Salzburg Day Trip Planner
Planning a day trip from Salzburg
Salzburg is a good hub for excursions because trains and regional buses fan out in every direction. The table sums up the main choices, followed by notes on each. Fares are 2026 figures, and several attractions are shut for winter, so match the trip to the month.
| Trip | Getting there | Time or distance | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berchtesgaden and Königssee | Bus 840 | about 45 minutes | Summer boat timetable ran 25 April to 11 October |
| Werfen ice cave and castle | Train, then shuttle | 40 to 45 minutes | Cave 1 May to end of October |
| St. Gilgen and Schafberg | Bus 150, ferry, rack railway | about 45 minutes to St. Gilgen | Railway 25 April to 1 November 2026 |
| Hallstatt | Bus 150, train, ferry | about 2.5 hours | Very busy at midday |
| Hallein salt mine | S-Bahn S3 and bus 41 | 19 km south | Daily to 1 November, shorter hours to 10 January 2027 |
Königssee and Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden lies 30 km south in Bavaria. Watzmann Express bus 840 leaves hourly, with single fares of about EUR 7 to 8. Electric boats on the Königssee reach St. Bartholomä, where a trumpet player demonstrates the echo off the cliffs. A return costs EUR 23.40 to St. Bartholomä or EUR 29.80 to Salet. Take a passport or ID card, even though both countries are in Schengen.
Werfen
The Eisriesenwelt cave system extends over 42 km, but the guided 75 minute tour covers only the first kilometre. Reach it by a cable car and a climb of about 1,400 steps in near-freezing air. It was open from 1 May to the end of October 2026 and returns on 1 May 2027. The online ticket for the cave and cable car was EUR 41 for adults, EUR 30 for youths and EUR 22 for children 5 to 14. Hohenwerfen Castle, 155 metres up on a rock, has daily falconry shows. Its tickets start around EUR 17.90 for adults, though that is a directory figure, so check the castle.
Lake Wolfgang
Take bus 150 to St. Gilgen, then the ferry to St. Wolfgang. The SchafbergBahn, a steam rack railway since 1893, climbs to 1,783 metres for EUR 61 return for adults and EUR 18.40 for children 4 to 14.
Hallstatt
Count on 2.5 hours each way and around 5 hours of travel in total. Coaches need booked entry slots, but independent visitors pay no fee. The main path is jammed by late morning, so go early or stay overnight.
Hallein salt mine
Salzwelten costs EUR 35 for adults and EUR 16 for children aged 4 to 15. The mine is not open to children under 4. Visitors slide down wooden chutes and cross an underground lake on a raft.
A solemn stop in Bavaria
The Obersalzberg was the southern headquarters of Nazi leaders. The Dokumentation Obersalzberg exhibition there, including bunker tunnels, is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00 for EUR 4.50 and closes from 16 to 24 November 2026. The Kehlsteinhaus on the mountain above is shut after a fire on 23 and 24 October 2026.
Read more: Salzburg multi-day trips and outdoor activities .
Sources: Königssee fare list and Salzwelten prices . Compare tours: Salzburg day trips on GetYourGuide .