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Day tour · 1 day
The Sound of Music in Salzburg and the Lakes, One Day
A full day on the trail of Maria and the von Trapps: the Mirabell Gardens, the lake at Leopoldskron, the gazebo at Hellbrunn, Nonnberg Abbey, lunch in St. Gilgen on the Wolfgangsee and the wedding church in Mondsee, with a tour leader who lives in Salzburg.
From $139 per person
- Paid by card when you book
- Free cancellation up to 7 days before
- Private dates for up to 12
- Length
- 1 daya full day, pickup in the morning
- Start and end
- Salzburgsame day, back at your hotel
- Group
- Max 12with a tour leader
- Minimum age
- 12under 16 with a parent
- Pace
- 1 of 5Easy
- Tour code
- SF-SMSD1quote it when you call
Overview
Do-Re-Mi to the wedding bells
The Sound of Music was filmed in and around Salzburg in 1964, and nearly every outdoor scene can still be found. This day takes them roughly in the order of the film. You start in the Mirabell Gardens, where Do-Re-Mi ends on the steps, see the lake terrace of the von Trapp villa from the path across the water at Leopoldskron, and walk round the glass gazebo, now in the park at Hellbrunn. Then you climb to Nonnberg Abbey, the convent Maria runs late to in the first scenes.
In the afternoon the van heads into the Salzkammergut, the lake district east of the city that the camera flies over in the opening minutes. Lunch is in St. Gilgen on the Wolfgangsee, with time for a lakeside walk, and the last stop is the yellow basilica in Mondsee, where Maria and the Captain marry. Katharina Moser, who lives in Salzburg, leads the day, and she is happy to tell you which parts of the story the film changed.
How active the days are: easy
Pace 1 of 5. About 3 miles on foot over the day, mostly on level garden paths and lakeside promenades. The walk up to Nonnberg Abbey is a climb of about 10 minutes on a steep lane with steps.
Itinerary
Sound of Music day tour: the day, hour by hour
A 12-seat van with a professional driver from the Mirabell Gardens to the lakes and back, plus short walks in Salzburg. Your exact pickup time is confirmed the evening before.
The daySalzburg and the SalzkammergutThe Sound of Music in one day
- 8:45 a.m. meet your leader at the Mirabellplatz entrance to the Mirabell Gardens.
- 9 a.m. walk through the gardens: the Pegasus fountain, the dwarf garden, the hedge tunnel and the steps where Do-Re-Mi ends.
- 10 a.m. van to the Leopoldskron pond: from the public path on the far bank you see the lake terrace of the von Trapp villa, where the boat tips over.
- 10:45 a.m. the park of Hellbrunn Palace and the gazebo; on the way, the yellow Frohnburg Palace on Hellbrunner Allee, the front of the villa in the film.
- 11:45 a.m. Nonnberg Abbey: a short climb to the convent church and the gate where the children come to find Maria.
- 1:15 p.m. drive past the Fuschlsee to St. Gilgen on the Wolfgangsee, about 45 minutes, for lunch by the lake, included.
- 3:30 p.m. Mondsee and the basilica of St. Michael, the wedding church, with time for coffee and cake on the square.
- About 5:30 p.m. drop-off at the Mirabell Gardens or at central hotels.
Meals: lunch
Route map
From the Salzach to the lakes and back
The morning stays in Salzburg, from the Mirabell Gardens on the right bank to Leopoldskron, Hellbrunn and Nonnberg on the left. After lunch the van drives east into the Salzkammergut lakes and back through Mondsee, a loop of about 70 miles.
- MorningMirabell Gardens, Leopoldskron and the Hellbrunn gazebo
- MiddayNonnberg Abbey, then lunch in St. Gilgen
- AfternoonThe basilica in Mondsee, back to Salzburg
On screen
Films and series on the Sound of Music day tour
The productions behind the stops on this tour, where they filmed and what you see there today.
| Film or series | Year | Location | What you see today |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sound of Music | 1965 | Mirabell Gardens, Salzburg | Free public gardens; the Pegasus fountain, the hedge tunnel and the Do-Re-Mi steps are all still there. |
| The Sound of Music | 1965 | The gazebo, Hellbrunn | Moved from Leopoldskron to the public park of Hellbrunn Palace; locked, but you can walk all round it. |
| The Sound of Music | 1965 | Leopoldskron Palace | A private hotel; we see the lake terrace of the von Trapp villa from the public path across the pond. |
| The Sound of Music | 1965 | Frohnburg Palace | A university building on Hellbrunner Allee, the front of the villa; seen from the road. |
| The Sound of Music | 1965 | Nonnberg Abbey | A working Benedictine convent; the church and the entrance court are open to visitors. |
| The Sound of Music | 1965 | Basilica of St. Michael, Mondsee | A parish church open to visitors outside services, where the film wedding was shot. |
Filming spots change over time: storefronts get new owners, sets are rebuilt and some interiors were shot on stages elsewhere, so your tour leader tells you on the day what is still there.
