Kitzbühel is Austria’s most glamorous ski town and a real medieval town at the same time: painted houses and Gothic churches along two cobbled streets, surrounded by gentle, grassy mountains that turn into a huge ski area in winter. Every January the world watches the Hahnenkamm races on the Streif, the most feared downhill course in ski racing. The rest of the year, Kitzbühel is a summer resort of golf courses, hiking trails, mountain-bike routes and a warm moor lake. You come to ski the KitzSki area, ride the record-breaking 3S cable car, watch or walk the Streif, stroll the old town, and eat well in mountain huts and fine restaurants. Give it a long weekend in summer, or a week for skiing.
Right now in Kitzbühel
- Wed 5–21°C 41–69°F Mostly clear
- Thu 9–17°C 48–62°F 24 mm Heavy rain
- Fri 6–9°C 42–48°F 3 mm Partly cloudy
Weather: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · Rates: ECB
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Kitzbühel at a glance
- Best for: skiing in a historic town, the Hahnenkamm race, après-ski and fine dining, golf, hiking and lake swimming in summer.
- How long: a week for skiing; 2–4 days in summer for hiking, the Kitzbüheler Horn and the Schwarzsee.
- Best time: mid-December to March for skiing (January for the Hahnenkamm); late June to September for summer.
- Getting in: trains from Innsbruck take about 1 to 1 hour 30 minutes; Munich Airport is about 1 hour 45 minutes away by car or transfer.
- Getting around: the town is walkable, and free ski buses link the lifts in winter. As of October 2026, a KitzSki day pass costs €69 to €83 for adults in the 2026/27 season, depending on the date.
- Before you go: entry rules, money, mountain safety and driving are in our Austria travel guide.
The town
Kitzbühel grew rich from copper and silver mining in the 16th century, and its old town still has the shape of a medieval walled town: two parallel streets, the Vorderstadt and the Hinterstadt, lined with gabled houses painted in pastel colours, the Gothic parish church and the Liebfrauenkirche on a rise above them, and gates at either end. Today the ground floors are boutiques, cafés and designer shops. The Museum Kitzbühel tells the story of the town and its ski pioneers, and has a collection of paintings by Alfons Walde, whose images of skiers and snowy farmhouses defined the look of Kitzbühel in the 1920s and 1930s.
At about 760 m, the town sits between two mountains: the Hahnenkamm (1,712 m) to the south-west, home of the Streif and the main ski area, and the Kitzbüheler Horn (1,996 m) to the east, a rounded summit with an alpine garden and an observatory. North of the town is the Schwarzsee, a small moor lake.
The Hahnenkamm races and the Streif
First held in 1931, the Hahnenkamm races are the most famous event on the Alpine Ski World Cup calendar, drawing tens of thousands of spectators and a week of parties. The downhill on the Streif is about 3.3 km long with 860 m of vertical drop and gradients of up to 85% at the Mausefalle (Mousetrap) jump, where racers fly up to 80 m; the best finish in under two minutes.
- 2027 dates: the 87th Hahnenkamm race week runs from 18 to 24 January 2027, with the Super-G on Friday 22 January, the downhill on Saturday 23 January and the slalom on Sunday 24 January (on the Ganslern slope).
- Watching: tickets for the finish area are sold on hahnenkamm.com; standing along parts of the course is free. Book accommodation many months in advance, or stay in nearby villages, and expect road closures and crowded trains.
- Ski it yourself: outside race week, much of the Streif is part of the ski area, though the most extreme sections are closed or bypassed; it is for strong skiers only, and an icy, steep red-black run in practice. In summer, you can hike the course and see just how steep it is.
Skiing in Kitzbühel: the 2026/27 season
KitzSki links the Hahnenkamm, Pengelstein, Jochberg, Pass Thurn and the Resterhöhe on one side of the valley and the Kitzbüheler Horn on the other. Most slopes are long, wide, sunny reds and blues, perfect for intermediate skiers, with tree-lined runs and plenty of huts. The 3S cable car, opened in 2005 between Pengelstein and Wurzhöhe, crosses a 2.5 km span up to about 400 m above the valley floor, one of the most spectacular lifts in the Alps.
