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Tauern Bike Path
This route is named after a breathtaking mountain range. But you don't have to worry: You cycle through the valleys along the rivers "Salzach" and "Saalach." The trail is mostly flat, but nevertheless, you should have some basic condition.
We have chosen Salzburg as an ideal starting and ending point for your trip. The city of Mozart is culturally rich and can easily be reached by train or plane. Every day you will see many scenic highlights of landscape and culture like the snow-covered mountains with a height of 3,000 meters and the largest waterfall in Europe. You will be impressed by this magical landscape. Your cultural expectations will absolutely be satisfied. The magnificent and breathtaking bike trip will make you forget the daily routine of your everyday life.
Highlights
- One of Europe's most popular touring routes
- The highest waterfalls of Europe in Krimml
- Bike tour along the foothills of majestic mountains and the rivers Salzach and Saalach
- The most scenic regions of Salzburg province
- Easy cycling through beautiful landscapes and untouched nature
- Two nights in Mozart's birth place Salzburg
- Numerous cultural sights and monuments
Learn More
Learn more about self-guided tours.
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![Salzburg Austria Gardens (photo:dimitryanikin)]()
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![Salzburg Austria Mozarts Geburtshaus (photo:reiseuhu)]()
![Salzburg Austria (photo:alexhufnagl)]()
![Krimml Waterfall Austria (photo:victormalyushev)]()
![Tauern Austria]()
![Ferry Salzburg Vienna Bike Tour]()
![Salzburg Vienna Bike Tour]()
![Tauern]()
![Zell Am See Austria (photo:danielfrank)]()
![Zell Am See Austria (photo:andisteiner)]()
![Salzburg Vienna Bike Tour]()
![Salzburg Austria (photo:dimitryanikin)]()
![Schnitzel Austria (photo:benreis) CC-BY-SA-3.0]()
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![Salzburg Austria (photo:zhangxiaoyu)]()
Traveler photos
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Daily program
Day 1: Arrival
Individual arrival in Salzburg – the culturally rich city of Mozart. Take enough time for a stroll through the old part of the city and visit the Mozart's Birthplace. Your bikes are available at the hotel.Day 2: Salzburg – Golling (22 miles/35 km)
Follow the course of the river Salzach. Soon you will reach Hallein. There you can visit the salt mines, which haven't been in use since 1989. The romantic "Bluntautal" is worth a visit, too. At today's destination, Golling, you should allow plenty of time to visit the remarkable waterfall.
Overnight in GollingDay 3: Golling – St. Johann im Pongau (22 miles/35 km)
Today you cycle first to Werfen. There you will see the castle "Hohenwerfen." The well-known ice caves are worth a visit. In Bischofshofen you can admire the ski jump, where every year the final of the Four Hills Tournament is held. In St. Johann you will see the well-known "Lichtensteinklamm," a huge spectacle with 50m high waterfall at the end of the gorge.
Overnight in St. Johann im PongauDay 4: St. Johann im Pongau – Kaprun(34 miles/55 km)
You will soon reach Bruck and the entrance to the ´Großglocknerstraße´ (High Alpine Road). From the beginning of July there are buses to the 3,797 m high Großglockner, Austria´s highest mountain, which stops at ´Franz-Josephs-Höhe´. The sportive bikers have the opportunity to cycle around Lake Zeller (Zeller See) and the cozy cyclists can use it as a refreshing dip. You just have to ride a short distance and then you will have reached Kaprun, the today´s destination. There you have excellent bus connections to the high mountain reservoirs.
Overnight in KaprunDay 5: Kaprun – Krimml – Kaprun (37 miles/60km + train ride)
After breakfast take the ´Pinzgaubahn´ to Krimml and visit the largest waterfalls in Europe. On a well-designed trail you can admire this natural spectacle. While cycling through the ´Nationalpark Hohe Tauern´ and the so-called ´Oberpinzgau´, you will see the snow-capped 3,000 m high mountains all the time.
