This page includes affiliate links. If you choose to buy through these links I may earn a small commission with no additional cost to you!
Famously beautiful and famously expensive, Austria’s capital city of Vienna is rich with culture. Its massive palaces, baroque architecture, coffee culture, and musical legacy make it an appealing destination for visitors of all backgrounds- though some may find it a bit cost prohibitive.
Traveling on a budget, we had to find a balance between the luxury of the city and the lack thereof in our wallets.
Frequent readers may know that I always start a visit to a new city with a free walking tour- this company is my favorite.
Walking tours are a good way to get an overview of top tourist sites in the city, while simultaneously familiarizing yourself with the area. I’m a bit fan of walking in cities so it’s handy to have an idea of where I’m going without relying too heavily on maps.
In Vienna, the Hofburg Palace is a pretty unmissable landmark. The 13th century building was once the principle imperial palace of the Habsburg dynasty- one of the most important family lines in Europe. A self guided ticket for the Sisi Museum and Hofburg Palace will run you €17.50, with guided tours being an extra €4. Instead of paying for the entry ticket, we decided to admire the building from the outside for free. The palace also has extensive gardens, which are lovely to wander in the winter, and presumably even more lovely in the spring and summer!
Nearby, another wing of the palace houses the Spanish Riding School- famous for its all Lipizzaner herd and stunning dressage performances. There are a few stalls visible for free from the outside and if you’re lucky you can see the horses being led across the road to get ready for their performances.
Since I’m a huge horse girl, I decided to purchase tickets for a guided tour for €23. I wrote about my tour in more detail here.
Although I’d seen the actual Ballet of the White Stallions performance years ago when the group toured in New York, I kind of wish that I had paid to see a performance in the famous Winter Riding School- or at least the morning exercises. Performances start at €24, and the morning exercise tickets start at €17, though both prices can increase dramatically depending on your seat.
Graben is one of Vienna’s most famous squares and offers a lot of high end shopping (or window shopping in our case), and despite the winter weather, we could tell that there would be tons of people sitting outside of cafes in warmer seasons. Keep an eye out for the Plague Column, a monument to those lost in the Great Plague Epidemic.
The street leads directly to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, whose unique multicolored rooftop is a staple of the city. Entry to the church itself is free and I highly recommend shelling out the €6.50 to climb the South Tower. For those uninterested in the 343 step climb, the North Tower is accessible by elevator.
While St. Stephen’s Cathedral is the most famous of the churches, I highly recommend a visit to Peterskirche as well, which is a gorgeous example of baroque architecture tucked down a street just off of Graben. It looks fairly unassuming on the outside, but its interior was a sight to behold! Admission is free here, but be respectful of any ongoing masses.
Mozart achieved great fame- if not wealth- during the later years of his life while living in Vienna and as a result, the city holds him in great fondness. They even named a dessert after him! Interested visitors can purchase tickets to Mozarthaus, Mozart’s last remaining apartment in Vienna. Tickets cost €14 per adult.
For those interested in a more immersive experience, the Vienna State Opera features 350 performances of more than 60 different operas and ballets each season. Pricing and shows can vary pretty dramatically, so check out the current options here.
Guided tours of the opera house are also available for €13.
With more than 100 stunning museums in Vienna, make sure to put aside some cash for museum tickets.
We decided to prioritize the Belvedere Gallery, which is actually housed inside a palace. This museum has three separate sections, all with individual admission costs, though you can bundle the admissions for a cheaper rate. Keep in mind that its cheaper to buy tickets online rather than in person. Admission pricing seems to vary slightly, so check out the updated pricing here.
Since we wanted to see Belvedere’s famous Klimt collection- including The Kiss- we headed to Upper Belvedere via a leisurely stroll through beautiful gardens. Although the museum’s collection was extensive- even including pieces from the likes of Munch and Van Gogh, the Klimt collection was really the star of the show- he’s really one of those artists that you need to see in person to fully appreciate his work.
Other top museums include the Albertina, Kunsthalle Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum- the list is endless.
Though museum visits can really eat into your budget, they’re well worth the price. To keep the cost of the trip down, I’d suggest selecting just a favored museum or two and spend more time exploring the city itself by foot, the cafe culture, and ducking into as many baroque churches as possible.
Leave a Reply