Day Trips From Salzburg
Day trips from Salzburg
Salzburg sits between the Salzkammergut lakes, the Bavarian Alps and the Salzach valley, so several very different day trips are possible. Seasons matter: the ice cave, the steam railway and the trick fountains all close for winter, and the cable car on the Untersberg is shut for revision from 2 November to 13 December 2026.
Berchtesgaden and Königssee
The town of Berchtesgaden is about 30 km south across the German border. Bus 840, the Watzmann Express, runs hourly from the main station and Mirabellplatz and takes about 45 minutes; expect roughly EUR 7 to 8 each way. Austria and Germany are both in the Schengen area, but carry ID. At the Königssee, electric boats cross the lake to St. Bartholomä, where the boatman plays a trumpet to demonstrate the echo. The return fare to St. Bartholomä is EUR 23.40 and the return to Salet is EUR 29.80 on the 2026 list.
The Obersalzberg above Berchtesgaden was the southern base of the Nazi leadership. The Dokumentation Obersalzberg exhibition, which includes the preserved bunker tunnels, is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00 and costs EUR 4.50; it closes from 16 to 24 November 2026. Allow at least an hour and treat it as a history museum. The Kehlsteinhaus, built for Hitler’s 50th birthday, is closed after a fire on 23 and 24 October 2026, with no reopening date.
Werfen: ice cave and castle
Werfen is a 40 to 45 minute train ride south. Eisriesenwelt is the largest ice cave system in the world, reached by a cable car and a steep walk. The 2026 season ran from 1 May to the end of October, so it is closed now and reopens on 1 May 2027. The cave and cable car ticket was about EUR 41 for adults when booked online. Inside it is around 0 degrees C with many stairs. Hohenwerfen Castle, with falconry displays, opens roughly from April to early November.
Wolfgangsee and the Schafberg
Bus 150 reaches St. Gilgen in about 45 minutes. From there a ferry crosses Lake Wolfgang to St. Wolfgang, where the SchafbergBahn steam rack railway climbs to 1,783 metres. The return fare is EUR 61 for adults and EUR 18.40 for children aged 4 to 14. The 2026 season ends on 1 November.
Hallstatt
Hallstatt is a long day. Public transport means bus 150 to Bad Ischl, a train and then the ferry across the lake, about 2.5 hours each way. The village is small and the main path is crowded by midday, so arrive before 9:00 or pick St. Gilgen or St. Wolfgang instead.
Hallein salt mine
Salzwelten at Bad Dürrnberg is 19 km south. Visitors wear miners’ overalls, ride two wooden slides and cross an underground brine lake on a raft. Admission is EUR 35 for adults and EUR 16 for children aged 4 to 15; under 4s are not admitted.
Read more: Salzburg multi-day trips and sightseeing .
Official pages: Berchtesgaden Obersalzberg and Salzwelten prices . For tour options, see day trips on Viator .