The Hills Are Alive

Michael was the best guide we could have asked for. He made all of us comfortable immediately. Michael's van was very comfortable and he had a number of thoughtful touches (water for us all, music from the movie queued up as we approached the various landmarks.) He was friendly and explained Austrian history, the true family history beyond the musical, and interesting geographical info for the area. This was SO much more than just a tour based on the famous movie. Myself and three children (ages 21-14) enjoyed every single part of our day. Michael was willing to adapt the tour to our needs/wants or to plan it all. This tour was a bucketlist item for my children who grew up watching it on repeat, and would recommend this tour and guide to everyone! Michael made all of us feel like we had made a new friend. Thank you for giving us incredible memories!

Three of us booked a full day private tour with Carlos for "The Sound of Music: The Hills Are Alive." Carlos picked us up at our hotel on time in a clean and nice vehicle. He took us to see a large number of "The Sound of Music" sites including the Mirabell Gardens, St. Peter's Archabbey cemetery, the historic center of Salzburg, the house and lake that served as the back of the house in the film, the building used as the front of the house in the film, the "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" gazebo, the church used in the wedding scene, numerous scenes from the "Do-Re-Mi" song montage including the bridge, along the river, and the picnic. If you want the full "Sound of Music" experience, I would recommend a private tour such as this over the standard four-hour coach bus tour. The large bus tours are not allowed onto the hill/mountain where the opening scene was filmed. Carlos was able to take us to the hill/mountain where the opening scene was filmed. The site is actually and ironically just over the border in Germany, and Carlos has a relationship with the farmer who owns this private land. Carlos also took us to where the final scene of the movie was filmed where the Von Trapp family is supposedly walking from Austria to Switzerland. A really gorgeous view from the top of this mountain. Carlos is extremely knowledgeable about the "The Sound of Music," and we learned a lot from him throughout the day. Even after years of doing "Sound of Music" tours, he is still enthusiastic about the film. At almost all of the sites, he shows you stills and/or clips from the film so you can see that you are in the location you see in the movie. The only complaint we had about the tour was the lunch. Carlos took us to an Italian restaurant in a small, quaint village. The staff was overwhelmed by the lunch crowd but did all right. When the bill came, Carlos looked at it and said how much he owed, meaning we needed to pay the rest. We picked up the tab, including his meal. But I would say that when you book a private tour such as this, lunch should be included. Otherwise, the information you receive when you book should indicate that lunch is not included. It wasn't as much about the price of the lunch, but what you expect when you book a private tour at this price point. Overall, a great day and a fun experience.

What a wonderful spring day with Thomas and Carlos. The Sound of Music tour was great it brought the movie back to live and the guide was very knowledgeable on the history of the Von Trapp Family and melded it with the noche. If you need a Sound of Music tour in Salzburg book this one with VIATOR.