Salzburg is one of the easiest cities in Europe to love on a first visit. The old town is compact and mostly car-free, the fortress is a one-minute funicular ride above it, and the lakes and mountains of the Salzkammergut start within the hour. Many people see it as a day trip from Munich or Vienna, but staying two or three nights lets you enjoy the evenings, the concerts and a day out in the countryside. Here is how to plan it.
How many days
One full day covers the essentials: the old town and the Getreidegasse, Mozart’s Birthplace, the cathedral and Hohensalzburg Fortress, with an evening concert. Two days is the sweet spot, adding the DomQuartier, the Mirabell Gardens and either the Sound of Music Tour or Hellbrunn Palace. With three days you can add a lake or mountain day trip, such as Hallstatt or the Hallein salt mine, without rushing anything.
What to book ahead
Book day trips and the Sound of Music Tour a few days ahead, especially at weekends and in summer, because coaches fill up. Concerts at Mirabell Palace and the fortress are worth reserving for the night you want, particularly in Advent and during the Salzburg Festival in summer, when hotels also sell out early and prices climb. Museums rarely need advance tickets outside peak periods, but buying the Salzburg Card online and activating it on your busiest day saves money and queues.
Watch the seasons and closing days
The DomQuartier is closed on Tuesdays. Hellbrunn’s palace and trick fountains open from late March to early November, so in winter you get the park and the Advent market instead. In 2026 the fortress funicular is closed for maintenance from 9 to 13 November, when the fortress museums and indoor areas also close, and again from 11 January to 14 March 2027, when the museums stay open and you walk up. Churches pause visits during services.
Getting around
Walk. The old town, the Mirabell Gardens and the right bank around the Steingasse are all within fifteen or twenty minutes of each other, linked by the Staatsbrücke, the Makartsteg and the Mozartsteg. City buses cover the rest, including line 25 to Hellbrunn, and they are free with the Salzburg Card, as are the Mönchsberg lift and the fortress funicular. The main station is a short bus ride or a walk of about twenty minutes from the old town, and the airport is close, about fifteen minutes by car.
Day one: the old town and the fortress
Start early on the Getreidegasse before the shops open and visit Mozart’s Birthplace at opening time. Walk on through the squares to the cathedral and the DomQuartier, then ride the funicular up to Hohensalzburg in the afternoon and stay on the ramparts for the light. In the evening, cross the river for dinner and the view from the Steingasse or a rooftop bar on the right bank.
Day two: Mozart, gardens and film locations
Take the Original Sound of Music Tour in the morning, then spend the afternoon in the Mirabell Gardens and the Mozart Residence on Makartplatz. Finish with a Mozart concert in the Marble Hall of Mirabell Palace, where the young Mozart once performed. From late March to early November, swap the tour for Hellbrunn and its trick fountains if you have children.
Day three: lakes, mountains or salt
Join a guided trip to Hallstatt for the lakeside village and its Bone House, or take the shorter Hallein salt mine tour, with its slides and underground salt lake, which works well in any weather and in winter.
Seasons
Late spring and early autumn are ideal, with mild weather and manageable crowds. Summer brings the Festival, long evenings and the most visitors. Winter is cold, often snowy and very atmospheric: from late November the Christkindlmarkt fills Domplatz and Residenzplatz, the fortress and Hellbrunn hold their own Advent markets, and the city feels made for mulled wine and candlelit concerts.
Money and manners
Austria uses the euro, and cards are widely accepted, though small cafes and market stalls may prefer cash. Rounding up or adding around ten percent for good restaurant service is normal. Try Salzburger Nockerl, the city’s towering soufflé dessert, and leave room for a slice of Sacher-Torte.
