Enter your arrival and departure; the route adapts to your flights and that day’s markets and opening hours.
Relaxed pace — Christmas markets, shopping and café breaks
Markets, shopping and atmosphere: 1–2 main stops a day is plenty; the rest is for shopping, long meals, unplanned wandering and an afternoon rest.
Day 1 · Wednesday 23 December10:30–20:35
The Schönbrunn Christmas Market and Spittelberg
Two markets: the Schönbrunn market in front of the palace at midday and Spittelberg in its Biedermeier lanes in the evening. A long lunch and a rest at the hotel in between; the Gloriette hill is optional.
10:301
Late Breakfast 60 min
No rush: a long, late Viennese breakfast in a coffee house.
11:30
U-Bahn · 20 min
U4 to Schönbrunn.
11:502
Christmas Market at Schönbrunn Palace 75 min
The market in front of the palace’s yellow façade: crafts, wooden toys and hot punch. Free entry.
13:05
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
13:103
Lunch, Hietzing 75 min
Viennese food or something light: Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz or goulash soup. Book ahead in the holiday weeks.
14:254
The Gloriette Hill 40 minOptional
A 15-minute climb through the palace gardens to the Gloriette: the best view of the palace and Vienna.
15:05
U-Bahn · 25 min
U4 back to the centre and your hotel.
15:305
Rest at the Hotel 105 min
Rest at the hotel and recharge for the evening.
17:15
Walk · 15 min
Past the MuseumsQuartier to Spittelberg.
17:306
Spittelberg Christmas Market 90 min
A market in the narrow lanes between Biedermeier houses: design gifts and mulled wine, at its best once the lights are on. Free entry.
19:00
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
19:057
Dinner, Spittelberg 90 min
Wiener Schnitzel or Tafelspitz in a Beisl (a traditional Viennese tavern); book ahead for December evenings.
Christmas Eve: Morning Shopping, Rathausplatz and Christmas Dinner
Shopping starts at 10 am and ends before the shops close at 1 pm. The Rathausplatz Christmas market in the afternoon (until 6:30 pm on 24 December), then a rest; an optional Christmas Eve service and Christmas dinner in the evening.
09:301
Café Break 30 min
Start the day with a coffee.
10:00
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
10:052
Shopping on Kärntner Straße and the Graben 90 min
Start shopping early: shops close at 1 pm on 24 December. Pick the shops you want beforehand.
11:35
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
11:403
Lunch, the Inner City 75 min
Viennese food or something light: Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz or goulash soup. Book ahead in the holiday weeks.
12:55
Walk · 15 min
Along Herrengasse to Rathausplatz.
13:104
Christmas Market at Rathausplatz 75 min
On Christmas Eve the market is open until 6:30 pm: last gifts and hot punch. Free entry.
14:25
Walk · 15 min
Back to the hotel.
14:405
Rest at the Hotel 150 min
Rest at the hotel and recharge for the evening.
17:10
Walk · 15 min
On foot.
17:256
Christmas Eve Service 70 minOptional
St Stephen’s Cathedral holds services on the evening of 24 December and Midnight Mass (Christmette); the 2026 times will be announced on the cathedral’s website in December. Free but very crowded, so go early.
18:35
Walk · 15 min
On foot.
18:507
Christmas Eve Dinner 120 min
In Austria Christmas Eve is spent with family: most restaurants are closed or close early. Those that open (hotel restaurants and some in the inner city) serve set menus; book in October or November.
Shops are closed, museums are open: a long breakfast, Klimt’s The Kiss at the Upper Belvedere, a coffee break and a rest; in the late afternoon the Christmas village at the foot of the cathedral (until 7 pm on 25 December) and Christmas dinner.
10:301
Late Breakfast 75 min
No rush: a long, late Viennese breakfast in a coffee house.
11:45
Tram · 15 min
Tram D to the Belvedere.
12:002
Upper Belvedere (Klimt) 75 min
Klimt’s The Kiss, the Vienna Secession and the Baroque halls; the city view from the garden. Timed ticket.
Balanced–packed pace — Vienna’s landmarks and Christmas markets
Explore the city and see the markets: nearby stops come in one flow (the Hofburg, the Albertina and St Stephen’s; Schönbrunn and the Naschmarkt; the Belvedere, the Hundertwasserhaus and the Prater). You can skip anything marked “Optional” and the day still works.
