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Austrian Alps All-Inclusive

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9 days From £1,595 per person
4.3 stars(100 reviews)
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Enjoy monumental mountains, ethereal glaciers, glistening lakes and charming Tyrolean towns on this Austrian Alps adventure

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Save £100pp on selected 2024 holidays when you book by 13th December 2023.

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Mobility Rating 2

2024 Tour code: AIS24

About the tour

Explore the mighty Austrian Alps from your base in the enchanting Tyrolean town of St Johann, where you enjoy dinner and drinks each evening.

Indulge in a special alfresco breakfast on a mountainside while taking in the breathtaking alpine scenery.

Marvel at views of Austria's tallest mountain and its atmospheric glacier, before visiting a former gold-mining town on a journey over the Grossglockner High Alpine Road.

View the beautiful Austrian Alps on a steam-hauled journey through the Ziller Valley to Mayrhofen and a leisurely cruise across sapphire-blue Lake Zell. Enjoy a tour of the musical city of Salzburg, the hometown of Mozart, which boasts a captivating collection of classical architecture.

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Unforgettable experiences

Ride the steam-hauled Zillertalbahn to Mayrhofen
Ride the steam-hauled Zillertalbahn to Mayrhofen
Enjoy beautiful views of the picturesque Ziller Valley on a charming steam train journey to the idyllic town of Mayrhofen at the end of a valley surrounded by impressive peaks.
Savour spectacular views on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road
Savour spectacular views on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road
Explore an astonishing alpine panorama on the Hochtor Pass during visits to Edelweissspitze, Austria’s tallest mountain and its ethereal glacier, and the former gold-mining town of Heiligenblut.
See beautiful Zell am See from a lake cruise
See beautiful Zell am See from a lake cruise
Relax on a delightful cruise on the brilliant-blue waters of Lake Zell, admiring vistas of undulating hills and towering mountains, before exploring the charming town of Zell am See.
Discover cultural Salzburg on a musical tour
Discover cultural Salzburg on a musical tour
Visit the hometown of world-famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the setting for The Sound of Music and get to know the elegant city in the joyful company of ‘the singing tour guide’.

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 – From London to Cologne

We gather at London St Pancras International, where we meet our fellow travellers and Tour Manager ahead of this all-inclusive tour to the beautiful Austrian Alps. Journeying to Belgium in the Standard Premier Class on the Eurostar, we enjoy a light meal at our seats before arriving in Brussels. From here, we change to the First Class service to the German city of Cologne. Standing on the regal Rhine river, this grand city is dominated by its Gothic cathedral with two spires. We check into our hotel near the station and have our first dinner together as a group.

Includes
  • Dinner
  • Eurostar Light Meal
Day 2 – Journey into the Austrian Alps

This morning travel to Munich in First Class. Passing through Frankfurt and Stuttgart, and the historic Swabian towns of Ulm and Augsburg, we arrive in the Bavarian capital in the afternoon. A local train takes us across the Austrian border and to Wörgl and into the majestic Alps. After a coach transfer takes us to St Johann, we check into our hotel, where we stay for six nights.

Set in a broad amphitheatre-like valley, this charming town is nestled at the heart of the Tyrolean Alps. It's a beautiful and peaceful base for our alpine adventure - brimming with traditional buildings adorned by colourful flowerboxes. Our family-run hotel has an idyllic chalet-style façade and we settle down to enjoy a four-course dinner with drinks included between 7-9pm, as they are every night of our stay.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 – Getting to know St Johann with an alfresco breakfast

Our first breakfast in Austria is a special one as we take the short journey up a hill to a local restaurant, where we enjoy an alfresco breakfast amid stunning surroundings. Sampling regional flavours while basking in captivating views of elemental mountains and lush meadows, we get a great overview of the gorgeous region that will be our home on this wonderful holiday.

Afterwards, there is free time to explore St Johann at your leisure as you get to know the town better, with a picnic lunch for you to enjoy whenever you wish. The quaint Mariä Himmelfahrt church with a yellow façade and twin Baroque towers has an ornately decorated interior and sits in the main square alongside equally graceful buildings. Housed in an 18th-century penitentiary for dissolute priests, the town's museum details the social and natural history of the region.

