Vienna New Year: 3-Day Itinerary

30 December – 1 January: a day and a half of sightseeing, a day and a half of New Year. 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 · Wednesday 30 December10:30–20:10

The Graben, Kärntner Straße and the Rathausplatz Ice Rink

Two main stops: the Graben under its crystal lights and, in the evening, the ice rink in front of City Hall (the Christmas market closes on 26 December). Shopping, a long lunch and a rest at the hotel in between.

10:30
Late Breakfast 60 min
No rush: a long, late Viennese breakfast in a coffee house.
11:30
Walk · 10 min
On foot.
11:40
Graben and Kohlmarkt 25 min
The Graben hung with crystal-chandelier lights, the Plague Column and Kohlmarkt leading down to the Hofburg; Demel’s windows.
12:05
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
12:10
Shopping on Kärntner Straße and the Graben 60 min
The inner city’s shopping streets: Steffl, the Manner store, Swarovski and Viennese design shops. Shops are closed on Sundays and public holidays.
13:10
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
13:15
Lunch, the Inner City 75 min
Viennese food or something light: Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz or goulash soup. Book ahead in the holiday weeks.
14:30
Walk · 15 min
Back to the hotel.
14:45
Rest at the Hotel 120 min
Rest at the hotel and recharge for the evening.
16:45
Walk · 15 min
Along the Ring to Rathausplatz.
17:00
Rathausplatz: the Ice Rink and City Hall 90 min
The Christmas market closes on 26 December, but the Vienna Ice World stays open until 6 January: skate in front of City Hall or watch from the side; the building is floodlit in the evening. Closed on 31 December.
18:30
Walk · 10 min
On foot.
18:40
Dinner, the Inner City 90 min
Wiener Schnitzel or Tafelspitz in a Beisl (a traditional Viennese tavern); book ahead for December evenings.

Open the route on the map

Day 2 · 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.

10:30
Late Breakfast 60 min
No rush: a long, late Viennese breakfast in a coffee house.
11:30
U-Bahn · 15 min
U3 to Mariahilfer Straße.
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.
12:45
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
12:50
Lunch, Mariahilf 75 min
Viennese food or something light: Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz or goulash soup. Book ahead in the holiday weeks.
14:05
U-Bahn · 20 min
U3 and U4 to Schönbrunn.
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.
15:25
U-Bahn · 25 min
U4 back to the centre and your hotel.
15:50
Rest at the Hotel 120 min
Rest at the hotel and recharge for the evening.
17:50
Walk · 10 min
On foot.
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.
19:00
Walk · 10 min
On foot.
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.
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.
23:05
Walk · 10 min
Walk to Stephansplatz: the U-Bahn station is closed after 9 pm.
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.
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 3 · 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.

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.
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.
12:00
U-Bahn · 15 min
U1 to Praterstern.
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.
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.
13:45
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
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 · Wednesday 30 December09:00–20:20

The Hofburg, St Stephen’s Cathedral and the Rathausplatz Ice Rink

The inner city in one flow: the Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments at the Hofburg and the Opera in the morning; inside St Stephen’s Cathedral and the Graben in the afternoon. The ice rink in front of City Hall in the evening (the Christmas market closes on 26 December). The Albertina and shopping on Kärntner Straße are optional.

09:00
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
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.
10:30
Walk · 10 min
Cloakroom and exit, then from Michaelerplatz to the Albertina.
10:40
Albertina 75 min Optional
A modern art collection from Monet to Picasso and the Habsburg state rooms; the terrace looks over the Opera and Albertinaplatz.
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.
11:55
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
12:00
Vienna State Opera (outside) 15 min
The first great building on the Ringstraße: its neo-Renaissance front at the top of Kärntner Straße, floodlit in the evening.
12:15
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
12:20
Shopping on Kärntner Straße and the Graben 45 min Optional
The inner city’s shopping streets: Steffl, the Manner store, Swarovski and Viennese design shops. Shops are closed on Sundays and public holidays.
13:05
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
13:10
Lunch, the Inner City 60 min
Viennese food or something light: Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz or goulash soup. Book ahead in the holiday weeks.
14:10
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
14:15
St Stephen’s Cathedral (Inside) 45 min
Vienna’s Gothic heart: the soaring nave, Pilgram’s stone pulpit and the Wiener Neustadt altarpiece. Tourist visits daily 1–4:30 pm (also 9–11:30 am Mon–Sat); no visits during services.
Climb the South Tower (343 steps) or take the lift up the North Tower to the Pummerin bell: daily 9 am–5:30 pm.
During Christmas week, buying a ticket doesn’t mean you can visit on that day. Check the date.
15:00
Graben and Kohlmarkt 25 min
The Graben hung with crystal-chandelier lights, the Plague Column and Kohlmarkt leading down to the Hofburg; Demel’s windows.
15:25
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
15:30
Walk · 10 min
Past Freyung and along Herrengasse to Rathausplatz.
15:40
Rathausplatz: the Ice Rink and City Hall 60 min
The Christmas market closes on 26 December, but the Vienna Ice World stays open until 6 January: skate in front of City Hall or watch from the side; the building is floodlit in the evening. Closed on 31 December.
16:40
Free Time: Rest or Stroll 55 min Optional
Drop by the hotel to rest, or take a stroll nearby: shop windows and Christmas lights.
17:35
Walk · 10 min
On foot.
17:45
Aperitif: Wine Bar 60 min
A glass of Grüner Veltliner or Gemischter Satz before dinner. Options: Loos Bar, Zum Schwarzen Kameel, bir şarap barı.
18:45
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
18:50
Dinner, the Inner City 90 min
Wiener Schnitzel or Tafelspitz in a Beisl (a traditional Viennese tavern); book ahead for December evenings.

