Located right on the border of Germany, the Austrian city of Salzburg is known for its stunning architecture, breathtaking views of the Eastern Alps, and for being the birthplace of Mozart.
However, did you know that it’s also where the legendary film “The Sound of Music” was also filmed? Before taking the first SoM tour here, I funny enough hadn’t even seen the film and still had an amazing time visiting these absolutely gorgeous places.
After that, I immediately saw the movie so I could appreciate it even further, and have come up with a carefully selected list of the 5 top Sound of Music Tours available today! Let’s jump right in!
Best Sound of Music Tours from Salzburg
| Original Sound of Music Private Tour Salzburg | The Original Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg | Sound of Music / Hallstatt Tour | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Location: | Hubert-Sattler-Gasse 1, 5020 Salzburg | Hubert-Sattler-Gasse 1, 5020 Salzburg | Rudolfskai 38, 5020 Salzburg |
| Start: | 9:45 AM | 9:15 AM, 2:15 PM | 9:00 AM |
| Duration: | 4 hours | 4 hours | 8 hours |
| Includes: | Driver/guide, Transport by private air-conditioned Mercedes E 220, 1-hour Edelweiss apple strudel cooking class & tastings | Visiti the movie locations where scenes were filmed, Air-conditioned vehicle, tour | Visit several movie locations, visit to austrian lake district and Hallstatt, air-conditioned vehicle, tour |
Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Sound of Music Tours For 2024
- Original Sound of Music Private Tour Salzburg
- The Original Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg
- Sound of Music / Hallstatt Tour
- The Hills Are Alive
- Sound of Music Tour by Minivan
Best Salzburg Sound of Music Tour Reviews
1. Original Sound of Music Private Tour Salzburg
- Duration: 4 hours
- Departure: Hubert-Sattler-Gasse 1, 5020 Salzburg
- Departure Time: 9:45 AM
- Includes: Driver/guide, Transport by private air-conditioned Mercedes E 220 or VW luxury minibus, 1-hour Edelweiss apple strudel cooking class and tastings (if option selected)
For me, a well-rated tour should always come with interesting commentary and a structured schedule to ensure seamless transitions between sights.
The Original Sound of Music Private Tour Salzburg offers all that and so much more, with some flexibility to check out a couple of extra attractions if you’d like. I didn’t know what to expect, but our guide truly brought the scene to life with plenty of passion, knowledge, and personality!
I love that this is a private tour with a small group setting, which made it feel more like we had a good friend taking us around to all the different sights!
We rode around in an air-conditioned Mercedes E220 which was very comfortable with big windows so I could soak in the beautiful landscapes as we cruised along.
Our guide was a very safe driver, and offered some interesting historical accounts as well as stories relating back to the movie that I’d never heard of before.
Our first stop was the Schloss Hellbrunn which was constructed in the 17th century and is known famously for being the site of the garden gazebo where Liesl and Rolf sang ‘Sixteen Going on Seventeen’.
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After that, we took another gorgeous drive through Salzkammergut where I got some amazing videos of the towering Alps and glass-like lakes which you see in the first scenes of The Sound of Music, passing the little village of St. Gilgen.
Even though a relatively good amount of time during our tour was spent driving, it was still kind of tiring and I welcomed a 50-minute break at Basilika St. Michael.
Here, we had free time to explore at our leisure and we chose to take a little stroll around the picture-perfect Mondsee. I highly recommend grabbing a cup of coffee and their famous apple strudel!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
2. The Original Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg
- Duration: 4 hours
- Departure: Hubert-Sattler-Gasse 1, 5020 Salzburg
- Departure Time: 9:15 AM, 2:15 PM
- Includes: Air-conditioned vehicle, tour
This is yet another 4-hour SoM experience – one that I found to be one of the most affordable, “best bang for your buck” tours.
The Original Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg comes in 2 options: both a large bus tour and a small group/minibus tour which is more exclusive (and more expensive). I did the big bus tour as I do find it a fantastically affordable option, so I’ll be speaking to my experience on that.
Another great aspect of this tour is that there are so many different start times to choose from, that you’re bound to find one that works perfectly around your itinerary.
I was a bit hesitant, wondering how it would be to be on a tour with so many people, but it almost made it more fun! I’ll get into the details in a moment, but I want to mention that there are no hotel pickups involved so you’ll have to make your way to the central meeting point first.
From Mirabellplatz in the center of the city, you’ll board the bus and head through the gorgeous scenery with the film’s soundtrack playing to really set the tone.
Me and the rest of our big group sang along happily to ‘Edelweiss’, ‘Do-Re-Mi’, and ‘My Favorite Things’ which instantly bonded us and made the whole experience feel surreal!
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The Mirabell Palace and Gardens is where ‘Do-Re-Mi’ was filmed, and we got the chance to take plenty of photos in front of the Pegasus Fountain and steps!
After this, we made our way through the stunning views of the Alps and made another stop at Lake Leopoldskron which is like a mirror, reflecting the incredible castle by the same name (where the boating scene was taken).
We got to take more photos at the gardens of Hellbrunn castle, the glass gazebo for the kissing scene, and even Nonnberg Abbey.
