Eisriesenwelt from Salzburg: Private Tour or Train and Bus on Your Own?

For one or two people, go on your own by train and bus; for a group that wants a driver, the private tour is the only booked option. The Eisriesenwelt at Werfen, about an hour’s drive south of Salzburg, is a large ice cave. The only offer for it that we list is the private Werfen ice caves tour: €650 for a group of up to 7, six hours, rated 5.0 from 9 reviews. Nine reviews is thin evidence, so read what follows as the listing’s claim, not a proven record.

What the private tour includes

The booking page describes a hotel pickup in a minivan and a drive of about one hour through the Salzach Valley, with a stop to see Hohenwerfen Castle. On the way back it adds a stop at the Golling waterfalls. The guide walks with you to the cable car. The itinerary text says you get the cave tickets at your own expense, while the page also mentions entrance fees in its list of services; confirm with the operator what is covered. Guides speak Spanish, English and Portuguese, and photography inside the cave is listed as not allowed, although a reviewer says photos were permitted for an early start. Ask before you go.

How the visit works

The cave’s own site describes three stages:

1. A walk of about 20 minutes from the car park to the cable car, gently uphill.
2. The cable car, about 3 minutes.
3. A second walk of about 20 minutes to the cave entrance at 1,641 metres.

Inside, expect roughly 1,400 steps and a climb of 134 metres, equal to a 40-storey building according to the operator. The temperature is usually below 0°C even in summer. The operator suggests about three hours from arriving at the car park to leaving. There is no electric light in the cave, so you are guided by lamps.

Season

The cave is open from early May to about 1 November, with ticket sales until mid-afternoon. As the season ends soon, check dates before you travel. Outside the season the cave is closed.

Doing it alone

The operator says Werfen can be reached by train or bus from Salzburg. From Werfen station, a bus runs to the cave car park, with set departures at 8:26 am, 10:26 am, 12:26 pm and 2:26 pm and a transfer from the Gries stop at other times. A ticket booked online reserves a 30-minute entry window, and online tickets cost less than at the box office. We have not checked the Salzburg to Werfen train times, so look them up before you commit.

Who should not go

The booking page lists people with mobility impairments, claustrophobia, heart problems, fear of heights, vertigo, respiratory problems and wheelchair users under “not suitable for”. The operator says the cave is not suitable for pushchairs, and the booking page adds that the tour is not suitable for many children up to the age of 4 or 5. For babies in carriers, it warns about the cold.

Bring sturdy shoes, warm clothing and, if possible, gloves, even in summer.

Other private options

The same cave also features in a private tour with the castle and tickets at €760 for a group of up to 2, eight hours, with no reviews yet, and a Werfen ice caves private tour at €900 for a group of up to 8, six hours, with 5 reviews.

Check dates and prices for the private ice caves tour

More outings are collected under day trips from Salzburg.