3 Days In Salzburg: An Itinerary For First Timers

3 Days in Salzburg Itinerary

On your arrival day in Salzburg, make sure you arrive a little earlier in the day so we will have some time to explore a bit before the day ends. First and foremost, get to your hotel and check in, make yourself acquainted with the area, visit the tourist information at Salzburg Main Station and exchange your Salzburg Card voucher for the card.

We will be hitting the ground running with this itinerary, so when you get everything sorted, I highly recommend you visit Fortress Hohensalzburg, a medieval castle located on top of a hill right at the center of Salzburg, and it is one of the best places in the city to see the sunset.

One of my favorite things about this place is its sweeping panoramic view of the city and its surroundings. Thanks to its location atop the city’s most prominent hill, you are greeted with a breathtaking cityscape as well as mountains straight out of the “Sound of Music” movie.

The castle itself is pretty big, with a spacious courtyard surrounded by all kinds of museums and buildings that you can explore. You can expect to spend around an hour or two just exploring the castle alone. Once you are done, retire early for the night, and we will wake up early to witness a beautiful sunrise over the city.

On our first proper day, wake up as early as possible and walk up to the Museum of Modern Art, a hilltop museum with a balcony area that offers an absolutely beautiful view over the city. Here, you will be able to capture the charming houses, church spires, and the iconic fortress all at once, making it a perfect spot for sunrise.

You can also leave this for sunset if you are not quite a morning person. I went up there both at sunrise and at sunset, and it was amazing both times, especially during the blue hour at sunset when the sky turns purple and the artificial lights illuminate the city skyline.

Next up, we will visit Hellbrunn Palace, a summer residence for the prince-archbishops of Salzburg built in the early 17th century. It is known for its pleasure gardens with grottos, novelty fountains, and a theater.

The palace is known for its beautiful gardens and parkland, which feature a number of outdoor sculptures and fountains. One of the most famous features of the palace is the “Trick Fountains”, which are a series of hidden water features that were designed to surprise and delight visitors. It was probably the most interesting garden I’ve ever been to.

It was the most fun audio-guided tour I’ve had in a while, and I don’t usually enjoy this type of guided tour. If you’re in Hellbrunn Palace, definitely visit the Trick Fountain and get the audio guide. Trust me, you’re going to love every moment of it.

There are also a few nice hikes you can do here, like the one that takes you to this viewpoint nearby, where you will be able to see the palace and its garden, as well as its surroundings, from above. There is also the Folklore Museum nearby, which is pretty fun to visit after the viewpoint.

After you are done with the palace, you can continue on and take the bus to Untersberg, a massive mountain, the highest in the region at 1,973 m, located in the Berchtesgaden Alps right on the border between Austria and Germany.

You can get up right to the top via a cable car in less than 30 minutes, and you will find yourself surrounded by breathtaking mountains straight out of the movie “The Sound of Music”.

At the top of Untersberg, you will find a platform where you can enjoy a 360° panoramic view of the surroundings from 1,973 meters above sea level. From here, you can see into Germany and beyond. If you have time to spare, consider spending a few hours hiking around the area. There are several easy hiking trails available that will lead you even higher for an even better view.

To get to Untersberg, all you have to do is catch bus #25 or #28, and it will get you there in about 30 minutes before you reach the cable car station, where you will then have to take one to go up to the top, which takes another 20 minutes.

This is where buying the Salzburg Card is worth every penny because the roundtrip ticket for the Untersberg cable car is almost 30 EUR per person, whereas the Salzburg card, which includes the roundtrip cable car ride, can cost between 28 – 45 EUR. Moreover, it includes free public transportation as well as all the other tourist attractions. If you visit Untersberg and one other tourist attraction in Salzburg, you would have already gotten your money’s worth. That’s a great deal in my book!

After you are done at Untersberg, you can spend the rest of the day exploring other tourist attractions in Salzburg’s city center. Places like Salzburg Cathedral and Erzabtei St. Peter are definitely worth a visit if you want to see stunning pieces of architecture.

You can also spend learn more about Mozart, the famous classical composer who was born and spent the best part of his life here in this city. You can even visit Mozart’s Birthplace, which is now converted into a museum dedicated entirely to preserving the legacy, life, and works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The museum has a number of exhibits that showcase Mozart’s life and career, including displays of his manuscripts, instruments, and other personal possessions.

