Vienna Christmas markets 2026: dates and times

Vienna has more than a dozen Christmas markets, and the best known are all in the city centre or a few metro stops from it. The short answer for 2026: the big Vienna Christmas Market (Wiener Christkindlmarkt) on Rathausplatz opens on Friday 13 November and closes on 26 December. The first to open are Schönbrunn Palace and Stephansplatz, on 6 November; Schönbrunn stays open until 6 January 2027. Most of the smaller markets in the old town end on 23 December.

Vienna Christmas markets 2026: all dates

Season: calendar days from the first to the last day. All dates from the City of Vienna's tourist board and the official website of the market on Rathausplatz (see sources), as of October 2026.

Two things to note. After 23 December, only a handful of markets stay open: Rathausplatz, Stephansplatz and Maria-Theresien-Platz until 26 December, the Belvedere until 31 December, and Schönbrunn and the Riesenradplatz until 6 January. And on 24 December, the markets that are open close early – Rathausplatz at 18:30, Schönbrunn at 16:00.

Opening times

Weekday afternoons are the quietest time. On Friday and Saturday evenings in December, Rathausplatz and Stephansplatz get very crowded; Spittelberg is busy too, but in narrow lanes it feels different.

The markets at a glance

Vienna Christmas Market on Rathausplatz. The largest and best-known market stands in front of the neo-Gothic City Hall, with the trees of the Rathauspark hung with lights. Next to it, the Ice Dream (Eistraum) ice rink runs from 13 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, daily 10:00 to 22:00, closed on 31 December. With children, this is the place to start.

Schönbrunn Palace. In the courtyard in front of the palace, with the yellow façade as a backdrop – the most elegant setting of all, and the longest season, until Epiphany. Easy to combine with a visit to the palace; tickets for Vienna sights^* are on Tiqets.

Spittelberg. In the Biedermeier lanes of the 7th district, behind the MuseumsQuartier: crafts, small stalls, mulled wine in the courtyards. Many Viennese prefer it to the big squares. It opens only at 14:00 on weekdays.

Belvedere. In front of the Upper Belvedere, where Klimt's "The Kiss" hangs; smaller, with the palace reflected in the pond. Open until New Year's Eve.

Karlsplatz, Am Hof and Freyung. Three quieter markets in the old town: Art Advent at Karlsplatz in front of the Karlskirche, with arts and crafts; Am Hof and the Old Viennese Christmas market on the Freyung, both a few minutes' walk from each other.

How to see the markets in one or two days

The old-town markets are close enough to link on foot:

• Afternoon: start at Stephansplatz, then walk through the Graben to Am Hof and on to the Freyung. From there it is a few minutes to Rathausplatz.
• Evening: Rathausplatz after dark, with the lit-up City Hall, then a short walk past the parliament to Maria-Theresien-Platz and on to Spittelberg for the evening.
• Second day: Schönbrunn in the morning with the palace, the Belvedere in the afternoon, and Karlsplatz in between.

If you arrive or leave the same day, you can leave your bags at luggage storage in central Vienna^* (Radical Storage), so you do not have to carry them through the crowds.

Getting there and where to stay

From the UK, Vienna is about two to two and a half hours by plane from London. From the airport, the City Airport Train and the S-Bahn run into the city; the airport's website lists the current connections. For a late arrival with luggage, a transfer from Vienna airport^* can be booked with Welcome Pickups.

For a market weekend, stay in the Innere Stadt – everything on foot, but the most expensive – or in Neubau near Spittelberg and the MuseumsQuartier, from where Rathausplatz and the old town are a short walk. Hotels fill up early for Advent weekends, so book ahead. Travelling from outside the EU, a travel eSIM for Austria^* (Airalo) is usually cheaper than roaming; our eSIM price index compares the prices per gigabyte.

Weather in December

Vienna is cold and often dry in December: on average about 5.5 °C by day and -0.1 °C at night, with 46 mm of rain over the month (ERA5, 2015–2024, see our article how many days in Vienna). Frost at night is normal, snow possible but not certain. Warm shoes, a hat and gloves make an evening at the markets far more pleasant. YesTrip shows you the forecast for your actual travel days and suggests matching clothes in the packing list.

More than markets: Advent in Vienna

Between the markets, Vienna is made for Advent: coffee houses, the Christmas lights on the Graben and Kohlmarkt, a concert in one of the churches, a ride on the Ferris wheel at the Prater, where the winter market stands at its foot. Our three-day plan for Vienna combines the old town, Schönbrunn, the museums and the Prater and fits well around the markets.

If you want to combine Vienna with other cities, our guide to the best Christmas markets in Europe compares twelve cities, and the Munich Christmas markets 2026 are a short train ride away.

Vienna trip planDay by day, with map and tips

Also for the same trip: Bratislava Christmas market 2026, Graz Christmas markets 2026.

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