The Untersberg Cable Car (Untersbergbahn) is a gondola lift connecting the valley station at St. Leonhard/Grödig (456m) to the Geiereck summit station (1,776m) on the Untersberg mountain, located approximately 11 kilometres south of Salzburg city centre. This guide covers operating hours, ticket prices, transport, parking, and practical visitor tips.
Updated May 2026. Ticket prices and operating hours are confirmed from the official website.
Quick facts: Untersberg Cable Car, Salzburg
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | Dr.-Friedrich-Ödl-Weg 2, 5083 St. Leonhard, Austria |
| Summer hours (1 May–30 Sept) | 8:30am–5:30pm; last uphill ride 5:00pm |
| Spring/Autumn hours | 8:30am–5:00pm; last uphill ride 4:30pm |
| Winter hours (Jan–Feb; 15–31 Dec) | 9:00am–4:00pm; last uphill ride 3:30pm |
| Closures | Spring maintenance (approx. March); autumn maintenance (date TBA) |
| Adult round trip | €34 |
| Child round trip (ages 6–13) | €17 |
| Salzburg Card | Covers one round trip (card must remain active for descent) |
| Ride duration | 8.5 minutes each way |
| Parking | €4 per day, on site |
| Nearest bus routes | Lines 25, 28, 5, 35 from Salzburg city |
| Typical visit duration | 2–5 hours |
Untersberg Cable Car operating hours
Departures run every 30 minutes, on the hour and half-hour. Extra departures are added at peak times.
| Period | Operating hours | Last uphill and downhill ride | Last downhill ride |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January – 28 February | 9:00–16:00 | 15:30 | 16:00 |
| 1 March – 30 April | 8:30–17:00 | 16:30 | 17:00 |
| 1 May – 30 September | 8:30–17:30 | 17:00 | 17:30 |
| 1 October – 2 November | 8:30–17:00 | 16:30 | 17:00 |
| 15 December – 31 December | 9:00–16:00 | 15:30 | 16:00 |
Annual closures: The cable car closes for spring maintenance (approximately early to late March — in 2026 this ran 2–29 March) and for autumn maintenance (date varies year to year; announced on the official website). There is no service between approximately 3 November and 14 December. Check before visiting in these windows.
Hours are subject to change due to weather.
Five great things to do in Salzburg
- 🎶 Bring out your inner Maria – on a Sound of Music locations tour.
- 🥧 Take an apple strudel cooking class – with lunch included.
- 🏛️ See the highlights of the Old Town – on a guided walking tour.
- ⛏️ Go underground in a salt mine – and see the Bavarian Alps too.
- 🏰 Head up to the Hohensalzburg Fortress – for a best of Mozart concert.
Untersberg Cable Car ticket prices
Tickets are available online or at the ticket office on arrival.
| Visitor | Round trip | Single ride | 10-trip block |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adults (18+) | €34 | €22 | €193 |
| Seniors (65+) | €29 | €20 | €170 |
| Youth/students/apprentices (14–17) | €24 | €17 | €146 |
| Children (6–13) | €17 | €14 | €108 |
| Children under 6 | Free | Free | — |
| Dogs (leash and muzzle required) | €12 | €8.50 | — |
Family Bonus: When two or more children aged 6–13 travel with an accompanying adult, only one child pays the children’s fare. All additional children in the group travel free.
Salzburg Card: One round trip (ascent and descent) is included. The card must be active — i.e. not expired — at the time of descent, not just at the time of ascent.
Annual and season passes are sold only at the ticket office on site. An adult annual pass costs €365 (valid one calendar year from first use). A summer season ticket (valid 1 May to autumn maintenance closure) costs €240 for adults.
Ticket prices were confirmed on the official website and last updated in May 2026.
How to get to the Untersberg Cable Car
By bus from Salzburg city centre: Several lines connect Salzburg to the valley station at St. Leonhard:
- Line 25: Hauptbahnhof (main station) → Centre → Hellbrunn → Anif → Grödig → St. Leonhard → Untersberg Cable Car
- Line 28: Centre → Nonntal → Alpenstraße → Anif → Grödig → St. Leonhard → Untersberg Cable Car
- Line 5: Hauptbahnhof → Centre → Birkensiedlung → Grödig → Untersberg Cable Car
- Line 35: Fürstenbrunn → Grödig → St. Leonhard → Untersberg Cable Car
Full timetables at salzburg-verkehr.at.
By bus from Berchtesgaden (Germany): Line 840 runs from Berchtesgaden train station via Marktschellenberg directly to the cable car. Timetables at the Berchtesgaden transport authority website.
By car: From Salzburg, take the Alpenstraße south or use the A10 Tauern motorway. Address for sat-nav: Dr.-Friedrich-Ödl-Weg 2, 5083 St. Leonhard.
Parking at the Untersberg Cable Car
A car park is at the valley station. Parking rules and fees apply from 5 April 2025:
- Cars: €4 per day
- Motorhomes: €25 overnight
- Buses: €20 per day; €50 overnight
How long to spend at Untersberg
Allow two to five hours depending on activity. The cable car ride is 8.5 minutes each way. Visitors who walk to the summit cross at Geiereck and back typically need 30–60 minutes at the top. Those planning a longer mountain hike should allow a full day and descend by cable car before the last uphill departure.
Accessibility on the Untersberg Cable Car
The cable car gondolas are accessible for wheelchair users. See the dedicated accessibility page. Contact the cable car in advance at +43 (0)6246 72477-0 or [email protected] to confirm arrangements.
The top station at Geiereck is high-Alpine terrain. Paved access is limited around the station building; trails beyond it are uneven mountain paths.
