Lonely Goatherd Bike Tour

  • Salzburg
  • English

2.5 Hours

Before we became licensed Austria Guides and founded the first Free Tour in Salzburg, we were Salzburg bike tour guides. We both started out as rickshaw drivers, but Leo later led Sound of Music bike tours around Salzburg and to the filming locations of the Sound of Music for seven years. Therefore, we wanted to create our own bike tour of Salzburg.

While the Free Tour covers the old town and the history of Salzburg, the Lonely Goatherd Bike Tour takes us into the beautiful surroundings with the theme of the Sound of Music. In 2,5 hours, we ride along the best bike paths and visit some of the most interesting places and Sound of Music filming locations on the outskirts of Salzburg.

Why take a Bike Tour around Salzburg?

Take a Thrilling and Fun Ride with Scenic Views, Movie Moments, and Sightseeing On Comfortable Bikes!

While we love walking, our radius on a walking tour is limited. And while a bus tour increases our radius, it limits the perspective. Bicycles on the other hand are not only fun but the perfect middle ground between walking and being enclosed in a vehicle. That’s why we offer bike tours to explore the surroundings of Salzburg and the Sound of Music filming locations.

What’s the Bike Tour about?

It just so happens that some of the best bike tracks around Salzburg are also where the Sound of Music was filmed. Two palaces were used in the filming of the movie, both of which are on our path. Additionally, we head down Hellbrunner Allee and visit Hellbrunn Palace, where the Gazebo from the 16-17 song was built after the filming was completed, and Nonnberg Abbey, which is the Nunnery where Maria was.

You will be taken on a fun and informative 2,5-hour tour of Salzburg’s surroundings on comfortable city bikes. You’ll be guided along safe, well-surfaced routes by an expert, stopping for pictures, reenacting movie scenes, and singing along to your favorite tunes throughout. Whether you are a family, honeymooning, traveling alone, or with your partner, our bike tour will bring you together with other Sound of Music enthusiasts and travelers.

Where the Salzburg Bike Tour takes us

The bike tour is not a history tour. It’s best combined with the Free Walking Tour or even with Leo’s Nuns and Nazis tour, an old town walking tour of the second world war in conjunction with the Sound of Music.

The Lonely Goatherd Bike Tour, our Salzburg Bike Tour, begins near Salzburg’s old town, but immediately ventures out into the surrounding area, towards the south of Salzburg. Salzburg is small. Therefore, it takes no more than 2 minutes for us to go from the meeting point to a lush green fairy tale with the Alps in the background. The bike ride takes us up to Nonnberg Abbey, the Abbey from the Sound of Music, to Leopoldskron Palace and Lake Leopoldskron, along Hellbrunn Allee to Hellbrunn Palace, where the pavilion from the movie is located.

Unipark Salzburg

The meeting point for the Bike Tour is a modern University Building on the outskirts of Salzburg, only 10 minutes walking from the heart of the old town.

Nonnberg Abbey

The Abbey is not only the abbey from the Sound of Music but also the oldest nunnery in the world and the only ascent on our Salzburg Bike Tour.

Leopoldskron Castle

On our Salzburg Bike Tour, we cycle around lake Leopoldskron and admire the castle, which is privately owned, from the opposite side of the lake.

Frohnburg Castle

Frohnburg Castle on Hellbrunner Allee was used as the front of the house in the Sound of Music. It’s where Maria first arrives when coming from the Abbey.

Hellbrunner Allee

The oldest stately avenue in Europe stretches for 5 kilometers from the old town to Hellbrunn Palace. It is the number one best cycling route around Salzburg.

Hellbrunn & The Gazebo

Hellbrunn Palace is a highlight of the surroundings of Salzburg, the best place to cycle to, and the place where the pavilion from the Sound of Music was placed.

