Is guide of what to see in Vienna in one day It will help you organize the routes on your first or only day in this imperial capital, making the most of your time.
The first thing to keep in mind is that you have only 24 hours, it is a short time to get to know Vienna, although it is also true that if you optimize the itinerary well you can get a fairly complete idea of one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
In addition, this city has points of interest quite concentrated in the historic center and has a fast public transport to reach the most distant tourist attractions such as the old El Prater amusement park or the impressive Schönbrunn Palace, which we recommend visiting if you have of two days
Based on the experience of the time we spent in the city during our trip through Austria by rental car, we have made this guide to know the best of Vienna in 1 day. We start!
Where to sleep in Vienna
One of the first things you have to book well in advance, even before plane tickets, is a good hotel that allows you to tour the center without wasting time traveling.
During the days we spent in the city we stayed at the Hotel Capricorn, located in the center and 100 meters from the metro lines U1 and U4. In addition to being well connected to the airport and the main attractions of the city, the hotel has a good breakfast, spacious rooms and one of the best quality / price ratios in Vienna.
For more information on the best hotels and neighborhoods we recommend you check this post of where to stay in Vienna.
How to get from the airport to the center of Vienna
Once you have the flight and the hotel booked for this Vienna in one day, you can follow these directions that will help you get to your hotel from the airport in the fastest and most comfortable way:
- Train: The fastest way to get from the airport to the Wien Mitte station (located in the center), is to take the City Airport Train which takes 15 minutes and costs 12 euros or 21 if you take the round trip ticket. Once at the station you can take metro lines 3 and 4 or tram 1, to get closer to your hotel. Another cheaper way to get to Wien Mitte is to take the Schnellbahn S7 train line that costs 4 euros and takes 25 minutes.
- Bus: The VAL 2 line of the Vienna Airport Lines will leave you at the Morzinplatz square, located near the center, in 20 minutes for 8 euros or 13, if you buy round trip. Another alternative is to take the Airliner that will leave you in Vienna Erdberg, a station far from the center but with a good connection to the U3 metro line, in 15 minutes for 5 euros or free if you buy the Vienna Pass.
- Private transfer: It is the most comfortable way to get to your hotel since when booking this direct transfer a driver will be waiting for you at the exit of the terminal, raising a sign with your name, and will take you directly to the door of your accommodation.
- Cab: The taxi will take you to the city center for about 40 euros, a price similar to direct transfer.
You can find more information on this post on how to go from Vienna airport to downtown.
Practical advice for Vienna
This list of tips will help you have a good first contact and save on your trip to Vienna in 1 day:
- Try the most typical dishes of the city such as the Wiener Schnitzel (breaded veal schnitzel), the Würstel (Vienna sausage) and the Gulash (beef stew).
- To know better the history of the city and not miss anything important we recommend you book this Free tour of Vienna Free! With guide in Spanish, one of the best free tours in Vienna.
- A good way to save money is to land with a low cost flight to Bratislava, located one hour by bus from Vienna.
- To tour the entire historical center of Vienna you can rent a bicycle, having enough kilometers of bike lane.
- If you buy the Vienna Pass one day you will save enough money on tickets to the main attractions of the city and time, by avoiding long lines.
- Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot. You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
For more recommendations you can consult this post about the best tips for traveling to Vienna.
What to see in Vienna in one day
Is route to see in Vienna in one day It starts early in the morning arriving with the underground line 4 to the Naschmarkt street market (Kettenbrückengasse stop), which opens at 6 in the morning. This market, the oldest and most famous in the city, has more than one hundred stalls of fresh quality products, perfect to taste the traditional food of the country such as scallop, sausage or apple pie, as well as international food. A good time to not find the market full of tourists is Monday through Friday, considering that Sunday is closed.
The next stop on the route is the magnificent Hofburg Palace, a winter residence of the Habsburg royal dynasty for over 600 years and one of the most beautiful places to visit in Vienna.
Hofburg Palace
During the visit to the interior, which lasts around two hours always accompanied by an audio guide in Spanish, you can see in addition to the royal rooms decorated with furniture of the time, the Sissí Emperatriz Museum and the luxurious Silverware of the Court. Admission is included if you buy the Vienna Pass card.
