2 Days in Salzburg: A Day-by-Day Itinerary

Get ready for baroque domes, a clifftop fortress, Mozart at every turn and Alpine peaks rising right behind the rooftops. Salzburg is compact and easy to walk, so two days is enough to see the big sights without rushing. That makes it a great city break on its own, or a stop between Vienna and Munich.

This cheerful plan suits first-time visitors, couples, families and music lovers who like a steady pace. Day 1 covers the Old Town on the left bank of the Salzach river. Day 2 crosses to the New Town for Mirabell and Mozart’s later home, then heads south to Hellbrunn’s playful trick fountains. Most of it is on foot, with one easy bus ride.

At a glance

Day	Area	Highlights
Day 1	Old Town (Altstadt) and the city mountains	Hohensalzburg Fortress, St. Peter’s cemetery and catacombs, Salzburg Cathedral, DomQuartier, Getreidegasse, Mozart’s Birthplace, Mönchsberg sunset
Day 2	New Town (right bank) and Hellbrunn	Mirabell Gardens and Palace, Mozart Residence, Hellbrunn Palace and trick fountains, evening by the river

Day 1: Old Town, fortress and Mozart’s beginnings

Morning

Get ready for a fairytale first day, and start high. Hohensalzburg Fortress is open 365 days a year. From October to April it opens at 9:30 am and closes at 5 pm. From May to September the grounds open 8:30 am to 8 pm, and the museums, state rooms and Magic Theatre open 9 am to 7 pm. Arrive at opening time and you’ll get the views before the crowds.

Ride up on the FestungsBahn funicular, a short walk from the cathedral squares, or take the footpath. 2026 prices for adults:

• FestungsCard “Basic”: €15.50 with the funicular, €12.00 if you walk up
• FestungsCard “All Inclusive”: €19.20 with the funicular, €14.50 if you walk up

The two cards cover different parts of the fortress, so check what each one includes on the official site. Allow two to three hours up top.

Afternoon

Walk down to St. Peter’s Abbey, founded in the 7th century and described by the tourist board as the oldest monastery still running in the German-speaking world. The cemetery is free and beautiful, and the catacombs are carved into the cliff above it. From October to April the catacombs open daily 10 am to 12:30 pm and 1 pm to 5 pm. From May to September they close at 6 pm instead. Last entry is 20 minutes before closing. There’s a small fee, so check the current price on the tourist board’s page. The Salzburg Card covers one free entry.

Next is Salzburg Cathedral, a two-minute stroll away. Visitors pay a preservation fee of €7.00 per adult. In September and October it opens Monday to Saturday 9 am to 6 pm and Sundays and holidays 1 pm to 6 pm, with shorter hours in November, January and February. You can’t visit during services or the music at noon, so plan to arrive after lunch.

Right next door is the DomQuartier, a museum route through the prince-archbishops’ state rooms, the cathedral arcades and the cathedral museum. It’s open daily except Tuesday, 10 am to 5 pm, and daily in July, August and from December to 6 January. Last admission is one hour before closing, and a full-access adult ticket costs €15.00. Allow about 90 minutes.

Then wander west into Getreidegasse, the famous lane of wrought-iron shop signs. At number 9 is Mozart’s Birthplace, open daily 9 am to 5:30 pm with last admission 30 minutes before closing. A visit takes about an hour. Adults pay €18, or €25 for a combined ticket that also covers the Mozart Residence (Day 2). The combined ticket is valid for 48 hours from first use. Buy online only through the Mozarteum’s own webshop (see Heads-up).

Evening

From Getreidegasse it’s a few minutes’ walk west to Anton-Neumayr-Platz. That’s where the MönchsbergAufzug lift takes you up the cliff to walking paths and sunset views over the domes. In 2026 the lift costs €3.40 one way or €4.80 return for adults. It runs Monday 8 am to 7 pm and Tuesday to Sunday 8 am to 9 pm, and in July and August daily until 11 pm. If you arrive earlier, the Museum der Moderne at the top opens Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 6 pm (Thursday until 8 pm) and closes on Mondays.

Ride back down for dinner in the Old Town lanes.

Day 2: Mirabell, Mozart Residence and Hellbrunn’s trick fountains

Morning

This is the day for flowers, music and playful splashes. Cross the river to the Mirabell Gardens, open daily from about 6 am until dusk and free to enter. Come early for calm paths, flower beds and the classic view of the fortress across the river. The tourist board points out that the Rosenhügel steps here appear in the finale of The Sound of Music, so fans will want a photo. Some parts close in winter, including the hedge theatre and dwarf garden.

