2 Days in Berchtesgaden: Best Things to do, 4 Sample Itineraries

When you’re looking for a peaceful, beautiful, and interesting little side trip in Bavaria, definitely consider 2 days in Berchtesgaden, Germany. I mostly visited Berchtesgaden as a WWII historian, but I was excited to see the other fun parts as well.

Berchtesgaden has history, alpine beauty, outdoor adventure, and so much more all in one easy to navigate space. This post will show you all the top things to do in Berchtesgaden and include a few different 2-day itineraries you can follow. Enjoy!

Tips for your 2 days in Berchtesgaden

Here are the best tools and resources you’ll need for an amazing 2 days in Berchtesgaden:

Getting to Berchtegaden

Berchtesgaden, Germany is located in beautiful Bavaria and is a convenient side trip from other popular destinations like Munich and Salzburg, Austria. It’s pretty well-connected so you can get here by car, train, or bus.

Take the bus to Berchtesgaden

Unfortunately, there aren’t currently any buses that go directly from Munich to Berchtesgaden, although you can take the Flixbus from Munich to Salzburg and go from there.

From Salzburg, you can easily hop on bus 840 (the Watzmann Express) and be in Berchtesgaden in about 50 minutes. You can find the latest timetable here.

Taking the train to Berchtesgaden

Though taking the train to Berchtegaden isn’t the fastest or easiest way to get here, it’s still possible. I’ve done it myself; here’s what you need to know:

Taking the train to Berchtesgaden from Munich will take about “2.5 hours,” but that’s only if all the trains run on time and you make them all. I’m not saying that’s impossible; I’m just saying you better prepare some extra time.

If you did like me, you’d also have to throw in a trip from the Munich Airport to the Hauptbahnhof first. So that was a fun day.

The transfer times at Freilassing are usually around 5-6 minutes. So, if your train leaves Munich even a few minutes late, chances are you’re going to miss your train to Berchtesgaden. You’ll just have to wait for the next one, which will be an hour later. No big deal, since you set aside extra time like I told you to.

Trains to Berchtesgaden run pretty frequently and you can check out all the schedules and rates here to see which one works best for you.

You technically can take the train from Salzburg to Berchtesgaden, but the trip is longer than taking the bus and involves a connection. So, just take the bus.

Also read: The 12 Best Day Trips from Munich (w Pro Tips)

Getting around Berchtesgaden

Getting around Berchtesgaden seriously couldn’t be easier. The town is relatively small so it never takes too long to get where you need to go. The buses run frequently enough. And the bus network here is actually free! (details below)

The city’s main train station also serves as its bus depot and you can get to all the best things to do in Berchtesgaden from here. As I describe them below, I’ll let you know which bus to take to get there.  

Get your free Guest Card

When you check into your Berchtesgaden hotel, make sure they give you the free Guest Card (Gästekarte). Every overnight visitor is entitled to one and with it you can travel on all buses and select trains for free. (*with the exception of the Eagle’s Nest bus 849)

You can also enjoy small discounts at some of the best things to do in Berchtesgaden. Each individual person will need their own, so make sure everyone in your party gets one.

Don’t miss my post on staying at the Bratwurst Hotel in Rittersbach, Germany!

Where to eat in Berchtesgaden

To supplement your 2-day Berchtesgaden itinerary, here are a few great places to eat.

Bräustuberl Hofbräuhaus Berchtesgaden – My personal favorite. Cozy inn at the historic brewery, great Bavarian meals, friendly locals

Gasthof Neuhaus at the Edelweiss Hotel – Traditional Bavarian cuisine in a 16^th-century building with a terrace

Sophie’s Café – Modern German cuisine for when you’re sick of the traditional Bavarian stuff, indoor and outdoor seating, great reviews

Berggasthof Obersalzberg – Huge, historic building on the Obersalzberg with tons of indoor and outdoor seating in the summer; right next to the Documentation Center and the Eagle’s Nest bus

Grillstüberl Berchtesgaden – No-nonsense burgers, sandwiches, and plates with fantastic reviews, for when you don’t want to spend a lot of time at dinner or need to pack something for a hike

Restaurant-Pizzeria Einkehr – Pizza, pasta, coffee, and dessert in a modern space with a terrace (also at the Edelweiss Hotel), because everyone craves pizza when they travel

The Fischunkelalm – Adorable mountain chalet restaurant on the far side of Obersee lake; only open in the summer

Biergarten am Königssee – Bavarian beer garden on the edge of the lake near the boat dock

Also check out: 10 Crucial Tips to Visit Neuschwanstein Castle Skillfully and Worry-Free

Best things to do in Berchtesgaden

Though you could definitely spend more than 2 days in Berchtesgaden to see it all, here are the top things to do here when you can only swing a short visit.

