A few days in Vienna

What are your dates? I can have a look at availability and make recommendations.

What are your interests? Museums? Music? Art? Architecture? Hiking? Wine? Any hints?

See an opera at the Staatsoper Wien (Vienna State Opera). Though I am a classical music fan, I like orchestral music, having been to at least 40-50 performances. In 2015, when I was in Vienna, I thought why not see an opera? I saw Richard Strauss' Salome, my first opera ever. I enjoyed it! I've seen four performances since with Vienna my first. And it was fun seeing the Vienna upper crust in their furs and top hats.

Take a bicycle or tram tour of the Ringstrasse, a 3.5-mile-long circular boulevard enclosing old Vienna. The Ringstrasse mirrors the old city wall, which is long gone. There are at 20 or so sites along the street. I rented a bicycle for the day through the WienMobil Rad bike-sharing service for a $5 and followed the list of sites in Rick Steves' book. If you don't want to bicycle, you could use the tram on the Ringstrasse. I believe your ticket allows you to hop on, hop off and hop on the next tram over a certain amount of time. Consult Rick's guidebook about this.

We'll be in Vienna beginning September 26th through October 1st. We love to support local businesses and I'm a former chef so I enjoy experiencing local cuisine. Our preference is outdoor activities and immersing ourselves into the local culture.

A first-time visitor must see what makes Vienna famous: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/austria/vienna. Scroll down to the At a Glance section and click on the + sign on the right. My favorites are the Hofburg Imperial Apartments and Hofburg Treasury, the Kunsthistorisches Museum and Schönbrunn Palace.

Vienna in three days:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/austria/things-i-must-see-in-about-2-5-days#2280753

I had a look on booking.com with your dates. Not sure of your budget, so I'm proving a few recommendations with a range of prices. These are smaller hotels that I would describe as boutique.

1. Boutique Hotel Das Tyrol - the original boutique hotel in Vienna located on a very popular shopping street. The MuseumsQuartier is nearly adjacent and the Ring is walkable, but you can easily take a subway two stops to get into the city center.

2. Small Luxury Hotel Altstadt Vienna - Great location in a trendy area (Ulrich, Adlerhof are great restaurants) with good connections to the city center and also walkable.

3. The Guesthouse Vienna - Probably the best breakfast I have had in Vienna and the location cannot be beat. Very nice place.

4. Hotel König von Ungarn - Also in the first district and very charming.

5. Hotel Indigo - a newer, modern look but a preferred hotel for business visitors I host. They go back again and again. Location is great, with a subway station right across the street that will take you easily to Schonbrunn or to the city center in less than 10 minutes. Many say that the nearby Café Rüdigerhof has the best schnitzel in Vienna. The Naschmarket is also near.

6. Hotel Spiess and Spiess - In a quiet green corner of the 3rd district with the U3 subway line at the doorstep. You can be in the center in about 5-10 minutes. Very close to my favorite market, Rochusmarkt. I go every Saturday morning.

7. Magda's Hotel - Also in the 3rd District, location is quiet and there is a great garden/bar area. The city center is within walking distance or you can take the O Tram to get closer. This hotel is a social project that supports immigrants and refugees through employment. Very high standard hotel.

If you like food and the outdoors, then I highly recommend that you take the 38A bus up to Kahlenberg for a vineyard walk and eat - stopping at Mayer am Nussdorf Buschenschank on the way down. I also very much recommend you visit some of the markets - I think that Karmelitermark, Rochusmarkt and Yppenplatz are the best markets in town (Naschmarkt is very touristy). Finally, consider renting a small motorboat from Marina Hofbauer and explore the Alte Donau - so nice.

Thank you for all the great suggestions! I noticed that we will be there during the Vienna wine hiking days. Is this event something we should try to include during our visit?

My sister and I were just in Vienna. You might find my trip report helpful:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/sisters-in-vienna-and-prague-our-trip-report

Yes the wine hiking days are amazing.