Austria's signature first-time rail route linking Habsburg Vienna and the UNESCO Wachau Danube vineyards with Baroque Salzburg, lakeside Hallstatt, and the 2,256m Nordkette peaks above Innsbruck.
Route overview
- Day 1 — Vienna: Stephansdom, Graben, Hofburg & First Kaffeehaus
- Day 2 — Vienna: Schönbrunn Palace, Belvedere Klimt Collection & State Opera
- Day 3 — Wachau Valley Excursion: Melk Abbey, Danube Cruise & Dürnstein
- Day 4 — Railjet to Salzburg: Mirabell Gardens, Getreidegasse & Hohensalzburg
- Day 5 — Salzburg: Untersberg Cable Car, Hellbrunn Trick Fountains & Augustiner Bräu
- Day 6 — Salzkammergut Lakes: Bad Ischl to Hallstatt via the Stefanie Ferry
- Day 7 — Hallstatt Skywalk, 7,000-Year Salt Mine & Gosausee Mirror Lake: Hallstatt Skywalk, 7,000-Year Salt Mine & Gosausee Mirror Lake
- Day 8 — Train to Innsbruck: Goldenes Dachl, Hofkirche & Pastel Inn Riverfront
- Day 9 — Top of Innsbruck: Nordkette 2,256m Cable Car, Bergisel & Schloss Ambras
- Day 10 — Karwendel Alpine Morning or Direct Rail Return to Vienna / Munich / Zurich: Karwendel Alpine Morning or Direct Rail Return to Vienna / Munich / Zurich
This 10-day car-free itinerary uses high-speed ÖBB Railjet and Westbahn trains alongside the scenic Salzkammergutbahn and Hallstätter See boat ferry to connect Austria's top imperial and alpine highlights without a single motorway toll.
Day 1 — Vienna: Stephansdom, Graben, Hofburg & First Kaffeehaus
Arrive at Wien Hauptbahnhof from Vienna Airport (15 min, €4.50). Activate a 72-hour Wiener Linien pass (€17.10), climb Stephansdom's South Tower, tour the Hofburg Imperial Apartments, and enjoy a Wiener Melange and Apfelstrudel at Café Demel or Café Sperl.
Day 2 — Vienna: Schönbrunn Palace, Belvedere Klimt Collection & State Opera
Take U-Bahn U4 early to Schönbrunn Palace for the Grand Tour (€32) and walk up to the Gloriette terrace. Spend the afternoon at Upper Belvedere with Gustav Klimt's 'The Kiss' (€19.50), followed by an evening performance at the Wiener Staatsoper.
Day 3 — Wachau Valley Excursion: Melk Abbey, Danube Cruise & Dürnstein
Use the ÖBB Wachau Kombi-Ticket (€69): ride the morning train to Melk to tour Benedictine Stift Melk, board the DDSG ship downstream through terraced Grüner Veltliner vineyards to Dürnstein's blue Baroque abbey tower, and return to Vienna from Krems.
Day 4 — Railjet to Salzburg: Mirabell Gardens, Getreidegasse & Hohensalzburg
Board an ÖBB Railjet or Westbahn train from Vienna to Salzburg Hbf (2h 25m, from €19.90). Activate a 48-hour Salzburg Card (€40–€44), stroll Mirabell Gardens and Getreidegasse, and ride the funicular up to Hohensalzburg Fortress at sunset.
Day 5 — Salzburg: Untersberg Cable Car, Hellbrunn Trick Fountains & Augustiner Bräu
Use your Salzburg Card to ride bus #25 to the Hellbrunn Trick Fountains and ascend the Untersberg Cable Car (1,776m) for sweeping Berchtesgaden and Hohe Tauern views. End the evening under the chestnut trees at Augustiner Bräu Kloster Mülln.
Day 6 — Salzkammergut Lakes: Bad Ischl to Hallstatt via the Stefanie Ferry
Ride Postbus #150 past emerald Fuschlsee and Wolfgangsee to Bad Ischl (pause at Konditorei Zauner and Kaiservilla), then take the Salzkammergutbahn train for 18 minutes to Hallstatt Bahnhof and cross the lake on the Stefanie boat (€4.00) to your lakeside guesthouse.
Day 7 — Hallstatt Skywalk, 7,000-Year Salt Mine & Gosausee Mirror Lake
Enjoy Hallstatt Marktplatz before 09:00 while it is quiet, then take the Salzbergbahn funicular up to the World Heritage Skywalk and Salzwelten salt mine (€40 combo). In the afternoon, take a short bus hop to Vorderer Gosausee reflecting the Dachstein glacier.
Day 8 — Train to Innsbruck: Goldenes Dachl, Hofkirche & Pastel Inn Riverfront
Take the morning train via Attnang-Puchheim and Salzburg to Innsbruck Hbf. Check in to receive your free Innsbruck Welcome Card, admire the 2,657ilded copper tiles of the Goldenes Dachl, visit the Hofkirche's 28 bronze guardians, and photograph the Mariahilf riverfront.
Day 9 — Top of Innsbruck: Nordkette 2,256m Cable Car, Bergisel & Schloss Ambras
Use a 24-hour Innsbruck Card (€59) to ride Zaha Hadid's Hungerburgbahn funicular and Nordkettenbahnen cable cars up to Hafelekar (2,256m). Afternoon visits to the Bergisel Ski Jump panorama terrace and Renaissance Schloss Ambras.
Day 10 — Karwendel Alpine Morning or Direct Rail Return to Vienna / Munich / Zurich
Enjoy a final Tyrolean breakfast before boarding a direct ÖBB Railjet back to Vienna Airport (4h 30m), Munich Hbf (1h 45m), or Zurich HB (3h 30m).