Lonely Goatherd Bike Tour Meeting Point

The meeting point for the Salzburg Bike Tour is next to Unipark, a modern university building in Salzburg’s Nonntal area, about 10 minutes walking from the fortress and the Cathedral. Coming from the old town, the bikes are visible as soon as you reach the square in front of the university, as it is a large open space. Facing the University building the bikes are on the right side.

More Information

  • Duration

2.5 hours

  • Language
  • English
  • Included

The tour has been developed by licensed Austria Guides who have passed on their knowledge to passionate guides and Sound of Music lovers who will equip you with bikes and helmets before taking you to the meadows around Salzburg.

  • Tour concept by licensed local guides
  • Comfortable bike with basket and lock
  • Up to 15 wonderful people per tour
  • Well-informed, friendly bike tour guide
  • Helmets are available on demand
  • Postcards with our own photography
  • When to book?

Because tours are limited to 15 participants and because we need to provide a bicycle for everyone. Therefore, reservations are required. You find all upcoming tours in the calendar below.

  • Accessibility

Unfortunately, this tour is not wheelchair accessible.

  • Pets

Pets are not allowed

Price: €30,- per Person

Our bike tour of Salzburg costs €30,- per person and per bike. In case you bring your own bike, the price is reduced to €27,-.

This Tour is Currently Unavailable

We’re sorry, but at this time, there are no scheduled dates for this activity. We hope to offer it again soon!

Reviews of the Free Walking Tour

This Tour is Currently Unavailable

We’re sorry, but at this time, there are no scheduled dates for this activity. We hope to offer it again soon!

Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to the Frequently Asked Questions of the Lonely Goatherd Bike Tour. You can use this page to inform yourself. If you have a question that is not answered here, please don’t hesitate to contact us.


  • Yes, you can absolutely ride your own bike on the tour and you will even get a €3,- discount. Instead of €30,- you only pay €27,-.

  • We schedule the bike tours around 14 days in advance depending on the season and the guide and bike availability. Please check again later, if your desired time is not yet on the schedule. In case there is no bike tour on the desired date, you are also welcome to inquire about a private bike tour.

  • You can cancel the bike tour until 48 hours before the toYou can cancel the bike tour up to 48 hours before the tour starts, but there will be a 10% cancellation fee. This is because we have to transfer the money manually and we do not get a refund of credit card or PayPal fees that are incurred when booking.

  • You should wear comfortable clothes and shoes and a water bottle. Especially in the summer months, it can be hot, and even if the bike tour is not particularly strenuous, we need to be well hydrated. Halfway through the tour, there is a possibility to buy water or fill up your water bottle.

  • Ask at the reception or search the address from your booking confirmation on Google Maps. Walking is the best mode of transport in Salzburg. Except for some hotels on the outskirts, everything in Salzburg, including the meeting point for the bike tour, is within walking distance. Google enabled offline maps so I recommend downloading the map of Salzburg and following their lead.

  • Although you probably associate Salzburg with mountains, our route is flat. Also, since we are a group, the velocity is low and since we are cycling to see the countryside of Salzburg and its sights, we take frequent breaks. Therefore, the bike tour is not strenuous at all. The distance we cycle is about 15 kilometers which are about 10 miles.

  • Yes, the Salzburg bike tour ends where it begins, because we have to bring the bikes back to the bike shed.

  • Since the surroundings of Salzburg are beautiful, we of course take frequent photo stops on the bicycle tour. There is one extended break in Hellbrunn because Hellbrunn is a pretty place and one that we have to take a closer look at. In Hellbrunn there are restrooms and you buy snacks there. The break in Hellbrunn is about halfway through the tour.

  • The bike tour will not be canceled unless the weather prediction is dangerously bad. Salzburg is the Austrian city with the most precipitation. The rain in Salzburg even has its own name, the “Salzburger Schnürlregen”, Salzburg string rain. This is because in Salzburg it can rain continuously, consistently all day, or even for several days. You should, therefore, bring a rain jacket but the tour takes place in any weather.