Salzburg Sound of Music Tour: Which One Is the Best?

I love The Sound of Music. I’ve seen the movie countless times, and I’m a two-time attendee of The Sound of Music sing-a-long at the Hollywood Bowl. (It happens every year in September and it’s something every Sound of Music fan needs to experience at least once.)

Before the start of an 11-day alpine group tour this past summer, I managed to squeeze in 3 extra days to see if the hills of Salzburg were really alive with the Sound of Music. This leg of the trip was extra special because it was my first truly solo travel experience.

I planned my entire two-day stay in Salzburg around The Sound of Music. Normal people would be fine with one Sound of Music tour. I’m not a normal person. So, I signed up for two Sound of Music tours: a bus tour and a bicycle tour.

That’s almost 8 hours of Do-Re-Mi-ing around the city of Salzburg. So much so, I could almost be an honorary von Trapp family member!

So which Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg is the best? Before I get to that, let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start…

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The "Dwarf with the Glasses" in Zwergerlgarten at Mirabellplatz. — *The Dwarf with the Glasses from the “Do-Re-Mi” sequence from The Sound of Music*. It’s located in the Dwarf Garden (Zwerglgarten) at Mirabell Palace.

A Very Brief Filming History of The Sound of Music

Production of The Sound of Music started in 1964. While a majority of the exterior shots were filmed in Altstadt (old town) Salzburg and neighboring towns like Mondsee, interior shots were filmed at 20th Century Fox studios in Los Angeles.

What’s The Best Way to See The Sound of Music Film Locations in Salzburg?

I’m not a DIY, self-guided tour girlie. I like being driven or guided around by an expert. (Side note: I did like listening to Rick Steves’ Town Walk of Salzburg on his Audio Europe app.) As a solo traveler, I also like the group experience of a tour.

Because The Sound of Music was filmed all over Salzburg, a tour is the best way to see many, if not the majority, of The Sound of Music film locations.

The added benefit of a tour, whether by bus or bicycle, is hearing the history of Salzburg and The Sound of Music. The tour guides on these tours are Sound of Music super fans. Not only do they know their movie facts, they also know the history of Salzburg.

Plus, each tour was set to The Sound of Music soundtrack and included lots of singing. (I guess you could do that on your own, but you might get some weird looks.)

The Original Sound of Music TourⓇ by Panorama Tours

Panorama Tours has been in business for 70 years. Back when they were known as Kleinbusse Mirabell, their buses were used by the Sound of Music film crew and their limousines transported the cast.

After the movie premiered in 1965, fans flocked to Salzburg to see the film locations, which their drivers could take them to because they were so familiar with them. And that’s how they became the Original Sound of Music TourⓇ. Today they offer a variety of tours in Salzburg, with the Sound of Music tour being the most popular.

How Much Does the Original Sound of Music TourⓇ cost?

A ticket for the Original Sound of Music TourⓇ costs 60€. I chose the super saver option and did the Hallstatt Tour & Original Sound of Music TourⓇ for 120€. (You can read my review of the Hallstatt Half-Day Tour here.)

How Long is the Original Sound of Music TourⓇ?

The Original Sound of Music Tour is 4 hours long.

Which Sound of Music Filming Locations Do You See on the Original Sound of Music TourⓇ?

On this tour you’ll see the most popular and recognizable locations from the film. There are three opportunities to get off the bus and see the locations up close. Places like Nonnberg Abbey and the von Trapp villa are only visible while driving by on the bus.

Schloss Leopoldskron

The tour begins with a short drive to get to the first photo stop: Schloss Leopoldskron. This location is the back of villa von Trapp. Today it’s a fancy hotel, so unless you booked a room, have a breakfast reservation or booked a tour, you can’t go in. The good news is you can get some really nice photos with the lake and the hotel in the background. (Avoid the geese; they can be very aggressive. Trust me.)

Sound of Music Tour: The gazebo from "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" is a stop on both the bus and bicycle tour. — *The Sound of Music gazebo in Salzburg*

The “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” Gazebo

The next stop is Hellbrunn Palace to see the iconic “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” gazebo. It’s located in a beautiful public park and very clean public toilets. The tour guide was very nice and played photographer, which is always great when you’re a solo traveler. (She also took good photos.)

