Best Things to do in Vienna with kids: Mozart, Klimt, Getting lost in Schonbrunn Palace maze

See our 3 day Vienna itinerary where we saw a little bit of everything. Exploring this culturally rich city, getting lost in mazes at palaces, listening to Mozart at the Golden Hall, admiring Klimt and eating all the Sacher Torte and Apple Strudel you can manage – here are the top things to do in Vienna with kids.

Vienna, the capital city of Austria has a lot of history, music and great cafe culture.  If you are traveling with kids like us – be it, toddlers or teenagers, don’t miss out on the museums in Vienna, they have a variety of museums in Wein (Vienna in German). 

What do in Vienna in 3 days

3 Days / 72 Hours in Vienna Itinerary

I have seen one day itinerary for Vienna, I’m not sure how they managed it, there is soooo much to do and see here.  My advice is to plan for at least 3 full days, really 3 nights in Vienna for your trip.  It’s known as a City of Music due to the many famous musicians and composers like Strauss, Beethoven, Schubert, Mozart and Brahms lived here.  You must make it to at least one musical performance and a few museums if anything else!

3 DAY VIENNA ITINERARY AT A GLANCE
Day 1 – Visit the Historic Center including Vienna’s Imperial Palace, Albertina Museum and the play at Prater Amusement Park in the evening
Day 2 – See Lipizzaner horse show at the Spanish Riding School, explore the Ringstrasse starting at St Stephen’s Cathedral, see works of Klimt at Belvedere Palace. Catch a classical concert in the evening
Day 3 – Stop at Naschmarkt, spend the day at the Schönbrunn Palace, kids can play dress-up, visit the zoo or play hide and seek at the maze.

Top Things to do in Vienna with kids

Vienna’s Museums

Vienna has a huge and diverse variety of museums, plan just a couple of you will end up with a museum burnout. You will find there historical museums like the Natural History Museum, art galleries like the Belvedere, which was my favorite and the Albertina, as well as the House of Music and the Museum of Technology. You have to visit at least one or two of Vienna’s museums. 

The Belvedere consists of the Baroque palaces, the Lower and Upper Belvedere, it is an integral part of Vienna’s historic scene. Prince Eugene of Savoy had the complex built for this summer home. During the French Revolution, the palaces served as home to French royalty fleeing their country.

The Belvedere is stunning to look at during the night when it is all lit up, and well as provides great views of Vienna and house important works including masterpieces by Klimt.

Tip: Don’t miss The Austrian National Library (Österreichische Nationalbibliothek), this baroque structure is the largest library in Austria, with more than 12 million items in its various collections.

The library is located in the Neue Burg wing of the Hofburg. It is stunningly elaborate and elegant reminiscent of a large church. Go to the State Hall on the second floor – it is the heart of the Austrian National Library, is one of the most beautiful library halls in the world, the biggest Baroque library in all of Europe. 

Among the exhibits are two exquisite Venetian baroque globes: one for the earth and one for the sky, each with a diameter of more than one meter. Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed inside.

Inside the Belvedere in Vienna and admire the most important collection of Austrian art from the Middle Ages to the present day, it is one of the most beautiful Baroque buildings in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

See a visual story of Klimt Kiss, the most romantic painting

Spanische Hofreitschule (Spanish Riding School)

Originally this riding institution served to train the riders of the royal family. Today, the Spanische Hofreitschule is the only institution in the world which practices classical equitation in the Renaissance tradition. It has been in existence for approximately 450 years, and the style of the uniform of the riders is nearly unchanged since the beginning. Only Lipizzaner horses, which are bred at the federal stud Piber in the Austrian province of Styria, are trained here.

The Morning Exercise offers an insight into the years of training of the Lipizzaners and their riders. Accompanied by classical Viennese music the riders and their horses do simple relaxing exercises and exercises aimed at refining and perfecting a certain movement.  

The show takes place in the morning and is one of the popular places to visit in Vienna, so if you plan to attend buy the tickets beforehand.  Make sure to check the schedule, they do take a break during summer months.

Ringstrasse Tour

Vienna’s important buildings are along this historical street.  In the 13th century, Vienna was walled to defend this area that now comprises the first district of Vienna. After the First Siege by the Ottoman Turks in 1529, it was extended and a defensive slope was built around the walls. 

In the 18th century, the glacis(the defensive slope) served as a recreation area, as Emperor Franz Joseph II commissioned the regeneration of this area by cultivating plants, installing street lamps and building walkways and roads. This former glacis is called the Ringstrasse, and it surrounds the city center of Vienna, leading to several historical and important buildings that you want to see in Vienna.

The Ringstrasse is basically the boulevard that surrounds Vienna’s historic center. The Votive Church, the City Hall, Europe’s largest theater (Burgtheater), the Austrian Parliament, the Vienna State Opera, to name a few are all in this area. Kids will enjoy riding the tram, we had the Vienna Pass and used the hop-on and off buses to get around. Our hotel was also located right on the Ringstrasse.

