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Vienna in 4 days - itinerary with photos
My mom and I have a tradition that we’ve been keeping alive for years: taking at least one trip together every year—just the two of us. This year, our chosen destination was Vienna! You should know that we’ve watched several films about Princess Sissi, and with dreamy eyes, we promised ourselves that one day we would visit the famous palace in Vienna. And so we did!
Day 1
As soon as we landed, we purchased tickets for the City Airport Train (CAT), which takes you to Vienna’s central train station in just 16 minutes. However, there’s actually a cheaper option: the ÖBB train, located right next to the CAT entrance, which costs only €4. My mom and I only found out later since all the signs seemed to point only to the CAT.
We walked to our hotel, Imlauer Wien. I’m mentioning it because we had a good experience, but to be honest, it was the only available hotel at a reasonable price during Easter week.
Here are some other recommended hotels with a great location/price ratio—but remember to book well in advance!
- Hotel City Central – Located on the edge of Vienna’s 1st district, just a 10-minute walk from St. Stephen’s Cathedral. [Booking link here]
- Mercure Vienna First – Centrally located in the 1st district, only 500 meters from St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the Stephansplatz metro station. [Booking link here]
- K+T Boardinghouse – Situated right next to Mariahilfer Strasse, Vienna’s main shopping street. [Booking link here]
- IntercityHotel Wien – Close to Westbahnhof Train Station, with easy access to U3 and U6 metro lines. [Booking link here]
- JO&JOE Vienna – Located right at Westbahnhof Station, making it super convenient. It’s also a hostel, so you can choose between dormitory beds(including female-only dorms) or a private doubleroom with an en-suite bathroom. [Booking link here]
👉 Still looking for the perfect stay? Explore all the best-rated accommodations in Vienna and find the one that suits you best! [Find them HERE]
If you want more details on the best areas to stay in Vienna, I’ve created a more than 50-page ebook dedicated to Vienna.
For lunch, we grabbed a quick bite at BaoMebu, a great bao & bowl place. Highly recommended! For just €12, you get a giant, delicious bowl, and of course, there’s a vegan option.
After dropping off our luggage, we started exploring the city, heading towards the historic center. Our first stop? St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom), the iconic heart of Vienna. After a visit inside, we wandered through the charming streets around Stephansplatz, the city’s main square.
Along the way, we passed several famous landmarks, including the Vienna State Opera. You can enter by purchasing a ticket or using the Vienna Pass (I explain more about it at the end of this article).
Right next to it, you’ll also find the Hotel Sacher, home of Vienna’s most famous Sachertorte! However, the queue was incredibly long, so we decided to go to Demel for our afternoon treat instead.
At Demel, the queue was much shorter, and after just 10 minutes, we were seated and ready to order our Sachertorte! There are so many traditional specialties to try, but I noticed that most people were ordering Kaiserschmarrn—a typical Austrian dessert, somewhere between a crêpe and a pancake, served with plum jam.
It looked quite filling, so I focused on my Sachertorte, which—as I had already been warned—is drier than what we’re used to in Italy. However, I later read that the original recipe is meant to be dry, and the moist version we imagine isn’t authentic! That said… I still ate every bite! 😆
While strolling around Stephansdom, you’ll also come across the Plague Column, which symbolizes faith triumphing over the plague. Vienna was hit by several plague epidemics, and during one of them, Emperor Leopold vowed: “If the epidemic ends, I will build a monument.”
After exploring the historic center, we still had the entire afternoon free, so we headed to Hundertwasserhaus, a public housing complex built in 1986 by architect and artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
It’s located in the Landstraße district, east of the city center, and you can easily find it on Google Maps by searching for “Hundertwasserhaus”.
On the way back to the center, we stopped for dinner at Lugeck Figlmüller. Even here, there was a vegetarian option, but I have to say—I absolutely loved Vienna in this regard! Every single restaurant we visited had a vegetarian dish available. Well done, Vienna!
Day 2
We dedicated our morning to Schönbrunn Palace. I purchased the tickets online on the same day directly from their official website: https://www.schoenbrunn.at/en/
We got there by taking the metro and getting off at the Schönbrunn stop. We chose the Classic Pass ticket, but of course, you can compare the different options on their website and pick the one that suits you best!
Honestly, I would have skipped the paid outdoor areas (the maze, Orangerie, and Gloriette). Most of the park is free to visit, and I think that’s more than enough! But of course, that’s just my personal opinion.
