Innsbruck is a colorful, picturesque city nestled in the Austrian Alps. Its biggest draw is its location. Innsbruck sits in a valley and it surrounded by enormous, snow-capped mountains. This is a city with endless views…ride cable cars to the mountain peaks, visit a ski jump, or climb the Town Tower for unbeatable views. With its close proximity to Italy and Germany, Innsbruck makes a great stop on a road trip or railway trip through Europe.
You only need a few hours to see the highlights of Innsbruck, but if you have more time, there is plenty to do to keep you busy.
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8 Great Things to Do in Innsbruck
Aldstadt von Innsbruck (the Old Town)
The Old Town is compact, scenic, and easy to visit. Stroll the colorful streets, go shopping, and if you are lucky, you may be able to see a street performance. Most of the main sites in Innsbruck are within walking distance from the Old Town or connected by the tram.
For Breathtaking Views, Ride the Cable Car
There are a series of cable cars that can whisk you to the top of the Nordkette Mountains for 360° views over the area.
You have three options for ascending the Nordkette Mountains:
The Hungerburg Funicular takes riders a short ways up to Hermann Buhl Square. This is the cheapest, quickest option. For just a few euros, you can get some amazing views over the city. For budget travelers, this is a great option. Here is the view from Hermann Buhl Square.
From Hermann Buhl Square, take the Nordkette cable car (also called the Innsbrucker Nordkettenbahnen) to Seegrube. Now, you are really climbing high. Once at the top, enjoy the amazing view. You also have the option to hike the Panorama Trail, an easy hiking trail that can be completed in 30 minutes.
The third cable car, from Seegrube to Hafelekar Peak, takes you as high as you can go (2,300 meters). From here, you get panoramic views of the Alps.
There are a variety of sports and leisure activities offered in Seegrube and Hafelekar Peak. Go downhill mountain biking, hiking, handgliding, skiing, and more.
For full details on ticket prices, hours of operation, and planning your visit, go to the Nordkette website. Tickets can also be purchased through GetYourGuide, and the last we checked, tickets purchased on the GetYourGuide website can be canceled up to 24 hours in advance with a full refund.
For Another Scenic View, Climb the Town Tower
The Town Tower (Stradtturm) is located in the Old Town of Innsbruck. For just a few euros, you can climb the tower for a different perspective of the city.
See the Hofkirche and the Cathedral of St. James
These are two small churches located in the Old Town. The Hofkirche is notable for its 28 bronze statues of the ancestors and heroes of Austria. The Cathedral of St. James is a favorite of tourists for its Baroque architecture.
Cathedral of St. James
Schloss Ambras
Schloss Ambras was a medieval fortress that was turned into a Renaissance castle for the wife of Archduke Ferdinand II. Now, you can see the medieval armor and artwork dating back hundred of years.
Tirol Panorama
There are two reasons to visit the Tirol Panorama: to learn about Tirol history and to get more views over the city of Innsbruck. This is a new, modern museum that takes visitors on a journey through the tumultuous history of Tirol.
Bergisel Ski Jump
So, the stunning views are endless in this city. From the top of the ski jump, you are rewarded with anther panoramic view of Innsbruck. This ski jump is also used for training and competitive purposes, so if you are here at the right time, you will also be able to watch ski jumping.
Olympiaworld
Innsbruck hosted the 1964 and the 1976 Winter Olympics. The sports complexes at Olympiaworld were used during the Olympics and are still in use today. Watch ice skating, ice hockey, soccer, and even music events.
Planning Your Visit
Getting to Innsbruck
Innsbruck is located on the long, skinny tail of Austria that is wedged between Italy and Germany. If you have a car, in just 30 minutes you can be in either Germany or Italy. If you are traveling by rail, the Innsbruck station connects European cities such as Venice, Munich, Salzburg, and Zurich. There is also an airport in Innsbruck.
The Innsbruck Card
If you are planning on visiting many of the museums in Innsbruck, as well as riding the cable car, the Innsbruck Card is worth purchasing. This card covers a ride on the Innsbrucker Nordkettenbahnen cable car (as well as several others in the area), admission into all museums and tourist attractions, free transportation on buses, trams, and bicycles, and it even includes a free walking tour. The card is available for 24, 48, or 72 hours.
If you plan on riding the Innsbrucker Nordkettenbahnen and visiting the Bergisel Ski Jump Stadium, the card pays for itself.
For full details on the Innsbruck card, click here.