At night, be sure to check out Linzergasse Street, a pedestrian-only shopping street that runs through the heart of the Old Town area. It is lined with a mix of charming old buildings and modern shops and restaurants.

The street is also a popular spot for shopping and dining, as there are a number of boutiques, specialty stores, and restaurants located on both sides of the street. So, if you are looking for a nice place to hang out at night, be sure to drop by here.

Looking for a complete travel guide to Salzburg? Check out:15 Best Things to Do in Salzburg

Day 2: Relive the Sound of Music at Werfen

For the second day, we will spend our time in Werfen, a beautiful town not too far from Salzburg, home to the picturesque Hohenwerfen Castle, Eisriesenwelt, the largest ice cave in the world, and the place where they filmed the famous “Do Re Mi” picnic on the hill scene from The Sound of Music.

Hohenwerfen Castle is a medieval fortress situated on a lofty rock outcropping, commanding stunning panoramic views of the Salzach River and its surroundings.

One of the coolest things about the castle is its historical use for falconry. Today, you can witness falconry training firsthand with “Birds of Prey” shows held three times a day during the summer at 11:15 AM, 2:15 PM, and 4:30 PM. For the most recent schedule, check out their website here.

Very interesting to see these massive birds flying around to catch thrown food, while racing each other high in the sky, with the Alps in the background. It was quite a sight to behold.

After the show, you can also spend a few hours exploring the castle’s beautiful interior, which features a number of exhibits and displays about the castle’s history and the region’s culture. The entry to the castle is operated using time slots, which you will be assigned when you buy the ticket at the entrance.

To get to the castle, you can take one of the many trains from Salzburg to Werfen, and from the station, you can walk along the river to the foothill of the castle, which should take about 20 minutes. There is no need to walk on the road; there is a nice pedestrian walking path along the river with shaded areas all the way to the trailhead.

From the trailhead here, you are going to have to hike up to the top, which can get quite steep at times but shouldn’t take you longer than 20-30 minutes to get up there. You can also get up via the funicular if you don’t mind paying extra. You can reserve the ticket to the castle + funicular from here.

Once you are at the castle gate, you will then have to buy a ticket, and they will assign you a time slot for the castle and inform you about the next Birds of Prey show. The ticket should cost about 10 EUR per person without the castle tour and 12 EUR per person with the tour. Unfortunately, since this castle is not in Salzburg, you can’t use the Salzburg Card to get in for free.

Also, if you wish to visit the Eisriesenwelt, the largest ice cave in the world, you should reserve your spot prior to your arrival as it is a popular thing to do here if you can afford the price tag. Other than that, you can take the train back to Salzburg after you are done in Werfen and retreat for the day.

Day 3: Exploring Hallstatt

For the third and final day, we will be going on a day trip to Hallstatt, probably one of the most photogenic lakeside towns you can see in Europe. It is known for its stunning natural beauty, rich cultural history, and the iconic postcard photo of the town and the lake.

From Salzburg, if you wish to spend an entire day in Hallstatt and catch the last train back, I highly recommend that you start early and catch the 5:12 AM train from Salzburg Train Station. The journey should take about 2 hours and cost around 10 EUR before you arrive at Hallstatt.

Arriving that early, you should be able to have the whole place to yourself for an hour or two before tourists start to flock to Hallstatt. For this route, you do not need to reserve a seat on the train as it is an early train and there won’t be as many people as if you travel during the day. You can book the train online here.

One of the first things you should do when you arrive in Hallstatt is to go to the Hallstatt Famous Viewpoint and get a photo of yourself and the place before it gets extremely crowded, as day trippers arrive from both Salzburg and Vienna.

Once you are done, you can spend some time exploring Hallstatt Town Square and make your way to the Salt Mine Funicular Station. Buy a ticket to the salt mine and spend a few hours exploring the place and learning more about how Hallstatt began as a salt mining town that stretches all the way back to its roots more than 7,000 years ago.

Hallstatt Salt Mine is definitely the highlight of visiting Hallstatt for me. The entire Salt Mine tour was extremely well thought out and presented, and I consider it one of the best salt mine experiences you can have in the world.

The mine is considered to be the oldest in the world, and you will learn how they managed to mine salt 7,000 years ago, as well as gaze upon the oldest man-made staircase in the world, which was constructed more than 3,100 years ago.

