If you’re planning to visit Vienna in either late November or December, chances are you’ll end up stumbling upon at least one major Christmas Market.
This post provides useful details about the best and most festive markets in this city, including information about when they open and what you can expect to find at each location.
With over 1 million tours given, the guides of Free Tours By Foot have a lot of experience traveling and visiting some of the most historic and beautiful cities in the world, including Vienna.
Whenever possible, we ask for their opinions when compiling these articles, as they usually know which markets are best.
1. Christkindlmarkt
This is arguably the biggest and most well-known Christmas market in Vienna.
As you wander past the hundreds of booths selling all kinds of festive goods, you’ll likely spot the Tree of Hearts in the nearby Rathaus Park.
Located at the Rathausplatz in front of Town Hall, it’s relatively easy to find this massive holiday marketplace.
- Dates: November 10th - December 26th, 2023
- Hours: 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
- Christkindlmarkt closes early at 6:30 pm on December 24th
Activities
Visitors can enjoy ice skating during opening hours, and the skating rink actually remains open much longer than the Christmas market itself, closing on January 7th, 2024.
The nearby Rathaus Park is also home to the Tree of Hearts, a Ferris wheel, and a carousel.
The park itself typically features a lighting display for the holidays, giving you plenty of reason to at least take a quick walk through the area either before or after visiting Christkindlmarkt.
What do they sell?
Christkindlmarkt is mostly known for its food stalls, including traditional holiday favorites such as roasted chestnuts, Fladenbrot, chocolate-covered strawberries, and Christmas punch.
There are also some arts and crafts booths, novelty toys, and various other trinkets and baubles.
How to Get Here
There are a variety of ways to get here, especially by public transport. Here are the easiest methods:
- Bus Lines: 1a and 48a
- Subway Lines: U2 and U3
- Tram Lines: 2, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 46, and 49
2. Schönbrunn Palace
This one should be easy to find if you’re planning to tour the city, as it’s located right in front of Schönbrunn Palace, which is often included on many free Vienna walking tours.
Like Christkindlmarkt, you’ll also find a giant Christmas tree at this market as well.
Although there aren’t typically as many stalls here, you can still expect dozens of vendors to choose from.
- Dates: November 18th, 2023 - January 4th, 2024
- Hours: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
- This market closes at 4 pm on December 24th
- Hours change to 10:00 am - 6:00 pm on December 25th
- This Christmas market transforms into a Neujahrsmarkt (New Year’s market) on December 27th.
Activities
There is usually an open-air stage near the Christmas tree where you can expect to see a choir singing Christmas carols and other festive favorites.
You’ll likely also spot a large Nativity scene nearby.
What do they sell?
If you’re looking for Christmas decorations or unique gifts, this is one of the best Christmas markets in the city.
You’ll find dozens of stalls offering a variety of arts and crafts, candlemakers, potters, wood carvers, and other artists producing one-of-a-kind items.
You can also expect to find plenty of vendors selling food, including a festive favorite known as kaiserschmarren.
You’ll also find warming foods such as soup, dumplings, and more.
How to Get Here
Since this market is just outside one of the top tourist destinations in the city, there are plenty of ways to get here using public transportation or even a hop-on hop-off bus tour. Here are the closest stops:
- Bus Lines: 10A, 56A, 56B, 58A, 58B
- Subway Lines: U4
- Tram Lines: 10, 60
3. Belvedere Palace
This is yet another Christmas market you’re likely to stumble upon simply by taking a free Vienna walking tour, as it’s right next to the Belvedere Palace.
Compared to some of the other options on this list, you’ll find that this market is a bit smaller than others, with around 15-20 stalls selling a variety of goods.
- Dates: November 17th, 2023 - December 31st, 2023
- Weekday Hours: 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
- Weekend Hours: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
- Closes at 4 pm on December 24th
- Closes at 7 pm on December 25th, 26th
- Turns into a New Year’s Market on December 27th
Activities
You’ll typically find a carousel and even a reindeer train nearby, giving the kids something to do while you’re shopping.
If you haven’t seen the Belvedere yet, they house an excellent collection of art that you might want to see as well.
What do they sell?
This Christmas market offers a variety of options including both food and gifts.
Visitors can expect stalls selling jewelry, wooden toys, drinking horns, and other handcrafted items.
There are also vendors selling mulled wine, kaiserschmarren, and other traditional Austrian dishes.
How to Get Here
Located near one of the major tourist attractions in Vienna, there are several different ways to get here using either public transportation or even hop-on hop-off bus tours.
Here are some of the closest stops:
- Subway Lines: U1
- Tram Lines: D, O, 18, 71
4. Spittelberg
If you’re looking for another fairly big Christmas market, Spittelberg is one of the better options in Vienna.
