Viking Excursion to Salzburg - worth it?

[KEBYL]

Hello everyone.  I will be on the Viking Romantic Danube river cruise in August.  I would love to see Salzburg (which is not an included excursion).  However, the cost is $385.  When I contacted Viking to see what would be included in the excursion, the person I chatted with was not able to answer my questions.  Has anyone been on this excursion?  If so, what did you see?  Is it worth the hefty price tag?  Thanks for your help

[CDNPolar]

6 hours ago, KEBYL said:

Hello everyone.  I will be on the Viking Romantic Danube river cruise in August.  I would love to see Salzburg (which is not an included excursion).  However, the cost is $385.  When I contacted Viking to see what would be included in the excursion, the person I chatted with was not able to answer my questions.  Has anyone been on this excursion?  If so, what did you see?  Is it worth the hefty price tag?  Thanks for your help

 

We did not do this excursion, but here is the full description when you get your final documents.

 

Passau Salzburg Highlights Price: $385.00 CAD Duration: 9.50 Hours DEPASSEO04 Date: December 06, 2024 08:15 AM Available City of Mozart and “The Sound of Music” -- Drive with your guide past charming mountain villages, rolling hills and pristine lakes. Upon arrival in this glorious city, enjoy a guided walking tour of the Italianate Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its high-baroque architecture. Pass by the Hagenauer House at Getreidegasse 9, the birthplace of renowned classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Salzburg’s favorite son; today, it is one of Austria’s most visited museums. See the Domplatz, dominated by the 249-foot 17th-century Dom and St. Peter’s Abbey, where Mozart premiered the Great Mass in C Minor in 1783. Savor lunch in Austria’s oldest restaurant, named for the church, as classically trained singers and musicians regale you with songs in the spirit of the musical.

[KEBYL]

Thank you.  I did see this description, but was hoping for more detail about what would be seen or done.  Thanks for your reply!

[ural guy]

What is your alternative?

 

We were on a Vantage cruise, I chose to stay in Linz, my spouse went to Salzburg (included tour).  

She wound up spending more time on the bus than in the city (3 hours).  It being a cold, rainy day in November didn't help.  I had a good time exploring Linz.

 

Salzburg itself is well worth a visit, my daughters stayed there and say it's one of their favorite spots.  You just have to weigh your options.  Hopefully someone chimes in with some details, Viking's description is pretty vague.  With loading bus and drive time, maybe 5ish hours in Salzburg?

[JordanF]

I was on a Gate 1 Danube cruise last summer, and chose to skip this tour.  The main reason was that a fair amount of the time was spent on the bus ride to and from the city, and also at the included lunch, leaving limited time for actually seeing Salzburg.  On our trip, we spent a very pleasant day cruising down a scenic part of the river, and touring Passau.  Having said that, the people who went on the tour were happy with it.  Here is a very unscientific opinion:  people who really loved the Sound of Music wanted to see Salzburg more than others.  Finally, $385 seems like a lot of money for this!

[AnhaltER1960]

7 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

Passau Salzburg Highlights Price: $385.00 CAD Duration: 9.50 Hours DEPASSEO04 Date: December 06, 2024 08:15 AM Available City of Mozart and “The Sound of Music” -- Drive with your guide past charming mountain villages, rolling hills and pristine lakes. Upon arrival in this glorious city, enjoy a guided walking tour of the Italianate Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its high-baroque architecture. Pass by the Hagenauer House at Getreidegasse 9, the birthplace of renowned classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Salzburg’s favorite son; today, it is one of Austria’s most visited museums. See the Domplatz, dominated by the 249-foot 17th-century Dom and St. Peter’s Abbey, where Mozart premiered the Great Mass in C Minor in 1783. Savor lunch in Austria’s oldest restaurant, named for the church, as classically trained singers and musicians regale you with songs in the spirit of the musical.

 

Viking descriptions are accurate and worth being read carefully.

* Passau-Salzburg Nine and a half hours. Looking on the map you will see a distance of 120 km (approx. 75 miles) and not much motorway. So expect a two and half hours busride (one way), leaving a bit over four hours in town.

* There will be a lunch with some singers performing, thats another one and a half hours.

* Guided walking tour "passing by" (=no inside visit) the Mozart house, "see the Domplatz" (from where ?) dominated by two churches, that also does not promise guided inside tours of those churches.

Viking usually give some free time, together with the guided tour that leaves a net time of maybe two and a half hours in town.

The programme "Romantic Danube" starts/ends in Regensburg. From there it is an easy (and cheap) 3 hrs- trainride to Salzburg, which is a small and compact city perfect for a DIY at the beginning or the end of your cruise. 

[Kristelle]

Cant comment o n the cost - or the rest of the excursion - but we went to the lunch and singing with Scenic.

We had choice of a S of M walking tour first or a general Salzburg one, which we did.

I'm not into the Sound of Music at all and didnt really think I would enjoy it (was included excursion so no point not going though) - actually was great fun, it wasnt all about the Sound Of Music and one didnt need to be a S of M fan to enjoy it.

[Canal archive]

S of M sounds like the initials of some demonic ritual. I’ve never chosen to take part in any sort of Sound of Music experience anywhere.
In my youth I took a part time job - still at school - to make few pennies, as an usherette at the Portsmouth Odeon Cinema (one of the best paid part times around) we worked until after the ice cream service half way through the film. So I have seen the first half of this film more times than I wish to remember and never to this day have I seen the second half. Yes I know the story! But I really do not want to see the rest. Mind you the wages went towards a good cause ‘my first Lambretta scooter’.

Edited April 23 by Canal archive

[CielBleu]

That price is awfully high, especially if you have to double it if traveling with a spouse or partner and because you will be on a bus much of the time. If it were me, I would look into taking a train to Salzburg after the cruise is over. That way you would have longer to visit and be able to see what you want.

[buddman442]

Could anyone recommend a private excursion company in Vienna that would tour Salzburg, Melk Abbey,  Wachau Valley and Hallstatt?  Many thanks!  

[Pentank]

I am spending two days in Salzburg before joining the Viking cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam in May. Then we will talk a train from Salzburg to Budapest - heard it will be a lovely train ride that passes through Vienna .

 

And we will have time to take in a concert at the Fortress too in the evening!

 

It will be a first time visit to Salzburg which had been on my bucket list due to the scenery etc.