You can finish the tour by visiting the spectacular National Library of Austria, located in the same complex and one of the most beautiful we have ever seen. This 18th-century library is the largest in the world in the Baroque style and we are sure that when you enter you will be speechless when you see the great Imperial Hall, with its huge ancient world globes, statues, paintings and tall wooden shelves full of books.
Austrian National Library
When leaving the library, the route of the what to see in Vienna in one day Continue walking about 500 meters to the Vienna Opera, one of the mythical temples of opera worldwide. To visit the interior, if you do not want to buy some of their expensive tickets to see a show, you can take a guided tour in Spanish, where you will see different rooms in the Renaissance style such as the hall, the Marble room, the tea room, the marble steps and an impressive auditorium with a capacity for 2800 people. As a curiosity, this building was inaugurated in 1869 with the presentation of a work by Mozart himself. A good option to visit the opera is to book this tour of Vienna that includes the visit to the opera with a guide in Spanish.
Visit the Opera in Vienna in 1 day
After the visit, you can follow the Vienna itinerary in 1 day arriving at the amazing Church of the Capuchins, a small baroque-style church that keeps the Imperial Crypt in the subsoil, in which are the luxurious coffins of the royal family, including that of Sisi Emperatriz.
Before continuing with the route, we advise you to rest for a while and regain strength trying the typical local dishes in the beautiful Zum Weissen Rauchfangkehrer or the delicious ribs at the Ribs of Vienna, two of the most recommended restaurants in the city.
If you have left room for dessert, it is almost essential to approach the emblematic Sacher coffee, to zamparte his famous Sacher Cake with a good coffee.
Sacher cake
The afternoon of Vienna in one day It begins with a visit to St. Stephen's Cathedral, built on the ruins of a Romanesque church dedicated to St. Stephen in 1147, and where Mozart's wedding and funeral was celebrated.
Inside this Gothic church where the remains of a large part of the Habsburg family rest, you will find several prominent places such as the Pummerin Bell, the Pilgram Pulpit, the catacombs and the image of the crucified Christ.
After completing the visits to the interior (entrance included in the Vienna Pass), you can climb to its spire-shaped tower over 137 meters high to have an excellent panoramic view of the old town and see the beautiful tiled roof of the cathedral .
St. Stephen's Cathedral
The Vienna route in 1 day Continue with a walk through the City Park or Stadtpark, another of the best things to do in Vienna. In this old English-style park built between 1858 and 1862, you will find, alongside bridges, lakes and trees, some outstanding monuments such as the sculpture dedicated to Johann Strauss or the Kursalon building.
One of the limits of the park is the Ringstrasse, a historic circular avenue of more than 5 kilometers that passes through many of Vienna's best-known buildings and monuments such as the Parliament or the Town Hall.
Before starting to travel on foot or by tram this avenue we recommend you to know the Church of San Carlos Borromeo, patron of the fight against the plague. In addition to seeing its exterior with two excellent columns inspired by the Trajan's Column in Rome, it is worth entering to see the frescoes painted inside the dome. Keep in mind that the church closes from Monday to Saturday at 6pm and Sundays at 7pm.
Church of San Carlos Borromeo
After the visit, you can take a walk on the Ringstrasse, which will take you to the imposing Greek-style facade of the Greek-style Parliament and to the no less impressive facade of the Town Hall.
To rest a while from this demanding Vienna in one day We recommend you to have a delicious cake or a cup of hot chocolate in the beautiful Central Coffee, which maintains the decoration and piano music of when it was the favorite meeting place for celebrities of the time.
At dusk you can take a romantic walk along the bank of the Danube to the Schwedenplat stop, from where these cruises leave that cross the river while you have dinner and watch the city light up. This tour is located among the best excursions in Vienna.
If you do not want to do the cruise or want to leave it for another day, we advise you to take a last walk through the center and dine a cheese and sausage board accompanied by a good local wine in the Vinothek W-Einkehr or traditional food in the romantic ef16 Restaurant Weinbar.
Vienna in one day
If you have more time you can follow this Vienna guide in two days.
Map of the route through Vienna in one day
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Vienna guide in two days
Rent your car in Vienna at the best price here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
The best offers of Flights to Vienna here
The best hotels at the best prices in Vienna here
Book the best tours and excursions in / from Vienna in Spanish here
Book your transfer Airport⇆Vienna here
Vienna guide in two days
Rent your car in Vienna at the best price here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
