Day trips · Hallstatt · Austria
5 best day trips from Hallstatt
Where to go when you want a day away from Hallstatt, and how long it really takes.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: C.Stadler/Bwag, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The classic day trip from Hallstatt is Bad Ischl (About 30–40 minutes by bus or train). The closest option is Bad Ischl, about 20 km away.
Key facts
- Day trips in this guide
- 5
- Closest
- Bad Ischl (20 km)
- Most popular
- Bad Ischl
Day trips compared
| Destination | Distance | Travel time | How | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bad Ischl | 20 km | About 30–40 minutes by bus or train | Regional bus from Lahn or train from Hallstatt station | Culture, Couples, Food lovers |
| Gosausee | 20 km | About 40 minutes by bus | Bus via Gosaumühle, or car | Families, Couples, Quiet stays |
| St. Wolfgang and the Wolfgangsee | 40 km | About 1 hour by car or bus | Car, or bus via Bad Ischl | Families, Couples, First-timers |
| Salzburg | 75 km | About 1.5 hours by car, 2.5 by bus | Car, or bus via Bad Ischl | Culture, First-timers |
| Gmunden and the Traunsee | 55 km | About 1 hour by train | Salzkammergut railway via Bad Ischl | Couples, Quiet stays, Shopping |
The day trips
20 km · About 30–40 minutes by bus or train
1.Bad Ischl
The imperial spa town has the Kaiservilla, where Emperor Franz Joseph spent his summers, a Zauner pastry shop, a thermal spa and an elegant riverside promenade.
- Getting there
- Regional bus from Lahn or train from Hallstatt station
- Best for
- Culture, Couples, Food lovers
20 km · About 40 minutes by bus
2.Gosausee
The Vorderer Gosausee mirrors the Dachstein glacier on still mornings. A flat path circles the lake in about an hour, and a cable car climbs to the Zwieselalm for wider views.
- Getting there
- Bus via Gosaumühle, or car
- Best for
- Families, Couples, Quiet stays
40 km · About 1 hour by car or bus
3.St. Wolfgang and the Wolfgangsee
St. Wolfgang has a pilgrimage church with Michael Pacher's Gothic altar, lakeside promenades and the Schafberg cog railway climbing to a summit with views over the lakes.
- Getting there
- Car, or bus via Bad Ischl
- Best for
- Families, Couples, First-timers
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75 km · About 1.5 hours by car, 2.5 by bus
4.Salzburg
Mozart's Baroque city has Hohensalzburg Fortress, the cathedral, Getreidegasse and the Mirabell Gardens, and can be covered in a long day.
- Getting there
- Car, or bus via Bad Ischl
- Best for
- Culture, First-timers
55 km · About 1 hour by train
5.Gmunden and the Traunsee
Gmunden is known for its green-and-white ceramics and the Seeschloss Ort, a castle on an island in the Traunsee reached by a wooden bridge.
- Getting there
- Salzkammergut railway via Bad Ischl
- Best for
- Couples, Quiet stays, Shopping
Day-trip tips
- Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
- Hallstatt station is across the lake; check that the ferry connection runs for your train.
- Regional buses run from Bad Ischl via Bad Goisern to Hallstatt Lahn and on to Obertraun, with connections from Salzburg via Bad Ischl and to Gosau via Gosaumühle.
- For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best day trip from Hallstatt?
Bad Ischl. The imperial spa town has the Kaiservilla, where Emperor Franz Joseph spent his summers, a Zauner pastry shop, a thermal spa and an elegant riverside promenade.
+How long does it take to get from Hallstatt to Bad Ischl?
About 30–40 minutes by bus or train — Regional bus from Lahn or train from Hallstatt station, about 20 km.
+How long does it take to get from Hallstatt to Gosausee?
About 40 minutes by bus — Bus via Gosaumühle, or car, about 20 km.