Want to explore Vienna on a long weekend or add it to your Interrail itinerary? This guide covers everything I did during my 2 days in the city, landing on Day 1 at 18:00 and leaving on Day 3 at 19:00. If you’ve got 2 full days, just move the Day 1 stops to Day 3!
This Vienna itinerary is part of my 15-day Interrail trip. Stay tuned for the full post coming soon!
All prices, schedules, and reservation requirements in this itinerary are accurate as of 2025 (please please please double-check official websites before your trip). This post contains affiliate links. If you book through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the blog!
Index
🗺️ Overview Map
Here’s the full 2-day Vienna itinerary, with all stops pinned per day 👇
✨ Need to know
⏱️ How many days to see Vienna
It depends how deep you want to go. Vienna can easily fill a week if you love museums, palaces, and churches.
- 2 days is the absolute minimum to see the highlights—expect long days, lots of walking, and only going inside the essential attractions.
- 3 days is the sweet-spot, giving you enough time to cover the main sights without feeling rushed.
- 4 days balances sightseeing and relaxation.
- 5+ days lets you slow down, enjoy café culture, or add in a few day trips.
📅 Best time to go
Vienna is a year-round destination.
- Winter (Dec-Feb): Cold, but most attractions are indoors.
- Spring/Fall: Fewer crowds and perfect walking weather.
- Summer: Expect tourists, and note that the State Opera is closed!
💰 Budget
- Accommodation: ~25€/night
- Transport (48 hour ticket): 14.10€
- Airport transfer*: +2.20€ each way
- Activities: ~60€
- Total for 2 days: ~128.50€
* The airport is just outside the Vienna city limits, so if you already have a transport ticket, you only need to pay an extra 2.20€ each way to reach or leave the airport.
💡 Tip: Museums and palaces in Vienna are pricey, so prioritize what truly interests you.
✈️ Getting there
Fly into Vienna International Airport (VIE).
Take the RailJet train to Vienna’s central station. It’s the fastest and cheapest way into the city (15 minutes, 4.60€ one-way, or only 2.20€ if you already have a city transport ticket). From there connect via metro or tram.
🚌 Getting around
Public transport in Vienna is fantastic. No need for a car!
There are tickets for different lengths, so you can hop on and off without worrying about costs (totally worth it!). For 2 days, I got the 48-hour ticket (14.10€).
💡 Note: The 48-hour period starts from the time of purchase (or the time you indicate online). If you buy it Friday at 18:00, it’ll be valid until Sunday at 18:00.
These are the prices:
☝️ Personal tip: I bought mine at the station instead of online: same price, but now I have a cute physical keepsake for my memory box! (It was supposed to be a scrapbook but that’s not happening any time soon 🫠).
📌 Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 - Evening Arrival
If you arrive late like I did (around 18:00), this is the perfect light start. If you have two full days, move this section to Day 3.
-
St. Charles’s Church (Karlskirche) - 9.50€ to enter, or 12€ for the
Vivaldi concert (details on the Before You Go section).
⏰ Mon–Fri 7:30–19:00 | Sat 8:30–18:00 | Sun 9:00–19:00
- Vienna State Opera - Beautifully lit at night. Take a stroll around the exterior.
Day 2 - Palaces & Outdoor Vienna
-
Schönbrunn Palace - The crown jewel of Vienna. Stroll through the
free gardens, or go inside (tickets from 25€). Spend your whole morning
here. Take the metro there and back, it’s far from the center! The stop is
Schönbrunn on the U4 (green) line.
⏰ Daily 8:30-17:30
-
Lunch Break - Grab something before continuing your sightseeing.
I had lunch at Aguacate Latin Food, and I 100% recommend it. It’s a small spot with limited seating, but you can easily take it to go. The staff were super kind and really knowledgeable about gluten-free options, so definitely ask if you have dietary needs!
-
Belvedere Palace - Admire from the outside (interior is 15€+). I
skipped it since I’d already done Schönbrunn.
⏰ Daily 9:00-18:00
- Vienna State Opera - Reminder: there are no performances during the summer, but you can still visit the interior through guided tours if you like.
- Burggarten - Small but photogenic park surrounded by some elegant buildings.
-
Kunsthistorisches Museum - Impressive architecture, even from
outside. Art lovers should go in.
⏰ Daily 10:00-18:00
- Maria-Theresien-Platz - Grand square with impressive buildings on both sides and beautiful monuments throughout.
- Hofburg - Impressive, one of Vienna’s most iconic landmarks.
- Volksgarten - A charming rose-filled garden connecting Hofburg and Parliament.
- Austrian Parliament - Breathtaking façade full of detailed statues and columns.
- Vienna City Hall (Rathaus) - During late June to early September, the square hosts a Film Festival with food stalls and a lively evening atmosphere.
- Votive Church - Beautiful from the outside, worth a look.
Day 3 - The Churches of Vienna
If you’re leaving later like I did, you can easily fit these in before your flight.
