Ready-made trips · Austria
Vienna in 5 days
Schönbrunn Palace, the Hofburg, a coffee house and the Opera, and a day to Melk Abbey above the Danube.
- Length
- 5 days
- Best time
- April to June, September to October, December
- Pace
- Moderate
- Day trips
- Melk
Five days in Vienna: The Hofburg, a Coffee House and the Opera; Schönbrunn, plus a day trip to Melk. Each full day is one of our own checked days, planned to be walked in order, with opening hours checked and lunch and dinner suggestions close to the stops.
Day by day
1First Evening by the CanalArrival
- When you arriveStadtparkCity park with golden Strauss statue.Tip: Vienna's city park, genuinely home to the famous golden statue of composer Johann Strauss II.
Lunch nearby: Figlmüller or Café Sacher
Dinner: Glacis Beisl or Figlmüller
2The Hofburg, a Coffee House and the Opera
- MorningHofburg PalaceImperial palace complex.Tip: The former Habsburg imperial palace, now housing several museums including the Sisi Museum — genuinely vast, so decide which specific collections interest you rather than trying to see everything.
- AfternoonVolksgartenRose garden near Hofburg.Tip: A genuinely elegant public garden near the Hofburg, known for its rose garden — a relaxed, central green space.
- If you have timeCafé CentralThe grandest of Vienna’s coffee houses, under vaulted ceilings in the Palais Ferstel.Tip: Queue for a table, then order a Melange and Apfelstrudel.
Lunch nearby: Demel or Café Sacher
Dinner: Plachutta Wollzeile or Demel
3Melk Abbey and the Wachau GatewayDay trip to Melk
- MorningMelk Abbey
- AfternoonMelk Old Town
Lunch nearby: Zum Fürsten or Café Madar
Dinner: Zum Fürsten or Café Madar
4Schönbrunn
- MorningSchönbrunn PalaceImperial palace with gardens.Tip: The gardens are free and often more rewarding than the palace interior itself — the Gloriette viewpoint at the top is worth the walk up for the skyline view.
- AfternoonGlorietteThe colonnade on the hill above Schönbrunn’s gardens, with a café and the view back to Vienna.Tip: Have cake in the Café Gloriette at the top.
- If you have timeTiergarten SchönbrunnThe world’s oldest zoo, in the Schönbrunn gardens, with pandas.Tip: The imperial breakfast pavilion at the centre is now a café.
Lunch nearby: Café Gloriette or Café Residenz
Dinner: Café Gloriette or Café Residenz
5A Last Morning in the Old TownLast morning
- Before you leaveSt Stephen’s CathedralGothic cathedral in city center.Tip: Vienna's most recognizable landmark, with distinctive tiled roof patterns — climbing the tower offers genuinely good city views, with both elevator and stair options.
Lunch nearby: Figlmüller or Demel
Dinner: Neni am Naschmarkt or Figlmüller
Where to stay
Neubau & Spittelberg
The creative quarter behind the MuseumsQuartier, with Biedermeier lanes and boutiques.
Volkstheater and Neubaugasse (U2/U3).
Innere Stadt
The old town inside the Ring, around St Stephen’s and the Hofburg.
Stephansplatz (U1/U3) and the Ring trams.
Wieden & Naschmarkt
Around the Naschmarkt and Karlsplatz, with cafés and bars.
Karlsplatz and Kettenbrückengasse (U4).
Everything in the plan is ready to book
The full plan has a map of each day, directions between stops, opening hours, restaurant choices, hotels in these areas and tickets, tours and trains linked to book with the provider you choose.
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