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Vienna New Year: 2-Day Itinerary

31 December + 1 January: New Year’s Eve, then a late farewell day that starts with the New Year’s Concert. Pick one of two paces: relaxed or balanced–packed.

Plan with your own dates

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 · Thursday 31 December10:30–00:40

New Year’s Eve: Shopping, the Schönbrunn Market and Midnight on Stephansplatz

One main stop: the Schönbrunn Christmas market in the afternoon. Shopping on Mariahilfer Straße in the morning, a long lunch and a rest. Somewhere warm after dinner, then midnight on Stephansplatz with the Pummerin bell and the Blue Danube.

  1. 10:30

    Late Breakfast 60 min

    No rush: a long, late Viennese breakfast in a coffee house.

  2. 11:30

    U-Bahn · 15 min

    U3 to Mariahilfer Straße.

  3. 11:45

    Shopping on Mariahilfer Straße 60 min

    Shops are open until 5 pm on 31 December, but the afternoon gets crowded: finish shopping by midday.

  4. 12:45

    Walk · 5 min

    On foot.

  5. 12:50

    Lunch, Mariahilf 75 min

    Viennese food or something light: Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz or goulash soup. Book ahead in the holiday weeks.

  6. 14:05

    U-Bahn · 20 min

    U3 and U4 to Schönbrunn.

  7. 14:25

    Christmas Market at Schönbrunn Palace 60 min

    The market in front of the palace on the last day of the year (until 7 pm on 31 December): a last hot punch. Free entry.

  8. 15:25

    U-Bahn · 25 min

    U4 back to the centre and your hotel.

  9. 15:50

    Rest at the Hotel 120 min

    Rest at the hotel and recharge for the evening.

  10. 17:50

    Walk · 10 min

    On foot.

  11. 18:00

    Aperitif: Wine Bar 60 min

    A glass of Grüner Veltliner or Gemischter Satz before dinner. Options: Loos Bar, Zum Schwarzen Kameel, bir şarap barı.

  12. 19:00

    Walk · 10 min

    On foot.

  13. 19:10

    New Year’s Eve Dinner 150 min

    In the inner city, within walking distance of Stephansplatz. Most restaurants serve a set menu and fill up early: book in October or November.

  14. 21:40

    Somewhere Warm Until Midnight 85 min

    Stay on at the restaurant after dinner or move to a nearby coffee house or bar. Rather than waiting long in the cold, head to your midnight spot in the last hour.

  15. 23:05

    Walk · 10 min

    Walk to Stephansplatz: the U-Bahn station is closed after 9 pm.

  16. 23:15

    Midnight: Stephansplatz 60 min Our pick

    The heart of the Silvesterpfad: at midnight the cathedral’s great Pummerin bell rings and the square dances to the Blue Danube waltz. Vienna has no city fireworks, and fireworks of category F2 and above are banned throughout the city. Stephansplatz U-Bahn station is closed after 9 pm (2025 arrangement), so come on foot. It’s very crowded: arrive around 11:15 pm and keep your bag in front of you.

    Other options

    Graben: the Silvesterpfad’s waltz mile: Classical music and waltzing; a little roomier than Stephansplatz, and you can hear the bell from here too.

    The Rathausplatz stage: One of the Silvesterpfad’s biggest stages: a wide square and live music.

    The Prater winter market: Open until 2 am on 31 December; under the lights of the Riesenrad, away from the centre and calmer.

    New Year’s Eve cruise on the Danube: Midnight on the river; dinner is on board, so no restaurant needed. Find tickets

    During Christmas week, buying a ticket doesn’t mean you can visit on that day. Check the date.

  17. 00:15

    Walk · 25 min

    Back to your hotel on foot or by U-Bahn. The U-Bahn runs all night on New Year’s Eve; if Stephansplatz is closed, board at Herrengasse or Karlsplatz.

Open the route on the map

Day 2 · Friday 1 January10:00–15:05

New Year’s Day: the New Year’s Concert and the Prater

A long breakfast at 10 am and the first part of the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert on TV at 11:15 (optional); then the winter market at the foot of the Riesenrad and lunch in Leopoldstadt. A ride on the Riesenrad is optional.

