When you think about Vienna, you think about palaces, impressive architecture and Sissi… This city has a couple unique hotels too and special organic shops on every corner. Armed with my Google Maps full of hearts pinned on places I would like to visit, I fly to Vienna, to create this Vienna City Guide! These are my favorite discoveries in this beautiful city! After my city trips to Rome and Prague, Vienna was next on my list.

Below you find all the things to do in Vienna that made my list, plus the best boutique hotels in Vienna and the coffee spots I keep going back to. 3 days is enough for the center; add a 4th for a day trip to Hallstatt!

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Opera House | Highlights Vienna

Things to do in Vienna: getting in from the airport

In just 1 hour and 50 minutes we fly from Amsterdam to Vienna. We decide to hop on a bus to get to the city centre. This turns out to be a VERY BAD idea.. It is rush hour and it takes FOREVER to get to our hotel. I would recommend taking the train. Public transport is well organised here. Instead of the expensive CAT-train, that costs a whopping €14,95 for a one way ticket, buy a ticket for the S7 train. This ticket costs €1,80 and the trip will only take 10 minutes longer. My tip: arrange an eSIM before you land, so you have internet the second you touch down. I also never travel without flexible travel insurance, just in case.

Ruby Marie Hotel | Vienna City Guide | best hotels

Best hotels in Vienna

Our first hotel is the original Ruby Marie Hotel. We check ourselves in with an iPad! Such a big timesaver! Finally we can crash on our beds and settle in our clean and comfortable room. The shower is huge and we have an old fashioned Marschall speaker in our room. The Ruby Marie Hotel is perfectly located close to the subway, has a massive rooftop terrace, a cinema and a cosy bar. Breakfast is delicious and the shower products smell so good! We loved our stay here and will definitely go back.

Ruby Marie Hotel | Vienna City Guide | best hotels

Our second home in Vienna is the unique 25Hours Hotel am MuseumsQuartier. We are welcomed by a giant photowall packed with flashing cameras. There are funny quotes and original signs everywhere we look. If you do not want housekeeping to clean your room, you can hang up a sign that says: ‘police crime scene, move on’. The circus theme in our room is so cool! There is a rooftop bar with a spectacular view over the city. Downstairs you can find your zennnnn at the spa: The Mermaid Cave. At the reception you can capture your stay in a vintage photobooth. Breakfast is sooo good. We had some of the best coffee during our stay in Vienna here. Try the plum compôte… LOVED IT ALL!

25Hours Hotel am MuseumsQuartier

Boutique hotels in Vienna on my list

These 4 are on my list for my next trip:

The Companion Vienna: opened in March 2026 in a 19th century Gründerzeit building on the Mariahilfer Straße, a 2 minute walk from Westbahnhof. The rooms have names instead of categories: Solo, Nest, Poet, Muse, Roomies and the two storey Velvet Suite. The Poet rooms have midnight blue ceilings and the Solo is built for 1 person, so no sad single room with a view of the fire escape. Downstairs there is restaurant Boca with an inner courtyard and Calypso for cocktails. The U3 and U6 stop at the door and tram 60 takes you to Schönbrunn.

Imperial Riding School, Autograph Collection: this building was the imperial military riding school from 1850 to 1918, later a cinema and after the war a bus depot. The terracotta facade is still the original one. Inside the horses keep coming back at you: leather headboards, cabinets inlaid with horsehair and artwork that nods to Sissi. Behind the hotel lies an apple orchard planted for Franz Joseph, now the largest private garden in the city, with a pool in it. Belvedere is a 15 minute walk and Ungargasse is in the 3rd district, so you sleep away from the tourist crowds.

Hotels close to the best things to do in Vienna

Hotel Gilbert: you recognize it by the plant covered facade in the Breite Gasse. Inside that green theme keeps going, with Scandinavian wood, a rooftop terrace and a sauna. Breakfast is served at &flora, the café brasserie on the ground floor. The MuseumsQuartier is a 2 minute walk and the Biedermeier lanes of Spittelberg start around the corner, which makes this my pick if you want to do the center on foot.