Overnight in KaprunDay 6: Kaprun – Lofer (34 miles/55 km)
Very quickly you will be back at Lake Zeller where you can take again a relaxing bath. After cycling through ´Maria Alm´ with its famous pilgrimage church you will reach Saalfelden, where you can enjoy your lunch break. Other highlights on your way to Lofer are the ´Seisenbergklamm´ and ´Lamprechtshöhle´ near Weißbach.
Overnight in LoferDay 7: Lofer – Salzburg (31 miles/50 km)
On your last day you will cycle through the quiet "Saalachtal" back to Salzburg. The Bavarian Bad Reichenhall in the small German Angle will enchant you with a Bavarian flair. After cycling a short distance you will have reached Salzburg, the starting point of your tour, again. In the evening you can enjoy a culinary dinner and review the impressions and experiences you had on your bike trip.
Overnight in SalzburgDay 8: Departure
Departure from Salzburg.Surface and terrain
The bicycle route runs mostly flat along the banks of the rivers Salzach and Inn and consistently through flat to a maximum of undulating terrain with a total decline and a difference in altitude of 700 at the distance Krimml - Passau (320 km).
The tour route is mainly on dedicated bicycle paths (about 80% of the time). Parts of the tour are on quiet roads and dirt or gravel roads. Occasionally, you will cycle on more traveled routes or manage unpaved paths, but generally, you will have no problems with the terrain.
Stories
Hotels
These are sample hotels and may vary based on availability.
Deluxe: 4-star superior accommodations
Hotel & Villa Auersperg, Salzburg (4-star)
www.auersperg.atGenießerhotel Döllerer, Golling (4-star)
www.doellerer.atHotel Brückenwirt, St. Johann im Pongau (4-star)
www.hotel-brueckenwirt.atAlpen-Wellnesshotel Barbarahof, Kaprun (4-star superior)
www.hotel-barbarahof.atHotel-Gasthof Bad Hochmoos, Lofer (3-star superior, upgraded room)
www.hochmoos.atCategory A: 3 and 4-star accommodations
ARCOTEL Hotel Castellan, Salzburg (4-star)
castellani.arcotel.comHotel Pension Golingen, Golling (3-star)
www.golingen.atHotel Brückenwirt, St Johann (4-star)
www.hotel-brueckenwirt.atHotel Das Alpenhaus, Kaprun (4-star)
www.alpenhaus-kaprun.atGasthof Bad Hochmoos, Lofer (3-star superior)
www.hochmoos.atNote: Where visitor's taxes are due, these are not included in the tour cost.
Interested in visiting other areas before or after your tour? Visit our hotels page to learn more about lodging options.
How to get there
Tour start and end
Nearest airport and train station: Salzburg (SZG), Innsbruck or MunichAfter flying to a nearby airport, travel by car or train to Salzburg.
