How To Beat the Crowds in Vienna

Simply being prepared is often the best way to enjoy Vienna sightseeing without crowds. Book skip-the-line tickets to Vienna’s biggest attractions to avoid one of the biggest drawbacks of visiting crowded places—the lines to get in. These tickets let you bypass the long lines of other visitors to make better time at places such as Schönbrunn Palace, the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, and the House of Music. Alternatively, arrange a guided tour of popular attractions, as they can also include fast-track entry.

In a city with so much history and culture as Vienna, visitors are spoiled with an endless list of attractions and things to do. Most travelers focus on the city’s best-known landmarks, so a great way to get some space is to turn your attention to Vienna’s hidden gems. Some attractions, such as the Imperial Carriage Museum and the Neue Burg, are overshadowed by bigger attractions nearby—in this case, the many other places to visit within the Hofburg Imperial Palace. Other under-the-radar gems, such as the Vergilius Chapel in the Stephansplatz underground U-Bahn station, are literally hidden from sight.

Vienna has 23 districts, but most visitors only focus on the innermost ones around the city’s historical center, temporarily breaking free to visit Schönbrunn in the 13th district of Hietzing. However, a great way to see Vienna off the beaten path is to take a trip to its outer neighborhoods. Visit the 11th district of Simmering to search for famous names in the beautiful Vienna Central Cemetery, go for a paddle on the Alte Donau lagoon of the 22nd district, or sample local wine in heurigen (wine taverns) in Grinzing in the 19th district—but avoid local crowds on weekends.

Everyone knows that visiting a coffeehouse in Vienna is a classic tourist experience. But tourists all too often head to popular venues such as Café Central, Café Sacher, and Café Demel for their aesthetic and signature cakes. So, avoid crowds in Vienna by switching up your choice of venue. Choose a more exclusive venue—upstairs at Café Gerstner in Palais Todesco will definitely do—or try a Vienna local secret spot such as the elegant Café Imperial. If the ritual and experience are more important to you than ambience, try more down-to-earth local venues such as Café Prückel and Café Diglas.

Just because attractions such as Schönbrunn Palace and Belvedere Palace are famous doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy similar experiences at other crowd-free Vienna attractions. In this case, journey out to Schloss Hof to see a beautiful palace and gardens without sharing it with hordes of other visitors. You can find alternatives for most things in Vienna—switch out the House of Music for the equally informative Beethoven Pasqualatihaus, head to St. Anne’s Church to see an empty and beautiful baroque interior, or climb up the Danube Tower for city views that beat those of the busy Riesenrad at the Prater.

Starting early or taking an evening stroll while others are at dinner is a smart way to explore Vienna and feel like you have more of the city to yourself. The light at both times of day accentuates the grand architecture of many Viennese landmarks, making places such as the Vienna State Opera, Rathaus, and Church of St. Charles stand out even more than usual. You will have to wait for the opening hours to step inside many Vienna attractions, but some—including the Church of St. Charles—hold longer hours, making them perfect to visit earlier or later.

Vienna loves parks almost as much as it loves palaces, with spaces such as Stadtpark and Burggarten offering lovely spaces to rest and relax. But in nice weather, even the parks don’t offer a refuge from the crowds. The Vienna Woods don’t have this problem, and are one of the most reliable quiet places in Vienna. Whether you take to their trails around Kahlenberg or venture into their expanse at the Lainzer Tiergarten, you're bound to find the peace and quiet you’re seeking.

Normally, summer is the peak season for destinations in Europe, but Vienna does things differently. July–September are still hectic months in Vienna, but you also have to worry about the crowds in the lead-up to Christmas. November and December can be as busy or busier than the summer months as people come for Vienna’s Christmas markets. Instead, the best time to visit Vienna to benefit from quieter attractions and lower prices is during October and the spring months of March–May. These months are also usually the most colorful, whether it's thanks to spring blossoms or fall foliage

A simple way to ditch the crowds in Vienna is to go elsewhere for the day. But you don’t want to just trade the crowds of Vienna for the crowds of a different place, such as Hallstatt, a tiny village famously struggling with too many tourists. Instead, seek out day trips from Vienna that will take you into the countryside, such as exploring the vineyards of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Wachau Valley, or biking along the Danube River past Klosterneuburg. You could also visit smaller attractions outside Vienna, including Forchtenstein Castle and Archaeological Park Carnuntum, where crowds are bound to be lighter.