Vienna in December with teen/tween boys

I’ve got two boys as well, a teen and tween. What’s on your list? Surely, ice skating at the Rathaus and one of the New Year’s Markets. I also hope you’ve got lots of cake on your list, too. I think the Vienna Pass is a crazy idea unless you plan to run from museum to museum (not recommended!).

Thank you! The list still includes: Hofburg & Schonbrunn Palaces, St. Stephen's, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Albertina, Haus der Musik (both kids like music), &, yes, we were hoping to find some ice skating & a NY market (do you have a recommendation?). I'm not sure if that is too long or too short of a list - we have a second tier of sights as well, but also don't mind narrowing further if necessary. We are seeing Hansel & Gretel one night at the opera. I'm just not sure how to arrange what to see - in other words, what can be done together in the morning, what could be next in an afternoon - anything that should be saved until evening (so many things close early this time of year, it seems) - the order of operations, so to speak. Input is appreciated!

We enjoyed watching Spanish Riding School horses practicing their routines and I think your whole family would like it too.

You could combine Schönbrunn Palace with the TMW (Museum of Technology), or the KHM (Museum of Fine Arts) with the NHM (Museum of Natural History). Those locations are very close to each other, respectively.

Both the TMW and the NHM are very appealing to kids, knowing from own experience.

Thank you - helpful to know what is near each other as we try to fit in the things unique to Vienna on our trip - & there is so much! :-)

Hi
Here is a list of places I'd visit with my son traveling to Viena:

1) Vienna Museum of Technology;
2) Schönbrunn Palace (From the Vienna Museum of Technology it’s just a short walk to Schönbrunn Palace, so that’s where we headed next).
3) Schönbrunn Zoo;
4) Haus der Musik / Vienna House of Music;
5) Time Travel Vienna;
6) The Prater;
7) House of the Sea – Aqua Terra Zoo;
Have a wonderful trip!

We were in Vienna between Christmas and New Years and it was fairly busy and crowded at that time of year, esp. the Hoffburg and Schonbrunn. in 2.5 days, I think I would only pick one of those and I would do it first thing on one of the mornings. There is only so much time I would want to stand in a long crowd of people shuffling along.... My college aged "kids" enjoyed the Natural History Museum, a carriage ride, shopping and eating the most. We all enjoyed the apple strudel demonstration and tasting out at Schonbrunn.

We didn't buy the Vienna pass.

Most of the best things are inside the area circled by Ringstrasse or very close, so can see a lot even for a short time. Many of those are presented in this film so see for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlesrbocbBQ

Thank you - the suggestions helped us narrow our itinerary!

Juts got back from Vienna last night. I found the city really easy to navigate with public transportation using a combo of tram and subway. I also walked a lot. I did not get the Vienna pass as it just did not make monetary sense to me. I usually look at the city pass and see what I would be interested in and what the cost would be to see if it makes sense. For Vienna, it did not make sense for me. I purchased the Sissy ticket online ahead of my trip which was great as it provided access the Schonbrunn as well as the Hofburg palace. It also allowed me to skip the line which was nice. I enjoyed St Stephan's and joined the catacombs tour which was really neat.
Also recommend the Opera House tour. Ice skating at Rathaus was so much fund.

Enjoy your trip!

They're boys. Take them to the armor displays at the Hofjagd, and the tanks at the Museum of Military History. Also the Technical Museum for cars, motorcycles, and science.