Inside the palace, photos of the rooms are not allowed, so unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures of the interiors! Be very careful—if they catch you, they treat you like a criminal.
We had lunch at the stalls in front of Schönbrunn, set up for the Easter holidays!
We then headed towards the center on foot. We didn’t take the metro because we wanted to reach Vienna’s most famous pedestrian area, the Ringstrasse.
Next, we had a snack at Café Mozart, trying their most famous cake—the Mozart Torte. I’m telling you—way better than the Sachertorte.
After a final stroll through the shops, we had dinner at Hungry Guy Wien, where I chose the house vegetarian dish, which I have to say, I really loved! A final walk through Vienna at night, even more beautiful in the dark.
Day 3
A rainy day means only one thing: museums! But first, we headed for breakfast at Cafè Frauenhuber one of the oldest coffee houses in Vienna still in operation.
We headed to the Belvedere Museum and, of course, were mesmerized by Klimt’s masterpieces. Once again, I purchased the tickets online from the following website: https://www.belvedere.at/en/visit
On our way back to the city center, we stopped for a while at Stadtpark, which, with its 65,000 square meters, allows you to enjoy some green space in the heart of the city. However, I want to emphasize that Vienna is already one of the greenest cities in the world, thanks to its numerous parks and green spaces. In fact, it ranked first in the “World’s 10 Greenest Cities 2020” ranking by Resonance Consultancy.
Now, we headed to Mozart Café for a bite to eat and noticed the Big Bus Vienna panoramic tour bus. Since it had started raining again, we took advantage of the moment and hopped on! The ticket allowed us to hop on and off for the next 24 hours, but most importantly, we were curious to see what we had missed so far. And well, the answer is: a lot!
Vienna truly has so much to offer, and there are many parts of the city that are difficult to reach in just four days.
From the bus, we saw the Prater amusement park, featuring historic attractions like the giant Ferris wheel from 1897. We didn’t go back because, to be honest, it didn’t impress me much at first glance. We also passed by the Town Hall, Parliament, and Donauinsel—the island on the Danube, which has become a popular gathering place for locals. Honestly, I would do this bus tour again a thousand times!
After two hours on the bus, we got off and went for a snack atAida. The pastries were delicious, but we waited an hour for just two desserts, and the order was wrong! So, my recommendation: definitely visit Aida, but NOT the main location near the cathedral. There are several branches around the city—go to one of those instead!
We ended the day with a visit to Naschmarkt, an open-air market filled with countless stalls and small restaurants!
Day 4
We headed straight to the Sisi Museum, and just a reminder—you can buy tickets online here: https://www.sisimuseum-hofburg.at/en/tickets/tickets-prices
Once again, photos were strictly FORBIDDEN. In fact, the only one I managed to take is below—so if I get arrested, you all better come bail me out! 😂
I have to admit, those who told me that the Sisi Museum is a bit long and heavy were right. That being said, I’d still go back! The audio guide (included in the ticket price) tells the entire life story of the Princess, and I found it really interesting.
Other Things to See in Vienna
Vienna has so many attractions, but due to ticket prices (I would’ve needed a loan 🤣), I had to skip a few. That’s why I highly recommend getting the Vienna Pass if you plan to visit multiple places!
On my next trip to Vienna, these are the places I definitely won’t miss:
- Albertina Museum
- National Library
- Mozart’s House
- Vienna State Opera
- Freud Museum
- Hofburg Palace
Vienna Pass or Vienna City Card?
Vienna City Card: Offers discounts on individual attractions. You can purchase it or read more info here: https://www.wien.info/en/travel-info/vienna-city-card
Vienna Pass: includes all the attractions mentioned above, plus free access to the panoramic bus I recommended. You can buy it here: https://www.viennapass.de/en
Of course, the prices are different:
- Vienna Card: €29.00 for 72 hours
- Vienna Pass: €141.00 for 3 days
So, it depends on how many attractions you plan to visit! 😊
TWO YEARS AFTER THIS ARTICLE – MY VIENNA EBOOK
It makes me smile to write on this article again in August 2023. When I first visited Vienna, I had no idea it would one day become my home.
Now, you can find lots of content on my Instagram profile, and you can also download my Vienna ebook—a 50+ page PDF where I’ve gathered all the essential information about this incredible city.
To learn more, click the button below! 😊
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