Vienna Travel Guide 2024
Updated: Jun 7
Vienna balances colorful history and preservation with clean, modern touches. Some of the greatest minds of the 19th century studied or lived in Vienna, and there are tributes to each of them around the city.
Vienna has gorgeous sites, incredible museums, amazing coffee, and a shockingly fun nightlife. I am so excited to share my favorite, affordable places in Vienna!
In this Vienna travel guide you will find:
Breakfast and Cafes in Vienna
Vienna is known for its beautiful Viennese cafes! Coffee house culture in Vienna has been recognized by UNESCO as a central part of the city’s heritage.
Palmenhaus is absolutely beautiful. It’s inside of a large greenhouse with a view of a park and the Albertine museum. It’s a great location to start your day. The food was yummy and surprisingly affordable. If you go, try to get a table inside.
Important note: Double check the address because “palmenhaus” translates to greenhouse, and uber sent me across town to a greenhouse in a park. Whoops.
A classic Viennese café with beautiful ceilings and great pastries. Cafe Central was founded in 1876, and it was known for patrons such as Sigmund Freud and Leon Trotsky.
It’s the perfect place to try the afel straddle. Make sure to ask for heavy cream. There is sometimes a line, but it moves quickly. Good atmosphere.
Cafe Landtmann dates back to 1873, and it is known for being one of Sigmund Freud’s favorites. Food-wise, the breakfast is great and they have pastries and coffee. We recommend the Eggs Hemingway.
Cafe Demel
Since 1786, Cafe Demel has upheld its status as a Hofzuckerbäckerei fit for royalty, with world-famous Sachertorte, Kaiserschmarrn and more made under one roof in the heart of Vienna.
The elaborate window displays remind passerbyers of a more decadent era, right in the heart of town. It is a place to linger, relax, and momentarily escape from day-to-day life.
Dinner and Breweries in Vienna
Salmbrau
Salmbrau is a rustic brewery with wooden benches and hearty, home-style dishes. Order a Wiesse beer if you want something similar to a Blue Moon.
Rinderwahn
Rinderwahn has a variety of burgers from vegan and low-calorie options to a good old-fashioned cheeseburger. It's a good lunch option for those craving something familiar. Don't skip the sweet potato fries.
L’Osteria
Great Italian food at very fair prices, and people especially love the pizza. The location is very central and convenient, but it can get busy at peak hours. They accept reservations for those looking to plan ahead.
Note: You also must have Kebab while in Vienna. There are stands all around Vienna. Everyone has a stand that they believe is incredible and will fight to the death for.
Things to Do in Vienna
Vienna is drop-dead gorgeous. It is wonderful to just walk around and just stumble into museums, cafes, or other sites.
Go to the opera
The opera is absolutely AMAZING! If you are a fan of the arts, this is an absolute must-do. Also, it's shockingly affordable. We went for only 3 euro.
Quick tips for going to the opera, the line starts moving around 6:45 so I would aim to get there around 6. The line was intimidatingly long, but we were pretty close to the back and still managed to get tickets for a pretty good spot. We chose to go to the standing seats in the balcony.
It is better to get there early to guarantee a good spot, but you'll also want to take some time to walk around and appreciate the beautiful architecture. We brought scarves and tied them around the railing to save our spots.
Nashmarkt
Nashmarkt is wonderful to tour around Monday-Saturday. It is an open air market with great food options. The outdoor seating has heat lamps on colder days. This is in one of the oldest districts, so walk around the surrounding streets too.
They have some great, unique clothing pieces, but it is also the spot to visit for cheesy souvenirs to bring home. Every price is up for debate, so come ready to bargain.
Schonbrunn Palace
Schonbrunn is a palace on the outskirts of the city. It is worth getting a ticket and walking through the rooms to soak up all of the history. You can also walk up to the white structure for a great night view of the city. If you are buying tickets for something, this is the place to go.
Stephensplatz
The city center with the ancient cathedral. There is an ancient chapel that was discovered when building the subway directly below the square. It is not really worth the price of admission, but it is still cool to stick your head in and look down. It is free some days of the month, so check the dates of your trip if you are looking for a good deal.
Hofburg
Walk through the palace grounds, there is nothing you really need to go into. However, it is very close to the other sites in the city center, so it is nice to check out.
Museums in Vienna
Vienna is brimming with history. From art to music to psychology to literature, there is a museum for any topic you could possibly want.
Belvedere Museum
In the Belvedere Museum, you can see the famous painting, “the Kiss.” There are also Monet and Picasso pieces in the museum, and the structure itself is an old castle that is truly breathtaking.
I’d recommend going to Belvedere during the day so you can walk around the property and admire the structure itself. We went at night and it was quite quiet, but we couldn't appreciate the grounds.
The Albertina is between the Austrian National Library and the Vienna Opera House. There are so many beautiful pieces of art from artists such as Monet, Picasso, and Kandinsky. There is an entire floor dedicated to Banksy.
Bars
Vienna is home to wonderful bars and even better beer. If you do plan on clubbing (scroll below!), odds are you will still have plenty time to hit a bar or two before going out. The nightlife is on Euro hours. Opt for both to experience as much as possible.
Wirr
Wirr is a cafe and bar, meaning that they are ready to serve you anything from your morning avocado toast to your evening aperitivo.
The interior is beautiful and they host DJs, live music, and other parties. Check out what's on the calendar on their Instagram.
There’s a beautiful view at this rooftop bar! It’s very trendy with lots of places to take photos and art in the lobby of the hotel.
The Loft
The Loft is another rooftop bar. It has a nice view of the city, it's full of young people, and they have beautiful graphics above the bar.
Dick Macks
This is the best place to start the night if you are a student, backpacker, or other young budget traveler looking for a fun, cheap night out. Dick Macks has cheap beers every night and they are even cheaper on weekdays.
Students refer to this area as Beer Street or the Bermuda Triangle, because there are so many bars in the area that it is easy to get lost.
Clubs in Vienna
The Praterdome gets its name because it is under the Prater, Vienna’s theme park. It’s a very fun walk to get there and just kinda fun in general that it’s under the ferris wheel. The line is long, so the earlier you go the better
This was one of my favorite clubs I went to in Europe because it was huge and super super fun. There is a massive dance floor in the middle that even has a waterfall, and there are smaller bars and dance floors with different themes scattered around the club.
U4
Fun club with varying themed nights. Saturday night this is the place to be. 10 euro cover and 2 euro coat check—standard for most clubs
Volksgarten
Very cool atmosphere. It is the best in warm months, and Friday nights are best.
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