Salzburg Salt Mines: Day Trips and Tours from Salzburg

The Berchtesgaden Salt Mine, also known as the Salzbergwerk Berchtesgaden, is the oldest salt mine in Germany. Enjoy a thrilling underground adventure as you explore the cavernous mine tunnels and chambers beneath the mountain.

Ride the mine train deep underground to discover the history of Bavarian salt mining where you will sail a raft out onto the subterranean salt lake and ride the wooden slide into the depths of the Earth. Berchtesgaden Salt Mine is fun for all ages!

Only a short distance from the Austrian city of Salzburg, Berchtesgaden is an ideal destination for a day trip.

You will find below everything you need to know about Berchtesgaden Salt Mine, one of the best destinations for day trips from Salzburg.

How to get to Berchtesgaden Salt Mine from Salzburg?

You can find the Berchtesgaden Salt Mine in Berchtesgaden, a town in the Bavarian Alps in Germany. It is just over the Austrian border about 26 kilometers from Salzburg Central.

From Salzburg to Berchtesgaden Salt Mine by car

The journey to Berchtesgaden from Salzburg takes about 30 minutes by car in normal traffic. From Salzburg Central, head south on Vogelweiderstraße Street towards the Sterneckstraße highway (B150). Then, follow the road into the B160 highway to enter Germany.

From Salzburg to Berchtesgaden Salt Mine by bus/public transport

The Berchtesgaden journey from Salzburg via bus is convenient and easy. Buses depart several times daily from the main Salzburg train station (Salzburg Hauptbahnhof) and the Salzburg State Theater (Salzburg Makartplatz). Buses go directly to the main train station in Berchtesgaden and the journey takes roughly 50 minutes.

Guided tour to Berchtesgaden Salt Mine from Salzburg

There are many interesting guided tours to the Berchtesgaden Salt Mine from Salzburg. Your tour operator will organize all the travel details for you, making your Berchtesgaden excursion simple and convenient.

How much does the entrance ticket to Berchtesgaden Salt Mine cost?

Standard ticket

• Adult: €20
• Child (0 - 3 years): Free
• Child (4 - 17 years): €10
• Student (17 - 25 years): €18
• Adults with disabilities and adults accompanied by a person with disabilities:  €18
• Family ticket (two adults and two children): €48 plus €7 per additional child

If you go in a group of 20 people or more, tickets will cost about €19 per adult and €7 per child. If you go in a group of 25 people, you will get a free ticket too.

What is the typical itinerary of a day tour to Berchtesgaden Salt Mine from Salzburg?

Berchtesgaden Salt Mine tours usually offer pickup at various accommodations in Salzburg Central. Your tour operator will specify a pickup spot or offer to fetch you from wherever you are staying.

Once your entire group is ready to go, you will drive to Berchtesgaden in a motorcoach, bus or regular vehicle. Some tours will make stops along the way, so you can sightsee, take photographs and explore the Bavarian Alps.

Once you arrive in Berchtesgaden, you will get the chance to explore the town and visit the Berchtesgaden Salt Mine. Some tours will give you free time to wander around the town, while others will take you straight to the mine.

At the mine, you will enter the underground cave and learn about salt mining history in Germany.

Depending on what tour you choose, your guide may take stops on your way back to Salzburg. Once the itinerary is over, your driver will drop you off at your accommodation.

What kinds of tours are available to go to Berchtesgaden Salt Mine?

Guided tours to Berchtesgaden Salt Mine from Salzburg

Berchtesgaden excursions from Salzburg are fun and informative with a professional tour guide. Visitors get to don miners’ uniforms and ride a train into the mine. They also get to sail a barge across the mine’s underground lake, Mirror Lake, which is 130 meters below sea level.

Unlike other tours, this Berchtesgaden Salt Mine jaunt explores does not have any stops along the way. The tour includes a trip to the mines for roughly two hours, followed by a drive back to Salzburg Central.

Day tour to Berchtesgaden Salt Mine plus Eagle’s Nest and King’s Lake from Salzburg

On this day tour, you will get to visit the Berchtesgaden Salt Mine and the famous Eagle’s Nest in Obersalzberg. Eagle’s Nest was once home to the Third Reich and provides sweeping views of the Bavarian Alps.

After you visit Eagle’s Nest, you will head to King’s Lake or Königssee before enjoying lunch in Berchtesgaden at your own expense. The tour price includes your entrance tickets to the mines, the lake and Eagle’s Nest.

Guided tour to Berchtesgaden Salt Mines plus Salzkammergut “Sound of Music” filming locations from Salzburg

This tour is a great option for lovers of “The Sound of Music” film. The tour explores the Salzkammergut area and stops at several locations from the film. Salzkammergut has many lake and mountain landscapes, so any nature lover will have a good time on the tour too.

Your tour guide will take you to visit the Berchtesgaden Salt Mine and you will get free time to explore the Berchtesgaden town. You will also get to visit the Basilica St. Michael in Germany before driving back to Austria.

How much does a tour to Salzburg Salt Mines from Salzburg cost?

Guided tours to Berchtesgaden Salt Mine without other stops cost roughly €60 per person. Tours with stops at Eagle’s Nest cost about €120 per person for group tours and anywhere from €600 to €700 per person for private tours.

Day trips to Berchtesgaden Salt Mine plus Obersalzberg from Salzburg cost around €60 per person. Guided tours that go to the mines and “The Sound of Music” locations cost roughly €100 per person.

What will you see and do on a Berchtesgaden Salt Mine day trip from Salzburg?

When you reach Berchtesgaden, You'll hop on board a miner’s train and begin the descent deep into the mountain caves. A professional guide will lead you through several well-lit tunnels explaining the history of the Berchtesgaden Salt Mine, the mining industry in Germany and how miners extract salt from the caves.

You will then ride a 34-meter wooden slide deeper into the caves followed by a second 40-meter slide further along the tour. Your guide will give you a brief tour of the salt gallery, where you can see old miners’ uniforms and salt deposits.

Finally, you will board a barge and sail over the caverns impressive underground salt lake, Mirror Lake. The salt mine tour lasts approximately 90 minutes.

Eagle’s Nest

Eagle’s Nest sits on top of Mount Kehlstein, offering dramatic panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. You can grab something to eat at the Eagle’s Nest restaurant, check out the view and take photographs from the high mountain slopes.

Salzkammergut and “The Sound of Music” locations

Salzkammergut is a scenic mountain and lake region with lots to see. Some of the filming locations for “The Sound of Music” include the historic Nonnberg Abbey convent and Mirabell Palace and Gardens, a famous UNESCO World Heritage site.

When is Berchtesgaden Salt Mine open over the year?

Berchtesgaden Salt Mine is open all year. The first season starts in April and ends in October. The second season starts in November and ends in march.

What are the opening times?

Berchtesgaden Salt Mine opens from  9 AM to 5 PM daily for April to October, and from 11 AM to 3 PM daily for November to March.

When is the best time to visit Berchtesgaden Salt Mine?

You can visit the Berchtesgaden Salt Mine any time in the year. You can always trust that the temperature in the mine will be 12 degrees warmer than above ground.

Travel tips

• Wear comfortable shoes with a good grip for walking in the mine tunnels.
• Bring your camera or phone, so you can take photographs.
• Wear comfortable clothing.
• If you are not a European Union resident, bring documentation to the crossover into Germany.