St Stephen’s Cathedral

St. Stephen’s Cathedral, also known as Stephansdom, started out as a parish church in the 12th century. Today, it is the home church for the Catholic archbishop in Vienna. The church was destroyed in World War II but was rebuilt in seven years, with worship services still held daily.

The cathedral, one of the city’s most important landmarks, its impressive roof is covered by 230,000 glazed tiles and reaches high into the Viennese skyline. The cathedral has more than 18 altars, all built at different times, and contains precious works of art as well.

Two main pedestrian streets start here, the Graben and the Kärntner Straße. The first one will take you to the Vienna State Opera, the second one will take you, via the Kohlmarkt luxury shopping area, to the Hofburg Imperial Palace, and eventually back to the Ringstrasse.

Hofburg Imperial Palace

The Hofburg Imperial Palace has played an integral part of the Austrian government scene since it was built in the 13th century. It has been home to some of Europe’s most powerful royalty over the centuries, including the Hapsburgs and rulers of the Holy Roman and Austro-Hungarian empires.

Today it is a museum and home to the president of Austria. The Hofburg Palace is the current residency and workplace of the Austrian president, and it holds many important events like annual balls, ceremonies, and congresses.  It is located close to St. Stephen’s Cathedral and Graben Street.

The palace has numerous wings and halls built by various royalty over the centuries, but only three parts are open to the public today: the Imperial Apartments; the Sisi Museum, dedicated to Elizabeth, wife of Emperor Franz Joseph, and the Silver Collection, a collection of Imperial household objects.

Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known as Sisi. Habsburg State Apartments and Sisi Museum. Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known as Sisi is a rare and fascinating character in 19th-century Austria. My daughter loved learning about the Empress. You don’t want to miss visiting this when you are in Vienna with kids especially little girls.

Michaelerplatz (St. Michael’s Square) is the entrance gate to the Hofburg Palace. The style of it is very similar to Hofburg. The horses and the carriages in front of it create quite a romantic atmosphere. 

Right behind the Hofburg palace is Burggarten, home to the Palm House with glasshouses, one of the most neglected photogenic spots in Vienna. There is a huge park where you can soak up some sun rays in the summer, or enjoy some Viennese coffee. Add this to your things to do in Vienna!

Vienna City Hall (Rathaus)

The city hall in Vienna is another one of the must-see places there. There is usually always something taking place in front of it – a Christmas market in the winter, a film festival during the summer months, or an ice rink right after Christmas. You might want to check this out if you are visiting Vienna with kids in winter.

Maria-Theresien Platz

The Square of Maria Theresa is another very popular spot in Vienna that every single guide leads you to. Facing each other from both sides of the square are two almost-identical museums – the Natural History Museum and the Museum of Art History.

Right in the middle of the square stands a statue of Empress Maria Theresa, surrounded by beautiful green areas with a few benches where you can take a short rest between visiting the museums and enjoy the view.

Classical Concert at Musikverein

Vienna is famous for its musical history, the city was the birthplace of Strauss. both Beethoven and Mozart spent most of their adult life in the Austrian capital. A must do when visiting Vienna is to go to a classical concert. It is one of the top things to do in Vienna with kids. We went to a Mozart concert at the beautiful golden Musikverein.  

Konzerthaus is another concert hall you can find national and international musicians.  This is the house of the Viennese Music Society and the place where the New Year’s Concert, with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and one of the best composers of the world, takes place. And for opera lovers, there is the Vienna State Opera, with excellent singers and performances.

Vienna State Opera

Opera and fine architecture are synonymous with Vienna, and the Vienna State Opera provides both in abundance. This outstanding building is located centrally in the Innere Stadt district and is considered one of the finest Opera Houses in the world. 

The exterior has a Neo-Renaissance style and is characterized by its many arches and arched windows, while the interior is extremely decadent and feels more like a palace than a place of musical celebration. 

The famous Viennese opera house is one of the must-see places for everyone visiting the Austrian capital. Its style and architecture make everyone stop and take a second look, no matter how many times they’ve seen it already. The interior is just as beautiful as the exterior. Daily guided tours are available which last around 40 minutes and give a good overview of the building.

Shopping at Graben

Whether you are looking for Wien Porzellan (famous for Porcelain) or brand name good you will find them at Graben, one of the most famous streets in Vienna. The word Graben means “trench” in German and dates back to an old Roman encampment in the Austrian capital.

Back in those days, Vienna was surrounded by a city wall, with a trench alongside it. The trench was later filled in and became one of the first residential streets in Vienna. Craftsmen originally lived in wooden houses on the Graben, but it gradually evolved into a marketplace and later residences for the city’s elite. Today it is an up-scale shopping promenade that has Roles, Omega, Prada, Gucci and other stores.

My kids loved window shopping in this street in Vienna.

