Vienna Bucket List: 23 Best Things to do in Vienna

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If you’re traveling to the Austrian capital, you need to follow this Vienna bucket list to discover the city!

Vienna is one of the most beautiful European capitals, full of culture and history. As you stroll the wide avenues and endless shopping streets, you can easily tell that this elegant city was the capital of the monarchy.

I’ve traveled throughout Europe pretty extensively and have also spent lots of time exploring the lovely city of Vienna. With this Vienna to-do list, you’ll make sure you don’t miss out on any of Vienna’s hidden gems and must-see attractions.

Let’s jump right in!

🚗 Book your Vienna rental car here! 🚗

Vienna Bucket List

See Rathaus

Vienna City Hall is one of the most impressive buildings in the city. It was built in the 19th century, in neo-gothic design, and it is the tallest building in the city that is not a modern skyscraper.

The interior of Rathaus is equally as impressive. While it serves as the seat of local government in Vienna, it is actually possible and free to visit the Rathus, so make sure to add it to your Vienna itinerary. 

Go to the Vienna State Opera House

If you like opera, you must watch a show at the Vienna State Opera House. It is one of the most prominent Opera houses in the world, with the largest repertoire!

Even if opera is not your thing, the building is quite impressive to see.

🎟️ Get a tour of the Vienna State Opera House with a Vienna PASS! 🎟️

Walk around Schonbrunn Palace

As the capital of a former empire, you know you should expect to see a Palace in Vienna. And Schonbrunn Palace will not disappoint you. This 1,441 room was built in the 17th century, and today it is a UNESCO site. 

You can visit the Place Gardens for free, but it is well worth it to explore the extravagant rooms of the Palace as well!

🎟️ Get a tour of Schonnbrunn Palace with a Vienna PASS! 🎟️

Shop on The Graben

Also known as Vienna’s shopping street, The Graben is the place to be if you want to go shopping in Vienna. The street is lined with numerous clothing stores, and there is something for everyone.

You’ll see popular stores side by side with some of the world’s most renowned brands.

Museum hop in the museum quarter

The Museum quarter is a 90,000 m² large area in Vienna’s 7th district, encompassing 60 cultural institutions. It is one of the largest districts for contemporary art in the world! 

If you like any art, you’ll find a museum to visit in the Museum Quarter, as the museums and galleries range from the Architecture Museum to Torture Museum and everything in between.

Check out this tour of the Museum Quarter in Vienna!

Ride the Riesenrad in Prater

Vienna’s Giant Ferris Wheel is an iconic attraction in the city, and it is kind of a must do in Vienna, just like the London Eye in London. 

The gondolas in Vienna’s Ferris Wheel are large and can fit up to 10 people, so unfortunately, it is not a private ride. However, the view over the city is incredible, and you get a lot of time in the air as the wheel is quite slow. 

You might not expect that the Riesenrad in Prater is located at the entrance of an amusement park, so once you enjoy the view, you can go for more rides. 

🎡 Skip-the-line at the Prater with this ticket! 🎡

Try sachertorte at Hotel Sacher

If you like chocolate cakes, you need to try the original sachertorte at Hotel Sacher. Once you try this delicious mix of chocolate and apricot jam in a cake form, you’ll understand why it gained a cult following in the 1800es and became a favorite at the imperial court. 

See Vienna from above from St Stephen’s Cathedral

Vienna is quite a flat city, so those who love a good viewpoint must find a tall building to climb. St Stephen’s Cathedral is the symbol of Vienna, and you can climb not one but two of its towers for a panoramic view over the city. 

Eat apple strudel

Another typical Austrian desert is a strudel. While some might debate whether strudel is Austrian or German, the oldest known recipe for strudel was found in Austria. 

The recipe is kept safely in Vienna city hall, but you can try this simple but delicious dessert in pastry shops throughout the city!

Learn at the Freud Museum

One of the most unique museums you can visit in Vienna is the Freud Museum. The museum is situated in the building where Freud worked for 47 years before he had to flee the Nazi occupation.

In the museum, you’ll learn about the life and work of this controversial neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis. 

Try traditional wurstel from a sausage stand

While you could have a sit-down meal in one of many restaurants in Vienna, if you want to have a traditional Vienna experience, look for a sausage stand. Just like Germans, Austrians love to grab a quick wurstel and go on with their day.  We absolutely loved Bitzinger Sausage Stand!