They typically have hundreds of vendors selling an interesting mix of both gifts and festive dishes.
One thing that sets this location apart from other markets is that it isn’t located in a public square, but rather you’ll find the booths lining the streets of the neighborhood.
- Dates: November 16th, 2023 - December 23rd, 2023
- Mon - Thur Hours: 2:00 pm - 9:00 pm
- Friday Hours: 2:00 pm - 9:30 pm
- Saturday Hours: 10:00 am - 9:30 pm
- Sunday Hours: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Activities
Since the area of this market is more confined, you won’t find the same kind of attractions here that you will at other Christmas markets, and it’s probably a better spot for visitors shopping on their own.
You will find a lot of art galleries, bars, and other little shops lining the streets, and the buildings themselves date back hundreds of years, providing a unique atmosphere for the holidays.
What do they sell?
Shoppers can expect to find a mix of arts and crafts, blown glass items, leather goods, and more.
You’ll find food booths as well, selling all kinds of interesting dishes including roasted almonds, pulled pork sandwiches, and arancini.
Perhaps the best thing about the Spittelberg Christmas market is that it has been certified as an environmentally-friendly event!
How to Get Here
Although this market isn’t right next to a popular landmark, there are still quite a few public transport stops located nearby, including the following options:
- Bus Lines: 2A and 48A
- Subway Lines: U3
- Tram Lines: 49
5. Karlsplatz
Also known as Art Advent, this Vienna Christmas market focuses mainly on artistic gifts and trinkets.
Like many other markets on our list, you’ll find this one in a large plaza that is often included on some free Vienna walking tours.
You can expect to find around 80 vendors selling various goods, and there will be plenty of food and drink for shoppers as well.
- Dates: November 24th, 2023 - December 23rd, 2023
- Hours: 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm daily
Activities
Although this Christmas market is located in a fairly large public square, there aren’t a whole lot of additional activities to enjoy beyond shopping.
Families will find arts and crafts activities and a carousel nearby.
What do they sell?
As the name implies, Art Advent actually requires vendors to create the products they sell, ensuring a wide variety of unique and artistic gifts such as clothing, jewelry, and more.
The food stalls sell a few traditional dishes such as roasted chestnuts and mulled wine, but you can expect far more vendors to sell different foods such as potato goulash and raclette.
How to Get Here
Since this is a public square, there are a lot of public transportation stops nearby, including the following:
- Bus Lines: 4A
- Subway Lines: U1, U4
- Tram Lines: 1, 62, BB
6. Maria-Theresien-Platz
Located between the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Natural History Museum, this is one of the biggest Christmas markets in Vienna.
You can expect around 70-75 booths to be selling a variety of arts, crafts, and of course festive foods.
Like some other markets, this one turns into a New Year’s Market on December 27th.
- Dates: November 15th, 2023 - December 31st, 2023
- Sun - Thur Hours: 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
- Fri - Sat Hours: 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
- Closes at 4 pm on December 24th
- Closes at 7 pm from December 25th - 30th
- Closes at 6 pm on December 31st
Activities
Since this market is between two museums, you can of course visit them and take in some excellent art and natural history.
There are also two fountains in this public square, but beyond that, there aren’t any particularly festive activities here.
What do they sell?
The Maria-Theresien-Platz Christmas market features a variety of vendors, including candlemakers, wooden toys, and even snow globes.
You’ll also find plenty of food stalls selling all kinds of local dishes such as sausage, pastries, mulled wine, and even chocolate-dipped fruits.
How to Get Here
Thanks to its central location, you’ll find plenty of public transportation options. Here are the closest stops:
- Bus Lines: 48A
- Subway Lines: U2, U3
- Tram Lines: D, 1, 2, 46, 49, 71
7. Stephansplatz
You’ll find this Christmas market right next to Stephansdom, also known as St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
Set amidst the beautiful Gothic architecture, you will find a giant Christmas tree and at least 40 stalls selling a variety of holiday gifts and festive foods.
Even better, there are frequent horse-drawn carriages offering service in the area, allowing you to easily travel from one end to the other while still feeling as though you’ve stepped back in time.
- Dates: November 10th, 2023 - December 26th, 2023
- Hours: 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
- Closes at 4 pm on December 24th
- Closes at 7 pm on December 25th and 26th
Activities
Aside from the Christmas tree and the carriage rides, there are also a lot of excellent shops in the area where you can continue shopping if you haven’t quite found what you’re looking for in the holiday marketplace.
There are also a lot of great Christmas light displays nearby, giving you something to enjoy on your walk back home.
What do they sell?
The Stephansplatz Christmas market has some of the best variety of all the markets in Vienna, including gifts such as snow globes, homemade wool hats, handmade decorations, candles, and more.