Hotel Indigo Vienna – Naschmarkt by IHG: the first Indigo in Austria, in Margareten, 5 minutes from the Naschmarkt. The whole hotel runs on the theme of the hidden gardens in this district: tropical wallpaper, plant prints on the walls, a green inner courtyard and a roof garden. Some suites have a freestanding bathtub in the room itself. Look up in the bathrooms and hallways for the gold details and patterns, a wink to Otto Wagner.

On the first photo: Hildebrandt Café. On the photo below: Matcha Latte at Cha No Ma

Coffee & cake 

Demel: High Tea: they are a purveyor to the royals. Sit down for a chic lunch, high tea or afternoon tea in this stunning building. Downstairs you can have a look in the kitchen. Try the typical Austrian Kaiserschmarnn and the Sachertorte (also available in small pieces). Have a look in the display before ordering, to make the best choice! They have a loooot of options. They also serve mini sandwiches and other savory options too.

GOTA: This coffee spot is located a little bit outside of the city centre, but is worth the detour. GOTA has won the award for best Austrian Barista a couple of years in a row. After your shot of caffeine, hop over to the other side of the street to visit Landkind; an organic shop where you can sit down for lunch or another cup of coffee!

Hildebrandt Café: a beautiful and peaceful spot with a sunny terrace. Try the Curcuma Latte with some honey!

More coffee houses in Vienna

Crème de la Crème: popular, small patisserie for coffee and cake! Reservations are required.
Joseph Brot: famous in Vienna. Top pastry & bread and good coffee.
Café Central: very touristy, but worth the wait! The little cakes and pastries are soooooo good! Located in a grand art deco building.
Cha No Ma: Matcha & Mochi! Try the Cheesecake Mochi Ice Cream… Close to the lively Naschmarkt.
People on Caffeine: mini coffee spot that is a local’s favorite. There are not a lot of chairs, so have your coffee to go.
Phil: coffee, books, DVDs and LPs in a cosy, retro interior. Great spot for breakfast or a Latte & Laptop session! If you like the chair you are sitting on, you can buy it!

On the first photo: Demel. On the photo below: pastry at Café Central

Best restaurants in Vienna

Lunch
ERICH: an Acaïbowl for only €5 or an Espresso Martini for €5. The prices are very good here and so are the food and drinks! We had a delicious lunch on the big terrace.
Palmenhaus Brasserie: what a spot! This restaurant is located in a huge greenhouse and has a sunny terrace. On the menu you find refined dishes and good wines. Not cheap, but worth every penny.
Joseph Brot: check Coffee & Cake
S’Frische: a healthy, holistic bistro. Run by 2 personal trainers.

On the first 2 photos: Palmenhaus Brasserie

Best dinner restaurants 

Eugen21: we had one of our best meals during this Vienna trip at this new restaurant at the recently opened Andaz Hotel. What a romantic spot! On the menu you find a lot of typical Austrian dishes with a twist. They serve natural wines too. I loved the ambiance and the service here. After dinner you can take the elevator upstairs for a cocktail at the classy Aurora rooftop bar!
Mercado: Peruvian / Japanese cuisine in a gorgeous interior. They serve some killer cocktails too!

Eugen21 at the new Andaz Hotel 

Mast Weinbistro: intimate wine bar & restaurant. The prices are a little higher here. Unfortunately they don’t have a cheese platter!
Motto: the entrance to this restaurant makes you think you are entering a Berlin bunker, but you walk into a pretty restaurant, with a large courtyard! Great spot for drinks too!
Salon Plafond: a massive restaurant. LOVE the funky interior. The restaurant is part of the ‘Museum of Applied Arts’.

