Best things to do in Vienna: palaces, coffee houses and a night at the opera

Schönbrunn Palace is the Habsburgs' summer residence, with gilded rooms and a park, and is Vienna's most visited sight. The Belvedere holds Klimt's The Kiss in a baroque setting. The Hofburg has the Sisi Museum and the imperial apartments. Book timed tickets, and visit Schönbrunn first thing in the morning.

Vienna is the capital of classical music, and you can hear Mozart and Strauss most evenings in historic halls. The State Opera offers guided tours of the building, and standing tickets for performances at very low prices. A concert in a palace or a church is a good alternative to a full opera.

• ✔Sachertorte at a classic café, with a coffee served with a glass of water.
• ✔Apple strudel and Kaiserschmarrn, a shredded sweet pancake.
• ✔Melange, a Viennese cappuccino.
• ✔A newspaper and an hour, the old tradition of the coffee house.

• ✔Buy a transport pass for trams and the U-Bahn.
• ✔Many museums are closed on Mondays.
• ✔Book restaurants at weekends.
• ✔Dress up a little for the opera and concerts.

The Imperial Tour of Schönbrunn Palace covers a number of the rooms, while the Grand Tour takes in more, including the rooms of Empress Maria Theresa. The Hall of Mirrors, the Millions Room and the Great Gallery are among the highlights. An audio guide is included in the ticket.

Outside, the Baroque gardens run up to the Gloriette, a colonnade with views over the palace and the city. The Palm House, Zoo (the oldest in the world) and the Maze are all within the grounds. Allow half a day, and buy a timed ticket in advance. Go on a weekday morning if you can, as weekends are packed.

Order a coffee and take your time. In a Viennese café, you can sit for hours, read a newspaper and watch the world go by. The waiters bring a glass of water with every coffee.

• ✔Café Central: a grand, historic café frequented by Freud and Trotsky.
• ✔Café Sacher: the home of the original Sachertorte.
• ✔Café Landtmann: an elegant café by the Burgtheater.
• ✔Café Hawelka: a smoky, bohemian classic with buchteln (sweet buns) at night.
• ✔Demel: a luxurious pastry shop and tearoom.

If you have only two days, skip a day trip and focus on the palaces and a concert. For longer stays, add the Danube Island, the Prater amusement park and a Heuriger (wine tavern) evening in the vineyards. See our Prague guide, the Budapest baths guide and the Vienna guide.

1. 1Day 1: Hofburg, Stephansdom, the old town and a concert in the evening.
2. 2Day 2: Schönbrunn in the morning, a long café lunch and the Belvedere in the afternoon.
3. 3Day 3: a Wachau day trip, or the Naschmarkt, Secession building and the MuseumsQuartier.

The Wachau Valley is a UNESCO wine region along the Danube, with abbeys, castles and apricot orchards, about an hour west by train. A river cruise or a tour with tastings makes a good full day. Read our Vienna guide, compare it with Prague or Budapest.