You will find the Pestsäule Column (The Plague Column) at the center here. Also known as the Trinity Column it is a Holy column located on the Graben. Erected after the Great Plague epidemic in 1679, the Baroque memorial is one of the most well-known and prominent sculptural pieces of art in the city

Schonbrunn Palace and Gardens

Originally conceived as a hunting lodge near the end of the 1600s, Schoenbrunn grew into the main summer residence of the Habsburg rulers. Besides the Baroque palace, there is an amazing garden, the Gloriette coffee-house and panorama point on a hill, the world’s oldest zoo, a maze, and a carriage museum.

Little kids would enjoy the children’s museum here where they can dress up in costumes from the past, as well as learn to make apple strudel in a workshop. There is enough here to spend the whole day, we found plenty of things to do to keep us occupied. Both my kids agreed that this was one of their favorite and best things to do in Vienna with kids!

The 1,441 room Schönbrunn Palace is comparable in grandeur to Versailles, is one of the must see attractions in Vienna. The palace was built between 1696 and 1712 at the request of Emperor Leopold I and turned into the imperial summer palace by Maria Theresa.

Visit a Viennese Coffeehouse

Vienna is famous for cafes and its pastry shops or Konditorei.  The characteristic coffee-house tradition is listed as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.  So a trip to Vienna is not complete without drinking a coffee in one of the traditional coffeehouses.  

The attraction of these coffeehouses is the architecture and history, and many famous writers and artists were known to frequent them. After ordering a coffee, these writers, artists, and philosophers stayed for many hours, debating, reading the newspaper, or writing, and this resulted in the city’s coffeehouse literature.

Enjoy an Apple strudel or the Sacher Torte cake or you have the choice of several delicious pastries with a coffee (ask for Wiener Melange if in need of a Cappuccino, and a Brauner if you want Espresso) – invariably accompanied by a glass of water.

Our favorite was Cafe Diglas near the Cathedral, the coffee was strong, the apple strudel warm and the atmosphere cozy.  Cafe Sacher is popular and there is always a line to get in. Seems like it is on everyone’s list of things to do in Vienna.

Relax at the Volksgarten Park

End your time in Vienna with a relaxing few minutes in the beautiful Volksgarten Park which literally means People garden and is a perfect park for a stroll after all the museum hopping. It is right next to Habsburg.  Just sit here around sunset and watch the fountains and the flowers. It is perfect to blow off some steam after a long day of museum visits with kids in Vienna.

Playtime at Prater

Vienna Prater is an amusement park a short tram ride from the Ringstrasse and is located in the second district of Vienna.  The amusement park is just a small part of what is a big green space with lots of beer gartens and restaurants. The entertainment park offers a lot of activities, like rollercoasters, fun little trains, carousels and many more attractions which the young and old people will enjoy.

We especially loved the Giant Ferris wheel and the old-fashioned rides.  There is also a chocolate museum, a mini train, Madame Tussauds, and a planetarium inside – another great thing to do in Vienna with kids!  We ate at Schweizerhaus, a beer garden.

Don’t miss Madame Tussauds inside Prater. With over 80 wax figures including the usual celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Michael Jackson to personalities from Austria like Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Sisi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Falco, Maria Theresia, and Gustav Klimt can be seen here.

See here for tours, attractions, all things to do in Vienna

Day trips from Vienna

The city is so centrally located that you can get to a lot of places and visit as a day trip from Vienna – Prague, Salzburg, Slovenia, Budapest, Hallstat, Graz, Bratislava, Melk Abbey and Danube Valley are great options.  While we didn’t do any day trips, we picked up our car for our Alpine Road trip and stopped at Melk Abbey before heading to Salzburg, Zermatt, and then eventually to Geneva.

What to eat in Vienna

When in Vienna you must try the Schnitzel, pounded thin, fried to a crisp these buttery schnitzels are addictive. While Wiener Schnitzel is made from veal, you can also get a schnitzel in chicken or pork. Enjoy it with a side of Goulash, potatoes, or fried chicory.

Finish with some Sacher Torte, make it to Hotel Sacher Wien for that authentic slice of chocolatey goodness!

See this post for other ideas of what and where to eat in Vienna.

Where to stay in Vienna

If you stay in a hotel on the Ringstrasse, you will be closer to most museums and attractions and you can make use of the Hop on Hop off tours.  We were at the Hilton Vienna Plaza right on Ringstasse and it was also on the hop on hop off bus and tram route so getting around was easy.  Couple of other options nearby are Hotel Sacher Wien created and owned by Gurtler & Winkler family that created the original Sacher-Torte and Park Hyatt Vienna. 

You can see other hotel options here and read the reviews.

I hope you find this Guide for all the attractions and fun things to do in Vienna with kids useful when planning your family trip to Austria.

You might also like our Family-Friendly Guide to:
Paris
Copenhagen
Edinburgh
London
Lisbon
Bergamo
Barcelona
Milan
Venice
Verona  

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