Throughout the entire tour, our guides did a fantastic job telling us about the different landmarks and relating them back to the movie, complete with insider info!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
3. Sound of Music / Hallstatt Tour
- Duration: 8 hours
- Departure: Rudolfskai 38, 5020 Salzburg
- Departure Time: 9:00 AM
- Includes: Air-conditioned vehicle, tour
This is one of the most magical small-group tours I’ve been in, with the opportunity to explore more of Hallstatt than what the other tours offer.
The Sound of Music / Hallstatt Tour is a significantly longer tour than the previous couple, so if you’re looking for a full-day experience, this is a fantastic choice. Starting off early in the morning, it’s also a great way to get acquainted with the area if it’s your first time here.
I’m not sure if this is always the case, but I noticed that my tour and many others’ consisted of no more than 5 people, which was simply amazing.
We had a very personalized tour with our guide, who ended up feeling more like a friend who was incredibly knowledgeable about the subject rather than just a guide.
Our day started out with being picked up from our hotel by a comfortable vehicle, doing a short city tour of Salzburger Altstadt which is full of breathtaking architecture.
After taking plenty of photos and videos of the city, we then set out for Leopoldskroner Weiher, where we got to see the rear of the “von Trapp” house and the ponds the kids fell into in the film.
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Throughout the sightseeing, our guide related it back to the different movie scenes along with plenty of behind-the-scenes info that I wouldn’t have been able to find anywhere else.
We then stopped over at the intimidating Schloss Hellbrun, where we also got to take some photos in front of the “16-going-on-17” gazebo.
Lake Wolfgang was something from a postcard, and we got to take plenty of photos there before exploring the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hallstatt on our own.
However, our guide was great at offering plenty of recommendations and I’d love to go back and spend a couple of days there. After that, we passed by St. Gilgen Mozartplatz and Basilika St. Michael to reenact the wedding scene from the film!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
4. The Hills Are Alive
- Duration: 8 hours
- Departure: Hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Departure Time: Between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM
- Includes: Private tour, professional guide
This is my other favorite all-day tour of its kind, which I also found to be one of the best for seeing some of the best views of the Austrian Alps.
The Hills Are Alive Tour is indeed aptly named, taking you through nearly every iconic scene of The Sound of Music.
If that sounds like fun to you, make sure to lace up a pair of comfortable walking shoes and put on a jacket because it’s a day full of venturing through one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
This tour also includes a convenient hotel pickup right from the lobby, so there’s no need to worry about finding a meetup point or booking additional transportation.
I do recommend dressing comfortable, though, as you’ll definitely do a bit of walking around in nature. The transportation was very comfortable, with padded seating, plenty of legroom, and big windows to view the Austrian landscape.
The first stop of the day was at Mirabell Gardens, which I immediately recognized as the place where the “Do-Re-Mi” scenes took place!
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We got plenty of time to stroll throughout the lush area, complete with the Pegasus Fountain and Dwarf Garden, which was really cool to see as I love Roman and Greek art.
We then took the elevator up to an incredible viewpoint, which is known for being one of the most impressive in all of Salzburg (we even saw a 1,000-year-old fortress!).
We then headed back down to the historical center, where we saw the Horse Bath, Festival DIstrict, St. Peter’s Church, and much more.
Leopoldskron Palace and Hellbrunn Palace were equally as impressive, before exploring the majestic Bavarian Alps, which you’ll recognize from the film’s opening scenes.
We then made our way to the top of the infamous Sound of Music trail followed by a delicious lunch consisting of traditional local fare before heading to the Lake District.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
5. Sound of MusicTour by Minivan
- Duration: 4 hours
- Departure: Rudolfskai 38, 5020 Salzburg
- Departure Time: 9:00 AM
- Includes: Air-conditioned vehicle, tour
Last but certainly not least, is the 4-hour Sound of Music Tour by Minivan. This is the second-best option if you’re looking for a budget-friendly tour, though it is actually affordable while still being a small-group tour!
With a maximum of just 8 participants, you can rest assured that you’ll receive a personalized experience rather than just a cookie-cutter activity that you can find anywhere.
You can choose whether to meet in the center of the city or take advantage of their free hotel pickup service in-between the hours of 8:30 and 9:00 am.
The vehicle is quite comfortable, and with the big windows and amazing views of the Alps surrounding us, there was never a moment of boredom.
The first stop is Leopoldskroner Weiher, as is the case with most of the tours, where you’ll see the back of the von Trapp house and the pond. After that, we saw the Hellbrunn Castle, which, in itself is quite impressive.
Here, we saw the 16-going-on-17 gazebo and had the chance to take some photos before checking out the glass-like Lake Wolfgang.
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We followed it up with a trip to Basilika St. Michael, where we had a blast reenacting the wedding scene from the movie!
I felt like our guide did a fantastic job explaining everything to us both in the van and outside at each location, answering any questions we had.
The PA system inside the van was a great addition, ensuring all of us could clearly hear what the guide was saying as we passed different sights in real time.
Overall, it was a great time, with a top-notch guide, great organization and recommendations, and at this price, is really hard to beat.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
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The Original Sound of Music Private Tour Salzburg is our Editors Choice for the Best Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg,
