Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Austria: Salzkammergut Lakes Walking, Hallstatt and the Wolfgangsee
8 days from Salzburg: three nights on the Wolfgangsee with the Schafberg railway and the Zwölferhorn, two nights in Hallstatt with the salt mine, the Dachstein ice cave and the Gosausee.
8 days · Round trip from Salzburg · up to 12 guests
Hallstatt on the Hallstätter See Photo: Dimitry Anikin, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hallstatt_1.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Salzburg
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Four walking days (days 3 to 6) on mountain and lakeside paths: about 3 hours on day 3, 3 to 4 hours on day 4, about 3 hours on day 5 and about 1.5 hours on day 6, plus 2 to 3 hours in Salzburg on day 2. The standard and easy options keep to about 400 m of climbing or descent or less; the active options on days 4 and 5 add long descents of about 800 m and 1,000 m and take you to 4 to 5 hours on foot. The highest point is about 1,780 m on the Schafberg. Lifts, trains and boats do the big climbs, every walking day has an easy option of about an hour, and you can sit any walk out.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 645 (estimated price)
- Season
- June to September
Highlights
Why this trip
- Ride the Schafberg cog railway on an early train and walk the summit ridge with the Wolfgangsee, Mondsee and Attersee below
- The old pilgrims' path over the Falkenstein from the boat landing at Fürberg into St. Wolfgang
- Cross the Wolfgangsee by lake boat and take the cable car up the Zwölferhorn above St. Gilgen
- The Hallstatt salt mine on the first tour of the day, before the village fills
- The Dachstein Giant Ice Cave, reached by cable car from Obertraun
- A walk around the Gosausee under the Dachstein glacier
- Hallstatt's lakeshore in the evening, after the day visitors leave
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 645 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Salzburg
Salzburg Airport to your hotel in the old town
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Salzburg
- Drive about 15 min
Fly into Salzburg Airport (SZG), about 4 km west of the city, or arrive by train at the main station; a driver meets you either way and takes you to a central hotel within walking distance of the old town.
Afternoon
The rest of the afternoon is free. Salzburg's old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the easiest first walk is along the Salzach river to the Mozartsteg, then into the lanes behind the cathedral.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the week: how the walking days work, what to pack for the mountain tops and the ice cave, and where the easy and active options fall. Then we walk to a welcome dinner of Austrian cooking in the old town, about ten minutes from the hotel. Plan to land by about 4 pm to reach the briefing; later arrivals are met and join the group at dinner.
Included
- Pick-up at Salzburg Airport (SZG) or Salzburg main station
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner in the old town
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Salzburg: the fortress and the Mönchsberg
Salzburg old town, Hohensalzburg Fortress and the Mönchsberg
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Salzburg
We start early, before the tour groups, with a walk through the old town: the Residenzplatz, the cathedral, St. Peter's cemetery tucked under the cliff, and the narrow Getreidegasse with its wrought-iron shop signs and Mozart's birthplace at number 9. At about ten we ride the funicular up to Hohensalzburg Fortress, one of the largest medieval castles in central Europe still standing, for the state rooms and the view south to the mountains we head for tomorrow. From the fortress your guide leads a footpath along the wooded Mönchsberg, the ridge above the old town, with lookouts over the domes and the river, and down by the lift or the steps near the modern art museum.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in the old town.
Evening
The afternoon and evening are yours: the Mirabell Gardens, a concert, or coffee and cake by the river.
Included
- Guided walk of Salzburg's old town: the Residenzplatz, the cathedral, St. Peter's cemetery and the Getreidegasse
- Hohensalzburg Fortress with the funicular
- The Mönchsberg ridge walk with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in the old town
Optional experiences
- An evening concert in the old town (tickets on request)
Easier option: Ride the funicular back down from the fortress instead of walking the Mönchsberg.
More active option: In the free afternoon, cross the river and climb the steps to the Kapuzinerberg for the view back over the old town and the fortress, about 1.5 hours more and about 200 m of climbing.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 2 to 3 hours on foot on cobbles and a gentle ridge path.
To the Wolfgangsee on the pilgrims' path
Salzburg to St. Gilgen, boat to Fürberg, then on foot over the Falkenstein to St. Wolfgang
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in St. Wolfgang
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
After breakfast we drive about half an hour east to St. Gilgen on the Wolfgangsee, the village where Mozart's mother was born, while the van takes the luggage on to St. Wolfgang. A short boat ride along the north shore drops us at the landing at Fürberg, where the walk begins. We follow the lake to the foot of the Falkenstein, then climb the old pilgrims' path over the cliff, past the little chapel and the stations that pilgrims have walked since the Middle Ages, to the viewpoint high above the water. The path drops through beech woods to Ried and along the shore into St. Wolfgang.
