Best Hikes with Public Transport around Innsbruck
Disclaimer: The information on this blog is for informational purposes only. These outdoor activities involve inherent risks, and conditions may change. I am not responsible for any injuries, losses, or damages resulting from the use of this information. Undertaking these activities without proper experience, equipment, or a qualified guide can be dangerous. Always assess your skill level, check local conditions, and proceed at your own risk.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase though my links, at no additional cost to you, which I’ll probably spend on more outdoor gear and travel to cool places.
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As the climate crisis intensifies, the environmental cost of how we travel is harder to ignore. Yet the mountains still call, and for the hundreds of thousands of visitors who make their way to Innsbruck each year, getting to the trails is getting much easier and greener.
Innsbruck is quietly one of the best-connected Alpine cities in Europe. A dense network of buses, trains, and trams threads its way into valleys that feel genuinely remote, meaning some of the region’s most spectacular hiking is without the need to drive. On top of that, guests who are staying in Innsbruck get free public transport from stays of 2+ nights with the Welcome Card for the Innsbruck City region.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through my favourite hikes around Innsbruck that are fully accessible by public transport.
The Benefits of using public transport to go hiking
Of course, there’s the environmental benefit to travelling to/from the trailhead by public transport. I hope that goes without saying. Public transport not only has a lower carbon footprint and fewer emissions, but it also removes the stress of finding parking at trailheads where parking is limited.
But there’s another big benefit. When you travel by car and park at a trailhead, you need to plan a route that ends up back at your car. That might be an out-and-back route, or if you’re lucky, a circular route that takes you through different landscapes. Then there’s the complication of overnight parking if you’re planning on staying in a mountain hut.
When you travel with public transport, you don’t have to start and finish in the same place. Suddenly, there are so many more options open to you.
Day Hikes around Innsbruck with Public Transport
The Zirbenweg – Patscherkofel to Glungezer
The Zirbenweg (Arolla Pine Trail) between the Patscherkofel in Igls and the Glungezer in Tulfes is one of Innsbruck’s most legendary hikes. The panoramic trail begins at the top station of the Patscherkofel lift and traverses to the Glungezer mountain station. While the trail is rocky and uneven in places, it has minimal elevation gain/loss, making it suitable for a range of ages and abilities.
The route can be done in either direction. When you purchase your lift ticket, you can buy a round-trip ticket that includes the ascent in one lift and the descent on the other end, with the option of adding the bus between the two lift stations as well.
Distance: 7 km
Ascent/Descent: 200m
Duration: 2.5 hours
Getting to the start: Take Bus J from Innsbruck to the Patscherkofelbahn valley station.
Getting back: Regional buses 530/540 take you back to the Patscherkofelbahn valley station. Alternatively, you can take the 540 all the way to Innsbruck.
Goethe Trail – From the Nordkette to the Pfeishütte
Another Innsbruck classic is the hike along the Goethe Trail (Goetheweg) from the top of the Nordkette in Innsbruck to the Pfeishütte mountain hut. Along the route, you’ll duck from one side to the other of the mountains above Innsbruck, with alternating views over the city on the south side, to views into the Karwendel mountains to the north.
From the Hafelekar cable car station, the trail follows the ridge along a series of gentle ups and downs, passing beneath the Hafelekarspitze, Gleirschspitze, and Mannlspitze before a short climb brings you to the Mannlscharte. From there, a switchback descent leads down to the Pfeishütte, a mountain hut open from mid-June to mid-October.
The return follows the same route. If you’d prefer to vary things on the way back, there are a few alternatives: you can descend via the Arzler Scharte or Arzler Reise, or take the path over the Kreuzjöchl down to the Vintlalm and past the Rumer Alm to the Hungerburg (the valley station of the Nordkettenbahn).
The trail is breathtaking, but it is narrow and exposed in a few sections, so you need to be sure-footed and have a good head for heights for this one.
Distance: 11 km
Ascent/Descent: 610 m / 610 m
Duration: 5 hours
Getting to/from the trailhead: You can either take the Hungerburg funicular train from the Congress station in the city centre, or take the bus J to the Hungerburg. From there, it’s up and down in the cable car to the very top station – Hafelekar.
Tip: Make sure to start this hike early if you’re doing it in a day, as you don’t want to miss the last cable car back down. Otherwise, consider making it an overnight trip and staying in the Pfeishütte overnight.
Kühtai 3 Lakes Hike
The Kühtai “Three Lakes Hike” (Drei-Seen-Wanderung) is a misleading name, as the full circuit takes you past five lakes.
There are two versions of this hike: an easier, shorter version with a chairlift, and a longer version without.
For the shorter version, you can take the 3-Seen-Bahn chairlift up to the Upper Plenderlessee. From here, you follow the trail down past the upper lake, to the Lower Plenderlessee and the Drei-Seen-Hütte mountain restaurant. From the restaurant, you have the option to return to the valley by following the wide gravel road via the large Finstertal reservoir. Alternatively, you can follow a narrower hiking trail in the opposite direction, via two more lakes, Mittere Plenderlessee and Hirschebensee.
For the longer version of this hike (mapped out below), you start the hike in the valley, slowly climbing via the Hirschebensee and Mittlere Plenderlessee lakes to the Drei-Seen-Hütte restaurant. From here, you can choose to make a short detour up to the Upper Plenderlessee (highly recommended), before continuing to the Finstertal reservoir and descending back into the valley.
Distance: 8 km
Ascent/Descent: 480 m
Duration: 3-4 hours (not including stopping at the hut or lakes)
Getting to/from the trailhead: Take the Regionalbus 420 from Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof to Kühtai Ort or Kühtai Jagdschloss (for the chairlift). Make sure to check the timetable for the return journey, as buses run every 2 hours between 1 pm and 5 pm (last bus).
I offer a slightly extended version of this hike, with an additional detour to an easy summit, as a private guided hiking tour with photos of you to remember your adventure.
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Stubai Valley
The Stubai Valley offers countless hiking opportunities, from easy walks along the valley floor to more challenging hikes higher up in the mountains.
One option is to take the bus all the way to the end of the Stubai Valley, to the valley station of the Stubai Glacier. For an easy hike, follow the trail down along the river to the Grawa Waterfall, and continue along the valley floor via the Wilde Wasser Weg via the Ruetz Canyon. For a more challenging hike, you could hike up to the stunning Mutterbergersee mountain lake.
With multiple ski resorts along the Stubai Valley that are also open in Summer, the options for hiking are almost endless. More hiking routes can be found on the Stubai tourist office website.
Getting to/from the Stubai Valley: For getting to the entrance of the Stubai Valley and hiking around the Schlick 2000 area, taking the STB tram to Fulpmes is an adventure in itself. The journey might be slow, but it’s one of the most scenic public transport journeys there is. The tram slowly meanders up through meadows that hug the hillsides, with stunning views back down to Innsbruck and into the Wipptal valley.
For getting deeper into the Stubai Valley, take the 590-594 bus.
Timetables & Tickets
To check public transport connections, you can use the IVB or VVT websites, or you can download their corresponding apps.
The IVB also has a ticket app (Apple App Store/Google Play Store), which allows you to check your connections and purchase a ticket via the app, rather than having to keep small change handy to pay the driver.
Tip: If you have the Welcome Card or the Innsbruck Card, some buses and mountain lifts may already be included with your card.
Private Hiking Tours in Innsbruck, With Stunning Photos Included
Want to explore the Austrian Alps with a local expert? I offer private guided hiking tours around Innsbruck for all abilities — with professional photos included.
