Day Trips to Salzburg from Munich

Bordering the Bavarian Alps lies Salzburg, a city declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its architectural and historical value. Salzburg was the birthplace of Mozart and one of the cities where he developed as an artist. This city is an earthly paradise where you can feel the mysticism and magic of Austria. Visiting Salzburg is one of the best things to do and see if you are in Munich because of its proximity.

Located 145 km from Munich, Salzburg, along with the Bavarian Alps, is one of the best bus tours you can take from Munich. But you can also make the journey by train from Munich. The journey is made short by the majestic scenery and you won't be able to stop taking pictures of it. Visiting Salzburg is an incredible opportunity where nature and city merge to give you an aesthetic experience. Here are some options for Salzburg tours departing from Munich.

From Munich, my advice is to take a full day trip to the Austrian city of Salzburg, and what better way to get to know the Lake District on the same day? This is a tour where you will have a lot of autonomy and although an expert guide will give you guidelines and tell you everything you need to know, you will have time to see what you want to see in Salzburg and also to relax for several hours in the Lake District.

The tour costs around 60 € and departs very early, at around 8:00 am, from the Karlsplatz in Munich. From there you will travel by private bus to Salzburg for a one-and-a-half hour tour. When you arrive, your guide will give you a half-hour orientation tour of Salzburg's historic centre, but then you'll have an hour and a half to eat, shop or visit the museums that catch your eye, such as Mozart's house.

Afterwards, you'll take the bus back to the Salzkammergut or Lake District, one of Austria's natural paradises. In another hour and a half you will be at the fantastic Lake Wolfgang, where you can take a boat and sail for half an hour to the meeting point. If you don't want to go by boat you can go by bus, but my advice is not to miss the experience of sailing on an Austrian lake. Finally, you will take the bus again to Mondsee, one of the most beautiful villages in the Lake District.

Interesting details

• Price: around 60 €.
• Duration: about 10 hours
• Means of transport: private bus for the entire itinerary.
• Advantages of this option: you will get to know the Lake District, a paradisiacal place.
• Disadvantages of this option: the Lake District is quite far from Munich and the tour may take too little time to get to know Salzburg.

Get to know the history and incredible culture of Salzburg through a walking tour of the city. Lose yourself in its beautiful streets with the stunning baroque aesthetics that earned it UNESCO World Heritage Site status. The tour costs approximately €150 and includes transport, a guide who will be on hand to tell you the stories that give the city its identity and entry to the sites that require payment, such as the Mozart Museum.

The tour departs from the bus terminal at Munich Central Station which will take you to the Mirabellplatz terminal. From here, walk to Marktplatz, which is the central square of Salzburg. Your guide will be waiting for you to start the tour. If you are in Munich at Christmas time, make the most of this tour during the festive season because there is nothing like walking around Salzburg with the festive decorations.

From here you will reach the old town of Salzburg. One of the first stops is the birthplace of Mozart. Once you're done there, head to the parish church of St. Andrew, an architectural ode to the Catholic religion built in 1892 in neo-Gothic style. The silence here will relax you.

Afterwards, you'll stroll through the Old City Hall, where you'll find the old town hall with a dreamy façade and from here you'll be transferred to Getreidegasse, the central shopping street where you'll feel like you're shopping in the olden days. This street connects with the baroque style of the University of Salzburg. Obviously you can't miss the view of the University Square.

At the end of your tour, you can see how for a thousand years monks have lived in St. Peter's Abbey, a medieval monastery. The church next to the abbey will fascinate you. To round off this impressive tour, you will finish with a last stop at the Hohensalzburg Fortress. It may be a lot of places, but believe me when I tell you that everything in Salzburg is within walking distance. The city is easy to walk around and you won't have enough time to do this tour, and before you know it you'll be back in Munich in the afternoon.

