Everyone is curious about how many days they should spend in Vienna, what to do in Vienna, and whether 3 days are enough for Vienna. So I wanted to share my own experiences with you. I departed from Izmir, Turkey on July 12, 2024, at 12:30 PM and landed at Vienna Airport at 2:30 PM. My friends were a bit late picking me up, by about one or two hours, but don’t worry, I got my revenge 🙂 Now, I’ll tell you how I spent two full days and a half day in Vienna, and I’ll try to provide as much detail as possible. Don’t get bored; there are some great tips in here.
Vienna Airport Duty-Free Shop
As soon as I landed in Vienna, the first place I went to was, of course, the duty-free shop area, but I have to say, I later regretted it. Why did I regret it? Because the prices were either the same as or 1-2 euros more expensive than those outside. Normally, this area is supposed to be duty-free, making things cheaper, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. So, don’t rush to shop.
Are there places to spend time inside Vienna Airport? When I arrived at the airport area after passport control, I was honestly surprised. Yes, I was expecting a large airport, but not this big. You could easily spend two days here without ever leaving the airport. Everything is available, from restaurants to cafeterias, coffee shops, and pubs. If you’re not coming from a Schengen country, you’ll need a SIM card, but in my opinion, don’t rush for that either—read the next section for more information.
Where can I buy a SIM card in Vienna?
Before leaving the airport, you’ll see many places selling SIM cards, and the prices are usually around 20 euros, but I didn’t really check what they included in terms of data or minutes. Instead, on your way to your hotel, you’ll see supermarkets called ‘Lidl.’ You can go into one and buy one of Lidl’s own SIM cards. I got lucky and bought mine at a discount, so it cost me a total of 6 euros. A friend who arrived a week before me paid between 10-15 euros. The package included 50 GB of data for use within Austria and 10 GB of data valid within the Schengen area. I never had any issues with internet speed or network coverage, and it was sufficient not only in Austria but also during our trip to Italy the following week. Here is the nearest lidl market to Vienna airport.
Exploring Vienna at Night
When we arrived at the hotel, it was around 6 PM. After quickly changing our clothes, we set out. We took the metro directly to Stephansplatz (the square where St. Stephen’s Cathedral is located). Be ready with your selfie mode as you exit the metro because a stunning view awaits you, and you’ll instantly feel like you’ve stepped into the Middle Ages.
The first thing we noticed when we reached this square was that the modern buildings were constructed in harmony with the historical structures, making the center of Vienna an architectural beauty. After a while, your neck might start hurting from looking up at the buildings. When we arrived, it was sunset, and in July, as the sun sets behind the buildings, the sky greets you with a mix of pink and orange, and the light hitting the buildings creates a visual feast that will mesmerize you. Quickly take out your phones and capture the moment, or you’ll find yourself trying to recapture this beautiful scene every day. If it’s your first time in Vienna, this moment will be unforgettable.
Parliament of Vienna
After exploring Stephansplatz, we headed towards the Parliament building, constructed in the 1800s. The lighting is more than sufficient, and it’s a magnificent building. With the statues on the roof, it transforms from a political center into an artistic one. When you look at the Austrian Parliament building from the front, pay attention to the left side of the roof. You’ll see gold-plated stripes, but only on a very small portion. When I asked about this, I was told that they initially wanted to gold-plate the roof edges and part of the columns, but when they calculated the cost, it was too high, so they decided to only do a small part to avoid wasting public money. I have to tip my hat to them for this, especially in a time when corruption is rampant everywhere.
Hofburg Palace
Our next stop was the Hofburg Palace. You absolutely must see this place at night. As you can see in the photos, the lighting is amazing. The most famous aspect of this palace is that dictator Hitler gave a speech from this balcony. The speech is famous because it was during this speech that Hitler announced Austria’s annexation to Germany. I always thought Hitler was born in Germany or was German, but he was actually born in Austria, within the borders of the Salzburg province. But let’s not dwell on that—let’s talk about more pleasant things 🙂
How to Explore Vienna
you should walk to every place near to each other because walked to every place we’ve talked about so far, and I have no regrets at all because while exploring Vienna, every time we randomly decided to see what was behind a door or around a corner, it led us to another square, each with its own unique charm. There’s also a tradition of touring the city by horse-drawn carriage. While walking, be mindful of the bicycle lanes and horse carriages 🙂 I left my house at 10 AM, traveled to Izmir, then flew to Vienna, so I was quite tired and decided to end our first night here and return to the hotel.
Pay attention to the opening hours of shopping centers and markets because, at least compared to my country, they close quite early. Cafés and restaurants generally close around 5-6 PM, and bars usually close around 11 PM. So, make sure you do your shopping before you start your tour. We took the metro back to our hotel, and don’t forget that public transportation is very punctual. I won’t write about how to get to specific places because if you use Google Maps, it will show you the public transportation routes in detail and without errors.
