The city of Salzburg in Austria is known for many things: its beautiful architecture, its rich history and the surrounding scenery. But, above all else, it’s known for being home to ‘The Sound of Music’.
This Rodgers and Hammerstein production used Salzburg as the backdrop for the movie. While many interior scenes were filmed at a studio in Hollywood, the majority of the exterior scenes were filmed in Salzburg and the surrounding area.
2025 celebrates the 60th anniversary of The Sound of Music, and visitor numbers to the city of Salzburg have never been higher, with thousands of tourists keen to walk in the footsteps of Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.
In this post, I’ve shared exactly how you can experience the Sound of Music in Salzburg. From bus tours to bike tours, there are several options for Sound of Music tours in Salzburg.
My mum has long been a huge fan of the movie, she claims it was the first film she ever watched. This meant I grew up with the film, and even today, not a year goes by when we don’t sit down and watch it together.
I was lucky enough to travel to Salzburg with my mum, and seeing all the filming locations for The Sound of Music was at the top of our list of things to do.
Below, I’ve shared all my knowledge about how you can experience the movie through guided tours or a self-guided tour. While tours are a fantastic option, Salzburg is a small city, and it’s perfectly doable to visit the locations without a guide.
About the Sound of Music in Salzburg
The Sound of Music, released in 1965, is loosely based on a true story about Maria Kutschera and the Von Trapp family.
The majority of the movie’s original filming locations are in Salzburg, making it a popular site for tourists and fans of the movie.
Although the film was a huge success internationally, The Sound of Music never quite took off in Austria, and many locals have never seen it. It’s also quite a bit of a controversial topic in the city, and it’s fair to say that some Salzburg locals are less than pleased by the movie due to the story’s theme.
Even so, the film attracts thousands and thousands of tourists to Salzburg every year as fans hope to see the famous locations from their favourite movie scenes.
As soon as you arrive in Salzburg, it doesn’t take long to start recognising some of the filming locations. My personal favourite is Mirabell Palace, mostly because it’s such an iconic location and it’s fun to find the exact spots where they filmed some of the scenes (and have your moment jumping up and down the steps).
The best Sound of Music tours in Salzburg
One of the easiest ways to experience the Sound of Music in Salzburg is to join a guided tour. The Sound of Music tours take you between the various filming locations and have a guide to share information about the movie.
While you certainly don’t need a guide or transport to visit most of the filming locations, it’s still an efficient and fun way to learn about the movie.
But, despite being one of the best things to do in Salzburg, there are surprisingly only a few different tours to choose from.
Keep reading to find out about the different tour choices.
The Panorama Bus tour
The most popular movie tour in Salzburg is the Panorama Bus Tour, the original Sound of Music tour in the city.
The tour takes you to various filming locations, including Mirabell Gardens, Schloss Leopoldskron, the famous gazebo and the small town of Mondsee (where Maria and the Baron got married).
The guided tours teach you all about the Sound of Music locations, and they even play the movie on the bus so you can see the location you’re about to visit.
The basic Panorama Bus Tour is four hours, but there are also options to extend the tour to visit the town of Hallstatt or try some traditional Austrian food.
For those in a rush or desperate to visit the Church in Mondsee where Maria and the Baron got married, the Sound of Music bus tour is the best option.
However, there are some drawbacks. Firstly, the tour is on a large coach, so there are lots of people trying to get the same photo. During busy periods, they may even use more than one coach, which only adds to the large crowds.
Secondly, the coach is too big to reach many of the locations within the city. Locations like the Nonnberg Convent and Residenzplatz can’t be visited on this tour. Of course, you can see them on foot when exploring Salzburg, but it still feels like the tour lacks several filming locations.
This Sound of Music bus tour is still a great option, especially for those who want to visit Mondsee.
You can book the tour here. It’s essential to book in advance as it often sells out, especially during the summer months.
Bob’s Tours
If you prefer smaller group tours, consider visiting the movie locations with Bob’s Tours. Instead of being on a larger coach, you’ll be on a small van with a maximum of eight people plus a tour guide.
The tours cover similar locations to the Panorama Bus Tour but add a few extra stops in the Old Town.
There are several tours to choose from, including a half-day tour and a full-day tour. You can check the description to see which is right for you.
Bicycle tour
Finally, my personal favourite Sound of Music tour in Salzburg is the Fraulein Maria bicycle tour.
This tour is one of my favourite things I did during my two weeks in Austria, and it’s one of the best tours I’ve ever done in all my travels around the world.
The Fraulein Maria bicycle tour visits most of the major Sound of Music filming locations in Salzburg. As you’re on bikes, you can enter the Old Town and visit the Nonnberg Convent and Residenzplatz. After exploring the city, you’ll cycle into the countryside to see the famous gazebo at Hellbrunn Palace.
The only location this tour doesn’t visit that the others do is the town of Mondsee. But if I’m being honest, I’m not sure it’s worthwhile to travel all that way just to see a church.
Along with visiting all of the main filming locations, you also learn about Salzburg’s history beyond the Sound of Music. Once in the countryside, you can have a sing-along as you cycle through the valleys (but there’s no pressure to do this).
My favourite thing about this tour was that it isn’t just about the Sound of Music. If you’re with someone who isn’t the biggest fan of the movie, this tour is the perfect option as it’s just as much an insight into Salzburg as it is about the film.
Aside from one hill (which you can walk up), the route is entirely flat, and it’s an easy cycle, making it perfect for the whole family.
You can book your Sound of Music bike tour here.