St. Michael’s Church in Mondsee

The third stop takes you outside of Salzburg and into the countryside to Mondsee. This is where they filmed Maria and Baron von Trapp’s wedding. While the church is the main attraction, you have plenty of time to walk around the town and enjoy ice cream or a snack. I got some really delicious vegan bread at one of the bakeries.

The Basilika St. Michael in Mondsee, Austria. — *Basilika St. Michael in Mondsee*

The altar at St. Michael's Church in Mondsee. — *The altar inside Basilika St. Michael.*

Mirabell Palace & Gardens

The tour ends at Schloss Mirabell, which is where they filmed many of the “Do-Re-Mi” scenes. Our tour guide walked us to the pegasus fountain and pointed out a couple of places of interest. I would have expected a little bit more her since it was such a prominent location in the movie. I did stumble upon the Dwarf Garden (Zwerglgarten) on my own earlier that morning. It’s located up the stairs behind the pegasus fountain.

Fraulein Maria’s Bicycle Tour

While I was planning my second day in Salzburg, I still had a few unplanned hours and came across Fraulein Maria’s Bicycle Tour. I don’t have the best track record with bicycles, but the tour had amazing reviews and I wanted to try something new.

I also noticed that compared to the other Sound of Music tour I booked, this one included a lot of different stops. That was enough for me to reserve a spot.

(Note: Fraulein Maris’ Bicycle Tour operates from April-October.)

How Much Does Fraulein Maria’s Bicycle Tour cost?

A ticket costs 45€. They prefer you pay in cash at the end of your tour.

How Long is Fraulein Maria’s Sound of Music Bicycle Tour?

The Sound of Music bicycle tour is about 3.5 hours long.

What is the Terrain Like?

Minus one part of the tour, which includes a steep incline that nobody rides up, the terrain is mostly flat. There’s also a very steep hill after Nonnberg Abbey. You’re encouraged to walk your bike down if you aren’t comfortable riding down. (I chose to walk my bicycle down.)

For someone who doesn’t ride a bike often (or really at all except on special occasions), it was very easy. It also helps that Salzburg is a very bike-friendly city and we were mostly on bike paths or away from traffic.

What Bikes Do They Use?

Fraulein Maria uses Cruiser bikes with 7 gears. (You will have to adjust your gears throughout the tour depending on the terrain.)

How Big was the Tour Group?

There were about 12-15 people on the tour. I was the only solo rider; the rest were families.

Which Sound of Music Filming Locations Do You See on Fraulein Maria’s Sound of Music Bicycle Tour?

Compared to the Original Sound of Music Tour, you see a lot more film locations on Fraulein Maria’s Sound of Music Bicycle Tour.

Karajanplatz & Pferdeschwemme

The first stop is a quick one at the equestrian car wash aka horse bath. It was used back in the 1600s to wash parade horses of the prince-archbishops. Fans of the movie will recognize the colorful frescos and from when Maria took the children through town before going on a picnic and teaching them “Do-Re-Mi.”

Felsenreitschule

Next, we rode to The Rock Riding School. This is where the von Trapps performed in the talent show and before they fled to Switzerland. You don’t go into the auditorium, but tours are available. Or, if you’re in Salzburg mid-July to late August, you can catch a performance during the annual Salzburg Festival.

Residenzplatz & Residenz Fountain

The next stop is the Residenzplatz. The fountain is where Maria flicks her hand in the water as she makes her way to the von Trapp villa. I took pictures at the fountain earlier that morning and completely forgot it was in the film.

Sound of Music Tour: The Residenz Fountain in Altstadt Salzburg is a stop on Fraulein Maria's Bicycle Tour. — *Residenz Fountain in Altstadt Salzburg.*

Nonnberg Abbey

When I say getting to Nonnberg Abbey is a hike, I’m not kidding. This is the steepest part of the tour. So unless you’re some Tour de France-level athlete (or cosplaying as one), it’s easier to walk your bike. (Remember, these are cruising bikes, not mountain bikes.) There are also lots of meandering tourists who really don’t care that you have a bike.

Once you stop huffing and puffing you arrive at Stiftskirche Nonnberg. It was founded in the 700s (that’s not a typo), which makes it the oldest nunnery in the German-speaking world. Nonnberg is not only the real abbey from the film, it’s also where the real Maria Kutschera lived before becoming a governess for the von Trapps.

The film makes you believe this is the same church Maria marries Baron von Trapp. One look inside and you’ll know that was Hollywood trickery. The church used is in Mondsee, which you can see on the Original Sound of Music Tour by bus.