Are you planning to visit Vienna with children? Check out the 18 best things to do in Vienna with kids.
Vienna is a city full of magnificent palaces, museums and cafes. You can enjoy a delicious strudel, enjoy the view from Austria’s tallest building and spend a perfect time with your children.
It just needs to be adapted to the regular programme, as most kids probably wouldn’t be excited about a full day of sightseeing and art that Vienna is full of.
Luckily, there are plenty of places in Vienna that will keep kids and parents entertained, and today we’ll show you the best of them.
Tip: Looking to save money when visiting Vienna? With a tourist card Vienna City Card you get free transport and discounts to more than 200 places in Vienna. I wrote about the card detailed article so you can see if the card is worth it for you.
The other option is the Vienna Pass, which includes free entry to most places in Vienna for 1, 2, 3 or 6 days. An alternative is the Vienna Flexi Pass, where you choose the number of attractions you want to visit. More about the Vienna Pass and Vienna Flexi Pass in the previous article.
18 Best Things to do in Vienna with kids
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of the best museums in Vienna for children. Both younger and older children will find something to do here.
The museum is spread over several floors and sections, each dedicated to a different theme. It will entertain lovers of birds, butterflies or those interested in geology, world history and living things.
Children can see polar bears, sea lions and giraffes up close. You can experience how a volcano erupts or how you would look in prehistoric times. The highlight for most kids is the Dinosaal with skeletons and a moving dinosaur.
Admission to the Naturhistorisches Museum is 16 € and reduced 12 € (students, disabled). Children under 19 years of age are admitted free of charge. You can buy tickets book online .
Opening hours: open Thursday to Monday 9:00-18:00 and Wednesday 9:00-20:00. Closed on Tuesdays. The last entry is one hour before the end of opening hours.
For a view of St. Stephen’s Cathedral
Kids love the views. And you’ll have great views from St Stephen’s Cathedral. Impressive Romanesque-Gothic buildings from the 13th century. century, which dominates most Viennese photographs.
The cathedral has a colourful roof that glistens beautifully in the sun. Entrance to the cathedral is free, but you have to pay extra for a view of one of the towers. A better view of Vienna and the roof is from the South (higher) Tower.
Admission to the North Tower is €6 and a reduced price of €2.50 for children aged 6-14. The tower is open 9:00-20:30. You will be taken up in the lift.
Admission to the South Tower is lower (full €5, reduced €2), but on the other hand you have to climb over 300 steps. The South Tower is open 9:00-17:30.
Cat café
You can grab a bite to eat at Cafe Neko, a cat café just a short walk from St. Stephen. Children will surely be thrilled with the furry pets.
Haus der Musik
Haus der Musik, or House of Music, can be found a few minutes from the cat café. An interactive, informative and entertaining museum about music with 4 floors of exhibits of the most famous Austrian composers from Mozart to Schubert, Strauss to Schoenberg.
Children will love the sound gallery and music stairs or can try their hand at leading their own orchestra.
Full admission to Haus der Musik is €16, reduced admission €12 for children over 12, students under 27 and seniors over 60, reduced admission €7 for children 3-12. It is open daily from 10:00-22:00.
Spanish Riding School
The Hofburg complex includes the Spanish Riding School, one of the four most prestigious riding schools in the world.
The ticket will take you to morning training of the legendary Lipizzaner stallions. Even better is the show itself, where the horses perform dances and various jumps. It’s often sold out, so get reserve your place well in advance .
Butterfly House
Not far from the Spanish Riding School, in the Hofburg Palace complex, the Butterfly House was built a few years ago. A perfect oasis of peace in the middle of Vienna. If you’re lucky, beautiful big butterflies will land right on your hands.
Time Travel Vienna
How to discover the history of Vienna in a playful way? Go to Time Travel Vienna. Through time travel, you will experience how the Viennese nobility lived, hide from bombs during World War II or discover the comical ideas of Mozart.
Step back in time with 5D cinema, virtual reality, animated models and special effects.
Full admission for 15+ is 21€ and reduced admission for children is 17€. You can buy tickets book in advance .
Museum of Military History
The Military History Museum is 15 minutes from Belvedere Palace. It will delight especially boys with its collection from the Middle Ages to the present day – old military houses, uniforms, armaments, decorations, a tank park (from spring to autumn) or a huge anti-aircraft gun. All this in beautiful interiors.
Prater Park
Prater is a huge amusement park that has been ranked one of the ten most beautiful city parks in the world. It includes the Wurstelprater, a long area of fairground rides, roller coasters, arcades and refreshment areas.
But the best attraction is definitely the Wiener Riesenrad (Giant Wheel), which is the oldest Ferris wheel in the world. It may not be as big as the Ferris wheel in Dubai, but it has a great atmosphere thanks to the historic wooden booths. Skip the line and book your ticket in advance.
The Prater Park is open daily from 11:00-22:00.
The park is freely accessible. You don’t buy a separate ticket to get into all the attractions. Each attraction is charged separately and usually ranges from €5 and up.
Some attractions are open all year round, others only from spring to autumn. Even if you don’t plan to visit the theme park, you can relax or have a picnic in Prater.
