Austrian Dumpling Festival

This special trip, offered only once a year, provides an amazing opportunity to immerse yourself in Austrian culture.  For three days you will be surrounded by the amazing autumn alpine scenery, enjoy festivals and celebrations, and indulge in a one of a kind foodie experience at the Austrian Dumpling Festival. Journey with us on a gondola to the majestic peeks of the Austrian Alps and the beautiful city of Salzburg where we take you straight to the famous home from the “Sound of Music.”  This trip explores the best of Austria, from top to bottom offering amazing food, festivals, mountains and more…

Day 1: An early morning departure ensures we can arrive and settle in with plenty of time to start exploring the sites.  The afternoon begins with alpine adventure to the peaks of the Tyrolean mountain range.  A gondola ride (included) takes us high above the town to the sprawling green alpine meadows, dappled with grazing cows, all surrounded by a stunning alpine backdrop. Enjoy the autumn celebration at the Alpine chalet, where you can shop and sample local cheese, sausages, homemade bread and indulge in a variety of traditional Austrian culinary delights. After a fun filled first day up on the mountain pastures, we check in to our traditional Austrian Hotel and enjoy a hearty dinner.

Day 2: After a hearty breakfast at the hotel (included) we set out to explore one of the largest Austrian Food Fests, the “Knödel-marathon.” A parade kicks of the festivities, accompanied by traditional live Austrian folk music.  Shortly after, the aroma of bacon, cheese, plum, vanilla and cinnamon begin to fill the air, enticing you to sample a little bit of everything. Nineteen proprietors and restauranteurs collectively prepare 26,000 dumplings in 26 mouth-watering varieties, all served on the world's longest 500-meter dumpling table that winds its way throughout the entire town of St. Johann.  Here you will find dumplings in every variety, stuffed and topped with classic favorites of bacon with cheese, sweet plum, vanilla and every delicious option in between. The day is yours (approx. 7 hrs) to freely explore the sites of St. Johann, the festival, all the tasty dumplings and sway to live music.

Day 3: After another hearty breakfast (included), with our bellies happily and filled with dumpling delights, we set out to explore one Salzburg, one of Austria’s most beautiful and popular cities! After a photo stop at Castle Schloss Hellbrunn, famous for its history with Trapp-Family and “Sound of Music.” From here, we continue to Salzburg where you will have 4 hours to freely explore the city and attractions such as a visit to the Mozart House or the Castle Hohensalzburg (not included).