Vienna At Christmas – The Best 6 Things To Do (2026)

Planning a trip to Vienna at Christmas?

Vienna is Austria’s gem of a capital, and is magical any time of the year, but being there during the holiday season is like stepping into a romantic novel.

As one of Europe’s most significant cultural centers, Vienna offers something for the whole family at Christmas time. Explore the winding streets, the glittering lights. Music is everywhere, and the food! The Food! From the Christmas Markets to the cozy cafes, you’ll never want to leave.

Here are my picks for the 6 Best Things To Do In Vienna At Christmas

Check out these best activities to do in Vienna at Christmas and you’ll have a fairytale vacation. Bundle up and experience the snow falls, the christmas markets, and the Baroque cityscapes. You’ll fall in love with everything Vienna.

Download this great City Walks map. It willl help you enjoy a walk along the Graben and Kartner Strasse to see the holiday display of twinkling lights and festive shops.  

Vienna offers so much to do year round, whether you only have one day in Vienna, or more!

#1. Lights and Concerts at St. Stephen’s Cathedral

Stephansplatz, or St. Stephen’s Cathedral is the city center’s most important place in Vienna.

Built in 1147, it’s one of the tallest churches in the world and is famous for its catacomb burial sites, church treasures, and Gothic architecture. Feel free to climb 343 steps to the top of the Steffl, or the highest point of the church tower for views of the city all lit up.

Festive Christmas chamber music concerts are offered in the cathedral during the Christmas season on Fridays & Saturdays at 8:30PM and on Sundays at 10PM from Nov 29 – Dec 26.

Don’t miss the fabulous Stephansplatz Christmas Market in front of the church on the plaza. From Nov 8 – Dec 26 you’ll find over 40 stalls of traditional Viennese foods and drinks and many gifts to buy.

#2. Christmas Markets

Vienna is famous for its many Christmas Markets for a reason! Picture roasting chestnuts, sizzling sausages, candied apples, scented candles, hand made holiday gifts, and the famous Viennese Christmas punch, Weihnachtspunsch, and some hot spiced wine.

Look for the markets from mid November through Christmas. They’re the life of the season and they pop up all over the city. Here are everyone’s favorites:

• Naschmarkt on Wienzeile Street
• Weihnachtsmarkt am Spittelberg
• Adventmarkt at Karlsplatz
• Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz
• Weihnachtsdorf at Belvedere
• Stephansplatz Christmas Market at St. Stephan’s Cathedral

#3. The Vienna State Opera

Opernring 2, 1010

Your holiday in Vienna is not complete without seeing the world famous Vienna State Opera. This is among the most famous opera houses in the world and the performance is guaranteed to be brilliant! The Opera House is home to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Vienna State Ballet. Be sure to dress up and enjoy the show!

Check the program schedule and buy tix early. We saw Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck and it was a perfect holiday treat!

#4. Visit the Schloss Schönbrunn Palace

Schönbrunner Schloßstraße 47, 1130 

Schloss Schönbrunn Palace was the summer home for the royal Habsburg family, and Empress Sisi,  just outside of the city. The Baroque palace was built in the 1600’s and has 1441 rooms! The palace is not only known for its gorgeous interior and summer gardens, but it also hosts a fabulous Christmas Market.

For €36 p/adult and €23 p/child you can have a grand tour of the palace. Or, you can juts go to enjoy the Christmas Market in the front plaza.

#5. See the Strudel Show at the Palace

Don’t go to Schönbrunn without seeing the Strudel Show! Watch and learn how to make the traditional apple strudel, Vienna’s most famous desert. A professional strudel chef bakes an apple strudel for the small audience in the palace.

For only €11.50 p/person you can watch a delightful show, eat a delicious piece of fresh apple strudel, and sip coffee or hot cocoa! Believe me, it is so much fun!

Getting to the Palace Pro Tip: The palace is a 15-20 minute ride outside the city center. You can take a taxi, rideshare app, or the subway. For a family of 4 it’s cheaper, quicker, and much more convenient to call an Uber.

#6. Dine at Café Central

Herrengasse 14, 1010

Café Central is inside the Palais Ferstel, a Venetian mansion which is beautifully decorated for the holidays. This is the place where Trotsky and Freud would gather for coffee, strudel, and conversation.

