The Salzburg FEstival

• Enjoy 8 performances at the renowned Salzburg Festival

• Delight in the exciting atmosphere of elegant Salzburg at festival time

• Undertake day trips to admire the spectacular scenery of the region, from Bavaria’s Königssee to the beautiful lakes of the Salzkammergut

• Understand the fascinating history of the region, from Mozart’s Salzburg to the imperial family at Bad Ischl

• Enhance your enjoyment of the performances, with pre-performance talks and post-performance commentary by tour leader Robert Gay

Until the Festival program for 2026 is released in December 2025, this is an indicative itinerary based on previous Festivals. However, the final itinerary will cover the range of performances and excursions mentioned.

Once the final Festival program is released, we will send you the final itinerary with performance details.

You will have the option to retain your place, or to withdraw and receive a refund of your first deposit. Should you choose to retain your place, we will request a second deposit of $2,500pp, due within 10 business days of confirmation of the final program.

THURSDAY 20 AUGUST – ARRIVAL (CANAPÉS)

We gather at Munich Airport at 2.00pm this afternoon for a coach transfer to Salzburg. On arrival there is time to settle into our hotel before welcome drinks and canapés with your tour leader. Evening at leisure.

FRIDAY 21 AUGUST – SALZBURG OLD TOWN, PERFORMANCE 1 (B, L)

Salzburg was ruled for centuries by its Prince-Archbishops, whose court shaped the old city. This morning, after a talk in the hotel by tour leader Robert Gay, we explore the history of the city on a walking tour, which includes the Festival District and the cathedral. We then enjoy a welcome lunch together, followed by an afternoon at leisure. In the evening, we attend our first performance at the Festival.

Performance 1 details
Venue: TBA
Program: TBA
Performers: TBA

SATURDAY 22 AUGUST – MOZART’S SALZBURG, PERFORMANCE 2 (B)

Salzburg is, of course, indelibly marked by the life of its most famous son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This morning our walking tour of the ‘new’ side of Salzburg includes the Mirabell Gardens and sites linked to the life of Mozart, including Mozart’s residence, now a house museum, and St Sebastian Cemetery, where his father and wife are buried. The afternoon is at leisure, to enjoy a visit to one of Salzburg’s art collections or simply to savour the festive ambience of the town. This evening we attend our second performance.

Performance 2 details
Venue: TBA
Program: TBA
Performers: TBA

SUNDAY 23 AUGUST – PERFORMANCES 3 & 4 (B)

Today, we attend a matinée performance at the Festival. The afternoon is at leisure, ahead of another performance this evening.

Performance 3 details
Venue: TBA
Program: TBA
Performers: TBA

Performance 4 details
Venue: TBA
Program: TBA
Performers: TBA

MONDAY 24 AUGUST – ST GILGEN & ST WOLFGANG (B, L)

The region surrounding Salzburg boasts outstanding natural beauty – an inspiration for artists and composers, such as Gustav Mahler - and charming, picture-perfect Austrian villages. Today we travel by coach to St Gilgen, on the Wolfgangsee, a lovely lakefront town where Mozart’s mother grew up. We stroll through the town before taking a boat across the lake to St Wolfgang, where we admire the Pacher Altarpiece – a masterpiece of German Gothic wood carving and painting – in the parish church. After a lakeside lunch together, we return by coach to Salzburg, where the evening is at leisure.

TUESDAY 25 AUGUST – BAD ISCHL & PERFORMANCE 5 (B, L)

Today we explore a different side of the region’s history, as a place of rest and leisure for Austria’s elite. We begin with a scenic drive, enjoying the forests, mountains and lakes from the comfort of our coach, before arriving at Bad Ischl, one of the region’s many historic spa towns. Bad Ischl’s popularity grew exponentially in the later nineteenth century when Emperor Franz Joseph built the Empress Elisabeth (‘Sisi’) a villa here, making it their preferred summer residence. The villa is still partly occupied by the descendants of the imperial family, although a significant part of it has been preserved as a museum. After a guided tour of the Kaiservilla, we have a relaxed lunch at the historic Café Zauner, before returning to Salzburg for our fifth performance.

Performance 5 details
Venue: TBA
Program: TBA
Performers: TBA

WEDNESDAY 26 AUGUST – KÖNIGSSEE (B)

Today we continue to enjoy the spectacular alpine scenery with a day trip to the Königssee in Bavaria. The lake is one of the most beautiful in the region, with mountains rising steeply from its depths, and it is reputed to have some of the purest water in Germany. After travelling to the lake by coach, we take a boat across to the picturesque island of St Bartholomä. After time to stroll and take a break for lunch, we return to Salzburg where the later afternoon and evening will be at leisure.

THURSDAY 27 AUGUST – PERFORMANCE 6 (B)

Following a talk in the hotel this morning, the rest of the day is at leisure to continue your explorations of this delightful small city. Your tour leader and manager will be able to advise you about Salzburg’s many museums, or you might choose to take the funicular up to Hohensalzburg, the castle which formerly guarded this important salt-trading centre. The views of the surrounding countryside are impressive. In the evening, we attend our sixth performance at the Festival.

Performance 6 details
Venue: TBA
Program: TBA
Performers: TBA

FRIDAY 28 AUGUST – KREMSMÜNSTER, PERFORMANCE 7 (B, L)

This morning we travel by coach to Kremsmünster. Here we have a guided tour of the abbey, founded in the eighth century, and its extraordinary cultural treasures. Among these are its manuscripts, which include a ninth-century illuminated gospel, and the ‘Tassilo Chalice’, a gilded bronze masterpiece of Anglo-Saxon art from the eighth century. We enjoy lunch together in the abbey restaurant, before returning to Salzburg. The later afternoon is at leisure before this evening’s performance.

Performance 7 details
Venue: TBA
Program: TBA
Performers: TBA

SATURDAY 29 AUGUST – PERFORMANCE 8 (B, L)

After a leisurely start to the day, we have a final pre-performance talk by Robert Gay. We then enjoy a farewell lunch together at an excellent restaurant, with the rest of the afternoon at leisure. This evening, we attend our final performance at the Salzburg Festival.

Performance 8 details
Venue: TBA
Program: TBA
Performers: TBA

SUNDAY 30 AUGUST – DEPARTURE (B)

The tour concludes after breakfast in the hotel.

Imlauer Pitter 4*, Salzburg

https://imlauer.com/hotel-pitter-salzburg/?lang=en

Family-owned, modern hotel in the centre of Salzburg.

NB: a hotel of a similar standard may be substituted.

• 10 nights’ accommodation in 4-star hotel

• Premium tickets to 8 performances at the Salzburg Festival

• All breakfasts, 5 lunches or dinners, and welcome drinks and canapés on arrival night

• All ground transport, guides, entrances and tipping for services mentioned in the itinerary

• Background talks and expert commentary by Robert Gay throughout the tour

• Services of an experienced English-speaking local tour manager throughout

A deposit of $1,000pp at the time of booking is required to hold a place on the tour.

Once the final Festival program is released in December 2025, we will send you the final itinerary with performance details.

You will have the option to retain your place, or to withdraw and receive a refund of your first deposit. Should you choose to retain your place, we will request a second deposit of $2,500pp, due within 10 business days of the confirmation of the final program.

We will invoice you for finaly payment, due on 06 June 2026.

When you book on one of tours, we ask you to accept our terms and conditions. You can read our terms and conditions here.