We will pick you up from your hotel or any of the location in the city of Salzburg.
We leave the city of Salzburg behind on our way to the Lake District. Your private guide will explain about the city of Salzburg and how it for many years it was a independent principality, ruled by the Catholic Church and the importance of Salt and how it influenced the growth of the city. Other points of interest will be explained on route to Hallstatt. You will enjoy our off the beaten track over the mountains where you can enjoy unspoiled scenery.
Former hunting lodge built in 1450 by Prince Archbishop, Schloss Fuschl is today a Luxury Lake Side Resort.
Enjoy beautiful views above the Lake Wolfgang and the town of St. Gilgen. This is one of the most beautiful view points in the Lake District.
Option 1: After a breathtaking cable car ride, walk around 20 minutes to one of the most spectacular viewing platforms in the Alps that reaches out like a hand over the 400 m drop. From 5 platforms (the 5fingers), each in a different design, you can put your head for heights to the test and enjoy unique views down over Hallstatt, the Hallstättersee lake and the inner Salzkammergut region. The 5 different levels, each 4 x 1 m in size, offer spectacular insight and views. One of the platforms is made entirely from glass and another enables visitors to gain their own personal view of the Hallstatt World Heritage site through a large Baroque picture frame. The ‘5fingers’ are illuminated until midnight and can be seen from far and wide, even at night. On the way to the 5fingers you learn on information boards much about Fauna, Flora and the Geology at Dachstein Krippenstein.
Option 2: The oldest salt mine in the world, Europe’s oldest wooden staircase and the free-floating Skywalk with its “World Heritage View”, 360 meters above the ground: Hallstatt Salt Mine is a mine of superlatives. Come with us on a journey of discovery, back to the very beginnings of salt mining some 7,000 years ago, and experience the history of Bronze Age mining, recounted today in spectacular fashion thanks to state-of-the-art multimedia technology, including a Bronze Age Cinema 400 meters below ground. Here, you will experience up-close the very breath of history. Welcome to Hallstatt Salt Mine!
Optional 3: Take the train up to the Skywalk. When you stand on the “Skywalk”, Hallstatt lies right there at your feet. You look down on the world-famous World Heritage town, the cradle of the Hallstatt Period. Sparkling mystically, Hallstätter See nestles up against the medieval town like a fjord, flanked wonderfully by the spectacular panoramas of the Dachstein.
Optional 4: Dachstein Giant Ice Cave offers you chance to embark on a breathtaking adventure through rock and Ice.
Option 5: Enjoy a mini Cruise on Lake Wolfgang from the town of St. Gilgen to St. Wolfgang or vice versa. These beautiful lake side towns will leave you mesmerized by there Architecture so you will get time to explore them.
Option 6: The SchafbergBahn is the steepest cogwheel railway in Austria. Since 1893 mighty steam locomotives have powered their way from the lake-side base station in St. Wolfgang to the 1783 m high summit of the Schafberg. The SchafbergBahn allows every visitor to conquer the mountain in comfort and style, making the entire journey an unforgettable experience! Trains are in service from May through to the end of September. Once on the top, magnificent Alpine views and warm Austrian hospitality beckon. Visit the Hotel Schafsbergspitze, Austria’s oldest mountain inn, originally dating from 1862. From the top you may see numerous Alpine lakes and the Dachstein glacier. We recommend a combination from option 5 and 6
Option 7: Visit the 800-year-old salt mine. During World War II this mine was used to store art works and treasures taken by the NSDAP as they advanced through Europe. This is the mine portrayed ion the Hollywood movie “Monuments Men”.
Visit the town of Hallstatt
Tour was great! Luciano did a great job bringing us to Hallstatt before the crowds. The lake district and some specific sites that were in the Sound of Music that our wives enjoyed very much. Ask for Luciano and you will have a great time ! When we go back to the area we will definately book with this company.
Our custom tour was arranged with Carlos and we are repeat customers, brining along the family this time, party of six. We don't fit into one category to give this review! We fit in nearly all of them. I want to share that I find his style very professional and laid back in the best of ways; we are Americans. He listens to your family, makes conversation to get to know you better, accomodates special requests, and genuinely enjoys seeing your awe during the tours. We traveled for multiple days with him, each one different. Each day picked up at our hotel with a smile. The conversations were never boring. The "extras" were surprising! A drone video, a quick visit to Red Bull's Hangar 7, an unexpected stop at the pharmacy, lost eyeglasses which were promptly returned, stories of his personal world travels which were so inpsiring, and great recommendations for lunches. Island of Herreninsel in Lake Chiemsee, St. Gilgen village, Ice Caves and (Gollinger Wasserfall) waterfall, Hallstatt village so picturesque, Neuschwanstein Castle (must be booked in advance) and anything and everything you want to see or do in Salzburg, he can guide you or take you there. Expect the most fulfilling experiences! I suggest you let him make the recommendations and be flexible along the way - you never know when a road might be closed or a picture opportunity might arise (whoa, the Sound of Music experiences are all around). Very willing to speak to you personally and answer questions. Carlos maintains his knowledge on what is the best around the area!
