Things to do in Vienna at Christmas

Get inspired for your trip to Vienna, one of Europe’s most fascinating capital cities. Vienna at Christmas is magical, with loads to do in the city. Here are the best things to do in Vienna at Christmas.

Updated: February 2025

Vienna is a great city to visit at Christmas. There are lots of things to do in Vienna at Christmas. Vienna has fascinating palaces and history, some great museums, a zoo, and lots of great performances to watch at well. Christmas is one of the best times of the year to visit Vienna and enjoy these activities.

Vienna at Christmas also has some magical Christmas Markets. You can read my detailed guide to the Vienna Christmas Markets here, with the best Christmas Markets around the city. But there’s loads of things to do in Vienna at Christmas aside from the Christmas Markets. So here are the other best things to do in Vienna at Christmas.

What should I wear in Vienna at Christmas?

To fully enjoy the best things to do in Vienna at Christmas, you’ll need to be prepared for some cold and rainy weather. The weather at Christmas time in Vienna can be very mixed. You might be lucky and get some beautiful sunny days. Or you might get some rainy days, or even snow.

To be able to do all of the things to do in Vienna at Christmas, you’ll definitely need a good coat. Your coat needs to be warm and also waterproof, so you can go outside no matter the weather. Good shoes are also important. Trainers are ok, as long as they’re fairly sturdy and waterproof.

For the rest of your clothes, wear lots of layers. Then you can choose how many layers to wear each day based on how cold it is. You’ll likely to be going inside a lot of places in Vienna, such as palaces, museums, restaurants, and also some performances and shows. It can be quite warm inside, so wear layers that you can take off when you get inside. As long as you’ve got sensible clothing, you can enjoy the top things to do in Vienna at Christmas no matter what the weather does.

The top things to do in Vienna at Christmas

1. Visit the Hofburg Palace

Situated in the centre of Vienna, the Hofburg Palace is likely to be one of the first palaces you see in Vienna when you first start walking around the city centre. The Hofburg Palace is currently used as the official residence of the President of Austria, but it was formerly the main imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty. The distinctive green dome contrasts with the bright white pillars as you walk through to the courtyard.

After enjoying the exterior, you can pay to go into the palace – I definitely recommend booking online if you’re visiting during peak Christmas season as the queues were fairly long. The entry ticket includes admission to Sisi Museum (all about Empress Elisabeth), the Imperial Apartments and the Silver Collection. I’m sure many people will enjoy all three parts of the tour, but my favourite was definitely the Imperial Apartments. The grand decor of the rooms, with the rich reds and golds, was amazing and you could really imagine the Habsburg family living there in all their splendour. The Silver Collection, which was mainly just a collection of cutlery and plates, just didn’t capture my imagination in the same way.

2. Watch a performance at the Spanish Riding School

There are so many concerts and operas and show to choose from in Vienna, it can be hard to choose what to do if you have a limited amount of time. But I’d definitely recommend the Spanish Riding School as something completely different to things you can see in other countries.

One of the many advantages of going to Vienna at Christmas is that the Spanish Riding School does its performances in the winter. So visiting Vienna at Christmas means you’ll be able to see the Spanish Riding School. It’s definitely one of the top things to do in Vienna at Christmas.

Tickets for the Spanish Riding School range from super expensive to more reasonable prices. I got tickets for the Galavorführung and sat near the back in the Gallery. The view was fine if you leaned forward a bit, and the style and technique of both horses and riders was amazing (even if one horse did fall over on one of his jumps…but he was fine!). Technically you’re not allowed to take photos during the performance, but most people were sneaking just one photo to remember the evening.  

3. See the Rathaus – the Vienna City Hall

The impressive neo-gothic building of Vienna’s Rathause (the City Hall) is captivating whenever you walk past. I spent a lot of time around here on my trip to Vienna as the huge square in front of the town hall, the Rathausplatz, was home to one of my favourite Christmas markets in the city as well as a huge stage for New Year celebrations. Read my guides to the Vienna Christmas Markets and also New Years in Vienna to read more about the things to do at the Rathausplatz.

4. Visit the Schonnbrunn Palace

The Schonnbrunn Palace in Vienna is slightly further out of the city centre, but it’s still easily reachable by excellent public transport. The Schonnbrunn Palace was the main summer residence of the Habsburg imperial rulers. The extensive gardens and grounds are beautiful even in winter, but I imagine the flowers in summer would be lovely. But it’s still a great place to visit in winter at Christmas.

It’s definitely worth going inside the Schonnbrunn palace as well as admiring it from the outside. Like the Hofburg palace, I’d recommend booking tickets online to go inside if you’re visiting at the busy Christmas time of year, and there are lots of different ticket combinations to choose from depending on your interests. Visit their website to find out more about the different ticket options. I chose the Imperial Tour and felt like it gave access to a good variety of rooms. This was my favourite palace on the inside – the rooms are just stunning.

