Hiking the Alps of Austria

The Mountain Trails of the Tirolean Alps

Austria is the quintessence of the Alps. Here you’ll find a jumble of mountains to delight the heart of anyone who loves the high country. Sheer-walled limestone mountains predominate in the north and west of the country reminiscent of Italy’s Dolomites. To the east and south, the snowy, glacier-clad, crystalline mountains of the high Alps beckon. This geologic variety gives rise to a variety of landscapes so on this trip you’ll experience the full range of what Austria’s mountains have to offer the hiker. Explore the limestone Karwendel and Kaiser Mountains where mountain huts offer scenic perches to enjoy the mountain splendor around you. In the Kitzbüheler Alps, sometimes called the “Grassy Mountains,” miles of trails above the timberline roll through ridge-top meadows with magnificent views south to the higher peaks of the Hohe Tauern range. And in off-the-beaten-path East Tirol, strike off on trails that will lead you into less frequented but no less splendid alpine landscapes. Overnight in comfortable lodgings in flower-bedecked villages and immerse yourself in the magic of the Alps.

Arrival Day
Arrive in the lovely city of Innsbruck, the capital of Austria’s Tirol region. Your accommodations this evening are not included in the trip price; however, we will be happy to assist you in booking accommodations for this evening, if you desire.

Alpine pastureland in the Karwendel Alps.

Day 1
Overnight in Pertisau
Lunch and dinner included
Travel by vehicle east from Innsbruck to a lovely village perched on a plateau above the Inn River. Ascend on a choice of hikes to an expansive mountain pastureland ringed by the craggy peaks of the Karwendel Alps. After the hikes, a short trip by vehicle brings you to lakeside Pertisau village on the eastern flanks of the limestone Karwendel Mountains (Karwendelgebirge). Settle in for a three-night stay.

The wide expanse of the Walderalm under September skies.

Mountain hut, Karwendel Alpen.

Day 2
Overnight in Pertisau
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Begin your trail exploration of the Karwendel Mountains. Today’s choice of hikes deliver you to alpine meadowlands at the base of the sheer north facing ramparts of the Lamsenspitze. A perfectly placed mountain hut provides the ideal place to contemplate the grandeur of this landscape. Return to Pertisau for the evening.

Trail in the sky in the Karwendel Alpen.

Day 3
Overnight in Pertisau
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Continue your exploration of the Karwendel Mountains. From the start of the hike in a remote Alpine valley, a trail leads up to another picturesque mountain refuge set beneath the soaring Laliderer Wall. Simply put, the views from the high meadows are stunning. As usual, a longer and a shorter hiking option will be available. Return to Pertisau for a third evening.

Alm huts huddle beneath the Laliderer Wall, Karwendel Alpen.

Day 4
Overnight in St. Johann in Tirol
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
This morning, travel by vehicle eastward to the town of Kufstein where you’ll board a chairlift that will whisk you up the northern flanks of the Kaiser Mountains (Kaisergebirge). As you’ll see over the next two days, the Kaiser Mountains provide some of the finest scenery in Austria’s limestone Alps. From the top of the lift, set off on a choice of hikes through the broad meadows at the base of the Wilder Kaiser, the more rugged portion of the Kaiser Mountains. The hikes today pass along a segment of the 250-mile-long Eagle’s Way (Adlerweg), a long-distance hiking trail that crosses the Tirol from St. Johann in the east to St. Anton in the west. At the conclusion of the hikes, a short vehicle transfer will bring you to the town of St. Johann in Tirol, your base for the next three nights.

Brentenjochalm, Wilder Kaiser.

Day 5
Overnight in St. Johann in Tirol
Breakfast and lunch included
More hikes in the Kaiser Mountains await you today. Head up the Kaiserbach valley toward the mountain hut nestled in the Stripsen Pass (Stripsenjoch) which separates the Wilder Kaiser from the topographically “tamer” Zahmer Kaiser. A choice of hiking options returns you to the trailhead from where a short vehicle shuttle brings you back to St. Johann.

High country trail in the Wilder Kaiser.

Mountain refuge in the Kitzbuhler Alpen.

