† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.
OVERVIEW: If you’re into biking and hiking, you will absolutely love this tour in the Austrian Alps. The tour starts by exploring the well-preserved baroque city of Salzburg, followed by riding a network of well-marked, often off-road bikeways through lush green valleys. We will spend quality hiking time in the Kaprun Valley in the High Tauern National Park, Salzburg Province, and the Zillertal valley in Austrian Tyrol, with lots of options to do more exploring by bike, including the chance to ride an iconic mountain ascent. Our tour will end in atmospheric Innsbruck, seat of the Habsburg empire in the 15th century.
The high Austrian Alps have beauty, a rich history, wonderful foods, and extremely comfortable lodgings from which to enjoy Austria's alpine wonderland on a bike and with a daypack.
Detailed Daily Itinerary
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Day 1: Welcome to Salzburg, the city of Mozart, strudel, torte, and the Salzburg music festival. Our hotel is Holiday Inn Salzburg City, and we will meet at the hotel’s bar at 5:30pm for happy hour and our first night’s meeting, followed by a group dinner. Old Town Salzburg is a 20-minute walk: Rick Steves has a wonderful audio walking tour of nearby Old Town Salzburg for your smartphone. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salzach#/media/File:Salzburger_Stadtansicht.jpg
Day 2: We have an easy day with an optional scenic bike ride around Salzburg, passing Baroque palaces (and perhaps a beer garden) as we test our bikes. The Salzburg festival is in full swing so classical music options abound, or you might want to take an hour bus ride to Hitler’s Eagle Nest, just southwest of Salzburg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kehlsteinhaus
Day 3: (46 Miles & 2,199’ elev.) We leave Salzburg via the Mozart and Tauern bikeways travelling south up the Salzach River past a historical salt mine then through the first of many Alps sub-ranges. We will overnight at the Hotel Bruckenwirt in Sank Johann and get a taste of local Austrian cuisine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salzach#/media/File:Tussen_Tenneck_en_Pass_Lueg,_panorama_mer_de_Salzach_foto2_2011-07-17_14.29.JPG
Day 4: (27 Miles & 2,045’ elev.) We continue along the Tauern bikeway upstream along the Salzach River on our way to the town of Kaprun, which nestled in the very heart of the Austrian Alps, sits at the foot of the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier in the high Tauern mountains. We have three nights at the Hotel St. Florian to experience the majestic area.
Days 5 & 6: Rest days with lots of options: See how far you can climb up the unforgettable Grossglockner alpine road climb followed by the thrill of a hairpin descent https://www.grossglockner.at/gg/en/index or enjoy a scenic ride around the Zell Am See valley. http://www.blog.austrianalpinegetaways.com/kaprun-day-trips
Ride the nearby Kitzsteinhorn cable car into the heart of the largest alpine national park in Austria for stunning panorama of snow covered peaks https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g608661-d1230926-Reviews-Kitzsteinhorn-Kaprun_Austrian_Alps.html or hike one of the 130 plus hiking trails in the scenic Zell Am See valley https://www.outdooractive.com/en/hikes/zell-am-see/hiking-in-zell-am-see/1443846/or stay close and for a completely relaxing day, get a day pass at the 20,000 square meter Tauern Spa, the second largest spa in Austria.
Day 7: (35 miles & 2,192 elev.) Today we leave Kaprun and ride up the Pinzgau Valley to the Hotel Post Krimml in the village of Krimml.
Day 8: Hike the highest waterfall in Austria https://www.austria.info/us/austria/natural-beauty/krimml-waterfalls to the valley above for a streamside lunch at an alpine hut.
Day 9: (28 miles & 2,527' - no trains available for shuttle) Today we have a 4-mile climb over Gerlos Pass into the Tirol, a province of Austria. Here we will experience some of the best hiking the Austrian Alps has to offer. We’ll have a long descent to the Strass Sport & Spa Hotel in stunning Mayrhofen https://www.tyrol.com/places/a-mayrhofen, our luxury base with indoor pool, spas, and relaxing gardens for 4 nights.
Days 10, 11, & 12: Mayrhofen is a hikers paradise with a highly developed network of alpine trails and mountain huts https://www.mayrhofen.at/en/. Two cable car stations and the local bus stops are all within 5 minutes of our front door. Also consider rock climbing, mountain biking, paragliding, or doing Via Ferrata. Lots of music, bars and local Tirolean restaurants in this special spot to enjoy.
Day 13: (48 miles & 1,128') We leave Mayrhofen heading north down the Ziller river bikeway then, turn left (west/upstream) at the confluence with the Inn River. We are on riverside bikeways all day! We will ride past the UNESCO World Heritage site the Hall Mint https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5801/ and Swarovski Crystal World en route to our beautifully located Hotel Grauer Bar in Old Town Innsbruck https://www.innsbruck.info/en
Day 14: Enjoy a day sightseeing historic Innsbruck https://www.austria.info/us/where-to-go/cities/innsbruck an important medieval Hapsburg capital and now a thriving university town with wonderful museums, restaurants, walking sights, and a cable car to the hiking trails in mountains above town. https://www.innsbruck.info/en/hiking/tours/tour/innsbrucks-nordkettenbahnen-lifts-and-cable-cars.html
Day 15: Departure Day
HEALTH AND SAFETY: Participants are expected to come to the tour in good health and ready to ride. Should someone’s health become compromised and the group’s health and safety placed in jeopardy, a plan will be developed by the ride leaders and communicated to all individuals. The expectation is for the group to work together to mitigate any spread of infection or illness as a means to ensure the tour can continue as planned.