Season dates. As of October 2026, KitzSki plans to open the high Resterkogel area on 6 November 2026, the Hahnenkamm on the weekend of 21–22 November and daily from 27–28 November, and the Kitzbüheler Horn from 28 November. The whole area, including the 3S and the Resterhöhe, is linked from 11 December 2026 to 29 March 2027, with a season finale until 4 April 2027. Kitzbühel’s slopes are mostly below 2,000 m, so early and late snow relies on snowmaking.
Prices. KitzSki prices vary by date. As of October 2026, an adult day pass for 2026/27 costs €83 in peak season (20 December 2026 to 13 March 2027), €76 in the early and late weeks of December and March, and €69 at the very start and end of the season. Youths born 2008–2010 pay €52 to €62.50, children born 2011–2020 €34.50 to €41.50, and children born in 2021 or later ski free. Buying online in advance is usually cheaper than at the ticket office.
For more variety, the SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser–Brixental, one of Austria’s largest ski areas, starts a few minutes away. Après-ski starts at the bottom of the Hahnenkamm and in the old town bars; Kitzbühel is also known for upmarket restaurants and a sometimes celebrity-studded crowd.
Beyond skiing in winter
Non-skiers have plenty to do: groomed winter hiking paths on the Hahnenkamm and the Horn, cross-country ski trails in the valleys towards Reith and Jochberg, sledge runs, horse-drawn sleigh rides, ice skating, and spa hotels. The old town’s Advent market fills the streets from late November to Christmas, and the Snow Polo World Cup is held on the Kitzbühel snow field in January.
Food, huts and après-ski
The KitzSki area has dozens of mountain huts serving Tyrolean classics such as Kaspressknödel, Gröstl and Kaiserschmarrn on sunny terraces; book a table at the most popular ones in high season. In town, the range runs from cosy inns to restaurants with Michelin stars and toques. Après-ski starts at the bottom of the Hahnenkamm, around the Streif finish area, and moves into the bars of the Vorderstadt and Hinterstadt.
Nature
- Schleierfall
- Schwarzsee
Peaks and mountains
- Ackerlspitze
- Ellmauer Halt
- Hahnenkamm
- Kitzbüheler Horn
- Treffauer
Kitzbühel in summer
Hiking and the Kitzbüheler Horn
Gentle grassy summits make the Kitzbühel Alps ideal for family hikes and hut-to-hut walks. The Kitzbüheler Horn cable cars (summer 2026 season from 23 May to 11 October, 8:30–17:00) take you to an alpine flower garden with more than 400 plant species and a panorama over the Wilder Kaiser and the Hohe Tauern; the Hahnenkamm cable car runs until 1 November 2026, with walks along the ridge and the Streif. The Wilder Kaiser, a dramatic limestone range, is a short drive north. See our hiking guide.
Swimming at the Schwarzsee
The Schwarzsee, a small moor lake 20 minutes’ walk from the centre, warms up to about 27 °C in high summer, with a lido, jetties and a view of the Wilder Kaiser. As of October 2026, a day ticket costs €6 for adults and €3.50 for children; the 2026 bathing season ran from 23 May to 6 September. See our lake swimming and beaches guide.
Golf, biking and events
Kitzbühel has four golf courses, including the 18-hole Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee-Reith course, and hosts a professional tennis tournament in summer. Mountain bikers can ride hundreds of kilometres of marked routes, including the KitzAlpBike, and e-bikes are widely available for hire. See our cycling guide.
Activities and best months
- HikingKitzbühel counts over 1,000 km of well-marked trails, from easy family walks and mountain lakes to panoramic peaks, many starting right in the villages; cable cars take you straight up. Aurach and Jochberg are certified Austrian Hiking Villages, and summer guided hikes include a walk down the Streif ski course. · source
Day trips from Kitzbühel
The Wilder Kaiser and the village of Ellmau, the medieval town of Rattenberg, Austria’s smallest town, known for glassblowing, and the Krimml Waterfalls over the Pass Thurn are all within an hour. Zell am See–Kaprun and its glacier are about 45 minutes away, Innsbruck about an hour, and Salzburg about 1 hour 15 minutes by car.
