Salzburg on $55, $140 or $400 a day
Mozart's birthplace sits on the Salzach beneath a fortress on a cliff, its baroque old town of domes, squares and through-passages built by the prince-archbishops. The summer festival fills it with opera, Advent with markets, and the lakes and salt mines of the Salzkammergut and the Bavarian Alps are an hour away.
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Plan by budget
One city, three ways to travel it.
How much does Salzburg cost per day? Budget travellers get by on about $55 a day, mid-range trips run around $140, and luxury starts near $400 — accommodation, food, transport and activities included. That makes Salzburg the joint 34th most expensive of 110 cities for a mid-range trip (see all 110 ranked).
Daily budget · Budget
Salzburg costs more than Vienna for a bed, but the old town, the Mirabell Gardens, the cathedral squares and the walk over the Kapuzinerberg cost nothing, and dinner at the Augustiner beer hall is cheap. Stay near the station and walk in.
Where your money goes
What to Do
The prince-archbishops' state rooms, their picture gallery and the cathedral organ loft on one route
Map ↗ Get tickets on Tiqets →A guided trip into the Salzwelten mine at Hallein, with the miners' train and wooden slides; transport included
Map ↗ Get tickets on Tiqets →The lakeside village and its bone house of painted skulls, with transport from Salzburg
Map ↗ Get tickets on Tiqets →Where to Stay
Big hostel a few minutes' walk from the main station, with dorms and private rooms
Map ↗Long-running hostel on Paracelsusstraße with a 24-hour reception, a walk from the station and the Mirabell Gardens
Map ↗Compact design rooms on the Elisabethkai by the river, below the Kapuzinerberg
Map ↗Where to Eat
Coffee house on the Alter Markt, run by the Tomaselli family for over 150 years; coffee and cakes
Map ↗Beer hall where Augustinian friars began brewing in 1621: beer from wooden barrels in stone mugs, food from the stalls inside
Map ↗The original Sacher-Torte with whipped cream, in the Hotel Sacher by the river
Map ↗Austria's oldest wheat-beer brewery, founded in 1901, with a tavern serving Austrian food all day
Map ↗Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Mozart's old town
The Mirabell Gardens, then across the river to the Getreidegasse.
Residenzplatz, the cathedral and the DomQuartier.
Beer and roast pork at the Augustiner in Mülln.
Fortress and hills
Walk up to Hohensalzburg Fortress, or ride the funicular.
Along the Mönchsberg to the Museum der Moderne terrace, then down by the lift.
Sunset from the Kapuzinerberg, then dinner at Die Weisse.
Markets and cloisters
Picnic shopping at the Grünmarkt on Universitätsplatz.
St Peter's cemetery and the catacombs in the cliff, then up to Nonnberg Abbey.
Coffee and cake at Café Tomaselli, then a walk along the river.
At the Augustiner in Mülln, take a stone mug from the shelf, rinse it at the fountain, pay at the till and hand it over at the barrel; food comes from the stalls in the hall. The Salzburg Card covers the buses, the fortress funicular and most museums, and pays off with two or three visits a day. Buy a picnic at the Grünmarkt on Universitätsplatz.
Daily budget · Mid-range
Mid-range is a four-star room in the old town or across the river, the Sound of Music tour, a concert in the Marble Hall of Mirabell Palace and a day down a salt mine or out on the lakes.
Where your money goes
What to Do
A guided trip into the Salzwelten mine at Hallein, with the miners' train and wooden slides; transport included
Map ↗ Get tickets on Tiqets →The original coach tour of the film's locations, from the city to the lakes, songs included
Get tickets on Tiqets →Where to Stay
Riverside hotel on the Giselakai facing the old town, with a seventh-floor roof terrace
Map ↗Inn on the Getreidegasse dating from 1350, opposite the festival halls, hung with over 300 artworks
Map ↗Sixteen rooms in a 700-year-old house in the old town, with its own inn downstairs
Map ↗Where to Eat
Michelin-listed old-town inn for traditional Salzburg and Austrian dishes
Map ↗New Salzburg cooking from Alpine produce with touches of Friuli and the Veneto, in the old inn on the Getreidegasse
Map ↗Restaurant in the walls of St Peter's Abbey that has served guests since 803, by its own account; Austrian and Mediterranean cooking
Map ↗Sample 3-Day Itinerary
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music tour to the film's locations in the city and the lakes.
Mozart's Birthplace on the Getreidegasse.
A Mirabell Palace concert in the Marble Hall.
Salt and the fortress
The Hallein salt mine, with the miners' slides.
Back to town for Hohensalzburg Fortress and the view of the Alps.
Dinner at St. Peter Stiftskulinarium.