What can we say? Carlos is the best … his attention to detail and enthusiasm are all you need to know… took our family out on multiple day in and around Salzburg and German Bavaria… he is so knowledgeable and “time is money”… so you get the best in the least amount of time… highly recommend and will use again and again
Would give 10 stars if possible. Our day with Carlos was the highlight of our trip!! He picked us up promptly from our hotel , was super friendly and so knowledgeable. We were expecting some rain in the afternoon so we adjusted our plans with his recommendation and it turned out spectacular. We saw beautiful sites, visited several adorable villages and even did an unexpected boat ride. Carlos shared his knowledge of Austria and its history with us. He welcomed our questions and his passion for people and his job was clearly evident. Thank you Carlos for such a special day. We will 100% look you up when we come back and share your info with anyone we know visiting the area. Just awesome!!
We spent the day with Michael Toth. He’s an excellent guide and really made my wife and I feel like old friends! I would highly recommend Mike for your Salzburg guide needs.
We went on this tour as a family of four with Michael and he absolutely was the most incredible, entertaining and informative guide we could have asked for! The journey is incredible, the destination stunning but Michael was the best part of it all! We cannot recommend him and this tour enough! If you do one tour let it be this one.
Private Custom Hallstatt & Lake District Tour – This was a great tour! Our tour guide was a cautious driver and very knowledgeable about Salzburg and Hallstatt. He showed us a few spots on our walk into Hallstatt, including a beautiful small church with a bathroom near by (the ride from Salzburg was about 90 minutes if I recall) and a nice spot to take some pictures. Then he walked us to the salt mine, taking us right through the ticket line and towards the front. This is where he left us to enjoy the salt mine tour. Note that the mine temperature is about 50 degrees and may feel claustrophobic to some. Otherwise, I have to say this was one of the coolest things I have ever seen! First you are asked to leave your valuables and large bags in lockers and cover your clothes with pants and a button up top. This is to keep your clothes clean but I still recommend not wearing your best clothing as you will get dirty. A very knowledgeable tour guide (who spoke about the mine both in German, then in English) takes you through the mine (approx. 90 minutes). During your tour, you get to slide down a miners slide which was a lot of fun (be sure your feet are not tucked into the sides but rather up and in front of you). You also get to ride a fast train through a very narrow tunnel that takes you to the exit of the mine in less than a minute or two which created a very unique experience on this tour. After our trip to the mine we had time to walk around the town and grab a bite to eat. By this time the town was packed with tourists making it hard to move around. We met up with our guide at our agreed upon meeting spot and headed back to Salzburg where he graciously dropped us off in town (our hotel was about a 20 min walk to town so this saved us some time). I highly recommend this tour not only for how thoughtful it was planned out, how smooth everything went, and how great our tour guide was, but because the mines and Hallstatt are definitely something to experience!
We had a fantastic tour of the Lake District. Our guide knew everything and I feel that my family got a very through history lesson in addition to having fun! Thank you so much for the great day!!
By far the highlight of our trip to Austria!!! Sheer magnificence!! Our tour guide Michael was beyond amazing!! He was kind, funny, knew all the ins and outs of getting around town, taking especially good care of my older momma!! His knowledge was invaluable in learning the history of this beautiful country! Thank you Michael!! Highly highly recommend!!!
The tour guide Micheal is very kind, talkative and professional! The tour was interesting and the view is gorgeous~ Highly recommended!!!
Wow, what a day! Our tour guide was prompt, friendly and had great local knowledge. The tour was very flexible and we saw some amazing sights. Our guide had great recommendations and knew all of the quieter spots in Hallstatt. The van was very spacious, modern and comfortable. We would highly recommend this tour.
We had great guide who had to reroute our travel plans due to work being done in tunnel we went around mountain to gain entrance to town!! Truly beautiful so glad our driver knew how to go around another way! Truly a beautiful city !!
Not being a fan of large tour groups but wanting to see the lakes, this tour was perfect. Scenery was amazing and Carlos was very knowledgeable about the history and geography of the area. Easy to chat with in the car and happy to stop for a pic as well as suggest places to eat and what to see when we stopped at different spots. Communication was excellent both before and during the trip. Highly recommended.
Highly recommend!! We were staying in Munich so took a morning train to Salzburg (1.5 hr ride) and our guide, Thomas, met us at train station. He was very knowledgeable , friendly and accommodating. He drove us in a comfortable, spacious Mercedes van. For lunch, he made sure to recommend a stop where the food was great and not touristy. We saw the beautiful Lake District esp Hallstatt and some of the Sound of Music sites. A very well organized and comfortable trip.
Carlos was simply exceptional as our guide on the tour of the Austrian lakes to Hallstatt. An extremely cult professional, polite and also an excellent driver. We had a wonderful day, with interesting explanations, pleasant conversations and constant care for everything to be perfect. A big difference was being able to do the whole tour in Portuguese, which made the experience even more comfortable and special. Carlos speaks other languages as well, which further demonstrates the level of preparation and professionalism. The scenario is beautiful, with stunning landscapes along the way, and we still had the opportunity to have lunch at an excellent restaurant that he recommended. It was a day of those who stay in memory.
It was an unforgettable experience. Carlos was a great guide. He arrived early to pick us up and gave us an entertaining and detailed explanation of the villages and lakes along the route. I asked my girlfriend to marry me at Hallstatt and Carlos helped us make the experience so much more wonderful than it already was. This tour is completely unmissable.
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