Nearby destinations
- Zell am See-Kaprun34 km
- Zillertal41 km
- Bavarian Alps51 km
- Salzburg63 km
- Innsbruck78 km
- Dolomites94 km
- Hallstatt95 km
- Munich98 km
Getting to Kitzbühel
By train. Kitzbühel and Kitzbühel Hahnenkamm stations, both close to the centre, are on the line between Wörgl and Zell am See. From Innsbruck, direct trains take about 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes; from Salzburg, change at Wörgl or Schwarzach-St. Veit, or travel via Zell am See. From Vienna, change at Wörgl.
By air. Munich Airport is about 1 hour 45 minutes away by car, with transfer buses in winter; Innsbruck and Salzburg airports are both about an hour away.
By car. Leave the A12 Inn valley motorway at Kufstein or Wörgl (vignette required) and follow the B178 and B170. On race weekends and peak Saturdays, expect heavy traffic. Winter tyres are required in wintry conditions from 1 November to 15 April.
Getting around Kitzbühel
The old town is small and car-free in parts, and the Hahnenkamm cable car starts at its edge. In winter, free ski buses link the town with the valley stations at Fleckalm, Pengelstein, Jochberg, Pass Thurn and the Horn for ski pass holders. In summer, the guest card gives free regional buses and discounts. Parking in the centre is limited and paid; use the car parks by the cable cars.
When to go and how long to stay
Kitzbühel has cold, snowy winters and mild, showery summers, typical of the northern Alps. The table uses GeoSphere Austria’s 1991–2020 climate normals for the Kitzbühel station at 772 m (sunshine figures are not available for this station).
| Season | Average temperature | Rain and snow per month | What it’s like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | −2.5 to −0.6 °C | 61–74 mm | Cold and snowy; peak ski season and the Hahnenkamm in January |
| Spring (Mar–May) | 3.8 °C rising to 12.9 °C | 80–124 mm | Spring skiing in March; lifts close in April, valley green by May |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | 16.3–18.0 °C | 155–169 mm | Mild with afternoon showers; hiking, golf and lake swimming |
| Autumn (Sep–Nov) | 13.6 °C falling to 2.9 °C | 118 falling to 77 mm | Settled September days, cattle drives; ski season opens in November |
Kitzbühel gets about 1,270 mm of precipitation a year, most of it in summer, with an average temperature of 8.2 °C.
A ski week
Warm up on the Kitzbüheler Horn’s sunny slopes, ride the 3S across to Jochberg and the Resterhöhe for big circuits, ski the Hahnenkamm and the bottom of the Streif, and spend an afternoon walking the old town and the museum.
3 days in summer
Day 1: the old town, the museum and an afternoon swim at the Schwarzsee. Day 2: the Kitzbüheler Horn and its flower garden, or a ridge hike from the Hahnenkamm. Day 3: the Wilder Kaiser, or a day trip to the Krimml Waterfalls.
Weather month by month
Averages from GeoSphere Austria normals 1991–2020, Innsbruck Airport · Last reviewed 4 Oct 2026
Where to stay in Kitzbühel
- Old town: historic hotels within a few minutes’ walk of the Hahnenkamm cable car and the restaurants.
- Near the Hahnenkamm and Fleckalm lifts: ski-in or close-to-lift hotels and chalets.
- Schwarzsee: quieter hotels by the lake and the golf course.
- Kirchberg, Jochberg and Reith: better value, linked to the same ski area.
Kitzbühel is one of the most expensive resorts in the Alps in peak season, and prices soar during Hahnenkamm week. Ask for the guest card, which gives free local buses and discounts in summer.
Practical tips for Kitzbühel
- Book race week early: rooms for 18–24 January 2027 sell out many months ahead.
- Buy passes online: KitzSki prices vary by date, and online is usually cheaper.
- Check snow at altitude: early and late in the season, the higher Resterhöhe and Pengelstein sectors have the best snow.
