City guides
Vienna
Vienna is an elegant, calm and very safe capital of imperial palaces, grand museums, coffee houses and parks. Public transport is excellent and step-free, the old centre is flat and walkable, and the city feels relaxed even for first-time travellers and older relatives. It is also a comfortable base for day trips to the Danube valley and Bratislava.
Good for
- Older travellers
- Families
- Palaces and museums
- Music
- Christmas markets
- First Schengen trip
A good length: 4 days
Vienna rewards a slow pace: one palace or museum in the morning, a long coffee-house break, and a park or the old town in the afternoon.
Best months
April, May, June, September, October, December
Per person per day
- Budget
- US$80
- Mid-range
- US$160
- Comfort
- US$350
Per person per day, sharing a double room: a simple hotel or apartment, a bakery breakfast, one restaurant meal, a 24-hour transport ticket and one paid sight.
Where to stay and spend time
Innere Stadt (1st district)
Stay or visitInside the Ringstrasse you can walk to St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Hofburg, the Opera and the famous coffee houses, mostly on car-free streets.
For: First-timers, older travellers, short stays
Watch out: The most expensive area for hotels and restaurants.
Open in mapLeopoldstadt (2nd district)
Good baseJust across the canal from the centre, with the big Prater park, the giant Ferris wheel, the Augarten and good-value hotels on the U1 and U2 lines.
For: Families, park lovers
Watch out: The Praterstern station square is unpleasant late at night.
Open in mapLandstraße (3rd district)
Good baseA calm district with the Belvedere palace and Hundertwasser House, and Wien Mitte, where the CAT airport service arrives. Iran's embassy is also here.
For: Couples, families, travellers arriving by airport train
Open in mapMariahilf and Neubau (6th and 7th districts)
Stay or visitMariahilfer Straße is Vienna's longest shopping street, the Naschmarkt food market is at one end and the MuseumsQuartier at the other, with cafes and small shops in the side streets.
For: Shoppers, younger travellers, food lovers
Watch out: Busy and noisy on Saturdays.
Open in mapWieden and the Hauptbahnhof area (4th and 10th districts)
Good baseNew hotels around the main station, direct Railjet trains to the airport, Bratislava and the Danube valley, and a short tram or U1 ride to the centre.
For: Budget travellers, train day trips
Watch out: The streets south of the station towards Reumannplatz are less attractive at night.
Open in mapHietzing and Schönbrunn (13th district)
Worth a visitHome of Schönbrunn Palace, its huge free gardens and the world's oldest zoo, in a leafy residential area on the U4 line.
For: Families, palace and garden lovers
Watch out: Very crowded with tour groups from late morning; arrive at opening.
Open in map
Places worth your time
- SightsFree
St. Stephen's Cathedral
Innere Stadt · 45 minutes to 1.5 hours
The symbol of Vienna, with a colourful tiled roof. Entering the back of the nave is free; the towers and catacombs need tickets. The south tower has about 340 steps, the north tower a lift.
- Sights
Schönbrunn Palace and gardens
Hietzing · Half a day
The Habsburg summer palace. Book a timed palace tour online; the gardens, fountains and the hill up to the Gloriette with its view are free and open longer.
- With children
Schönbrunn Zoo
Hietzing · 3 hours
The world's oldest zoo, inside the palace park, with a rainforest house, a polar section and big cats. Combine it with the palace gardens for a full family day.
- Museums
Hofburg and the Sisi Museum
Innere Stadt · 2 hours
The winter palace in the centre: the imperial apartments, silver collection and a museum on Empress Elisabeth. The courtyards and Heldenplatz square are free to walk through.
- Museums
Belvedere Palace
Landstraße · 2 hours
A baroque palace holding Klimt's famous painting The Kiss. Visit the Upper Belvedere for the art and walk down the formal gardens, which are free.
- Museums
Kunsthistorisches Museum
Innere Stadt · 2 to 3 hours
One of the world's great art museums, with Bruegel, Egyptian rooms and a beautiful domed cafe. Its twin across the square is the Natural History Museum, good for children.
- MarketsFree
Naschmarkt
Mariahilf and Wieden · 1 hour
A long open-air market of fruit, spices, olives, dried fruit and food stalls, including Turkish and Middle Eastern ones. Closed on Sundays; on Saturday mornings a flea market joins it.