1. Eagle’s Nest

The world famous “Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest” is a fortress-like structure perched high above Berchtesgaden atop the Kehlstein mountain. (Locally, the Eagle’s Nest is known as the Kehlsteinhaus.) It was built during the Nazi era to be a kind of gathering place for top Nazi officials and their important guests.

Though Hitler rarely spent time here himself, he did visit it on certain occasions. (One of those being the wedding celebration of his future sister-in-law Gretl Braun.) If you’d like to learn more about the history of this place and visiting through a historian’s perspective, check out my full post on visiting Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest here.

Today, you can explore the building and many of its historical rooms. You can walk around the property and take in the stunning alpine panorama, hike up to the summit, have lunch (and beer) inside the restaurant, and check out the museum-like exhibit on the building and Berchtesgaden’s Nazi history.

How to get here

From the main train station, take bus 838 to the “Dokumentation Obersalzberg” stop (about 12 minutes). Next, you’ll need to purchase tickets for bus 849–a specialty bus built specifically for travel up to the Eagle’s Nest and back. Visiting the Eagle’s Nest is “free” but roundtrip tickets on bus 849 are around €32 per person (or €29.60 with your Guest Card).

At the top, you’ll then walk through the tunnel into the mountain and ride Hitler’s famous gold elevator to the top (which is actually brass, btw).

Need to know

Because of its mountaintop location, the Eagle’s Nest is only open from around mid-May to mid/late-October, weather depending. In 2024 it closed early due to avalanche. Check the status before solidifying your plans if your trip will occur in the spring or fall.

2. Hike to the Eagle’s Nest

OK maybe this is a niche activity, but I still deem it one of the best! The vast majority of visitors simply take the 849 bus up to the Eagle’s Nest, and that’s fine. But some crazy people prefer to take the long way, through creepy forests, on paths lined with flowers that can literally kill you if you touch them. It’s me; I am crazy people.

So yeah, you can actually hike up to the Eagle’s Nest instead of taking the bus and I can’t recommend this enough. Not just because it’s a beautiful and blissfully uncrowded hike, but because of all the stuff you’ll see along the way.

Besides the eerily beautiful woods and alpine views, you’ll also get to see the remains of tons of important Nazi-era buildings, bomb craters, a unique memorial, and lots of hidden bunkers and tunnels in the woods. It’s so fascinating!

3. Documentation Center Obersalzberg

The Documentation Center Obersalzberg (Dokumentationszentrum Obersalzberg) is a large museum that focuses on Berchtesgaden’s role as a Nazi Party headquarters during World War II and a base for Nazi terror. During the war, Berchtesgaden is where Hitler and other top Nazis kept their homes and offices. Outside of Berlin, the Third Reich ruled from Berchtesgaden.

This is a great place to learn a ton about Nazi history and how this town has dealt with that in the decades since. Your visit also includes a short tour of the underground bunker complex. (Berchtesgaden is filled with hidden bunkers and tunnels, and this is one of the only places you actually get to go inside.)

How to get here

From the main train/bus station, take bus 838 to the “Dokumentation Obersalzberg” stop. If you’re also visiting the Eagle’s Nest, you can visit this on your way back down the mountain since this is also where you catch bus 849.

4. Königssee boat ride

Lake Königssee is a long, narrow lake cozily situated between towering mountain ranges. Königssee is Germany’s deepest lake and its water is famously emerald green. And one of the best things to do in Berchtesgaden is to take a ride up and down the lake on one of the electric passenger boats.

A roundtrip ride down the lake and back takes about two hours (I told you it was long!) and there are only two stops. But while the stops are certainly worthwhile, it’s really the boat ride you’re after.

Because these boats are electric, they’re totally silent. You’ll enjoy a super peaceful drift down the lake, surrounded by tall mountains, waterfalls, and some morning mist if you go early enough. At one point, the boat will stop and the driver will play a song on his trumpet to demonstrate the echo power of these mountains. It’s SO COOL.