Open the route on the map

Day 2 · 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.

09:00
U-Bahn · 20 min
U4 to Schönbrunn.
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.
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.
11:15
U-Bahn · 20 min
U4 to Karlsplatz.
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.
11:50
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
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.
12:35
Walk · 5 min
On foot.
12:40
Lunch, Naschmarkt 60 min
Viennese food or something light: Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz or goulash soup. Book ahead in the holiday weeks.
13:40
Walk · 25 min
Past the Opera and along Kärntner Straße to Freyung.
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.
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.
17:50
Walk · 10 min
On foot.
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.
19:00
Walk · 10 min
On foot.
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.
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.
23:05
Walk · 10 min
Walk to Stephansplatz: the U-Bahn station is closed after 9 pm.
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.
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 3 · 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).

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.
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.
12:00
Tram · 15 min
Tram D to the Belvedere.
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.
13:30
Walk · 10 min
On foot.
13:40
Lunch, Landstraße 60 min
Viennese food or something light: Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz or goulash soup. Book ahead in the holiday weeks.
14:40
U-Bahn · 20 min
U-Bahn to Praterstern.
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.
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 Wednesday 30 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 3 days enough for Vienna New Year?

Three days is ideal to enjoy New Year without rushing and see the inner city too.

Which places do you go inside?

Relaxed: no ticketed museums; markets, streets and churches. Balanced–packed: Hofburg: Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments, Albertina, Schönbrunn Palace, Upper Belvedere (Klimt).

How far ahead should I book tickets?

Hofburg: Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments at least 1 day ahead; Albertina at least 1 day ahead; 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.

Vienna New Year: 3-Day Itinerary

Relaxed pace — Christmas markets, shopping and café breaks

The Graben, Kärntner Straße and the Rathausplatz Ice Rink

Late Breakfast 60 min

Graben and Kohlmarkt 25 min

Shopping on Kärntner Straße and the Graben 60 min

Lunch, the Inner City 75 min

Rest at the Hotel 120 min

Rathausplatz: the Ice Rink and City Hall 90 min

Dinner, the Inner City 90 min

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

Late Breakfast 60 min

Shopping on Mariahilfer Straße 60 min

Lunch, Mariahilf 75 min

Christmas Market at Schönbrunn Palace 60 min

Rest at the Hotel 120 min

Aperitif: Wine Bar 60 min

New Year’s Eve Dinner 150 min

Somewhere Warm Until Midnight 85 min

Midnight: Stephansplatz 60 min Our pick

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

Late Breakfast 75 min

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

Prater Winter Market 60 min

The Riesenrad (Giant Ferris Wheel) 30 min Optional

Lunch, Leopoldstadt 75 min

Balanced–packed pace — Vienna’s landmarks and Christmas markets

The Hofburg, St Stephen’s Cathedral and the Rathausplatz Ice Rink

Hofburg: Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments 90 min

Albertina 75 min Optional

Vienna State Opera (outside) 15 min

Shopping on Kärntner Straße and the Graben 45 min Optional

Lunch, the Inner City 60 min

St Stephen’s Cathedral (Inside) 45 min

Graben and Kohlmarkt 25 min

Rathausplatz: the Ice Rink and City Hall 60 min

Free Time: Rest or Stroll 55 min Optional

Aperitif: Wine Bar 60 min

Dinner, the Inner City 90 min

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

Schönbrunn Palace 75 min

Christmas Market at Schönbrunn Palace 40 min Optional

Karlskirche 15 min

Naschmarkt 40 min Optional

Lunch, Naschmarkt 60 min

Silvesterpfad: an Afternoon Walk 45 min

Free Time: Rest or Stroll 180 min Optional

Aperitif: Wine Bar 60 min

New Year’s Eve Dinner 150 min

Somewhere Warm Until Midnight 85 min

Midnight: Stephansplatz 60 min Our pick

New Year’s Day: Klimt and the Prater

Late Breakfast 75 min

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

Upper Belvedere (Klimt) 75 min

Lunch, Landstraße 60 min

The Riesenrad (Giant Ferris Wheel) 30 min

Prater Winter Market 60 min

Tips

Frequently asked questions