- ParksFree
Prater and the Giant Ferris Wheel
Leopoldstadt · 2 hours
A huge green park with a long tree-lined avenue for walking, plus an amusement park and the historic Ferris wheel with wooden cabins. Entry to the park is free; you pay per ride.
- SightsFree
MuseumsQuartier
Neubau · 1 hour
Former imperial stables turned into a cultural quarter with modern art museums and a children's museum (ZOOM). The courtyard with its big colourful seats is free and a nice place to rest.
- With children
Haus des Meeres
Mariahilf · 2 hours
An aquarium and tropical house built inside a wartime concrete tower, with sharks, turtles and free-flying birds, plus a rooftop view. A good rainy-day choice with children.
- ViewsFree
Kahlenberg
Vienna Woods, 19th district · 2 to 3 hours
A hill above the vineyards with a wide view over the city and the Danube. Bus 38A from Heiligenstadt goes right to the top, so no climbing is needed.
- ParksFree
Danube Island (Donauinsel)
Donaustadt · 2 hours
A long, flat island of meadows, paths and swimming spots, right on the U1 line. Popular for picnics, cycling and summer swimming.
- MarketsFree
Christmas market at Rathausplatz
Innere Stadt · 1 to 2 hours
From mid November to late December the square in front of the City Hall fills with stalls, lights and an ice rink; smaller markets at Schönbrunn and Belvedere are calmer.
- Day trips
Wachau valley
Day trip, west of Vienna · Full day
Vineyards, apricot orchards and the great abbey at Melk along the Danube. Take the train to Melk, a boat downriver to Krems in the warm months, and a train back.
- Day trips
Bratislava
Day trip, Slovakia · Full day
The small capital of Slovakia, about an hour by train, with a castle and a pretty old town. It is in the Schengen area, but carry your passport.
Getting around
From the airport
ÖBB Railjet to the main stationabout 16 min
Fast, comfortable long-distance trains run about twice an hour from the airport station to Wien Hauptbahnhof, with lifts at both ends. They use the normal regional ticket for the airport to Vienna, sold at the machines in the arrivals hall, which take cash and cards.
about 5.50 EUR (2026)
S7 suburban trainabout 30 min
The cheapest train, using the same ticket as the Railjet. Because of track works from 7 September 2026 to the end of October 2027 the S7 ends at St. Marx, short of the centre, so you change to a tram there; check the ÖBB journey planner before you travel.
about 5.50 EUR (2026)
City Airport Train (CAT)about 21 min
The non-stop airport service to Wien Mitte, next to the U3 and U4. From 7 September 2026 to the end of October 2027 it runs as comfortable non-stop buses from the bus station at Terminal 3, every 12 to 15 minutes, and city check-in is not offered. Children under 15 ride free. Costs more than the regular trains.
about 14.90 EUR one way (2026)
Taxi at a fixed priceabout 25 min
Vienna taxi companies such as 40100 and 31300 offer a fixed price to and from the airport for up to four people when you book by phone or app; say clearly that you want an airport taxi. A metered taxi from the rank costs more. Uber and Bolt also work with a card in the app.
about 42 EUR booked ahead (2026)
In the city
Wiener Linien tickets
One ticket covers U-Bahn, trams, buses and local trains in the city. In 2026 a single ride costs about 3.20 EUR on paper (3.00 EUR digital) and a 24-hour ticket about 10.20 EUR (9.70 EUR digital). Buy at station machines, which take coins, notes and cards, or for cash at any tobacco kiosk (Trafik). Stamp paper tickets in the blue box before your first ride.
7-day ticket (7 Tage WIEN)
The 48 and 72 hour tickets were dropped in 2026; for three days or more the 7-day ticket (from about 25.20 EUR in 2026) is usually cheapest. It covers the whole city but not the airport stretch. Children under 6 always ride free, and children up to 15 ride free on Sundays, public holidays and Vienna school holidays.
Trams around the Ring
Trams 1 and 2 together circle most of the Ringstrasse past the Opera, Parliament, City Hall and the Burgtheater, a cheap sightseeing ride on a normal ticket. Most trams are low-floor and easy to board with a pram or walking stick.
Taxis and ride apps
Taxis wait at ranks and can be ordered by phone or app (40100, 31300); most accept cards and all take cash. Uber and Bolt are widely used but need a card in the app, so ask relatives to book. For the airport, a pre-booked fixed price is cheaper than the meter.