Afternoon
Lunch is on the way, at an inn on the shore. In the afternoon look inside the pilgrimage church for Michael Pacher's carved and painted altar, finished in 1481, then check into the hotel for three nights.
Evening
The evening is free on the lakefront.
Included
- Drive from Salzburg to St. Gilgen
- Lake boat from St. Gilgen to Fürberg
- Guided walk over the Falkenstein pilgrims' path to St. Wolfgang
- Lunch at a lakeside inn
- The pilgrimage church and Pacher altar in St. Wolfgang
Easier option: Stay on the boat to St. Wolfgang and meet the walkers for lunch, or walk only the flat lakeside section from Fürberg.
More active option: Walk the lakeside path from St. Gilgen to Fürberg instead of taking the boat, about an hour and 4 km more on the flat, before the Falkenstein climb.
Free time: Evening free in St. Wolfgang
Activity: About 3 hours and 9 km on foot, with a climb of about 200 m on a stepped path over the Falkenstein.
The Schafberg railway and the summit ridge
St. Wolfgang to the Schafberg summit by cog railway, then on foot to the Schafbergalpe
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in St. Wolfgang
- By train
The Schafberg cog railway has climbed from St. Wolfgang since 1893, and we ride one of the first trains of the day, booked ahead, before the queues build. It takes about 35 minutes to wind up through forest and meadow to the summit station at about 1,730 m.
Morning
On a clear morning you see the Wolfgangsee, the Mondsee and the Attersee spread out below, and the Dachstein glacier to the south.
Afternoon
Your guide leads a walk along the summit ridge to the rock window of the Himmelspforte, then down a well-made path across the pastures to the Schafbergalpe, the middle station, where we stop for lunch at a mountain inn. From there the train takes us back down to St. Wolfgang. The rest of the afternoon is free: swim from the lido, take a boat, or sit on the lakefront with an ice cream.
Included
- Schafberg cog railway, up and back, on a reserved early train
- Guided ridge walk from the summit to the Schafbergalpe
- Lunch at a mountain inn
Easier option: Stay at the summit for the views and ride the train all the way down, about an hour on foot in total.
More active option: Walk on from the Schafbergalpe past the Mönichsee and Suissensee lakes all the way down to St. Wolfgang, about 2.5 hours more and about 800 m of descent.
Free time: Afternoon free in St. Wolfgang
Activity: About 3 to 4 hours on foot, mostly downhill, on rocky paths; sturdy shoes are needed. The summit is often 10 degrees cooler than the lake.
Across the lake to the Zwölferhorn
St. Wolfgang by boat to St. Gilgen, the Zwölferhorn cable car, and back by boat
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in St. Wolfgang
- By boat
Today the lake is the road. We cross the Wolfgangsee by boat to St. Gilgen, about 40 minutes with stops, watching the Schafberg slide behind us. From the edge of the village the Zwölferhorn cable car lifts us to about 1,520 m in small gondolas. At the top your guide leads a walk across the high pastures to the summit cross and along the ridge towards the Pillstein, with the lake on one side and the peaks of the Osterhorn group on the other.
Afternoon
We stop at a mountain hut for lunch and come down by cable car in the early afternoon. There is time in St. Gilgen for the small Mozart house museum or a coffee on the waterfront before the boat back to St. Wolfgang.
Evening
The evening is free, a good one for a swim from the St. Wolfgang lido or a long dinner on a terrace.
Included
- Lake boats St. Wolfgang to St. Gilgen and back
- Zwölferhorn cable car, up and back
- Guided walk on the Zwölferhorn summit plateau
- Lunch at a mountain hut
- Time in St. Gilgen
Easier option: Stay near the top station and the summit cross, about an hour of easy walking, and meet the group for lunch.
More active option: Walk down from the Zwölferhorn to St. Gilgen through the alpine pastures and forest, about 2.5 to 3 hours and about 1,000 m of descent.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3 hours on foot on grassy and rocky mountain paths.
Bad Ischl and the Gosausee to Hallstatt
St. Wolfgang to Strobl and Bad Ischl, then the Gosausee, then Hallstatt
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Hallstatt
- Drive about 2 h
We leave the Wolfgangsee by the east shore and stop at Strobl for a short boardwalk through the Blinklingmoos reed marsh. Twenty minutes on is Bad Ischl, the spa town where Emperor Franz Joseph spent his summers; we cross the river to the Kaiservilla and its park, then have time in the town for coffee and cake in one of its old cafes. From Bad Goisern the road climbs the Gosau valley to the Vorderer Gosausee, a green lake under the white wall of the Dachstein glacier.