Tips on getting to and from your tour
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Dates
Daily: Apr 29-Oct 07, 2023 (minimum 2 persons)
Season 1: Apr 29, 2023 - May 04, 2023, Oct 01, 2023 - Oct 07, 2023
Season 2: May 05, 2023 - May 31, 2023, Sep 11, 2023 - Sep 30, 2023
Season 3: Jun 01, 2023 - Sep 10, 2023
Prices
Tour package
Per person, double occupancy Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Deluxe (4-star) €1249 €1349 €1449 Cat A (3 and 4-star) €849 €979 €1029 Single use room (1 person/1 room) Deluxe (4-star) €1818 €1918 €2018 Cat A (3 and 4-star) €1138 €1268 €1318 Bike Rentals
Hybrid touring bike, 7/21-speed unisex frame €99 Hybrid touring bike, 7/21-speed men's frame €99 Hybrid touring bike, 27-speed, upgrade €159 Electrically assisted bike €239 Additional Options
Deluxe Cat A Dinner package €279 €239 Extra Nights, Salzburg
Deluxe Cat A Per person, double occupancy €149 €99 Single room (1 person/1 room) €269 €155 Extra Nights, Kaprun
Deluxe Cat A Per person, double occupancy €149 €99 Single room (1 person/1 room) €219 €125 Discounts
Child, ages 0-5 sharing a room with 2 full-paying adults (on base tour price) 100% Child, ages 6-11 sharing a room with 2 full-paying adults (on base tour price) 50% Child, ages 12-14 sharing a room with 2 full-paying adults (on base tour price) 25% Child, ages 15-17 sharing a room with 2 full-paying adults (on base tour price) 10% Included services
- 7 nights lodging
- Daily breakfast buffet
- Luggage transfer from hotel to hotel (No limit in pieces of luggage; each piece with a maximum of 20 kg)
- Route planning, maps, and tourist materials
- 7-day service hotline
- Well planned route
- Ticket for train ´Pinzgaubahn´ from Kaprun to Krimml, incl. bike (The ´Pinzgaubahn´ was damaged by a storm in 2021; the repair work will probably not be completed in 2023 either; in this case there will be a rail replacement service or a bus shuttle as a replacement)
- Rental bike insurance
- If half-board is booked: 7 x 3-course dinner
- GPS tracks are available upon request
Note: where due, visitor's taxes are not included in the tour cost.
Bike rentals
Bikes available to be rented (in advance at the time of booking) include:
- Hybrid touring bike, 7/21-speed, unisex
- Hybrid touring bike, 7/21-speed, men's frames, crossbar
- Hybrid touring bike, 27-speed, upgrade
- Electrically assisted bike, Pedelec, unisex*
- Tandem bikes are available (upon request only)
*More about electrically-assisted bikes >
All above bike rentals will be equipped with the following at no additional charge:
- Saddlebag (water-repellent), rear
- Handlebar bag (water-repellent), with clear cover on top for easy map viewing
- Tools
- Repair kit (with extra bicycle tube)
- Pump
- Combination lock
Pedals:
The bikes will have flat pedals. If you want to bring your own pedals, please bring your own shoes and also the necessary equipment to change the pedals. Toe cages are not available to rent.Seats:
If you plan to bring your own seat, please make sure it will be compatible with a 27.2 to 31.4 mm seat post. If necessary, you may also need to bring your own adapter. The tour company will assist in switching the seat post for you.Helmets:
Helmets are not included with the bike rentals. You can buy a helmet (not rent) from the tour company for €49. It will be a high quality, brand new helmet. You must let us know your helmet preference upon booking. If you do not buy a helmet through the tour company, we recommend you bring your own.Specifications on hybrid touring bikes
- Modern, high-resistant aluminum frame
- V-brakes
- Aluminium-rims
- Reliable tires, which ensure high duration
- Shimano Alivio derailleur on 21-speed
- Selle Royal Saddles
*Posture for 21-speed hybrid bikes will be upright for comfort
Upgraded components on 27-speed hybrid bikes
- Hydraulic Magura HS 11 brakes
- Shimano Deore XT derailleur on 27-speed
- High-quality Suntour suspension fork
*Posture for 27-speed upgraded hybrid bikes will be upright and forward
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Route Map
Maps are for information purposes only and reflect typical routes between overnight locations. They may not reflect your actual route.
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Reviews
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★★★★★ Christopher McAdam 6 days ago
Fantastic Ride
Loved the hotels loved the ride, loved the all day everyday view. We really like seeing and going through the little alpine towns.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6th
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Adam Pernsteiner 7 months ago
A Great Scenic Bike Trip with a Lot of Interesting Side Excursions Along the Way
The Tauern Bike Path in and out of Salzburg, Austria was my 5th bicycle trip in Europe and once of the most scenic and beautiful bicycle tours I have experienced. The bicycle route itself is usually a paved path and primarily follows along river valleys, so the difficulty is easy to moderate and very manageable for a recreational rider like myself. I only walked my bike on a few short climbs and my 18-year old son had no issues with the difficulty. Navigation-wise, the tour company materials were fine and the route is well-marked, although I would recommend keeping a backup navigation aid or two in the form of google maps and perhaps a cycling map app. I was impressed by the high percentage of local Austrians cyclists who were using e-bikes along the path. So, if you are considering an e-bike but wondering if you would stand out - no worries, you will blend right in with the locals!
