Rikschatours Salzburg

I didn’t create Rikschatours, I inherited it. But before that, I was part of it.

In the summer of 2012, I took a job pedaling tourists around Salzburg in a rickshaw. I didn’t expect much. A bit of income, a way to stay outside, maybe some laughs. What I got instead was a crash course in hospitality, and a front-row seat to one of the most personal, joyful, and smartly run tour companies. Being a part of it changed many aspects of my life for the better.

That company was Rikschatours Salzburg. And it was the brainchild of Claudia.

Because of that unique spirit, people stuck around. A small but great team formed around her, guides came and went, but many returned year after year. Some stayed for a season, others for years. What united them wasn’t just the job. It was the vibe. The freedom, the trust, the joy of working with something that didn’t just function, it meant something.

For years, Rikschatours was considered one of the best tour companies in Salzburg. I think it still is.

I was lucky, and I’m grateful to have been part of that. It shaped everything I went on to build from Free Walking Tour Salzburg to Introducing Salzburg and beyond.

The Pause and the Hand-Off

In 2018, Claudia handed Rikschatours over to a new owner. She had built it for almost a decade, and it was time for someone else to take the wheel. For a couple of seasons, the company kept running. But then came 2020, and with it, the shutdowns, the cancellations, and the long pause that swept through tourism across the world.

The interim owner stepped away. The rickshaws sat unused. Claudia was sure she didn’t want to return to the daily operations and so she eventually reached out. She wanted the brand to survive, and more than that, to stay true to its spirit. She handed me the keys. Not because I was the highest bidder. But because I understood what made it special. And she trusted I wouldn’t break it.

That’s one of the highest honors I’ve ever been given. It closed a circle. And brought me back to where I started, not just with the rickshaws, but with the reason I build things at all.

What Makes Rikschatours Different

Rikschatours isn’t a transportation service. It’s not a gimmick ride. It’s not about costumes, megaphones, or turning Salzburg into a backdrop for selfies. It’s a slow tour, on purpose.

You sit back. We ride. And in between the usual sights, you get something most visitors miss.

We don’t recite history books. We talk like locals do, with stories, detours, and context. It’s not about memorizing trivia. It’s about giving guests a way to connect with a city in motion.

Every tour is one-on-one. Or two-on-one. Or three-on-one (two adults and a child). One guide, one rickshaw, and one good conversation.

There’s no standard script. Every guide brings their own perspective. That’s how Rikschatours has always worked. It’s not about performance, it’s about personality. When you book a rickshaw tour, you don’t get a cookie-cutter experience. You get a real person, trained by the people who’ve done this for years, and given the freedom to make it their own.

It’s relaxed, personal, and unintimidating, the opposite of loud group tours or corporate day-trip packages.

And yes, you’ll see Mozart’s house. But more importantly, you’ll learn how Salzburg works, how the city breathes, where locals go, and what stories still live in these narrow streets.

The Revival: What We Rebuilt (and What We Didn’t)

Rikschatours isn’t a new idea. It’s one of the oldest tour companies in Salzburg and one of the oldest Rikschatour companies in the world, founded by Claudia who understood that good tours are about joy and connection. She built Rikschatours by hand, one ride at a time, over more than a decade. Then she passed it on to me. I didn’t buy a company. I inherited a philosophy.

When I took over, I didn’t come in to rebrand or expand. I came in to protect what worked.

We kept the name. We kept the routes. We kept the idea that a rickshaw isn’t just a vehicle, it’s a seat at eye level, a moving window into Salzburg.

What we changed is the website. We rebuilt it from scratch with better structure and faster performance. We implemented a booking system into the website. We clarified our offerings, focusing on the sightseeingtours and the taxirides, and dropping the rest.

No more weddings. No stag parties. No overcomplicated packages.

Instead: three core tours. Carefully curated. Fully explained. Easy to book. Easy to enjoy.

This wasn’t a startup launch. It was a restoration. One that respects the past, serves the present, and prepares for a future where small, human-scale experiences still matter.

The Relaunch: 2026 and What Comes Next

Rikschatours is ready again.

Not in theory, not in sketches, not in a dusty corner of the site. But for real, booking-ready, simplified, and clear.

