What was I thinking booking a 7-hour bus ride to Vienna while being 3 months pregnant? I wasn’t thinking, obviously. I just wanted to see one of the most beautiful cities in Europe at any cost. Did I feel like throwing up the whole seven hours? Yes. If you are wondering if I actually threw up, the answer (shockingly) is no. Did Vienna make up for it? Absolutely. I had four days to explore the city, so this guide for one day in Vienna is the quintessence of my adventures.
I came to Austria’s capital to admire The Kiss, try the original Sacher torte, and see the inside of the Vienna Opera House (on a tour at least, if not for a show). I was blown away by the beautiful architecture, the elegant coffee houses offering a myriad of cakes and relaxed atmosphere.
Luckily, the only thing causing me to feel sick was the bus. My appetite remained unaffected. My baby knew I couldn’t possibly come to Vienna and not try the schnitzel. So I did. The schnitzel, the tafelspitz, the cakes, the whole nine yards. Four days flew by and I felt like I barely scratched the surface.
One day in Vienna might not be enough to cover it all, but you can definitely check some major landmarks off your list, try a few Austrian specialties, and feel the vibe of the city. This guide is a great introduction to Vienna that will leave you craving more.
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Start your one day in Vienna bright and early at the famous Naschmarkt, an open air market that features over 120 stalls. Here you’ll find stands with fresh vegetables, cheeses, and meats as well as restaurants, NENI possibly being the most popular of them all.
NENI is a family-run restaurant that serves Middle-Eastern cuisine in a relaxed setting. It was opened by Haya Molcho, born in Tel Aviv and based in Vienna, and her 4 sons. In fact, the name NENI is made up of the initials of her sons’ names.
They currently have multiple restaurants across Europe but the location at Naschmarkt is the original one, where it all started in 2009. For breakfast, you’ll have options such as salted tahini caramel pancakes, shakshuka, and French toast made with challah brioche.
Afterwards, stroll around the market and explore everything it has to offer.
Important: Naschmarkt is closed on Sundays. You can still come to NENI for breakfast, but it opens at 9 am on Sundays.
NENI Am Naschmarkt — Naschmarkt 510
A 15-minute walk from NENI am Naschmarkt
Austria’s capital has an enormous amount of important museums, awe-inspiring churches and just gorgeous buildings. With only one day in Vienna it’s hard to cover all of the major landmarks, so you’ll have to pick and choose what you want to see most. Here are your options:
Hofburg was once the residence of the Habsburgs, one of the most influential royal families in European history that ruled for over 600 years. The family spent time here in winter (while Schönbrunn Palace was their summer residence).
Hofburg is not a standalone palace, but rather a complex of former imperial buildings. Today, many of them house museums and tourist attractions, while some are used for administrative purposes, such as government offices and the presidential chancellery.
You can walk around the area, explore squares and courtyards, and admire the grand architecture. Then visit some of the attractions inside for a fee. There are so many things to do that even within Hofburg you will have to choose what you’d like to see.
You don’t need a ticket to enter the Hofburg complex and walk around. Here are a few pointers on what to see: Michaelerplatz, Heldenplatz, Burggarten, Neue Burg and the Augustinian Church. I covered most of these sights on a guided tour of Vienna’s historic center, but you can stroll on your own too.
The Imperial Apartments will give you a glimpse into the everyday life of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth. Furthermore, the Sisi museum (located within the Imperial Apartments) is dedicated to the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, affectionately known as Sisi.
You need one ticket to visit both the Sisi Museum and the Imperial Apartments. Usually, the ticket also includes entrance to the Silver Collection Museum which houses items that were used for court household (table decor, porcelain, cutlery and utensils). However the Silver Collection museum is currently closed.
The next popular attraction within the Hofburg Palace is the Spanish Riding School, a world-renowned institution dedicated to the art of haute école dressage, the highest level of classical horse training. The horses that perform at the Spanish Riding School are also no ordinary horses, but Lipizzaner stallions, famous for their grace and intelligence. The breed was developed in the 16th century by the Habsburg monarchy.
The Spanish Riding School has been training horses for over 450 years and is the oldest riding school of its kind. There are several ways to see it when you spend one day in Vienna.
The easiest option is to take a guided tour of the Spanish Riding School. It takes place several times daily, so you are guaranteed to get a spot. There’s also a dedicated architectural tour of the Spanish Riding School, but you’d have to check the dates as it happens several times a week.
The next option is to see an official performance at the Spanish Riding School. Performances don’t take place daily, and you have to book tickets in advance. They sell out quickly.
