Looking for romantic things to do in Vienna with the person you love? You’re in the right place! We spent three beautiful, romantic weeks exploring the best Vienna has to offer. Of all the activities we experienced, these were the most romantic in our opinion. Read about what to eat in Vienna (our Vienna Food Guide) next!
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Romantic things to do in Vienna
Vienna is such a beautiful, romantic city that we chose to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary there. We spent three wonderful weeks exploring the best Vienna has to offer, as a couple.
In planning our trip, we did our best to fill our time with as many magical, romantic and memorable experiences as possible to always remember this truly special occasion in our lives.
We’re excited to share with you the most romantic experiences in Vienna to help you plan your own romantic Vienna trip!
Book a special hotel
Any romantic trip starts with choosing the perfect place to stay. Vienna has several beautiful hotels from which to choose. Hotels in Vienna are pricey but booking a special place to stay is worth it if you are trying to plan a truly romantic trip.
Of all the gorgeous hotels Vienna has to offer, the three hotels below are our favorite.
Hotel Sacher is a beautiful hotel, home of the famous Sacher Cafe and directly across the street from the World-famous Vienna Opera House. Most of the common areas of the hotel are decorated in rich velvets making this a decadent choice for a romantic trip away. Even if you don’t end up staying at Hotel Sacher, make sure you stop by the Sacher Cafe to try their famous Sacher Torte!
Hotel Imperial is a stunning, historical property located right on the chic Ringstrasse. The elegant rooms and ideal location combined with the 5-star service make the Hotel Imperial a fantastic choice for a truly extraordinary visit.
25 Hours Hotel is a more affordable option that is still well-located in the city, close to many museums and beautiful places to explore. The unique decoration in each room makes this hotel special and an excellent choice for a romantic stay.
Have breakfast at Cafe Demel
Cafe Demel is the most magical breakfast spot in Vienna! Enjoy a selection of hot drinks and incredible sweet treats while admiring the sumptuous interiors of this Viennese cafe dating all the way back to 1888!
Make sure you order their famous kaiserschmarnn, a traditional shredded Austrian pancake served warm with jam. We tried them in several cafes across Vienna and the one from Cafe Demel was by far the best we had!
Although we tried a large assortment of tasty treats during our time in Vienna, Hugo’s favorite was the kaiserschmarnn from Demel. It was that good!
Cafe Demel is a busy spot for much of the day and as of this writing, they don’t take reservations. We had the best luck getting a table without waiting at opening (they open at 10am) and in the early evening after 5:30pm (they close at 7pm).
Schlumberger Rosé Wine Tasting
Wine tasting is such a fun and romantic experience to share as a couple! We had a really great time on the Rosé Wine Tour and Tasting at the Schlumberger Wine Cellar. They offer different wine tastings, but we were intrigued by the rosé win tasting which includes three different sparkling rose wines.
All wine tastings also include a self-guided tour of the wine cellar (with audio guide) which is really fascinating. We loved being able to participate in the tour at our own pace and stop as often as we wanted.
We learned a lot, loved the sparkling wines we tasted and had a really great time! Read more about our wine tasting in Vienna experience.
Book your Schlumberger Rosé Wine Tasting here!
Riding Dinner Sacher Edition
One of the most romantic experiences you can have in Vienna is a carriage ride with the one you love!
We had so much experiencing the Riding Dinner Sacher Edition ride. Ride around the city learning about Vienna, taking in the sights, while also enjoying a slice of authentic Sacher Torte (each!) from Hotel Sacher and drinking Cuvée Sacher sparkling wine. It doesn’t get any more romantic than that!
Plus, your special someone will be more than a little impressed when your carriage guide (they call themselves “butlers”) skips the entire line of people waiting to get into the Hotel Sacher Cafe and comes out 30 seconds later with two perfect slices of Sacher Torte for you both to enjoy during your ride.
Read more about what we loved about the best horse drawn carriage ride in Vienna here!
Book your Riding Dinner Sacher experience here!
Have lunch at a traditional Viennese cafe
We went overboard trying traditional Viennese cafes in Vienna. We had a list of about 25 traditional Viennese cafes we wanted to try during our three week trip to Vienna. We made it to all of them and even visited several more than once, so you do the math. We spent a lot of time in cafes during our trip!
Traditional Viennese cafes are so beautiful and romantic. They have a really authentic charm to them. Some of them feel as though they have barely changed since the early 1900s.
There are many to choose from and some are more quaint and romantic than others.
