Holidays in Salzburg

Start your Inghams walking holiday with a quick Salzburg city break and discover Austria's festival city of music, art and culture

Magnificently set below a medieval fortress, Salzburg is one of Europe’s loveliest cities and the birthplace of Mozart. On the banks of the river Salzach and surrounded by mountains, Salzburg’s picturesque and historic old city is a recognised World Heritage site. On the bank of the river between the Mönchsberg and Festungsberg lie a maze of narrow cobbled streets, arcaded courtyards and grand tall houses contrasting beautifully with the Cathedral and Residenz Palace from the Baroque, Rococo and Neo-Classical periods. Art galleries, gardens and museums are plentiful and the city’s premier event, the Salzburg Music Festival takes place every year in August.

A summer holiday in Salzburg: blooming gardens and famous sights

Check out the Mirabell Palace and Mirabell Gardens, Salzburg’s most popular attraction renowned for its appearance in the film “The Sound of Music.” You will notice the spectacular flower beds organised in colourful and unique patterns, intertwining with one another alongside wide sandy-coloured tracks. Immerse yourself in the history of the area with statues, water fountains and incredible old-style buildings that hold many stories from the past. Step into the characteristic world of historic townscape through interactive exhibitions and guided tours.

Visit Salzburg: a city for families

Being a compact city means you can cover an abundance of things to do all within a brief timeframe. Enjoy a family city-bike ride and garden picnic on a sunny day, or keep cool inside at the Toy or Aviation Museum. Along the Salzach River you’ll come across the 7,000-square-metre natural history and technology museum, providing engaging adventures for all ages including a life-sized dinosaur showcase and a solar-system planet discovery exhibition. Just south of the city centre you will find the Hellbrunn Palace and Trick Fountains, a 400-year-old enchanted grounds area with lots of surprises in store, perfect for keeping the little ones amused and refreshed. Both adults and children alike can burn some energy at the Freilicht Museum gardens, a huge outdoor complex of 100 old farmhouses and authentic buildings with a fun heritage railway too.

Salzburg city strolls

There are a wealth of walks in and around the city. Perhaps you’d like to take it easy down the narrow streets as you browse the shops. Or, maybe you want to get the steps in on the Mönchsberg, one of five mountains in the city of Salzburg. Enjoy panoramic views of the Old Town along the city walk over the Kapuzinerberg, a four-kilometre trail sure to not disappoint. Take to the other three mountains, being the Festunsberg, Gaisberg and Untersberg for unbeatable sights, trails and environments. Salzburg city has it all, so set your pace and explore the listed UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997.

Why book a summer holiday in Salzburg with Inghams?

At Inghams, we do walking holidays differently. With no fixed itinerary, you have more time at your destination and the freedom to walk as much or as little as you like, discovering some of Salzburg’s best walking routes and activities at your own pace.

With 90 years of outdoor travel experience, our holiday packages to Salzburg include flights, transfers, and accommodation, so you can relax and leave the small details to us. Our experts can help you choose the best holiday for you, and our team overseas can give you the inside scoop on how to spend your time away with us.

Added value

Save an extra £50pp on holidays departing on 24th and 31st May 2025

All holidays include flights from the UK and transfers

24/7 support & tailored advice over the phone from our local resort team

Hotels in Salzburg

  • @accommodation.PropertyRating

    4 Rating

    We rate all of our accommodation based on their facilities, service level, character and customer feedback. Our ratings may vary from the official star rating.

  • 120 rooms
Arte Hotel Salzburg bar.jpg

Salzburg's Arte Hotel is a haven of urban chic. It's close to the train station and there are plenty of sights to see nearby. It's one of the few hotels in central Salzburg with spa facilities, so is perfect for a relaxing break. Enjoy spectacular views across the city from the stylish rooftop bar.

Salzburg Card - book locally

Salzburg Card

The Salzburg Card is available from your hotel and includes:

  • Admission to many of the city’s attractions (single entry)
  • Use of public transport including Fortress funicular, boats on the Salzach river and the Untersberg cableway
  • Attractive discounts for cultural events
  • Reduced prices at a number of local attractions

Prices: 24 hours from €31, 48 hours from €40 and 72 hours from €46.

Subject to change. Prices are correct at the time of publishing.

Things to do in Salzburg

Things to do in Salzburg

Art galleries

If you're into modern and traditional art, you'll love the galleries and exhibitions in Salzburg. Head to the Museum der Moderne on the Mönchsberg which displays international pieces from the 20th and 21st centuries. Or, to delve deeper into the backstory of the city - the galleries at the Salzburg Fortress, museums and attractions will give you fantastic insights into this fascinating hub of history, music and culture.

Museums

You’ll be spoilt for choice in Salzburg city. Take a leisurely walk through the DomQuartier Salzburg, a historical tour of the grand state rooms. Or, learn all about Salzburg's most famous brew at the Stiegl-Brauwelt - it's Austria's largest private brewery and is an interesting interactive world of beer. Family friendly museums like the Museum of Natural History and Technology or the toy museum are great for keeping the little ones entertained too. If it's a sunny day, the Salzburg Open Air Museum is perfect - it's just outside the city and is like stepping back in time as you visit old farmhouses, mills and barns, and see demonstrations of historic craft-making.

Mozart’s birthplace

Salzburg is famous as the birthplace of Mozart and the bright yellow “Hagenauer Haus” is one of the most popular museums in Austria, hosting a collection of unique exhibition pieces, display boards and Mozart's own violin.

