Travel Dates: October 2025
If you have time, consider a day trip from Salzburg to Berchtesgaden, Germany—just a 30-minute journey with some of the most breathtaking scenery in the region. Because you are crossing borders, make sure you have your passport in case of border checks.
What to do in Berchtesgaden
Kehlsteinhaus – Kehlsteinhaus, also known as the Eagle’s Nest, was originally built as a diplomatic reception house and mountain retreat for Adolf Hitler. Today, it serves purely as a tourist destination, offering magnificent panoramic views of the Bavarian Alps.
Getting There
You cannot drive directly to Kehlsteinhaus. Visitors must either take a bus (for a fee) or hike up. For parking, search for “Busbahnhof Kehlsteinhaus” on Google Maps. This is the closest parking area to the bus departure station. If that lot is full, there’s a smaller lot just across the road (after the roundabout on the left). If both are full, drive a bit farther to the overflow parking lot “Parkplatz Obersalzberg – Dokumentationszentrum.” Parking costs €5 for the entire day.
Once you park, follow the signs for the bus departure area. From “Busbahnhof Kehlsteinhaus,” you’ll walk down a short flight of stairs to find the ticket booth and numbered signs indicating where to wait for your assigned bus.
Tickets and Operating Details
The Eagle’s Nest is open until early November, weather permitting. Because conditions can change quickly in the mountains, it’s always a good idea to check their website and call the morning of your visit to make sure it’s open. Rain or snow usually means closure. From mid-October onward, you can only buy tickets on-site at the ticket booth. We paid $37 per person round-trip, and buses seemed to leave roughly every 25 minutes. When we bought our tickets, we got lucky—the next bus was leaving in just ten minutes.
Your ticket includes both your departure and return times—the system automatically assigns a return 2.5 hours after your departure. That timeframe was perfect for us—just enough to wander around the top, take in the views, and to eat and drink without feeling rushed.
When you buy your ticket, it will also list your assigned bus number, which tells you exactly where to line up for boarding. Make sure to keep your ticket with you—it’s scanned before you board the bus and checked again when you return.
If you decide you’d like to stay longer or head back earlier, you can try changing your return time at one of the self-service ticket machines. There’s one near where the buses drop you off and another at the top of Kehlsteinhaus, right after you exit the elevator.
The bus ride itself takes about 15 minutes, and from the drop off point, you’ll walk through a tunnel to then take an elevator straight up to the summit. If you’re up for a bit of a workout, you can skip the elevator and hike up about 20 minutes instead.
When it’s time to head back down, you can take any available bus, as long as it’s during your scheduled return time (or your updated one if you changed it).
At the Top
Once you arrive at Kehlsteinhause, there’s a small restaurant (cash only) and free restrooms. We tried the apple cake, cheese cake, and curry sausage with fries, which were all delicious. The schnitzel with potato salad and Germknödel (a sweet yeast dough dumpling filled with plum jam) were just okay.
Make sure to walk about 5-8 minutes uphill to the Cross—that’s where you’ll find the best panoramic views. If there’s been recent snowfall, the trail can be slippery, so bring sturdy shoes and trekking poles if you have them. Because of the altitude and direct sun, sunglasses and sunscreen are recommended.
Königssee Lake – At Königssee Lake, there’s a large parking lot about an eight-minute walk from the lakefront. Parking costs €3 for one hour or €7 for three hours, and there’s also a free public bathroom right by the lake.
From the lake, you can take a short 15-minute hike to Malerwinkel, a beautiful viewpoint along the lakeshore. The trail does have a bit of an incline, but it’s fairly easy, though I’d still recommend wearing sneakers or hiking shoes.
Another great way to experience the lake is by taking a boat ride. We caught the last ferry of the day around 4pm, which cost €22.80 round trip and made just one stop at St. Bartholomä. During the warmer months, the ferries also stop at other points around the lake. Since we were on the final boat, we only had about 15 minutes to look around before heading back. It definitely wasn’t enough time to explore properly, but the views there are absolutely magnificent.
The boat ride back was quite crowded and a little choppy. The trip takes about 30 minutes each way, and even with the crowds, the scenery makes it worthwhile.
Globe Trotter 