  1. 10:00

    Late Breakfast 75 min

    No rush: the first breakfast of the year at 10 am. For the New Year’s Concert at 11:15, pick a coffee house that shows it or have breakfast at your hotel.

  2. 11:15

    The New Year’s Concert (on TV) 45 min Optional

    The Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert starts live on TV at 11:15 am; it has two parts and lasts about two and a half hours in all. Watch the first part at your hotel or in a coffee house that shows it; the route carries on after that. If you watch to the end, move the next stops back.

  3. 12:00

    U-Bahn · 15 min

    U1 to Praterstern.

  4. 12:15

    Prater Winter Market 60 min

    A winter market at the foot of the Riesenrad: punch, roast chestnuts and the lights of the funfair. Free entry.

  5. 13:15

    The Riesenrad (Giant Ferris Wheel) 30 min Optional

    The giant Ferris wheel from 1897: the lights of the Prater and the city from its wooden cabins. A ride takes about 15 minutes.

    Skip-the-line Riesenrad tickets: each ride lasts about 15 minutes, and on December evenings the ticket queue can be long.

    During Christmas week, buying a ticket doesn’t mean you can visit on that day. Check the date.

  6. 13:45

    Walk · 5 min

    On foot.

  7. 13:50

    Lunch, Leopoldstadt 75 min

    Viennese food or something light: Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz or goulash soup. Book ahead in the holiday weeks.

Open the route on the map

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 · Thursday 31 December09:00–00:40

New Year’s Eve: Schönbrunn, the Naschmarkt and Midnight on Stephansplatz

Schönbrunn Palace in the morning, then the Karlskirche and lunch at the Naschmarkt; an afternoon walk on the Silvesterpfad, which opens at 2 pm. The rest of the afternoon is free. Somewhere warm after dinner, then midnight on Stephansplatz with the Pummerin bell and the Blue Danube. The Schönbrunn Christmas market and the Naschmarkt stalls are optional.

  1. 09:00

    U-Bahn · 20 min

    U4 to Schönbrunn.

  2. 09:20

    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

    Ticket needed: book at least 2 days ahead

    During Christmas week, buying a ticket doesn’t mean you can visit on that day. Check the date.

  3. 10:35

    Christmas Market at Schönbrunn Palace 40 min Optional

    The market in front of the palace’s yellow façade: crafts, wooden toys and hot punch. Free entry.

  4. 11:15

    U-Bahn · 20 min

    U4 to Karlsplatz.

  5. 11:35

    Karlskirche 15 min

    The green-domed Baroque church and its two Trajan-style columns; its reflection in the pond is best in the evening.

  6. 11:50

    Walk · 5 min

    On foot.

  7. 11:55

    Naschmarkt 40 min Optional

    A 1.5 km open-air market with stalls of spices, cheese and meze. The stalls may close early on 31 December (hours not published); the restaurants are open.

  8. 12:35

    Walk · 5 min

    On foot.

  9. 12:40

    Lunch, Naschmarkt 60 min

    Viennese food or something light: Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz or goulash soup. Book ahead in the holiday weeks.

  10. 13:40

    Walk · 25 min

    Past the Opera and along Kärntner Straße to Freyung.

  11. 14:05

    Silvesterpfad: an Afternoon Walk 45 min

    The New Year’s Eve trail opens at 2 pm: food stalls and stages from Freyung and Am Hof to the Graben, with waltz lessons on the Graben. Free. See it before the night-time crowds arrive.

  12. 14:50

    Free Time: Rest or Stroll 180 min Optional

    Drop by the hotel to rest, or take a stroll nearby: shop windows and Christmas lights.

  13. 17:50

    Walk · 10 min

    On foot.

  14. 18:00

    Aperitif: Wine Bar 60 min

    A glass of Grüner Veltliner or Gemischter Satz before dinner. Options: Loos Bar, Zum Schwarzen Kameel, bir şarap barı.

  15. 19:00

    Walk · 10 min

    On foot.

  16. 19:10

    New Year’s Eve Dinner 150 min

    In the inner city, within walking distance of Stephansplatz. Most restaurants serve a set menu and fill up early: book in October or November.

  17. 21:40

    Somewhere Warm Until Midnight 85 min

    Stay on at the restaurant after dinner or move to a nearby coffee house or bar. Rather than waiting long in the cold, head to your midnight spot in the last hour.