On foot
The old centre inside the Ring is flat and mostly pedestrian, and the main sights are 5 to 15 minutes apart, though some lanes are cobbled. U-Bahn stations have lifts, so the city is one of the easiest in Europe with older relatives or a pram. Only the Vienna Woods and Kahlenberg are hilly.
Food
Halal food: Turkish kebab and pide shops are everywhere. For halal butchers, groceries and many Turkish and Arab restaurants go to the Brunnenmarkt in Ottakring (16th district) or around Reumannplatz in Favoriten (10th district); the Naschmarkt also has Middle Eastern stalls. Classic Viennese dishes such as schnitzel can be pork, so ask for chicken or veal.
Persian food and community: Vienna has a well-established Iranian community but no single Persian quarter. Persian restaurants are spread across several districts, including Margareten, Neubau and Alsergrund, and Persian food and herbs can be found in Middle Eastern shops around the Naschmarkt.
- In a traditional coffee house you can sit for hours over one coffee and a slice of cake; water comes free with your coffee.
- Lunch menus (Mittagsmenü) on weekdays are the cheapest way to eat a proper hot meal.
- Würstelstand sausage stands are pork-heavy; choose kebab or bakery snacks instead.
- Round up the bill by about 5 to 10 percent and tell the waiter the total when you pay.
Money and phone
Cash: Bring euros. Cash is widely used in Austria and some traditional restaurants, coffee houses and market stalls are cash only. Exchange at banks or exchange offices in the centre, comparing the final amount; airport and tourist-street kiosks give poor rates. Entering the EU with 10,000 EUR or more in cash must be declared at customs.
Cards: Iranian cards do not work. Ticket machines and tobacco kiosks take cash, so getting around is easy. For palace and museum tickets booked online, hotels and ride apps, ask relatives or friends abroad to pay; prepaid Visa or Mastercard cards bought before the trip should be tested on day one.
SIM and internet: Since 2019 every Austrian prepaid SIM must be registered with a photo ID, so bring your passport. Operator shops (A1, Magenta, Drei) can sell and register the SIM on the spot and accept cash. Prepaid packs cost roughly 10 to 20 EUR for a month with several gigabytes (2026).
What travellers say
Advice that travellers from many countries repeat, chosen for Iranian visitors.
- Book Schönbrunn palace tours and the Spanish Riding School ahead, and arrive at opening time before the tour buses.
- Most shops close on Sundays, but museums, cafes and the Christmas markets stay open.
- Standing-room tickets at the State Opera cost far less than seats and go on sale online on the day of the show, so ask a relative to buy them.
- Avoid costumed sellers of 'Mozart concert' tickets around St. Stephen's; book concerts directly with the venue.
- Buses and trams have no gates, but inspectors check and fine on the spot, so always carry a valid, stamped ticket.
- Vienna tap water comes from mountain springs and is excellent; refill your bottle at public fountains.
- Stand on the right on escalators and let people leave the train before you board.
- Austrian plugs are type F, the same as in Iran.
For Iranian travellers
- You need a Schengen visa; see our visa page. At your first entry the new EU Entry/Exit System takes fingerprints and a photo, so allow extra time at passport control.
- Iran's embassy is on Jaurèsgasse in the 3rd district (Landstraße); call or book an appointment before you go there for any consular matter.
- Vienna is one of the easiest European cities without a foreign bank card: transport tickets, kiosks and many restaurants take cash.
- Children up to 15 ride public transport free on Sundays and during Vienna school holidays, a real saving for families.
- Buy food gifts and do grocery shopping by Saturday, since supermarkets are closed on Sunday.
- Older relatives can use the step-free U-Bahn and low-floor trams with ease; ask for a seat, people offer them readily.
Stay safe
- Vienna is one of the safest big cities in Europe; the main risk is pickpockets on the U-Bahn, at Stephansplatz and in Christmas market crowds.
- Costumed ticket sellers near St. Stephen's and the Opera sell overpriced concert tickets.
- Praterstern and the Karlsplatz underground passages, and parts of the Gürtel ring road, can feel uncomfortable late at night.
- Watch for bikes on the red cycle lanes when crossing pavements.
- Emergency number 112; police 133, ambulance 144.
Checked 7 November 2026