4 Days in Vienna: The Perfect Itinerary for Your First Visit

By Cristian G. Guasch •  Updated: 08/15/22 •  11 min read

Are you looking for a travel guide to know what to see in Vienna in 4 days, let me tell you that you have come to the best place, here I will show you the ideal tour that you should do in this imperial city, located in the eastern part of Austria, around the Danube River.

It is a famous city, known for its great residents including among them the greats of classical music, Mozart, Beethoven, and Sigmund Freud. You can also find hundreds of historic buildings and imperial palaces.

Day 1

On day 1, the tour of Vienna should be exclusively through the city center, and in this tour you can take advantage of visiting the following places.

Austrian National Library

This is one of the most important and beautiful libraries in the world. Its building was built in the 18th century under the mandate of Emperor Charles VI.

This is an architectural jewel, based on baroque art, which was used as a court library. This building has an Imperial Hall, with an imposing room of about 70 meters.

Austrian National Library

It is an idyllic building, surrounded by marble statues, paintings and frescoes on the ceiling. You can also see chestnut wood shelves, which preserve at least 200,000 printed books, dating back to the years 1500 and 1850.

Another reason to visit this building is undoubtedly the collection of 15,000 volumes of Prince Eugene of Savoy. Admission to the library is priced at 7, 50 euros.

Hofburg Palace

The Hofburg Palace in Vienna, is a wonderful architectural work that encompasses a tour of imperial apartments, museums, and a chapel and church, up to the office of the President of Austria.

This palace was the residence of the powerful Habsburg family for more than 6 centuries. It is a beautiful castle that collects much of the history of the country, embellished by numerous rooms, including the Treasure Chamber, the church, the Museum of Sisi, and the Imperial Chapel.

There are at least 19 rooms in the palace, where important personalities such as Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth lived. The entrance fee to the palace is 15 euros, students from 19 to 25 years old pay 14 euros, and children pay 9 euros.

Without a doubt, the Hofburg Palace should be on your itinerary of places to see in Vienna in 4 days.

Naschmarkt Market

Another must-see in Vienna is the Naschmarkt street market, one of the oldest in the city.

The market, which has been held since the sixteenth century, opens every day from 6:00 am, where you can enjoy a variety of fresh produce, as well as taste the traditional Austrian cuisine, and the best dishes of international food.

Mozarthaus

Located in Domgasse Street No. 5, is located the house of the famous composer Mozart, from 1784 to 1787.

It is a beautiful house museum, which shows everything that was the life of this famous composer. Wolfang Amadeus Mozart probably spent the happiest years of his life in this residence.

The entrance ticket to the Vienna House can be purchased with the combined ticket to the House of Music, both for 20 euros.

Vienna Opera House

On your tour of the city center, you can’t miss a stop at the Vienna State Opera.

This is a building that opened in 1869, with a musical performance by Mozart. The building was based on a Renaissance design, but it failed to captivate the Viennese, who expected much more.

In the tour you can appreciate the entrance hall, the main staircase, and make a tour until you reach the auditorium that has a space to accommodate 2,800 people.

Guided tours are available in several languages and are very economical. Adults can tour the building for 7.50 euros. Senior citizens pay 6 euros, and students pay an entrance fee of 3.50 euros.

As a curious fact, it was known that the architect of the building took his own life some time after its construction, as he had to live with the idea that his work had not succeeded. The Vienna State Opera is another of the unique places to see in Vienna in 4 days.

Day 2

On day 2 you will need to finish your tour of the historic center of the city, in this aspect I recommend you to organize it in this way:

Spanish Riding School

Established in 1572, today it is one of Vienna’s most important institutions. Known for being the home of the Lipizzan horses, this is the perfect place to learn about these animals, and learn about their lives.

This school was opened in 1735, with the aim of teaching young aristocrats the opportunity to receive riding lessons. This is a baroque hall, where practices and performances of Lipizzaner horses take place.

The guided tour of the Spanish riding school is worth 18 euros.

Albertina Museum

About 500 meters from the Riding School, we can appreciate the Albertina Museum.

We are talking about a museum that has one of the most extensive graphic collections in the world, there are about 65 thousand drawings and a million prints that can be admired through its various rooms.

It is one of the most recognized art museums in Europe, and not for less, in this place we can appreciate works of Picasso, Monet, Cezanne, Miro and Matisse.

The entrance fee to the Albertina Museum is 16 euros, and students under 26 years old pay 11 euros.

Monument against War and Fascism

As you continue your tour of the old town of Vienna, you can not miss the monument against war and fascism, located on Josefsplatz.

This sculptural work reminds us of the Jewish presence in the city of Vienna. You can find it in front of the exit of the Albertina museum. Just for its symbolism, this monument should be on your list of places to see in Vienna in 4 days.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral

It is considered the most important religious building in Vienna, and of course, one of the most interesting to see. This is due to the fact that the wedding and funeral of the great of classical music, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, took place in the church.

This church was built in 1147 on the ruins of the Romanesque church dedicated to St. Stephen. This temple has undergone some transformations, and of the old building only the Gates of the Giants and the Towers of the pagans are preserved.

Inside the cathedral you can see the combination of Gothic and Baroque style, where the image of the Crucified Christ, the Catacombs, the Pulpit of Pilgram, and the Pummerin Bell stand out.