Restaurants on my list

These are some discoveries that I found along the way, but unfortunately we did not have enough time to visit all of them. The reviews are so good though!:

Restaurant Roots
Mochi
Karma Food
Honu Tiki Bowls
DEVAL
Mama Liu & Sons
Disco Volante
NGÔ’s Kitchen
Mari’s MetchaMatcha Wasyoku Café & Restaurant
Ulrich: from the same owners as ERICH

The Palace of Justice and Michaelerplatz

Cocktail bars

Aurora: rooftop bar at the recently opened Andaz Hotel! Unfortunately it was a bit too cold to sit outside during our visit, but the inside bar is classy too! Try the dangerously good rhubarb cocktails! Best cocktails we had in Vienna!
Miranda Bar: tiny and funky bar with a looooong list of cocktails. A local’s favorite.
Krypt.
Motto
Lamée Rooftop Bar
Das Loft
If Dogs Run Free

More of my Vienna finds pass by on my Instagram.

Dance:

Volksgarten
DonauTechno

Best things to do in Vienna

These are my top things to do in Vienna, in no particular order.

Rent a bike!

Or get your bearings first with a guided walking tour along the city highlights and hidden gems; 2 hours and you know exactly where you want to come back.

Naschmarkt: bring some cash, because you can not pay with a card at most places here. This is THE place to buy souvenirs, arty tin cans with sardines, fresh pasta, Turkish delight in all the colors of the rainbow and giant olives. Have a break from shopping and treat yourself to some oysters and a good glass of wine. Tip: have a light breakfast…

Still hungry? There is a full meal Austrian food tour where you eat your way through Schnitzel, strudel and local wine in one afternoon.

Buy cheese at Jumi Käse
Belvedere Palace: the gardens are free and the Klimt collection in the Upper Belvedere is the largest in the world.
The Hofburg is another story; skip the queues with a Sisi Museum, Hofburg and gardens tour.
Vegan ice cream at Veganista

The National Library 

More things to do in Vienna

The National Library: WOOOOOOW. So impressive!
Michaelerplatz
Opera House
Rent an electric scooter
Karlskirche
Shop at Graben
Minigolf at the MuseumsQuartier subway station.

Planning more city trips this year? Have a look at my Paris city guide and my Tallinn tips.

Favorite shops: Urban Speed, Stattgarten, MAKARO Jewelry
Votive church
View from the Stephansdom Towers. The North Tower has an elevator, but the South Tower has the best view. You will have to climb it first though… All 343 steps.

Vienna is also a good base for day trips. The village of Hallstatt is the famous one; this day tour to Hallstatt handles the driving, so you can nap on the way back. Prefer your own route through the Salzkammergut? Compare rental cars and go. And if you travel on through the Czech Republic afterwards: my guide to Bohemian Switzerland National Park is right here.

25Hours Hotel am Museumsquartier 

Frequently asked questions

What are the best things to do in Vienna?

The best things to do in Vienna are browsing the Naschmarkt, climbing the Stephansdom South Tower, visiting the National Library and the Belvedere gardens and settling into a coffee house for an afternoon. A guided walking tour is an easy way to cover the center on day 1.

How many days do you need in Vienna?

3 days is enough for the center, the coffee houses and a museum. Add a 4th day for a day trip to Hallstatt or a slow morning at the Naschmarkt.

What is the best time to visit Vienna?

May, June and September are the sweet spot: terrace weather without the summer crowds. December is busy, but the Christmas markets make up for it.

View from the Stephansdom North Tower 

Where to stay in Vienna?

Stay inside or just outside the Ringstrasse, close to a subway station. I stayed at the Ruby Marie Hotel and the 25Hours Hotel am MuseumsQuartier and would book both again.

Is Vienna expensive?

Vienna is cheaper than you expect. A metro ticket costs just over 2 euros, the S7 train from the airport costs €1,80 and lunch at ERICH starts at €5. The palaces and rooftop bars are where your budget goes.