Destinations · Europe

Austria.

Imperial Vienna, alpine peaks & lakeside villages.

Scroll

The country

Few countries reward a traveler with such an easy mix of grand culture and great scenery as Austria. In the space of a week you can hear a concert beneath the chandeliers of imperial Vienna, drift past terraced vineyards along the Danube, and wake the next morning to church bells echoing across a mirror-still alpine lake, all linked by some of the most comfortable trains in Europe.

This is a country that lives well and slowly. Mornings begin over coffee and a pastry in a marble-walled cafe; afternoons drift into a long walk through palace gardens or a cable car ride up into the peaks; and evenings turn to music, whether a string quartet in a Salzburg hall or an accordion in a Tyrolean inn. The rhythm shifts from the formal elegance of the capital to the unhurried warmth of the mountains, and learning to settle into it is half the pleasure.

We design Austria itineraries that balance the headline sights with the quieter moments in between: a private morning at Schonbrunn before the crowds, a glass of Gruner Veltliner at a family winery in the Wachau, a slow boat across the Hallstattersee. However you want to travel it, we build the route so each stop has room to breathe.

Capital: Vienna
Currency: Euro (€)
Ideal trip: 7–10 nights
Best for: Music, mountains & imperial cities

When to go

The best time to visit Austria.

Austria splits cleanly into two countries by season — a green, walkable one from late spring to autumn, and a white one of skis and Christmas markets in winter. This is the calendar as we'd sketch it across the desk, depending on which one you're after.

Prime season Shoulder Quieter & better value

April–June

Our favorite window: the cities thaw and the gardens open in April, and by May and June the alpine meadows are green, the days long and the lakes warming up — mild weather for both the cities and the mountains, all before the peak crowds and prices of high summer.

September–October

The grape harvest in the Wachau, golden larches in the Alps and crisp, clear days. Ideal for pairing Vienna and the Danube with the first autumn color in the mountains, without summer's crowds.

July–August

Peak summer: the lakes and high trails are at their best and the festival calendar is full, including the Salzburg Festival, but the cities can be warm and the marquee sights and hotels busy. Book well ahead.

November–March

After a grey, quiet November the snow transforms the country: world-class skiing in Tyrol, the famous Christmas markets in Vienna and Salzburg, and concert season in full swing. Cold and short on daylight, but deeply atmospheric.

Where to go

The regions of Austria.

Austria packs a remarkable range of landscapes and moods into a compact country, from the imperial capital to the high Alps and the lakes in between. These are the regions we weave together most often, each with its own scenery, table and pace, and we shape the route around the rhythm you have in mind.

Region

Vienna

The grand imperial capital: the Habsburg palaces of Schonbrunn and the Hofburg, the great art museums, the coffeehouses and concert halls, and a ring of leafy boulevards laid out for an empire.

Region

Salzburg & the Salzkammergut

Mozart's baroque hometown beneath its hilltop fortress, opening onto the lake district of the Salzkammergut, where villages like Hallstatt and St. Wolfgang sit between still water and steep green peaks.

Region

Tyrol & the Alps

The mountain heart of the country: Innsbruck cradled between snow-capped ranges, the ski and hiking valleys of the Otztal and Zillertal, and flower-strewn meadows beneath jagged limestone walls.

Region

The Wachau & the Danube

A storybook stretch of river valley west of Vienna: terraced vineyards, apricot orchards, ruined castles and riverside towns like Durnstein and Melk, with its golden abbey high above the water.

Region

Styria & Graz

The green southeast: Austria's second city, Graz, with its red-roofed old town and clock-tower hill, surrounded by rolling wine roads, pumpkin-seed-oil farms and the gentle Styrian countryside.

Coming soon

More from Austria on the way.

We're busy writing up our favorite Austria experiences. There's far more here than we can list, so the fastest way to start is simply to tell us what you're dreaming of.

Plan a Austria Trip

A sample journey

One way to spend a week in Austria.

1

Days 1–3
Vienna

Begin in the imperial capital: Schonbrunn and the Hofburg, the art of the Kunsthistorisches and Belvedere, an evening concert and long mornings in the historic coffeehouses, with the cathedral and Ringstrasse in between.
2

Day 4
The Wachau & Melk

Head west along the Danube into the Wachau valley: the golden abbey of Melk high above the river, the vineyard town of Durnstein, and a tasting of crisp local white wine, with an optional stretch of the river by boat.
3

Days 5–6
Salzburg

On to Mozart's baroque city beneath its hilltop fortress: the Getreidegasse and Mozart's birthplace, the Mirabell gardens, a Sound of Music detour and, in summer, a night at the famous Salzburg Festival.
4

Day 7
Hallstatt & the Salzkammergut

Into the lake district for one of the most beautiful corners of Europe: the village of Hallstatt between water and cliffs, a boat across the lake, the salt mines above town and a slow lakeside lunch.
5

Days 8–9
Innsbruck & Tyrol

Finish in the mountains: Innsbruck's colorful old town and Golden Roof framed by alpine peaks, a cable car straight up the Nordkette, and a drive into a side valley for meadows, villages and high passes.

