Salzburg Itinerary – How to Spend One Day in Salzburg

Mozart. Mountains. The Sound of Music. All these things come to mind when thinking about beautiful Salzburg, Austria. There’s so much to see and do in this historic Austrian city, but what if you only have time for a quick trip to Salzburg? I’ve created this Salzburg itinerary for a short visit to the city, packing as much as I could in for a perfect one day in Salzburg. While you won’t be able to see everything the city has to offer in a day, you will have time to visit several of its most famous sights and get a taste of Salzburg!

Visit Salzburgerland invited me on this press trip to explore Salzburg and the surrounding region, but all suggestions and opinions are my own.

Salzburg Itinerary – Getting Around Salzburg

Salzburg is a really easy city to get around! The city center is very walkable, so you can easily go from place to place on foot. The airport is right on the edge of the city, which is super convenient if you’re flying into Salzburg. There are several bus lines that make stops throughout the center of the city, so this can be a cheap and easy mode of transportation if you want to go somewhere out of walking distance! If you need directions, I recommend getting advice from a local or using Google Maps (or using a real, paper map) because some other iPhone map apps did not have accurate bus information. I recommend staying in the city center if you’re only in Salzburg for one night so you can easily walk to the major attractions! Now that you know how to get around the city, let’s get into this Salzburg itinerary!

One Day in Salzburg

Morning

Start your day in Salzburg with a taste of Austrian coffee culture and enjoy a coffee and some breakfast before heading into the city. First, visit the beautiful Mirabell Palace and Gardens, a lovely area known for its appearance during the “Do, Re, Mi” number in the movie The Sound of Music.

After walking through the gardens, it’s time to cross the river into the Old Town and visit one of the many renowned museums in Salzburg. If you’re a music lover, I recommend visiting Mozart’s Birthplace, a museum built into the house where Mozart grew up, to learn all about the composer’s early life! If you prefer art, head to one of the two modern art museums: Museum der Moderne at Rupertinum or Monchsberg. Want to learn about the history and culture of the city instead? Visit the Salzburg Museum.

Lunch

Now that you’ve worked up an appetite after exploring the city’s culture and history, walk down Getreidegasse, a famous shopping street in Salzburg’s Old Town. On this street, you’ll find Carpe Diem Finest Fingerfood, a perfect place to stop for a unique lunch! Almost all the dishes at this restaurant are served in edible or plastic cones, making it the most unique finger food I have ever seen!

Looking for more Salzburg food recommendations? Check out my Salzburg food guide for must-try Austrian dishes and great restaurants in Salzburg!

Afternoon

After lunch, it’s time to wander through the city! If you love the movie The Sound of Music, you can quickly pop into the museum after lunch (it’s right across the street from Carpe Diem)! Quickly visit the beautiful Salzburg Cathedral before heading up to Hohensalzburg Fortress! You can take a funicular up to the fortress and then explore for amazing views of the city below!

Dinner

Talk a leisurely stroll across the hilltop and enjoy beautiful views of Salzburg’s old town and the river below on your way to Augustiner Brau. This brewery is a Salzburg staple, and it’s a great place to relax after a long day of touring. During the summer, you can enjoy your beer in Austria’s largest beer garden! Inside the beer hall, you can find a small marketplace selling a variety of tradtional Austrian foods, including Wiener schnitzel, sausage, and more!

Evening

After dinner, I recommend walking along the river if the weather is nice! From the river, you get another lovely perspective of this city.

Is the Salzburg Card Worth the Price?

If you’re only in Salzburg for one day, and you want to see as much as you can, I recommend getting the Salzburg Card. This is a card that allows you to enter every museum and attraction, and it includes public transportation! The card costs between 26 and 29 Euros for adults and 13 and 14.50 Euros for children (depending on the time of year) for a 24-hour card! I think it’s worth it, especially if you’re only in Salzburg for a short trip because you don’t have to worry about getting individual tickets for each attraction! Depending on the attractons you choose, it can also save you money!

Salzburg Itinerary – A Quick but Memorable One Day in Salzburg

Salzburg is a truly lovely little city, full of culture and history! I loved going to Salzburg with my family when I was younger, but I loved it even more when I revisited it during my last trip! Although I visited during the summer, these recommendations work for a trip at any time of year! There are several other attractions that I didn’t include in this post, including Hellbrunn Palace, St Peter’s Abbey, and more, which are definitely worth a visit during a longer trip. During the summer, there are also tons of festivals to check out, including the Salzburg Festival that features music, opera, and theater, and the Electric Love Festival, an electronic music festival set just outside the city. (You can read all about summer in Salzburg in this blog post!) During the winter, you could also take day trips to ski at one of the nearby resorts. In December, Salzburg is home to some of the best Christmas markets in Europe! Salzburg is a great place to visit at any time of year, and I hope this short Salzburg itinerary helps you plan your visit to this enchanting city! What would you do for one day in Salzburg?