How to spend a week in Austria: Enjoy culture, cuisine, and Alpine charm from Vienna to Salzburg
From finding historic coffee shops in Vienna to visiting “The Sound of Music” filming locations, here’s a comprehensive guide to the best things to do in Austria.
For a small country roughly the same size as the state of Maine, Austria offers a variety of bucket list travel experiences. The best things to do in Austria include visiting Baroque libraries in Vienna, strolling through lakeside villages in the Alps, and exploring “The Sound of Music” filming locations in Salzburg. Plus, what’s a trip to Austria without a slice of Sacher torte or two?
With everything it has to offer, a weeklong Austria itinerary will have something for everyone. Here’s our guide to the best places to visit in Austria—and, yes, we will be covering Austrian food.
Days 1-3: Soak in the capital city’s charms
What are the best things to do in Vienna? Here are the things our experts recommend.
Marvel at the Austrian National Library in Vienna
Our Austria tours are full of visits to historic and stunning attractions, from castles to palaces. In Vienna, your Tour Director will guide you through the Austrian National Library. This Baroque treasure from the Habsburgs is the largest library in the country, housing nearly 12 million items—from papyrus manuscripts to 16th-century maps—on soaring wood shelves.
Experience Viennese coffeehouse culture and taste apple strudel
On our Austria tours, one of the best things to do in Vienna when you have free time is to soak in the unique ambience of the city’s storied coffeehouses. There are countless options, and many of them used to be the hangouts of Vienna’s most famous, from Klimt to Freud. Our recommendations? Caffeinate and indulge in strudel at Cafe Central, Cafe Hawelka, or Cafe Sperl.
Enjoy a traditional heuriger dinner in Vienna
One of the top things to do in Vienna is to sample Austrian food and wine in a historic heuriger (or wine tavern)—our favorite hidden gems on the outskirts of the city. On our brand-new A Week in Austria: Vienna, Salzburg & the Alps tour, you’ll get to enjoy a dinner in a charming heuriger, complete with classic dishes (perhaps a schnitzel), local wine, and lively music.
Explore the Wachau Valley and cruise the Danube
Thanks to the capital city’s central location, day trips from Vienna are easy to organize. On our A Week in Austria: Vienna, Salzburg & the Alps tour, sign up for the Danube River Cruise & Melk Abbey excursion, which will whisk you to the clifftop, UNESCO-listed Melk Abbey for a guided tour of its grounds. Then, you’ll sail along the river before enjoying a wine tasting in the Wachau Valley.
Days 4-5: Alpine and lakeside landscapes
What are the best things to do in Austria’s Alpine region? Hallstatt, Salzelten, and Schafberg are can’t-miss destinations.
Discover Hallstatt, the village that inspired “Frozen”
One of the highlights of our A Week in Austria: Vienna, Salzburg & the Alps tour is the visit to the fairy-tale village of Hallstatt. This UNESCO-listed lakeside village in the Salzkammergut region is famous for its mountain-meets-water panorama and centuries-old wooden homes. It’s also rumored that it inspired Arendelle, one of the settings in the movie “Frozen.”
Go underground at Europe’s oldest salt mines
Our weeklong Austria itinerary also includes an immersive guided tour of Salzwelten (the oldest salt mines in Europe), which are still active today. In caverns that house the region’s 7,000-year-old mining tradition, you’ll learn about the history of salt and how it shaped life in Europe.
Take in panoramic views from the Hallstatt Skywalk
A favorite activity on our Austria tours is riding the funicular 1,181 feet up to the Hallstatt Skywalk. Prepare your cameras: The expansive views you get of Austria’s Lake District will take your breath away. Because of the promenade’s pointed shape, a stroll to the edge might make you feel like you’re walking right into clouds, with all of Hallstatt spread before you.
Ascend Schafberg mountain for Alpine views
During a free day in Austria, consider adding our optional Schafberg & Wolfgangsee excursion, which will take you even deeper into Austria’s Alpine Lake District. A high point of the day is riding a cog-wheel train up Schafberg Mountain. It’s a steep, three-and-a-half-mile ascent, but once you reach the summit, it’s twinkling lakes and snowcapped mountains as far as the eye can see.
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Days 5-6: Step into Salzburg’s “The Sound of Music” scenery
What are the best things to do in Salzburg? Here’s how our team recommends spending time in this music-rich city.
Visit the wedding church from “The Sound of Music”
What are the best places to visit in Austria? Some travelers plan their Austria tours around “The Sound of Music” filming locations. En route to Salzburg, you’ll stop at the Basilica of St. Michael, where Maria Augusta Kutschera and Georg Ludwig von Trapp had their wedding.
See the iconic gazebo at Schloss Hellbrunn
Another filming location you’ll visit on our A Week in Austria: Vienna, Salzburg & the Alps tour is Schloss Hellbrun and its magnificent gardens just outside Salzburg. This is also where you’ll find the iconic gazebo where Liesl and Rolf sang “Sixteen Going on Seventeen.”
Stroll the “Do-Re-Mi” steps at Mirabell Gardens
One of the best things to do in Salzburg is stroll through the Mirabell Gardens in the city center. In addition to blooming roses, peonies, and tulips, you’ll also find playful sculptures and Baroque staircases. Fans of “The Sound of Music,” however, know that this is where the “Do-Re-Mi” scene was filmed.
Explore Salzburg’s UNESCO-listed Old Town
Is Austria safe? One look at the picturesque Alpine city of Salzburg answers that with a resounding yes! Full of historic and cultural monuments, Salzburg is a fantastic walking city, where you’ll cross paths with St. Peter’s Abbey, which has been operating since the 7th century; Mozart’s Geburtshaus, the famous yellow-facade birthplace of the famous composer; and countless examples of Baroque architecture.
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When’s the best time to visit Austria?
Austria is a year-round destination that enjoys all four seasons, so when you go on our A Week in Austria: Vienna, Salzburg & the Alps tour matters.
- Spring: Admire both sprouting flowers and snowcapped mountains as you sightsee among fewer crowds.
- Summer: Your trip to Austria will feature sunny skies and temperatures between 65-85 F, perfect for Alpine hikes, riverside meals in Vienna, and Danube River cruises.
- Fall: The Lake District’s golden leaves transform villages like Hallstatt into fairy-tale fantasies.
- Winter: Austria becomes a snowy playground, where you can pair lively Christmas markets with skiing.
