Salzburg and surrounding area in September

Kevin,
We went on the Panorama SoM tour this past June 2025 and LOVED it! I highly recommend it :)
4 of our 5 went to Halstatt and saw parts of it that were less crowded. We were warned that it would be pretty packed and it was!
But, one can always find an out-of-the-way spot or 2 and enjoy the beauty the town and lake has to offer.
3 of our 5 went to the Salt Mines and thought it was a great experience.

I just love Salzburg! Our favorite restaurant there is Die Wiesse and the Augustiner-Brau Biergarten is fun!

Prost!
~Mitzi

I plan to take this tour when I’m in Salzburg next year:

https://www.bobstours.com/tours/sound-of-music-public-two/

If you prefer to do them separately, they have a 4 hour Sound of Music tour and an all day Hallstatt tour.

Or do a daytrip by city bus to the Wolfgangsee, well worth it

If you want to see a cute town on a lake with a snow-covered peaks in the background, go to Hallstatt. My favorite place to go in the area for nature, though, is Königssee (King's Lake) just outside Berchtesgaden. Walk past the touristy shops at the entrance and head for the lake. Buy a ticket for a boat ride at the Salet stop (which is at the far end of the lake). Enjoy a very nice boat ride on a clean lake where only electric boats are allowed. Exit the boat at the Salet stop. Take the short 15 minute walk to the smaller, instagramable Obersee. Admire the view across the lake including a waterall in the far distance. Take the hiking path along the right side of the lake to its opposite side -- slightly rocky with a gentle rise and fall -- no deep exposed ledges -- but the path can be slick when wet. At the far end of the lake, look back across the lake! Admire an even better view. Ascend a little steeper (but certainly manageable) dirt path to a gorgeous alpine field surrounded on three sides by granite peaks. Walk toward Röthbach Waterfall (the waterfall you saw at Obersee) at the far end of alpine meadow. Than make the return hike. Stop at the snack shop on Obersee on your return. The alpine field hosts cows during the summer -- they may still be there in early September and are fun to see but, of course, watch your step! This is a fairly easy hike with a big return -- one of my favorite hikes!

I was in Hallstatt last September. Beautiful and not crowded. I enjoyed it a lot more than I had thought that I would. Spent two nights there and it was about right for my way of travel.

But thats the best of my help.

Salt mine at Hallein
Ice cave in Werfen

I'll second th recommendation for a day trip to the Wolfgangsee region. It's beautiful and all sorts of things to see and do.

PQ

Is your time in Salzburg on a weekend? If yes, then I have a few suggestions for an excellent cultural experience.

If not, then I think that you have to see Hallstatt once, so I say go for it. It is very beautiful. I suggest combining the visit with a trip to the salt mine that overlooks the lake and village.

Alternatively, you could visit the equally touristy and likely just as crowded St. Wolfgang or slightly less crowded Sankt Gilgen on the Wolfgangsee. A similarly beautiful lakeside setting where you can take ferries out on to the lake. Both of these villages also have a cog railway or cable car, respectively, going up the neighboring mountains for great views and hiking.

I also really like Gosausee for hiking if you want to avoid crowds.

Emily the salt mine at Hallstatt was just good mindless fun. Enjoyed it a lot. But as much for the trip up (is the cable car runnig again?) and for the views once you are up there. Pretty sweet. Just remember to bring cash or locate the ATM in town when you arrive, cause almost noone takes a credit card. Also, the town closes about 8pm .... except the better restaurants and one bar that we found. Still, it was a good couple of days.

I am also going to Salzburg in Sept and was planning to go Halstatt as well.
But just to note both the skywalk and salt mine in Halstatt are closed for renovation
starting in September.

Hello – We’ll be in Salzburg in late September and have booked the Fraulein Maria Bike Tour (rated 5.0 on Google with 944 reviews!). I’m really looking forward to it. My husband is a little less excited, but they say the tour takes you up close to many sights that buses can’t reach, which sounds amazing. I've also read that beyond the SOM stops - the views from the bike trails are incredible and it’s simply a great way to experience the city. www.mariasbicycletours.com

The hike up to Wimbachklamm is short and beautiful. The alpine hut is a more strenuous, but pretty cool hike. Parking at the trailhead fills up early, especially on weekends.
The area around Koningsee makes for a great day trip with some good short hikes (longer ones if you want)

In Salzburg, I'd recommend the amazing St. Sebastian's Cemetery. (not to be confused with the "Sound of Music" cemetery on the RS walking tour). The Dwarf Garden and nearby gardens were a nice ramble. We didn't get to go to Schloss Hellbrunn because we ran out of time, but it looked cool.

My daughter is going to Saint Wolfgang, also a Salzkammergut town but a bit closer than Hallstatt. Looks adorable!

https://www.stwolfgang.at/en/about-st-wolfgang/history-of-stwolfgang.html

If you have access to a car, drive to the Grossglochner Hoche Alpine Strasse. It’s a couple hours south west from Salzburg. Beautiful scenic drive with a number of interesting history story boards along the way.

I'll add a contrary note: I really disliked Hallstatt. If I were repeating things, I'd have gotten off the train in Traunkirchen. Hallstatt is a tourist haven where German language is scarce among those present in the village, walking trails are packed and food is both mediocre and cash-only -- and pricey. The scenery is pretty, but it's pretty almost anywhere one goes in this part of Austria. The Traunsee looked gorgeous from the train; wish I'd taken a closer look.