Austrian Lakes Activities — Self-Launched Edition
8 days · Salzkammergut, Austria
Exodus charges £1,780
No-markup version: ~£415 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 8-day active break based in Strobl on the eastern shore of Lake Wolfgangsee, in Austria's Salzkammergut lake district. Rather than paying a tour operator for a 4-star hotel package with pre-researched routes, you can base yourself in a family-run guesthouse or hostel, rent a bike locally for the week, and follow the same well-signposted lake-shore cycle paths and walking trails yourself. Expect Alpine panoramas, pretty frescoed villages (St Gilgen, St Wolfgang), the antique Schafberg cog railway, an ice cave, boat ferries across the lake and an easy day trip by bus to Salzburg. Everything is bookable directly — bikes, ferries, cable cars and the cog railway — and local buses link all the villages.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Strobl
Strobl, Lake Wolfgangsee
Make your own way to Strobl. The easiest approach is a train to Salzburg (from the UK: cheap flights or a Railjet from Munich/Vienna), then the 150 bus or a train to Bad Ischl followed by the 546/150 bus to Strobl — around 1.5-2 hours and roughly £10-15 total. Check into your guesthouse or hostel, then walk down to the lake shore for your first view of the Wolfgangsee with the Schafberg massif behind it. Pick up groceries from the local Spar/Billa and grab dinner at a lakeside Gasthof.
🚌Train/bus from Salzburg to Strobl (~£10-15)
🛏Family-run guesthouse or hostel in Strobl (private room, ~£30-45/night)
- →Settle into Strobl
- →Lakeside evening walk
- →Groceries and dinner at a Gasthof
Bad Ischl and bike pick-up, cycle back to Strobl
Bad Ischl → Strobl
Take the local bus to Bad Ischl (~20 mins, ~£3) and collect a rental bike for the week from a local hire shop (roughly £90-120 for 7 days). Explore the spa town — Franz Josef's Kaiservilla and the imperial salt-bath spa — then pedal back to Strobl along the flat River Ischl cycle path. Signage on the Salzkammergut cycle network is excellent, so no guide is needed.
🚌Local bus to Bad Ischl (~£3) + bike hire for the week
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Strobl
- →Collect rental bike in Bad Ischl
- →Kaiservilla and imperial spa
- →16 km cycle along the River Ischl
Cycle to St Gilgen and up the Zwölferhorn
St Gilgen
Follow the level lakeside track along Lake Wolfgangsee's southern shore, passing through a small nature reserve, into St Gilgen (28 km round trip). Wander the frescoed waterfront, visit the Mozart museum (his mother was born here), then ride the Zwölferhorn cable car for 360-degree Alpine views (about £25 return). Back at the lake, swim off the free public bathing jetties.
🚌Own rental bike
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Strobl
- →28 km lakeside cycle to St Gilgen
- →Mozart museum
- →Zwölferhorn cable car
- →Lake swim
Cycle to St Wolfgang and cog railway to Schafberg summit
St Wolfgang / Schafberg
Ride along the river then the lake's north shore to St Wolfgang (16 km). Explore the cobbled lanes, the 15th-century pilgrim church and the craft and chocolate shops. After lunch, take the antique Schafbergbahn cog railway (about £45 return, book ahead in peak season) up to the 1,782 m summit for unrivalled views over the lake district.
🚌Own rental bike; Schafbergbahn cog railway
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Strobl
- →16 km cycle to St Wolfgang
- →St Wolfgang church and old town
- →Schafberg cog railway to 1,782 m
Day trip to Salzburg
Salzburg
Leave the bike behind and take the bus to Salzburg (roughly 80 mins, ~£10-12 each way on the 150/546 via Bad Ischl, or use a Salzburg Verkehr day ticket). Explore the UNESCO-listed Baroque old town: Hohensalzburg Fortress, Mirabell Gardens, the Salzach riverfront, and Mozart's birthplace. Refuel in one of the classic Viennese-style coffee houses before the bus back to Strobl.
🚌Local bus Strobl–Salzburg return (~£20)
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Strobl
- →Salzburg old town walking day
- →Hohensalzburg Fortress
- →Mirabell Gardens
- →Coffee house stop
Cycle to Lake Nussen (Nussensee)
Nussensee
A gentle 14 km loop on quiet country lanes through rural farming hamlets, past neatly stacked winter woodpiles, with lunch at a country restaurant such as Zur Wacht. Continue up to the hidden Nussensee, a small off-the-radar lake fringed with rare orchids — plenty of time for a swim and a relax before looping back to Strobl.
🚌Own rental bike
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Strobl
- →14 km countryside cycle
- →Lunch at a country Gasthof
- →Swim at Nussensee
Walk or cycle to Lake Schwarzen (Schwarzensee)
Schwarzensee
Choose your own pace today — walk or cycle across the valley and up through forest to the Schwarzensee, tucked beneath the Vormauerstein, Hoheneck and Breitenberg peaks. Have lunch at a sunny lakeside restaurant under the mountains, then enjoy the valley descent back to Strobl (22 km by bike). If you'd rather swap bikes for caves, the Dachstein ice caves are reachable by bus and cable car from Obertraun (~£35 combined).
🚌Own rental bike or on foot; optional bus/cable car to Dachstein ice caves
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Strobl
- →22 km cycle or forest walk to Schwarzensee
- →Lakeside lunch
- →Optional Dachstein ice caves
Leave Strobl
Strobl → Salzburg
Return your rental bike and travel back to Salzburg by bus/train for your onward flight or train. Breakfast at your guesthouse before you go.
🚌Bus/train Strobl–Salzburg (~£10-15)
🛏—
- →Return rental bike
- →Departure transfer to Salzburg
Self-launched vs. Exodus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Exodus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£415 | £1,780 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,365 per person (77%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Exodus-style trips? Check them out here.~£415
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Austrian Lakes Activities — Self-Launched Edition cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £415 per person for 8 days in Salzkammergut, Austria. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Exodus?+
Yes — Exodus charges around £1,780 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £415 — a saving of roughly £1,365 (77%) per person.
How long is the Salzkammergut, Austria trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Salzkammergut, Austria.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, hiking trip through Salzkammergut, Austria, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.