The lakes
Bus to St Gilgen on the Wolfgangsee, the birthplace of Mozart's mother.
Boat across the lake to St Wolfgang.
Back for dinner at Gasthof Goldgasse.
See the fortress and Mozart's Birthplace early or late in the day; the coach groups arrive mid-morning. For the Salzburg Festival in late July and August, book rooms months ahead. The salt mine at Hallein is half an hour away and makes a morning trip.
Daily budget · Luxury
Luxury Salzburg is a river-view room at the Sacher, festival tickets, a two-star dinner at Ikarus in the Red Bull hangar and a private car to Hallstatt and the Königssee.
Where your money goes
What to Do
The lakeside village and its bone house of painted skulls, with transport from Salzburg
Map ↗ Get tickets on Tiqets →An afternoon with a guide across the border to the Königssee and Berchtesgaden
Get tickets on Tiqets →Mozart arias and a three-course candlelit dinner in the Baroque Hall of St. Peter Stiftskulinarium
Map ↗ Get tickets on Tiqets →Where to Stay
Old inn on the Getreidegasse beside the festival halls, now a Luxury Collection hotel
Map ↗The hotel of 1866 on the Salzach, looking across at the fortress, with Café Sacher on the ground floor
Map ↗A small castle in its own park on top of the Mönchsberg, with a Michelin-starred restaurant; closed part of the year
Map ↗Where to Eat
Michelin-starred since 2004, in Mülln: seven- and five-course menus and a vegetarian one
Map ↗Michelin-starred restaurant under a glass roof at Schloss Mönchstein, on the Mönchsberg; closed out of season
Map ↗Two Michelin stars at the Red Bull Hangar-7 by the airport, with a different guest chef from abroad every month
Map ↗Sample 3-Day Itinerary
Salzburg in style
A private guided tour of Salzburg, with a car for the sights outside the old town.
Sacher-Torte at Café Sacher by the river.
The Mozart Dinner Concert in St Peter's Baroque Hall.
Hallstatt
A Hallstatt day tour to the lake and the village's bone house.
Lunch by the water and the drive back through the Salzkammergut.
Dinner at Esszimmer in Mülln.
Over the border
A slow morning at the Museum der Moderne on the Mönchsberg.
Königssee and Berchtesgaden with a guide, over the German border.
Dinner at Ikarus in Hangar-7.
Festival tickets go on sale the winter before, and returns appear close to the date. Ikarus changes its guest chef every month. Schloss Mönchstein, with its Michelin-starred Glass Garden, closes for part of the year; check its season before planning around it.
About Salzburg
When to go, and what it's like on the ground.
Best time to visit
May–June and September for walking weather; late July–August for the Salzburg Festival (book months ahead); late November–December for the Advent markets.
Cool and wet on the northern edge of the Alps: summers average 18–20°C with frequent thunderstorms, June to August are the wettest months, and winters hover around freezing, with snow.
- January: 0°C average high, 11 rain days, low crowds
- February: 2°C average high, 10 rain days, low crowds
- March: 6°C average high, 11 rain days, low crowds
- April: 10°C average high, 12 rain days, moderate crowds
- May: 14°C average high, 13 rain days, moderate crowds
- June: 18°C average high, 15 rain days, high season
- July: 20°C average high, 15 rain days, high season
- August: 19°C average high, 14 rain days, high season
- September: 15°C average high, 10 rain days, moderate crowds
- October: 10°C average high, 9 rain days, moderate crowds
- November: 5°C average high, 10 rain days, low crowds
- December: 1°C average high, 12 rain days, high season
Getting around
Getting around Salzburg
The old town is small and mostly pedestrian. Trolleybuses and buses cover the rest of the city, the FestungsBahn funicular climbs to the fortress, and the airport is about 20 minutes from the centre by bus.
A travel eSIM gets you online the moment you land in Austria — data plans start at $4 — no roaming bill, no queue for a local SIM, and nothing to swap in and out of your phone. Install it before you fly.
On foot
Walking routes in Salzburg.
The Mirabell Gardens, the footbridge over the Salzach, Mozart's birthplace, the prince-archbishops' squares, the cathedral and St Peter's cemetery.
The square behind the cathedral, the oldest nunnery in the German-speaking world, the fortress, a walk along the cliff top and the monks' beer hall.
Where to stay
Salzburg, neighbourhood by neighbourhood.
Altstadt
The old town on the left bank between the river and the Mönchsberg: the Getreidegasse, the cathedral squares and the festival halls, with the grandest hotels.
Best for luxuryLinzer Gasse and Steingasse
Across the Salzach under the Kapuzinerberg: the medieval Steingasse, the shops of the Linzer Gasse and riverside hotels looking back at the fortress.