Our favorite Viennese cafe for lunch was the Cafe Savoy. Tuck into a corner with your person, enjoy their traditional Austrian Käsespätzle (mac and cheese) and beef goulash (our favorite dishes on the menu!) and end the meal with a slice of classic Austrian apple strudel.
Although traditional Viennese cafes have an extensive list of coffee-based drinks, we didn’t find any of them to be very good in most of the cafes we tried to be honest, so instead we opted for wine with most of our meals. The local white Gruner Veltliner is a safe and affordable option that we enjoyed without hesitation in the cafes we sampled across the city!
Go for an evening drink at a traditional Viennese cafe
Viennese cafes are magical all times of day, so you want to make sure you experience them in the morning, at lunch, in the afternoon and at night to get the full, romantic, Viennese cafe experience!
Local wine is an excellent drink choice, otherwise, traditional Viennese cafes offer a huge selection of drinks, so you’ll have lots to choose from.
Share Cafe Landtmann’s famous banana tart!
One of the most famous cakes to try in Vienna is the banana cake from Cafe Landtmann. It’s so delicious. It’s a very popular choice at Cafe Landtmann though and often sold out. It was sold out the night we visited for an evening drink!
Luckily, there are a few other cafes in Vienna that serve desserts from Cafe Landtmann, so you can find it on some other cafe menus as well.
We tried it at Café Mozart and had a great experience!
Discover the best cakes in Vienna and try as many as you can during your trip.
Make your reservation at Cafe Landtmann here!
Go to see Klimt’s Kiss at the Belvedere Palace
The most famous (and romantic!) painting to see at the Belvedere Palace is, of course, Klimt’s Kiss.
The painting is as spectacular as you expect it to be. It’s definitely worth putting aside time in your busy Vienna schedule to go and see it. The iconic painting is on display in the Upper Belvedere.
There is lots to see in addition to Klimt’s Kiss at the Belvedere Palace. Many famous artists’ works are displayed at the Belvedere, including Rodin, Schiele and Munch to name a few.
In addition to the art, take some time to admire the stunning interiors. There are some very impressive frescoes to enjoy!
Book your tickets to visit the Belvedere Palace here!
Live a day in the life of an Emperor and Empress at Schonbrunn Palace
Take your love to experience the true royal experience at Schonbrunn Palace!
We recommend setting aside at least a half day if not a full day to visit Schonbrunn Palace. The palace and gardens are absolutely stunning and there is so much to see and do there.
Visit the palace, enjoy several different gardens, walk to the Gloriette and take in the spectacular garden and palace views from above, have lunch, stop for on-site coffee and pastries and even pop into the Schonbrunn Zoo!
Book your tickets to visit Schonbrunn Palace here!
Go for a slice of Sacher Torte at the famous Sacher Hotel Cafe
Don’t miss trying a slice of the most famous Sacher Torte at the Sacher Hotel. If you do the Riding Dinner horse and carriage experience I shared earlier, you will try a slice of the original Sacher Torte then too, but it is still worth it to go to the Sacher Cafe itself to have a slice while inside the cafe.
Make sure you reserve your table in advance to avoid missing out on this activity. The lines in front of the cafe are huge every day and at any time of day.
Make your reservation at the Sacher Hotel Cafe here!
Visit the Butterfly House at the Hofburg Palace
I also celebrated my birthday during our wedding anniversary trip to Vienna. The day of my birthday, Hugo surprised me with a trip to the Butterfly House. This off-the-beaten path experience is truly special and romantic. Walk around the Butterfly House, delight in seeing so many beautiful butterflies up-close and take lots of pictures!
Read more about the Butterfly House here. You can buy your tickets at the desk at the entrance.
Visit Cafe Central in the afternoon to enjoy live music with your cake
There is no doubting that Cafe Central is a tourist destination. It is packed all hours of the day and night. If it is open, there is a line of people down the street waiting to get in. We get it, everyone wants to experience the magic!
Even though this is a busy spot, it is still very romantic, especially if you go in the afternoon (after 4pm) when there is a piano player playing live music.
Cafe Central reservations are filled at least a month in advance, so make sure you reserve your table online as soon as reservations open for your Vienna trip date.
Make your reservation at Cafe Central here!
Have an evening drink at the famous Blaue Bar at Hotel Sacher
The night of my birthday, we went for a drink at the gorgeous Blaue Bar inside the Hotel Sacher. This tiny bar fills up quickly but you can reserve a table online in advance. Make sure you do, otherwise, you probably won’t get a spot inside.
The entire time we were at the Blaue Bar, people were arriving and sadly being turned away because there were no available tables. That was on a Monday evening after dinner in May. I can’t even imagine how many requests for tables they must have on the weekends before dinner during the high tourist season.