Vienna Public Transportation Tickets
This is probably the thing I was most satisfied with in Vienna. You buy tickets from vending machines. You can select how many days or hours you want your ticket to be valid. Alternatively, you can download the WienMobil app and purchase tickets on the app. The 24-hour tickets cost €8 per person, 48-hour tickets are €14.10, and 72-hour tickets are €17.10. All of these tickets offer unlimited rides and are valid on all modes of transport, including the metro, buses, and trams.
There are no ticket booths at any of the stops. Usually, there is no ticket check before you board. The ticket inspectors are in plain clothes and board the vehicle at a stop to check tickets and then leave. Remember that the fine for using public transport without a ticket in Vienna is €50. Yes, there are people from every culture, but it’s important to follow the rules of the place you’re visiting and not disrupt the order. It’s the best way to show respect for that country.
Second Day in Vienna
Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna
After waking up in the morning, we knew a long day awaited us—a day of exactly 27,000 steps! 🙂 🙂
After getting on the tram, we found ourselves at our first stop from last night, Schönbrunn Palace. It’s not really my job to explain the history of Schönbrunn Palace, at least not in this article. If you’d like to read about the history of Schönbrunn palace, you can click here. The main features of Schönbrunn are its gardens and the fact that it houses the world’s oldest zoo.
The palace is divided into two sections: the main building and the section where the king dined with guests. There is a huge garden there. The most important thing you need to know before you go is that if you’re visiting during the hot season, don’t forget to bring water and a hat. You won’t be walking under trees; it’s all open space. When moving from the main palace to the dining section, you climb a hill about 100 meters long, so be prepared for that too 🙂
After leaving Schönbrunn Palace, we walked down a path lined with tall trees to the city center and then took the metro to St. Charles Church. We were going to enter, but it was closed for renovations. The entrance fee to St. Charles Church is €9,5. Right in front of it, there’s a small truck selling ice cream. It was delicious, and I definitely recommend you try it.
St. Stephen’s Cathedral
Our second stop of the day was St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Entrance to the main part of St. Stephen’s Cathedral is free. However, there is another section inside where services are held, and there is an admission fee for that area. But since you can see it up close while walking through, we didn’t feel the need to pay to enter that section. Our main plan was to go up to the top of the cathedral, and we did just that.
Is there a fee to access the terrace of St. Stephen’s Cathedral?
Yes, there is, and it costs €7 per person. You might be wondering if it’s worth it to go up to the top of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and the answer is definitely yes. You reach the top in just 10 seconds in a narrow elevator accompanied by an attendant. If you’re afraid of heights, I wouldn’t highly recommend it, but don’t worry—it’s an enclosed space, almost like a cage, as you can see in the photos. You can see almost all of the city’s landmarks from up there. There’s even a guide sign that shows what’s where in the cityscape. If I translated it correctly from German, some of the bells in the tower were made from the remnants of cannons left behind after the Ottoman Empire’s second siege of Vienna. I had researched this before, but I learned this information while there.
By this point, we were hungry, so after grabbing some take-away food, we headed to the city park. The best thing about Stadtpark is that while wandering among the buildings in the city, you suddenly find yourself in a small version of Central Park. A small lake, along with the grass and trees around you, really helps you relax. After eating our meal here, we recharged our energy 🙂
Hundertwasser House
Our next stop was Hundertwasser House, known for its wild architecture and resemblance to post-apocalyptic buildings. This building was created by artists of the time to criticize the aesthetically unpleasing buildings that began to appear after World War II due to the migration from rural areas to the city. Before coming to Vienna, I wrote an article about it, “Hundertwasser House” which you can read here. The building itself is a perfect spot for photography, with every detail offering something unique.
Do people live in Hundertwasser House? Yes, people do live in Hundertwasser House and they have the right to decorate the exterior of the building as they wish.
Rathaus – Vienna City Hall
After leaving there, we went to see Vienna City Hall. This is where film and food festivals are held. People enjoy tasting different foods in the garden of the City Hall and have conversations over drinks. The City Hall is an old building that carries the full aesthetic of the city’s architecture. When it was first built, it caused some controversy. As you can see in the pictures, it has five towers. When the tallest tower was being constructed, the king of the time decreed that it should not be taller than the nearby churches.
The closest church is the Votive Church, which is 99 meters tall. The height of the City Hall was thus made to be 98 meters. The architect, Friedrich von Schmidt, who was responsible for the building’s construction, responded by saying, “You didn’t allow me to build the tower taller, so I’ll add a motif at the top,” and placed a statue known as the Rathausmann there. This symbolizes that justice is more important than religion.