If you can’t see the performance, one last option is to attend a training session. The Morning Exercise is not as grand as the performance, but you still get to see the famous Lipizzaners and take a look inside the baroque Winter Riding School. Training sessions also don’t happen daily. Book your tickets in advance.
Other places to visit for a fee within the Hofburg compex include the Imperial Treasury and the State Hall at the Austrian National Library. However, if you only have one day in Vienna, it will be hard to fit everything in.
Now that we covered the Hofburg Complex, let’s see what else you can see and do in the historic city center of Vienna. Albertina is one of the most famous art museums in the city that houses masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Monet, Degas, and Chagall. One of the most famous works of art at Albertina is the Young Hare by Albrecht Dürer. A bit of trivia about me: I lived in Nuremberg, where Albrecht Dürer was born and based for most of his life, for 3 years.
The Kunsthistorisches Museum is renowned for its vast collection of European masterpieces, such as The Art of Painting by Vermeer, The Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel, and Infanta Margarita in a Blue Dress by Velázquez. Not to mention that the building itself, where the museum is housed, is a piece of art to be admired.
It was my dream to see a performance at the Vienna State Opera. Alas, with last-minute planning securing tickets proved to be hard. If you can’t see a show, then taking a guided tour of the Opera House is a good idea.
The tour gives you a behind-the-scenes look into the daily life of the most prestigious opera house. My favorite part was seeing the stage up close. You will not hear Anna Netrebko sing live, but admiring the incredible interiors and learning little-known facts is worth it, in my mind. I got to hear Anna Netrebko later in Berlin anyways which was mind-blowing, as expected.
You can only get tickets for guided tours on the official website of the Vienna State Opera. Book the tickets in advance as they sell out quickly.
If its your first time in Vienna, I would walk around the Hofburg complex first, then do one of the paid attractions: Sisi Museum, Spanish Riding School, Albertina, or the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
If you are going to an art museum, do research beforehand on what you’d like to see. You can easily spend 3 hours at the Kunsthistorisches Museum alone.
You might be able to fit a tour of the Vienna State Opera before lunch, as it only takes 40 minutes.
A 5-minute walk from the Vienna State Opera
Call me banal, but on my first visit to Vienna I had to try the original Sacher cake at the place where it was invented, so off to Hotel Sacher I went.
Yes, there was a line. Yes, I spent 30 minutes waiting outside. Still, the experience was worth it. You don’t have to repeat my mistakes. Just book a table on the official website.
The cake was genuinely good. I am sure there are many impeccable variations of Sachertorte in coffee houses across the city, but my first Sachertorte in Austria had to be the original.
In case you haven’t heard of it, Sacher cake is one of the most famous chocolate cakes in the world. It has a layer of apricot jam inside and is coated in dark chocolate glaze. Typically, it is served with unsweetened whipped cream. The recipe was created by Franz Sacher, an apprentice cook, in 1832.
Tip: Hotel Sacher is located very close to the Hofburg complex, so you can make a stop here even earlier, in between visiting the different attractions at the historic center. If you haven’t booked a table in advance and the line is too long, buy a slice of cake at Sacher Confiserie (a shop right nearby) and enjoy it at our next stop.
Hotel Sacher — Philharmoniker Str. 4
A 15-minute walk from the Hotel Sacher
After a busy morning exploring historic sights and visiting museums, it’s time for lunch. You can walk straight to Plachutta restaurant in about 15 minutes. But if you take a slight detour through Stadtpark, your walk will be a lot more picturesque.
Stadtpark is one of the most beloved green spaces in the city, the first public park in Vienna opened in 1862. A must-see here is the golden statue of Johann Strauss, a 19th-century Austrian composer, often referred to as the Waltz King.
A 10-minute walk from the Johann Strauss Monument at Stadtpark
Plachutta is one of the most popular restaurants in Vienna that serves traditional Austrian specialties. And you are here to try their famous Tafelspitz, a Viennese dish of boiled beef served in rich beef broth. It is said to be one of Emperor Franz Joseph’s favorites.
At Plachutta, they take special pride in sourcing local meat from a known farm to the point where they can “trace each individual cow back to its birth”. Tafelspitz is served in a copper pot. The server will first ladle the broth into plates. Once you are done with the broth, slices of boiled beef are served along with apple horseradish, sour cream with chives, and potatoes.
For me, it wasn’t just about the food (although Tafelspitz is delicious), but about the ceremonial presentation too.
