Salzburg Card, reviewed: Hellbrunn included
The Hellbrunn ticket plus most of the city, rated 4.6 from 1,105 ratings. One entry to the palace and the trick fountains, unlimited city buses including bus 25 to the palace gate, the fortress with its funicular, Mozart’s two houses, the DomQuartier, the zoo next door to Hellbrunn, and a river boat, for 24, 48 or 72 hours from first use. The catch is in the reviews and in the listing: the online purchase is a voucher, exchanged in person at Tourist Information, and it is not valid on a bus until that is done.
Going without a car?The boat trip includes the palace ticket, the Salzburg Card covers admission and the bus, and every option cancels free up to 24 hours before. Reserve the date now, decide later.
Check availabilityWhat the listing itself says
Included, as the listing writes it
- Free one-time entry to Hellbrunn Palace & Trick Fountains
- Unlimited public transport in the city (bus 25 to Hellbrunn included)
- Hohensalzburg Fortress all-inclusive ticket and funicular
- Mozart's Birthplace and Residence, DomQuartier, Haus der Natur, Salzburg Zoo, Museum der Moderne, Salzburg Museum
- Salzach river boat (Tour I), Untersberg cable car, Moenchsberg lift, open-air museum
Not included, as the listing writes it
- Anything not on the list; discounts only on concerts, hop-on hop-off bus (-20%), guided walking tours (-20%), salt mines (-10%)
The first line is the Hellbrunn ticket, which on its own costs about sixteen and a half euros for an adult at the entrance; what it covers. The 24-hour card is around thirty-five euros, so with the fortress or a Mozart house on the same day the card is doing what reviewers say it does. The notes are where the work is. The voucher must be exchanged at a Tourist Information office: Mozartplatz daily from nine to six between April and October, or the main station daily from half past eight to six between June and September. Riding a bus on the unexchanged voucher risks a fine, and a mobile voucher needs a signature. The card runs from first use, not from purchase, so collect it the evening before a full day if the office is open. Bus 25 from Mirabellplatz or the old town to the stop Schloss Hellbrunn is about twenty-five minutes and is covered; the route. The exclusion line matters too: concerts, the hop-on bus, walking tours and the salt mines are discounted, not free. The card, in full.
What reviewers found
The written reviews are about arithmetic and about the collection step. Three that cover both:
We spent a day in Salzburg and didn't spend a penny on public transport or to visit the main museums, including the fortress, Hellbrunn Palace, and a one-hour trip on the Salzach River.
You often don’t have to wait in line for a ticket and can simply enter through a turnstile / security gate. I purchased the three day pass and it easily paid for itself.
A small drawback is that the card does not work online right away, but must first be picked up at the tourist information office.
Paola’s day is the card in one sentence: the fortress, Hellbrunn and the river boat, with the buses between them, on one purchase. Russell bought the three-day version and adds the thing the listing does not advertise: at many gates the card goes through a turnstile, so there is no ticket queue. Bernd gave five stars and still names the drawback, and it is the same one under every card review: it has to be picked up. Amaresh (Canada) put the threshold at two: “You can get complete value with 2 sight seeing.” Rainer (Canada), more cautiously: “If you are planning on entering a number of sites, museums, etc and using public transportation, this card is excellent value.” and Yael (Israel): “the card was working well, we could go to all the places we wanted to visit.” Hellbrunn is one of the two or three sights that get you there, and the zoo next door is on the card as well; what is in the grounds.
Verdict
Book it if you have two or three days in Salzburg and Hellbrunn is one of several places on the list. The admission is in, bus 25 is in, the fortress is in, and reviewers across the board say it pays for itself with two or three sights. Plan the collection: Tourist Information on Mozartplatz, during its hours, before the first bus. For a single half day with no other sights, the boat trip is the tighter fit.
Who it suits
- Anyone with two or three days who will see the fortress or a Mozart house as well as Hellbrunn
- Anyone going to Hellbrunn by bus 25 and wanting to walk in without buying at the gate
- Families doing the zoo and the fountains on the same day: both are on the card
- Anyone who wants their own timetable at Hellbrunn: opening time is the quiet hour
Who it does not suit
- Anyone with one half day and Hellbrunn only: the boat trip includes the ticket without the collection step
- Anyone arriving after Tourist Information closes: the voucher is not a card until exchanged
- Anyone who wants a guide: the card is admission and transport, nothing more
Other tours to consider
Half a day with the ticket, the boat and the vintage bus is the boat trip. The film route with a guide is the Sound of Music tour. Music inside the palace on an afternoon, with a discount on the card, is the palace concert.
Boat & busTicket includedSalzburg: Boat Ride to Hellbrunn and Palace Visit
Top ratedSalzburg: Original Sound of Music Tour
Inside the palaceSalzburg: Hellbrunn Palace Concerts
Frequently asked questions
Does the Salzburg Card include Hellbrunn Palace?
Yes. Free one-time entry to Hellbrunn Palace and the trick fountains is the first line of its inclusion list, and bus 25 to the palace is covered by the transport line. The zoo next door is on the card too. The card, in full.
Do I have to collect the Salzburg Card in person?
Yes. The online purchase is a voucher, exchanged at Tourist Information on Mozartplatz or at the main station during their hours; it is not valid on transport until then, and a mobile voucher needs a signature. Reviewers call this the one drawback. Bus 25, once the card is in hand.
When does the Salzburg Card pay for itself?
Reviewers put it at two or three sights with the buses. Hellbrunn and the fortress on one day is the usual pair; a Mozart house or the river boat makes it comfortable. How two days in Salzburg fit together.
Is the Salzburg Card better than the boat trip for Hellbrunn?
Different days. The card suits two or three days with several sights and your own timetable at the palace; the boat trip suits one half day with the ticket and priority entry handled and about an hour on site. Both include the admission.