Boat to Hellbrunn, reviewed: ticket included
The one listing on this site that hands you the palace ticket with priority entry to the trick fountains, and the lowest-rated of the five: 4.4 from 483 ratings. Two and a half hours from the old-town dock: about thirty minutes down the Salzach, about ten minutes in a 1963 London-style double-decker bus, the fountains and the palace with the audio guide, and the bus back to the old town. Reviewers agree on the captain, the bus and the wetting. What they would change is the hour at the palace.
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
- Boat ride
- Transfer to and from Hellbrunn Palace in the historic double-decker bus
- Quick entry to the trick fountains
- Visit of the palace
Not included, as the listing writes it
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Food and beverages
The third line is the one that separates this listing from the other four. The ticket is sold at the entrance for about sixteen and a half euros an adult, and this is the only product on the platform that includes it with quick entry to the fountains; what the ticket covers. The listing’s own notes are the honest part. When the Salzach is low or the weather turns, the operator may run the whole trip by double-decker bus, with no price reduction for the missing boat leg, or cancel. Wheelchair users are taken only to a limited extent and are asked to contact the operator first, because the ramp from the boat to the bus is steep. And the listing’s own summary of its reviews says the time at Hellbrunn is about an hour. Dogs are allowed on the boat and the bus; people with dogs take turns for the interiors. Be at the dock, boarding zone 2 at the Marco-Feingold-Steg, ten minutes early. The other ways to Hellbrunn.
What reviewers found
The written reviews are about three things: the fountains, the captain and the vintage bus. Three that describe the day itself:
At the water features in Hellbrunn Palace, you were sure to get wet at every stop. Surprises were guaranteed.
The trick fountains at hellbrunn were so fun and we really enjoyed! We had enough time at the palace and transport back to Salzburg was well organised!
It starts with a boat ride of about 30 minutes. Then transportation by double-decker bus for about 10 minutes. Hellbrunn has magnificent gardens with water features that are well organized by the appropriate staff and highly recommended for children!
Read Jürgen and Elaine together and you have the visit: wet at every station, and enough time for one reviewer where another wanted more. The more-time wish is the recurring note under this listing, and it is the reason the average sits at 4.4 while the transport sub-score is 4.6. About an hour on site is a brisk pass through fountains that take about fifty minutes with the audio guide and a palace that takes about thirty; how the eighty minutes break down. Peter (Austria) put the case for the trip in one sentence: “the bus ride on the old English double-decker bus was extraordinary, and Hellbrunn Palace is always worth a visit.” Gabriele (Austria) had low water and wrote that “the trip was well organized.” and Christa (Austria): “Captain on the boat ride: Funny, has a heart for children!” The fountains themselves are the reason to go at all, and Andreas (Italy) summed them up: “The castle and the water features are worth a visit; they are really impressive.” What the trick fountains are.
Verdict
Book it if you have half a day, no car, and would rather pay once and walk in. The ticket and the priority entry are in the price, the boat and the bus are the part reviewers remember, and the captain is good with children. Go knowing the stop is about an hour and that a low river turns the boat leg into a bus leg. If you want the whole afternoon inside the fountains and the park, the Salzburg Card leaves the clock to you.
Who it suits
- Anyone in the old town with half a day and no car
- Families: two reviewers single out the captain and the fountains for children
- Anyone who wants the ticket and the entry handled, with no queue at the gate
- Dog owners: allowed on the boat and the bus, and in the fountains on a leash
Who it does not suit
- Anyone who wants two or three unhurried hours at Hellbrunn: the stop is about an hour
- Wheelchair users: limited, and the ramp from boat to bus is steep
- Anyone for whom the boat is the point: in low water the whole trip runs by bus
Other tours to consider
The same admission with your own timetable, plus bus 25 and the fortress, is the Salzburg Card. The gazebo and the lakes with a singing coach is the Sound of Music tour. Music inside the palace on an afternoon is the palace concert.
Best valueAdmission includedSalzburg Card: Free Admission and Free Rides
Top ratedSalzburg: Original Sound of Music Tour
Inside the palaceSalzburg: Hellbrunn Palace Concerts
Frequently asked questions
Does the boat trip include the Hellbrunn ticket?
Yes. Its inclusion list carries quick entry to the trick fountains and the visit of the palace, so the ticket is in the fare and the gate is handled. It is one of two listings on this site that include admission; the other is the Salzburg Card. Tickets, in detail.
How much time do you get at Hellbrunn on the boat trip?
About an hour, by the listing’s own summary of its reviews. The fountains take about fifty minutes with the audio guide and the palace about thirty, so it is a brisk visit; one reviewer found it enough, another would have taken more. How long the visit takes.
What happens when the Salzach is low?
The listing says the operator may run the whole trip by double-decker bus, with no price reduction, or cancel. One reviewer had low water and still called the trip well organised. The fountains themselves run in any weather; the season and the hours.
Is the boat trip good for children?
Reviewers say so: one calls the captain funny with a heart for children, another recommends the fountains for them. Expect them to get wet at every station. Hellbrunn with kids.