You can also purchase the Innsbruck Card through GetYourGuide. It’s the same price as the official website, and the last we checked, if you purchase it on the GetYourGuide website, it can be canceled up to 24 hours in advance with a full refund.
More Things to Do in Innsbruck
Go paragliding, take a food tour, and even go white water rafting. These tours make great additions to your visit to Innsbruck.
If you have any questions about the best things to do in Innsbruck, let us know in the comment section below.
More Information for Your Trip to Innsbruck
AUSTRIA: Learn how to spend one day in Hallstatt and one day in Salzburg.
VIENNA: Get started with our article about the best things to do in Vienna. Don’t miss our guide to 10 must-visit cafes and coffee houses in Vienna and learn how to spend one perfect day in Vienna.
BAVARIA, GERMANY: Take an amazing 10 day road trip in Bavaria, visiting Munich, Neuschwanstein, Berchtesgaden, Salzburg, Innsbruck, and drive the Romantic Road in Germany.
DOLOMITES, ITALY: The Dolomites are located in Italy, not far from Innsbruck. We cover important things to know before you go and travel tips in our article How to Plan a Trip to the Dolomites. For ideas on what to do, read our article Best Things to Do in the Dolomites. Check out our Dolomites Hotel Guide for recommendations on where to stay. And for links to all of our articles, take a look at our Dolomites Travel Guide.
TRAVEL INSPIRATION: For more travel ideas, here are 10 unique destinations to put on your travel wish list and 10 bucket list destinations from around the world.
Planning a trip to Austria? Read all of our articles in our Austria Travel Guide.
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Comments 20
Always love the details of your trips. Just curious if you have any hotel recommendations for Innsbruck. We are planning on visiting in late June and will have a car. Just two adults for 2 nights. Thanks so much for your help.
Author
We don’t have hotel recommendations for Innsbruck (we visited on a day trip from Garmisch-Partenkirchen). However, we use Booking.com to find and book our hotels, preferring to stay in places that get a 9.0 or higher, so you could start your search here. Cheers, Julie
Hi Earthtrekkers
We love you and all of your travel advice. We have used and purchased a few itineraries and they have been great!!!
Question / dilemma
We are going to a wedding in Tuscany in May
Flights to Florence are expensive and we have already been to Rome so would rather not fly into Rome. Innsbruck is a great flight option and was thinking of renting a car and driving to Venice as we have never been there and then down to Tuscany
Is this a good plan ? Pros / cons
Any place we should stop along the way ?!
Thanks again – love The Herans
Author
Hello the Herans! Flying into Innsbruck and driving to Tuscany sounds like a great plan to me, just research rental car prices because it could be expensive picking it up in Austria and dropping it in Italy. Rental car prices can be crazy and you could find that flying into Rome and heading right to Florence could actually be cheaper. Between Innsbruck and Venice you will drive right through the Dolomites, one of the prettiest parts of Europe in my opinion. However, May is a challenging month to visit the Dolomites because many cable cars shut down that month for maintenance. Marmolada might be open so you could add that onto the drive. Even without riding the cable cars to the peaks, the Dolomites are still beautiful to drive through. Let me know if you have any more questions! Cheers, Julie
Thanks so much Julie , we appreciate the advice! The majn idea is to be able to see Venice on the way and we have been to Rome so I think we will be doing the drive. The thought now is to fly to Innsbruck drive to Tuscany for all of the wedding activities and then drive back to innsbruck to drop the car and fly out. I LOVE the Dolomites idea as we love to hike , any hiking recommendations would be great and thanks again 🙂
Author
In May, the Dolomites is not a good hiking destination as most of the trails are still snow covered. The best time to go hiking in the Dolomites is from mid June through September. But you can still drive through them in May, and maybe ride a cable car (if open) for the views. But the Dolomites would make a great future trip! Cheers, Julie
Love your website and often use it for planning trips to Europe. Thank you!
You mention in this post (“8 Great Things to do in Innsbruck” ) that it’s a 30 minute drive from Innsbruck to Italy or Germany. How were you able to do that?
We have recently run into problems with driving and crossing European borders in a rental car due to the Low Emissions zones regulated by each specific European country. Each car, including rentals, must have some sort of registration/sticker to track whether they are allowed in the low emission zones, but unfortunately it is tied to the specific vehicle registation in a specific country.
So a German rental car is not legal to drive in an Italian or Austrian low emission zones because it is a foreign registered car that is not approved to drive in the ZTL’s in Italy or low emissions zones in Austria and Italy. Large fines will apply.
