Vienna · December
Vienna in December with kids
| Place | Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rathausplatz Christmas Market | 13 Nov to 26 Dec 2026, 10:00 to 22:00 | 24 December until 18:30. Ice World continues to 6 January 2027 and is closed 31 December. |
| Schönbrunn Christmas Market | 6 Nov 2026 to 6 Jan 2027, 10:00 to 21:00 | 24 December until 16:00. 25 December to 6 January until 19:00. |
| Schönbrunn Park, November and December | 06:30 to 17:30 | Park free. Children's Museum daily 10:00 to 17:00. Maze hours not published past 2 November 2026. |
| ZOOM Kindermuseum | Tue to Fri 08:30 to 16:00 | Sat, Sun and holidays 09:45 to 17:15. Monday closed. Book from 10 days ahead. |
December in Vienna is two markets with children's rides and a park that shuts at 17:30. The Vienna with kids page already covers Wiener Linien child fares, the City Card and ZOOM booking. This page is the 2026 stall dates, Ice World, and the Schönbrunn winter gate.
wien.info, Schönbrunn and MuseumsQuartier were opened on 14 October 2026. Climate tables on vienna.info are images. Only the prose (around 0°C, less snow than the Alps) is used.
Rathausplatz: stalls, then the ice
The Rathaus market runs 13 November to 26 December 2026, daily 10:00 to 22:00, and 10:00 to 18:30 on 24 December. Children's Christmas World is the reason to bring a school-age child: carousel, nativity trail, children's skating ring.
Ice World beside it runs longer: 13 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, same daily 10:00 to 22:00, 18:30 on 24 December, closed 31 December. After the stalls come down on the 26th, the ice can still be the outing. New Year's Eve it is not.
Go in daylight with a pushchair. 22:00 is for older children and a short skate, not a toddler loop.
Schönbrunn: market plus a free park, not a maze promise
The Schönbrunn market runs 6 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, daily 10:00 to 21:00, 10:00 to 16:00 on 24 December, 10:00 to 19:00 from 25 December to 6 January. Official listing: carousel, Ferris wheel, children's train, handicrafts workshop. That is the palace-square day if Rathaus is too central.
Park gates in November and December are 06:30 to 17:30. The park is free. The Children's Museum stays daily 10:00 to 17:00 including holidays, last admission 16:00, which is the indoor hour when the square is packed. Maze hours on that page stopped at 2 November 2026. Do not plan the maze in December unless a new table appears. Fountains stay off from mid-October to mid-April.
The same wien.info list also confirms Stephansplatz 6 November to 26 December, Maria-Theresien-Platz 20 November to 26 December, Freyung 14 November to 23 December, Am Hof 13 to 23 December, and the Riesenradplatz Winter Market 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. Use those. One square is enough.
ZOOM when Monday is not the plan
ZOOM remains the booked indoor backup: Tuesday to Friday 08:30 to 16:00, Saturday, Sunday, holidays and school vacations 09:45 to 17:15, Monday closed. Book from 10 days ahead. Prices stay on the year-round page. December only changes how early you need to lock the slot, because holidays fill.
vienna.info weather : winters around 0°C, snow possible, less than the rest of Austria, wild storms rare. Dress for ice. Do not wait for a postcard snowfall.
A December day that holds: Rathaus Children's World in daylight, Ice World if legs are still good, or Schönbrunn market plus the Children's Museum before 16:00. Park gates at 17:30 end the palace grounds. On 31 December, Ice World is closed. On Monday, ZOOM is closed. For the year-round tickets underneath, stay on Vienna with kids. For another Alpine-capital market list, Munich in December is the comparison.
Rathaus or Schönbrunn, not both after dark
The two big markets sit on different transit lines. Doing both in one evening with a pushchair is a tram day. Pick Rathaus if you want Ice World and the children's ring. Pick Schönbrunn if you want the palace square, the children's train and a museum hour before 16:00. Stephansplatz and Freyung are extras if you have a third afternoon.
Wiener Linien child rules do not change in December. Under-15s still ride free on Sundays, public holidays and Vienna school holidays. If your dates include those, the tram to Schönbrunn is free for them. The year-round page has the 1.60-euro child single for other days.