Every itinerary we build is bespoke: this is a starting point, not a package.

Getting around

By high-speed rail: The punctual Railjet network is the backbone of most of our Austria itineraries, linking Vienna to Salzburg and Innsbruck and out to Graz and along the Danube, city center to city center with no airport hassle.
By car & driver-guide: For the lakes, the mountain valleys and the wine roads of the Wachau and Styria we pair rail with a private driver-guide or a hire car — the freedom to stop at a lakeside village or a roadside winery is half the appeal.
On the Danube by boat: A scenic add-on we love: a stretch of the Danube by boat, drifting past the vineyards and castles of the Wachau between Melk and Krems. We slot it into the route so it replaces a transfer rather than adding a day.
In the cities: Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck are walking cities at heart, with trams for the longer hops and the occasional cable car straight up to the peaks. We book hotels so the old town is outside the front door.

Where to stay

Vienna: We favor stays in the historic First District, within walking distance of the Hofburg, the cathedral and the great museums, with a handful of grande-dame hotels along the Ringstrasse for a more classic imperial feel.
Salzburg: The Altstadt puts the fortress, the Mozart sights and the festival halls on your doorstep; for views back over the city, we love a stay up on the Monchsberg or just across the river in the leafy Kapuzinerberg quarter.
The Salzkammergut: A lakeside hotel on the Wolfgangsee or Hallstattersee makes an idyllic mountain base, with swimming, boat trips and hiking from the door, and the villages at their most peaceful once the day visitors leave.
Tyrol: In and around Innsbruck we mix characterful town hotels in the colorful old center with alpine resorts and spa hotels out in the valleys, ideal for combining city culture with hiking, skiing and mountain air.

Transfers, rail tickets, driver-guides and any Danube river cruises are all arranged as part of every itinerary, so the logistics are handled before you arrive.

Good to know

Austria travel questions.

How many days do you need in Austria?

Seven to ten nights is the sweet spot. A week comfortably covers Vienna, Salzburg and Tyrol by train, with a stop along the Danube in between; ten nights to two weeks lets you add the Salzkammergut lakes, a few days hiking in the Alps or the wine country of Styria at an unhurried pace.

When is the best time to visit Austria?

Late spring (May–June) and early autumn (September–October) are ideal: green meadows or autumn color, mild days and manageable crowds. Summer is best for the lakes and high trails and brings the Salzburg Festival, while winter is magical for skiing in Tyrol and the Christmas markets in Vienna and Salzburg.

Should I visit Vienna or Salzburg?

If you can, both; they are about two and a half hours apart by fast train and complement each other beautifully. Vienna is the grand imperial capital, home to the great palaces, museums and concert halls; Salzburg is smaller, baroque and dramatic, set beneath its fortress and surrounded by mountains. We often build an itinerary that links the two by rail.

Do I need to rent a car in Austria?

Not for the cities, which are best on foot and by tram, and the train network links them superbly. A car or private driver-guide is worthwhile for the Salzkammergut lakes, the Tyrolean side valleys and the wine roads of the Wachau and Styria, where the freedom to explore the back roads adds a lot.

Is Hallstatt worth visiting, and how do I avoid the crowds?

Hallstatt is one of the most beautiful villages in Europe and well worth the trip, but it can be busy with day visitors at midday. We suggest staying overnight in the village or nearby on the lake, so you have the early mornings and evenings, when the light is best and the crowds are gone, largely to yourself.

From the journal

Reading on Austria.

All stories →

Ways to Explore

How to travel Austria.

Tailormade Trips

A private journey designed entirely around you, your pace, and your people.

Cruises

River, ocean and expedition voyages, from the Danube to Antarctica.

Escorted Tours

Expertly guided, end to end, with the world's finest local operators.

All-Inclusive

Effortless resort escapes; we cut through the haze to the right one.

Let's begin

Design your
Austria escape.

Tell us your travel dates and what you love, and we'll handle every detail.

Plan Your Trip

Austria.