Store your luggage at Vienna Central Station, and make sure to bring cash (coins only)! (4.50€ for XL lockers)
-
Austrian National Library - 11€, or 8€ with student ID. 100% worth
it. Give it at least 1 hour.
⏰ Closed Mondays | Tue-Sun 9:00-18:00
-
Sisi Museum - I skipped it due to time and budget, but it’s highly
rated.
⏰ Daily 9:00-17:30
-
Palais Daun-Kinsky - Free and stunning interior.
⏰ Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00 | Closed weekends
-
St. Peter’s Church - Free. Elegant with dark tones.
⏰ Mon-Fri 8:00-19:00 | Sat-Sun 9:00-19:00
-
St. Stephen’s Cathedral - Free entry. Crowded but iconic.
⏰ Mon-Sat 6:00-22:00; Sun 7:00-22:00
-
Jesuit Church - Free entry. It might look plain from the outside but
the interior is absolutely breathtaking. Spiraled columns and an optical
illusion dome (step on the colored tile to see it!).
⏰ Daily 8:00-21:00
-
Basilika Maria Rotunda - Free. A hidden gem! It wasn’t on my
itinerary, but it’s close to the Jesuit Church and I’m so glad I wandered
inside. Definitely worth a quick visit if you’re nearby.
⏰ Daily 7:00-19:00
- Lunch at Stadtpark - Grab some snacks and have a picnic before heading to the airport.
‼️Before You Go (Reservations & Tips)
Vienna can be overwhelming with so many things to do. Here’s what I actually booked, and my honest opinions:
🎻 St. Charles’s Church (Karlskirche) - Vivaldi Concert
- Tickets from 12€ (standing) or 34€ (seated).
- Concerts daily at 20:15.
- Just entering the church is 9.50€, which isn’t worth it in my opinion, but attending the concert means you get to experience The Four Seasons live in this gorgeous setting. Truly unforgettable.
- Standing tickets are cheap and offer surprisingly good visibility (honestly better than the seats far back). You’ll only see half the ensemble and be on your feet for about 70 minutes, but if I were to do it again, I’d still 100% go for the standing tickets, no regrets.
- 🎟️ Book here (there’s many different sites online, but this is the one I used and worked for me).
🏰 Schönbrunn Palace
- Multiple passes available (a true nightmare to compare - see my detailed guide: “Schönbrunn Palace Tickets Explained (Without Losing Your Mind)” to save yourself the headache!).
- The gardens are free and absolutely worth it even if you skip going inside.
- If visiting in summer, go early or book online to avoid waiting.
(I bought my ticket on-site and had to wait 1h30min for entry, which gave me just enough time to explore the gardens!)
- The interior is impressive and very ornate. I’d say it’s definitely worth seeing once, but not something I’d repeat due to the price.
📚 Austrian National Library
- You need to buy student tickets in person (they’ll check your student ID).
- Lines are short, but you can also book online.
- As a book lover, this was a dream come true. A stunning space, not too expensive, and 100% worth it.
🙌 Essentials for international travelers:
- 🪙 Currency: EUR, cards accepted everywhere except lockers.
- 🔌Plug type: EU (Type F).
- 📶 Phone data: Don’t buy airport SIMs! (See my cheap data guide, coming soon.)
🎯 TL;DR (Trip At a Glance)
Day 1: St. Charles’s Church → Vienna State Opera
💡 Tip: Click on the images for the Google Maps route, ready for you to follow!
Day 2: Schönbrunn → Belvedere → Vienna State Opera → Burggarten → Kunsthistorisches Museum → Maria-Theresien-Platz → Hofburg → Volksgarten → Austrian Parliament → Vienna City Hall → Votive Church
Day 3: Austrian National Library → Sisi Museum → Palais Daun-Kinsky → St. Peter’s Church → St. Stephen’s Cathedral → Jesuit Church → Basilika Maria Rotunda → Stadtpark picnic
📌 Reserve in advance: Vivaldi Concert at St Charles’s Church + Schonbrunn
Palace (maybe).
📌 Beware of opening days: Library closed Monday, Palais Daun-Kinsky closed
weekends.
📌 Decide which attractions you really want to see from the inside.
📝 Planning Details
🏨 Where to stay - Most attractions are quite central, but since Vienna’s public transport is amazing, you can save money by staying outside the center (as long as you’re near a metro stop). The red circle shows where the main sights are, and the green circle highlights the cheaper area around Praterstern Station.
I stayed at the two-bedroom apartment in City-Palace Apartments 1020 for 20€/night. It was near Praterstern Station, so it was well-connected, quiet, and close to an Aldi. It was a really big apartment and we had no major complaints except for only having one full bathroom, but there are probably better options out there!
👗 Packing tip - Bring one nice outfit for the concert. The dress code is “smart casual”, and it can get chilly in winter!
🧳 Storing your luggage - Lockers at Vienna Central Station are affordable and super convenient if you want to keep exploring before heading to the airport.
💡 Locker info & prices here
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