The Children's Museum at Schönbrunn stays 12 euros for an adult and 12 euros for a child aged 3 to 18. That figure is on the year-round page. December only changes how early you should book, because holiday weeks fill. Last admission 16:00 still applies on 24 December.
31 December closes Ice World. The Rathaus stalls are already gone (26 December). New Year's Eve is not a market night for children on the pages we opened. Plan a quiet room. If you need one more indoor hour that week, ZOOM on a Tuesday after the holiday is the booked room that still has a printed clock.
Questions
Is there ice skating at the Rathaus market?
Vienna Ice World runs 13 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, 10:00 to 22:00, until 18:30 on 24 December, and is closed on 31 December. The market stalls themselves end on 26 December.
Does Schönbrunn park stay open after the market closes?
Park gates in November and December are 06:30 to 17:30. The market on the square in front can run later. The maze hours were not published past 2 November 2026, so do not plan the maze in December unless Schönbrunn posts a new table.
Is ZOOM a December indoor backup?
Yes, on any day except Monday. Book from 10 days ahead. Holiday hours are 09:45 to 17:15. Ticket prices sit on the year-round Vienna page.
Keep planning
Vienna · With kids
Vienna with kids: things to do
Schönbrunn opening hours, Wiener Linien child rules, the City Card, ZOOM booking windows and zoo times for a first family stay.
Barcelona · April
Barcelona in April with kids
Barcelona in April with children: Sant Jordi on 23 April, official April temperatures, Natural Sciences spring hours and CosmoCaixa clocks.
Berlin · December
Berlin in December with kids
Berlin in December with children: confirmed 2026 Gendarmenmarkt and Rotes Rathaus dates, Zoo Berlin's 14:00 Christmas Eve close and winter weather notes.
Dubai · February
Dubai in February with kids
Dubai in February with children: Visit Dubai's 22°C February average, the October to April outdoor season, and why 2027 festival dates are not listed.
London · April
London in April with kids
London in April with children: Kew interiors closed until spring 2027, Hyde Park gates, standing museum hours and why 2027 zoo clocks were not yet posted.
London · December
London in December with kids
London in December with children: Winter Wonderland 2026 dates, Kew daytime winter hours, Christmas at Kew prices and zoo last entry at 15:00.
Sources
- vienna.info: Viennese Christmas Market on Rathausplatz (checked 14 October 2026)
The Viennese Christmas Market on Rathausplatz runs 13 November to 26 December 2026, daily 10:00 to 22:00, and 10:00 to 18:30 on 24 December. The official page lists a Children's Christmas World with a carousel, a nativity trail and a children's skating ring.
- vienna.info: Vienna’s most attractive Christmas markets (checked 14 October 2026)
Vienna Ice World at the Rathaus market runs 13 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, daily 10:00 to 22:00, 10:00 to 18:30 on 24 December, and is closed on 31 December.
- vienna.info: Vienna’s most attractive Christmas markets (checked 14 October 2026)
The Schönbrunn Christmas Market runs 6 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, daily 10:00 to 21:00, 10:00 to 16:00 on 24 December, and 10:00 to 19:00 from 25 December to 6 January. The official listing includes a carousel, a Ferris wheel, a children's train and a handicrafts workshop.
- Schönbrunn: Opening Times (checked 14 October 2026)
Schönbrunn Park in November and December: gates 06:30 to 17:30, park free. The Children's Museum is daily 10:00 to 17:00 including holidays, last admission 16:00. Maze hours were published only through 2 November 2026. Fountains are off from mid-October to mid-April.
- MuseumsQuartier: ZOOM Children's Museum (checked 14 October 2026)
ZOOM Kindermuseum is Tuesday to Friday 08:30 to 16:00 and Saturday, Sunday, holidays and school vacations 09:45 to 17:15. Monday closed. Book from 10 days ahead.
- vienna.info: Climate and Weather in Vienna (checked 14 October 2026)
vienna.info describes winters as around 0°C, with snowfall possible but less than the rest of Austria, and wild snowstorms rare.