Check out this 2-day Vienna itinerary to find out how to spend the perfect 2 days in Vienna. Read what to see and what to do in 2 days in Vienna Austria.
After tailoring a perfect one-day Vienna itinerary, let me help you plan your best 2 days in Vienna.
The first day of this 2-day Vienna itinerary covers the Historic Centre of Vienna and Hofburg, and the second day covers Schonbrunn and Belvedere palaces. 2 days in Vienna gives you enough time to visit the most popular sites in Vienna in a relaxed manner and to enjoy in tasty bites of traditional Viennese cuisine and the sounds of superb performances of classical music in Vienna.
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN COMPENSATED LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLAIMER FOR MORE INFO.
- 2-Day Vienna Itinerary
- 2-Day Vienna Itinerary: Day 1
- 8.30 am: Breakfast – Cafe Central
- 9.30 am-noon: Hofburg (Sisi Museum, the Spanish Riding School & Austrian National Library)
- 12.15- 1.30 pm: Lunch – Palmenhaus
- 1.40 pm – 3.40 pm: Albertina
- 3.50 pm – 4.30 pm: Cathedral
- 4.45 pm – 6 pm: The Art History Museum
- 6.30 pm -8 pm: Break
- 8.30 pm: Dinner – Griechenbeisl
- 2-Day Vienna Itinerary: Day 2
- 2-Day Vienna Itinerary: Day 1
2-Day Vienna Itinerary
Book your Stay in Vienna:
2-Day Vienna Itinerary: Day 1
On your first day, you will be sightseeing in the historic center of Vienna. All the places on the first day are within walking distance (and with no need to use public transport).
8.30 am: Breakfast – Cafe Central
Start your day with a traditional Viennese breakfast in Cafe Central, the most famous Viennese coffee house.
Cafe Central is one of the most celebrated cafes in the world. Its guests many notable people were. Order a typical Wienner Frühstück and enjoy your Melange coffee with bread, jelly, cheese, ham, and cooked egg in the sublime atmosphere of the historic Cafe Central.
9.30 am-noon: Hofburg (Sisi Museum, the Spanish Riding School & Austrian National Library)
Head to Hofburg Palace to learn about Austrian monarchs and history.
The Hofburg Palace is the heart of the Historic Centre of Vienna and close to Cafe Central. Visit the Hofburg Palace, the imperial winter residence of Habsburgs. Tour its Imperial Apartments, State Rooms, Sisi Museum, Imperial Courtyards, and Gardens. This tour will take you up to 2 hours and 30 minutes.
If you are more into unique performances than into history and museums, watch a show of Lippizzaner horses in the famous Spanish Riding School. The School is also a part of the Hofburg Palace. Getting into the hall and watching the show will take you one hour and a half of your itinerary. Check the timetable of the show here and adjust your itinerary accordingly.
The Austrian National Library is in one wing of the Hofburg and only a few steps from the Spanish Riding School. It is one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. The 18th-century library was the Imperial Library. The library counts more than 12 million items today. A visit takes only 15 minutes. Don’t skip this stunning library when in Vienna!
12.15- 1.30 pm: Lunch – Palmenhaus
After visiting the historic Hofburg, it is time for lunch.
Palemenhaus is 5 minutes from the Hofburg Palace. Palemenhaus was once an imperial greenhouse. Today, Palmenhaus hosts one of the most beautiful restaurants in Vienna. Relax over lunch among the palms in Palmenhaus. Continue with your itinerary after the lunch.
1.40 pm – 3.40 pm: Albertina
The Albertina Museum is the next stop on the first day of your 2-day Vienna itinerary.
The Albertina Museum is one of the leading museums for modern art globally. It houses an impressive permanent collection of Impressionist and early 20th-century art. The so-called Monet to Picasso collection exhibits the masterpieces of Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas, Amadeo Modigliani, Oskar Kokoschka, Marc Chagall, Joan Miro, and many other prominent artists.
Besides the permanent exhibition, the Albertina Museum always has a temporary exhibition. It exhibits the works of Marc Chagall from September 2024 until February 2025.
3.50 pm – 4.30 pm: Cathedral
After the profane art and architecture, it is time to admire some sacral art and architecture. Head to the Cathedral of Vienna, the heart of the historic center.
