Salzburg from Munich: guided day trip, coach or just the train?
Updated October 13, 2026 · 5 min read
Salzburg is the easiest big day out from Munich, and you do not need a tour to do it. If you want a guide for the old town and the tickets arranged, take the guided Salzburg day trip by train: €79 per person, 4.7 stars from 1,808 reviews, 9.5 hours, round-trip train tickets included. Entry fees are not included. If a coach and a lake in the afternoon appeals more, the longer trip further down is the alternative.
Doing it yourself
The train from Munich Central Station to Salzburg takes roughly an hour and a half to two hours, depending on whether you take a fast Railjet or a regional train. A Bayern-Ticket covers regional trains to Salzburg Hauptbahnhof. It is valid only after 9 a.m. on weekdays, so check the current conditions before you plan a morning start. You need a passport or an ID card: passport checks on the line are not common but do happen.
Once there, the old town, the cathedral, Mozart’s birthplace and the Mirabell Gardens are all within walking distance of each other. Salzburg has a Salzburg Card from the tourist office: €38 for adults for 24 hours from 1 April to 31 October, €35 from November to March, covering the main city sights and public transport. It pays off if you plan to enter several of them, and not if you are only walking the old town.
What the guided tours add
| Trip | From | Duration | Transport | In Salzburg | Entry fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided day trip by train | €79 | 9.5 hours | Train, tickets included | Orientation tour, then 3 hours free | Not included |
| Salzburg, St. Wolfgang and the Salzkammergut by coach | €74 | 11 hours | Coach with toilet | About 2.5 hours | Not included |
The train trip. You meet the guide at Dachauer Straße 4, which the listing gives as the start and the finish; you travel together by train for about two hours each way, and get a guided orientation tour of the old town of about 1.5 to 2 hours. After that you have three hours on your own, which the listing suggests using for the Hohensalzburg Fortress, among other things. The route takes in the Sound of Music locations such as the Mirabell Gardens. The listing says hotel pickup is not part of it and that the entry fees are on you. It is tagged as wheelchair accessible, so ask the operator for details, and a reviewer says the guide helped with a mobility scooter. You will need your passport, because the listing says driving licences are not accepted.
The coach trip. Eleven hours, and a different shape: the coach goes past the Chiemsee, spends about 2.5 hours in Salzburg, and from April to October carries on through the Salzkammergut to the Wolfgangsee, where you can buy a boat ride to St. Wolfgang, and passes the Mondsee. In winter there is no boat ride and more free time in Salzburg. The listing mentions audio commentary in seven languages and a toilet on board. For €74 you get less time in the city than on the train trip and more landscape.
Which to choose
- You want Salzburg at your own pace: go by train and skip the tour. For one person a Bayern-Ticket and a walk cost far less than €79, and the city is easy to read.
- You want a guide and no planning, and you like three hours of free time afterwards: the €79 train trip.
- You like a bus, scenery and a lake more than a long old-town visit: the €74 coach trip, which is the better choice from April to October.
If you would rather drive, you can compare hire cars for Munich; check the rental terms for taking the car into Austria, and whether you need a motorway vignette there. The train is the easier answer for a single day.
Combining Salzburg with the Eagle’s Nest is possible but makes a very long day; the Eagle’s Nest has its own guide, Eagle’s Nest and Berchtesgaden from Munich. For the full range, see all day trips from Munich.
Our pick for most travellers: the guided Salzburg day trip by train.
