When I think of Kitzbühel, the first thing that comes to mind is skiing. However, my recent trip to this charming town in Tyrol, Austria has undeniably shown that Kitzbühel also has a lot to offer in summer. While I was mainly there for a conference, I thankfully had some time to explore the town and surrounding area. And let me tell you that I discovered a plethora of adventures.
Given that the town is surrounded by mountains, it should not surprise that there are plenty of hiking routes in the surrounding area. However, Kitzbühel in summer is more than just a fantastic hiking destination. I got to go canyoning, explored the town, ate amazing food, and learned more about ski history.
The following three days in Kitzbühel itinerary combines all of these activities. It serves as an ideal guideline on how to include several days in Kitzbühel in your Austria itinerary that includes several destinations. Based on my own experience, I recommend combining it with a trip to Osttirol.
I visited Kitzbühel while attending Adventure Elevate Europe as a hosted media member. Therefore, some expenses were covered by Kitzbühel Tourismus. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
This post may contain affiliate links(*), which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through a link. Please see the full disclosure for further information.
Kitzbühel Summer Itinerary Overview
Have you already read this article about visiting Kitzbühel in summer, and want to book your trip now? Then this overview is what you are looking for!
Where to Stay: Hotel Das Reisch
Rent a Car for your Tyrol Adventure: Munich Airport or Salzburg Airport
- Day 1: Arrival & Explore Kitzbühel
- Day 2: Hike in the Mountains & Wellness
- Day 3: Canyoning with Element3
How to get to Kitzbühel
Before you can explore the town, you have to get there, and if you have to catch a plane, the closest airports are in Innsbruck and Salzburg in Austria and Munich in Germany. Once at one of the airports, you can take the train, rent a car, or take the Four Seasons Airport Transfer Shuttle. Hereby, the shuttle prices are as follows: 74€ per person oneway from Munich, 94€ per person oneway from Innsbruck, and 118€ per person oneway from Salzburg.
If you travel to Kitzbühel from Germany or the Netherlands, you can also get there by train to avoid flying. There are two sleeper trains (nightjet) that run from Amsterdam (NJ421) and Hamburg (NJ40491) to Innsbruck. It is best to exit the train in Wörgl and then catch a regional train. There are also similar train connections from Italy and other parts of central Europe. Book your train here.
Kitzbühel Itinerary: 3 Days in Summer
About this Itinerary
This Kitzbühel itinerary is ideal for nature and adventure lovers, but unlike many of my other itineraries, it has a more relaxed pacing. As such, it takes a slow travel approach so you can take in the nature and culture around you even if you only have three days.
While it includes some thrill thanks to a canyoning tour on the third day, the activities included are not too demanding. However, you should still be moderately fit as the hikes include walking on uneven terrain with some elevation gain.
Overall, following it provides you with a good overview of what the town has to offer. It serves as the ideal plan of what to do if Kitzbühel is only one of several destinations you want to explore in Austria, while also providing an overview of outdoor adventures you could also do if you have more time.
Day 1: Arrival & Town Tour
Kitzbühel started out as a farming village turned cooper and silver mining town, but today, even a short stroll through the town’s medieval center reveals that Kitzbühel has turned into a colorful, charming town. A transformation that can be attributed to a tourism boom that started after Franz Reisch first skied down the Kitzbüheler Horn on March 15, 1893, and got the ‘snow’ ball rolling on winter tourism in Kitzbühel.
The first ski race took place in 1894, and by the time of the first Hahnenkamm ski race in 1931, the town’s reputation as a prestigious winter ski resort advanced even faster than the skiers racing down the Hahnenkamm. Today, it is more than a seasonal destination.
If you visit Kitzbühel during the shoulder season, I recommend starting your vacation by checking in at your hotel and then heading to the Kitzbühel Museum. After all, it is the best place to learn more about the town’s winter sports and general history. In spring and during the shoulder season to mid-July it has limited opening times (Tue – Fri 10 AM – 1 PM; Sa 10 AM – 5 PM).
Doing so will enhance your overall experience later that day, as you will have a better understanding of everything you see around you and how Kitzbühel became what it is today. The museum also houses the Alfons Walde Collection. My favorite part was learning more about the Kitzbuhel Ski Wonder Team of the 1950s.
Eat a light lunch at Kulter Café Kitzbühel before you spend the afternoon walking around the medieval town center. As you stroll through the street, you can marvel at the Tyrolean architecture and the beautifully decorated elements of the houses. Some of them, like Hotel Goldener Greif or the Jochberger Gate of the Pfleghof near the museum date back to the 13th century.
Of course, you can also catch glimpses of the ‘Wilder Kaiser’ behind the rooftops of Kitzbühel. The bridge near ‘Achenweg’ offers one of the best views of the mountain formation.
