How To See Hallstatt In One Day From Vienna: The Ultimate Guide

Hallstatt is hands down a must-visit when you’re in Austria. The only problem? Hallstatt is a bit hidden away in the Austrian alps making the town quite hard to reach.

Nonetheless, it is still doable to visit Hallstatt in one day from Vienna… and here’s how! This is how I traveled from Vienna to Hallstatt in one day, and what to do while you’re there!

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

What Is Hallstatt Austria & Why Is It So Famous?

If you’ve ever want to visit a real-life fairy tale town, Hallstatt Austria is the place to go! Hidden away among the giant Salzkammergut mountains, the quaint Austrian village of Hallstatt is waiting for you!
 
Its brightly painted buildings sit on the edge of Lake Hallstatt, just bursting with charm and beauty, inviting you to explore this hidden gem of a town. This picture perfect view is what draws in half a million visitors every year!

Is One Day Enough In Hallstatt Town?

Hallstatt is on the far side (about three to four hours each way), and can be a bit tricky to get to, but with a bit of advanced planning, it’s still doable to see in one day from Vienna

Hallstatt town is also small enough that you can easily hit up all the sights in one afternoon.

By the time we arrived in Hallstatt, we only had half a day in the town but that was still more than enough time to see everything we wanted to and more!

P.S. use my digital travel planner on Etsy to help plan your trip to Austria.

How To Get From Vienna To Hallstatt Austria?

The mountains and lake surrounding Hallstatt make getting there a bit more complicated compared to other Vienna day trips (see my top five). But once you’re taking in the mesmerizing views of Lake Hallstatt, you’ll forget what you went through to get there!

So to get from Vienna to Hallstatt, you have a few travel options: drive, take the train with a ferry, or book a guided tour.
 
For us, the best option was to rent a car and drive. It was the quickest, and gave us the most freedom to plan our day how we wanted. But the drive itself was exhausting and kind of terrifying!

Continue reading to find out about each option in more detail…

Option 1: Driving From Vienna To Hallstatt

I decided to rent a car (with enterprise), and drive from Vienna to Hallstatt and back all in one day. It’s a bit over a 3-hour drive (each way!), so needless to say I was absolutely exhausted by the end!

I also mentioned that driving to Hallstatt is a bit terrifying because you’re driving on narrow roads through the mountains. Driving is also expensive, especially if you need to rent a car and you also have to include parking and gas costs.

But the best part about driving from Vienna to Hallstatt is the freedom. You aren’t attached to any schedule. 

If you’re driving though, you also need to worry about parking and driving in a foreign country…

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Parking In Hallstatt Town

Cars aren’t actually allowed in Hallstatt unless you’re a resident!

So if you decide to drive to Hallstatt, you have to park outside the city. On top of that, there isn’t an abundance of parking (you’re still in the mountains after all!). There are only two paid parking lots outside of town and they can fill up pretty quickly. Find out more information about the parking lots in Hallstatt.

If all three parking lots are full you can drive to the town across the lake, Obertraun, where there’s free parking. From Obertraun, you can take a paid ferry straight across the lake to Hallstatt (see the ferry schedule).

If you take the ferry, be aware of last departure from Hallsatt to Obertraun!

Watch Out When Driving In Austria – No Speed Limits

When you’re driving from Vienna to Hallstatt, it’s mainly highway driving, or rather, Autobahn driving. My partner thought he was on the Autobahn from Germany where there’s no speed limit, but this isn’t the case. Autobahn just means highway in German…  

So while the speed limit is high on the autobahn in Austria, there still is very much a speed limit.

A lot of drivers are going quite fast, so even if you’re driving with the speed of traffic you might be over the limit and not realize how fast you’re actually going!

Option 2: Taking The Train To Hallstatt From Vienna

Taking the train to Hallstatt from Vienna is more hands-off than driving, so although it’s about the same amount of travel time, you’re now able to sleep on the way.

There isn’t a direct train to Hallstatt either, so it will be a bit more involved than a typical train ride in Austria (for example to Salzburg from Vienna is only one train direct to and from each city).

The closest train station to Hallstatt town is on the opposite side of the lake, so you’ll still have to take a ferry into town.

On top of that, direct trains from Vienna to the Hallstatt train station only runs on weekends. Otherwise, you’ll have to transfer in Salzburg. Because of that, the train can end up taking even longer, ranging between three to five hours!

But taking the train to Hallstatt from Vienna is is definitely cheaper than driving, and less exhausting. See the schedule for the train from Vienna to Hallstatt. 

Here’s more information on taking the train to Hallstatt from Vienna. I did take the train twice during my trip to Vienna, I took the train to Salzburg for the day trip and to Melk. I would say the Austrian train system is quite easy to navigate and not very stressful.

Option 3: Vienna To Hallstatt Day Trip Organized Tour

An organized tour is the easiest way to see Hallstatt in one day from Vienna. Although it may be the easiest, it’s also the least flexible and probably most expensive.

But it’s a completely stress free day trip from Vienna. The organized tour plans everything for you, from transportation to activities!

If you aren’t accustomed to driving or taking the train in a foreign country, I’d recommend this option. 

There are a few on day tours from Vienna to Hallstatt, find an organized tour that fits your budget and schedule on Viator. For example, this small-group full day tour from Viator takes you to all the main highlights of Hallstatt. So you can enjoy the beauty without all the stress!