Don’t tempt fate, book in advance! You need a credit card to make a reservation but you will only be charged if you are a no-show like lots of bars and restaurants these days across Europe.
Make your reservation at the Blaue Bar here!
Send a postcard home
This is one of our favorite travel traditions!
Hugo and I love to send ourselves postcards from our travels. We have a collection of postcards we’ve written to ourselves from our travels all over the world and we cherish them.
Each time we travel, we choose a postcard (or several!) from the place we are visiting and use them to write messages to our future selves. Sometimes we’ll dedicate a postcard to a particular theme, for example, in Vienna we tried over 25 traditional Viennese cafes, so we had an entire postcard dedicated to listing all the cafes we tried. Sometimes we’ll write down everything we did on a special day, for example, the day we visited Schonbrunn Palace we used a postcard we bought at Schonbrunn Palace to write all about our experience there.
Postcards are a fun and simple items to collect on your trip that will become priceless souvenirs. You’ll have so much fun reading your old postcards for years to come, reminiscing about all of the romantic adventures you had during your time in Vienna!
Go for an evening stroll along the Danube Canal
The area around the Danube Canal is trendy and a bit edgy. It is a touch gritty but we felt completely safe walking there both during the day and in the evening.
The Danube Canal is a wonderful spot to stop for a drink, have dinner at one of the little restaurants on the canal or just go for an evening walk. We went several times and especially enjoyed walking along the canal at sunset.
This will be the perfect spot to take some cute and romantic photos to remember your trip to Vienna forever!
See the incredible light show at the impressive Votivkirche (Vienna’s Votive Church)
The Votivkirche (Vienna’s Votive Church) looks like lace. It is even more beautiful at night when the entire front of the church is lit up. Step inside for a magical light show that fills the entire church with beautiful colors and designs. The show lasts about 30 minutes and will have you captivated for the entire time and leave you talking about the show after its done, making this the perfect romantic activity to do in Vienna.
Read our Light of Creation Vienna review.
Book your tickets to see the Light of Creation Light Show at the Votivkirche here!
Take a romantic walk around the Volksgarten
I was absolutely blown away by the beauty of the Volksgarten, a stunning landscaped garden to the side of the Hofburg Palace, famous for its impressive rose garden. We visited Vienna in May and the roses were in full bloom. The scent was absolutely Heavenly.
We visited the garden several times to walk around together, take photos of the beautiful roses and just to enjoy time together and the incredible scent of all the roses.
Walking around this truly extraordinary rose garden is a very romantic activity in Vienna that you won’t want to miss!
Walk around the city at night
Vienna is such a beautiful city to explore at night! Make sure you set aside at least one night of your trip to explore Vienna by night. Pass by the Vienna State Opera, the Hofburg Palace, the Burgtheater (the Vienna theater) and St. Stephen’s Cathedral on your evening walk. They are all breathtakingly beautiful lit up against the night sky!
Thank you to Riding Dinner, Schlumberger, the Belvedere Palace, Schonbrunn Palace and the Votivkirche for participating in the creation of this post by providing us with press invitations. All opinions are our own.
Activities to book in advance in Vienna
- Belvedere Palace – book your tickets in advance to see the largest collection of Klimt in the World, including the famous Kiss
- Schönbrunn Palace – no trip to Vienna is complete without experience the majesty that is Schönbrunn Palace!
- Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Concert in Karlskirche – don’t miss a classical music concert during your time in Vienna.
- Light of Creation Votive Church Immersive Light Show – we absolutely loved this beautiful light performance inside the gorgeous Votive Church!
- Spanish Riding School Training Practice – another one of our favorite experiences was watching the Lipizzaner horses during their morning training
- Spanish Riding School Performance – if you time, catch a performance as well!
- Kunsthistorisches Museum – one of the best museums in Vienna, see the secret Klimt paintings in the staircase and more
- Schlumberger Sparkling Wine Tasting – learn about, and taste, some fantastic sparkling Schlumberger local Austrian wine!
- Riding Dinner Sacher Experience – read all about our experience tasting Sacher Torte and Sacher Cuvée sparkling wine while enjoying a beautiful horse drawn carriage ride
- Cafe Central
- Cafe Sacher (Sacher Hotel)
- Blaue Bar (Sacher Hotel)
Read more about Vienna
- Discover what to eat in Vienna
Romantic things to do in Vienna
We hope you love this list of the most romantic activities to do in Vienna and that you try several (or all!) of them during your trip.
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