The hills are very much alive with the Sound of Music here in Salzburg and up in the surrounding mountains! I am John Munson (B.S. Geospatial Science), originally from Lake Forest, Illinois, USA. I welcome you to two different private, unique, all day, informative, fascinating & fun van-walking tours in the mountains around Salzburg, Austria. See all the breathtaking mountain film sites from the Sound of Music outside of the Salzburg city limits!
My private Eagle's Nest WW2 tour is far more comprehensive than the much shorter half-day big bus tours up there. We not only go up to the Eagle's Nest but also explore the more historically important site where Hitler lived at his mountain retreat nearby, named the Berghof. We also visit the newly built WW2 Eagle's Nest Documentation Center which has great exhibits and access to part of the extensive tunnel and bunker system the Nazis built near the end of the war once they realized their luck was running out. We also go up to the opening and final scene hilltop locations from the Sound of Music and end the tour at Lake Königssee.
I have lived here in Austria since 2002, first in Vienna until 2014 and now in Salzburg since then. I grew up seeing the Sound of Music in the movie theater as a child when it was first released and watched it every year on TV with my family, just like all other die-hard Sound of Music fans! I fell in love with the stunning mountains and lakes around Salzburg featured in the film, as well as finding the Von Trapp Family story to be truly compelling. Since living in Austria, I have done extensive research on their family history and am in touch with several descendants of Maria & Georg Von Trapp who live in the USA, some of whom have even joined my tours since I first began in 2019! They have been very helpful in answering my questions about their family history and I love to pass on their stories to my tour guests! I have also studied Nazi and Austrian history extensively, especially focusing on the area around Salzburg.
My full-day, more interactive tour format gives us enough time to see many more lovely significant locations and to learn more film trivia and Von Trapp Family, WW2 & Salzburg history, while discussing how the real Von Trapp Family story compares with the film narrative. At each location stop along the way, we spend ample time enjoying the incredible views and taking photos, while walking at a relaxed pace. My tours are not strenuous; however, we still do plenty of walking. We also take a nice, relaxing lunch break outdoors at the Eagles' Nest or on one of the gorgeous lakes which overlook stunning mountain vistas. I enjoy adapting and customizing my tours to my guests' special wishes, preferences and interests!
"The tour we took was not one that you’ll probably find on the major tourism planning sites but is absolutely the one you should consider if you’re seeking a tour for either film fan or pop-culture reasons. My husband couldn’t remember if he had seen the film (Sound of Music) or not, but was fascinated by the factual elements of the (Von Trapp) family experience as it related to the war. "
I offer an all-season/all-day (8-9 hours on average) private van-walking WW2 tour to Hitler's Eagle's Nest tea house and the surrounding area of Obersalzberg, which is a gorgeous 35 min. drive from Salzburg, customized to your wishes. This also includes visiting the actual Nazi escape bunker & tunnel system at the newly renovated Eagle's Nest Nazi documentation center museum and other Nazi/SS noteworthy areas nearby, including Hitler's Berghof mountain retreat house site (where he spent a third of the war plotting his evil deeds and which was the 2nd seat of power for the Third Reich after Berlin, which was destroyed at the end of the war by the British RAF). Any fellow "Band of Brothers" fans will particularly enjoy this tour!
For Sound of Music fans, we also visit the Sound of Music film sites in the mountains in that same area, including the opening scene hilltop (where Julie twirls around and sings) and final scene hilltop (where the Von Trapp family hike up over the mountains to escape the Nazis in the film). We also visit the gorgeous Königssee (King Lake) in nearby Berchtesgaden, Germany and even can ride an electric wooden boat across the lake to the 900-year-old Baroque Pilgrimage Church of St. Bartholomew. Next to that church is a former royal hunting retreat lodge now turned into a restaurant, where we can enjoy some food & drink on the garden terrace overlooking the lake and high mountain views. This gorgeous lake surrounded by steep cliffs was featured at the beginning of the Sound of Music! This private tour is reasonably priced. Contact me at the what's app link or email address below for the price and to discuss my tour in more detail.
I further offer an all-season/all-day (8-9 hours on average) private van-walking tour to the gorgeous UNESCO World Heritage village of Hallstatt on Lake Hallstatt, as well as to the surrounding lakes and mountain region, including seeing the St. Michael's Basilica by Lake Mondsee (built in the 1400's), where the wedding scene was filmed in the Sound of Music. We also visit the spectacular picnic-scene meadow in Werfen where Julie Andrews plays the guitar and teaches the children how to sing DoReMi in the Sound of Music. Like all my tours, this tour can be customized to your individual wishes.
We also visit the lovely villages of St. Gilgen or St. Wolfgang on the magnificent Lake Wolfgang. We can also take the 35-minute steep train ride up to the top of the Schafberg (Sheep's mountain) from St. Wolfgang, as was shown in the Sound of Music during the journey up to the 'picnic meadow' hillside (but now in a much more modern and electric train than as shown in the film). From there you can see at least 5 huge lakes in the hills and valleys below! We also go to the spectacular Lake Gosau, nestled in the high mountain peak region. We can even take a swim in any of the lakes during the warmer months in June, July or August. This private tour is reasonably priced. Contact me at the what's app link or email address below for the price and to discuss my tour in more detail.

When you write me a message in the contact area or on the What's App chat button below to book my tours or for more info, I almost always reply by the end of the Austrian day, if not within the hour. If you like, we can also do a What's App video call to discuss everything you wish to know, face to face.
Payment for my tours can be made by Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, Wise or normal inter-bank wire transfer. Full payment is required at the time of booking your tour. One-third of the total cost is non-refundable. The remaining two-thirds are fully refundable at any time up to 24 hours before the tour start time. If you prefer to switch the date of your tour at any time for any reason up to 24 hours before the tour date start time, I am happy to change your tour to another date at no extra cost, assuming I am free that day. You can also give your tour as a gift to a friend anytime in the future as well, if you can't do the planned tour. If I must cancel the tour for any reason, such as illness or other unforeseen eventualities, I will issue a full refund within 10 days of cancellation.
Ignaz-Rieder-Kai 33, Salzburg, Austria, 5026
Contact me at johnmunsonjr@gmail.com or click on the What's App button just above or the button just below.
This website uses cookies anonymously & only for tracking user demographics.