Christmas in Vienna: 1–4 Day Hour-by-Hour Itineraries

In Vienna 24 December is busy in the morning and quiet in the evening: shops close at 1 pm, most markets close in the afternoon and most restaurants don’t open in the evening. Our routes put shopping in the morning, the Rathausplatz market (until 6:30 pm on 24 December) in the afternoon and the evening on a service and Christmas dinner. There are two paces: relaxed and balanced–packed.

Plan with your own dates

Enter your arrival and departure; the route adapts to that day’s opening hours, markets and your flights.

Itineraries by length

What’s open on 24 December?

In Austria Christmas Eve is spent with family, and the city goes quiet in the late afternoon. Our routes are built around that.

Rathausplatz Christmas market: Open 10 am–6:30 pm; free entry.
Schönbrunn, Stephansplatz, Belvedere and Prater markets: Schönbrunn 10 am–4 pm, Stephansplatz 11 am–4 pm, the Belvedere and the Prater 11 am–5 pm.
Other markets: The Am Hof, Freyung, Spittelberg and Karlsplatz markets end on 23 December.
Museums: Confirmed for 2026: the Kunsthistorisches Museum 10 am–3 pm and the Albertina 10 am–2 pm. Last year the Hofburg was open 9 am–5:30 pm, Schönbrunn Palace 8:30 am–5 pm and the Belvedere 9 am–2 pm; 2026 hours for these three are pending.
St Stephen’s Cathedral: Evening services and Midnight Mass (Christmette); the 2026 times will be announced in December. Our routes don’t go inside on 24 December.
Shops and restaurants: Shops close at 1 pm (2025 arrangement). Most restaurants are closed; those that open serve set menus, so book in October or November.

When are the Christmas markets open?

Market	Dates	Hours
Rathausplatz (Vienna Christmas Market)	13 November – 26 December	Daily 10 am–10 pm; 10 am–6:30 pm on 24 December. The ice rink runs until 6 January (closed on 31 December).
Schönbrunn Palace	6 November – 6 January	Daily 10 am–9 pm; 10 am–4 pm on 24 December; 10 am–7 pm from 25 December to 6 January
Belvedere (K&K market)	20 November – 31 December	Mon–Fri 11 am–9 pm, weekends and holidays 10 am–9 pm; 11 am–5 pm on 24 and 31 December
Stephansplatz (Christmas village)	6 November – 26 December	Daily 11 am–9 pm; 11 am–4 pm on 24 December; 11 am–7 pm on 25–26 December
Am Hof	13 November – 23 December	Mon–Thu 11 am–9 pm, Fri–Sun and holidays 10 am–9 pm
Freyung (Old Viennese market)	14 November – 23 December	Daily 10 am–9 pm
Spittelberg	13 November – 23 December	Mon–Fri 2–9:30 pm, weekends and holidays 11 am–9:30 pm
Karlsplatz (Art Advent)	13 November – 23 December	Daily noon–8 pm
Maria-Theresien-Platz (Christmas village)	20 November – 26 December	Weekends and holidays 10 am–9 pm; the weekday closing time differs between two official pages (4 pm / 9 pm)
Prater (Riesenradplatz winter market)	20 November – 6 January	Mon–Fri noon–10 pm, weekends and holidays 11 am–10 pm; 11 am–5 pm on 24 December; noon–2 am on 31 December

Open and closed over Christmas

Place	22–23 December	24 December	25 December
Rathausplatz Christmas market	10 am–10 pm ✓	10 am–6:30 pm ✓	10 am–10 pm ✓
Schönbrunn Christmas market	10 am–9 pm ✓	10 am–4 pm ✓	10 am–7 pm ✓
Belvedere Christmas market	11 am–9 pm ✓	11 am–5 pm ✓	10 am–9 pm ✓
Stephansplatz Christmas village	11 am–9 pm ✓	11 am–4 pm ✓	11 am–7 pm ✓
Am Hof, Freyung, Spittelberg, Karlsplatz	open until 23 December ✓	ended ✓	ended ✓
Prater winter market	noon–10 pm ✓	11 am–5 pm ✓	11 am–10 pm ✓
Maria-Theresien-Platz Christmas village	weekday closing unclear (4 pm / 9 pm) !	not published !	10 am–9 pm ✓
Hofburg (Sisi Museum)	9 am–5:30 pm ◷	9 am–5:30 pm ◷	9 am–5:30 pm ◷
Schönbrunn Palace	8:30 am–5 pm ◷	8:30 am–5 pm ◷	8:30 am–5 pm ◷
Kunsthistorisches Museum	10 am–6 pm ✓	10 am–3 pm ✓	10 am–6 pm ✓
Albertina	10 am–6 pm (Wed until 9 pm) ✓	10 am–2 pm ✓	10 am–9 pm ✓
Upper Belvedere (Klimt)	9 am–6 pm ✓	9 am–2 pm last year ◷	9 am–7 pm last year ◷
St Stephen’s Cathedral (tourist visits)	9–11:30 am, 1–4:30 pm ✓	day of services; not published !	day of services; not published !
Shops	open ✓	until 1 pm ◷	closed (public holiday) ✓

