Best Day Trips from Vienna, Austria
Are you looking for the best day trips from Vienna, Austria?
Austria’s capital city is an amazing destination with plenty of things to do, but there are also some great day trips you can take from Vienna to explore more of Austria, and even visit other countries.
Vienna’s central location and excellent train connections makes it a good base for day trips.
Whether you want to explore the charm of the Danube River, immerse yourself in the beauty of the Austrian Alps, or discover a new European city, these are the top day trips from Vienna, Austria.
⭐ Short on time? These are the top tours and activities I recommend. If you book directly through a link on this page, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Stay to Wander!
Best Day Trips from Vienna:
1. Wachau Valley
One of the best day trips from Vienna is the Wachau Valley. This beautiful region along the Danube River is about one hour outside of Vienna, but it feels a world away. In the Wachau Valley, you can discover charming fairytale towns like Melk (home to the famous Melk Abbey), Krems, and Dürnstein.
If you’re doing this day trip independently, Melk is the easiest town to visit via public transportation, with a direct train from Vienna that takes just 50 minutes. From Melk, you can also take a scenic Danube River boat trip which will allow you to take in the beauty of the Wachau Valley region from the water.
If you’d prefer a guided tour, this full-day group tour from Vienna includes transportation to and from the Wachau Valley, a visit to Melk Abbey, a boat trip on the Danube (summer only), and a visit to either Krems or Dürnstein depending on the season. It’s a great way to experience a lot in just one day.
2. Schönbrunn Palace
If you’re looking for a really easy day trip (or half-day trip) from Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace is the perfect choice. In fact, you’re technically not even leaving the city limits to visit this historic palace.
Situated in Hietzing, a district on the outskirts of Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace was once the summer residence of the Hapsburg ruling family. With more than 1,400 rooms, this sprawling Baroque palace has witnessed centuries of history and many different rulers. These days, it’s a very popular tourist attraction.
Schönbrunn Palace is less than 30 minutes from central Vienna by public transportation (train or tram.) You’ll definitely want to book your tickets for the palace in advance, because they often sell out.
I recommended booking a guided tour that includes skip-the-line tickets to make the most of your time and get an overview about the history of the palace. You can then spend more time exploring at your leisure — it’s easy to spend half a day wandering around the sprawling palace and extensive gardens here!
3. Bratislava
Another easy day trip from Vienna is Bratislava, Slovakia. That’s right, you can visit a different country on a day trip from Vienna! And Bratislava is well worth visiting. I really loved this city and spent several days there, but it’s compact enough that you can definitely experience all the highlights on a day trip.
Vienna and Bratislava are two capital cities that are located just 50 minutes apart by train. Although they are neighbors, the two cities (and countries) feel very culturally different from each other.
In Bratislava, some of the best things to do include visiting Bratislava Castle, the Primacial Palace, the Blue Church, and the Old Town Hall. When it comes to places to eat, I recommend Konditorei Kormuth (a beautiful cafe with delicious desserts) and Koliba Kamzík (for traditional Slovakian food.)
Although this is a really easy day trip to do on your own by train, there are also guided tours you can book. This full-day tour includes transportation by bus to Bratislava, a guided walking tour of the city, plenty of free time, and a return to Vienna by boat along the Danube River (a really cool experience!)
4. Vienna Woods
Vienna Woods is a great destination for a half-day trip outside the city. Just 45 minutes from Vienna, this forested highland region is a beautiful, natural escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.
One of the highlights of the Vienna Woods is Seegrotte, a unique underground lake where you can take boat tours. Liechtenstein Castle, which has a history dating back more than 900 years, is another popular attraction. The Vienna Woods is also a wine-growing region, with many cozy local wine taverns.
If you’re up for a more active adventure, there are miles of hiking and walking trails in the Vienna Woods. You can get to the Vienna Woods on your own by car or public transit, or take a guided tour.
This half-day tour from Vienna includes round-trip transportation from your hotel, a local guide, a boat ride on the underground lake, a visit to Liechtenstein Castle, and a wine tasting at a wine tavern.
5. Salzburg
Salzburg is an ambitious day trip from Vienna, but doable. This picturesque city in the western part of Austria is located 2.5 hours from Vienna by train, which means you’re in for a long travel day.
However, the beauty of Salzburg is worth it, and since it’s a pretty compact city, you can see a lot in a day. Salzburg is known for being the birthplace of Mozart, and for its connections with The Sound of Music. There are some beautiful palaces you can visit, including Mirabell Palace and Schloss Hellbrunn.
Salzburg’s Old Town looks like something straight out of a fairytale, and among its historic streets, you’ll find Mozart’s birthplace, as well as Salzburg Cathedral and the hilltop Fortress Hohensalzburg.
I honestly recommending spending a few days in Salzburg rather than trying to fit it in as a day trip, because there’s a lot to do in and around the city. But if you’re really short on time, it’s doable as a day trip from Vienna as long as you get an early start and make the most of your time during the day.
If you’re looking for a guided tour, this full-day tour from Vienna is a good option, including transportation by coach bus and a guide who will help you discover the highlights of Salzburg in a day.
6. Brno
Another great day trip from Vienna is Brno, Czech Republic. Although Prague is a little too far for a day trip from Vienna (four hours by train), the Czech Republic’s second-largest city Brno is much more reasonable as a day trip, just one hour and 45 minutes by train. And Brno is something of a hidden gem.
While millions of visitors flock to Prague every year, not as many people know about Brno. The Czech Republic’s second city is underrated, but definitely worth a visit, especially if you like to get a little off the beaten path. Brno is a really cool city with a lot of the charm of Prague, but none of the tourist crowds.
Some of the best things to do in Brno include visiting the hilltop Špilberk Castle, the Gothic Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, the Old Town Hall, and the World War II-era underground Bunker 10-Z.
7. Hallstatt
Finally, one more day trip you can take from Vienna is Hallstatt. This picturesque small town is probably the most photographed destination in Austria, and it truly looks like a postcard. Like Salzburg, though, this is a destination that is a bit of a stretch for a day trip from Vienna, with a lot of time spent in transit.
It takes three hours and 40 minutes to drive to Hallstatt from Vienna, and even longer if you attempt to take the train (which involves one change and then a short ferry ride to the town.) It’s actually a lot easier to visit Hallstatt on a day trip from Salzburg, where the total journey time is only 1.5 hours.
However, if you really want to visit Hallstatt, you can squeeze it in as a day trip from Vienna. The best way to get here independently is to rent a car and drive, because public transit takes too long and you’ll be limited by the train and ferry schedules. Driving yourself to Hallstatt gives you a lot more flexibility.
You can also take a guided tour like this one, which includes a visit to both Hallstatt and Salzburg. It will be a packed day, but you’ll be able to get a taste of both of these scenic destinations.
Best Day Trips from Vienna, Austria
This guide showed you the best day trips from Vienna, Austria.
You can’t go wrong with any of these day trips, although my top picks would probably have to be the Wachau Valley and Bratislava, Slovakia. I think Salzburg and Hallstatt are definitely worth visiting, but as I mentioned, I’d personally dedicate several days to this region instead of trying to squeeze in a day trip.
Enjoy your trip to Vienna!
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