Best for mid-rangeMirabell and Neustadt
The streets around Mirabell Palace and Makartplatz, with the Mozart Residence and the Landestheater; flat, central and full of hotels.
Best for mid-rangeMülln
North-west of the Mönchsberg around the Augustiner beer hall: quieter streets, local bakeries and a riverside walk into town.
Best for budgetElisabeth-Vorstadt
Around the main station: hostels and budget hotels, kebab shops and Asian restaurants, about twenty minutes' walk from the old town.
Best for budgetLocal etiquette
Dos & Don'ts
Do
- Greet with "Grüß Gott" in shops and restaurants
- Book Salzburg Festival tickets months ahead
- At the Augustiner, rinse your stone mug at the fountain before it is filled
- Dress smartly for concerts and the festival
- Tell the waiter the total, tip included, as you pay
- Carry a raincoat; the local drizzle has its own name, Schnürlregen
Don't
- Cross against a red light, even on an empty street
- Leave the tip on the table
- Expect shops to open on Sunday
- Walk in the cycle lanes along the river embankments
- Drive into the old town; it is closed to most traffic
- Expect Salzburgers to share your love of The Sound of Music; many have never seen it
Useful phrases
Say it like a local.
Beyond the city
Day trips worth the journey.
Hallstatt
The lakeside village of the Salzkammergut, with its bone house of painted skulls and a salt mine above.
Königssee
A fjord-like lake under the Watzmann in Berchtesgaden National Park, crossed by electric boats to St Bartholomä.
Hallein salt mine
The Salzwelten mine in the Dürrnberg: a train into the mountain, miners' slides and a raft over an underground lake.
Eagle's Nest
The Kehlsteinhaus on its ridge above Berchtesgaden, reached by a special bus and a brass-lined lift; open May to October.
Wolfgangsee
St Gilgen, where Mozart's mother was born, and a boat to St Wolfgang and the White Horse Inn.
Untersberg
A cable car from Grödig up the mountain that rises behind Salzburg, for walks along the ridge.
Where to eat
Must-try dishes.
Salzburger Nockerl
Three peaks of baked meringue soufflé, said to stand for the hills round the city, on a fruit sauce.
Wiener Schnitzel
Veal escalope beaten thin, breaded and fried, with potato salad and lingonberries.
Pinzgauer Kasnocken
Cheese dumplings with fried onions and chives, from the mountain valleys south of the city.
Bosna
Salzburg's own street snack: a grilled sausage in a bun with onions, mustard and curry powder.
Mozartkugel
Pistachio marzipan and nougat in chocolate, invented by the confectioner Paul Fürst in 1890.
Kaiserschmarrn
Torn, caramelised pancake with raisins and plum compote.
Apfelstrudel
Thin-stretched pastry rolled round apples, raisins and cinnamon, served warm.
Travel insurance
Do I need travel insurance for Austria?
Travel insurance is strongly recommended for any trip to Salzburg. Safety is rated Very safe. The only common crime is pickpocketing in the Getreidegasse crowds and at the Advent markets. — even in safe destinations, unexpected medical emergencies or trip cancellations can be costly. Make sure your policy covers emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation, trip cancellation, and emergency evacuation.
Visa note: Schengen area — visa-free for 90 days for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports; ETIAS pre-authorisation applies from its rollout.. Some countries require proof of travel insurance as part of the visa application.
Good to know
FAQ: Salzburg travel questions
Is Salzburg safe to visit?
Very safe. The only common crime is pickpocketing in the Getreidegasse crowds and at the Advent markets.
When is the best time to visit Salzburg?
May–June and September for walking weather; late July–August for the Salzburg Festival (book months ahead); late November–December for the Advent markets. Cool and wet on the northern edge of the Alps: summers average 18–20°C with frequent thunderstorms, June to August are the wettest months, and winters hover around freezing, with snow.
How much does a trip to Salzburg cost per day?
- Budget $55–$90 / day
- Mid-range $140–$240 / day
- Luxury $400–$750 / day
Do I need a visa to visit Austria?
Schengen area — visa-free for 90 days for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports; ETIAS pre-authorisation applies from its rollout.
How do I get around Salzburg?
The old town is small and mostly pedestrian. Trolleybuses and buses cover the rest of the city, the FestungsBahn funicular climbs to the fortress, and the airport is about 20 minutes from the centre by bus. Taxi base fare ~$5. Day pass ~$7.
Is tipping expected in Salzburg?
Round up or add about 10% in restaurants and cafés, telling the waiter the total as you pay rather than leaving coins on the table.
What currency is used in Austria?
The local currency is EUR, and the official language is German.
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