The relaunch is scheduled for 2026. That’s when the tours return to Salzburg’s streets under the new system, structure, and story.

There’s no attempt to “scale” this into something bigger than it should be. Rikschatours doesn’t need to become a huge tour company. It needs to run well, and bring joy to the guests and guides who are part of it.

The team is small. The city is walkable. The rides are personal. That’s enough.

2026 is the beginning of this next chapter, not a rebirth, but a re-grounding.

We’re not making something new. We’re making it work, again.

The Experience: What Makes It Work

There are plenty of ways to see Salzburg.
But riding in a Rikscha hits differently, and it works for reasons that have nothing to do with marketing.

It’s the rhythm. It slows the city down just enough for people to see it again.

You’re not packed into a group, not staring through glass. You’re moving through the streets, out in the open, guided by someone who knows every corner and can adapt on the spot. There’s no bus schedule, no script, no overhead voice.

It’s quiet enough to hear a fountain.
Close enough to spot an old shop sign.
Flexible enough to change course when something catches your eye.

And here’s the part most people don’t expect:
Because the driver is behind you, and you’re facing forward, they’re not just guiding you, they’re curating what you see. They can steer your attention, quite literally, in the right direction. And since there’s no engine noise, you hear them perfectly.

And the experience isn’t just what you see, it’s how you feel:

• Private: It’s your ride, your questions, your Salzburg.
• Personal: The guide is your driver, there’s no separation.
• Rooted: Our routes aren’t invented, they’re lived. Each stop is part of our life, not a tourist checklist.

Most people who try a Rikscha tour didn’t even know it was an option. They found us by accident, or through someone who had the ride and wouldn’t shut up about it.

That’s how Rikschatours works best. Word of mouth. Real experiences that don’t need exaggeration.

The Offer: What We Actually Sell

These are the same rides we’ve been offering since 2009. Not because we never changed, but because this format works. People love it. It’s simple, clear, and built on what guests actually enjoy: seeing Salzburg up close, with someone who knows it.

Here’s what’s available:

• The Old Town Ride: a 25-minute loop around the heart of Salzburg. Great for spontaneous guests, quick photo stops, and families with kids.
• The Deluxe Tour: a full experience covering both Old Town and across the river, into the Mirabell area and hidden corners most guests would miss.
• The Round Music & Castles Tour: extended rides with or without a Sound of Music twist, passing famous filming locations and historical villas, all the way out to Hellbrunn.

Every ride is private. Every ride is human. No big groups. No pre-recorded audio. Just you, your guide, and the city. And while it’s not a “luxury” product, it’s also not just transport. It’s a storytelling vehicle.

The Experience: What a Guest Should Expect

Rikschatours Salzburg is relaxed. You sit back, and the city rolls by. You’re not following a flag. You’re not being herded. You’re not overwhelmed with trivia. You’re just enjoying the ride. Literally.

What guests usually say:

• “This was the highlight of our day.”
• “We didn’t expect to learn this much.”
• “This is the only way to see Salzburg if you’ve got limited time or tired feet.”

And that’s the point. It’s light, but not shallow. It’s informative, but never scripted. It adapts to the guests, families, couples, solo travelers. Everyone comes out smiling.

We don’t promise to blow your mind. We promise to show you Salzburg in a way that feels personal, clear, and comfortable.

This is the in-between tour: more relaxed than a walking tour, more insightful than a taxi, and more human than any prepackaged tourist product you’ll find online.

The Vision: What’s Next (And What’s Not)

We’re not scaling this. We’re not building a fleet. We’re not franchising to other cities.

Rikschatours will stay small. On purpose.

It’s a project grounded in local knowledge, personal contact, and clear expectations. We’ll grow slowly, only when it improves the experience. And when it’s full, it’s full. No overbooking. No fake availability.

What we are building is a stable seasonal team, supported by good systems. We want our guides to be proud of the tours they give and proud of the platform that supports them.

We also see Rikschatours as part of a wider movement within Introducing Salzburg, our umbrella platform. While other tour brands chase volume, we chase clarity. While others automate, we humanize. While others advertise, we just tell the truth.

So no, this isn’t about conquering the rickshaw tour market. It’s about proving that even the smallest niche in tourism can be done well, when you care enough to build it properly.