The Harschbichl cable car also leaves from near the hotel delivering incredible panoramic views of peaks and valleys as it makes its way to the mountain more than 5000ft above sea level, where the taller Kitzbühel Horn dominates the skyline and breathtaking vistas stretch as far as the eye can see.

We return to our hotel at our leisure ready to enjoy dinner with drinks included between 7-9pm.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 – Taking the Grossglockner High Alpine Road

Today is one of the highlights of this excellent tour as we are driven to the Hohe Tauern National Park for an incredible ride over the highest surfaced mountain pass in Austria. The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is named after nearby Grossglockner, Austria's highest mountain at nearly 12,500 feet.

The route climbs up twisting turns through gorgeous alpine scenery, with waterfalls rushing down the steep slopes across the valley lined with incredible peaks. Our first stop is the beautifully named Edelweissspitze, an 8400ft peak accessible by road that offers jaw-dropping panoramic views of an amazing rugged landscape of snow-capped mountains. Returning to the road, we enjoy the stunning scenery of this immense wilderness dotted with jet-black lakes before reaching the summit of the Hochtor Pass and entering the region of Carinthia.

As the route gently winds its way down the mountains, we take a short diversion to Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe. Named after the Habsburg emperor who stopped here in 1856, this amazing viewpoint commands mind-blowing views of the Grossglockner and the snaking Pasterze Glacier, the largest in the eastern Alps. There is free time here to enjoy our picnic lunch while soaking up the extraordinary scenery and keeping an eye out for the ibex and marmots that reside in this remarkable countryside.

Our next destination is the delightful village of Heiligenblut, a charming huddle of idyllic chalets nestled in a verdant valley beneath imposing peaks blanketed with forests. We have the chance to explore at our own leisure, perhaps wandering over to the Gothic St Vinzenz pilgrimage church, or learning more about Heiligenblut's history as the site of the only gold-digging settlement in the Alps.

We return to St Johann in the early evening, ready for our dinner and drinks this evening.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 – Riding the steam-hauled Zillertalbahn Railway

After breakfast, we take a coach transfer to Jenbach, where we join the narrow-gauge Zillertalbahn Railway. First opened in 1902, we are hauled by a steam engine in beautifully restored carriages for a 19-mile journey through the picturesque Ziller Valley. Travelling through lush green pastures stretching between rolling alpine hills, we pass remote villages of half-timbered houses and traditional chalets on our way to charming Mayrhofen, at the head of the valley, backdropped by increasingly tall peaks.

Here you're free to explore the charming streets lined with pretty pavement cafés and unique shops. Alternatively, take a cable car higher into the mountains to enjoy panoramic views while savouring your picnic lunch. The Penken cable car carries passengers to a delightful alpine meadow offering breathtaking views of Mayrhofen and its surrounding assembly of snow-capped peaks. At the top of the Ahorn cable car is a rustic amphitheatre, crystal-clear lakes, pastoral huts and spectacular views.

We return to Jenbach by standard rail in the early afternoon, arriving back at our St Johann hotel with free time to relax or explore before gathering for tonight's dinner and drinks.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 – Charming Zell am See and a lake cruise

In mid-morning, we take a local train that follows the picturesque route through valleys alongside the shore of gorgeous Lake Zell. On arrival in the beautiful lakeside town of Zell am See, we board a boat for a relaxing cruise across the sapphire-blue lake, a great way to admire the lush forests, undulating hills and towering mountains beyond.

Returning to shore, you have the afternoon to explore at your own leisure. You may wish to stroll along the lakefront promenade, stopping to savour one of the many delightful views while enjoying your picnic lunch, before discovering Zell am See's historical centre. The quaint triangular Stadtplatz is overlooked by the Romanesque tower of the Church of St Hippolytus, which dates from the 13th century. Inside, there is a glorious gallery and magnificent balustrade, Gothic carved figurines and frescoes decorating the walls. On a different corner of the Stadtplatz is another historic tower that contains the Vogtturm museum, relaying the history of the town's past. For astounding views of Zell am See and the surrounding scenery, a series of cable cars also connects the town with alpine pastures and peaks.

