Arrive in Vienna and hotel check-in

Visit St. Stephen's Cathedral

St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom), Vienna's Gothic landmark on Stephansplatz, features a striking multicolored tiled roof. Visit the nave and chapels, join a guided catacombs tour, and take the elevator to the North Tower to see the Pummerin bell, or climb 343 steps up the South Tower for panoramic city views.

Stroll along Graben and Kohlmarkt

Explore Vienna's elegant pedestrian core along Graben and Kohlmarkt. Pass the Baroque Plague Column, luxury boutiques, and historic facades near St. Stephen's Cathedral. Continue along Kohlmarkt to Michaelerplatz and the Hofburg, stopping at traditional cafes like Demel. It's ideal for window-shopping, people-watching, and appreciating grand architecture in the Innere Stadt.

Dinner at Plachutta Wollzeile (Tafelspitz)

Strauss and Mozart concert at Kursalon Wien

At Kursalon Wien, a 19th-century concert hall in Vienna’s Stadtpark, this program combines Johann Strauss waltzes and polkas with Mozart arias and overtures. Performances feature orchestra, vocal soloists, and ballet dancers. Expect a well-paced concert of about two hours with intermission, in an elegant historic setting popular with visitors, with frequent year-round performances.

Viennese breakfast at Café Sperl

Schönbrunn Palace Grand Tour

The Schönbrunn Palace Grand Tour covers 40 rooms of the Habsburg summer residence, with an audio guide or guided visit. You’ll see the Rococo Great Gallery, the Millions Room, and the private apartments of Franz Joseph and Elisabeth. Expect about 60 minutes, time-slot entry, and a UNESCO-listed setting amid formal gardens.

Schönbrunn Gardens and Gloriette viewpoint

Explore the Baroque gardens of Schönbrunn, part of Vienna’s UNESCO-listed palace complex. Stroll formal parterres, the Great Parterre, and the Neptune Fountain; optional paid areas include the Maze, Privy Garden, Palm House, and Desert House. Walk uphill to the Gloriette for sweeping city and palace views; the viewing terrace requires a ticket, and there’s a café.

Lunch tastings at Naschmarkt

Naschmarkt, Vienna’s bustling open-air market between Karlsplatz and Kettenbrückengasse, is ideal for lunch tastings. Graze on small plates from 120+ stalls: Austrian cheeses, charcuterie, breads and strudel, plus Turkish, Middle Eastern and Balkan specialties. Open Mon–Sat (closed Sun). Go late morning to beat crowds; Saturdays are busiest with the adjacent flea market. U4 Kettenbrückengasse nearby.

Upper Belvedere Museum and Klimt's The Kiss

The Upper Belvedere, a baroque palace within Vienna’s Belvedere complex, showcases Austrian art from the Middle Ages to the present. Its highlight is Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss (1907–08), centerpiece of a major Klimt collection. You’ll also find works by Schiele and Kokoschka. The ornate halls and gardens add context; arrive early to avoid crowds.

Lower Belvedere gardens stroll

Stroll the Baroque gardens around the Lower Belvedere, part of the grand formal landscape linking the two Belvedere palaces. Expect symmetrical parterres, fountains, sphinx statues, and clipped hedges, with long vistas up to the Upper Belvedere and across Vienna. The grounds are free to enter and pleasant year-round, with level, accessible paths.

Sacher-Torte and coffee at Café Sacher

Ringstrasse sightseeing on the Vienna Ring Tram

The Vienna Ring Tram offers a nonstop loop of the Ringstrasse with multilingual audio commentary. See the Vienna State Opera, Hofburg, Parliament, City Hall, University, Burgtheater, and the Art and Natural History Museums. Trams depart from Schwedenplatz; the ride takes about 25 minutes, providing a quick, convenient overview of central Vienna’s highlights.

Heuriger dinner in Grinzing wine village

Experience a traditional Heuriger dinner in Grinzing, Vienna's historic wine village (19th district). Sample local vintages like Wiener Gemischter Satz with hearty cold platters and warm classics such as schnitzel. Many taverns offer garden seating and occasional Schrammelmusik. Look for the "Ausg'steckt" sign. Reachable by tram 38; hours vary, reservations recommended.

Twilight stroll through Grinzing's cobbled lanes

Explore Grinzing’s cobbled lanes at dusk in Vienna’s wine-growing 19th district. The former village retains courtyards, vine-draped façades, and traditional Heuriger taverns pouring local Gemischter Satz with simple snacks. Evening hours are quieter, with views toward nearby vineyards. Reach Grinzing by tram 38 from the center. Many taverns offer outdoor seating in season.

Breakfast at Café Museum

Morning stroll in Stadtpark to Strauss monument

Begin a quiet morning walk through Vienna’s Stadtpark, a 19th-century green space along the Wien River. Follow tree-lined paths past ponds and flowerbeds to the famous gilded Johann Strauss II monument, one of the city’s most photographed landmarks. Early hours offer softer light and fewer crowds, ideal for photos or a calm start to the day.

Kunsthistorisches Museum highlights visit

Explore Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum highlights: the Bruegel rooms (including The Tower of Babel and Peasant Wedding), Vermeer's The Art of Painting, Raphael's Madonna of the Meadow, Titian, Rubens, and Velázquez's Habsburg portraits. Don't miss the Kunstkammer with Cellini's Saliera, the Egyptian and Greek-Roman antiquities, and the grand staircase paintings by Gustav Klimt.

Light lunch at the museum café

Return to hotel and prepare for departure

Depart Vienna