Afternoon
The walk round the lake is flat and takes about an hour and a half; lunch is at the inn by the shore. The active group carries on along the valley to the Hinterer Gosausee. In the late afternoon we drive back down the Gosau valley and along the lake to Hallstatt, about 40 minutes, and check in for two nights. About 2 hours of driving in all, broken by every stop; by the time we arrive most day visitors have gone.
Included
- Blinklingmoos boardwalk at Strobl
- Bad Ischl: the Kaiservilla park and the town with your guide
- Guided walk around the Vorderer Gosausee
- Lunch by the Gosausee
Optional experiences
- The Kaiservilla interior tour in Bad Ischl (when open; the park walk is included)
Easier option: Walk half the Gosausee loop and wait at the inn with a view of the Dachstein.
More active option: Continue from the Vorderer to the Hinterer Gosausee and back, about 2.5 hours more on a gently rising valley track.
Free time: Evening free in Hallstatt
Activity: About 2 to 4.5 hours on foot depending on the option, on mostly level paths.
The salt mine and the Dachstein ice cave
Hallstatt salt mine, then Obertraun and the Dachstein Giant Ice Cave
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Hallstatt
- Drive about 15 min
Hallstatt is at its quietest early, so we walk through the village before the day visitors arrive and ride the funicular up to the salt mine for the first tour of the day. Salt has been mined in this mountain for thousands of years and gave its name to a whole period of European prehistory. Underground you ride the miners' wooden slides, cross a lit salt lake and see how the mountain was worked. On the way back down the Skywalk viewing platform hangs above the village and lake.
Afternoon
After lunch we drive about ten minutes round the lake to Obertraun and take the Krippenstein cable car to the Schönbergalm, where a short climb leads to the Dachstein Giant Ice Cave: halls of frozen waterfalls and ice columns, close to freezing all summer, seen on a guided tour.
Evening
Back in Hallstatt there is time to walk the lakeshore past the old wooden boathouses before a farewell dinner by the lake.
Included
- Hallstatt salt mine tour with the funicular and the Skywalk
- Lunch in Hallstatt
- Dachstein Krippenstein cable car to the Schönbergalm
- Dachstein Giant Ice Cave tour
- Farewell dinner in Hallstatt
Optional experiences
- The Hallstatt Museum on the village square
Easier option: Skip the ice cave, which has many steps, and spend the afternoon in Hallstatt or on a lake boat.
More active option: Walk down from the salt mine to the village on the old miners' path instead of riding the funicular, about 45 minutes and about 350 m of descent.
Activity: A full day with one pace. The salt mine tour is about 1.5 hours underground. The ice cave tour is about an hour, near freezing, with a lot of steps (about 700 is the figure commonly quoted; we confirm it at booking): bring a warm jacket, hat and good shoes.
Back to Salzburg and home
Hallstatt to Salzburg Airport (SZG) or Salzburg main station
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
Take one more early walk along the lakeshore while the water is still and the village is waking up, then breakfast. Mid-morning we drive back towards Salzburg, about 85 km and an hour and a half, past Bad Goisern and Bad Ischl and along the Wolfgangsee you crossed earlier in the week, with a short stop by the lake at St. Gilgen if time allows.
Afternoon
We reach Salzburg Airport around midday, and your guide sees you to the check-in hall. If you are staying on, we drop you at the main station or a hotel in the old town instead. Salzburg has direct flights to a handful of European hubs; Munich Airport, the larger option for long-haul connections, is about two hours further by train or shuttle, so leave a generous gap if you fly from there.
Included
- Drop-off at Salzburg Airport (SZG), Salzburg main station or an old town hotel
Activity: Book a flight from Salzburg leaving after about 2 pm.
