Local Living Tours & Trips in Austria

Stay in charming local hotels in traditional wine villages like Weißenkirchen and Spitz, where you'll get complimentary wine tastings at family-run wineries along ancient cellar alleys. Sample regional apricot treats and Wachauer wines at local taverns in Joching and Wösendorf, Austria's largest wine-growing community.

This self-guided 8-day cycling trip takes you along Austria's Drau Cycle Path from Lienz in the Dolomites through Carinthia's lake district and Alpine valleys. You'll bike past medieval castles like Greifenburg, Neustein and Raggnitz, then check out Roman excavations at the Carantana Museum near Spittal an der Drau.

Ring in the New Year at Bildungsheim St. Michael in Matrei am Brenner, celebrating with a festive evening lantern walk and traditional Austrian dinner. You'll hike 13 km along the Gschnitzer Valley Trail from Steinach am Brenner to Gschnitz, following the scenic Gschnitzbach stream with the Stubai Alps all around. Later, wander through Innsbruck's historic old town with the Nordkette as your backdrop, and visit the pilgrimage site of Maria Waldrast at 1,641 meters.

Spend Christmas on the tranquil Mieminger Plateau, staying at Hotel Das Mooswald in the village of Obsteig, where you'll find authentic Tyrolean hospitality away from crowded tourist areas. Hike through snowy landscapes to traditional mountain huts like the Holzerhütte, have 7 breakfasts and dinners featuring regional cuisine, and connect with fellow solo travelers in groups of 4-14. This 8-day trip through Wildermieming and surrounding valleys offers an intimate look into Alpine village life during the festive season, with guided walks revealing local traditions and hidden corners of the Inn Valley.

Cycle through Austria's Salzkammergut region and check out St. Wolfgang's village streets plus the UNESCO-listed prehistoric pile dwellings at Mondsee. You'll stay overnight in Bad Ischl, where Franz Joseph spent his summers, then see Gmunden's Orth castle sitting on Traunsee.