When it comes to food, there’s a nice mix of holiday favorites like roasted almonds and local dishes like hot sausages, potato fritters, and even bread bowls with hot soup inside.
How to Get Here
This is another market close to a major landmark, so it should be accessible in a variety of ways, including hop-on and hop-off bus tours.
- Bus Lines: 1A, 2A, 3A
- Subway Lines: U1, U3
8. Altes AKH
This is one of the better Christmas markets for families and visitors who just want to enjoy some great food in a festive marketplace.
They focus mostly on food and drink, but the locale is also perfect for kids.
In addition to all the food stalls, there are also a lot of great restaurants around here serving authentic Austrian meals, so you won’t have much trouble finding something good to eat!
- Dates: November 10th, 2023 - December 23rd, 2023
- Mon-Wed Hours: 2:00 pm - 10:00 pm
- Thur - Fri Hours: 2:00 pm - 11:00 pm
- Saturday Hours: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
- Sunday Hours: 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
Activities
One of the reasons this market is great for kids is that there is a playground nearby.
They also regularly have special holiday activities such as a Christmas train, pony rides, and more.
Best of all, Altes AKH doesn’t tend to be as crowded as other markets, so it’s usually safer for families.
When you’re done enjoying all the activities with your children, you can grab a bite to eat at one of the festive food stalls or a restaurant in the area.
What do they sell?
While they don’t have a lot of traditional holiday booths, you will find a few selling things like clothing, jewelry, and other specialty items.
For the most part, this Christmas market is all about the food, and there’s plenty to choose from.
In addition to traditional fare such as sausages, you can also expect to find festive drinks such as Christmas punch, roasted chestnuts, mulled wine, and more.
How to Get Here
This is a bit further from the city center, but it’s still quite easy to get here using public transportation.
- Bus Lines: 13A
- Subway Lines: U2, U6
- Tram Lines: 5, 33, 43, 44
9. Hirschstetten Botanical Garden
If you’re looking for a more unique setting, this Christmas market is actually located in a botanical garden.
While you’re enjoying the wonderful flora on display, you’ll also have the opportunity to do a little holiday shopping!
There are roughly 50 stands available at this holiday market, ensuring you’ll have plenty to choose from.
- Dates: November 23rd, 2023 - December 23rd, 2023
- Thur - Sun Hours: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Activities
This event usually has a theme related to the holidays, and they often hold festive musical performances at 5 p.m. every day.
There are also usually at least a few small rides, making this an excellent option for kids.
The botanical garden is decorated for the holidays, giving visitors a beautiful visual feast while they enjoy some Christmas shopping.
What do they sell?
There is a good mix of market stalls here, including both festive foods and unique handmade gifts.
Visitors can also expect a variety of decorations and knitted clothing items, making for the perfect memento.
When it comes to food, all the traditional fare is available such as Christmas punch, roasted chestnuts, holiday biscuits, and more.
You can also of course expect popular Austrian dishes like sausages and baked potatoes.
How to Get Here
While there aren’t a lot of easy ways to get here, there are at least two decent public transportation options to consider.
- Subway Lines: U1
- Tram Lines: 26
10. Wintermarkt am Riesenradplatz
Although this isn’t the biggest Christmas market in Vienna, it is a popular option thanks to the fact that it’s located next to the giant Ferris Wheel.
This is an excellent spot for families but be warned that there aren’t a lot of market stalls despite the noteworthy location.
In total, you can expect about 20 stands to be available, mostly offering festive food and drink.
- Dates: November 18th, 2023 - January 7th, 2024
- Weekday Hours: 12:00 pm - 10:00 pm
- Weekend Hours: 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
- Closes at 5 pm on December 24th
- Open from 11 am - 2 am on New Year’s Eve
Activities
The main attraction here is of course the Ferris wheel, and you can expect it to be quite busy.
In addition to that, you can also expect plenty of musical performances throughout the season from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. from Wednesday to Sunday each week.
Madame Tussauds is nearby, but most people will probably stick to the other amusement rides that are typically set up in the area.
What do they sell?
If you’re looking for the perfect gift, this might not be the best Christmas market in Vienna.
However, if you’re in the mood for family fun and good food, this is one of the best options in the city.
You can expect a variety of festive favorites including hot chocolate, Christmas punch, and chocolate-covered fruit.
They also have Austrian standards like sausage, goulash soup, and more.
How to Get Here
Since Prater and the giant Ferris Wheel are popular destinations, there are plenty of easy ways to get here by public transportation.
- Bus Lines: 5B and 80A
- Subway Lines: U1 and U2
- Tram Lines: 5 and O
- City Trains: S1, S2, S3, S4, S7