Madame Tussauds museum
Opposite the Giant Wheel is the museum Madame Tussauds or the wax museum. The wax museum is always a guarantee of fun. The whole family will have fun here.
Some of the statues represent important Austrian personalities, but you will also see many world-famous names such as Audrey Hepburn, Johnny Depp, Daniel Craig, Lady Gaga and others.
Admission to Madame Tussauds is €24 and a reduced rate of €20 for children aged 4-14. Prices apply to online booking , tickets are € 2 more expensive on the spot. It is open daily from 10:00-17:00.
Next door is the Chocolate Museum. Another great stop, but for us more for older kids.
Haus des Meeres
Haus des Meeres is a huge aquarium and terrarium housed in an old bulletproof tower. You will find a multi-level tropical house with free-roaming birds and monkeys. And lots of crocodiles, snakes and sharks. Don’t worry, they don’t run free here anymore :).
Guests can refresh themselves in the rooftop restaurant and enjoy panoramic views of Vienna.
Haus des Meeres is open daily from 09:00-20:00. Full admission is €21.90, reduced admission is €16.40 for students up to 26 years and seniors over 65 years (valid Monday to Friday only), reduced admission is €9.80 for children 6-15 years and reduced admission is €6.50 for children 3-5 years. For a better price I recommend booking in advance .
Museum of Illusions
Great fun for the whole family. Optical illusions on posters and in shop windows, rooms where children are twice the size of their parents. Or have Daddy’s head served on a plate? Everything can be experienced here thanks to illusion.
Admission is €14 for 19+ and €10 for children under 18.
Here are all the hotel options in Vienna.
Technical Museum
Are children interested in science, physical laws and technology? Visit the Technical Museum, which is housed in a beautiful historic building.
Here they explain everything from the history of technology and human activity in an interactive and funny way. Children will try out how physics experiments work, see steam engines or airplanes and discover many interesting things.
For really young children, there is the “mini” and “miniXplore” section, which consists of large play areas where children can have fun in a variety of creative environments. For older children, the “on the move” exhibition will teach them more about the world of mobility through 30 interactive learning stations.
Admission to the Technical Museum in Vienna is €16, reduced €14.50 for students under 27 and €5 for disabled persons. Children under 19 years of age are admitted free of charge. Tickets can be booked in advance.
The Technical Museum is open from Monday to Friday from 9:00-18:00 and on weekends and holidays from 10:00-18:00.
Children’s Museum at Schönbrunn Palace
The Kindermuseum Schloss Schönbrunn gives children a glimpse of what life was like under the Habsburgs in the 18th century. century. Children will try on period costumes, play with toys from an earlier time, pose in a throne, etc. In the museum, children will learn everything in a simple way that we adults will appreciate. And most of all, it’s really fun.
Admission to Schönbrunn Palace depends on what you want to visit. There is a lot to choose from – I recommend you choose on official website exactly what you want to see.
From the museum, you can head to the gardens of Schönbrunn Palace, where there is a wonderful maze with various play elements or take a ride on the trainto give your legs a rest. There is a lot to do here, so with smaller children be sure to take a stroller or baby carrier.
Schönbrunn Zoo
The oldest zoo in the world cannot be missing here. A place where you can see giant pandas. And you’ll only see them in China.
The zoo at Schönbrunn Palace is on the radar of most parents planning Vienna with their children. And no wonder. The zoo has been named the best zoo in Europe five times in a row.
Don’t miss the rainforest house, which mimics the climate of the rainforest and has birds and bats flying freely, or the aquarium with its underwater tunnel and large coral reef display.
Admission: full admission to the Tiergarten Schönbrunn is 26 € and reduced admission is 15 € (children, youth and disabled). Children up to 6 years of age are admitted free of charge. Book tickets to Schönbrunn Zoo here .
Opening hours vary by season:
- January 9:00-16:30
- February 9:00-17:00
- March 9:00-17:30
- April-September 9:00-18:30
- October until the end of summer time 9:00-17:30
- October-December 9:00-16:30
Danube Tower and Donau Park
At 252 metres high, the Danube Tower offers one of the best views of Vienna. You can go upstairs by express elevator. There are two floors here – one is a restaurant and the other is a café. Both floors rotate on their axes every 26 minutes.
Admission to the observation tower (including the express lift) is €18, reduced €14.40 (over 65, students under 27 and young people 15-19), reduced €10.80 for children 6-14 and reduced €5.40 for children 3-5. Click here to book tickets with skip the line.
Donauturm is open daily from 10:00-22:30 (last entry at 21:45).
The whole park is worth a visit. Especially with kids. You will find a large playground with several slides, which can be easily carried by parents.
There is also a colourful locomotive, which has had its share of experiences, but still a fun ride. The circuit is about 3 km long and takes less than 20 minutes. You can get off or on at 3 locations.
Hundertwasserhaus
The Hundertwaserhaus is an apartment building designed by the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. It’s colorful, fun, unique and has over 200 trees on its roof. This makes it a perfect stop for the whole family.