The Cathedral of St Stephen is a beautiful Gothic cathedral with high ceilings, large stained glass windows, beautiful stonework, and altarpieces.
Most parts of the cathedral are free to visit. There are small fees for climbing its towers and touring the catacombs below the cathedral. The southern tower provides panoramic views of Vienna, the northern tower gives close views of the iconic patterned roof of the cathedral, and the catacombs are home to the remains of 11,000 people buried between 1745 and 1783. You can visit the catacombs only on a tour. Choose whichever activity you prefer and continue with your Vienna itinerary.
4.45 pm – 6 pm: The Art History Museum
After checking the Cathedral of St Stephan, stretch your legs to the Kunsthistorische Museum (the Art History Museum). The Art History Museum is 15 minutes from the Cathedral of Saint Stephen, but the walk goes by many beautiful historic buildings. The museum is on the Vienna Ring Road and close to the Hofburg Palace.
The Art History Museum is in the so-called Museum Quarter. The quarter is home to about 60 cultural institutions, including Leiopold Musuem, the Museum of Modern Art, the Austrian Architecture Museum, and the Art History Museum.
The Art History Museum is one of the most beautiful buildings in Vienna, built in the 19th century. The Art History Museum is the largest in Austria, with extensive collections of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian antiques and works of grandmasters. like Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian, and Klimt. But that’s not all. The museum has one of the most famous cafes in Vienna – Cafe in the Art History Museum. The cafe is in the Dorms Hall of the museum and has a gorgeous geometric black-white tiled floor, marble columns, frescoed ceilings, and elegant red seating. It is one of the most beautiful cafes in the world. Make a break while touring the museum and order tea/coffee with a pastry or cake in the cafe. You will enjoy every sip of your tea/coffee and every bite of your pastry in such an elegant atmosphere!
6.30 pm -8 pm: Break
After a long day of sightseeing in Vienna, go to your hotel for a short rest and get ready for dinner. Reserve your table at Griechenbeisl, the oldest Viennese restaurant.
8.30 pm: Dinner – Griechenbeisl
Griechenbeisl is the oldest restaurant in Vienna. It has been serving food in Vienna since 1447. Many well-known historical figures, like Beethoven, Mozart, Strauss, Schubert, Richard Wagner, and Mark Twain, savored its delicious food. Griechenbeisl is in Fleischmarkt 11 and is open from 12 pm to 11 pm. Finish your day with tasty bites of traditional Viennese cuisine in the historic ambiance of Griechenbeisl,
2-Day Vienna Itinerary: Day 2
8.30 am – 12 am: Schönbrunn Palace & Gardens
Head to the Schonbrunn Palace early morning.
Schonbrunn Palace was the principal summer residence of the Habsburgs. Empress Maria Theresa, Emperor Franz Joseph, Empress Elisabeth, and other notable Habsburgs spent their summers there. Schönbrunn Palace is one of the prettiest and largest European Baroque palaces. It has 1411 rooms and covers an area of 160 ha (400 acres). The 45 rooms are available to its visitors.
Schönbrunn Palace is open from 8.30 am until 5 pm (winter), 5.30 pm (fall) or 6 pm (summer). Schönbrunn Palace is 30 min by U4 metro line from the city center. Get off the metro at the Schönbrunn Station. And, walk 5 minutes from the station to the palace.
Reserve your ticket to visit Schönbrunn Palace in advance since it is the most visited site in Vienna and Austria. Schönbrunn Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Select your entry date and entry time and buy a ticket for the audio-guided Grand Tour ( €32) to see the most luxurious rooms in the palace, like the Blue Chinese Salon, Gobelin Saloon, Millions Room, and the Vieux Laque Room.
A visit to the palace takes up to 3 hours. Do not forget to stroll the beautiful gardens of Schönbrunn Palace and go to the Gloriette to see the panoramic views of the palace. Visit to the royal gardens will take one hour more on your itinerary. The gardens are free to visit.
1.30 pm -2.30 pm: Lunchtime – Figlmüller
It is lunchtime. Head to the city center after visiting the Schönbrunn Palace.
