December is one of the best months to visit Vienna. Expect daytime highs around 4°C, nights near -1°C and roughly 8 rainy days across the month. The Christmas markets run from mid-November to December 26, the biggest at Rathausplatz with hundreds of stalls, plus Belvedere, Schonbrunn, Spittelberg and Am Hof. Expect lows below freezing, mulled Punsch everywhere, heavy weekend crowds, and December hotel prices well above the winter norm.
Day high
4°C
Night low
-1°C
Rainy days
≈ 8
Verdict
Go
December is high demand: book 4 to 6 weeks out to keep these prices realistic.
Landmark stay€€€Grand dame since 1876 · Innere Stadt (Old Town)
The address behind the original Sachertorte, right behind the State Opera in the very center. It is old-world formal and priced for it; the cafe downstairs lets you taste the legend without booking a room.
from ~400 EUR/night
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Design lovers€€Art-filled townhouse · Neubau
A designer boutique hotel in a Neubau townhouse, each room styled differently and hung with real contemporary art. You are in the gallery-and-cafe 7th district, one tram stop from the MuseumsQuartier.
from ~150 EUR/night
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Sunset drinks€€Rooftop bar · Neubau
A playful circus-themed hotel with a rooftop bar that looks straight over the imperial rooftops. It sits between the MuseumsQuartier and the Neubau bars, so you can walk everywhere in the evening.
from ~130 EUR/night
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Budget€Modern hostel · Mariahilf
A well-run hostel steps from the Naschmarkt food stalls, with private rooms as well as dorms and a real bar. Vienna is expensive, and this is one of the few central beds that is not.
from ~40 EUR/night
Check pricesReal hotel photos · prices are indicative from-rates, not live quotes · booking links support the site at no extra cost
With 8 rainy days and highs of 4°C, build your December days around indoor anchors and treat sunny windows as a bonus.
Belvedere Palace (Klimt's The Kiss)
TipBook an Upper Belvedere timed ticket and go at 9am opening, because the room holding Klimt's The Kiss is the single most crowded spot in Vienna by late morning. See the Kiss first before doubling back through the rest of the collection, and skip the Lower Belvedere unless a special exhibition draws you; the formal gardens between the two palaces are free.
Kunsthistorisches Museum
TipThe Bruegel room, the largest collection of his paintings anywhere, is the reason to come, so head upstairs to the picture gallery first before the tour groups arrive. Pause for coffee and cake under the domed cafe on the first floor, one of the grandest museum cafes in Europe; the ticket also covers the Imperial Treasury in the Hofburg on separate days if you buy the combined pass.
Vienna State Opera
TipStanding-room tickets cost 13 to 18 EUR and go on sale about 80 minutes before curtain from the Operngasse side door, so join the queue at least an hour ahead for a good rail spot. Tie your scarf to the rail to hold your place, then step out; if you would rather sit, book seated tickets online weeks ahead, and note the opera closes for July and August.
Naschmarkt
TipCome before noon to browse the grocers, cheese counters and Middle Eastern stalls before the sit-down restaurants take over and the prices climb. The Saturday flea market at the Kettenbruckengasse end runs from around 6:30am to mid-afternoon and is the real draw; the market is closed Sundays, so plan your visit for a weekday morning or a Saturday.
Ready to plan the full trip? Start from the 3-day Vienna itinerary.
December is one of the best months to visit Vienna. Expect daytime highs around 4°C, nights near -1°C and roughly 8 rainy days across the month. The Christmas markets run from mid-November to December 26, the biggest at Rathausplatz with hundreds of stalls, plus Belvedere, Schonbrunn, Spittelberg and Am Hof. Expect lows below freezing, mulled Punsch everywhere, heavy weekend crowds, and December hotel prices well above the winter norm.
Typical December days in Vienna reach about 4°C, dropping to around -1°C at night. Layers work best.
Count on roughly 8 days with rain in December. Rain rarely lasts all day, so plans hold up well.