The best part about the tour is being able to slide down the 64-meter-long old miners’ wooden slide that was used back in the day and compare speed with other attendees. It was exhilarating!

There are so many things to do in Hallstatt that it will be impossible to list them all here, but the other highlights are the SkyWalk, Dachstein Giant Ice Cave, and so much more to occupy you for the entire day.

To get back from Hallstatt to Salzburg, you will first have to catch the last boat across the lake at 6:15 PM and then take the evening train at 6:32 PM or 6:48 PM from Hallstatt Train Station, which will take you back to Salzburg at around 8:45 PM, thus ending our third day and concluding this itinerary. You can book the train online here.

Looking for a complete travel guide to Hallstatt? Check out:10 Best Things to Do in Hallstatt

When to Visit Salzburg?

The best time to visit Salzburg is from June to September when the weather is nice and warm, perfect for all the summer outdoor activities and events that often take place during this period.

Like most cities in Western Europe, Salzburg does get quite overwhelmed with tourists in the summer months, and it can get quite hectic in touristy places like the city center. So, if you want to steer away from them, I highly recommend you stick to September.

That said, between June and August, you will have the highest chance of clear days, which will allow you to do so many more things. Just be aware that it gets pretty hot in Salzburg in the summer, so be sure to pack accordingly.

If you decide to visit between June and August and are looking to avoid the tourist crowds, I highly recommend starting your day as early as sunrise. You will have many of the places I mentioned here all to yourself. I have done this many times and thoroughly enjoy places so much more when there’s no one around, even in the busiest month of the year.

How to Get to Salzburg?

There are several ways you can get to Salzburg: flying directly within Europe, taking a train from other countries, or hopping on an international bus across Europe.

From the US, the fastest way is not to fly into Vienna but to Munich in Germany instead. From Munich, you can either take a bus or a train to Salzburg. You can browse through great direct flights from here.

From Europe, you have quite a lot more options here. You can either fly directly from places like the UK via Wizz Air, take a train from all the major train stations around Europe, or catch one of the many buses connecting Salzburg to Europe. Flixbus is highly recommended when it comes to bus travel in Europe.

From Asia, it will also be faster to just fly into Munich in Germany and take a train or bus from there. There are many flights from Asia that connect via Middle Eastern countries like Emirates via Dubai or Etihad via Abu Dhabi. The journey should take approximately 10 hours direct.

To find a cheap flight to Salzburg, I would recommend you use Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule so you can compare and pick the best one.

How to Get Around Salzburg?

Salzburg is very well-connected by buses for short distances and trains for day trips. These are the two modes of transportation we will be relying on the most for this itinerary, other than walking, of course.

By Walking: Like most Western European cities, Salzburg is a very walkable city and you can pretty much cover all the tourist attractions in the city center on foot without problems. For places like Hellbrunn Palace and Untersberg, you are going to need to rely on the buses to take you there.

By Buses: The buses here are pretty reliable with a strict schedule and excellent coverage, making traveling around the city a breeze. The single-ride bus ticket costs about 2.4 EUR or you can get the 24-hour ticket for 4.8 EUR.

You can buy the ticket from either a regular tobacconist shop located around the city center or customer care centers. You can also sometimes buy a ticket from the bus conductor, but not always, and it is a bit more expensive at 3 EUR per ticket.

I found it way more convenient to get the Salzburg Card, which includes all free public transportation, funicular rides, and cable cars up Untersberg. The cost of these alone is almost as much as the 72-hour Salzburg Card. If you’re planning to follow this itinerary, I highly recommend getting at least the 48-hour Salzburg Card.

By Trains: For long-distance destinations like Hallstatt and Werfen, you can rely on the excellent Austrian train system to get around. Tickets can be booked in advance through the official ÖBB website or via Trainline. I prefer the latter due to its better user experience and the convenience of payment with a foreign credit card.

How Much Money Do I Need for 3 days in Salzburg?

From this 3-day itinerary, we can calculate approximately how much money you will be spending here as follows:

Accommodation: For 4 nights in Salzburg, you can expect to pay around 100 EUR for accommodation at a minimum, considering you are staying in hostels.

Food: For 3 days, 3 meals a day in Salzburg, you can expect to pay around 126 EUR for food, considering you eat out for every meal. It will be cheaper if you cook it yourself.