Go to Figlmüller restaurant and order its world-famous Wiener schnitzel. Johann Figlmüller opened the restaurant in 1905, and it has been known for serving the best Wiener schnitzel in Vienna since then. Besides Wienner Schnitzel, Figlmüller restaurant serves traditional Viennese dishes like Viennese boiled beef in the pot and veal goulash.
Today, Figlmüller restaurant works on two addresses: Wollzeile 5 and Bäckerstraße 6. The premises are close to each other, and both are within a few steps from the Cathedral of Vienna. I prefer Figlmüller Wollzeile for its cozy atmosphere. Expect lines. To avoid them, reserve your table in advance here.
Figlmüller restaurant in Wollzeile 5 is open from 11 am to 9.30 pm.
2.40 pm – 3 pm: The Imperial Crypt
The Imperial Crypt is a burial place for 150 members of the Habsburg family in over 100 sarcophagi and heart urns. The crypt holds the remains of 12 emperors and 19 empresses from Habsburg family.
It has been the imperial burial place since 1617. The double sarcophagus of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria and Emperor Francis I takes a central place in the crypt. The remains of Zita Habsburg, the last Empress of the Austria-Hungary Empire, are there too.
The crypt is under the Capuchin Church on Neuer Markt Square, 10 minutes from Figlmüller Wollzeile. A visit takes up to 30 minutes.
The Imperial Crpyt, called Kaisergruft in German, is open from 10 am to 6 pm from Sun to Sat, 7 days a week. The entrance fee is € 8,50 for adults.
3.05 pm to 3.30 pm: Gerstner Cafe
The famous Gerstner cafe is only 5 min from the Imperial Crypt. Head there for the finest homemade cakes. Take a short coffee break and try some sweet delicacies in Gerstner Cafe!
Gerstner Cafe is one of the prettiest cafes in Vienna. It is well worth stopping by!
After the coffee break, walk for 3 minutes from Gerstner cafe to the metro Opera station. Take metro Line D. You will be at Belvedere Station in 7 minutes.
3.40 pm – 5.40 pm: Belvedere
Belvedere Palace is open from 9 am to 6 pm, 7 days a week. The entrance fee is € 17,50.
Belvedere Palace is one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture. The palace consists of two parts: the Upper and Lower Belvedere. Beautiful French-style garden connects Upper Belvedere and Lower Belvedere.
The Upper Belvedere is the largest and is home to the Belvedere Museum, known for its valuable art collection. The art collection includes medieval, Baroque, and art from other periods, but it is best known for the art by Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, and Oskar Kokoschka. Its most famous painting is The Kiss by Gustav Klimt.
The Lower Belvedere exhibits temporary art.
You can spend between 2 and 5 hours to explore the Upper and Lower Belvedere. Go slowly and visit Belvedere as much as you wish. To make this itinerary work, let us say you will spend 2 hours there.
After visiting Belvedere, go to your hotel. Rest, and get ready for the evening. You can choose between a short dinner and a concert afterward, and a proper dinner for your last evening in Vienna.
8.15 pm – 10.15 pm: Evening concert
The Musikverein (Music Society) in Vienna is one of the most famous music halls in the world. Listening to the pieces by Mozart and Strauss, performed by the famed Vienna Mozart Orchestra, is a top experience in Vienna. A concert starts at 8:15 pm and lasts 2 hours on average. Ticket prices go from 59 € to 125 €, depending on the seating. Check more details here.
8.15 pm: Dinner at Plachutta
Reserve your table at Plachutta restaurant if you prefer having dinner on your last evening in Vienna than listening to a concert.
Plachutta is one of the most iconic restaurants in Vienna. It has a long reputation for serving high-quality traditional Austrian dishes and authentic flavors. Tafelspitz (boiled beef) is a specialty of the house. Order its tafelspitz with apple horseradish in Plachutta, and you will have one of the best meals in Vienna.
Plachutta has 3 premises. One Plachutta restaurant is in the historic center, another near Schonnbrunn, and another in the 19th district. All of them are excellent. Reserve your table in the restaurant close to your hotel. Click here for reservations during working hours.
- A Perfect 2 day Vienna itinerary - November 28, 2024
- How to Spend One Perfect Day in Vienna - November 18, 2024
- Top 13 Must-Eat Food in Florence Italy - October 15, 2024