What is included
What the Sound of Music day tour price includes
Meals: lunch. The price is per person and covers the tickets, the van and your tour leader for the day.
- 9 things in the price
- Lunch
- 6 productions on the film list
In the price
- A full day with Katharina Moser or another Salzburg-based Scenes Found leader
- Van and driver for the whole day
- Lunch in St. Gilgen on the Wolfgangsee
- Visits to the Mirabell Gardens, the Hellbrunn gazebo, Nonnberg Abbey and the Mondsee basilica
- Drop-off at central hotels
- Bottled water in the van
- A Scenes Found tour leader for the whole day
- Pickup and drop-off at central hotels or the meeting point
- Parking, taxes and local guide fees
Not in the price
- Hotel nights in Salzburg
- Drinks with lunch other than soft drinks
- Entry to Hellbrunn Palace and its trick fountains, which you can visit on another day
- Tips for your tour leader and driver
Dates and prices
Sound of Music day tour dates and prices
Price per person. Day tours are paid in full when you book, and you can cancel free of charge up to 7 days before the date.
| Date | Price | Status | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| $139 | Available | Check availability: Sound of Music day, Nov 14, 2026 | |
| $149 | Few seats left | Check availability: Sound of Music day, Dec 12, 2026 | |
| $139 | Available | Check availability: Sound of Music day, Mar 20, 2027 | |
| $159 | Guaranteed | Check availability: Sound of Music day, May 15, 2027 | |
| $169 | Sold out | Join the waitlist: Sound of Music day, Jul 17, 2027 | |
| $159 | Guaranteed | Check availability: Sound of Music day, Sep 11, 2027 | |
| $149 | Available | Check availability: Sound of Music day, Oct 16, 2027 |
- Paid when you book
No deposit and no balance to remember. See the booking terms.
- Guaranteed means it runs
A guaranteed date goes ahead whatever the final numbers.
- Free cancellation
Cancel up to 7 days before the date for a full refund.
- Private on request
Any day of the week for your own group of up to 12, with the same tour leader.
Before you book
Straight talk about the Sound of Music day tour
What the days are really like, so there are no surprises.
Pace and walking
Easy, 1 of 5. About 3 miles on foot over the day, mostly on level garden paths and lakeside promenades.
What can change
Filming, events and closures can move a stop or close an interior on the day. Your leader swaps in another location nearby and tells you why.
Inside or outside
Museums, studio tours and open businesses you enter as a visitor. Working businesses that ask for quiet, and every private home, are seen from the public street or not at all.
Getting there
Pickup is from central hotels or the meeting point named in your confirmation. Allow time to get there before the start.
Your tour leader: Katharina Moser
Tour leader, Salzburg
Born in the Salzkammergut and living in Salzburg since her music studies, she has guided visitors around the city for twelve years. She drives the Alpine passes in her own car on weekends and checks every cableway timetable before a group arrives.
Practical information
Before you go on the Sound of Music day tour
Your confirmation, with the pickup point and the tour leader's phone number, arrives when you book. Weather, airports and the best months are on the Austria and Switzerland page.
Meeting point
The Mirabellplatz entrance to the Mirabell Gardens at 8:45 a.m. Most central hotels are within a 15-minute walk; we also pick up at hotels on request.
Churches
Nonnberg is a working convent and Mondsee a parish church. Cover your shoulders, keep your voice down and do not take photos during a service.
Weather
Salzburg is one of the rainiest cities in Austria. Bring a small umbrella and a layer; the lakes are cooler than the city.
Sunday departures
We avoid Sunday mornings, when the churches hold services, so most of our dates are Saturdays.
Tour FAQ
Sound of Music day tour: questions and answers
Is this the same as the big bus tours?
It covers similar places, but in a 12-seat van with a leader who lives in Salzburg, more time at each stop, a walk up to Nonnberg Abbey and a proper lunch on the Wolfgangsee.
Do we sing?
Only if you want to. Katharina plays the songs in the van between stops, and some groups sing along on the way to the lakes.
Can we see inside the von Trapp villa?
No. Leopoldskron Palace is a private hotel and conference center, and Frohnburg Palace belongs to the university. We see both from public paths and the road.
Why is the day tour paid in full?
Because seats are limited to 12 and we book lunch for each traveler. You can change your date once, free, up to 30 days before.
Does the tour run in winter?
Yes. The gardens, the gazebo and the churches are open all year. December is popular because of the Christmas markets; the lakes are often gray then, but quiet.
Did the real von Trapp family live in Salzburg?
Yes, in a villa in the Aigen district, which is not on our route. Maria married Georg von Trapp in 1927 at Nonnberg Abbey, which we visit; the film moved the wedding to Mondsee.
More answers on the FAQ page and in how to book.
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- Seats held for 72 hours while you decide
- Private dates for your own group on request
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