Austria: Hallstatt and Salzburg Day Tour from Vienna

While we had high hopes for this experience, several issues arose that made the trip feel both unpleasant and, at times, unsafe. ​The most serious issue was the aggressive driving by our tour guide. At multiple points during the journey, he was speeding above the posted limit and tailgating other vehicles. This behavior was not only alarming but also put all of the passengers at unnecessary risk, particularly given the already inclement weather conditions. ​The weather was clearly a factor, with rain making the roads slick and visibility poor. Despite this, the driver's conduct did not improve, and we finally had to ask him to reduce the speed as it was making all passengers very uncomfortable. This lack of professional judgment significantly detracted from the experience and left many of us feeling anxious and unsafe throughout the day. ​Furthermore, the overall tour experience fell short of the description provided in your brochure. The only "guided" part of the tour was in Salzburg, and that was very rushed at best. ​We chose Viator based on its reputation for quality and safety, and also based on our multiple previous experiences with Viator. Our experience this time, however, was the complete opposite. I believe you should investigate this matter and provide additional training for your drivers, especially concerning driving practices with passengers hoping for a relaxing and enjoyable tour. There was clearly too much jammed into this day, causing the driver to drive aggressively to make the time estimated. This tour was not inexpensive, and took a whole day out of our trip. We returned stressed and extremely disappointed.

This was an amazing experience. It’s a good, long, well thought out day. The stops are timed perfectly…We got the perfect amount of time to go off and explore on our own. The beautiful lake, Hallstatt, and Salzburg were just stunning and heartwarming to experience. Peter was an excellent guide. He had good information and was extremely friendly, helpful and accommodating. There were a lot of stairs and walking so please keep in mind if you have any mobility challenges. We would absolutely recommend this trip.

The towns we stopped at were absolutely worth the drive. Hallstatt was my favorite with the mountains surrounding the city.

It was a great experience and plenty of time to spend on your own at both locations. Our driver and tour guide Adam was very knowledgeable and easy going.

Our tour through Traunkirchen, Hallstatt, and Salzburg was unforgettable, and Martin made the whole experience exceptional. Traunkirchen’s peaceful lakeside charm set the tone, Hallstatt looked like a fairytale village, and Salzburg’s history and elegance completed the day perfectly. Martin was knowledgeable, friendly, and very attentive. He drove smoothly and safely the entire trip, making us feel comfortable and relaxed from start to finish. Truly a wonderful tour—highly recommended!

This day trip was perfect for us and included a 2 hour stop in Hallstatt and a 3 hour stop in Salzburg where we mostly got to explore on our own. The train tickets and car rentals were quite expensive when we visited Vienna so we felt this tour operator helped keep the costs down and allowed us to relax. We had cool fall weather at the end of October so we were able to enjoy walking around Hallstatt and Salzburg without getting too hot. The tour operator contacted us around 9 pm the night before our trip as indicated and confirmed a pickup time in Vienna which was 20 minutes earlier than expected so be ready. The van was spacious and the driver provided us with plenty of bottled water during our tour. They also had umbrellas ready for us and there was plenty of room to keep our things near us in the van. The roads around the alps are understandably winding so we would recommend an anti-nausea pill if you are prone to car sickness. We would also recommend bring your own food with you so you can maximize sightseeing and consider eating in the car. There were plenty of stops to use toilets along the way. We had stayed in Vienna's city centre and the pickups included Schonbrunn area and Bratislava. We were with the tour from 7:20 to ~9:30 so the timings were right from Vienna but we believe that if you choose Bratislava you could expect your day to be from 6:30 am to 10:30 pm. The guide seemed very new during our tour and could use more training. During the brief stop in Traunkirchen he read the facts directly from his phone and did not know where the toilet was. During the stop in Salzburg they gave a more detailed guided tour but they showed us the Kollegienkirche and said that was the place where Mozart was baptized but it is actually the Salzburg Cathedral that is the correct church.