Last Updated on February 11, 2026 by Ioana
Salzburg is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever been to in Europe. It’s my top recommendation for a day trip from Munich. Salzburg is this cute mountain city with a charming old town and it’s also the birthplace of Mozart and the filming location for the Sound of Music. In this blog post I’ll share the ultimate Salzburg 1 day itinerary to help you plan an amazing day trip. This blog post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.
Planning your next trip? Check out these helpful resources:
How to get to Salzburg from Munich
It’s very easy to get to Salzburg from Munich by train. It takes around 2 hours to get there by train, so taking a Salzburg day trip is the perfect way to explore a second city (in a second country!) while in Munich.
I bought the train tickets online on the Deutsche Bahn website. There are trains running every hour or so, so you can pick the times that work best for you. I took the 8am train and came back to Munich at 7pm. This was enough time to explore the main attractions in Salzburg and also get food.
If you don’t want to deal with all the train logistics yourself, you can join a guided tour instead. This way you will also have a guide while exploring Salzburg on a walking tour so you can learn more about this historic city.
Even though Salzburg is in Austria, there will be no passport control on the train from Munich because both countries are in the Schengen area. So it feels like you’re taking a local train, not an international one. It’s a very smooth ride.
You can create create your own itinerary or you can join a walking tour.
Makartsteg bridge
From the train station (called Salzburg Hauptbahnhof so you can use the name on Google maps) you can walk to the city center. It’s just a short walk (about 15 minutes) to get there and Salzburg is such a beautiful city that even this walk is picturesque.
As you walk towards the old town you will have to cross the Makartsteg bridge. It’s a pedestrian bridge that connects the old and new city. There are plenty of locks along the bridge, which make it cute.
And you get some of the best views of the Salzach River, Fortress Hohensalzburg, and the Austrian Alps. Make sure to take it all in and stop for some pictures.
Mozart’s birthplace
Once you cross the bridge you’re basically in the historic center. Here you have narrow cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, shops, cafes, and the major attractions of Salzburg.
One of these must-see attractions is the house where the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born. It even has a sign on it to indicate that it’s his birthplace, so you can’t miss it.
Stop for apple strudel at Carl Schatz Konditorei
To get energy for the rest of the day, stop by a cup of coffee and a slice of apple strudel at Carl Schatz Konditorei. Austria is famous for its apple strudel, so you must try it while in Salzburg. They also have very good coffee.
There are plenty of cafes and pastry shops in the old town where you can try strudel. I went to Carl Schatz Konditorei and I loved it. It’s a very small place that was packed with locals when I got there, which was already a good sign.
I had to wait a few minutes to get a table. But it was worth the wait.
The staff was very friendly, the strudel was to die for, and the coffee was perfect. This was hands down the best way to start my day in Salzburg!
The inside of the cafe was also very cute, with white tables and pink walls. It had everything you want in a coffee shop: nice staff, great food and drinks, and a great atmosphere.
Salzburg Cathedral
Now that you’re caffeinated, you can start walking through the old town until you get to the Salzburg Cathedral. It’s a 17th century church and a masterpiece of Baroque architecture.
Hohensalzburg Fortress
If you keep walking a bit you’ll get to a square with some cool sculptures and artwork and there you can also see the fortress perched on the hill. You can walk there or you can take the cable car.
It’s a steep hike and it takes a bit of time to get there, so since you’re only there for a day I highly recommend you opt for the funicular ride to preserve your energy.
Unfortunately exactly the day I was there the funicular was closed for maintenance and the fortress was closed, so I didn’t get a chance to actually visit it. I was very disappointed, but I guess it’s an excuse to go back to Salzburg.
Get lunch
After you visit the fortress you can come back to the old town to get lunch. Pick any of the restaurants there so you can try some Austrian food like the Wiener schnitzel or spatzle.
I had spatzle with cheese and bacon at Wirtshaus zum Zirkelwirt. They are egg-based pasta with an irregular form. If you like pasta, then you’ll love spatzle.
A lot of people hype up Café Tomaselli because it’s the oldest cafe in Austria. However, as it’s usually the case, these places are overhyped and expensive.
So if you want to try local food I suggest you go elsewhere. But if you just want to be able to say that you had coffee in the oldest cafe in Austria, then by all means stop by.
Stroll through the old town and get a Mozartkugel
After lunch spend some time just strolling through the little streets of the old town and maybe do some shopping.
Something that must be on your Salzburg itinerary is trying a Mozartkugel, which is a round chocolate made with marzipan and nougat.
It was first created in 1880 and it was named after the famous composer. There are so many places selling Mozartkugel in Salzburg! But if you want the original one, then go to Fürst Konditorei. They have a few locations in Salzburg.