Interesting details

• Price: prices can go up to 150 € for the guided tour.
• Duration: 5 to 6 hours
• Means of transport: bus to get there, but the tour is mainly done on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you will get to know the most representative parts of the city for its historical and cultural value.
• Disadvantages of this option: you may be saturated with so much information and places, because you will not visit the sites so calmly.

The bountiful scenery of the Alps opens the door to a beautiful dreamland. If you love cycling tours of Munich, take a tour from Munich to cycle through the beautiful mountain ranges of the Bavarian Alps and along the majestic Salzach, the river that runs through Salzburg, from the comfort of an electric bike on the Tauernradweg- the Salzburg Cycle Route.

Without a doubt, cycling the Tauernradweg with the kids is one of the best activities you can do with the little ones on your trip to Munich. The best thing to do is to take the train with them from Munich to Salzburg and cycle from there.

I recommend renting a normal bike or an electric bike, depending on your physical ability, and let yourself be guided on this tour that allows you to get to know the natural areas of Salzburg. There are different types of tours and routes along the extensive cycling route.

You can take a bus or train from Munich that will drop you off at Salzburg's central square and here you can rent your bike and your tour equipment that will take you to the Krimml Waterfalls, Austria's highest waterfall, two hours from Salzburg. You will be amazed by this natural monument, where you can rest, eat and take pictures. The return trip is made pleasant by the late afternoon.

The tour can be guided by experienced tour guides who will take care of you while teaching you about the geographical history of the area and the historical value of the Salzach River which was known as a commercial waterway for Salzburg. The round trip to the waterfalls can take between 4-5 hours and the price can be between €45 and €90, depending on the electric bike rental and a guide.

Interesting details

• Price: 45-90 €.
• Duration: 1-4 hours
• Means of transport: take the bus to Salzburg and from there rent the bike.
• Advantages of this option: you can get to know the natural area of Salzburg in an alternative way and exercise in these beautiful surroundings.
• Disadvantages of this option: the bike tours are cancelled on rainy days.

Traveller Tip

I recommend bringing a good bag for this tour where you can store supplies, water and first aid in case you suffer an injury, fall or cut: the tours have equipment to protect you and the guides are trained, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

You can't go to Salzburg from Munich without visiting the emblematic sites that make it the capital of Baroque music, due to the fact that it is the birthplace of the master Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Book this tour that starts before sunset and will take you to the home where the musical genius grew up. You can take a cruise on the Salzach and share a dinner in a castle for less than €100 on a tour that starts from a bus at Munich Central Station and takes you to Mirabellplatz in Salzburg at around 4pm.

Once you arrive, you'll be taken to the Hagenauer House at Getreidegasse 9 in Salzburg, better known as the Mozart Leopoldskron Birthplace, which today serves as one of Austria's most visited museums. Here you can get to know the maestro through the museum's collection of letters, instruments and other valuable objects that describe the many facets of Mozart's life from his birthplace.

Once you're done there, you'll head to the Makartsteg embarkation station where you'll catch the ferry that will take you down the Salzach River. There is nothing more spectacular than seeing Salzburg from a ferry with the Alps in the background. The ride ends with a boat trip showing you the Hagen and Tennen mountain ranges which are the northern ridge of the Berchtesgadener Alps. All in all, if you're only in Munich for two days, I recommend making Salzburg one of your stops to see this beautiful river trip.

The ferry will take you to the Hohensalzburg Fortress, a medieval construction dating back to 1077. When you arrive at Hohensalzburg Fortress, take the funicular to the Panorama Restaurant, where you can enjoy a Bavarian dinner at the top of the city and watch it light up the sky. If you are interested in this type of construction, don't miss the opportunity to visit Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, near Munich.

The tour is timed so that you will be at the Hohensalzburg fortress before 20:30 h so that, together with your dinner, you can enjoy a concert in homage to Mozart, which is often performed for these tours. Once the concert is over, take the ferry again and finally the private bus back to Munich around midnight.

Interesting details

• Price: prices are around 130 € - 150 €.
• Duration: 5 to 6 hours
• Means of transport: bus, ferry, funicular.
• Advantages of this option: you will appreciate the city from your auditory senses.
• Disadvantages of this option: it is a tour that starts at sunset and ends very late in the evening.

