Itinerary · Salzburg · Austria
One day in Salzburg
A day-by-day plan grouped by neighbourhood, so you spend your time seeing Salzburg, not crossing it.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Ich, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
One day is a taster: the plan below covers the essentials, but most visitors want 3. Day 1: Hohensalzburg Fortress and Mozart's Birthplace. Base yourself in Altstadt (left-bank old town).
Key facts
- Days
- 1
- Sights covered
- 5
- Day trips
- None
- Best base
- Altstadt (left-bank old town)
- Book ahead
- Nothing essential
Day by day
Day 1: Hohensalzburg Fortress and Mozart's Birthplace
Hohensalzburg Fortress, Mozart's Birthplace, Mirabell Palace and Gardens and Salzburg Cathedral, then Augustiner Bräu Kloster Mülln in the evening.
Morning
Hohensalzburg Fortress
Walk up the path from Nonnberg or the Mönchsberg to avoid the funicular queue, and ride down instead. Allow 2–3 hours.
Late morning
Mozart's Birthplace
Buy a combined ticket with the Mozart Residence across the river, and visit early to avoid tour-group crowds in the small rooms. Allow 1 hour.
Lunch
Lunch: Salzburger Nockerl
Traditional restaurants and coffee houses in the old town; order it for two and expect a wait of about 20 minutes.
Afternoon
Mirabell Palace and Gardens
Peek into the palace's Marble Hall staircase, decorated with putti, and look out for chamber concerts held there. Allow 45 minutes.
Late afternoon
Salzburg Cathedral
Listen for the noon organ recitals or Sunday mass music, a free way to hear the cathedral's organs. Allow 45 minutes.
Evening
Augustiner Bräu Kloster Mülln
Arrive on a summer evening for a seat under the chestnut trees.
Before you go
If it rains
- Swap in Mozart Residence (Right-bank old town): It is less crowded than the birthplace, so allow time for the audio guide.
- Swap in DomQuartier and the Residenz (Altstadt): Allow at least two hours; the route is long and one-way.
- Swap in Salzburg Marionette Theatre (Andräviertel): Check the programme before you travel; performances are not daily.
Where to stay for this itinerary
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples, culture and luxury
Altstadt (left-bank old town)
Baroque squares, Getreidegasse shop signs and the cathedral beneath the fortress
Pace and daylight
The sights in this plan add up to roughly 6–8 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.4 hours in December to 16 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.
Getting between stops: Walking. The left-bank old town, the right bank, Mirabell Gardens and the fortress are all within 20 minutes on foot; footbridges such as the Makartsteg cross the Salzach.
More or fewer days
Questions travellers ask
+Is one day enough in Salzburg?
One day is a taster: the plan below covers the essentials, but most visitors want 3. How many days Salzburg needs.