Vienna holidays
Grandeur-heavy capital stay centred on coffee houses and museums with strong public transport and day trips along the Danube.
Prices on this page are shown from the UK. Change market
22°C SeptemberBest Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep3–5 nights
At a glance
- first-time visitors
- museum-focused city breaks
- rail-based touring
- long weekends
Trip cost
- Return flight
- ≈€69
- Stay
- ≈€676
- Food & local
- ≈€128
Includes the return fare from London Stansted. An estimate, not a quote — each booking happens separately with its supplier. How we work this out.
Prices shown on this page are indicative estimates in euros, not quotes. Every booking happens separately with its own supplier, at that supplier's own live price. How we work this out.
Stays
Stays in Vienna
From €73/night · Typical €115 · 223 stays · 4-night stay assumed
- Best 3-starExklusiv 2BR Penthouse! AC - Big Terrace - Garage!7.3 km from the centre€153 a night (opens in a new tab)
See more 3-star options
- Best 4-starHelles gemütliches Apartment V56.4 km from the centre€99 a night (opens in a new tab)
See more 4-star options
- CheapestSTAD10 - Apartments very close to subway U2 Stadlau5.9 km from the centre€73 a night (opens in a new tab)
See more options, cheapest first
Map
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Self-catering
Prefer a place of your own? Browse holiday homes and apartments in Vienna on Holidu.
Getting to Vienna
- AirportVienna International Airport (VIE)
- Transfer optionsTrain, bus, taxi
Vienna International Airport is in Schwechat, around 16 km southeast of the city. The City Airport Train and S-Bahn run to Wien Mitte, Vienna Airport Lines buses run into town, and taxis are available; there is no direct U-Bahn line to the airport.
Indicative, per traveller. You book with Aviasales.
Areas of Vienna
A few places people base themselves, and who each tends to suit.
- Innere Stadt (1st District)Best for first-timers wanting to walk from accommodation to the Hofburg and the major historic streets and landmarks without using transport.
- Leopoldstadt (2nd District)Suited to visitors who want proximity to the centre plus parks and the Prater area while keeping prices below Innere Stadt levels.
- Landstraße (3rd District)Works well for travellers seeking good S-Bahn and tram links, with Belvedere and Wien Mitte station nearby for airport access.
- Neubau (7th District)Appeals to repeat visitors who prioritise neighbourhood cafes and local streets over being beside the Ringstrasse itself.
- Mariahilf (6th District)Useful for budget-conscious travellers; close to shopping streets and U-Bahn lines but outside the highest-priced hotel zone.
Vienna weather by month
Vienna is warmest in July, when daily highs average 28°C, and coolest in December at 5°C. September is the wettest month at about 126 mm, March the driest at 34 mm. Taking warmth and rainfall together, June, July, August, September score best for a trip.
- Best overall
- June · July · August · September
- Hottest
- July · 28°C
- Wettest
- September · 126mm
- January: average daily high 5°C, 44mm rainfall.
- February: average daily high 10°C, 35mm rainfall.
- March: average daily high 12°C, 34mm rainfall.
- April: average daily high 15°C, 79mm rainfall.
- May: average daily high 21°C, 67mm rainfall.
- June: average daily high 25°C, 95mm rainfall. Good month for weather.
- July: average daily high 28°C, 46mm rainfall. Good month for weather.
- August: average daily high 28°C, 59mm rainfall. Good month for weather.
- September: average daily high 22°C, 126mm rainfall. Good month for weather.
- October: average daily high 17°C, 44mm rainfall.
- November: average daily high 9°C, 41mm rainfall.
- December: average daily high 5°C, 54mm rainfall.
How these figures are worked out
Monthly averages — ERA5 reanalysis, 2022–2024, a three-year average, not a standard 30-year climate normal or a forecast. Gold months are the best weather fit: each month scores on how close its average daily high sits to about 27 °C, with heavy rainfall counting against it, and months far outside that range are not ranked at all.
What each season is like
- Spring
- City feels active without peak-season coach crowds; parks and cafe terraces begin to fill but major sites remain manageable.
- Summer
- Tour groups and events increase pressure on the centre and airless days can make long walks around the Ringstrasse feel heavy.
- Autumn
- Comfortable for walking and cafe culture with fewer crowds, though some heuriger and outdoor operations scale back later in the season.
- Winter
- Christmas markets and indoor culture suit cold, short days but grey spells and early darkness can make extended street time tiring.
Christmas and New Year 2026
Before Christmas: markets and festive events
Vienna’s markets do not share one calendar, so the week you pick decides which ones you actually see.
Confirmed dates
- Vienna Christmas markets, city-wide: Six markets — Freyung, Am Hof, Karlsplatz, Spittelberg, the University Campus and Türkenschanzpark — close on 23 December, four more close on 26 December, and only Schönbrunn Palace and the Prater Winter Market run on to 6 January. (6 Nov 2026 – 6 Jan 2027) — checked
- Wiener Christkindlmarkt, Rathausplatz: The Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz runs 13 November to 26 December, daily 10:00–22:00, and 10:00–18:30 on 24 December. (13 Nov – 26 Dec 2026) — checked
- Christmas Market at Schönbrunn Palace: The Schönbrunn Palace market runs 6 November to 6 January, daily 10:00–21:00, with 10:00–16:00 on 24 December and 10:00–19:00 from 25 December. (6 Nov 2026 – 6 Jan 2027) — checked
- Vienna Ice Dream, Rathausplatz: The Vienna Ice Dream skating rink on Rathausplatz runs 13 November to 6 January, daily 10:00–22:00, closed on 31 December. (13 Nov 2026 – 6 Jan 2027) — checked
Plan ahead
- Entry to the markets is free; nothing here needs booking ahead.