You can get off at either of the two stops (or both) or just ride the boat up and back. The first stop brings you to the small church of St. Bartholomew. The second stop at the far end brings you to Salet, where you can walk over to another pretty lake, Obersee. (More on that below)

How to get here

From the main train station, you can take bus 840, 841, or 843 to the “Königssee” stop. To get back, catch any of those buses in the opposite direction to the Berchtesgaden Hauptbahnhof. Bus fare is free with your Guest Card.

Need to know

Due to ice and such, the boat only stops at the first stop on the lake from mid-October to mid/late-April. For all the information you need, visit: seenschifffahrt.de/en/koenigssee.

You might also like: 26 Truly Awesome Things to Do in Rothenburg ob der Tauber

5. Königssee w/ Obersee hike

If you’re looking for a bit more adventure than a boat ride, might I interest you in a wee side hike? In the summer months, you can take the Königssee boat to the far end of the lake at Salet. Get off here and you can make the short walk over to Obersee, another beautiful and seemingly hidden alpine lake.

But don’t stop here. Now, you can follow a path that goes all the way around Obersee to the other side. This lake is much smaller and, in my opinion, way prettier than Königssee. On the other side of the lake you can check out the Fischerhütte and have lunch at the adorable Fischunkelalm, a small chalet in the middle of nowhere.

If you have the time and the stamina, you can continue on from here. Follow the clear trail through the beautiful cow pastures towards Röthbachwasserfall to see the tallest waterfall in Germany. If you’re short on time, you can do like I did and hike just until you get close enough to see it, then turn around.

The hike from the Salet boat stop, around Obersee, to the Fischunkelalm will take about 45 minutes. From here to Röthbachwasserfall is another 45 minutes. (Or if you just want to get eyes on it, about 15 minutes.) To get back on the Königssee boat, just turn around and retrace your steps.

6. Jennerbahn cable car

If you’re blessed with a clear day during your 2 days in Berchtesgaden, consider taking a ride up the Jennerbahn cable car. Located not far from Königssee, this is the best way to get full views of Königssee. You’ll also get to see incredible views of all the surrounding mountains, valleys, and cows you could dream of. (And all without having to actually climb a mountain yourself.)

And the best part? The Jennerbahn is open year-round and such a cool place from which to see everything covered in snow. For all the visitor information you need, visit: jennerbahn.de.

How to get here

The Jennerbahn is just one stop after Königssee, so you’ll want to take either bus 840, 841, or 843 from Berchtesgaden main station.

7. Berchtesgaden Salt Mine

On the flip side, if you have less than ideal weather during your 2 days in Berchtesgaden, consider a trip into the salt mines. You’ll don your miner’s outfit and hop aboard a miner’s train to wind deep into the Salzberg mountain (2,133 feet to be exact).

You’ll get to see a “gigantic salt cathedral” as well as a presentation on the area’s mining history, an underground lake, the tunnels, and more. The Berchtesgaden salt mine has operated since the year 1517 and they still extract brine from it today.

The Berchtesgaden Salt Mine is open year-round. Guided tours are mandatory. Find all the info you need to know here: salzbergwerk.de.

How to get here

From the main train station, you can take bus 840 to the “Salzbergwerk” stop. You can also walk to the Salt Mine from the main station in about 30 minutes if you’re up for it.

8. The Salt Pipeline Walk

A walk along the Salt Pipeline (known locally as the Soleleitungsweg) is a must for any 2 days in Berchtesgaden. Though the full thing is much longer, you can walk just a short part of it and get some of the best views of Berchtesgaden. I’ve done this in both rain and sunny weather, and even in rain the views are incredible.

The path follows the original “brine pipeline” from 1817 where brine was transported from deep in the mountain. Along the way, you’ll find informative signs to tell more of this story.

How to get here

To walk the whole thing, it starts at the salt mine and ends near the main train station. Or you can follow the short route I took myself:

From the center of town, make your way towards “Soleleitungsweg” on the map at the top of this post. Chances are, it’ll take you on the stairs that lead between the houses. This is the way.

From here, follow the path around until you get to the little church with the big view–the Kirchleitnkapelle. Exit right from the path just past the church and you’ll see signs guiding you back to the city center. Zig-zag your way down the mountain and you’ll end up right back in the center of town.

2-day Berchtesgaden itineraries

Now that you know what you can do in Berchtesgaden, here are a few different ways you can fit it all in.

2 days in Berchtesgaden: Itinerary D

Like this post? Have questions about your 2 days in Berchtesgaden? Let me know in the comments below. Have a great time in Germany!

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