Suggested Itineraries for Hallstatt Austria - 1, 2, 3 days weeks
Suggested Itineraries for Hallstatt Austria - 1, 2, 3 days weeks

Best Itineraries for Hallstatt:

Suggested Stay: 1-2 Full Days (12-48 Hours).
Important Winter Hours: Ice Cave Tours & Salt Mine Tours are both closed for part of the Winter.  Ice Cave closed late-October until May) Salt Mine is closed for one month early-January until early-Febuary.  The World Heritage Lookout & Lift near the Salt Mine is open all year as is the 5 Fingers Lookout near the Ice Cave although in the Winter you sometimes need snowhoes to reach the 5 Fingers.

Related Article: Top 10 Things To Do In Hallstatt.

Since most tourists visit Hallstatt as a day trip from Salzburg or Vienna, prioritizing your trip to maximize time is very important.  The biggest challenge isn’t so much deciding what to do, but instead what the best order to do each thing is to streamline your visit.  Our suggested 1-day itinerary for Hallstatt assumes you are arriving in the morning and returning in the evening after dinner or continuing on to another city.  If you are able to get an overnight stay up to 2 full days in Hallstatt you will have no problem doing everything at an easy pace.







One Day In Hallstatt:

With just 1 day in Hallstatt, you’ll want to head to the Dachstein Ice Cave (closed in Winter) right away to be efficient with your time.   From Salzburg, you can reach the Dachstein Visitor Center as early as 9:12am with public transportation if you leave Salzburg by 5:55am (read: Getting To Hallstatt).  You’ll then take the cable car up the mountain to catch the 1-hour long tour of the Ice Caves.  After the tour, ride one cable car stop further up to get to the 5 Fingers Lookout.  From the 2nd level station (Krippenstein), it is an easy 20-minute Alpine hike that leads the way to amazing views from the 5 Fingers Lookout which is 5,000 feet above the valley below.  The nearby  Krippenstein Lodge is an excellent place to have a coffee or food.

After working your way back down the cable car to the Dachstein Visitor Center, take bus 543 for 15 minutes to the village of Hallstatt.  The village’s main bus stop (Hallstatt Lahn) is just South of the city center and by right by the funicular lift you can ride up for 2-hour tour of the Salt Mine (closed most of January) and stunning views from the Hallstatt Skywalk.  The neighboring Rudolph’s Tower is a great place for a late lunch or drink.

For the rest of the afternoon stroll the edge of Lake Hallstatt to explore the village including Market Square and a visit to the Bone Chapel.  A great way to finish the afternoon into the evening is to do a 1-hour boat rental to relax on the water followed by a lakeside dinner to sample Hallstatt’s local food.  The last return bus or ferry (for the train) back to Salzburg will depart around 6:15pm.

•Day 1: Morning Dachstein Ice Cave & 5 Fingers Lookout.  Midday lunch at Rudolph’s Tower followed by the Salt Mine Tour.  Afternoon Hallstatt Walking Tour with a Bone House visit.  Evening boat rental followed by a lakeside dinner.
•Slower Paced Day 1: Morning Dachstein Ice Cave & 5 Fingers Lookout or Salt Mine Tour.  Midday Free Old Town Hallstatt Walking Tour with lakeside lunch & Bone House visit.  Afternoon boat rental on Lake Hallstatt.
Suggested Itineraries For Hallstatt Austria - 1 Day, 24 Hours

Mid-day: Lunch at Rudolph’s Tower followed by a tour of the Salt Mine.

Suggested Itineraries For Hallstatt Austria - 1 Day, 24 Hours

Afternoon: Hallstatt walking tour with lakeside dining.

Two Days In Hallstatt:

A 2-day itinerary for Hallstatt really takes a lot of the questions and rush out of your visit as you’ll have plenty of time to see all the best sights.  We suggest spending the entire morning into the afternoon fully cover the Alpine sights on Dachstein mountain.  After breakfast, head up to tour the Ice Cave and followed by taking in the views at the 5 Fingers Lookout either before getting lunch on the patio of the Krippenstein Alpine Lodge which is both located near the second level cable car station.  It’s not every day you can have lunch on top of a mountain with views of a glacier.  After lunch, spend the afternoon either hiking between the other Alpine lodges or by circling the 3-hour-long Heilbronn Cross Loop Trail before returning to the center of Hallstatt.  In the evening grab a relaxing lakeside dinner, but save fully exploring the town for day 2.