Visiting the beautiful St. Stephen’s Cathedral is another must-see in Vienna in 4 days. This cathedral has a tower of 137 meters high, which can be accessed through a spiral staircase, and thus reach the viewpoint of the tower, to appreciate the best views of the city.

The price of admission to the cathedral is free, however, to access the central area a ticket is required, and the value is 5.50 euros.

Visit the Karnter Strasse

This is the most famous and commercial street of Vienna, which connects the cathedral with some important squares of the city. We invite you to walk along it, because its narrow streets display countless stores and cafes, which make it one of the most festive and appreciated by tourists.

De Anker Clock

Leaving the Karnter Strasse, you will find the Hoher Marky square, one of the oldest in Vienna. Here we can find the famous and beautiful clock that has become a must-see.

We are talking about a work of art built in 1914, which was originally designed to decorate the bridge that connected two buildings. As these buildings belonged to the Anker Insurance Company, it was given this name.

The best time to visit it is at 12 noon, at that time the twelve figures that make it up, make a parade with the combination of Viennese class music. Undoubtedly, an activity that attracts hundreds of tourists who throng the Hoher Markt square.

The Hoher Marky square is another unique place to see in Vienna in 4 days.

Day 3

Schönbrunn Palace

Another spectacular place to see in Vienna in 4 days is Schoenbrunn Palace. You can visit this palace on the first day, or on the third day. I recommend you to do it on day 3, as the main activity of the day, because you will need a lot of time to see it.

It is one of the most beautiful places in the city, which functioned for a long time as the summer residence of the imperial family of Vienna. It was built during the 17th century.

Fortunately, the tour can be accompanied by an audio guide, which tells all the history and interesting details of the place. Among the most interesting corners, its rooms, all designed in a baroque style, some of them belonged to the Empress Elizabeth, stand out.

In the walk you can also enter the rooms of the Great Gallery, the place where the imperial banquets were held. You can also appreciate the Circular Chinese Hall, and the Breakfast Hall.

Finally, it is worth touring the lush gardens, which give a glorious view of the palace.

Prater Park

A Vienna park that was used for many centuries as an imperial preserve. By 1766 it was opened to the public.

The Prater Park is located on the banks of the Danube River, and is part of one of the most beautiful and oldest amusement parks in the city.

Undoubtedly, it is a charming space, and inside you can appreciate the Giant Ferris Wheel of Vienna, inaugurated in 1897, and one of the emblems of the city. We are talking about a monumental work of 60 meters high.

Also, in the place you will enjoy countless ponds, wooded areas, and multiple roller coasters that are part of this amusement park.

The price of admission to the park has no value, however for each attraction is canceled between 1 euro to 5 euros.

Belvedere Palace

The Belvedere Palace you can leave it for the end of the afternoon of your third day touring Vienna.

It not only stands out for its splendid baroque air, but also attracts for its important artistic collection that includes the works of Gustav Klimt, where you can appreciate among the most famous: the kiss and Judith.

There are about 420 works that can be seen in the seven thematic rooms that are distributed in the palace, in a space of three floors.

Once you have visited the entire palace, you can not miss a tour of the gardens, we find that these show the maximum expression of baroque landscaping. As a curious fact, in the Belvedere Palace is the Alpine garden, known as the oldest in Europe. The Belvedere Palace and Schönbrunn Palace are two essential palaces to see in Vienna in 4 days.

Day 4

If you plan to stay an extra day, then your tour should be as follows:

Visit the Hundertwasserhaus.

As an opposite to Viennese architecture, there are the Hundertwasserhaus, small buildings built with an air similar to the works of Dali. They are wavy in appearance, with bright colors, and windows of different sizes. But still, despite its appearance, it is an unmissable visit you must make if you are in Vienna.

The banks of the Danube River

The Danube is considered one of the most important rivers in the world. It crosses a large part of Vienna.

You can take advantage of your last day in the city to tour it, you can do it by bike or walking, the ideal is to enjoy all the outdoor activities that can be done.

Volksgartens Gardens

And finally, one of the most beautiful gardens to see in Vienna in 4 days is the Volksgartens garden, a garden that still has that air of French Baroque style. We are talking about a natural area that has at least 3,000 rose bushes, and more than 200 varieties of them.

The best way to visit Vienna to get to know this fascinating city

There are many ways to tour this city, but among the most interesting is the carriage tour. This can be from different points of the city; the short ride takes 20 minutes and costs 55 euros. The long ride takes about 40 minutes and costs 95 euros.

For many, this is the best way to discover the beauty of Vienna.

You can also take a city bus tour around the city. There are several transportation companies that offer this service, to get to know Vienna in 24, 48, or 72 hours, in one of these comfortable buses that can pick you up at the door of your hotel. The price varies according to the company.

Sightseeing by streetcar is another option in the city. The tour can take about 25 minutes, and the price also varies according to the areas you wish to visit.

There are also tourist boats that offer this service. They are ideal for romantic, couples, and more intimate tours. The price of the tour also varies according to the service company.

Cristian G. Guasch

I have traveled the world visiting 18 countries, including Japan, most of Europe and North America. I love to learn about the culture and history, taste the different dishes and enjoy the beauty of this planet. I also work completely remotely, and this helps me discover new places all year around.

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