Salzburg Itinerary: Which is best for Sunday?

The train station is across the lake from the town, so if the train is running, the ferry will be running. This website indicates some railway closures:

https://www.im-salzkammergut.at/veranstaltungshighlights-en-US/summer/daily-cruises-on-lake-hallstatt/ferry-hallstatt-timetable/

I would prioritize Berchtesgaden for the day with the best weather. The view from Eagle’s Nest on a clear day is spectacular.

As for Hallstatt on a Sunday, it’s a VERY tourist oriented town. Some shops will be closed (like the grocery store), but others will probably be open. You won’t have trouble finding a spot for lunch, the salt mine and funicular are open everyday, and Hallstatt is gorgeous even if the weather isn’t perfect. We were there on a moody, misty day and it was perfect.

Love Salzburg and Halstatt! Salzburg is such a charming town to just walk around and enjoy…..you will love it. The street markets will have beautiful flowers that time of year and your SOM tour will be fun. We stayed in Hallstatt at one of the hotels on the main square that looks out over the lake and thoroughly enjoyed it….we had driven there and parked our car in the town garage and walked in to our hotel. We took the funicular up to the observation point there that looks down over Halstatt and thought that was a fun thing to see…..our meal at our hotel was wonderful. We did not take a salt mine tour. Halstatt is touristy……but my goodness what a view. Walk around the town at your own pace and enjoy the beauty of this charming place. We took the ferry over the train stop just to get out on the water and get pics of Halstatt from that angle……beautiful. Buy some of their salt at one of the shops. We had purchased a tour to Eagles Nest but the late snowfalls kept us from going so they bused us to the spot where we could look up and see it…..was sad we did not get to go so maybe you will….we were there in late April/May.

Thank you both for the input. Much appreciated!

I'm a Salzburg fan and think that it's a great place to visit. I agree with the advice above to be flexible in your daily schedule so that you can go to Berchtesgaden on a sunny day. As you may know, Eagle's Nest closes for the winter and does not open until sometime in May, based on snow and the safety of the road going up to Eagle's Nest. This year, it opened on May 6. Some years it is more like mid May. If you will be there early to mid May, it's worth keeping an eye on the Eagle's Nest website for the 2023 opening date. https://www.kehlsteinhaus.de/english/

Ditto on the above advice with one more piece: Salzburg is magic.

Thank you all!
Part of me wants to just stay in Salzburg vs planning these day trips, but they sound amazing too.
How long did you spend in Berchtesgaden?
I'm looking at a tour and thinking a half day should be good?

You can get to Berchtesgaden from Salzburg by bus, no need for a tour. That way you don’t have to commit to the day in advance, and can spend as long as you want there. You could easily spend the whole day: Start the day at Konigsee (so beautiful and peaceful). Then go to the salt mine at Berchtesgaden. The salt mine is easier to walk to than the one at Hallstatt (which has a pretty steep walk up to it). Then go to Eagle’s Nest. Then back to Salzburg for dinner and an evening stroll around the old town.

The last time we went to Berchtesgaden we only went to Eagle’s Nest (we had been to the town, salt mine and Konigsee on a previous trip). We were there for probably 3-4 hours, including lunch with the most amazing view. Add about an hour for transport each way, so plan on 5-7 hours if you just see Eagle’s Nest. But you really should see the town also.

The Sound of Music tour is probably a half day. I would skip strudel making class. Spend that time seeing the magical city. Take the funicular up to the fortress. Go to the cemetery. Stop at the amazing bakery near the water wheel. Wander through the Mirabell gardens. Salzburg is a really special place. I hope your 3 days are actually 5 nights, so you actually have 3 full days of exploring.

How long did you spend in Berchtesgaden?

First time (2014): 1 day. Did a Panorama tour from Salzburg that hit Eagle's Nest, salt mine, and Königssee. It was super rushed, but a good introduction to the area. I don't think I would recommend it, but it did convince me I wanted to come back to the area for a longer visit.

Second time (2017): 5 days 🙂. Nature, nature, and more nature (including hiking at Königssee as below).

Third time (2022): 2 days. I went back to Salzburg with a friend who had not been there -- we spent 5 nights in Salzburg and took two full-day day trips to Berchtesgaden. One was for Königssee (caught the boat across the lake -- walked to Obersee [a smaller super picturesque lake], hiked along the right side of Obersee, ascended to an alpine meadow, hiked on to Röthbach Waterfall [the highest waterfall in Germany], visited St Bartholomä). The second day we caught the bus to the salt mine, did the salt mine tour, took the short walk along the river to the bus station, caught the bus out to Eagle's Nest, visited Eagle's Nest, and then returned.

Thanks so much everyone. You have given me a LOT to think about!
I’m trying to balance getting enough time in Salzburg and maximizing these other opportunities. Feels like Sophie’s choice. Lol.