While Plachutta has 3 locations in the city, Plachutta Wollzeile is the closest to the city centre and its attractions. In summer you can dine al fresco, on their terrace.
Plachutta Wollzeile — Wollzeile 38
An 8-minute walk from Plachutta Wollzeile
St. Stephen’s Cathedral is one of Vienna’s most iconic landmarks, the site of many weddings and funerals of the Habsburg dynasty. Its gothic spire and colorful tiled roof are what make the cathedral instantly recognizable. It was originally built in the 12th century, survived a great fire and the damages during the last days of WWII.
Today, there are several ways to visit the cathedral.
First of all, you can explore the interior on a self-guided tour with a digital audio guide.
Then, you can go up the two towers for a beautiful view of the city. The North Tower features an elevator. Once you go up to the viewing platform not only will you be able to see the city, but also witness the mosaic tiles of the rooftop up close. The North Tower is also where the Pummerin Bell, one of the largest free-hanging bells in the world, is located. Now, the South Tower has no elevator and you will have to climb up 343 steps.
You can also take a tour of the catacombs and visit the cathedral museum, but with only one day in Vienna I’d say it will be hard to fit those in.
On some days, you can attend a classical concert at St. Stephen’s Cathedral. It starts at 8.30 pm, so you could circle back to the cathedral after dinner.
Tip: the cathedral is only open until 16.30, so make sure to come straight here after lunch at Plachutta. The towers are open for a bit longer.
An 8-minute walk from the St. Stephen’s Cathedral
After St. Stephen’s Cathedral, walk around the nearby streets. We are still in the historic center of Vienna, so wandering in no particular direction is just fine. But if you want a few pointers, here’s what to see nearby.
Ankeruhr (Anker clock) is a gorgeous art nouveau clock located on a tiny bridge connecting two parts of a building that belongs to Anker Insurance Company. It was Anker Insurance that commissioned the clock in the beginning of the XX century to metaphorically show the passing of time and the importance of their services.
Graben is a pedestrian shopping street just outside the cathedral, lined with luxury shops and beautiful buildings. This is also where the Plague Column is located.
Kohlmarkt is another street where you’ll find many luxury boutiques, like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Dior.
St. Peter’s Church is situated within a short walk from St. Stephen’s Cathedral, too.
A 10-minute walk from Graben street
While Vienna is located on the Danube River, it passes through the northern and eastern parts of the city. You can take a walk by the Danube Canal instead that runs close to the historic city center. There’s a promenade with cafes along the canal.
A 7-minute walk from the Danube Canal
You didn’t think you’ll spend one day in Vienna and won’t try the famous schnitzel, did you? And if trying schnitzel in Vienna wasn’t already iconic, we are going to have it at the place that is known as the “home of the schnitzel”.
Now the origins of this famous Viennese dish might be tricky to trace, but Figlmüller is widely considered to be one of the best places in Vienna to try it. The location at Wollzeile (near Plachutta, where we had lunch) is the original one and has been around since 1905.
My jaw pretty much dropped when the waiter brought in our order: the schnitzel is enormous, 30 cm (12 inches) wide. My husband and I ordered one each. We did finish all of it, because the meat was exceptional. They say, Figlmüller’s secret is using pork that’s pounded heavily instead of veal. You can have a potato salad or mixed greens as a side.
Figlmüller at Wollzeile — Wollzeile 5
Here are a few more cool things to do if you have more than one day in Vienna.
Attend Vivaldi’s Four Seasons concert in Karlskirche.
See The Kiss and many other works by Gustav Klimt and other amazing artists at Upper Belvedere. This was one of the highlights for me personally, despite waiting 30 minutes in line under the hot sun to get the tickets. So I highly recommend you get yours in advance.
Venture out to see Schonbrunn Palace (it’s easily accessible by public transport from Vienna city center).
If you are planning to explore more of Austria, check out my guide to Salzburg!
We stayed at The Niu for three nights. They position themselves as affordable designer hotels in Europe. I think at 150 Euros per night, “affordable” is a bit of a stretch. Then again, you are looking for a place to stay in Vienna, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. It’s unlikely you’ll find something of quality for less.
I loved the vibe of the hotel: simple, but stylish. The room was rather small, but clean and up-to-date. The hotel is located outside of the city center. You can get to Hofburg or Vienna State Opera in about 25-30 minutes by tram, and the tram stop is right outside of the hotel. All in all, I’d stay here again on my next trip.
I write stories about food, travel, and my life as a mom of two boys. Home is Russia, but somehow also Sri Lanka and Hamburg, Germany. Go figure.
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