On your 2nd full day, you will be able to fully focus on the attractions located right in town.  Start the morning heading up the glass-enclosed funicular up Salt Mountain to Rudolph’s Tower Restaurant for breakfast and the views from the Hallstatt Skywalk lookout.  After eating take the full 2-hour tour of the Salt Mine and consider following the Salt Brine Trail back down the hill into town.  Dating to 1670, it is Europe’s oldest brine pipe and leads you through great wooded paths and past a waterfall with amazing views of the town.  Arriving back the center of Hallstatt, visit the Bone House Chapel and do our free walking tour in reverse while stopping for a late lunch in Market Square.  Have a slow Hallstatt-style afternoon relaxing by the lake and consider renting an electric, row, or paddle boat for the full experience before dinner.

•Day 1: Morning Dachstein Ice Cave Tour and hike to the 5 Fingers Lookout.  Lunch at Dachstein Krippenstein Restaurant or the patio of the Krippenstein Lodge.  After hiking between Alpine huts or around the Heilbronn Cross Loop Trail.  Evening lakeside dinner back in Hallstatt.
•Day 2: Morning breakfast at Rudolph’s tower followed by the Salt Mine Tour and Salt Brine Trail Hike.  Afternoon Bone House and reverse Old Town Walk with a late lunch in Market Square.  Evening rent a boat on the lake.
Suggested Itineraries For Hallstatt Austria - 2 Days, 48 Hours

Morning: Breakfast at Rudolph’s Tower followed by a tour of the Salt Mine and Salt Brine Trail hike.

Suggested Itineraries For Hallstatt Austria - 2 Days, 48 Hours

Afternoon: Hallstatt walking tour with the Bone House and dinner in Market Square.

Suggested Itineraries For Hallstatt Austria - 2 Days, 48 Hours

Evening: Lake time on with a boat rental.



Three Days In Hallstatt:

Staying 3 full days in Hallstatt isn’t very common with most tourists, but for those of you looking to do a lot of Alpine hiking without huge crowds to deal with it can be very rewarding.  Everything pretty much stays the same the first 48 hours as the 2-day itinerary.  On the final day, you can visit some of the best hiking in the area which includes the lakes in the nearby village of Gosau.  The village is only 22 minutes from Hallstatt by bus making it very easy to get to.  Other popular side trips close to Hallstatt where you can get outdoors include the Ewinge Wand hiking & bike trail in Bad Goisern, the rugged landscape of Mount Sarstein which also in Bad Goisern, and the famous lake at Wolfgangsee.

•Day 1: Morning Dachstein Ice Cave Tour (or Mammoth Cave Tour if more adventurous).  Lunch on the patio of the Krippenstein Lodge before or after a visit to 5 Fingers Lookout.  Afternoon hiking between Alpine huts or around the Heilbronn Cross Loop Trail.   

•Day 2: Morning breakfast at Rudolph’s tower followed by the Salt Mine Tour and Salt Brine Trail Hike.  Afternoon Bone House Chapel and reverse Old Town Walk with a late lunch in Market Square.  Evening rent a boat on the lake.

•Day 3: After breakfast head to Gosau to hike the wooden planked Lockernmoos Trail.  Lunch in Gosau.  Afternoon exploring the trails around Lake Gosau.  Evening lakeside dinner back in Hallstatt.

Suggested Itineraries For Hallstatt Austria - 3 Days, 72 Hours

All day: Side trip to hiking around Gosau.

Suggested Itineraries For Hallstatt Austria - 3 Days, 72 Hours

All day: Side trip to hiking around Gosau.

Suggested Itineraries For Hallstatt Austria - 3 Days, 72 Hours

Evening: Lakeside dinner in Hallstatt.

Top 10 Things To Do In Hallstatt:

Read More: Top 10 Things To Do In Hallstatt