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If you only have 2 days in Vienna, here is a great itinerary for you! Get ready to marvel at the gorgeous historical buildings, view their exquisite collection of art and have a delightful culinary experience.

DAY 1

10 AM Breakfast at Palmenhaus

Palmenhaus is one of Vienna’s most popular restaurants and is not to be missed. If you don’t make it here for breakfast, definitely try to stop by sometime during the day just to take a look inside because it is gorgeous with the tall ceilings and greenery everywhere. Palmenhaus was built in 1901 by the architect Friedrich Ohman and it’s perhaps the most beautiful greenhouse ever built.

11 AM Burggarten

Right below Palmenhaus is a small park with an open field, fountain and some statues. Enjoy a leisurely walk, take some pictures or simply enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Mozart’s statue is located within this park.

11:30 AM St. Stephen’s Cathedral

This beautiful cathedral is located right in the middle of Vienna’s shopping street, so you can’t miss it. The first documented mention of the cathedral dates back to 1137. The outside of the cathedral is magnificent, but make sure you check out the inside too as it is just as impressive. They offer guided tours or self-guided tours throughout the day.

12 PM Shopping at Kaerntnerstrasse

Kaerntnerstrasse is one of Vienna’s most popular shopping streets and is packed with shops, cafes and restaurants. I’m not much of a shopper, but I did enjoy window shopping. Plus, the historical buildings itself that these shops and restaurants are housed in are a sight to see.

2 PM Wiener Wurstl

You’ll probably want a little food to snack on at this point and Wiener Wurstl is the perfect place to stop by. It’s a food stand located in the middle of Kaerntnerstrasse and their wieners will hit the spot for only €3,50.

2:30 PM Belvedere Palace

The Belvedere Palace was built in the 17th and 18th centuries with a beautiful landscaped garden. There is also a museum of Vienna’s best collections of Austrian Art here and if you love the work of Gustav Klimt, you’ll be able to see the famous “Kiss” painting.

5 PM Naschmarkt

Naschmarkt is the perfect place to go for some local dinner and drinks. There are various little restaurants to choose from that serve traditional Viennese food. If you’re staying in an accommodation with a kitchen, you can also shop for local ingredients such as fresh vegetables, fruits, spices, meats, seafood, etc. They pretty much have everything. If you are in Vienna on a Saturday morning, they have a flea market right next to the market as well. Also note that the market is closed on Sundays.

DAY 2

9 AM Cafe Central

Cafe Central has been in Vienna since 1876 and it’s one of the traditional coffee houses in the city. It is also very special in Vienna because of all the famous historical figures that used to frequent this cafe like Sigmund Freud, Peter Altenberg, Theodor Herzl, Adolf Hitler, and Leon Trotsky, just to name a few. But that’s not all they’re famous for. They also have an excellent selection of desserts, light meals, coffee and other beverages.

10 AM  Schönbrunn Palace

Make sure you get here right when it opens at 10 AM so that you can choose the tours of your choice. If you get here in the afternoon, chances are most of the tours will be sold out as this is a very popular tourist destination in Vienna. Schronbrunn Palace is so huge that it will take up a chunk of your day to explore all it has to offer.

The palace, a UNESCO world heritage site from the 16th century, has over 1,400 rooms and there are hundreds of acres of gardens to explore and a number of attractions to visit as well.

2 PM Apple Strudel Show

The Apple Strudel Show is located at Schonbrunn Palace, so after a day of exploring, sit down and relax while you watch one of the pastry chefs create their delicious apple strudel dessert. The show is offered daily 11:00-16:00 at the top of the hour, so make sure you get in line 15-20 minutes before the show begins so you can get your preferred seat.

3:30 PM Ride in a Horse-Drawn Carriage

These horse-drawn carriages in Vienna are called fiakers and they are everywhere in central Vienna. Marvel at the historical city and it’s beautiful architecture while being taken around by a fiaker. You can find horse-drawn carriage stands in different areas of the city: Stephansplatz, Michaelerplatz, Albertinaplatz, Petersplatz and Burgtheater/Volksgarten. The short tour is approximately 20 minutes through the centre of the Old City and costs € 55; the long tour is approimately 40 minutes through the Ringstrasse and the Old Cit and costs € 80. 

5 PM Dinner at Loca

Loca is a Michelin-star fine dining restaurant in a casual environment. This restaurant is interesting because there is no menu. You just tell the waiter what you do not like or what you’re allergic to and the chef will serve what he thinks is best for you. They usually offer a 6-course menu and it ranges from unique soups and salads to surprising entrees and desserts. You’ll be able to try some dishes that you would have never thought of before. You will definitely need to make a reservation here as they only have about 10-12 tables available.

8 PM Cafe Sacher Wien

If you still have room for extra dessert, I highly recommend stopping by Cafe Sacher Wien and ending your night with Vienna’s world famous chocolate cake, the Original Sacher-Torte. The recipe has remained a well-kept secret since 1832 and it is said that only a few people have seen this secret recipe that is stored in a safe.

You can also consider skipping Loca and having dinner and dessert at Cafe Sacher as they offer a few entrees like sausage, quiche, and schnitzel.

These are only a handful of things to do in Vienna, so if you have more time in this gorgeous city, you can still check out so many more museums, sites and restaurants.

WHERE TO STAY

GRAND HOTEL WIEN

Grand Hotel Wien opened in 1870 and was the first luxury hotel of Vienna. The location is absolutely perfect and central to everything. It’s steps away from the Opera House, palaces, museums, shopping and the famous Cafe Sacher. Although it’s in a central location, the hotel us tucked away in a corner where you’re not overwhelmed by massive crowds.

TRANSPORTATION

We mostly walked around Vienna and took an Uber a couple of times. You can also consider purchasing the Hop-On Hop-Off bus or ride one of their many other forms of transportation ranging from horse carriages to bicycles to trams and subways.