Attend the Christmas Market

Vienna Christmas Market is a must on your Vienna bucket list! Vienna is home to one of the best and largest Christmas Markets in Europe. 

Even before Christmas Markets became all the rage, Vienna would go all out for the holidays. You could spend an entire weekend exploring various Markets as they are scattered all around the city, including the Schonbrunn Palace!

Go inside the Austrian National Library

Visit the largest library in Austria and one of the most beautiful libraries in the world – Austrian National Library. The library holds more than 10 million books and artifacts in various collections, so book lovers will be delighted!

Grand Hall of the Austrian National Library looks like it came straight out of a fairytale, with rows of books from the floor to the ceiling and extravagant baroque decorations. 

🎟️ Get into the State Hall of the Austrian National Library with a Vienna PASS! 🎟️

Wander around Stadtpark

Vienna is known as the green capital, with many green spaces and parks to enjoy. Stadtpark is the largest park in the city center of Vienna and a perfect spot to relax in the shade of trees or to have a picnic on the grass. 

Peruse Naschmarkt

You must visit Vienna’s food market. Peruse Naschmarkt is Vienna’s largest and oldest still operating food market, and you can find it in the same spot since the 16th century. 

You can stroll the market and observe the locals getting fresh produce and going on with their lives, or sit down in one of the tiny restaurants dotted around the market for a delicious and fresh meal.

On Saturdays, there is a popular flea market right next to the food market.  

Visit Hofburg Palace

Hofburg Palace was the principal imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. So, this is where the royals were hanging out when they weren’t in the Schonbrunn Palace. The palace was built in the 13th century, and it is one of the biggest palace complexes in the world.

The palace is located right in the city center of Vienna, and that makes it an absolute must-see on your Wien bucket list.

🎟️ Get into Hofburg Palace with a Vienna PASS! 🎟️

Enjoy coffee at a Viennese coffee shop

Viennese coffee shops are nothing like Starbucks chain shops where you grab your coffee and leave, or say but just to work on your computer.  Viennese coffee shops are a place to socialize while enjoying your drink, in the relaxing atmosphere of a nicely decorated cafe. 

Make sure to save some time to savor the little moments like this on your trip!

Visit Peterskirche

While St. Peter’s Church is an impressive sacral building, it is actually popular not for religious ceremonies but for its classical Viennese concerts. 

If you want to listen to a classical music concert in a unique setting, add a visit to Peterskirche to your Vienna bucket list.

Learn at the Leopold Museum

If you visit one museum in Vienna, it should be the Leopold Museum. This large museum holds the largest collection of Austrian art from the second half of the 19th century and modernism. 

The museum was created by an Austrian couple who gathered the most important pieces of Austrian art history in the last 50 years, and the collection is still expanding. 

🎟️ Get fast-track access to the Leopold Museum with this ticket! 🎟️

Wander along the Danube

The Danube does not run through the city center of Vienna, but if you move towards the suburbs, you’ll find the favorite recreational area of the locals. You can make your way to the Danube island, a 21km long artificial island in the middle of the river, perfect for relaxed strolls in nature. 

Take a cooking class from a local

Every country has its unique cuisine, and Austria is no exception. The best way to learn all the culinary secrets is to take a cooking class from a local.

You can book this fun experience online and even choose what you want to learn to cook, so if you have an Austrian food favorite, this is your time to learn how to make it! 

🍪 This Vienna cooking class includes dinner and dessert! 🍪

Attend the Vienna Film Festival

If you’re a movie lover, you’ll be glad to know that Vienna is home to an incredible movie festival – Vienna Film Festival. 

The festival is held in the summer, from July to September, at Rathausplatz, and you get to enjoy movies in this large open-air cinema, surrounded by some of the most beautiful buildings in Vienna.

Explore the Vienna Woods

The capital of Austria is surrounded by an incredible forested highland known as the Vienna Woods. The area is not just for hiking lovers; you’ll find many picturesque villages and vineyards in the region, so you can even taste authentic Austrian wine.

Final Thoughts: Best Things to do in Vienna

With that, we conclude your Vienna Bucket List!

Vienna is a city that you can visit at any time of the year whether you visit in the winter to explore the Christmas Markets or in the summer when everything is green, and you can stroll one of many Vienna’s parks.

From enjoying nature to admiring some of the most impressive buildings in the world, Vienna has something for every type of traveler.