Vienna 4 days Itinerary

You want to visit the Austrian Capital but only have 4 days available and don't know where to start? Then this itinerary is made for you...

No time to read? Pin it for later!

Pinterest Pin for a 4 Days Vienna Itinerary

Day 1 – Vienna’s Ringstrasse and Classical Music Concert

Try and get an early flight to make the most of your day in Vienna, and for your first day just try and ‘go with the flow’ to familiarise yourself with the city. Hence, after checking-in at your hotel/hostel make your way to the Ringstrasse. You could rent an electric scooter or hop on a tram, and start exploring the amazing architecture around you. The Ringstrasse is practically Vienna’s boulevard and home to the city’s most iconic buildings. It is a semi-circular area around the city centre where the walls of the once Mediaeval city were located. Start from Hofburg Palace (opening times from 9:00 to 17:30), where you will be able to visit the Sissi Museum, the Imperial Treasury and Apartments. Afterwards, proceed towards the Rathaus, Parliament, the Burgtheater, the Votivkirche, the Art History and Natural History Museum.

Vienna is full of amazing architecture and museums so if you have a limited amount of days available, I will suggest you look into those that attract you the most within the Ringstrasse and pick 2 or 3 to visit during your stay in Vienna. Whichever you choose though, do not miss the Austrian National Library, located very close to the Spanish Riding School and Hofburg (opening times 10:00 to 18:00, tickets starting from 3.00€). However, keep in mind that the library is unfortunately closed for restaurations until the 31st of December 2022! The same applies for the Parliament and the Rathaus which cannot currently be visited due to ongoing works.

As we all know, Vienna is the capital of classical music, so what better than concluding your first day in this beautiful city with a classical music concert. Even though I personally don’t really listen to classical music myself, I do believe that this is one of these things you must do at least once in your life, especially in a city like Vienna. It felt like a must! Concert prices are very affordable too. Starting prices are from about 28.00€. I booked mine through Getyourguide here.

Day 2 – Schönbrunn Palace, Naschmarket, Karlskirche and area around Schloss Belvedere

Visit to Schönbrunn Palace. If you want to make the most of your day make sure to be at the gates by 9:00 as your visit will take a good part of your day. Opening times are from 9:00 to 17:00, and tickets are 31.00€ per adult for the classic ticket that you can book in here, which gives you access to the Grand Tour of the Palace (you need to enter the palace at the time stated on the ticket) plus other 4 attractions within the Palace’s Gardens. The full tour takes about 3 to 4 hours. However, if you only want to see the Gardens, they are open to everyone and you do not need to purchase any tickets to get in. From the palace, make your way to the Naschmarkt for a cheap typical lunch. Later in the day, head over to discover the area around Karlskirche, entry tickets to the church are 8.00€ but totally worth it. The entry fee will also give you access to the rooftop for some nice views of the city. A few minutes’ walk or a short tram ride from the Karlskirche, you will find Schloss Belvedere. After spending the morning in Schonbrunn Palace, I personally decided not to visit the interiors of Schloss Belvedere, however the gardens are definitely a must see and entry to the external area is also free of charge. Spend the evening exploring Vienna’s city centre by night.

Day 3 – Central Café’, Wiener Zentralfriedhof, Hunderstrasse Kunst Haus, Prater

Start with a breakfast at the Central Café, a place that was the meeting point of the Viennese intellectual scene. Here, some of the most important of all times have come up with ideas and thoughts that have forever changed the world we live in today. The atmosphere of the Café’ and the live piano music will certainly take you back in time to the Vienna of the 18th and 19th century. If you are wondering about, a coffee starts from about 5.00€ so not very cheap. However, you could get an Apple strudel for about 9.00€.

As you probably know by now, Vienna was (and still is) the hub of classical music throughout the 19th century. Hundreds of famous composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert and Strauss were attracted to the city at some point during their careers. Many of the most well-known composers of all times are today resting at the Wiener Zentralfriedhof and I strongly recommend visiting it. Beethoven’s Grave, as well as the ones of other famous composers, are the main attraction in here. The Friedshofskirche, the cemetery church, is located right in the middle of the cemetery and is free to visit if you want to.
For the afternoon, head over to Hunderstrasser House und Kunst Haus Wien Museum Hunderstrasser for some particular type of street art. While for the rest of your day, you could have some fun at the Prater, the city’s famous amusement park, where you can also try one of the best Wiener Schnitzel in town at the ‘Schweizerhaus”, right inside of the amusement park, and take a ride on the Wiener Riesenrad.

Day 4 – Stephen’s Cathedral, Anchor Clock

After breakfast, head to Stephen’s Cathedral with its colourful roof, accessible from one of the towers for about 6.00€ but definitely worth the view. The Cathedral is amongst one of the tallest buildings in all of Vienna, giving you an almost 360 view. Make sure you get to the Anchor clock at exactly 12:00 to see it come alive. The Clock’s construction started in 1911, it’s a bridge connecting two different buildings and for a few minutes every day, starting from noon, all figures built inside the clock are presented with a musical parade. The figures represent some of the famous characters of Vienna’s history and a different tune is played at the passing of each one of them (head over to my Instagram on my Vienna highlight to have a look).

Choose a nice local place to have lunch at and continue to explore the city centre by foot before heading over to the State Opera House for a guided tour. To book click here. The price is about 13.00€ and the tour lasts about 1 hour. The guide will give you a clear understanding on how one of the oldest opera houses of the world still runs today. After a good one hour at the opera it is time for you to conduct your own orchestra at the Music Museum! It’s an interactive museum with musical stairs, 3D music composing tools and of course a space in which you will become the conductor of your own orchestra, I must say that was the funniest part of the whole trip and in my opinion one of the best ways to conclude you visit in Vienna (tickets are half price, 8 euros, if visiting the museum after 20:00). If your flight is on your fourth day, remember to include the Music Museum visit in one of your previous evenings if you would like to see it too.