Totally loved the location and the drive there, the bus was good. Our guide was knowledgeable, but sometimes seemed to ramble a bit about nothing, and would ask rhetorical questions trying to be funny that wasn't. But overall would recommend this trip and would do it again even with the same guide.

Hallstatt is as picturesque as it is reputed to be. I really enjoyed my 2 nights here. I had a studio apartment in a lakeside house that overlooked the lake. In the morning, sunlight streamed into the room and you could hear birds chirping while the ripples on the water shimmered. It was most serene and a true break from city life. So I came here to say this: enjoy Hallstatt, not as a daytripper. In fact, I got out of Hallstatt during the day to go around the area, exploring the Dachstein region including Five Fingers. The crowd at Hallstatt during the day took away all the best things that Hallstatt had to offer. The best time to be in Hallstatt for me was dawn (5am in the summer). Just as surreal was dusk (up to 9pm). Then you can feel the calmness of the village under the fading light. Of course, if you are looking for night life, this is not where you want to be. I travelled around by the local bus network and it was surprisingly easy to do. The buses are extremely punctual. I used the app, BusBahnBim, and it was accurate and useful. Tickets can be bought from the driver and must be paid in cash. To get to Hallstatt, I took the 8:40am train direct from Vienna Hbf and stopped across the lake at Hallstatt Bahnhof and then took the ferry across the lake. The ferry was timed for the arrival of the train and the fare cost €3.50 one-way in cash only. I left for Salzburg on buses 544, 542 and 150 which all connected with little waiting time if you plan it well. Oh, tip of the day: on bus 150, which is the long-distance bus to Salzburg, you can stow your luggage at the compartment at the side of the bus. Ask the driver to unlock it for you.

I was anxious visiting Hallstatt in summer after reading reviews of crowding. We were an hours drive away and intended arriving by 9am but in fact arrived at 10am. Luckily we were able to get one of the last parkings in P4. It was hot under the sun walking into town and not very picturesque and already filled with tourists snapping photos at everything with their smartphones. We walked up to the waterfall which was already quieter and had done good views . We were able to appreciate the delightful old town that was unfortunately overrun with tourists. We then rented a simple motor boat for half an hour . This turned out to be an excellent well spent 25 euros . We could enjoy the splendid views of Hallstatt from the water and had a breeze and some quiet . Back on shore we delighted with an excellent ice cream and trudged our way in the heat back on the 20 minute walk to P4 . Other visitors were delighted to have our parking space as there was a queue of cars waiting to park. We continued on to Obertraun where we parked next to a beautiful beach. After a refreshing swim we then enjoyed the amazing views across to Hallstatt from the waters edge and the quiet away from the crowds. I suggest parking at Obertraun and taking the ferry to Hallstatt to avoid the long walk to the parking lot and then already be in place for some quiet on the beach.

For those postcard-perfect photos of Hallstatt town, visitors are advised to rent a boat and silently cruise along the coast to appreciate the ideal angles for pictures. We rented a small electric-powered boat that we drove ourselves (no marine skills needed), which was great as we could decide where to navigate. I think we paid 20 or 25 euros (don't recall exactly), which was well worth it.

While visiting Hallstatt, decided to take a ferry ride which was about 1.5 hours round-trip. I'm glad I did, I was able to get some really nice pictures of the village and mountains from the lake. It depends on the timing, as some boats were really crowded and full, while mine was not crowded and able to move around with no issues. It was worth the effort.

Hallstatt is a very popular tourist destination due to its picture-perfect view. Some of the most picture perfect view of Hallstatt is from the water. It is highly recommended to take a boat ride when you visit. (We took a EV boat ride, which costs 30 EUR for 30 min).