The 10 best excursion tips with children in Vienna

Here you can find my personal Viennese excursion tips. These are places we like to go with the children again and again. It is suitable for both small and large children.

What I can recommend to everyone, no matter if you are just visiting or living in Vienna, is an excursion to the zoo Schönbrunn. In the oldest zoo in the western world (Wikipedia says that the Aztecs near Mexico City had already a zoo and botanical garden… damn it) you can spend a whole day really easy. There are many animals to see (pandas, elephants, giraffes, polar bears and so on). There are several playgrounds, numerous food stands (in the summertime the ice cream maker Greissler sells his delicious organic Ice cream hhhhmmm) and restaurants – the children will surely love it.

One of Vienna’s landmarks is of course the old Ferris wheel in Vienna’s Prater. The Prater offers a wide range of games, sports and leisure activities for families with children. In front of the Prater (on the left-hand side, if you are standing in front of the “Herrrreinspaziert” entrance) there is a great big playground. The Würstelprater is a free amusement park with a ferris wheel and roller coaster in the middle of the city. The rides are to be paid individually. Follow Prater Hauptallee and walk through the green Prater with its large meadows and playgrounds.

Not necessarily something typical for Vienna, but nevertheless very worthwhile with children is the Technical Museum. Especially in bad weather, young children can playfully discover and learn a lot of things in the two playrooms “mini” and “mini mobile”.

The house of the sea is highly recommended for many reasons, mainly because of the great aquariums and animals you can admire here. But I also find the building itself very impressive, because it is an old Flakturm from the 2nd World War. Since this is quite high, you have a wonderful view over Vienna from the roof terrace.

A must-see for those who visit Vienna is of course Schönbrunn Palace. It is  an impressive castle and has a wonderful castle garden with a playground and a labyrinth. In the castle there is also a museum especially for children.

The Museumsquartier is centrally located and therefore ideal for visiting with children. There are many cultural institutions close together. The MUMOK – Museum of Modern Art and the Leopold Mueum are well known, both museums offer extra educational material for children (simply ask at the entrance) and special children’s art workshops. A courtyard further on, you will find the Dschungel a theatre for children and young people, as well as the Zoom Children’s Museum. And what I personally find brilliant in Vienna is the super children’s information, which is located in the same courtyard of the MQ together with the Zoom Children’s Museum and the Theaterhaus. Here you will find extensive information material for people living in Vienna as well as for tourists.

Close to the Museumsquartier is the Museum of Natural History, a museum that is always well received by children. Our son finds the Dino who can move best. In addition, this museum is housed in a magnificent Viennese building.

If you pass the Natural History Museum and cross the Ringstraße, you will reach the Hofburg directly. There are numerous museums in the Hofburg itself: Sisi Mseum, Imperial Apartments, the Silberkammer or the collections of old musical instruments belonging to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Hofjagd- und Rüstkammer, the Austrian National Library is also impressive. For children, the Spanish Riding School with its beautiful white Lipizzaner horses is probably the most exciting one. The demonstrations will take place in the indoor riding arena directly in the Hofburg. If you want to pay a little less, you can also look at the morning work.

If you want to get to know another Vienna, you should (especially in summer) go to the Old Danube. The original course of the Danube is now a standing water body and only serves as an overflow basin in the event of flooding. Here it is quieter, the houses are smaller, it is almost a bit rural and in summer there are many possibilities to go swimming for free.

Vienna Woods, vineyards and a great view of the city, all this can be found at Cobenzl. Up here you can easily find some peace and quiet in the Vienna Woods and there is a children’s farm and a large climbing playground “am Himmel”.