The old town is not too big, so you have plenty of time to also browse some of the boutiques before finding a spot in the sun (or shade) at one of the many cafés or restaurants. Order an Aperol Spritz or a glass of wine and watch locals and tourists alike go about their day.
Be sure to have a look at restaurant menus as you walk around to find the perfect place to eat dinner. My group and I loved Centro, an Italian restaurant, but if you have just arrived in Tyrol, I highly recommend eating local specialties instead. ‘Mocking Das Wirthaus’, right at the Hahnenkamm cable car, is a fantastic option if you want to enjoy Tyrolean cuisine. I recommend the spinach dumpling.
Day 2: Hiking in the Mountains
There are over 1000 km of marked hiking trails in Kitzbühel and the surrounding area, but as I only had one day, I asked the tourism board which trails would be the best ones if one has limited time and ever-changing May weather. They recommended the following three options:
- Hahnenkamm Panorama Loop
- Schwarzsee Loop — a shorter walk (20 min walk to the lake + 30 min lake loop) in addition to swimming in the moorland lake. Thanks to natural minerals in the water, doing so is good for the skin
- A hike through the Alpenblumengarten (‘Alpine Flower Garden’) at the Horn — a 2 km long downhill trail that takes 1 h; lunch at Restaurant Alpengasthaus
Hahnenkamm Panorama Loop
Given that I also wanted to learn more about the famous Hahnenkamm ski race ’Streif’, I chose to hike the Panorama Loop. Originally, I planned to have an early start so I could hike down the Hahnenkamm Trail afterward, but the weather did not agree with my plans. As such, I took the Hahnenkamm cable car up the mountain after lunchtime.
After a short stop at the nearby Kitzbühel Panorama viewpoint, I started my hike on the KitzPanorama Rundweg (Panorama Loop) which also takes you around a reservoir. It is a leisurely hike that takes 1.5 h, has a length of 2.9 km, and an elevation gain of 100 m. Throughout the hike, you are awarded a panoramic view of the surrounding area and the ‘Wilder Kaiser’ mountain formation.
At times, you will cross pastures, so you might encounter grassing cattle. Be sure to stay as far away from the cows as possible and never walk between a mother cow and her calf.
To my great dismay, I did not get to finish the hike as a heavy hail storm approached, but based on what I got to see of the trail, I recommend the hike. I had to turn back just before I reached the reservoir, so let me know what it looks like!
It took a while for the rain to pass and by then it was too late to redo the hike and catch the last cable car of the day. It was at 5 PM when I visited Kitzbuhel in late May, and I certainly do not want to miss it. Consequently, I only had the time to check out the start house of the Hahnenkamm ‘Streif’ ski race.
During the conference, the president of the Kitzbühel Ski Club called the “Hahnenkamm [..] the business card of Kitzbühel all around the world”, so be sure not to skip the starting point of the world-famous race. It houses a small Hahnenkamm Ski Race Hall of Fame and to me, it was baffling to see the steep slope and imagine racing down it on skis.
While there, you take a souvenir photo. All you have to do is insert your cable car pass into the machine at the side of the wall and run into position before the timer ends. You can have the photo printed for 5€ at the upper cable car station or download it online for free via skiline.
If the weather is good and you are up for a more difficult hike, you can walk down the mountain along the ‘Streif’ trail. It takes 2,5 hours to follow the steep 4 km long trail leading downhill from 1.635 m to 770 m.
A return trip cable car ticket costs 33,50€ for adults (31,50€ with the guest card) and there are discounts for children and teenagers. A one way trip costs 24,50€. If you plan to spend more time in Kitzbühel and want to hike two days in a row or more, I recommend getting the multi-day KitzSki Hiking Ticket. A ticket for 2 consecutive days costs 60€ and a 14 days ticket costs 134€.
Wellness
After hiking, I highly recommend heading to the spa of your hotel. If you want to treat yourself, you could also get an evening pass for the spas of the three following hotels:
- A-ROSA — 45€ (6 PM – 9 PM); Day Pass: 79€
- Lebenberg Schlosshotel — 49€ (5 PM – 9 PM); Day Pass: 65€
- Kempinski Hotel Das Tirol — 55€ (6 PM – 9 PM); Day Pass: 85€
Day 3: Canyoning Tour
If you feel up to it, day three in Kitzbühel brings some thrill to your vacation. After all, a canyoning tour with element3 includes abseiling, jumping, and natural water slides. As such, it certainly is one of the most adventurous things to do in Kitzbühel in summer.
The canyoning tour starts with a 20-minute-long drive to the Taxaklamm (Taxa Canyon) near Erpfendorf, where you gear up. element3 provides a canyoning suit, a helmet, water shoes, and climbing gear, so all you have to bring are swimwear and a towel.