- Salzburg2 nights
- St. Wolfgang3 nights
- Hallstatt2 nights
- Salzburgend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Summer in the Salzkammergut is warm in the valleys and cool on the tops, with afternoon thunderstorms in July and August; we walk in the morning and switch the order of days if a storm is forecast.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Walkers who want 1.5 to 4 hours a day on foot (longer on the active options) with mountain views, not a hiking challenge
- Travellers who want Hallstatt and the Wolfgangsee at a slow pace, with nights in both
- Anyone who prefers a guide and a van to bus timetables and self-guided maps
- Solo travellers who want company on the trail
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access: mountain paths, the ice cave steps and Salzburg's cobbles
- Hikers looking for long summit days or hut-to-hut trekking
- Travellers wanting a winter or Christmas trip: see our Christmas markets trip instead
- Those who want Vienna and Innsbruck as well: see our Alps circuit
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Salzburg2 nights
- St. Wolfgang3 nights
- Hallstatt2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights in central 3-star-plus or better hotels: 2 in Salzburg's old town, 3 in St. Wolfgang on the Wolfgangsee, 2 in Hallstatt or next to it on the lake
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- We name each hotel when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Salzburg Airport (SZG) or Salzburg main station
- A private vehicle and driver for the group, with luggage moved for you on walking days
- Wolfgangsee lake boats on days 3 and 5
- Schafberg cog railway, up and back
- Zwölferhorn cable car, up and back
- Hallstatt salt mine funicular
- Dachstein Krippenstein cable car to the ice cave
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, on every walk
- Local guides inside the salt mine and the ice cave
Activities
- Salzburg: old town walk, Hohensalzburg Fortress with the funicular, the Mönchsberg ridge walk
- St. Gilgen to St. Wolfgang on the Falkenstein pilgrims' path
- St. Wolfgang pilgrimage church and the Pacher altar
- Schafberg summit ridge walk
- Zwölferhorn summit walk and time in St. Gilgen
- Strobl: the Blinklingmoos boardwalk
- Bad Ischl: the Kaiservilla park and the town
- The Gosausee lake walk
- Hallstatt salt mine tour and Skywalk
- Dachstein Giant Ice Cave tour, Obertraun
Meals
- Breakfast daily (7)
- Lunch on days 2 to 7 (6), in town or at mountain huts
- Welcome dinner in Salzburg and farewell dinner in Hallstatt (2)
Not included
- International flights to and from Salzburg
- Travel insurance
- ETIAS travel authorisation, once it applies
- Dinners on days 2 to 6
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities: concerts in Salzburg, the Kaiservilla interior, the Hallstatt Museum
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 645 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights in central hotels, breakfast daily, six lunches, a welcome and a farewell dinner, airport transfers both ways, a private vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every lift and entry in the plan: the Schafberg railway, the Zwölferhorn cable car, the lake boats, Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Hallstatt salt mine and the Dachstein ice cave with its cable car.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That fits one van and one table at a mountain hut, everyone can hear the guide on the trail, and the guide can split the group between the easy and active options.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the welcome dinner to the airport and walks every day with you. Inside the Hallstatt salt mine and the Dachstein ice cave, local site guides lead the tours, as those sites require.
How fit do I need to be for the walking?
Reasonably fit: the standard walks take about 1.5 to 4 hours with breaks on mountain paths, with about 400 m of climbing or descent or less. The active options on days 4 and 5 run to 4 to 5 hours with descents of about 800 m and 1,000 m. Trains and cable cars do the big climbs, every walking day has an easy option of about an hour, and you can sit any walk out.
Is this a self-guided walking holiday?
No. Most walking trips in the Salzkammergut are self-guided, with a map and bus times. On this trip a guide walks with you every day, a van moves you and your luggage, and the lifts, boats and entries are booked and paid for.
I am travelling solo. What does a single room cost?
A room of your own is CAD 645 more on the small-group trip, shown at booking with no surprise later. If you are happy to share, ask us when you request to book and we will try to pair you with another solo traveller of the same sex.
When is the best time to go?
June to September. The Schafberg railway, the lake boats, the Zwölferhorn cable car and the Dachstein ice cave all run in the warmer months only, and summer gives the best trail conditions. July and August are warmest, with afternoon storms; June and September are quieter.
Is Hallstatt too crowded to enjoy?
In the middle of the day it can be very busy. We stay two nights, so you see the village in the evening and early morning when the day visitors have gone, and we take the first salt mine tour of the day before the crowds arrive.
Do I need a visa for Austria?
Canadian, US, UK and Australian passport holders do not need a visa for short stays of up to 90 days in the Schengen area. The EU's ETIAS travel authorisation is not yet in force but is due to start for visa-free visitors; check the official EU site before you travel.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours and no payment is taken until then. Prices are per person sharing, with taxes: the small group starts from CAD 3,795.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs privately, for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates without a guide, ask from the dates section and we will quote it separately.
How does this compare with your Alps trip?
Our 10-day Alps circuit covers Munich, Innsbruck, Salzburg and Vienna and visits Hallstatt and the Wolfgangsee on one day from Salzburg. This trip stays in the lakes for five nights, with walking days on the Schafberg, the Zwölferhorn and the Gosausee.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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