Can you explain how you were able to drive a rental car from Austria across the border to Germany and Italy as I am in a wheelchair and we must have our own car to get around. Train transporation won’t work for me.
I would like to plan a 4 week trip to the Dolomites, Lake Garda, Innsbruck, Saltzburg and Bavaria. I can’t do that if we are not allowed to bring a German rental car across the border to Austria or Italy because the license and VIN number are not registered by the owner, the rental car company, with the correct documentation in a foreign country. This is not the road toll sticker which you can buy at the border or gas station in Germany and Austria. The low emssions sticker is not something you can get at the border or a gas station when you drive across the border.
The highway/road running west to east through Innsbruck has severe restrictions as to what type of car/emissions is allowed and the appropriate registration sticker for being allowed on a low emmisions road/area.
This topic might be a good future post for you as the low emissions zones are only increasing and each European country has their own regulations and registrations that they administer. Your readers might be interested as they look to your expertise for European travel.
Any help or suggestions you can give would be great. Otherwise I will have to give up on the idea of going to more than one country during our trip.
Author
Hello Diane. Thank you for writing in. We visited Innsbruck in 2014, so it’s been quite some time. Most recently (last summer) we rented a car in Venice and dropped it in Chamonix, France and had no issues. Several years before that, we rented a car in Slovakia, visited Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, France, and Switzerland with no issues. However, we did not drive in the city center or low emission zones while we had the rental car. I did some research online and it appears that most of the restrictions are on larger vehicles (such as vans and trucks) and in city centers, not the entire country, but I could be wrong. If, in what you have learned, Italy is more restrictive, you could start your trip in Italy and end in Germany. Cheers, Julie
Hello, thanks a lot for this article! I’m planning my trip to Germany and Austria, and this is just what I needed 🙂
Quick question: When you mention the third cable car, from Seegurbe to Hafafelkar Peak (I think that’s the name, I can’t copy it somehow), is this third cable car included in the Innsbruck Card? Or is it extra?
Author
Yes, I am fairly certain that the entire cable car route in included on the Innsbruck Card. I found this info which might be helpful. Have fun in Germany and Austria! Cheers, Julie
Hello and thank you for your wonderful website! My husband and I have about 12 hours in Innsbruck and are wondering how long you suggest for the Nordkette/Hafelekar Peak visit. We would like to do that in the morning, and take the train to Salzburg in the afternoon. Thanks!
Author
Hello Lori. I would budget 2 to 3 hours to go to the peak. That includes time on the cable cars and time for the views at the top. Cheers, Julie
I’m heading to Innsbruck from Stuttgart on the A7. Are there places to stop for the vignette along that section, say from Ulm to the border?
Author
You can purchase a vignette at the gas stations and rest stops near the border between Germany and Austria. So keep a lookout for a gas station right before you get to Austria and you should be able to purchase a vignette here. Cheers, Julie
Hi I am planning a ten day relaxed vacation in Austria with my husband for our anniversary in Oct.Can you suggest some cities that we can cover . We are planning to visit Vienna Salzburg and Innsbruck. Any advice /suggestions. Also we don’t know German will that be a problem
Author
Vienna, Salzburg, and Innsbruck are great. You can also add in Hallstatt. While in Salzburg, it might be nice to day trip into Berchtesgaden, Germany. It’s a beautiful area. You don’t need to speak German, although being able to say hello, goodbye, please, thank you, and few other short phrases is always appreciated. But you will be able to get by just fine with English. Cheers, Julie
Hi, I am planning to visit Innsburg from Salzburg for one day.What is the best itenary for one day.
And we are 6 people, where to park a car for one day in Innsbruck.
Author
Hello James. If it is a clear day, I would start with the cable car. In general, the skies tend to be clear in the morning and get cloudier in the afternoon (but this is just a generalization). Then, walk around the Old Town, have lunch and later in the day see the Olympic sites, the Panorama, and the ski jump. Maybe end with dinner again in the Old Town. If I remember correctly, we parked in a public parking lot just outside of the Old Town. On Google Maps, you can search for parking and then save these on your map. Cheers, Julie
Hi I am planning 8-12 days trip to Budapest-Prague-Austria.
Need your help to plan out austria well.
Author
There’s a lot to do in Austria. Take a look at our Austria page and our 10 Day Budapest Vienna Prague itinerary for more info. Cheers, Julie