A local shares his thoughts on the pros and cons of each season in Vienna
I’ve been living in Vienna for the past 4 years. Wien, how the locals call this city. And I feel this grants me a very unique view of Austria’s capital. I’m not a tourist, and yet I still see the city with the eyes of someone who is not blind to the unique beauty and the challenges the UNESCO World Heritage status brings.
But before I give you the month-by-month breakdown, I’d like to assure you that Vienna is one of these rare places on this planet that will be beautiful year-round. Some months might be less crowded while others might be more expensive, but at the end of the day, I don’t think you will ever regret visiting my hometown.
Here’s my opinion of each month:
January
Vienna is mostly empty. Some tourists might extend their stay to attend the famous New Year’s concert, but most will have left. January also marks the beginning of the high season for the famous Viennese ball season. Mostly, this is a local thing, and few international tourists will attend them (which is a shame!).
A typical day in January will be overcast and grey, and a bit above freezing temperatures. Strong winds often make it feel a lot colder than it actually is. Snow is very rare, but remains a possibility. On the bright side, there will be almost no queues in front of any attractions, and hotel prices are typically on the lower end as well.
February
February is my personal favorite month of the year because I get to have the city all for myself. There are no tourists blocking each and every path in the many parks or the aisles of the world-famous museums. Much like January, the weather is quite miserable. It’s almost never cold enough to snow, always windy, and it’s a very rare day when you see the sun.
That being said, it’s also one of the driest months of the year.
March
Vienna is slowly waking up from its slumber. Not a lot of international tourists are yet flying in, but coaches from neighboring countries (Italy, Slovenia, etc.) are starting to arrive – mainly on the weekends. Temperatures are starting to rise again, and the sun will typically be out a lot more. While rare, there are often sunny days when you won’t even need a coat anymore.
April
April marks the beginning of the international tourist season. River boats are starting to arrive, and the city will typically be quite busy around Easter (mainly due to European tourists making use of the national holidays). The weather can be quite erratic, and it’s typically a mixture of sunny (almost hot) days, with maybe a week sprinkled in between that can be an entirely miserable mix of rain and unusually cold weather.
Spring flowers will transform the many parks and gardens, and it will be a joy to explore the Easter markets that pop up here and there. Personally speaking, April would not be my first choice to visit Vienna. The weather is just not stable enough, while queues can be horrible close to the holidays.
May
Personally, I’d say May is the best time to visit Vienna. While May is typically the month with the most rain, Vienna is, all things considered, a very dry city to begin with. So, don’t let that deceive you. I like this month because the temperatures are pleasant (typically in the 60s Fahrenheit; ~18-20°Celsius) without being hot. You WILL walk around a LOT, and I just feel there’s no need to intentionally torture yourself by adding excessive summer heat.
June
June is also an excellent choice. While you will definitely notice that the tourist high season has started, it will still be a rare day that you see excessive queues. Occasionally, the weather will be quite hot already, but it’s usually manageable.
June is typically also the month when the outside life really gets going. Bars along the banks of the Danube Canal will start to get busy, and most restaurants will open up their terraces for the summer. In places like Karlsplatz, little outside pop-up dance halls will open up, and there will also be summer concerts and the like.
July
Possibly the worst month to visit Vienna, in my opinion. Temperatures get really high. In recent years, there have been long weeks that were 95°F/35°C. Especially international tourists who are used to having A/C in every building, will be shocked to notice that modern technology and ancient castles, palaces, and churches don’t go well together. Even a lot of hotels will not have A/C.
And yet, July will be the month with tourists because so many of the neighboring countries use the summer holidays to tour around Austria. Every street in the inner city will be virtually congested by huge tourist groups (mostly Chinese coach trips and North American river cruises) running oblivious after their guides, not noticing they are literally blocking everyone else.
It’s also the month when most locals will vaccate the city to enjoy their summer holidays elsewhere and (in recent years) try to escape the heat in the inner city.
Note: Most opera houses, theatres, and concert houses will be on their summer break
August
August is typically just as hot as July, but a lot of the European tourists start to vacate the city towards the second half (because school has started again). It will still be very crowded but the queues are typically a bit more manageable in front of the tourist highlights.
Note: Please also note that all opera houses, theatres, and concert houses will be on their summer break (or playing in Salzburg and similar festivals outside the city).
September
Theaters, Opera houses, and concert houses slowly resume their performances. Premiers typically happen a bit later in the season, but you will be able to attend a well-aged older production for sure. Normally, the weather is very stable and sometimes still on the hotter side. Tourists’ levels have significantly dropped, but it will still be very far from having the city all on your own.
October
October is an excellent choice if you want to avoid the crowds. Temperatures are still quite stable, and you will be able to see some fall foliage in the surrounding parks and forests. Don’t expect anything too impressive, but I do like this time of the year to go on extended walks or to explore the many parks, castles, and highlights in the vicinity of Vienna.
It’s also the month when I will first notice that the city starts to get empty, and I don’t have crude curses on the tip of my tongue whenever I need to venture into the pedestrian area.
November
Next to January and February, this is definitely as low as the season ever gets in Vienna. November is typically one of these miserable months – more so because your body still longs for those warmer days but is confronted with grey, windy, wet coldness instead. It can be a good time to visit if you are mainly focusing on indoor activities. You avoid the crowds, hotels haven’t hiked up their prices for Christmas yet, and if you are into classical music, there will be lots of choices (with no other tourists competing over the leftover tickets) on top of that.
Please be aware that many of the parks and gardens will be packed up for winter already. Fountains won’t be running anymore, and statues will be wrapped up as well. On the plus side, the ball season officially starts on November 11th.
December
December is typically the busiest month of the year. Mainly because so many tourists want to attend the Christmas markets. Personally, I’d say it is NOT worth it. Setting aside that I believe that there are many cities in Europe with better Christmas markets (Dresden would be my top choice), everything will be packed to the brim. Prices are typically also ridiculous, and it’s highly unlikely you will experience any snow.
I understand the allure, but I don’t believe Vienna will be able to deliver. Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think you will regret it. I’m just saying that you can get more for your money elsewhere, and you should consider visiting Vienna in a different month. In recent years, more and more locals have stopped going to the Christmas markets altogether because they have become too expensive, too touristy, too tacky, and too busy.
I consider myself a Christmas person. I am one of these people who start decorating in mid-November and keep up the tree way into January. If a question even remotely has “Christmas” or “Christmas market” in it, I don’t even need to hear the end, and I will say “Yes”. I rarely go to any of the many markets in Vienna. We typically travel to other cities because we just don’t enjoy the vibe, the food, and the trinkets being sold.
If you still want to go, I recommend taking a look at the opening hours. Vienna’s Christmas markets typically start in November, and some of them are open up until New Year’s Eve (or even longer). To avoid the big crowds, I suggest going either early or late in the season. The later you go, the higher the chances for snow.
Last thoughts
Again, I would like to reiterate that there really is no true bad time to visit Vienna. My hometown is also never truly empty. There are ~ 9 million tourists every year. That may not be as much as Paris, Venice, or London, but it’s still the 37th most visited city in the world and number 11 in Europe. Seeing mostly other tourists and queues everywhere is part of the deal, and nothing you can truly escape.
Please also consider that most attractions in Vienna are indoor or mostly indoor. As such, my main concern wouldn’t be the weather outside but rather hotel prices and the crowds. If my relatives ask me when to visit, I always tell them May, September, or October. Those are excellent choices, where you can experience the full breadth of what Austria’s capital has to offer without having to stand in line wherever you go.
I would try to avoid July or December as much as possible, if the rest of your itinerary allows it.