The thing that probably sets this tour apart from others in my mind is the impressive number interesting side adventures that you can have along the way - right next to the bicycle path. For us, these included medieval castles and falconry shows, hiking, waterfalls, mountaintop tram rides, and underground cave hiking - and we probably still missed a couple of other excursions we could have done along the way. Some of these are free and most do not cost more than the price of a tram ride.
As far as food and accommodations, they were excellent. I did the upgraded lodging option because I have back issues and I was thoroughly impressed. I would note that some the spa and health facilities at the properties are world class. The included breakfasts are great and we had no trouble finding restaurants with great food and drinks.
Overall, I would recommend this tour to anyone who wants a scenic ride through Austria without too much difficulty, especially if you want to be able to hope off your bike once and a while and do a few side hikes and other adventures.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ LeePDX August 20, 2019
Awesome Family Bike Trip
Great vacation and memories to last a lifetime. The Tauern Bike Path is great, relatively flat and incredibly beautiful at every turn. Lots of great excursions within relatively easy bike or bus connection to route, including Ice Caves, Caverns, Salt Mines, Waterfalls, Trams, Lakes... Awesome.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 8/6-8/12
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Harry August 1, 2019
Satisfied repeat customer
This is the third trip that I've done with Greenways and I remain very pleased with the impeccable organization, the thoughtfully planned routes, the helpfully redundant cycling instructions and the very engaging and pleasant territory. I combined the Salzburg to Prague trip with a Salzburg to Salzburg loop around Berctesgaden, and so my overall experience combined spectacular Alpine scenery with miles of classic Bohemian rolling wheat fields punctuated with forest and woodlot. There was a lot in this trip that exceeded my expectations, and virtually nothing that merits any harsh criticism. Getting over the hills north of Linz was a pretty good workout for an old guy!
As a solo traveler, I didn't have any meals included in the package, and that worked out just fine. The Salzburg loop was all on well-marked bike path, so direction-finding was all but bulletproof. The 'Heart of Europe' trip has some very detailed instructions and a GPS, and almost never presented any confusion. Having Google Maps on a phone helped to disambiguate a few times. There were some good suggestions for things to see, though I didn't always have time to stop and see them. Perhaps the tour deserves a repeat!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 15-25
- How many tours have you completed?
- many, both package and self-created
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Fletch June 6, 2019
Fabulous scenery!
We chose this tour because it stayed in the vicinity of the alps but was in the river valleys. The scenery did not disappoint. It was glorious when we had clear skies. We had some rain and snow when up on the mountains but even then the villages and farmland were wonderful. We spent extra days in Salzburg before the tour and spent an extra day in Zell am See in the middle of the tour. We were so glad we had those extra days because there was so much to see and do. We went up to the ice cave, up to the Krimml waterfall, and up to Kitzsteinhorn and had snow in all three places. It was like a winter wonderland. For the five of us from Florida, it was great.
The hotels were all good and provided great breakfasts. The luggage transfer went off without a hitch. Our bags were always at the hotels when we got there.
After a few days self supported from Passau to Salzburg we decided to upgrade to ebikes for this tour to make the climbs more manageable and to make it more likely that we would take side trips to see additional things along the way. We are really glad that the tour company was able to accommodate this last minute request. They were very helpful.
We found that the signs for the Tauern radweg changed part way through the ride. This is something to watch out for. We made a couple wrong turns but learned to keep our eyes peeled for signs.
It was a wonderful trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 10, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- Several
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Julane January 1, 2019
Scenic Adventures!