A few steps away from the house is Hundertwasser Village, a former factory that the artist remodeled in the same style as the apartment building. There are a few souvenir shops and cafés.
Christmas markets
The best time to visit Vienna? Definitely Christmas.
Vienna is famous for its markets. There are 13 of them every year. The most famous is the “Viennese Christmas World” on Rathausplatz with its large ice rink and the magnificent town hall in the background. Every year, handicraft stalls, fragrant Austrian dishes and hot mulled wine attract locals and tourists alike.
Things to do in Vienna with children – MAP
HOW TO USE THIS MAP: Above you will find a detailed map of what to visit in Vienna with children. Click at the top left of the map to see separate layers with highlighted locations. You can hide and show the different layers or click on the icons on the map to see the names of the places I mention in the guide. If you want to save the map, star it. For a larger version, click on the icon in the upper right corner.
Where to stay in Vienna with children?
- Austria Trend Parkhotel – four-star hotel in traditional style right next to Schönbrunn Palace and Schönbrunn Zoo
- Hotel Brauhof – cosy and comfortable hotel near the main train station with good access to all the sights in Vienna
- Superbude Wien Prater – design hotel with excellent value for money just a short walk from Prater Park
- The Social Hub – Playful and modern accommodation, with full facilities a short walk from the Prater
- JUFA hotel – comfortable and clean family-friendly hotel, including games room and playground, 15 minutes by public transport to the centre
- Apartment Hotel Triester – cheap and nice accommodation in family rooms and apartments with kitchenette with very good access to the centre
Here are all the hotel options in Vienna.
How to save in Vienna with children?
Vienna City Card
One way to save money when visiting Vienna is to Vienna City Card . It is the official Vienna Card, offering unlimited travel around Vienna and discounts to more than 200 places.
Families with children will also save significantly on the card. One child under 15. birthday is entitled to free travel with every card purchased.
If you are travelling with 4 people – 2 children and 2 adults, you only need 2 cards and the children travel free on your cards. Children also get reduced admission to many sights (some even free), so they don’t need a Vienna City Card. Adults save money on admission thanks to the card.
You can buy a card for 24 hours for €17, 48 hours for €25 or 72 hours for €29.
The Vienna City Card covers almost all sights and places of interest in Vienna. Discounts are most often in the range of 10-30%. Below you will find discounts on the most popular places to visit in Vienna with children – how much is the discount in percentages and how much in euros will you save:
- Danube Tower 20 %
- Giant Ferris Wheel Prater 8 %
- Haus der Musik 25 %
- Museum of Military History 29 %
- Schönbrunn Children’s Museum 12 %
- Schönbrunn Zoo 15 %
- Schönbrunn Maze 20 %
- Natural History Museum 25 %
- Technical Museum 20 %
- Madame Tussauds Museum 30 %
- Spanish Riding School 11 %
- Chocolate Museum 20 %
- Time Travel Vienna 20 %
- Butterfly House 11 %
- …and many more (see the app for a complete list of locations)
I wrote a detailed article about the card where you can see if it pays off for you.
Vienna Pass and Vienna Flexi Pass
The Vienna Pass and Vienna Flexi Pass are other tourist cards that can help you save money in Vienna. They work on a different principle than the Vienna City Card:
Vienna Pass is a tourist card that gives you free entry to most of Vienna’s sights (Schönbrunn Palace including the train, the children’s museums and the zoo, the House of Music, the Natural History Museum, the Danube Tower, the Giant Wheel in Prater Park, the Spanish Riding School and more). It also includes a boat cruise on the Danube and a sightseeing bus ride for the duration of the card, which you can use instead of public transport in Vienna.
The Vienna Pass is valid for a selected number of days – you can choose between 1, 2, 3 or 6 days.
Vienna Flexi Pass Includes similar attractions to the Vienna Pass, but differs in that you purchase a number of attractions.
I wrote a detailed review about both cards here including prices, whether they’re worth it, and a list of the places the cards cover.
These were the best things to do in Vienna with kids, including practical information. Do you have a question? We’ll be happy to answer it in the comments below. Have a safe journey!
More information about Austria
THINGS TO DO IN VIENNA: Check out our itinerary for 3 days in Vienna. In the article Things to do in Vienna, you will find 40 places to see, including information on entrance fees and opening times.
ACCOMMODATION IN VIENNA: In our guide to where to stay in Vienna you will find tips on the best neighbourhoods and accommodation in Vienna, including practical information.
HOW TO SAVE IN VIENNA: The Vienna City Card is one of the most popular ways to save in Vienna. Or take a look at the comparison between the Vienna City Card and the Vienna Pass.
AUSTRIAN ALPS: Get inspired by our tips on what to do in the Austrian Alps (hiking routes, excursions).
Tyrol is one of the most popular parts of the Austrian Alps, as is the Dachstein mountain range. If you want to enjoy the beautiful untouched nature of the High Tauern National Park, take a look at what to visit in the Hohe Tauern.
THINGS TO DO WITH CHILDREN: London is another city full of family-friendly activities. You can also enjoy a great holiday in Barcelona with children or in Amsterdam with children.
