Christmas in Vienna: markets and free audio guides
Vienna in December: 5 Christmas markets, the first opening on November 6 and the last closing on December 26. Mappu’s self-guided walk passes Stephansplatz, Am Hof, and Freyung, and the free audio guides tell the story of the places along the way.
Self-guided walks in Vienna
Free audio walks that connect the guides below into one route, with a map, distances and walking times.
St Stephen’s to the Hofburg, Vienna
6 stops · about 3.5 km · about 45 min on foot · about 39 min of audioSt Stephen’s Cathedral → Franciscan Church → Jesuit Church → Maria am Gestade → Minoritenkirche → Hofburg PalaceFree audio at every stop, or walk it with MappuSee the routeHofburg to the Belvedere, Vienna
4 stops · about 2.8 km · about 40 min on foot · about 26 min of audioHofburg Palace → Vienna State Opera → Karlskirche → Upper BelvedereFree audio at every stop, or walk it with MappuSee the route
Photo attribution
- St Stephen’s Cathedral: Shashank Verma
- Hofburg Palace: Jörg Bauer
Christmas markets: walk the old town
In the weeks before Christmas 2026, markets fill the squares of Vienna’s old town. Mappu’s free audio guides tell the story of the squares and the buildings around them, not of the stalls.
Market dates 2026
Stephansplatz
November 6 – December 26
Audio guide nearby: Saint Stephen's Cathedral Vienna
Am Hof
November 13 – December 23
Audio guide nearby: Kirche Maria am Gestade
Freyung
November 14 – December 23
Audio guide nearby: Minoritenkirche
Maria-Theresien-Platz
November 20 – December 26
Audio guide nearby: Hofburg Palace
Rathausplatz
November 13 – December 26
Audio guide nearby: Minoritenkirche
Official dates: wien.info · checked on October 19, 2026
The best Christmas markets in Europe
Walk the route: St Stephen’s to the Hofburg, ViennaAudio guides in Vienna
Saint Hieronymus at Franziskanerplatz
AustriaHofburg Palace
Austria
Jesuitenkirche (St. Ignatius)
Austria
Karlskirche
Austria
Kirche Maria am Gestade
Austria
Minoritenkirche
AustriaVienna Old Town
Austria
Vienna Ringstrasse
AustriaSchonbrunn Palace
AustriaSaint Stephen's Cathedral Vienna
Austria
Vienna State Opera
Austria
Upper Belvedere
Austria
Photo attribution
- Saint Hieronymus at Franziskanerplatz: Paul Hermans / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Hofburg Palace: Jörg Bauer
- Jesuitenkirche (St. Ignatius): © C.Stadler/Bwag; CC-BY-SA-4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Karlskirche: C.Stadler/Bwag / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Kirche Maria am Gestade: Jedesto / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Minoritenkirche: C.Stadler/Bwag / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Vienna Old Town: Paavel Liik
- Vienna Ringstrasse: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 de (CC BY-SA 3.0 de)
- Schonbrunn Palace: Alice Lomeu
- Saint Stephen's Cathedral Vienna: Shashank Verma
- Vienna State Opera: P e z i / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 at (CC BY-SA 3.0 at)
- Upper Belvedere: C.Stadler/Bwag / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Vienna 3 days: Shashank Verma
Planning a trip to Vienna?
Get your plan
Mappu sketches your days free in the chat, no account needed. Then take the full plan with you:
- Weekend trip, €9.99: Your day-by-day plan plus 2 live walks
- Save your trip’s free guides on your phone in the Mappu app: they play with no signal
Useful for your visit
Tickets, tours and practical extras for this trip, from Mappu's partners.
- Skip-the-line tour of Schönbrunn Palace and gardensViator · Partner(opens the partner's site in a new tab)
- Hofburg Palace and more: guided tourViator · Partner(opens the partner's site in a new tab)
- Vienna Old Town: guided tourViator · Partner(opens the partner's site in a new tab)
Partner links (Airalo, Amazon, Booking.com, GetYourGuide, Klook, Tiqets, Trip.com, Viator, Welcome Pickups): if you book or buy through them, Mappu may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.