Mirabell Palace and Mirabell Gardens
After you got your Mozartkugel head to the Mirabell Palace and Gardens. The palace is an office building now, so it cannot be visited inside.
But the gardens are open to the public and they are so beautiful and well-maintained. Take a stroll through the garden and take some pictures, it’s the perfect backdrop.
Some days they have Mozart concerts at the Mirabell Palace. I’m sure it’s a wonderful experience to attend one. I think it’s similar to the Chopin concerts they have in Warsaw.
Mozart’s Residence
Across the street from the gardens you can find Mozart’s residence, where he lived as an adult. You can tour it and it takes about an hour to see it. After the tour start heading to the train station to head back to Munich.
If you’re Sound of Music fans, take a Sound of Music tour after lunch
An alternative plan, if you’re a fan of the Sound of Music, is to take a tour after lunch. During the guided tour you will be able to see some of the shooting location from the musical and have a guide give you more information about Salzburg and the movie.
I personally skipped this tour because I wanted to see the other attractions on this itinerary more, but it’s totally up to you how you create your perfect itinerary.
FAQs about Salzburg
Is Salzburg safe for solo female travelers?
Yes, I found Salzburg very safe. Fun fact: most Salzburg residents are millionaires. Salzburg means the salt city because back in the day they had a salt mine. So the people who lived there back in the day became rich because of this mine.
They passed down the money to their kids and grandkids and now most people living there are very rich. It’s almost impossible to buy an apartment in Salzburg unless you’re very wealthy.
Salzburg is basically a city of old money and other rich people who want to retire in a safe, cute mountain town. So the city is incredibly safe.
How to get cell phone data when visiting from abroad?
The cheapest and most convenient way to get data while visiting from outside of the EU is to buy an eSIM. An eSIM is a digital SIM that lets you activate a data plan from a provider without having to use a physical SIM card. They are super easy to use.
I use Airalo. You can go to their website, select the country you’re traveling to, select how many GB of data you want, and how many days you want the eSIM to be active for. After you pay you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to activate the eSIM.
You can activate it on your phone in under 1 minute. Once the eSIM is activated you don’t have to do anything else. When you’re at your destination you will automatically get data.
Do I need cash for my trip to Salzburg?
I didn’t use cash while in Salzburg. All places where I went accepted cards.
But it’s always a good idea to have some cash so you can tip tour guides or buy souvenirs or food from outdoor markets in case they prefer cash.
Pro tip: always get cash from an ATM in the airport instead of going to an exchange place. Your bank will always have better exchange rates when taking out cash in a foreign currency from an ATM.
Do I have to tip in Salzburg?
Tipping is not mandatory, but it is highly encouraged. I usually leave 1-2 euros (or the equivalent in the local currency) as tip when I eat out. They highly appreciate it when you do this.
Do I need to book tickets for attractions in advance?
It depends when you visit. I went in November and I didn’t book any tickets in advance. And I always found tickets available for the attractions I wanted to visit. However, if you visit when the Christmas market is running or during the summer you might want to book things in advance.
Do people speak English in Salzburg?
Yes, they do. Everyone spoke English in Salzburg. I found people here friendlier than the locals in Vienna. In Vienna you get some side eye or you’re not treated as well as a person who speaks German if you’re a tourist. But not in Salzburg.
Need inspiration for your next trip? Check out some of my other articles.
Capri one day itinerary: how to spend a perfect day
The best Ischia one day itinerary for first-timers
Amalfi one day itinerary: the best day trip guide
Amalfi lemon farm tour & tasting: the best experience
The ultimate Ravello itinerary for an epic day trip
Paris solo travel: everything you need to know
Andorra itinerary: everything you need to visit
Warsaw itinerary: ultimate guide for your first visit
Barcelona 3 day itinerary: the best things to do
Doha itinerary: the best guide for your first visit
Tallinn in 2 days: everything you need to know
Beginner’s guide to NYC: everything you need to know
The best guide for solo travel to Amsterdam
Solo female travel to London: the ultimate guide
The best Oradea 3 day itinerary: a native’s top picks
Istanbul solo travel guide: is Istanbul safe for women?
Ioana was born and raised in Romania, lived in NYC for 14 years, and has since returned to Romania. She began traveling solo at 30 and has now visited 25+ countries. Ioana is a full time travel blogger and content creator. Her blog gets 100K+ views per month and her Instagram community has 80K+ people. She loves to share practical travel tips, itineraries, and recommendations for fellow travelers. Her story and insights have been featured in The Daily Express, Euronews, Bored Panda, Yahoo, MSN and more.