Top Things To Do In Hallstatt In One Day

There’s actually quite a bit of things to do in Hallstatt other than just taking in the beauty of the town.

Get The Picture Perfect View Of Hallstatt Town

Of course, before you do anything in Hallstatt, you have to find the picture perfect view. You’ll want to follow the path all the way to the edge of town.

On Google Maps you can look up Aussichtspunkt Hallstatt, and it’ll take you to the ideal picture spot. 

Try not to look back before reaching your final destination, this way the view will be complete a surprise!

Once you reach the end, turn around to see the reflection of the church and the town on the water. As you’re admiring this amazing view, it’s hard to believe you’re not in a fairytale.

Visit Market Square of Hallstatt

One of the first places you’ll stumble upon in Hallstatt is Market Square where you’ll find restaurants, cafes, hotels, and souvenir shops.  

Similar to any other destination in Hallstatt, it’s all about the photo opportunities. The is quite possibly the cutest square in Europe. Each building is painted a different colour with unique accents.

Visit The Churches of Hallstatt Austria

Despite its small size, Hallstatt actually has two churches. The Evangelical Church is in the main part of town and it’s the one you’ll recognize from all the pictures of Hallstatt. 

But the one you won’t want to miss is the Catholic Church at top of the hill. Entrance into the church is free, so be sure to venture inside to admire the baroque style and painted wall frescos. They also have the largest ossuary in the world… 

In case you don’t know, an ossuary, or Charnel House, is where old skulls are stored when they had to be dug out of their grave to make room for the newly deceased. We were a bit too squeamish to check it out ourselves, but I’ve only ever heard positive reviews for it!

Venture To The Top Of The Mountain In Hallstatt

It’s not just the town itself that makes Hallstatt an impressive place to visit, you can also climb to the top of the mountain. At the top, there’s an old salt mine to explore and an incredible panoramic view!

How To Get To The Top Of The Mountain?

If you’re up for the challenge, there’s a path to hike up to the top of the mountain. If you choose to hike up the mountain, you can read this for more information.

But, if you’re not active, like me, you can pay to take the funicular that will take you to the top within minutes.

Discover The History of Hallstatt Through A Salt Mine Tour

One of my favourite activities in Hallstatt town is the salt mine. I had never gone inside a mountain before, let alone a salt mine. 

The town of Hallstatt was established long ago to mine the salt deposits in the surrounding mountains. So although it’s no longer a working mine, they now offer sight-seeing tours. 

Plus a ticket to the salt mine includes a cable car ride up and down the mountain. You’ll also be provided with a jumpsuit as part of the tour so you don’t have to worry about dirtying your clothes undeground!

However, I’d recommend a good pair of walking shoes as you do have to walk quite a bit inside. On the tour, you’ll find out about the mining process, slide down the largest wooden slide (in the world), and see the oldest known staircase (in the world).

Walk Out Onto The Skywalk

If travelling inside the depths of a mountain isn’t for you, it’s still worth going to the top of the mountain for the views alone. 

There’s a skywalk you can venture out upon to spy on the town below.

P.S. This private tour from Viator take you from Vienna to Hallstatt and includes a ticket to the salt mines and Skywalk.

Bonus! If Possible Visit Obertraun (Across The Lake!)

If you’re able to, visit the Austrian town Obertraun across Lake Hallstatt. You can either drive there if you have a car, or take the ferry.

Since we had a car, we stopped here for lunch on our way to Hallstatt, and we even ended up coming back here for supper because it was a lot cheaper than eating in Hallstatt!

Obertraun isn’t as touristy as Hallstatt, but it still has all the charm of a small Austrian vacation destination. But the real perk is that you can see Hallstatt from a new vantage point across the lake! It looks even smaller engulfed by the enourmous mountains!

Never forget your favourite travel memory: keep track of your travels every day with my digital and printable travel journal. Use it on the go on your phone or tablet, or print it out!

Decided To Stay The Night In Hallstatt Instead? Find A Hotel

I went back to my Airbnb in Vienna, but wouldn’t it be a unique experience to stay the night in Hallstatt? I would have LOVED to stay the night just based off of these incredible hotels I found…

Unbeatable Location: Stay in Marktplatz Hallstatt at I da Mitt bed and breakfast. The rooms scream Austrian charm and overlook the market place. You might even be able to book the room with a balcony! See room rates & availability.

Outdoor Terrace: If the Hallstatt views are what you came for, then book your stay at Historic Lakeview Apartments Hallstatt. It can accommodate up to 6 people and has a fully equipped kitchen. Oh and did I mention the incredible terrace!? See room rates & availability.

Lake Views: If you’re willing to stay just outside the city centre, but still within walking distance, Polreich offers an incredibly relaxing stay. With spa-like designed rooms overlooking Hallstatt lake. See room rates & availability.

For more accommodation options in Hallstatt, click here.

My Amazon Travel Favourites

My travel packing essentials, I always pack in my Travelpro Maxlite 5 Carryon (I prefer the 2-wheeled for more packing space!). To stay organized in my suitcase, I use MEC packing cubes. To save space on medication, I like using these pill organizers. And to make sure I don’t lose any loose belongings, I always have a Go Travel Cary Clip.

To take my best family photos, I use this Joby Gorillapod with remote shutter. This way, no one is left out from travel photos. And I always travel with a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated – I like my Thermoflask because it’s easy to carry and keeps my water cold!

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