Mirabell Palace itself, with its baroque angel staircase, opens Monday to Saturday from about 8 am to 6 pm and is closed on Sundays and holidays. The Marble Hall opens Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from about 8 am to 4 pm, and Tuesday and Friday 1 pm to 4 pm. It can close for special events. Entry is free.

From there it’s a short walk to Makartplatz 8 and the Mozart Residence, where the family lived from 1773 to 1787. It opens daily 9 am to 5:30 pm, with last admission 30 minutes before closing. Use your combined ticket from Day 1.

Afternoon

Walk back over the river to the Rathaus stop in the Old Town. Take bus line 25 (direction Untersbergbahn) to Schloss Hellbrunn, about 25 minutes from the city centre. A 24-hour city ticket or the Salzburg Card covers the ride.

Hellbrunn’s trick fountains are pure, giggly fun: grottoes, water-powered figures and surprise splashes. One adult ticket (€16.50 in 2026) covers three things:

• the trick fountains, about 50 minutes
• the palace exhibition, about 30 minutes
• the Folk Museum in the Monatsschlössl, a roughly 10-minute walk away

The fountains and palace come with a mobile audio guide in 15 languages, including Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Season alert: the palace and fountains open daily only from 28 March to 1 November 2026. In October and on 1 November they’re open 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, with last admission at 4:30 pm. The palace park opens daily 6:30 am to 9 pm. Book online on the official ticket shop to skip the ticket-office queue.

Outside the season, line 25 continues to the Untersberg Cable Car, which is on the Salzburg Card’s free list. Check its own site for operating days and maintenance closures before you go.

Evening

Take bus 25 back to the centre and spend your last evening along the Salzach river or in the right-bank lanes around Linzer Gasse. Salzburg loves live music, so check the official events calendar on salzburg.info for chamber concerts, such as those at Mirabell Palace.

Getting there and getting around

From Salzburg Airport. According to the airport, two city buses serve the terminal:

• Bus 10 runs Monday to Saturday every 15 minutes to the city centre, in about 15 minutes.
• Bus 2 runs daily every 15 to 20 minutes to Salzburg Main Station (Hauptbahnhof), in about 23 minutes. On Sundays and public holidays it runs every 20 minutes.

Buy tickets from the machine at the stop or online. A 1h Ticket costs €2.60 from a machine, the app or online, and lets you use any public transport for 60 minutes. You can also buy the Salzburg Card at the airport’s Info-Center. For taxis, check the airport’s official website.

By train. Salzburg Hauptbahnhof is the city’s main rail hub. Check current times and fares directly with ÖBB. Bus line 25 links the main station with the Old Town’s Rathaus stop on its way to Hellbrunn.

City tickets. City buses are run under the Salzburger Verkehrsverbund. In the city’s core zone:

Ticket	Price (full fare, 2026)
1h Ticket (machine, smartphone, internet)	€2.60
24-hour Ticket (machine, smartphone, internet, or pre-sale)	€5.20
24-hour Ticket bought from the driver	€6.40

The 24-hour ticket runs for 24 hours from first use, and your last trip must end within that window. Keep your ticket with you, because you must show it if asked.

Salzburg Card. The tourist board says the card gives free entry to the city’s main attractions and museums, plus free use of city public transport. The Mozart museums accept it, and it includes the fortress. 2026 adult prices:

Card	1 Jan to 31 Mar and 1 Nov to 31 Dec 2026	1 Apr to 31 Oct 2026
24 hours	€35.00	€38.00
48 hours	€41.00	€45.00
72 hours	€44.00	€49.00

Children aged 6 to 15 pay half. The fortress with funicular (€15.50), the combined Mozart ticket (€25) and two 24-hour bus tickets (€10.40) alone add up to €50.90 at full price. So the 48-hour card usually pays off on this plan. Check the official list for everything else it covers.

Where to stay

• Old Town (Altstadt), left bank. Best if you want to step out the door straight into Getreidegasse and the cathedral squares. Ideal for a short first visit, though busier and pricier.
• Right bank around Linzer Gasse, Steingasse and Mirabell. Mozart Residence and Mirabell Gardens are on your doorstep, and the Old Town is just over the footbridges. A good all-round choice for couples and families.
• Around the Main Station (Hauptbahnhof). Practical if you arrive or leave by train, or take bus 2 to the airport. Bus 25 runs from here to the centre and Hellbrunn.
• Nonntal, south of the fortress. Quieter and residential, close to the Old Town on foot. It also sits on the Hellbrunner Allee walking and cycling route to Hellbrunn.

Budget

Prices below are 2026 adult prices from the official sources listed.