Traveller Tip

You can opt for a Salzburg Card which will allow you to attend and enter many of the attractions and sights for a fixed price. The card also allows you to use the city's public transport.

Experience the underground world of the Obersalzberg salt mines which are located 5 hours from Munich, but much closer to Salzburg on a fantastic tour. This guided tour will cost an average cost including transport and entrance to the mines with the tour varying between €75 and €90. All in all it will be well worth it as you will not stop to take in the diversity of scenery that the Bavarian Alps have to offer.

The bus departs from Munich and will take you along the Alpenstrasse, the overland route taken by miners to transport the precious salt from the mountains. These mines are very important because Salzburg was an economically thriving city at the time thanks to the exploitation of salt and other minerals extracted from the mountains. Another factor is that Salzburg's river, the Salzach, was an important trade route. The city is literally named after the salt: the Salt Castle.

Finally you will reach the Berchtesgaden Mines which have been there for more than 450 years, making them one of the oldest in the world, along with the oldest staircases in Europe. The guided tour into the depths of the mine takes no more than two hours.

In addition to the guided tour, the tour provides you with a change of clothes so that you can go in wearing a miner's uniform to protect the clothes you are wearing. After the tour, you will go to the suspended viewing platform which will offer you one of the most impressive views of your trip. Visiting hours vary depending on the season. If you take the tour in summer the opening hours are from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, but in winter they are more restricted.

Interesting facts

• Price: prices do not go above 75 - 90 €.
• Duration: 4 to 5 hours
• Means of transport: bus
• Advantages of this option: you will experience the commercial and geographical history of Salzburg in an unconventional place for tourists.
• Disadvantages of this option: the walk through the mine can be a bit claustrophobic.

Getting from Munich to Salzburg can have complex transport logistics, but most tours can be done on pre-paid, guided bus tours departing from the city. Many have the advantage of being air-conditioned and heated and are designed to allow you to visually absorb the sights you'll encounter along the way.

If any of the tours do not provide private transport, then the most convenient and economical way to get to Salzburg from Munich is by train, which takes you directly to Salzburg in an hour and a half or two. The cost can depend on the distance and type of journey. In general, tickets can cost between €3 and €30 a trip depending on the distances and types of seats you want to use on your journey, but if you're not too fussy, a regional train is your best bet.

I also recommend you check the weather forecast, because these excursions are very varied: they can be up mountains, across lakes, along the river or a lot of walking and you won't always be on the same activity. For this reason you may need lots of coats or as little clothing as possible.

Finally, I suggest that, if you are on a tight budget and it is not included in the tour, you bring a packed lunch or dinner. Salzburg is close to Munich, but if you want to make the most of your time, it's best not to take so many stops and focus on your tour, especially if you're going for an afternoon or evening.

Salzburg is a good choice if you really want to escape from the bustling city of Munich, which can be overwhelming due to the number of people who travel through it every day. With just an hour's drive you can contrast the hustle and bustle of Munich with the placid silence of the mountains and river in Salzburg.

And there's nothing like spending a few days in Salzburg for the festive season if you're wondering what to do on your winter holidays in Munich, because the city is a winter wonderland. Relaxing with a cup of hot chocolate with the snow falling on the Alps is something you can't miss.

Salzburg is also perfect for outdoor walks for hikers and walkers. The city can also cater to your inner-city tastes of strolling through the city centre or you can awaken the adventurer in you.

Another important aspect is that Salzburg has cheaper prices compared to Munich, which is one of the most expensive cities in Germany. Salzburg has the characteristic of being a condensed city where you won't stop seeing things. In Munich, although you have countless attractions and excellent tours, there are walks you have to dedicate a whole day to because of the distances, but not in Salzburg: all the main attractions are just streets away from each other and you can reach them on foot. Are you going to miss out on a city with these characteristics?