Hello
My husband and I will be in Salzburg for 3 nights next week (8/14) and would like to join a small group tour to visit the Eagles Nest. Any recommendation on a good small group tour from Salzburg (<15 people if possible).
Many thanks in advance.
Grace
I've been to the Eagle's Nest three times, all on my own. I, personally, would never do a tour. Doing it yourself is too easy to spend money on a tour. I've also spent a lot of time researching it on the Internet.
There is a bus, RVO 840, the Watzmann Express, that leaves hourly from near the Salzburg Hbf and makes a number of stops (like at Mirabell palace) on it's way out of town. It goes to the Berchtesgaden Hbf. From there you can take another RVO bus to Obersalzberg where you buy a ticket for the special mountain bus that takes you up the private road to the Nest (actually, admission to the Nest is free if you want to hike all the way up to it). The ticket for the bus also includes use of the elevator from the bus parking lot to the actual Nest.
However, if you are not as adventuresome or as skilled in getting around in Germany as I am, or if you just don't want to take the time researching it yourself, you can do it with a tour. I've heard good things about the Eagle's Nest Historical Tour, so I would recommend it. It's based in Berchtesgaden and run by David Harper, an American, and his German wife, so they speak English. The tour leaves from there offices in Obersalzberg, so you'll also need to take the bus from the Hbf to Obersalzberg.
I took this 1/2 day tour in June. But it is not a small group tour, rather a big bus tour. The best part was the hour to explore the Eagle's Nest. I chose the tour for the scenery. Renting a car was not an option. I'd rate it as better than nothing, affordable, but not intimate or as informative as a small group tour.
https://www.panoramatours.com/en/salzburg/tour/tour-4-eagles-nest-tour-42/
The best part was the hour to explore the Eagle's Nest.
Like I said, I've been there three times. I've never spent as little time as an hour, more like two or three, at the Nest. I've always had lunch there.
That's an advantage of doing it yourself, you can spend as much or as little time as you want there. You're not forced to follow the tour.
When you arrive at the bus parking lot, you have to register for a bus time for the trip down.
And I've never spent anywhere near 90€/P to visit it either. Of course, I've always been staying in Berchtesgaden, which I definitely prefer to Salzburg.
I've done a tour from Salzburg. And I've done it Lee's way from Salzburg. I liked doing it Lee's way better.
Grace, how did your visit to the Eagles Nest go? We will be there in October and I'm interested in knowing if you chose a tour or visited independently. I'm leaning toward independently for our family but appreciate input.
Julie
We did the tour of eagles nest that was recommended in the book. It was fantastic and I can highly recommend.