Item	Typical cost
Salzburg Card, 48 hours	€45.00 (Apr to Oct), €41.00 (Nov to Dec)
24-hour city bus ticket	€5.20 (machine/app), €6.40 (driver)
1h bus ticket (e.g. airport)	€2.60
Fortress FestungsCard Basic with funicular	€15.50
Mozart’s Birthplace / combined with Residence	€18 / €25
DomQuartier, full access	€15.00
Salzburg Cathedral preservation fee	€7.00
Hellbrunn Palace and trick fountains	€16.50
Mönchsberg lift, return	€4.80
Mirabell Gardens and Palace	Free

If you pay everything separately on this plan, sights and city transport come to roughly €94 for two days. With a 48-hour Salzburg Card you’ll usually spend less. The daily budget in the summary covers sights and city transport only. It doesn’t include accommodation, meals, drinks, concerts or flights. We couldn’t confirm typical restaurant or hotel prices on an official source, so check current menus and booking platforms.

Heads-up

A few things to know so nothing spoils your trip:

• Fortress funicular maintenance. From 9 to 13 November 2026 the FestungsBahn is closed and the fortress museums and indoor areas are closed too. The walking path and outdoor areas stay open. From 11 January to 14 March 2027 the funicular is closed again, but the museums and indoor areas reopen and you can walk up. No online tickets are sold during these periods.
• Mozart tickets: official webshop only. The International Mozarteum Foundation warns that online tickets are only sold through its own webshop. Tickets bought from third-party sellers are not accepted at the Mozart museums.
• DomQuartier closes on Tuesdays outside July, August and the December to 6 January period. Also, the Residenzgalerie inside it is closed until autumn 2027, and reduced admission rates apply. Since 17 August 2026, you can only reach the Cathedral arcade terrace through the Cathedral Museum.
• Hellbrunn is seasonal. The palace and trick fountains close after 1 November 2026 and reopen in spring. Expect to get splashed, because surprising visitors is the point.
• Cathedral timing. You can’t visit during services or the music at noon. In July and August, closing times change on days of “Everyman” rehearsals and performances on Cathedral Square, and you can’t visit during the performances.
• Mozart’s Birthplace special days. It closes from 4 pm on 21 November and from 1 pm on 24 December. On 1 January 2027 it opens at 12 pm.
• Accessibility. Mozart’s Birthplace and the St. Peter’s catacombs are not barrier-free.
• Drones are prohibited at Hohensalzburg Fortress.
• Buy bus tickets before boarding. Reduced fares aren’t sold on the trolleybuses. Use a machine or the app, and keep your ticket for inspections.

Practical tips

• Plan around closing days. Mirabell Palace (not the gardens) is closed on Sundays and holidays, and DomQuartier on most Tuesdays. Switch the two days around if needed.
• Dress for churches. The cathedral and St. Peter’s are active places of worship. Modest clothing and a quiet voice are always appreciated, especially around services.
• Money. Austria uses the euro. The Mozart museums take cash and major cards, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB and Union Pay. Keep some coins for small purchases.
• Pre-book these. The FestungsBahn and fortress, the Mozart museums (official webshop only), Hellbrunn (official ticket shop) and the Salzburg Card (official webshop) all sell tickets online.
• SIM and eSIM. An eSIM bought before you fly is the easiest way to have maps and bus apps ready when you land. Check your home provider’s roaming rates first.
• Weather. Hellbrunn says you can visit in any weather, and the fortress and museums give you plenty of indoor time on rainy days.

Visa and entry. Austria is part of the Schengen Area, and entry rules depend on your nationality and passport. Check the current requirements well before booking on the official portal of the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs: https://www.bmeia.gv.at/en/travel-stay/entrance-and-residence-in-austria/visa

FAQ

Is two days enough for Salzburg?

Yes. The Old Town, the fortress, the Mozart museums, Mirabell and Hellbrunn fit comfortably into two days. Add a third day for the Untersberg or the lakes outside the city.

Is the Salzburg Card worth it for this itinerary?

Usually, yes. The fortress, the combined Mozart ticket and two days of buses alone cost €50.90 at full price. The 48-hour card costs €45.00 from April to October 2026 and €41.00 from November.

How do I get from Salzburg Airport to the Old Town?

Take bus 10 (Monday to Saturday, about 15 minutes to the centre) or bus 2 (daily, about 23 minutes to the main station). A 1h Ticket costs €2.60 from the machine at the stop or online.

Can I see Hellbrunn’s trick fountains in winter?

No. In 2026 the palace and trick fountains open daily from 28 March to 1 November only. The palace park opens daily from 6:30 am to 9 pm.

Which day is best to visit the DomQuartier?

Any day except Tuesday, unless it’s July, August or the December to 6 January period, when it opens daily.

Where can I find Sound of Music spots?

Mirabell Gardens is the easiest one, right in the city. The tourist board notes that the Rosenhügel steps appear in the film’s finale.