Salzburg fortress and churches

Take in the panoramic views of Salzburg city from the Hohensalzburg Fortress, which was built on the Festungsberg since 1077. You are certain to get your steps in as you stroll through Salzburg’s Old Town – home to beautiful historical architecture and many churches and flower-filled cemeteries. The most important sacred building in the city is the impressive Salzburg Cathedral, proudly standing with its huge dome and two distinctive turquoise topped towers.

Beautiful city gardens

If you've seen “The Sound of Music” - filmed with Julie Andrews over 50 years ago - you may recognise several scenes around Salzburg. Visit the Mirabell Palace and gardens with picturesque large, planted gardens, spectacular water fountains and grand statues, or take a trip on the hop-on-hop-off Sound of Music bus to take in all the sights.

Dining and shopping in Salzburg city

Soak up the sun with outdoor rooftop terraces - ideal for a midday refresh, the IMLAUER Sky Bar is perfect. For foodies, you should definitely try Bosna, Salzburg's most popular local street food, great to have while exploring the Old Town. Or, tuck into a slice of traditional Sachertorte cake at the Hotel Sacher.

For shopping, you can't beat the boutiques of the Old Town - centred around the famous Getreidegasse, the Old Town is characterised by its pretty iron shop signs that hang outside. Explore the old lanes of Salzburg city, which tell a story at every corner, the charming passageways are a must when strolling through Salzburg.

City Bus

Thanks to the extensive city bus (Obus) system that’s been in place since 1940, users can access almost every corner of Salzburg, all from the comfort of a quiet, modern, and environmentally responsible vehicle.

Salzburg Festival

Salzburg Festival

Dates: 18 Jul to 31 Aug 2025

Each summer, the fairy tale streets of Salzburg are alive with the sounds of Mozart at the Salzburg Festival. Featuring opera, concerts and drama, the Festival enjoys worldwide recognition as one of the most outstanding classical music events today. The Festival takes place in various venues throughout the city, but the main attractions are located around Cathedral Square.

Salzburg excursions

Bookable Locally

All excursions need to be booked through Salzburg Tourist Office and are provided by Panorama Tours.

Sound of Music Tour

Tour the picturesque World Heritage City of Salzburg as well as the beautiful landscapes where the opening scenes of the film "The Sound of Music" were filmed, with a tour guide. The Sound of Music Tour Salzburg includes original shooting locations from the film including:

  • Mirabell Gardens and Pegasus Fountain, where Maria and the children danced in the Do-Re-Mi sequence
  • Nonnberg Convent, where Maria was a novice
  • Schloss Leopoldskron, the house where the Trapp family lived in the film (now a luxury hotel)
  • Hellbrunn Palace, which now houses the Gazebo used in the song Sixteen going on Seventeen
  • Mondsee Basilika, where Maria and Captain von Trapp were married
  • A Sound of Music sing-a-long on the return journey completes this half day tour

Hallstatt and the Salzkammergut Tour

This tour takes you to the world-famous town of Hallstatt, between Lake Hallstatt and the steep mountain slopes of the Dachstein Massif. Located right on the shores of the lake, Hallstatt is considered one of the most beautiful lakeside villages in the world. Not only does it captivate with its fabulously idyllic & fairytale-like atmosphere, it also has a rich history that dates back to the Neolithic Age.

The journey to Hallstatt passes through picturesque towns such as Fuschl, St. Gilgen and Strobl, and the Lakes of Fuschlsee and Wolfgangsee, taking around one hour 30 minutes. Once in Hallstatt, you have around two and a half hours to explore the town at your own leisure - Hallstatt can be easily explored on foot and the history and sights offer a glimpse into the culture of the Salzkammergut region between Salzburg and Upper Austria. The trip back to Salzburg takes us through Gosau, Russbach and Abtenau.

Hitlers Eagle’s Nest and Berchtesgaden, including guided tour 

An unforgettable blend of beauty and history, this trip crosses the Austrian-German border into Bavaria. Journey through the valley, passing scenic farmhouses to reach the foot of the Obersalzberg mountain before continuing up to the bus terminal, where you change to special coaches equipped to complete the final steep turns up to the brass elevator of the Eagle's Nest. This working relic of the Second World War ascends through the rock to the historic “Kehlsteinhaus”, Adolf Hitler’s own holiday home, still perched commandingly on the end of the ridge. From here, enjoy magnificent view of the towering peaks of the Bavarian Alps, the spectacular Königssee lake and surrounding countryside. You can also enjoy a short walk to the summit cross on the Kehlstein.

After visiting the Eagle's Nest, head to the picturesque Bavarian town of Berchtesgaden for a short stop among its rococo streets before returning to Salzburg.

Excursions are available to book locally. All excursions require minimum numbers to run and are subject to change. Please note that we act at all times as a selling agent for the suppliers of activities & excursions.

Good to know

Walking trails: Salzburg is easy to explore on foot

Terrain: the city is predominantly flat, with the River Salzach running through the centre and the fortress on top of a small hill

Best time to go: end of May to mid October

Recommended for: easy city walks, families, activities, sightseeing, food and drink

Fly into: Salzburg

Fly from: London Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow

Transfer time: Approx. 30 mins from Salzburg airport

24/7 Support and advice: Over the phone from our local resort team

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