Before heading into the canyon itself, you will do a small assisted abseiling crash course, and then it is time to walk to a higher point of the canyon. If it is sunny, you might feel like you are backing in the wetsuit, but the second you first hit the water, you will be thankful for every millimeter. After all, the water temperature is 6°C.
Once you reach the upper part of the canyon, the real adventure begins as you have to abseil down 10 meters beside a small waterfall before jumping 7 meters deep into a water pool (or abseil down this section too). Having mastered this first descent, the first natural water slide awaits you. It is quite exciting, and at times, I felt like I was exploring a natural theme park for adrenaline junkies.
I will not provide more details of what awaits you in the canyon in this itinerary, but you will find a more detailed description in an upcoming article.
All things considered, Taxaklamm is a shorter canyon and is not too difficult, which makes it ideal for canyoning newbies. But thanks to the option to do several higher jumps, it is also a fun adventure for everyone with prior canyoning experience.
If you do not want to go canyoning while in Kitzbühel, you can also rent an e-bike or mountain bike. There are plenty of mountain biking trails in the area including the beginner and family-friendly new Sonnenrast Trail and the challenging 7,2 km long Hahnenkamm Trail. Alternatively, you could also go paragliding and take in the stunning mountain views from a bird’s perspective.
About visiting Kitzbühel in Summer
When to visit Kitzbühel for summer adventures?
Generally speaking, the hiking season in Kitzbühel lasts from May to October. However, I recommend avoiding the busy summer months of July and August if you want to avoid the crowds. As such, the shoulder months of the summer season would be the ideal time to visit Kitzbühel.
However, there are some limitations if you visit the town in May and early June. I was there in May, and while I did not have to brave any crowds, many places were closed until mid-June.
Among them are many mountain huts including the restaurant right at the mountain station of the Hahnenkamm cable car. As such, you will have to research which huts are already open if you are planning to have a nice break at one of the huts while hiking.
What should you pack?
If you follow this itinerary, you will be hiking in the mountains, you should bring ankle-high hiking boots, weather-appropriate outdoor wear, and a rain jacket. It is also a good idea to bring a first aid kit and potentially trekking poles if you plan to hike down the Hahnenkamm Trail. If you go canyoning, you should furthermore pack swimwear and a microfiber towel.
Additionally, I recommend bringing sneakers you can wear while exploring the town and when heading out for dinner in the evening.
Where to stay: Hotel Das Reisch
Kitzbühel has many family-owned hotels, and I am sure all are great, but based on my own experience, I recommend staying at Hotel Das Reisch.
Dating back to 1912, the hotel is closely connected to the town’s history as it was opened by Franz Reisch, the visionary of ski tourism in Kitzbühel. Now run by the fourth generation of family Mayr-Reisch, the 4-star hotel is located right at the heart of Kitzbühel’s town center. As such, many great restaurants and even the Hahnenkamm cable car are only a short walk away.
Staying in the ‘Legends rooms’ is a marvelous way to connect with Kitzbühel’s history and sights as 35 icons of Kitzbühel – people and places – give the rooms their names and theming.
I stayed in the ‘Schwarzsee’ room which offers a lovely view of the park and has a balcony. All rooms have a lot of storage space in the room and a comfy bed that guarantees a good night’s rest after a day full of adventure.
The hotel offers a good buffet breakfast selection and the friendly staff perfectly conveys the Tyrolean charm. There is also a wellness area, bar, and restaurant in the hotel.
Is Kitzbühel worth visiting in summer?
With over 1000 km of hiking trails, mountain biking trails, a charming historic town center, and much more, Kitzbühel has a lot to offer in summer. Thanks to this, the town and surrounding area are undeniably worth visiting even when you cannot hit the slopes. It is a perfect combination of culture and nature, and will pleasantly surprise you.
After reading this itinerary, you might wonder if three days is enough time to do it all. The best answer I can give you is that it is enough if that is all your schedule allows. However, you should extend your stay in Kitzbühel if you have the time and want to hike more or check out the mountain biking trails.
Based on what I have already seen of Kitzbühel, and given that I did not get to complete my hike, I would love to return there to tackle some more hikes and experience more of the many outdoor adventures Kitzbühel has to offer. And of course, it would also be tempting to return there in winter to hit the slopes that made this town so famous.
Do you dream of visiting Kitzbühel?
Then Pin this Summer Itinerary for Later!
More about Europe
If you are interested in outdoor adventures in Europe, you might also be interested in these guides:
Moravian Karst, Czechia Itinerary
Viewpoints in Munich
Is there anything else you want to know about Kitzbühel?
Let me know in the comments!