Sound of Music filming locations (self-guided tour)
In all honesty, there’s not actually any need to join a tour. While the tours are an efficient way to visit the locations and learn more about the movie, you can visit the locations by yourself.
Here are the key Sound of Music filming locations in Salzburg for a self-guided tour.
Mirabell Palace
Arguably one of the most iconic filming locations from the movie, Mirabell Palace is home to the classic end sequence of Do-Re-Mi, when the characters run around the fountain and jump up the steps.
The impressive palace, built in the 18th Century, is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Salzburg. Today, it’s a popular wedding venue and houses the Mayor’s offices.
The gardens are beautiful, and as you wander around, Sound of Music fans will recognise several iconic filming locations from the Do-Re-Mi song. This includes various statues, the plant tunnel, the Pegasus Fountain and of course, the steps from the ending of the sequence.
I recommend getting to Mirabell Palace as early as you can. It’s one of the most popular places to visit in Salzburg, and it can get very crowded. By getting there early, you’ll give yourself the best chance at getting those iconic photos.
Salzburg Old Town
Salzburg Old Town is home to several recognisable filming locations from the film.
Here’s a list of places to add to your self-guided walking tour:
- Karajan Square & Horse Pond (seen as Maria and the children ride a carriage through the city).
- Residenzplatz, the city centre (seen in various scenes throughout the movie).
- The Summer Riding School, also known as the Felsenreitschule Amphitheatre (where the family perform at the end of the film. Please note that this can only be seen from the outside).
- St Peter’s Cemetery (this appears at the end of the film when the family are hiding in a crypt. Although, this was filmed in a studio as they didn’t want to damage any of the property).
Nonnberg Abbey
Nonnberg Abbey is another iconic Sound of Music filming location in Salzburg. While many of the interior scenes were filmed in a studio, the outside of the Abbey and the entrance gate will be instantly recognisable for any Sound of Music fan.
It’s a bit of a steep walk to reach there, but it’s completely worth it. You’ll also see some epic views of the mountains behind Salzburg.
It’s possible to enter the Abbey and walk around the grounds.
Schloss Frohnburg
Frohnburg Palace is close to Hellbrunn Palace and was used to depict the front of the Von Trapp family home.
Now, it acts as dormitories for students studying at the Mozarteum University Salzburg.
Hellbrunn Palace and Trick Fountains
The famous Sound of Music gazebo that was used in the song “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” can be found in the gardens of Schloss Hellbrunn.
The original gazebo was located in Leopoldskron Palace, but was relocated here to make it more accessible for tourists.
Unfortunately, you can’t go inside the gazebo, but you can still admire it from the outside.
Fun fact: Much of this scene was filmed at a Hollywood studio. It became too tricky to film inside the gazebo, so they recreated it on a proper set. If you watch the film and look closely at the benches, you can see they switch throughout the scene.
Museum der Moderne (outside)
This location doesn’t appear on many lists, and in all honesty, it was a bit of a lucky find for us.
The Monchsberg Elevator takes visitors to a viewing platform over Salzburg, right outside of the Museum der Moderne. Avid fans will recognise this location from the Do-Re-Mi scene where Maria talks to the children before they head to Mirabell Palace.
If you don’t want to pay for the elevator, there is a long staircase up to the top.
Leopoldskron Palace
Now a boutique hotel, Schloss Leopoldskron appeared as the backdrop of the Von Trapp Family house. It’s also home to the famous lake where Maria and the children fell into the water.
Due to the number of tourists visiting the location, it’s not possible to enter the grounds unless you’re a hotel guest. However, you can admire the house and the setting from across the lake where there is a public path.
Mondsee
Salzburg isn’t the only filming location for the Sound of Music in Austria. The town of Mondsee is home to the Basilica St. Michael, where the wedding between Maria and the Baron was filmed.
In the film, it appears the wedding scene takes place in the original Abbey where Maria originally lived. However, due to filming constraints, they needed a bigger set and opted to film the wedding at Mondsee Abbey instead.
The bus tours, including Panorama and Bob’s Tours, both visit Mondsee on their itinerary. However, the town is also connected to Salzburg by a public bus, so you don’t need to join a tour to visit.
Werfen
The small town of Werfen is about 40 minutes by train from Salzburg, and it’s home to the famous beginning scene of Do-Re-Mi where the children and Maria sit having a picnic.
There is a trail, known as ‘The Sound of Music trail’ that leads visitors up to the famous meadow. In total, the walk is about forty minutes from the train station.
Even if you’re not the biggest Sound of Music fan, I highly recommend this walk. Although there’s a bit of incline, it’s relatively accessible and the scenery is absolutely stunning.
The Untersberg Mountain
Although not quite a filming location, the iconic Untersberg Mountain features in the opening scene and end of the movie.
To reach the top of the mountain and admire the incredible scenery around Salzburg, you can take the Untersberg Cable Car. To reach the starting point, you need to take a bus from Salzburg Train Station.
The Marionette Theatre Performance
For a unique experience in Salzburg, consider watching a Marionette Theatre Performance. The famous shows use string puppets to perform famous movies and plays, including The Sound of Music.
It’s very similar to what they do in the ‘Lonely Goatherd’ scene. But at the Marionette Theatre, you can watch a recreation of the full movie.
The Sound of Music Museum (2026)
According to reports online, 2026 will see the opening of a brand new Sound of Music museum in Salzburg. The exhibition will be hosted by the Salzburg Museum and will take a look at the making of the movie, and share the story about the real Von Trapp family members.
Information about the museum is still a bit vague, but I’ll keep this page updated as more information comes to light.