Day 1 · Wednesday 23 December09:00–21:15
Schönbrunn Palace, the Naschmarkt and Karlsplatz
Schönbrunn Palace and the Christmas market in front of it in the morning; the Naschmarkt, the Karlskirche, the golden Strauss statue in the Stadtpark and a coffee house in the afternoon. The Gloriette hill, the Art Advent market and an evening Christmas concert are optional.
09:00
U-Bahn · 20 min
U4 to Schönbrunn.
09:201
Schönbrunn Palace 75 min
The Habsburgs’ summer palace: 40 rooms on the Grand Tour, Maria Theresa’s salons, the apartments of Sisi and Franz Joseph and the Great Gallery. Timed ticket.
50 min Grand Tour (audio guide) · 25 min courtyard and garden
During Christmas week, buying a ticket doesn’t mean you can visit on that day. Check the date.
10:352
Christmas Market at Schönbrunn Palace 45 min
The market in front of the palace’s yellow façade: crafts, wooden toys and hot punch. Free entry.
11:203
The Gloriette Hill 40 minOptional
A 15-minute climb through the palace gardens to the Gloriette: the best view of the palace and Vienna.
12:00
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
12:054
Lunch, Hietzing 60 min
Viennese food or something light: Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz or goulash soup. Book ahead in the holiday weeks.
13:05
U-Bahn · 20 min
U4 to Kettenbrückengasse.
13:255
Naschmarkt 45 min
A 1.5 km open-air market: stalls of spices, cheese, meze and sweets. The stalls close on Sundays and public holidays; the restaurants stay open.
14:10
Walk · 10 min
On foot.
14:206
Karlskirche 15 min
The green-domed Baroque church and its two Trajan-style columns; its reflection in the pond is best in the evening.
14:357
Art Advent at Karlsplatz 45 minOptional
An artists’ and makers’ market in front of the Karlskirche: design gifts and organic food. Free entry.
15:20
Walk · 10 min
Through Resselpark to the Stadtpark.
15:308
Stadtpark and the Strauss Monument 20 min
The Ringstraße’s park, with the gilded Johann Strauss statue and the Kursalon.
15:50
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
15:559
Coffee House Break 50 min
Vienna’s coffee house culture, on UNESCO’s list: a Melange with Sachertorte or apple strudel. Options: Café Prückel, Café Schwarzenberg, Café Landtmann. Check holiday hours before you go.
16:4510
Free Time: Rest or Stroll 85 minOptional
Drop by the hotel to rest, or take a stroll nearby: shop windows and Christmas lights.
18:10
Walk · 10 min
On foot.
18:2011
Dinner, the Inner City 90 min
Wiener Schnitzel or Tafelspitz in a Beisl (a traditional Viennese tavern); book ahead for December evenings.
19:50
Walk · 10 min
On foot.
20:0012
Christmas Concert 75 minOptional
Christmas and Strauss music around 8 pm at St Peter’s Church, the Karlskirche or the Musikverein. Start times vary between 7:30 and 8:15 pm: check the time when you book and move dinner earlier if needed. If you skip it, the night is yours.
Christmas Eve: the Hofburg, Shopping and Rathausplatz
Shops close at 1 pm and some museums close early: the Sisi Museum at the Hofburg in the morning and shopping on Kärntner Straße before 1 pm; in the afternoon Stephansplatz, the Graben and the Rathausplatz Christmas market (until 6:30 pm). The Albertina, the Stephansplatz Christmas village and the evening service are optional; then Christmas dinner.
09:001
Hofburg: Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments 90 min
The Habsburgs’ winter palace: the Imperial Silver Collection, the Sisi Museum and the apartments of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth.
20 min Silver Collection · 35 min Sisi Museum · 35 min Imperial Apartments
During Christmas week, buying a ticket doesn’t mean you can visit on that day. Check the date.
11:40
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
11:453
Shopping on Kärntner Straße and the Graben 60 min
Start shopping early: shops close at 1 pm on 24 December. Pick the shops you want beforehand.
12:45
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
12:504
Lunch, the Inner City 60 min
Viennese food or something light: Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz or goulash soup. Book ahead in the holiday weeks.
13:50
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
13:555
St Stephen’s Cathedral and Stephansplatz 15 min
The patterned tile roof, the 136-metre South Tower and the square at the very centre of the city.
14:106
Christmas Village at Stephansplatz 30 minOptional
A small Christmas village at the foot of the cathedral: decorations, punch and roast chestnuts. Free entry.
14:407
Graben and Kohlmarkt 20 min
The Graben hung with crystal-chandelier lights, the Plague Column and Kohlmarkt leading down to the Hofburg; Demel’s windows.