This tour was one of our all-time favorites for its scenic beauty, unique adventures (salt mine, falconry demonstration, ice cave), charming hotels and quaint small towns. We spent two extra nights in Salzburg before the start of the tour to take advantage of all that the city offered as well as to test our bikes on two separate loop rides. At the end of this tour we did another week-long tour (Salzburg to Vienna, Lakes Option) to see a different but equally beautiful region of Austria.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 21-27, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 30+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Rich and Alesa September 15, 2018
Wonderful trip among the Alps
This is our fourth self-guided bike trip with Bike Tours (Tuscany/Umbria, Romania, Greece, and now Austria from/to Salzburg). It is the new benchmark.
The bike trails were glorious and often in the country and along the rivers, usually
paved. The hotels (except for the last one near Salzburg) were excellent. The bike equipment was first class and very appropriate for the bike trails and occassional gravel.We are in our late sixties, so having so much of the trip on bike trails was special. The countryside was green and when we saw the Alps after some cloudy days, it was awe-inspiring.
This is a special trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 2 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Fishchico August 18, 2017
Spectacular Tauren bike route
This was an amazingly beautiful route through small villages, stunning granite mountains and wildflower meadows everywhere. Not to be missed were Krimmel Falls with vintage train ride and the Werfen Ice Cave. Signage was good, we only missed one directional marker but remembering that "the adventure begins when the plan fails" kept us in good cheer! Meeting locals when inquiring for directions is sometimes the best part.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 21 - June 29, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ paula12 September 19, 2016
I Would Go Back Tomorrow...
I've been to Europe a dozen times, but seeing the Salzburg
area by bike was the best trip yet. Such beautiful scenery.
Loved the e-bike!- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 12-19
- How many tours have you completed?
- no others
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ diane g September 18, 2016
Salzburg to Salzburg has fantastic scenery but directions provided are unbelievably poorly developed
Salzburg to Salzburg over 6 days is higher than a level 2. The terrain is hilly. I do not recommend this self guided tour because the german-speaking outfits they contract with provide totally inadequate self-guiding instructions. They do not know what a cue sheet is. They do not provide any directions as to north, south, east, west; they do not provide any street names. AND, the directions in English are very obviously translated very poorly from the German. In addition, there is no way to find your hotel once off the bike path. You have to depend upon good route finding skills for this hotel finding as well as the entire trip. We had this same experience with bike tours.com 7 years ago and thought they might have gotten better at directions. We gave bike tours feedback at that time, and our friends gave feedback on their german-speaking directions on their self-guided tour, and nothing changed. Hence I am writing this review without making a customer complaint becaue I do not believe bike tours will fix this problem. AND, THIS TOUR REQUIRES ONE TO CONSULT 3 SETS OF INSTRUCTIONS THROUGHOUT THE TRIP. 2 sets of friends had exactly the same experience. 2 stars are for getting our luggage to each hotel before we arrived; and the hotels were gracious and accommodating.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Jim Johnson September 19, 2016
This is a tour with one of our most popular operators—we send hundreds of clients with them each year—and they get routinely positive reviews. The Tauern Bike Path is also one of our more popular and long-standing tours.However, this is a new routing of a long-standing tour (that had also received good reviews), and it’s obvious they cut some corners on the directions and tour materials. We apologize for this.
I’ve actually ridden the Tauern Bike Path three times since its opening about 20 years ago. In fact, my first tour on it was before I started BikeTours.com, and it was part of my inspiration for starting the company. So it saddens me when anyone has a negative experience on it.
We also apologize for the level of difficulty, which should have been a level 3. In its previous form (the tour actually went mostly in the opposite direction), the tour was a level 2.
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★★★★★ Cramaz September 11, 2016
The Great Tour of Salzburg
This ride took us through some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable. While there were a couple of difficult hills, the majority of the ride was quite manageable and structured so that there was plenty of time to sightsee on the way and at each destination. The towns we stayed in all had something a little different to offer and all had plenty of good places to eat and relax. As a self-guided tour, this would be hard to beat. The Tauern bike path is a great way to see this part of Austria.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 28th August to 5th September 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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