Travel · Vienna · Christmas markets
Vienna Christmas Markets 2026: Dates, Map, Opening Hours and What to Try
Vienna has more than a dozen Christmas markets, and they open on different days with different hours. I put the 2026 dates, a simple map by area, how to get there and what to try in one guide.
The facts come from the official Vienna tourism pages, checked in October 2026.
Vienna Christmas markets 2026: dates and opening hours
The first markets open on 6 November 2026, at Schönbrunn Palace and on Stephansplatz. Most of the others follow on 13 and 14 November, and the bigger centre markets run until 23 or 26 December. Schönbrunn and the Prater winter market stay open into early January.
I put the dates and hours of the main markets here in one place, taken from the city’s official tourism site. Hours can change by a few minutes or a day, so check the market’s own page for the day you plan to go.
- 6 Nov – 26 DecStephansplatz · daily 11–21 · 24 Dec until 16:00 · 25–26 Dec 11–19
- 6 Nov – 6 JanSchönbrunn Palace · daily 10–21 · 24 Dec until 16:00 · 25 Dec–6 Jan 10–19
- 13 Nov – 26 DecRathausplatz (Christkindlmarkt) · daily 10–22 · 24 Dec until 18:30
- 13 Nov – 23 DecAm Hof · Mon–Thu 11–21, Fri–Sun 10–21 · food until 22:00
- 13 Nov – 23 DecArt Advent, Karlsplatz · daily 12–20 · food until 21:00
- 13 Nov – 23 DecSpittelberg · Mon–Fri 14–21:30, Sat–Sun 11–21:30
- 14 Nov – 23 DecFreyung · daily 10–21
- 20 Nov – 26 DecMaria-Theresien-Platz · Mon–Fri 11–21, Sat–Sun 10–21
- 20 Nov – 31 DecBelvedere Palace · check hours on the official page · 24 and 31 Dec until 17:00
- 20 Nov – 6 JanRiesenradplatz, Prater · Mon–Fri 12–22, Sat–Sun 11–22 · 24 Dec until 17:00 · 31 Dec until 2:00
Vienna Christmas markets map: where each one is
Most of the well-known markets are in or just beside the Innere Stadt, the first district, so you can link several on foot. The ones in palace grounds need a short ride.
Walkable cluster: Stephansplatz, Am Hof and Freyung are a few minutes apart on the old-town side. Rathausplatz and the University campus market are on the Ring, and Maria-Theresien-Platz and Spittelberg sit near the museum quarter. Karlsplatz is on the southern edge of the centre.
Palaces and further out: Schönbrunn (1130), Belvedere (1030) and the Prater winter market on Riesenradplatz (1020) are each a trip of their own.
Vienna Christmas markets in one evening: a simple route
If you only have one evening, this order follows the opening hours, so you finish at the market that stays open longest.
Route 1, old town and City Hall: start at Stephansplatz (1, from 11:00), walk to Am Hof (4) and Freyung (7), and finish at Rathausplatz (3), which is open until 22:00. All four are in the first district, a short walk apart.
Route 2, crafts and the museum quarter: start at Karlsplatz (5), which closes first at 20:00, then walk to Maria-Theresien-Platz (8) and finish at Spittelberg (6), open until 21:30 and from 14:00 on weekdays.
Both routes work best from 20 November to 23 December, when every market on them is open. Route 1 is complete from 14 November, when Freyung opens. Before 13 November only Stephansplatz and Schönbrunn are open. From 24 to 26 December, only Stephansplatz, Rathausplatz and Maria-Theresien-Platz are open in the centre (all until 26 December), with shorter hours on 24 December. Schönbrunn, the Belvedere and the Prater winter market are open on those days too. After 26 December, only Schönbrunn, the Belvedere (until 31 December) and the Prater winter market remain.
Palaces and the Prater (2, 9, 10) are better as a separate trip. For how many days to plan, see the section on planning below.
Which Vienna Christmas market should you choose?
There is no single best market. The right one depends on what you want from the evening, so this is how I’d choose.
