The Hills are Alive y Hallstatt

My sisters and I can't say enough good things about Patrick's all-day Sound of Music and Hallstatt tour. Patrick is a wealth of cultural, historical and entertaining information about Austria in general, Salzburg and Hallstatt in particular - and of course the filming of The Sound of Music. On top of all that, he is kind, funny and thoughtful - anticipating and accommodating our needs and desires and making helpful recommendations and suggestions along the way. We got to see the beautiful Austrian countryside and mountain ranges as we drove from Salzburg to Hallstatt and as Patrick answered our many questions and pointed out the sites of most interest, all in the comfort of a luxury vehicle. Because we were not on a big bus tour (no thank you!!), we were able to drive to the more intimate sections of various towns that cannot or will not permit the big buses. The tour was the most memorable part of an amazing two-week trip in Austria. It was worth every penny and we can't recommend it enough!!

This is a wonderful tour. We enjoyed seeing the Salzburg countryside, the Lake District and we loved the beautiful village of Hallstatt. Gabby was our driver/guide and she was so kind and knowledgeable. She showed us the Sound of Music filming locations that we would have otherwise missed. My college-aged kids said it was one of the best tours ever. We all enjoyed our day and highly recommend this tour.

We had the most magical day with Patrick and Mansfred. They truly love their country and love showing it off to visitors. We learned so much and covered a lot of ground. This is well worth the money. Don't do a big bus tour--the attention to detail they provide and personalization is the way to go! They even had the perfect lunch table waiting for us in Hallsstat.

Our day with Patrick exploring the lakes and hills near Salzburg was by far the highlight of our family trip to Austria. Patrick was extremely knowledgeable, professional, and fun to be with. He worked hard to plan a highly customized experience for us, and even incorporated a last-minute sledding excursion en route so we could experience fun in the snow! He took us to Hallstadt and ensured we were able to enjoy the town and an amazing lunch in a cafe on the water while he handled the difficult parking logistics, etc. Being driven to lesser known sights in his car made it all really comfortable and special. We hope to return to the area and would engage Patrick for more of our trip. Highly recommend him and this experience! Allison, Texas, USA

My husband and I took the Hills are alive and Hallstatt tour today and had the most magical day. We chose this tour based on previous reviews, our limited time in Salzburg and our need to avoid large crowds and be comfortable. This tour did not disappoint and responded to all these requirements. From booking to tour completion, I could not fault MCM tours. They are clearly highly respected given the access they have to sites as well as ability to secure excellent bookings at restaurants in Hallstatt. Some of the stops we made would simply not be able to happen with a big bus tour. Lena was our guide for the day and she was outstanding. Her knowledge of the sites was excellent and her confidence and familiarity with the roads in busy traffic within Salzburg and surrounds had us at the train station with ample time. Further, she had a genuine interest in chatting about our home (Australia) which meant we could chat about the different ways our countries worked. It was very authentic. My biggest praise also has to go to the way Patrick and Manfred provided a sympathetic and helpful approach to some cancelled internal European flights. Any other tour company would have dismissed our situation and carried on, but these guys provided so much relief and our tour was able to continue. I can’t thank them enough for their efforts given this tour has been a dream of mine for many years. Overall, I could not recommend more highly MCM tours, and Lena as a guide for the day. If we’re ever fortunate enough to revisit this magical place we will surely book with them again for another tour.

In one word: amazing. Worth every cent. Patrick was very friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic about this stunning area which he is fortunate to call home. We loved his anecdotes and attendance to answering our questions. Highly recommend this tour as it combines Sound of Music information and beauty of Hallstatt.

Patrick was amazing!!! Full of knowledge on the Sound of Music, Hallstatt and Austrian culture. It was such a pleasure spending the day with him.

Patrick and Manford were amazing. We've done many of the cattle bus type tours that are much less expensive but can not go everywhere and leave you at the whim of a brunch of strangers. We chose this private tour to get that personal attention and experience this area at our pace and focus on what interested us. We could not have been more pleased with the entire day's experience. Patrick and our driver Manford knew their stuff and accommodated all of our whims. It is by far the best tour we've ever been on and when we return to this area of Europe, we will definately seek them out for one of their other itineraries. If you are looking for a perfect day of touring this region, you will not be disappointed.

Patrick was absolutely fantastic. My wife and I had the best day with him as our guide. He was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. The tour was great and sites were curated perfectly. Hallstatt was by far the best part of the day and the pictures just cannot do it justice. We would recommend to all of our friends and family.

Patrick arrived promptly at our hotel to start us off on this private full day tour covering key locations from the Sound of Music as well as Hallstatt. As a Salzburg local, he knew the best places for visitors to appreciate the city’s sights and its connection to the film. He was very friendly and took care to answer our young daughter’s questions throughout the trip. He also drove through the Lake District and Salzburg carefully- perfect for a family with a kid. At the end of the tour he very flexibly dropped us off at a different location and gave us tips to explore the city some more after the tour.