Transportation: For this itinerary, you can expect to pay around 65 EUR for transportation including roundtrip tickets to Werfen and Hallstatt.

Activities: Depending on how much you want to follow my itinerary, you can expect to pay around 150 EUR for activities, considering if you go for 48-Hours Salzburg Card, which in my opinion is worth every dime.

Total Budget for 3 days in Salzburg: 441 EUR

Is it Safe in Salzburg?

Salzburg is a very safe city, and there isn’t much to worry about when you travel here, except in crowded places like train stations. As in any other big European cities, petty theft and pickpocketing often occur in places where there are a lot of tourists.

As usual, it is always a good idea to exercise caution by not leaving your belongings unattended and watching out for them at all times. Keep your hands in your pockets when entering or exiting crowded places like a tram or a train, and make sure you are holding your phone and wallet tightly.

Other than that, you should be fine traveling around Salzburg. I didn’t have any problems in Austria when I was there. Keep your wits about you, and you will be fine.

Which tourist SIM card is best for Austria?

There are three major carriers in Austria, namely A1, Magenta, and 3, that offer prepaid SIM cards for tourists to purchase while traveling in Austria. Unfortunately, with the increasing popularity of eSIMs, the need to physically be in the country to buy a SIM card at a store is quite inconvenient and not ideal.

If you have a smartphone that supports eSIMs, I highly recommend you take a look at this eSIM. They have a variety of data packages, price points, and durations for you to choose from, ranging from 1 GB for 7 days costing only 5 USD to 10 GB for 30 days costing 22.5 USD.

The setup is fast and instant, and you can buy it before your trip, so you don’t have to scramble to get one at the airport after a long flight. The data speed is also equivalent to what you get with a local SIM card, with 4G speed across the entire country.

Or if you are traveling to Austria as part of a bigger Europe trip, I highly recommend you get the regional Eurolink eSIM which will give you access to data from over 39 countries across Europe. I have personally used this eSIM on my 3-month trip around Europe, and it has worked wonders.

For more information on eSIMs in Austria, click here: Check Austria’s Available eSIM.

What to Pack for Salzburg?

As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Salzburg, Austria:

Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.

Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.

Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi’s jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.

Fleece Jacket: For colder weather, layering is the key, and a fleece jacket makes an excellent insulating layer. I recommend the Columbia Steens Mountain Fleece (for women).

Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It’s lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.

Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker’s towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.

Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.

Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.

Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It’s a total game-changer.

Universal Adapter: You’ll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.

Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.

Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It’s large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it’s stylish as hell!

Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can’t go wrong with Osprey.

For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.

Further Reading for Austria

I hope you found this Austrian travel guide helpful. If you would like to read more about Austria, here is a selection of articles that you might enjoy:

Looking for a complete itinerary for Austria? Check out: 2 Weeks Backpacking Austria Itinerary.
If you are visiting Austria, you cannot afford to skip Vienna. This city is jam-packed with beautiful sights and some of the prettiest landmarks in Europe. To help your visit, here are 16 Best Things to Do in Vienna.
For a complete Vienna itinerary, check out: 3 Days in Vienna Itinerary.
Popularized by the classic movie, “The Sound of Music,” Salzburg is one of the most beautiful cities to visit in Europe with a ton of things to do. Here are the 15 Best Things to Do in Salzburg.
Probably one of the most picturesque towns in Europe, Hallstatt is so much more than just getting that perfect Instagram photo. Here are the 10 Best Things to Do in Hallstatt.
Innsbruck is one of the best places to visit if you want to see the wonderful Austrian Alps up close and personal. Here are the 13 Best Things to Do in Innsbruck.
One of the best hikes you can do in the Austrian Alps is the Olpererhütte hike, and you can do it all in one day from Innsbruck. Here is A Complete Hiking Guide to Olpererhütte from Innsbruck.
Not convinced by my words? Here are 125 photos that will inspire you to visit Europe.
To see all the articles about Austria, visit the Austria Travel Guide page.
Traveling in Europe can be cheap, really cheap. These are the 12 Cheap European Countries to Visit.
Looking for more travel guides for Europe? You can find more on my Europe Travel Guide page.
Or if you want something more specific to the region, visit our Western Europe Travel Guide, Central Europe Travel Guide, or Eastern Europe Travel Guide pages.
For more of my travel guides like this, visit my Destinations page.