Overview
This is a short version of our full Salzkammergut itinerary. Explore Austria’s Lake District’s beauty, where dramatic mountains plunge into sparkling blue glacial lakes, creating fjord-like landscapes. Salzkammergut lies to the east of Salzburg, Mozart’s city, in the Dachstein Summit’s shadow (2,995m). The area offers impressive mountain scenery, traditional villages scattered in the valleys, and well-marked alpine walking trails.
Off the beaten track, you will explore the quieter, idyllic side of Salzkammergut as you walk through small traditional villages, then take in the vibrant Bad Ischl, passing by beautiful lakes and through impressive high passes.
- Salzkammergut
- Bad Ischl
- Wolfgangsee
- Strobl
- Bad Goisern am Hallstättersee
- Hallstatt
Click to view map
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Abersee/St Wolfgang
Welcome to Abersee. It is a village located on the west side of Lake Wolfgangsee – one of the most beautiful in the Salzkammergut region. It is easily accessible by bus from Salzburg.
- Accommodation in the Abersee area (Carossa, Kirchenwirt or similar)
Day 2: Schwarzensee and Strobl | 15km
Today you will go again by boat to St Wolfgang. Along the saddle walk on a forested path to the lake Schwarzensee, where you can stop for a refreshment at Madame Lore’s lake cabin. Walk down into the valley through a gorge and around the Bürglstein (optional detour) to the lake promenade in Strobl. Then take the bus to the Emperors Town of Bad Ischl.
- Walking for the day: 15 km, 6 hours ↑390m ↓390m (shorter option: 12km, 5h, ↑240m ↓240m)
- Accommodation in Bad Ischl (Stadt Salzburg, Sandwirt or similar)
Day 3: Bad Ischl to Bad Goisern | 15km
You start today’s walk at the promenade of Bad Ischl and continue upwards to the salt mountain of Bad Ischl. Passing some alpine pastures, you will begin the ascent to Mount Predigstuhl with a phenomenal view over the Hallstatt area. Passing the Ewige Wand (literally meaning the eternal wall), you will walk down to Bad Goisern.
- Walking for the day: 15km, 5-6h,↑785m ↓650m
- Accommodation in Bad Goisern (Goisererhof, Lindwurm or similar)
Day 4: Bad Goisern to Altaussee | 19km
From one alpine pasture to another, you walk on the high plateau to the lovely Ausseer Land. A downhill walk to the alpine meadow of Blaa Alm and along the flower trail will bring you to Altaussee. Take the local bus to Bad Aussee.
- Walking for the day: 19km, 6h, ↑490m ↓590m
- Accommodation in Bad Aussee (Jufa, Blaue Traube Gasthoff, Alpenhof Pension or similar)
Note: if there is no hotel available in Bad Aussee, you will take the train and ferry for an overnight in Hallstatt (Fare included); on next morning you will take the ferry and train back to the trailhead at Bad Aussee (optional) or spend the day in Hallstatt.
Day 5: Bad Aussee – Koppenbrüller Caves – Hallstatt | 15km
Follow the river path through the deeply cut Koppenvalley to the Koppenbrüller caves (public access and guided tours!). After a while, you will see the first houses of Hallstatt and the Salt Mountain. Enjoy the ferry to the Hallstatt centre, and stroll the little alleys. Look around to see Mount Dachstein, the highest peak in upper Austria.
- Walking for the day: 15km, 5h, ↑150m ↓220m
- Accommodation in Hallstatt (Hotel Hirlatz, Gasthof Weisses Lamm or similar)
Day 6: Departure or onward travel
Departure by public transport or individual stay extension. You may take the bus to Bad Ischl and change to the bus to, e.g. Salzburg. You also can take the train from Hallstatt (ferry over the lake) to Bad Ischl (or direction Vienna) and change for the bus to Salzburg.
What to expect
Accommodations
Accommodation is in a mix of comfortable 3-star hotels, guesthouses and country inns, located as close to the trails as possible. We have carefully hand-picked all places and regularly monitor their quality. We have tried to choose accommodations that offer friendly service, clean and comfortable rooms and local flavour.
Click to view hotels for this trip
*Hotels are subject to availability. In case a particular hotel is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Accommodation is on a bed & breakfast basis. Picnic lunches are optional at an extra charge and can be ordered locally; on most routes, there are numerous places where you can eat or buy food during the day. You can have dinner at your hotel or nearby restaurants.
Difficulty and terrain
Good fitness is required as some walks are quite demanding. You should be prepared to walk 5-6h per day on average, total walking is 64km (read more about difficulty grades). We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime.
When to go
This trip is available from mid-May until mid-October. Late spring, the whole summer and early autumn are beautiful in the Alps. The best months for walking are in the summer months between June and September when the weather is most stable. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates and you can start your trip on any date in the season – so please indicate desired beginning date when booking. The climate in the region is continental, cold and temperate. Depending on location and altitude, temperatures vary, but, in the May-September period, the daily averages are 15 – 25C. Spring and autumn are cooler with occasional rain. Expect the weather to change rapidly during the day.
Getting there
Our recommended airport for this tour is Salzburg. Take the bus no. 150 to Abersee from Salzburg bus station (1h). Alternatively, you can take the train to Bad Ischl (1.30h) and then a bus to Wolfgangsee (30 minutes). Visit the OBB website for up-to-date timetables and fares, or check the Omio planner below.
Click to view travel options
By plane
By train or bus
Inclusions
Included
- 5 overnights in comfortable 3-star hotels, guesthouses and country inns as listed in the itinerary
- 5 breakfasts
- Detailed pre-departure holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions, road notes and maps
- Taxi Predigstuhl
- Cable car in Hallstatt
- Boat fare on the Hallstätter See
- Train fare Bad Aussee – Hallstatt (if overnight in Hallstatt on Day 4)
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel on all walking days (1 piece per person, up to 20kg)
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local representative in Abersee
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Optional bus rides to shorten the walks
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and attractions’ entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not specifically mentioned as included in the programme
Options, extras and supplements
- Where individual members of a group require a single room, a supplement is applicable
- This holiday is available for solo travellers; a supplement will be charged as accommodation and luggage transfer costs are not shared (we never mix and match – solo travellers will be accommodated in single rooms)
- Private airport transfers from/to Salzburg Airport
- GPS rental
- Extra nights
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