15:00
Walk · 15 min
Along Herrengasse to Rathausplatz.
15:158
Christmas Market at Rathausplatz 60 min
On Christmas Eve the market is open until 6:30 pm: last gifts and hot punch. Free entry.
16:159
Free Time: Rest or Stroll 60 minOptional
Drop by the hotel to rest, or take a stroll nearby: shop windows and Christmas lights.
17:15
Walk · 15 min
On foot.
17:3010
Christmas Eve Service 70 minOptional
St Stephen’s Cathedral holds services on the evening of 24 December and Midnight Mass (Christmette); the 2026 times will be announced on the cathedral’s website in December. Free but very crowded, so go early.
18:40
Walk · 15 min
On foot.
18:5511
Christmas Eve Dinner 120 min
In Austria Christmas Eve is spent with family: most restaurants are closed or close early. Those that open (hotel restaurants and some in the inner city) serve set menus; book in October or November.
Christmas Day: the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Ringstraße and Maria-Theresien-Platz
Shops are closed, museums are open: Bruegel at the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the MuseumsQuartier in the morning; a tram ride round the Ringstraße, the Burggarten and a coffee house in the afternoon; the Christmas village between the two museums in the late afternoon, then Christmas dinner.
10:001
Kunsthistorisches Museum 105 min
The Bruegel room (The Tower of Babel, Hunters in the Snow), Raphael, Vermeer and Caravaggio; the café under the dome is one of the world’s most beautiful museum cafés. Entry by time slot.
30 min Bruegel room · 50 min picture gallery · 25 min café under the dome
During Christmas week, buying a ticket doesn’t mean you can visit on that day. Check the date.
11:45
Walk · 10 min
Cloakroom and exit, then on to the MuseumsQuartier.
11:552
MuseumsQuartier 25 min
A museum district in the former imperial stables: the white cube of the Leopold Museum, courtyards and cafés.
12:20
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
12:253
Lunch, Neubau 60 min
Viennese food or something light: Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz or goulash soup. Book ahead in the holiday weeks.
13:25
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
13:304
A Tram Ride Round the Ringstraße 30 min
Ride tram 1 or 2 along the Ring: the Opera, the Hofburg, Parliament, City Hall, the Burgtheater and the University through the window. An ordinary public transport ticket will do.
14:00
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
14:055
Burggarten and the Mozart Monument 20 min
The garden behind the Hofburg, the Mozart monument and the glass front of the Palm House.
14:256
Coffee House Break 45 min
Vienna’s coffee house culture, on UNESCO’s list: a Melange with Sachertorte or apple strudel. Options: Café Mozart, Café Sacher, Café Landtmann. Check holiday hours before you go.
15:107
Free Time: Rest or Stroll 45 minOptional
Drop by the hotel to rest, or take a stroll nearby: shop windows and Christmas lights.
15:55
Walk · 10 min
On foot.
16:058
Christmas Village at Maria-Theresien-Platz 60 min
A Christmas village on the square between the two great museums (Art History and Natural History). Free entry.
17:05
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
17:109
Aperitif: Wine Bar 60 min
A glass of Grüner Veltliner or Gemischter Satz before dinner. Options: Loos Bar, Zum Schwarzen Kameel, bir şarap barı.
18:10
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
18:1510
Christmas Day Dinner 105 min
The classic on 25 December is roast goose or Wiener Schnitzel. Restaurants are full; booking is essential.
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
🍽️
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.
Times are for Wednesday 23 December – Friday 25 December. Some are officially confirmed for 2026, others are based on the last published season (the 2026 schedule is pending); check again before you go. The table on the guide page shows the status of each time: Christmas in Vienna
Frequently asked questions
Is 3 days enough for Vienna Christmas?
Three days is ideal for the markets, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the museums open, without rushing.
Which places do you go inside?
Relaxed: Upper Belvedere (Klimt). Balanced–packed: Schönbrunn Palace, Hofburg: Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments, Albertina, Kunsthistorisches Museum.
How far ahead should I book tickets?
Upper Belvedere (Klimt) at least 1 day ahead; Schönbrunn Palace at least 2 days ahead; Hofburg: Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments at least 1 day ahead; Albertina at least 1 day ahead; Kunsthistorisches Museum at least 1 day ahead. Queues are long in the holiday week.
I’m going on different dates; how does the route change?
Enter Vienna and your arrival and departure in the planner on the home page. For any date from 13 November – 6 January it builds the route around that day’s markets and opening hours: New Year’s Eve on 31 December, Christmas Eve on 24 December, and closed markets are dropped.
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