We board the local train back from Zell am See in the late afternoon, with time to relax in St Johann before dinner and drinks this evening.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 – The musical city of Salzburg

We transfer by coach to Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart and the setting for The Sound of Music, where we enjoy a tour of this musical city with Trudy, the singing tour guide. Overlooked by the huge 11th-century Hohensalzburg Fortress, set high on a hill, we stroll through the charming Old Town. The churches, squares and alleyways here are incredibly well preserved and dominated by fabulous Baroque spires in a UNESCO World Heritage site.

With an afternoon to explore by ourselves, there are many options in this gorgeous city of noble white buildings topped with grey slate huddled either side of the gently winding Salzach river. Salzburg is renowned for its musical and culture heritage and Mozart was instrumental in this. You can visit the former residence of the Mozart family, who lived at Getreidegasse 9 from 1747 to 1773. It is where Wolfgang was born in 1756 and is now a house museum detailing his young life. His old Makartplatz home is also a museum displaying artifacts from the composer's life.

You could also take a walk along the river or through the Mirabell Garden, or you may prefer to head out of the city for a cable-car ride up Untersberg Mountain for spectacular views across the Berchtesgaden Alps. The Museum der Moderne, a museum of modern art, has two locations in the city. One is in the Old Town and the other can be accessed by a lift to the top of the Mönchsberg cliff, from where there are delightful views across Salzburg.

This evening, we enjoy dinner and drinks at our St Johann hotel.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 – Returning to Cologne

We leave St Johann this morning as a coach transfers us to nearby Wörgl, from where we travel to Munich in standard class. In the Bavarian capital, we board the First Class service to Cologne. Passing through the charming city of Ulm, look out for its majestic minster, the spire of which is the tallest in the world.

Our destination tonight is Cologne, where we arrive in the early evening. This vibrant city was founded as a military camp by the Romans who named it Colonia, which is from where the modern term 'colony' is derived. A short distance from the main station is our hotel, where we check in and have dinner tonight.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9 – Homeward bound

After breakfast this morning, we return to Cologne station to board the train to Brussels in the First Class carriage. In the Belgian capital, we switch to the Eurostar service in Standard Premier Class and enjoy a light meal at our seats as we travel through northern France and under the English Channel before reappearing in Kent.

As the train travels through the English countryside and into London, we can look back on this incredible holiday and the astonishing alpine scenery we have been lucky enough to witness. On arrival in London St Pancras International in early afternoon, we say farewell to our fellow travellers and new friends, content in the knowledge that the unforgettable experiences we have enjoyed will stay with us.

Includes
  • Breakfast
  • Eurostar Meal (First class only)

Additional information

Departure times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

Hotel

Hotel Park

Hotel Park, St. Johann

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Trains

Eurostar
ICE Train
InterCity
Thalys
Zillertalbahn

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Reviews

4.3 stars4.3 / 5 · 100 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (50)
  2. 4 stars
    (39)
  3. 3 stars
    (6)
  4. 2 stars
    (1)
  5. 1 star
    (4)

Alan Bowles

5 stars

Submitted 28/Oct

We very much enjoyed this mini adventure, The hotel was typically Austrian - good food and comfortable. We liked the tour manager and delighted in the wonderful hotels in Mannheim and Cologne on the journeys. We think that it was a very busy holiday; we realised this I’m advance but good to know.

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Jeremy

5 stars

Submitted 26/Oct

Very good trip.Lovely scenery and friendly co passengers. Will certainly use this company again.

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John Tanner

4 stars

Submitted 22/Oct

Brilliant weather, some poor logistics

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Elizabeth Cameron

4 stars

Submitted 5/Oct

The overall experience was good.The scenery,excursions hotel and food were very good.The stopover on the last day in Germany was not good as we were rushed and the beer cellar where we had our meal was awful.Possibly an improvement would be to have a rest day at saint johann before we returned.I would definitely at some point do another great rail journey hoping that the country I visit was as beautiful as Austria.

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UK

4 stars

Submitted 5/Oct

Beautiful scenery and comfortable hotel

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Nigel Pollard

4 stars

Submitted 2/Oct

We really enjoyed our holiday and would recommend it. However, it falls short of 5-stars as the bed frames in the Hotel Park were very creaky, which affected sleep quality, and our GRJ leader was surprisingly not a German speaker, which led to some moments of confusion! We were also quite shocked at the number of Deutsche Bahn delays, which meant some of the rail connections were more stressful than we expected.

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