RIDE RATING: This ride is rated 2B! with an average daily mileage of 37 miles and average daily climbing of 2018 feet on mandatory riding days. Please note the riding days vary greatly in difficulty and the average may not fully communicate the challenge. Of the five mandatory riding days, the second ride day has many short steep climbs to 10% and the third ride day has a long steep climb (4 miles) with pitches of 10%. Riders are expected to be comfortable riding on a multitude of surfaces (including cobblestone, compact dirt, and bike paths) along with riding in city traffic. For those riders wanting more riding and climbing, there are plenty of options on the off days.
CUE SHEETS, MAPS, GPS FILES: The ride leader will provide RWGPS routes prior to the start of the tour. Participants will receive an email containing a link to the EVENT, which will include all routes for the tour. Participants will need to have downloaded (at the minimum) the free version of the RWGPS app to receive voice turn by turn directions. Participants wanting cue sheets will need to print their own from the files provided. The routes in RWGPS are easily loaded to GPS devices.
WEATHER: Riders should plan on cooler morning and evening temperatures along with rain days. Temperatures can range from lows of 45F to highs of 80F. Bring your full rain gear, everything in Austria is green for a reason.
LODGING & MEALS: Lodging will be in everything from family-owned hotels to 3 and 4-star hotels. All breakfasts and ten dinners are included in the cost of the tour. Two dinners will be group dinners and eight will be provided by the hotels we will be staying at. Happy hours will be at the hotel's bar, which will include a glass of house wine or a local beer before each night’s dinner.
LOGISTICS: Fly into Salzburg airport (SGZ), or into Munich and catch a 2-hour train ride from the Munich airport to Salzburg. Arrival day is Wednesday August 26, 2026. Our hotel is the Holiday Inn Salzburg City, and we will meet at the hotel’s bar at 5:30pm for happy hour and our first meeting, followed by the first night’s group dinner. The tour’s departure day is Wednesday the morning of September 9, 2026. Departure options include flying from Innsbruck or catching a 1.5-hour train to the Munich airport.
COST & ADMINISTRATION: The cost estimate is $3000, which includes 14 nights lodging, all breakfasts, 10 dinners, happy hour drinks, and RWGPS daily route maps with full RWGPS voice navigation features for downloading to your GPS devices or phones. Estimated cost is based on an exchange rate of 1 Euro = $1.13. The initial deposit of $1,000 does not include the BAC registration fee of $100 and both will be due upon acceptance to the ride. The second payment of $1000 is due March 15, 2026 and the final payment of $1000 is due June 15, 2026. The ride cost does not include transportation to and from any airports, and other types of entertainment – museums, trams or gondola rides.
SINGLES & SOLOS POLICY: We recommended that singles who want a roommate try to find their own. However, after receipt of the initial deposit, a single without a roommate will be placed on the ride and given until 15 March 2026 to find a roommate. If they are unable to find a roommate, they will have the option to receive a full refund (minus the BAC fee and payment processing fee) or pay the $1700 solo supplement and stay on the ride. If a single pays the supplement, they may continue to seek a roommate, but must plan to participate without a roommate if necessary. The Ride Leader will assist by attempting to match singles who apply for the ride. We will accept one solo supplement rider. Solo supplement payments need to be sent to the BAC office by 15 March 2026 by check or Zelle. Make checks payable to “BAC” and mail to Bicycle Adventure Club, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193. Send Zelle payments to treasurer@bicycleadventureclub.org. Indicate the ride name when using either method.
CANCELLATION POLICY: The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fee is not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled because the number of participants is less than the minimum established for the tour. Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped. The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations. If the cancelling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time. If the cancelling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed. If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped, the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the solo supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour. BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.
RIDE PARTICIPANT POLICY: Please remember that BAC ride leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support. Participants are expected to come to the tour well trained, in good health, and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles. All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour. We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from the ride leaders. While on the tour, support your ride leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up. Please do not interfere the tour by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the tour. Please keep the ride leader(s) informed of any special request you may have and respect the ride leader’s decisions.
INSURANCE STATEMENT: Before participating in any BAC tour, you should assess whether your medical and travel insurance coverage is sufficient. BAC maintains insurance that covers expenses related to accidents, medical emergencies such as sudden and unexpected sickness, and repatriation. This coverage applies when touring outside the US and your home country, regardless of your nationality. It will cover you door-to-door for a maximum of 90 days but will expire if you make a side trip not related to the BAC tour for more than 7 days before or after. There is limited coverage for a family member to join a covered person in an emergency. The policy covers the cost of treatment for Covid and other unexpected illnesses, but not quarantine. You should ensure that your vaccinations are up to date. Coverage is subject to a $1000 deductible.
SIGN-UP: To register for this tour, use the sign-up link displayed just above this Ride Description. After preliminary acceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go back to the BAC website to digitally accept the terms of the Release of Liability (ROL) and pay the non-refundable $100 BAC ride registration fee and tour deposit by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. BAC members with questions may contact the ride leader(s) by "clicking" the name at the top of this Ride Description.
Bicycle Adventure Club
PO BOX 23998 San Diego, CA 92193
Telephone (858) 715-9510 office@bicycleadventureclub.org