While there are many wonderful cafes in Vienna, this is the most famous and the most beautiful. I say that it’s well worth standing in the cold to wait to be seated. Go for a full meal, or just coffee and desert. You won’t be sorry!

Where is the best place to stay in Vienna?

Vienna has 23 districts, but as a first time visitor, I recommend staying close to Vienna’s city center, Innere Stadt. The Innere Stadt is the area known as the first district and is where most of the main tourist attractions are.

When booking your VRBO or Expedia Hotel I recommend you try to be as close to this area as possible.You’ll be able to walk to the sites and will be in the heart of one of Europe’s most revered cultural cities.

→ Best Luxury Hotel – Hotel Bristol Vienna
This is a 5 star old world elegant hotel directly across from the Opera House. 

→ Best Mid Range Hotel – Austria Classic Hotel Wien
This is a 200 year old hotel with modern upgrades, centrally located and filled with charm. 

→ Most Historic Hotel – Das Tigre Hotel
This is one of the homes where Mozart lived in 1762. Lots of history and located in the City Center.

Is Vienna worth visiting at Christmas?

Vienna is gorgeous all year long, but the holidays can’t be beat! Visit Vienna at Christmas to relish in the Christmas markets, feel the cold air on your face, and see the festive lights lining the streets.It might be chilly and damp, but it is so festive and beautiful, that it’s worth risking the cold weather. As long as you dress warmly enough, you’ll be enchanted with this city!

Here are just a few of the things you’ll expereince in Vienna at Christmas:

• Traditional Austrian holiday dishes like roasted chestnuts, gingerbread cookies, and mulled wine (Gluhwein) at the Christmas markets or in cozy cafes.
• Pop Up Ice Skating Rinks across Vienna are set up during the holiday season for some winter fun.
• Vienna’s stunning architecture,  takes on an extra layer of charm when decorated with lights.
• Special Christmas Eve Traditions occur at the churches, concert halls, and restaurants.
• The Holiday Spirit is allive and well in Vienna, with its warm and welcoming locals making it a perfect destination for celebrating the holiday season.

Overall, Vienna’s blend of tradition, culture, and holiday spirit makes it a truly enchanting destination to visit during the holiday season.

What is the best way to get around Vienna?

Your Christmas visit to Vienna will include a lot of walking, so be prepared with some warm and  waterproof winter shoes.

The Vienna Hop On and Hop Off sightseeing bus tours are a great way to get  around and see the city.

The Vienna City Card gives you free public transportation for the day, and offers discounts to some attractions.

Take a Free Walking Tour. (It’s actually a pay-what-you-can tour). There are over 100 guided walking tours offered in Vienna!  Some have themes and others are more basic. I  chose the Vienna City Classic Walk.

Travel Tips for visiting Austria

• The Euro is the official currency of Austria.
• Plug types are types C and F. Type C is the one with two round pins and Type F is the plug with two round pins and two earth clips on the side. 
• The language of Austria is German. Many people speak English, and other European languages, however.
• Cafes, coffee, pastries, cafes, coffee, pastries.

Vienna Fun Facts

• The Empress Elisabeth, AKA Sisi was a beloved sportswoman, fashion icon, traveler, poet, and tragic heroine who was obsessed with her weight, restricted her diet, and exercised obsessively. She was assassinated by an Italian anarchist at age 60 while walking with her lady in waiting.
• Vienna is nicknamed the City of Dreams because Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis lived there.
• The oldest zoo is in Vienna, built in 1752, at the Schönbrunn Palace.
• The original Vienna snow globe was invented in 1905 by Erwin Perzy.
• Sachertorte,  the famous chocolate and apricot cake, was invented in Vienna in 1832 by Franz Sacher for Prince Wenzel von Metternich.

Now you’re ready for your trip to Vienna at Christmas!

In a nutshell…

Vienna at Christmas offers the best blend of beautiful markets, dazzling decorations, musical delights, and culinary treats. It’s charm, traditions, and festive atmosphere make it a top destination for a European holiday.

Enjoy Vienna in December and bring in the New Year in one of the most beautiful winter wonderlands in Europe

Travel safe!

xx,
Carrie