Innsbruck in 1 day
The church at opening, the mountain before noon, the ski jump before last entry — and one card that pays for it.
- How long
- 1 for this plan
- Ticket
- Innsbruck Card 24 h
- At the top
- The Hafelekar at 2,334 m
A day in Innsbruck is held in place by three closing times: the Hofkirche lets its last visitors in at 4.30, the cable car to the Hafelekar runs until 6, and Bergisel until 5.30. So the church goes first, the mountain before noon and the ski jump in the afternoon, while it is still letting people in.
Church, mountain, ski jump
The Hofkirche, at opening (€9, or the first scan of the Innsbruck Card — the card runs from first use, so it lasts until 9 tomorrow). It goes first because last entry is at 4.30, and the afternoon belongs to the mountain and the ski jump.
Congress station on the edge of the old town, past the Golden Roof on the way. The Hungerburgbahn funicular, whose stations Zaha Hadid designed, takes eight minutes to the Hungerburg; from there a cable car to the Seegrube, then another to the Hafelekar. Cars run every fifteen minutes.
The Hafelekar, 2,334 metres — 1,760 metres above the city, so it is about 11 °C colder up here: at 25 °C in Innsbruck, the summit is about 14. A return for the cable car alone is €56.
The Seegrube, the middle station with a restaurant: lunch, then down.
Back into town, then public transport, on the same card, to Bergisel.
Bergisel (€12): the inclined lift and the tower lift to the viewing deck above the Olympic ski jump.
What wrecks a day in Innsbruck
- Sundays flip this order. The Hofkirche only opens at 12.30 then, so the mountain comes first, the church after lunch, Bergisel by 5.30.
- The Hafelekar after 5. The last cable car from the top leaves at 6; go up late and you get less than an hour there.
- Bergisel as the last stop of the day. Last entry is at 5.30 and it closes at 6 — drift down from the mountain unhurried and you do not get in.
- A cable-car ticket before checking the webcams. From the valley you cannot see whether the summit is in cloud; check the summit cameras before buying, because the cable car is the dearest item of the day.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Is the Innsbruck Card worth it for one day?
It is once you add the Hofkirche and Bergisel to the Nordkette on the same day: a return to the Hafelekar is €56, and the 24-hour card €69, with city transport included.
How late do the Nordkette cable cars run?
In summer the Hungerburgbahn runs until 7.15, the cable car from the Seegrube until 6.30 and from the Hafelekar until 6. Cars leave every fifteen minutes.
How much colder is it at the top of the Nordkette?
The Hafelekar is 1,760 metres above the city, so it is about 11 °C colder up there — when Innsbruck is at 25 °C, the summit is about 14.
Ready for Innsbruck?
Where to next
Day trips from Innsbruck
→Hall in Tirol in ten minutes, Swarovski in half an hour, South Tyrol in about two hours — along the Inn and…
Kitzbühel · 78 km
→A medieval town known for one ski run in January
How well does Innsbruck suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Front row for the next trip
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