  18. 23:05

    Walk · 10 min

    Walk to Stephansplatz: the U-Bahn station is closed after 9 pm.

  19. 23:15

    Midnight: Stephansplatz 60 min Our pick

    The heart of the Silvesterpfad: at midnight the cathedral’s great Pummerin bell rings and the square dances to the Blue Danube waltz. Vienna has no city fireworks, and fireworks of category F2 and above are banned throughout the city. Stephansplatz U-Bahn station is closed after 9 pm (2025 arrangement), so come on foot. It’s very crowded: arrive around 11:15 pm and keep your bag in front of you.

    Other options

    Graben: the Silvesterpfad’s waltz mile: Classical music and waltzing; a little roomier than Stephansplatz, and you can hear the bell from here too.

    The Rathausplatz stage: One of the Silvesterpfad’s biggest stages: a wide square and live music.

    The Prater winter market: Open until 2 am on 31 December; under the lights of the Riesenrad, away from the centre and calmer.

    New Year’s Eve cruise on the Danube: Midnight on the river; dinner is on board, so no restaurant needed. Find tickets

    During Christmas week, buying a ticket doesn’t mean you can visit on that day. Check the date.

  20. 00:15

    Walk · 25 min

    Back to your hotel on foot or by U-Bahn. The U-Bahn runs all night on New Year’s Eve; if Stephansplatz is closed, board at Herrengasse or Karlsplatz.

Open the route on the map

Day 2 · Friday 1 January10:00–16:30

New Year’s Day: Klimt and the Prater

Breakfast at 10 am and, if you like, the first part of the New Year’s Concert; Klimt’s The Kiss at the Upper Belvedere at midday, then the Riesenrad and a farewell at the Prater winter market (open until 6 January).

  1. 10:00

    Late Breakfast 75 min

    No rush: the first breakfast of the year at 10 am. For the New Year’s Concert at 11:15, pick a coffee house that shows it or have breakfast at your hotel.

  2. 11:15

    The New Year’s Concert (on TV) 45 min Optional

    The Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Concert starts live on TV at 11:15 am; it has two parts and lasts about two and a half hours in all. Watch the first part at your hotel or in a coffee house that shows it; the route carries on after that. If you watch to the end, move the next stops back.

  3. 12:00

    Tram · 15 min

    Tram D to the Belvedere.

  4. 12:15

    Upper Belvedere (Klimt) 75 min

    Klimt’s The Kiss, the Vienna Secession and the Baroque halls; the city view from the garden. Timed ticket.

    Ticket needed: book at least 1 day ahead

    During Christmas week, buying a ticket doesn’t mean you can visit on that day. Check the date.

  5. 13:30

    Walk · 10 min

    On foot.

  6. 13:40

    Lunch, Landstraße 60 min

    Viennese food or something light: Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz or goulash soup. Book ahead in the holiday weeks.

  7. 14:40

    U-Bahn · 20 min

    U-Bahn to Praterstern.

  8. 15:00

    The Riesenrad (Giant Ferris Wheel) 30 min

    The giant Ferris wheel from 1897: the lights of the Prater and the city from its wooden cabins. A ride takes about 15 minutes.

    Skip-the-line Riesenrad tickets: each ride lasts about 15 minutes, and on December evenings the ticket queue can be long.

    During Christmas week, buying a ticket doesn’t mean you can visit on that day. Check the date.

  9. 15:30

    Prater Winter Market 60 min

    A winter market at the foot of the Riesenrad: punch, roast chestnuts and the lights of the funfair. Free entry.

Open the route on the map

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

  • 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 Thursday 31 December – Friday 1 January. 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: New Year’s Eve in Vienna

Frequently asked questions

Is 2 days enough for Vienna New Year?

Two days add a farewell day that starts with breakfast at 10 am and, if you like, the New Year’s Concert: the Prater at a relaxed pace, Klimt and the Prater at a balanced–packed pace.

Which places do you go inside?

Relaxed: no ticketed museums; markets, streets and churches. Balanced–packed: Schönbrunn Palace, Upper Belvedere (Klimt).

How far ahead should I book tickets?

Schönbrunn Palace at least 2 days ahead; Upper Belvedere (Klimt) 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.