Suggested itinerary window: 4 Dec 2026 to 7 Dec 2026. A first-weekend-of-December trip catches every market at once, including the six that shut on 23 December.
An observed round-trip offer inside this season window — not a price for the suggested dates above: €114 return, London Stansted (STN) to Vienna (VIE), departing 12 Dec 2026 and returning 14 Dec 2026 — indicative, not a live quote, seen . Duration 4h 30m.
Consider elsewhere if — Pick Salzburg instead if you would rather walk one compact market in an evening than plan a route between a dozen.
A Christmas stay
Four central markets stay open across 24–26 December, and Schönbrunn runs on to 6 January.
Confirmed dates
- Vienna Christmas markets open over Christmas: Rathausplatz, Stephansplatz, Schwarzenbergplatz and Maria-Theresien-Platz stay open through 24–26 December, and the Schönbrunn Palace market runs straight through to 6 January. (24 Dec – 26 Dec 2026) — checked
- Christmas Market at Schönbrunn Palace: Schönbrunn’s market moves to 10:00–16:00 on 24 December and 10:00–19:00 from 25 December, so Christmas Day is a shorter day, not a closed one. (24 Dec – 26 Dec 2026) — checked
On the day
- The six markets that close on 23 December are already gone by Christmas Eve — the four that remain are the ones worth basing yourself near.
Suggested itinerary window: 23 Dec 2026 to 27 Dec 2026. Christmas Day 2026 is a Friday, so Wednesday to Sunday covers Christmas Eve through Boxing Day without taking much leave.
An observed round-trip offer inside this season window — not a price for the suggested dates above: €223 return, London Gatwick (LGW) to Vienna (VIE), departing 24 Dec 2026 and returning 28 Dec 2026 — indicative, not a live quote, seen . Duration 4h 35m.
Consider elsewhere if — Not the choice if you want shops and museums on full hours; this is a markets-and-walking Christmas.
New Year
Vienna’s New Year programme is not published yet, so there is nothing here to plan a trip around with confidence.
Confirmed dates
- Not yet announced The 2026/27 Wiener Silvesterpfad programme has not been announced — the organiser’s site still shows the 35th edition, which covered 2025/26. Wiener Silvesterpfad (official organiser) (opens in a new tab) — checked
We don’t hold a return fare for this part of the season yet — check the dates yourself in the flight dates section above.
Consider elsewhere if — If New Year is the point of the trip, Salzburg and Riga both have confirmed opening hours for 31 December and 1 January; Vienna does not yet.
Compare this with the other destinations in Christmas and New Year holidays from the UK.
What’s on in Vienna
Tue 22 SeptWiener Barock & Klassik Konzerte -From €79
Wed 23 SeptCA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso - FREE SPIRITS WORLD TOUR
Thu 24 SeptDie drei ??? Das Erbe des Meisterdiebes als MitmachhörspielFrom €36
Sat 26 SeptARCH ON WALK 2026 - ARCH ON WALK HIETZING 1 – Raumkonzepte von Frank bis LoosFrom €15See all events in Vienna on Wanderistan (opens in a new tab)
Compare Austria destinations
Still deciding? Other Austria destinations, with the same weather and typical-stay data behind them.
| Destination | Aug | Typical stay |
|---|---|---|
| Salzburg | 25°C | 2–4 nights |
Nearby and alternative destinations
Nearby — reachable overland
- Bratislava~55km straight-line
- Budapest~214km straight-line
- Prague~251km straight-line
- Munich~357km straight-line
More from the UK
Good to know about Vienna
Why go
- Offers a denser concentration of museums and historic streets than nearby cities, suiting travellers who prefer culture over scenery.
- Public transport and intercity rail make it easier to bolt on Bratislava or Wachau valley days than from smaller Austrian towns.
- Handles longer stays better than Salzburg because multiple districts each give a slightly different flavour of the city.
- The Hofburg, in the centre, was the Habsburgs' residence for over 600 years and the imperial family's winter home, while Schönbrunn Palace, where the court spent its summers from the 18th century onwards, is a separate complex, so the two are different visits rather than one palace.
- For a day in Bratislava, the Twin City Liner river boat links the two capitals; its timetable changes by season, so check the current sailings before planning around it.
Worth knowing
- Central districts can feel formal and busy, which may not appeal to travellers seeking a relaxed seaside or countryside base.
- High accommodation and cafe prices in Innere Stadt compared with many neighbouring capitals.
- No metro connection to the airport, so transfers require train, bus or road transport.
Official references
Authoritative pages worth checking before you go to Vienna.
- Hofburg Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum and Silver Collection (opens in a new tab) — Hofburg Vienna
- Schönbrunn Palace visitor information (opens in a new tab) — Schönbrunn Palace
- Vienna to Bratislava river boat timetable (opens in a new tab) — Twin City Liner