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Trying to figure out how to get from Salzburg to Hallstatt? Yeah, I was in that position too. So I thought I would write a review of the main organised day tour from Salzburg to Hallstatt. It’s hands down one of the best day trips from Salzburg!
I visited Salzburg in November and immediately knew I needed to make a day trip to Hallstatt happen. There are a few different day trips from Salzburg available, but this is probably the most popular (now I know why). If you follow me on Instagram (I’ll wait while you do 😉), it won’t be news to you that I fell instantly in love with Hallstatt. It’s an incredible place to visit in Austria (particular at the end of autumn because SNOW) and I highly recommend making the time to do a day trip from Salzburg to Hallstatt.
Now, it is possible to visit Hallstatt without doing an organised tour. But I was feeling lazy and didn’t feel like taking two trains and a boat. Instead, I signed up for this organised half-day tour from Salzburg to Hallstatt. Granted, it isn’t the cheapest Salzburg day tour. But I would do it again in a heartbeat, because it meant I got to easily visit Hallstatt. So keep reading for a little bit of info on this particular day trip from Salzburg. Fair warning though, there are lots of pretty photos included 😍.
PSA: If you’re looking for accommodation in Salzburg, I stayed at Yoho International Youth Hostel and it was great! Comfy rooms, large common areas, free breakfast, an onsite bar AND they played The Sound of Music nightly. What more could you want?
My review of an organised day trip from Salzburg to Hallstatt
This half-day tour from Salzburg to Hallstatt begins as 12pm in the middle of Salzburg. It runs year-round but I visited at the beginning of November. There’s a bus driver and a local tour guide, who was great! He talked most of the time, telling us about the region and Austria in general (he personally lived in Germany and commuted over the border for work). The views from the bus were insane as soon as we left Salzburg – snow-dusted mountains and alpine lakes.
Lake Wolfgang (Wolfgangsee)
Our first photo stop was Lake Wolfgang (Wolfgangsee in German). As you can see, it was beautiful and this brief stop made me so excited to get to Hallstatt!
Hallstatt
Approximately 1.5 hours later we arrived in Hallstatt. Along the way, our tour guide asked everyone if they wanted to purchase tickets to the Skywalk. He collected the money and handed out tickets prior to our arrival in Hallstatt. I personally wanted to spend as much time in Hallstatt itself and not look at it from a viewpoint. I knew the best views were from the ground. The tour guide was a little bit rude and asked a few of us why we wouldn’t pay the €18 (it was around that price), because it’s a once in a lifetime experience. But I just said it was too expensive 😂. Anyway, you do you!
We had roughly 2.5 hours in Hallstatt. It’s a small place, but I found that I spent so long just wandering and taking photos that the time past very quickly. The bus drops you off next to the tourism office, which was bustling with people when we arrived. Head straight to the water for lakefront photos.
Look at that glow! And that reflection! I then followed the pack and walked towards the town centre. Hallstatt is home to quite a few cafes and restaurants, but I just stopped by a small food stall to pick up a delicious local pastry (called a foam roll). It was a flaky circular pastry filled with the fluffiest cream I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. Don’t miss out!
The Old Town
As you follow the lakeside pathway you will eventually end up in the Old Town and at the Marktplatz in Hallstatt. Home to colourful buildings, I recommend ducking down the streets leading off the Marktplatz, as you never know what you will find.
That viewpoint
On Google Maps, the most popular place to take photos in Hallstatt is called ‘Classic Village Viewpoint/Postcard Angle.’ Accurate description! I spent way too long here taking photos of the incredible view. But can you blame me? Between the picturesque town, the lake and the snowy mountains, I was in photographic heaven. Please enjoy a couple of photos from this particular spot 🙃.
Maria am Berg
The Parish Church of the Assumption of Mary (also called Maria am Berg) is a Roman Catholic parish church. I followed the path up to it after visiting the above viewpoint. As it turns out, its elevated position means that from out the front, you can also get amazing views of the Hallstatt township and its surrounds. Can we also talk about how the mountains have this perfect autumn/snow combination? So pretty.
That’s basically all I got up to in Hallstatt. Told you the time passes quickly! However, if you’re looking for other things to do in Hallstatt, you can visit the Bone House, which is a room filled with over 2000 skulls and various other human bones. There’s also the World Heritage Museum in Hallstatt and I’m sure there’s fun watersports available in Hallstatt in the summertime.
Heading back to Salzburg
Now, taking photos out of a moving bus is hard work. But we headed back to Salzburg in a different direction and saw the sunset over a different set of snow-capped mountains. It was such a beautiful drive and the perfect end to one of the best day trips from Salzburg. So, if you’re like me and want to visit Hallstatt from Salzburg without the hassle, I do recommend this particular day tour from Salzburg. Yes, it isn’t cheap, but a visit to Hallstatt is obviously worth the price 😉.
Salzburg day tours
I know there are plenty of other day trips from Salzburg (this Original Sound of Music Tour is very popular), but like I’ve said (probably too many times, sorry about that), I couldn’t recommend heading to Hallstatt more. I mean, look at those photos – you won’t regret it!
For more European info, head straight to my archive, where you’ll find plenty of city guides. But I have an autumnal packing list post here and my previous Europe trip recap here.
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