After three days in Vienna, you head to the Wachau to explore Melk Abbey and Krems from Dürnstein. Continue to Salzburg and Hallstatt in the Salzkammergut, with a side trip to Bad Ischl. Lastly, you reach Innsbruck in the Inn Valley. A rental car is best for Wachau and Salzkammergut; Vienna, Salzburg, and Innsbruck are connected by Westbahn.
12 Days / 11 Nights
May–September
RV Friendly
5 stops
Why This Route?
For Austria first-timers wanting to combine capital, Danube Valley, Mozart City, lakes, and Alps in one trip.
Hidden Gems
Klosterneuburg Abbey with the Verdun Altar, just northwest of Vienna
Krems Art Mile with the State Gallery and Caricature Museum
Hafelekarspitze at 2,334 meters, with the Nordkettenbahn directly from Innsbruck
Getting there and back
Open jaw: start and end are in different places
Arrival
Flight · Wien (VIE)From the airport, Railjet and Intercity trains run twice an hour to Vienna Central Station.
Departure
Train · Innsbruck HbfInnsbruck is located on the Westbahn line with direct trains to Vienna and Bregenz.
Itinerary
Stop 1 • 3 Nights
Vienna
City
Route highlight
Austria's capital on the Danube was for centuries the residence of the Habsburgs. Around St. Stephen's Cathedral are the Hofburg, State Opera and the Ringstrasse; to the west is Schönbrunn Palace, and in the Prater, the Giant Ferris Wheel spins. Coffeehouse culture and Heurige are part of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage.
8 Restaurants
Kaffeehaus, Heuriger and Music
Kaffeehaus and HeurigerViennese Kaffeehaus culture, Heuriger culture, and the Würstelstand are part of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage. In a Kaffeehaus, you can stay as long as you like, while at a Heuriger, winemakers on the city's outskirts pour their own wine. A Föhrenbuschen and the sign “Ausg’steckt” indicate that they are open.Imperial HeritageFor centuries, Vienna was the residence of the Habsburgs. The Hofburg houses the Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, and Imperial Treasury. In the west of the city is Schönbrunn Palace with its zoo, founded in 1752, the oldest still existing zoo in the world. The family has been buried in the Kapuzinergruft since 1617.Art and MusicGustav Klimt’s “The Kiss” hangs in the Upper Belvedere, and works by Egon Schiele and Klimt can be seen in the Leopold Museum in the MuseumsQuartier.The Kunsthistorisches Museum on Maria-Theresien-Platz is one of the world's most significant museums.The Staatsoper on the Ringstraße is the center of musical life, with the Opera Ball being one of the country's most famous social events.
One of the main towns of the Wachau, identifiable by the white and blue tower of Dürnstein Abbey. Above the town lies the castle ruin where English King Richard the Lionheart was held after his capture.
Mozart's birthplace on the Salzach River is known for its Baroque Old Town and the Salzburg Festival. The historic center on both sides of the river, with Mönchsberg, Festungsberg, and Kapuzinerberg, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996.
The small village on Lake Hallstatt in the Salzkammergut is nestled between the lakeshore and steep mountain slopes. Hallstatt belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Region Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut, which has been on the list since 1997.
The capital of Tyrol is located in western Austria right in front of the Alps. In the Old Town, the Golden Roof shines with its 2,657 gilded copper shingles; from there, the Hungerburgbahn, designed by Zaha Hadid, takes you up to the Nordkette.