Officially confirmed for 2026
Based on the last published season; the 2026 schedule is pending
Not published yet; check again before you go

Tips

In Vienna, shops are closed on Sundays and public holidays (25–26 December, 1 and 6 January) and open 10 am–6 pm on 8 December. They close at 1 pm on 24 December and 5 pm on 31 December (2025 arrangement). The Christmas markets are open on Sundays too.
Tourist visits to St Stephen’s Cathedral run Mon–Sat 9–11:30 am and 1–4:30 pm, and 1–4:30 pm on Sundays and holidays; no visits during services. Don’t plan on going inside over Christmas and New Year.
Most markets open on 13 November. Am Hof, Freyung, Spittelberg and Karlsplatz end on 23 December, Rathausplatz on 26 December and the Belvedere on 31 December; Schönbrunn, the Prater winter market and the Rathausplatz ice rink stay open until 6 January.
Book timed tickets for Schönbrunn, the Hofburg (Sisi Museum) and the Kunsthistorisches Museum: December queues are long and Schönbrunn’s slots fill up early. Schönbrunn tickets
During Christmas week, buying a ticket doesn’t mean you can visit on that day. Check the date.
On Christmas Eve (24 December) most restaurants are closed or close early; book Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve dinner in October or November.
There are no city fireworks at New Year, and private fireworks (category F2 and above) are banned throughout Vienna. The free Silvesterpfad in the inner city runs 2 pm–2 am; at midnight the cathedral’s Pummerin bell rings and the Blue Danube plays.
The U-Bahn runs all night on New Year’s Eve; Stephansplatz station is closed after 9 pm (2025 arrangement), so get off at Herrengasse or Karlsplatz and walk.
In December it gets dark around 4 pm and it’s cold: bring a warm coat, hat and gloves; you’ll be standing at the markets for a long time. Punch mugs carry a deposit: return them or keep one as a souvenir.

Frequently asked questions

What’s open in Vienna on 24 December?

Shops until 1 pm; the Rathausplatz Christmas market until 6:30 pm, Schönbrunn and Stephansplatz until 4 pm, and the Belvedere and the Prater until 5 pm. The Kunsthistorisches Museum is open 10 am–3 pm and the Albertina 10 am–2 pm (confirmed for 2026); last year the Hofburg and Schönbrunn Palace were open all day and the Belvedere until 2 pm.

When do Vienna’s Christmas markets start?

Rathausplatz, Am Hof, Spittelberg and Karlsplatz open on 13 November 2026; Schönbrunn and Stephansplatz on 6 November; the Belvedere, Maria-Theresien-Platz and the Prater on 20 November. Am Hof, Freyung, Spittelberg and Karlsplatz end on 23 December, Rathausplatz on 26 December and the Belvedere on 31 December; Schönbrunn and the Prater stay open until 6 January.

Are restaurants open on Christmas Eve?

Most are closed or close early; in Austria Christmas Eve is spent with family. Those that open (hotel restaurants and some in the inner city) serve set menus; book in October or November.

Are museums open on 25 December?

Yes. Confirmed for 2026: the Kunsthistorisches Museum 10 am–6 pm and the Albertina 10 am–9 pm. Last year the Hofburg, Schönbrunn Palace and the Belvedere were open too; their 2026 hours will be announced in December. Shops are closed on 25–26 December.

Can I visit St Stephen’s Cathedral over Christmas?

On 24 and 25 December and over New Year services come first, and tourist visiting times are uncertain, so our routes don’t go inside on those days. On ordinary days visits run Mon–Sat 9–11:30 am and 1–4:30 pm, and 1–4:30 pm on Sundays and holidays.

What is Punsch, and what about the mugs?

The hot drink of Vienna’s markets: fruity and spiced, often with rum; there’s alcohol-free Kinderpunsch too. The mugs carry a deposit: return them for your money back or keep one as a souvenir.

Sources

Hours compiled from official sources (23 October 2026). The marks in the table show each time’s status: confirmed for 2026, based on the last season, or not yet published. Holiday hours can change; check the official websites before you go.