Lipizzaner Horses

Nobody can promise on-time air arrival. Month, Year, and Day of the week? (Rush hour traffic.) Number of travelers? All US citizens? Is one less interested, and thus willing to go the hotel with the luggage? You didn't name the departure or arrival airport, number of segments, or say where your hotel is (luggage might not be allowed at the horse ring.) In my experience with United from EWR and JFK, there's a good chance. But you should plan to pay for a taxi or car service, unless the hotel is near a train connection to the airport.

I personally would take a chance on it, but I can afford to lose the tickets. Note that there is a related show in Jerez, Spain, if your travels will take you there.

Direct flight from Boston in December, arriving on a Saturday. We will take a cab/uber to our hotel. It’s a 12 minute walk to the venue.

Have you considered attending the Morning Exercise on another date instead? It's not a dress rehearsal, but you will at least get to see the horses being worked.

https://www.srs.at/en/tickets-events/training-vienna-2-1/

The setting is elegant but this is a practice session and the horses are young and inexperienced so you will not be wowed until the very end when a veteran horse is brought in and does two fancy moves and then it’s over. No photos are allowed either. I would never go again nor recommend it.

I would never go again nor recommend it.

I, on the other hand, actually enjoyed it - which is why I suggested it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the practice session and felt no need to see any other performance. Also note that the stable area is very close to the public street and you can see the horses lounging about in their stalls and glimpse their everyday life. I went back the following day just to hang out there for awhile.

Thanks all. I’m going to try the morning exercises. Less stress, less $$.

I hope you enjoy it! I got some great pictures of the horses looking out of their stalls into the corral, or whatever they call it in Austria. You can take pictures of the horses outside of the arena.

A couple years ago we attended a Saturday (11:00) performance. While we can't tell an equestrian jump from a skip, we enjoyed the experience more from a historical appreciation standpoint; taking part in something Vienna began in 1735 for guests of the court. If it's your first time in Wien, would recommend seeing as another layer of what makes the city unique.

As an aside, during our October visit I happened to catch the horses being taken from stalls' yard across the street to their exercise facility early one morning. This was at around 06:15 when I was out and about with my camera, catching morning-light photo opps while family slept. Not sure if this occurs at/around 06:00 in all seasons (incl December?), or perhaps it's just at 'first light' when they do this, but it was incredible to be standing there as they slowly paraded past, single-file, with NO ONE else there. The riders all gave friendly nods' and Guten Morgan's as they strolled by, fine with having their picture taken. Mentioning in case you're staying near SRS and want to take your chances with early-morning glimpse.

Matt thanks for the insight to the early morning schooling. Wish I would have known last year. I would have been watching the parade every morning.

I loved the performance and schooling session. I used to be a dressage rider and have a fairly good eye for what the horse and rider are doing.

I also loved the morning training session! The horses are beautiful and I thought it was defintely worth the time. Enjoy Vienna - it's one of my favorite cities.