The Land of Freedoms: Austria
The Green Party – GRÜNE
Although the United States is often called the “land of freedoms,” in my opinion, if any country deserves this title, it would be Austria. One of the well-supported parties in Austria is the Green Party (GRÜNE). We happened to come across them while they were holding a demonstration in front of the parliament. I will both praise and criticize the Greens on this matter. According to the announcements, they had obtained permission to protest until 7 PM. It was a very pleasant demonstration. They set up small pools, and slogans were chanted about the value of water and how extracting oil harms our planet—things like “This world belongs to all of us.” I believe it is a great virtue to demonstrate for such a cause.
However, I do have some criticisms as well. If they had permission to protest until 7 PM, they should have sticked to that time. The city’s people rely on public transportation according to that schedule. Despite their permission expiring, they didn’t disperse and instead glued their hands to the asphalt. By extending the demonstration beyond the allotted time, they began to infringe on the freedoms of others. The number of people using cars instead of public transport increased. When you factor in the fuel consumed by police cars waiting there, I believe that extending the protest actually did more harm than good to the cause the Greens were advocating. I should also add that the behavior of the police was very appropriate and polite. It was one of the most peaceful and calm protests I’ve ever seen.
Prater Park
Is Prater Park Worth Seeing?
Prater Park is one of the most famous amusement parks and is definitely worth a visit. We initially decided not to go to Prater Park on our second day, but since we had some extra time in the evening, we ended up there. As you can see from the photos, it’s like a colorful, illuminated paradise. Reflecting on our 20-day trip, it was one of the most enjoyable times we had. The rides are absolutely safe and secure. There’s no entrance fee to Prater Park, but each ride costs between €7 and €15 in Prater Park. My friend and I tried out many of the attractions.
Our favorites were the roller coaster and the sling shot. I highly recommend trying them out. I’m including links to the videos—just a warning, don’t eat anything while watching them, as you might laugh so hard you’ll spit it out!
Vienna – Day 3
Time Travel Vienna
On the third day, our route took us to a show called Time Travel, located once again in Stephansplatz. Is Time Travel in Vienna worth seeing? The answer is definitely yes. The ticket price for Time Travel is €27, and it lasts about 50 minutes. The show is in German, but you can listen to it in English through headphones, and the synchronization with the cinema and all other systems is so perfect that sometimes you forget you’re even wearing headphones. Time Travel includes 5D cinema, theater, wax statues, and many other features, and it tells the history of Vienna from the Middle Ages to the present day. It is definitely worth the €27!
Kahlenberg Hill
My last stop before leaving Vienna was Kahlenberg, a hill that offers one of the most stunning panoramic views of the city. As I reached the top, I was greeted by the sight of Vienna spread out before me, with the Danube River winding its way through the landscape and the lush vineyards below. The tranquility of the surroundings was a perfect escape from the bustling city, and the fresh air up there was invigorating. I spent some time at the small Church of St. Joseph, a peaceful spot with a rich history, and then indulged in a coffee at the nearby café while soaking in the breathtaking views. The combination of nature, history, and scenic beauty made Kahlenberg an unforgettable part of my Vienna experience.
Kahlenberg Hill was the last stop before we left Vienna. This hill is the furthest point the Ottoman army, led by Kara Mustafa Pasha, reached during the Second Siege of Vienna. This hill, which witnessed many bloody scenes, is now filled with green trees, castles, and small parks where people can spend time enjoying the view. When you go there, you can visit St. Joseph’s Church; it’s a very small church and won’t take much of your time. Behind the cafes on Kahlenberg Hill, there’s a place where you can get a souvenir coin—I highly recommend it.
Vienna Budget Hotel Recommendation
We were 4 friends and stayed at a hotel called Jimmy’s Apartments Lory, and we were extremely satisfied. It’s very close to public transportation and is a safe hotel. There was no noise, fighting, or any disturbance. The entrance door is coded, and the hotel room door is also coded, so there’s no worry about forgetting a key. In terms of cleanliness, it was very good, and we didn’t experience any issues. There are many different room types, and you can find the one that suits you via the booking link I’ll provide.
The rooms come with a high chair, refrigerator, coffee machine, microwave, kitchen utensils, dining table, dishwasher, stovetop, and air conditioning in each section, and my room was almost the size of a massive room. We loved it, and if you’re thinking of coming to Vienna, I think it would be very beneficial for you to consider staying here. You can check the hotels around on booking.com through our link. It won’t cost you extra money but will provide us commission.
That’s all for our Vienna blog. I hope you found it useful. If you have any questions that weren’t answered, let’s meet in the comments. See you next time!