At the top: what to see and do
The ride itself covers an altitude gain of 1,320 metres in 8.5 minutes. Views over Salzburg city, the Berchtesgaden region in Bavaria, the Rositten valley, and on clear days the Salzkammergut lakes and Chiemsee open up from the gondola windows.
The Geiereck summit area (1,776m) is high-Alpine terrain with an open plateau, a summit cross, and panoramic views in all directions. The Salzburg Hochthron (1,853m), the highest point on the Austrian side of the massif, is reachable on foot from the top station.
Hiking is the primary activity at the summit. Marked trails lead across the plateau, to the Salzburg Hochthron, and into the wider Untersberg massif. Check conditions at the top station before setting out. All walkers should carry warm layers — temperature at the summit can be 10–15°C lower than in the valley, and conditions change quickly.
Mountain lodges and restaurants at the top station serve hot food and drinks. Opening dates and hours vary.
Paragliding launch sites are located near the top station; it is a well-established paragliding mountain. Tandem flights are available through local operators — enquire at the valley station or check with Salzburg tourism.
In winter, the plateau is used for snowshoeing and ski touring. The cable car operates through winter (except maintenance periods) but conditions at the summit require appropriate equipment and experience.
Practical visitor tips for the Untersberg Cable Car
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dress for Alpine conditions | The top station is at 1,776m. Even in summer, temperatures can be close to 10°C with wind chill. Bring a warm layer, a waterproof jacket, and sturdy footwear with grip. Trainers and sandals are inadequate for the rocky summit terrain. |
| Note the last uphill ride time | In summer, the last uphill departure is at 5:00pm — 30 minutes before the cable car stops at 5:30pm. Missing this means walking down the mountain, which is a serious undertaking. Check the timetable before heading out on a long hike. |
| Check the Doppler Trail status | The trail is closed until at least 21 May 2026. Check current conditions on the official website before planning routes that use it. |
| Buy tickets online to avoid queues | The online ticket shop allows you to skip the ticket office. Queues at the valley station can be long on sunny summer weekends. |
| The Salzburg Card covers one return ride | The card must still be valid (not expired) when you descend. Do not ascend on the last day of a short-duration card unless you plan to descend the same day. |
Frequently asked questions about the Untersberg Cable Car
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is the Untersberg Cable Car open year-round? | No. It closes for spring maintenance (approximately March — in 2026, 2–29 March) and autumn maintenance (date announced annually). There is typically no service from early November to mid-December. Check the timetable before visiting. |
| How long is the cable car ride? | 8.5 minutes each way. Departures are every 30 minutes, on the hour and half-hour. |
| Is the Salzburg Card accepted? | Yes. One round trip is included. The card must be active for the descent as well as the ascent. |
| Are dogs allowed on the cable car? | Yes, with a leash and muzzle. The dog fare is €12 for a round trip. |
| What should I wear to visit the Untersberg? | Warm layers, a waterproof jacket, and boots or shoes with grip are essential. The top station is high-Alpine terrain and temperatures are significantly lower than in Salzburg city. |
Things to do near the Untersberg Cable Car
Hellbrunn Palace (Fürstenweg 37, Salzburg, ~10 minutes north by bus) is a 17th-century pleasure palace famous for its trick fountains — water-powered mechanical figures and hidden jets that still work as originally designed. Also home to the Sound of Music gazebo.
Anif Palace (Anif, ~5 minutes north) is a neo-Gothic moated castle visible from the road between the cable car and Salzburg. It is privately owned and not open to visitors, but is photogenic from the road.
Grödig (the village immediately below the cable car) has a small town centre with cafés and shops useful for a meal before or after the ride.
Berchtesgaden (Germany, ~30 minutes east by car or bus 840) is the closest German town to the Untersberg, with the Königssee lake, the Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle’s Nest), and salt mine tours.
Salzburg Old Town (~30 minutes north by bus) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the Hohensalzburg Fortress, Mozart’s birthplace, and the historic market district. Lines 25 and 28 connect the cable car directly to the city centre.
What to visit tomorrow: cable cars and mountain railways within two hours of Salzburg
Schmittenhöhe Cable Car (Zell am See, ~1 hour south) lifts visitors from the shore of the Zeller See to 1,965m above the Hohe Tauern, with views over the Kitzsteinhorn glacier and the Grossglockner. Open year-round.
Kitzsteinhorn Glacier Cable Car (Kaprun, ~1.5 hours south) reaches 3,029m above sea level, one of Austria’s highest accessible glacier points. The viewing platform at the Gipfelwelt 3000 is open year-round and offers glacier walking and ski touring in summer.
Kehlsteinhaus — the Eagle’s Nest (Berchtesgaden, Germany, ~30 minutes east) is a historic mountain building at 1,834m accessed by bus and a dedicated lift through the cliff face. Open May to October; book the bus in advance.
Zwölferhorn Cable Car (St. Gilgen, Wolfgangsee, ~1 hour east) rises above the Wolfgangsee, one of the Salzkammergut lakes, with hiking and paragliding at the summit (1,522m). The lake shore below has boat connections across the Wolfgangsee.
Schafbergbahn (St. Wolfgang, ~1 hour east) is a historic narrow-gauge cog railway rather than a cable car, climbing to the Schafberg summit at 1,783m above the Wolfgangsee. Famously featured in The Sound of Music. Seasonal; book in advance.
More Salzburg travel
Other Salzburg travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- Can you walk from Salzburg Airport to the city?
- What is the big golden ball artwork in Salzburg?
- How Salzburg was built on salt.
- A practical guide to Salzburg’s Museum der Moderne.
- Visiting the Hohensalzburg Fortress: A guide for first-timers.