5. Explore the Schonnbrunn Zoo

Located in the grounds of the Schonnbrunn Palace is Vienna’s Zoo. It’s a fairly small zoo in terms of area, but manages to pack in a lot of different animals while giving all animals plenty of space to roam.

All the animals looked well cared for and there were some animals I haven’t seen in zoos much before – including polar bears and pandas. It was nice to spend a few hours walking around the Vienna Zoo.

6. Eat the famous Austrian Weiner Schnitzel

One of the most famous Austrian foods, known all around the world, is Weiner Schnitzel! It’s a big, thin piece of breaded veal, usually served with parsley potatoes. No trip to Vienna is complete without trying the Weiner Schnitzel. It’s definitely one of the top things to do in Vienna at Christmas, where you can sit inside a warm restaurant and enjoy the warm meal.

7. Visit the Belvedere Palace

Another impressive palace complex with gardens in Vienna is the Belvedere Palace. The Baroque Belvedere Palace is another great attraction. The grounds and outside of the palace are stunning, and inside the palace is an art museum. Like the other palaces, there are a range of ticket options so visit the website to choose the best option for you. I visited on a really cold, frosty day in December and really liked how the gardens looked covered in the white frost.

8. Have fun at the Museum of Illusions

Vienna has lots of museums. If the weather isn’t great, visiting a museum is one of the top things to do in Vienna at Christmas. A slight contrast to grand imperial museums is the Museum of Illusions. It’s a really interactive and fun museum! There were lots of interactive activities, and the number of people allowed inside was limited so it didn’t get too crowded and you didn’t need to wait long to have a go at things. There were lots of places you could take photos and see the optical illusions. It was a great way to spend an hour or two.

9. Visit museums at the Museumsquartier

There’s one indisputable fact about Vienna: there are a lot of museums. And if you’re not already museum-ed out from all the palaces, there are even more museums to choose from in the Museumsquartier. Top museums here include the Leopold Museum, housing important art collections, and the Zoom children’s museum. There are lots of options to explore on their website, so you can pick a museum that best suits your interests.

10. Watch opera at the Wiener Staatsoper – Vienna’s Opera House

Another huge and impressive building in Vienna is the Wiener Staatsoper. It’s one of the best opera houses in the world. Performances run throughout the year so have a look at what’s on when you’re visiting. I was in Vienna over New Year and on New Year’s Eve they live streamed the performance of Der Fledermaus onto huge screens just outside the Opera House for everyone to enjoy. I have to admit it was freezing sitting outside to watch opera in December, but the atmosphere was amazing and the talent of the performers was outstanding. But maybe next time I might choose to watch the performance in the warmth inside! You can read more about the live opera screening at New Years in Vienna here.

11. Visit the Hotel Sacher and eat Sacher Torte

Another famous food in Austria is Sacher Torte. It’s a really rich, chocolate-y cake/torte. You can get Sacher Torte at the Hotel Sacher in Vienna. The Hotel Sacher is a really impressive, huge hotel on the outside.

Eating Sacher Torte in the warm, cosy cafe at the Hotel Sacher in Vienna is great for a mid-afternoon break when you’re exploring Vienna at Christmas. It’s a great way to warm up inside before you head back outside to enjoy more of the top things to do in Vienna at Christmas.

12. Stephensdom – St Stephen’s Cathedral

Just a short walk from the Hofburg Palace in the centre of Vienna is the imposing gothic cathedral, St Stephen’s Cathedral. It’s a huge building, and so impressive from the outside.

St Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna has an equally impressive interior. It’s definitely worth a visit. The inside is so intricate and decorative.

The square outside the Cathedral, Stephansplatz, really comes alive on New Year’s Eve with a huge stage and free Viennese Waltz lessons for everyone! Remember you can read more about New Years in Vienna here.

Vienna at Christmas

All of these top things to do in Vienna at Christmas can be enjoyed all through the month of December, right up until New Year. Vienna at Christmas is a really magical place. Remember to also check out my guide to the Vienna Christmas Markets for even more Christmas magic in Vienna. I loved being able to see all of these famous sights in Vienna, while also enjoying the festive atmosphere and New Year activities. It’s a great city to visit!

Enjoy the top things to do in Vienna at Christmas! Make sure you also check out my guide to the Vienna Christmas Markets, and also New Years in Vienna. Christmas and New Year is a great time to visit lots of European cities, so why not also visit Prague at Christmas, spend a weekend in Berlin, or visit Gdansk in Poland for great Polish food and Christmas Markets.