chevron-fc
chevron-fc
Search
Pick your First Choice holiday
Vienna
chevron
Any UK Airport
chevron
7 Nights
chevron
We changed your duration to match your destination
Select Date
Please Select a Departure Date
1 Room: 2 Adults
chevron
Search search

If you like coffee house culture, fancy buildings and classical music, city breaks to Vienna will knock your socks off.

City breaks to Vienna

Vienna’s Austria’s capital city – you’ll find it in the east of the country, straddling the Danube River. City breaks here are a smorgasbord of classical music, posh palaces and cutesy coffee houses. Things are pretty scenic on the outskirts, too – the city’s hugged by about 700 hectares of tumbling green vineyards.

The City of Music

A whopping line-up of famous classical musicians have called Vienna home over the years, including Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms. And this style of music’s still top dog around here – performances from the likes of the Philharmonic Orchestra play out in concert halls all over the city. Thanks to this, it’s been dubbed the City of Music.

Royal residences

Vienna’s home to a couple of fancy palaces – Schonbrunn Palace, on the outskirts of the city, and Hofburg Imperial Palace, in the centre. The former was once the summer residence of the Austrian royal family, and the latter is where the current president lives. Both show off posh facades and snazzy interiors, so they’re well worth a nosey around.

At a Glance

  • Gawp at the Baroque-style Schonbrunn Palace
  • Cosy up with an apfelstrudel in a coffee house
  • Go window shopping in the fancy-pants Goldenes Quarter
  • Prep for your trip with our Holiday Extras

Best time to go to Vienna

Vienna’s weather flips from season to season. In summer, you can expect balmy temps and a fair bit of rain. In winter, snow’s common, and you’ll need to layer up if you want to stay warm and toasty. As for spring and autumn, the weather’s mild and there’s not a lot of rain, so these seasons are popular times of year to visit the city.

Get picky in the best places

INSIDER PICKS

INSIDER PICKS

Our Insiders are travelling our 180+ destinations to bring back the best local recs.
NOT YOUR AVERAGE PACKAGE

NOT YOUR AVERAGE PACKAGE

Plane or train, add a Weather Guarantee, experiences, bags and transfers – you pick.
FEE-FREE £30pp DEPOSITS

FEE-FREE £30pp DEPOSITS

Spread the cost with low-deposit payment plans and absolutely no admin fees.*
CANCEL FOR FREE WITH FLEX

CANCEL FOR FREE WITH FLEX

Book with Flex to cancel for free* for whatever reason up to 48 hours before you fly.
WE GOT YOU

WE GOT YOU

For 30 years + 4.3 on Trustpilot + ABTA & ATOL protection + 24/7 on-trip chat.

Top things to see and do in Vienna

Although Vienna is landlocked, it’s not without its fair share of sunbathing spots. Instead of making the five-hour-drive to Croatia’s coast, you can lay down a towel on the sands of Danube Island, or head to a bathing complex. When the sun’s shining, the lounger-lined lidos are the place to be.

Europe’s second longest river, the Danube, runs right through the city. And in it, you’ll find Danube Island. It’s fringed with over 25 miles of beaches and is ideally placed just a few minutes from the city centre on the U1 subway line. Here, you can throw down a towel and wiggle your toes in the sand, or even take a dip in the water. Plus, if you’re visiting in June you might catch the annual Danube Island festival – the biggest free open-air party in Europe.

Vienna isn’t brimming with beaches, but there’s a water-filled sanctuary just outside the city centre in the form of Oberlaa’s Therme Wien. You can get there using the trains and trams, or it’s a half an hour drive away, but it’s definitely worth the journey. You’ll find 26 warm water baths, 23 saunas and steam baths as well as spa facilities, restaurants and a gym. It’s open all year round apart from December 24th and makes the ideal escape from the city.

chevron-fc
chevron-fc

Bag yourself a cheap-as-chips souvenir at Flohmarkt at Naschmarkt – Vienna’s most popular Saturday flea market. It’s known for being one of the best in Europe, so you won’t want to miss it.

For a spot of good old retail therapy, hit up Mariahilfer Straße. It’s the city’s longest shopping street, so you’ll find high street brands by the bucketload here. Some are inside massive department stores, while other shops include teeny independent boutiques.

Sometimes only a designer treat will do. So, if you fancy pushing the boat out, make a beeline for the Goldenes Quarter – also called the golden quarter. Wander around these parts, and you’ll be toddling along some of Vienna’s oldest streets, and best of all, they’re almost all pedestrianised.

chevron-fc
chevron-fc

Vienna’s Gürtel ring road is a hotspot for clubbers. Venues hide beneath old subway arches, blasting techno and electro tunes. The riverside has its fair share of clubs and bars, too, many with outdoor sections that you can make use of in the summer.

If you want to keep things low-key for a night out, head to one of Vienna’s concert halls to catch an orchestra perform. Then, slurp a couple of cocktails in a chic bar, or head to one of the coffee houses that stay open until late.

chevron-fc
chevron-fc

Apfelstrudel – or apple strudel – is a classic Viennese pastry filled with apple, raisins, sugar and cinnamon. You can grab one from any of the city’s bakeries to munch on while you’re out seeing the sights.

As one of Austria’s national dishes, tafelspitz is a must-try. The main ingredient is beef that’s been boiled in a spice-infused broth, and it’s usually dished up with crispy potatoes and root veg on the side. A dollop of horseradish or sour cream finishes things off nicely.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, order a chunky slice of sachertorte from one of Vienna’s coffee shops. This chocolate cake comes with an apricot jam filling and a chocolate glaze on top. And, everything’s finished off with a mini mountain of sweet whipped cream.

Schnitzel is a popular dish in the likes of Germany, and Austria’s version’s worth a try, as well. It’s a thin cut of veal rolled in egg and breadcrumbs, then fried and served with potatoes on the side. If veal doesn’t tickle your fancy, you can sometimes get variations with other types of meat, instead.

Heiße shokolade takes hot chocolate to a whole new level. The base ingredient is hot milk, and then grated dark chocolate’s melted into it along with a heap of sugar. And it would be wrong not to finish it off with a hefty dollop of cream.

chevron-fc
chevron-fc

Our experiences

Get some more inspo

Get a second opinion

Check out what some of our customers had to say about us...