Day 6
Overnight in St. Johann in Tirol
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Travel by vehicle from St. Johann to the lakeside town of Zell am See where you’ll board a cable car for a trip into the Kitzbühel Alps. From the cable car’s top station set off through grassy ridge-top meadows along the high route known as the Pinzgauer Spaziergang. The trail rolls through a pastoral alpine landscape, and since virtually all of it is above the timberline, there are non-stop views for the duration of the hike. To the north, the views extend from the Kaiser Mountains to the peaks of the Salzburger Kalkalpen adjacent to Germany’s Berchtesgaden National Park. And to the south, you’ll enjoy an extensive panorama of the snow-capped high peaks of Austria’s Hohe Tauern range. You’ll be able to choose between a shorter and a longer hiking option on this day. At the end of the hikes, descend to the valley floor by cable car and travel by vehicle back to St. Johann where you’ll enjoy a third evening.

Hiking in the “Grassy Alps” on the Pinzgauer Spaziergang, Kitzbuhler Alpen.

Hiking through the sloping meadows of Edelweisswiesen, East Tirol. The hills are alive!

Day 7
Overnight in Matrei in Osttirol
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
From St. Johann, head south by vehicle into the Hohe Tauern range. The Felbertauern Tunnel burrows under the range and deposits you in the Tauern Valley (Tauerntal) in the East Tirol (Osttirol) which is administratively part of the Tirol province. This part of East Tirol, hemmed in by the Venediger and Glockner mountain groups, is quiet and pastoral with some of the loveliest villages and farm houses in Austria. Today, hike along the eastern slopes of the Tauern Valley across the Edelweiss Meadows (Edelweisswiesen) to the mountain farms of the Steiner Alm. After the hikes, settle into your hotel in the town of Matrei in Osttirol where you’ll enjoy a four-night stay. SEVEN DAY OPTION CONCLUDES THIS DAY (breakfast the following morning is included).

Huts at Steiner Alm, East Tirol.

South face of the Grossglockner, Austria’s tallest peak.

Day 8
Overnight in Matrei in Osttirol
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
This morning, a vehicle shuttle will take you into the Kalser Valley (Kalsertal) and up to a mountain lodge above the settlement of Kals am Grossglockner. From here, a trail climbs through open meadows with constantly improving views to reach a high pass that offers an outstanding view of the south face of the Grossglockner, Austria’s tallest mountain and the centerpiece of the Hohe Tauern National Park. Also clearly visible are the remnants of the Ködnitzkees (glacier) that carved the valley before you. You can choose a shorter or longer hiking option today. Return to Matrei in Tirol for the evening.

Mountain hut at Berger Törl, East Tirol.

In the Austrian Dolomites.

Day 9
Overnight in Matrei in Osttirol
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Travel by vehicle to a mountain refuge perched at the edeg of a rocky promontory in the Lienzer Dolomiten, an extension of the Dolomites that rises south of the Austrian town of Lienz. Hike into the heart of Austria’s portion of the Dolomites on a choice of hikes and immerse yourself amdist the rocky spires and pinnacles that are so characteristic of these mountains. At the end of the hikes, travel back to Matrei in Osttirol where you’ll enjoy a third night.

The Lienzer Dolomiten.

The Maurertal.

Day 10
Overnight in Matrei in Osttirol
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Today, return to the Virgental for the hike up to the Rostocker mountain hut in the heart of the Venediger Group. The hike leads up the Maurer Valley passing through small meadows and groves of larch and spruce. The trail eventually reaches the lateral moraine of the Simonykees (glacier) before pushing on to the hut. If you have the energy you can continue to beautiful Simony Lake (Simonysee) tucked into a basin at the base of the glacier-cloaked Simonyspitze. This trail is a segment of the long-distance, high altitude Venediger Track. Return to Matrei in Tirol and celebrate the conclusion of your Austria hiking adventure at a farewell dinner.

Simonysee.

Departure Day
Breakfast included
After breakfast, we will provide one complimentary transfer from the hotel to Innsbruck train station and airport. Planned arrival time in Innsbruck is 12:00 noon. Please plan your departure from Innsbruck accordingly, or plan an overnight stay in Innsbruck and depart on the following day.

Printable version of trip itinerary

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