Salzburg is ideally located for day trips to some of the prettiest cities, villages, and natural attractions in Austria and neighbouring Germany. Here are 10 of the best day trips from Salzburg to consider when you’re using the city as a base when visiting Austria.
Hallstatt
| Distance from Salzburg | 73 km |
| What to See | Picturesque village on Lake Hallstatt |
| Getting There | Car, bus, train, and tours (see reviews and prices) |
| Best Time to Visit | Year round, but spring and autumn is quieter while still warm |
Visiting the picturesque village on the shores of Lake Hallstatt is probably one of the most popular day trips from Salzburg. A bonus is that you pass some beautiful scenery in Austria’s Salzkammergut lake district on the way there.
We took the bus and train on our day trip from Salzburg to Hallstatt. What I love about the train option is that it drops you across the lake from the village. The short ferry ride is a great opportunity to take pictures of the village with the lake in front and mountains behind.
While every corner of Hallstatt seems to be picture-perfect, make sure to walk to the Catholic church and adjacent St Michael’s chapel where the bones of departed villagers are held. Also, make time to take the Salzberg cable car to enjoy the World Heritage View from the Hallstatt Skywalk.
Berchtesgaden and Eagle’s Nest
| Distance from Salzburg | 26 km |
| What to See | Eagle’s Nest, Königssee, Salt Mine |
| Getting There | Car, bus, train, and tours (see reviews and prices) |
| Best Time to Visit | Berchtesgaden, Königssee, and Salt Mine: Year round Eagle’s Nest: May to October |
This corner of Germany that cuts into Austria close to Salzburg was Hitler’s favourite place to spend time during WWII. You’ll learn all about this at the Dokumentation Obersalzberg on the way to Eagle’s Nest outside Berchtesgaden.
If you’re visiting between May and October, it’s definitely worth taking the tour up to Eagle’s Nest where the Nazis entertained important guests during WWII. The journey up (think 24 % incline and only one hairpin bend plus a 124-metre lift ride inside a rock) and the view from the top is a bigger attraction than the historic facts. Of the latter, you’ll learn more at Salzburg Dokumentation which is housed in the underground bunkers built to protect the Nazi leaders.
The Berchtesgaden old is small enough to see in half an hour. If you have more time, a tour through the local salt mine is great to do with kids. It even includes a boat ride in an underground lake. Or drive the few kilometres to Lake Königssee for ice cream or a boat ride.
Werfen and Werfen Ice Caves
| Distance from Salzburg | 61 km |
| What to See | World’s largest ice caves, Werfen Castle, Sound of Music Meadow |
| Getting There | Car, bus, train |
| Best Time to Visit | Werfen Ice Caves: May to October Werfen: Year round, but especially spring, autumn, and summer |
Visiting the world’s largest ice caves in a mountain above the town of Werfen is a real adventure for nature lovers. The journey to the mouth of the cave involves two short but spectacular hikes as well as Austria’s steepest cable car ride.
The Eisriesenwelt as the Werfen Ice Caves are called is a cave system totalling 42 km of which you walk the first 2 km on the cave tour. To see the wonderful ice formations you must brave an average temperature of 0 °C and walk up and down 700 steps. The only lighting is provided by carbide lamps.
The town of Werfen is also home to the medieval Werfen Castle which is seen from the picnic meadow in The Sound of Music. You can even go on a themed hike to the meadow from the centre of Werfen.
Salzkammergut Lake District
| Distance from Salzburg | 50 km |
| What to See | St Wolfgang, Mondsee and several other towns and lakes |
| Getting There | Car, bus, and tours (see reviews and prices) |
| Best Time to Visit | Spring, summer, and autumn |
The Salzkammergut is an Austrian lake district and number one for scenic day trips from Salzburg. While Hallstatt is technically part of the Salzkammergut lake district, I don’t recommend going there and seeing the rest of the district both on one day. They are definitely worth two separate day trips.
The closest lakes and lake towns from Salzburg are the Wolfgangsee (St Wolfgang), Lake Fuschl (Bad Fuschl), Mondsee, and Attersee. One way to experience a part of it is to join a Sound of Music tour from Salzburg. The bus stops for views of St Wolfgang before continuing to the Mondsee where the Von Trapps got married. It’s a fun trip filled with music and singing.
Zell am See
| Distance from Salzburg | 86 km |
| What to See | Picturesque town on lake, mountains |
| Getting There | Car, train, and bus |
| Best Time to Visit | Spring, summer, and autumn for beautiful nature, winter for snow |
Zell am See is conveniently located for a day trip from Salzburg by train. The train, with connections as fast as 1,5 hours, drops you almost in the centre of town right next to the lake. From here, you can walk around the lake, take a boat ride, explore the old town, or go up the Schmittenhöhe mountain.
If you manage your time in Zell am See well, there may even be time to take a bus to Kaprun 5 km away. From here, you can take the cable cars to the Kitzsteinhorn, the highest mountain peak in Austria’s Salzburgerland province.
Munich
| Distance from Salzburg | 145 km |
| What to See | Historic centre, Nymphenburg Palace, Hofbrauhaus, Dachau Concentration Camp |
| Getting There | Car, bus, train |
| Best Time to Visit | Year round, but especially spring, summer, and autumn |
The capital of Bavaria is within easy reach for a day trip from Salzburg. An early start will enable you to explore the historic centre in the morning and visit the Dachau Concentration Camp in the afternoon. Or you could omit the concentration camp for a tour of the beer halls and breweries.
I included Dachau because if you’re only ever going to have one day to spend in and around Munich, this is a life-changing experience. Some things are hard to see and read about, but being confronted with the atrocities of war in this way sends a powerful message.
Innsbruck
| Distance from Salzburg | 187 km |
| What to See | Historic old town, Golden Roof, mountains, Swarovski Crystal Worlds |
| Getting There | Car, bus, train |
| Best Time to Visit | Year round |
Innsbruck is the capital of the Austrian Tyrol and one of the best day trips from Salzburg if you want to get into the mountains. The Nordkette cable cars leave from the city centre and whisk you to the top of a mountain in three stages in under an hour.
A self-guided walking tour of the Innsbruck old town with the famous Gold Roof at its centre doesn’t take longer than an hour or two. That leaves enough time for the mountain excursion and to visit the Swarovski Crystal Worlds in the nearby town of Wattens on your way back to Salzburg.
Vienna
| Distance from Salzburg | 259 km |
| What to See | Historic centre, famous art museums, palaces, parks |
| Getting There | Car, bus, train |
| Best Time to Visit | Year round |
Visiting Vienna is not the closest day trip from Salzburg, but more than doable with the train taking just under 2,5 hours. However, with only one day in Vienna, you’ll have to prioritize what you want to see.
My advice for spending one day in Vienna would be to take a walking tour through the historic centre (self-guided or organized). Highlights to see include the Hofburg, St Stephen’s Cathedral, St Peter’s Church, and the Plague Column. Walking down Graben and Kärtner Streets will take you past or very close to all of these.
Then I’d recommend taking one of the hop-on-hop-off bus tours and get off at one or two attractions you are most interested in. It can be one of the Viennese palaces like Schönbrunn or Belvedere or even the Prater amusement park to ride the famous Riesenrad (Ferris Wheel).
*Disclosure*
Having fun in Austria, and then writing about it is hard work 😆 . That’s why some links in this article are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you use any of them to make a purchase. It’s totally cool if you don’t. I love to help anyway. If you do, it will help us discover another part of Austria to write about.
What a great selection. I love Salzburg and the Salzkammergut. Lovely ideas for day trips to take from the city.