The classic first-timer pick: Rathausplatz. It is the biggest market in the centre, with the neo-Gothic City Hall as a backdrop, a children’s carousel and the Vienna Ice World skating area in the park beside it.
Setting: Schönbrunn for the palace and its skating and curling rinks, Belvedere for the Baroque gardens, and Stephansplatz for the stalls right against the cathedral.
Crafts and gifts: Art Advent on Karlsplatz and the Biedermeier lanes of Spittelberg have a more handmade, local focus. Freyung is known for traditional crafts and glass decorations, and Am Hof for handmade gifts.
With children: Rathausplatz, Schönbrunn, the University campus market (children’s railway and carousel) and the Prater winter market with its rides.
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There is no single best market; it depends on what you want from the evening.
Vienna Christmas lights: an evening walk in the centre
The markets are only part of it. In the evening the first district is decorated too, with light curtains over shopping streets, lit-up shopfronts and the Hofburg glowing at Michaelerplatz.
Walking between markets after dark is free, and it is a good way to link Stephansplatz with Am Hof, Freyung and Rathausplatz. Here are photos from an evening walk in the centre.
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How to get to the Vienna Christmas markets
Public transport is the easy way. A single ticket from Wiener Linien costs €3.00 when bought digitally (€3.20 on paper; the reduced fare for children aged 6 to 15 and a few other groups is €1.50 and €1.60) and is valid for up to 80 minutes in one direction, and a 24-hour ticket for Vienna starts from €9.70. Prices change, so check the official Wiener Linien page before you buy.
Underground stops beside the main markets: Stephansplatz (U1, U3), Rathaus (U2) and Volkstheater (U2, U3) for Rathausplatz, Maria-Theresien-Platz and Spittelberg, Karlsplatz (U1, U2, U4), Schönbrunn (U4) and Praterstern (U1) for the Prater. Tram D stops at Schloss Belvedere.
What to eat and drink at the Vienna Christmas markets
The classics are Glühwein (mulled wine) and non-alcoholic Punsch, usually served in a mug. Many stalls charge a deposit on the mug, which you get back when you return it; some people keep it as a souvenir. Ask at the stall.
Look for roasted chestnuts (Maroni), Kaiserschmarrn (shredded sweet pancake), Lebkuchen (gingerbread), Schaumrollen (cream-filled pastry) and Kasekrainer, the cheese-filled sausage. If a stall has a short queue of locals, I’d join it.
If you want dinner at a market, note that Am Hof serves food until 22:00 and Art Advent on Karlsplatz until 21:00.
Planning your visit: best time and how many days
Go on a weekday afternoon and stay until it gets dark, when the lights come on and the squares are at their best. Weekend evenings and the days around Advent Sundays are the busiest.
One evening is enough for a first look at Rathausplatz, Stephansplatz and a stroll through the old-town markets. Two days lets you add a palace market, and three gives time for Spittelberg, Karlsplatz and the Prater without rushing.
On 24 December the markets open with shorter hours (closing between 16:00 and 18:30), and those that end on 23 December are closed. Schönbrunn and Stephansplatz publish their own hours for 24, 25 and 26 December, so check the day you travel.
Vienna Christmas markets: quick answers
When do the Vienna Christmas markets start in 2026?
The first ones, Schönbrunn and Stephansplatz, open on 6 November 2026. Rathausplatz and most of the other central markets open on 13 November.
Are the Vienna Christmas markets worth it?
Yes, if you like atmosphere, crafts and seasonal food. The settings, with City Hall, the cathedral and the palaces, are what make Vienna’s markets different from a standard market square.
How many days do you need for the Vienna Christmas markets?
One evening covers the main centre markets. Two or three days let you add a palace market and the smaller crafts markets at a relaxed pace.
Which Vienna Christmas market is the best?
For a first visit I’d choose Rathausplatz for its size and Stephansplatz for the cathedral setting. For handmade gifts, Art Advent on Karlsplatz and Spittelberg are the better fit.
When do the markets close?
Most central markets close on 23 or 26 December. Schönbrunn and the Prater winter market stay open until 6 January, and Belvedere until 31 December.