- Stay on marked pistes: off-piste needs a guide, a transceiver and a check of the Tyrol avalanche bulletin; call 140 in a mountain emergency.
What to pack for Kitzbühel
In winter: warm ski clothing, goggles, a helmet, a neck warmer and boots with grip for icy streets (skis and boards can be hired). In summer: hiking shoes, a rain jacket for afternoon showers, sun cream, swimwear for the Schwarzsee, and smart-casual clothes for dinner in town.
What to pack
- Day packs and anti-theft bagsA 20–30 litre pack carries layers, water, a head torch and snacks on full-day levada walks.
- Fleeces and warm layersSummits like Pico do Areeiro averaged about 11 °C over 2024, so a fleece is needed even in summer.
- HeadlampsLevada routes such as PR1 and PR9 pass through long, dark, wet tunnels.
- Hiking shoes and bootsMadeira's levadas and the Azores' crater rims are wet, rocky and slippery, so grippy shoes matter more than anywhere else in Portugal.
- Rain jacketsMountain and island weather changes fast; a real shell beats an umbrella in the wind.
- Trekking polesLong stone staircases and steep descents on Madeira's peaks and the Azores' crater rims are easier on the knees with poles.
- Water bottles and hydration packsAlgarve and Alentejo trails are hot and exposed with few refill points.
Kitzbühel travel FAQ
When is the Hahnenkamm race in 2027?
Race week runs from 18 to 24 January 2027: Super-G on Friday 22 January, downhill on the Streif on Saturday 23 January and slalom on Sunday 24 January.
When does the ski season start in Kitzbühel?
The Resterkogel area is planned to open on 6 November 2026 and the Hahnenkamm from late November; the whole area is linked from 11 December 2026 to 29 March 2027, with a finale until 4 April.
How much is a ski pass in Kitzbühel?
For 2026/27, an adult day pass costs €83 in peak season and €69 to €76 at the start and end of the season. Children born in 2021 or later ski free.
Can beginners ski in Kitzbühel?
Yes. Most slopes are wide blues and reds, there are several ski schools and nursery areas, and the Kitzbüheler Horn has gentle, sunny runs. The Streif is for experts only.
Is Kitzbühel worth visiting in summer?
Yes, for easy hiking, golf, mountain biking and swimming in the warm Schwarzsee, with the lifts open from late May to October and a lively old town.
How do I get to Kitzbühel from Munich?
By car or airport transfer in about 1 hour 45 minutes, via Kufstein. By train, change at Wörgl; the fastest connections from Munich Airport take about 2 hours 20 minutes.
How steep is the Streif?
Up to 85% at the Mausefalle jump, with 860 m of vertical drop over about 3.3 km. Racers reach more than 140 km/h.
What is the 3S cable car in Kitzbühel?
A three-cable gondola, opened in 2005, that links the Pengelstein and Wurzhöhe sectors of KitzSki across a span of about 2.5 km, up to about 400 m above the valley floor. It runs in the main winter season.
Is Kitzbühel expensive?
It is one of the pricier Alpine resorts, especially at Christmas, in February and during Hahnenkamm week. Staying in Kirchberg, Jochberg or Reith, skiing in January or March and eating lunch at mountain huts all help keep costs down. Summer is noticeably cheaper than winter.
Sources
- © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL · fetched 4 Oct 2026
- Wikidata · CC0 · fetched 4 Oct 2026
Sources and last review
Researched and last reviewed on 4 October 2026. Race dates and schedule: Kitzbüheler Ski Club (hahnenkamm.com); ski season dates and 2026/27 prices: Bergbahn AG Kitzbühel (kitzski.at); the Horn summer season: Tirol Werbung; the Schwarzsee lido: Kitzbühel Tourismus; climate: GeoSphere Austria 1991–2020 normals. Streif statistics, the 3S cable car, mountain heights, golf and travel times come from secondary sources or general knowledge and are flagged for checking. Prices, timetables and rules change, so check the official links before you go. For Austria-wide entry rules, money and mountain safety, see our Austria travel guide.
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