and couldn’t resist. Lo-and-behold, we found the best dumplings we’ve eaten outside of Taiwan. Lin’s can’t be missed. 

St. Peter’s Church for Classical Music

Vienna is synonymous with classical music, and a live concert is a must. At St. Peter’s Church, you can enjoy a Vivaldi concert or other classical masterpieces. The stunning Baroque architecture really makes the experience.

Practical Tips for Vienna

Public Transport: Vienna has an excellent public transportation system with trams, buses, and the U-Bahn (metro). Consider purchasing a 48-hour pass for unlimited travel. These passes don’t expire at midnight but rather 48 hours from the time of purchase, making them ideal for flexible plans. Use the
WienMobil app to buy tickets (setting it up does take 5 minutes, so do this before you board!)

Best Time To Visit Vienna: The vineyards and outdoor attractions are best enjoyed from spring through autumn. Keep in mind that some places, like the vineyards, are only open on weekends and public holidays. However, Vienna is a city that’s wonderful to visit year-round with warm springs and summers, and a quintessential Christmasy experience during the winter season.

Best Places To Stay in Vienna: Vienna has many elegant and traditional hotels within its city centre, though depending on the season they can be pricey. For more affordable accommodation, we stayed in Wahring –  just outside of the centre and where the Kutschkermarkt is located – and enjoyed the peacefulness of the neighbourhood. 

You can easily book tickets on the same day with prices starting at around €35. Seats on the side wings are cheaper but less comfortable.