Tyrolean Alps: Garmisch to Innsbruck

The Tour from Garmisch to Innsbruck is suitable for experienced hikers with mountain/alpine experience and a good level of fitness​ due to the length of the stages, the altitude and the nature of the trail. The route profile requires surefootedness and a head for heights. The stage to Hallerangerhaus stands out due to its length and requires a good level of fitness.​

Before your tour, we recommend walking regularly and incorporating some hilly terrain into your routine. Be sure check the daily distances and elevation changes outlined in your itinerary.

The landscape along the Hike from Garmisch to Innsbruck is characterised by beautiful alpine panoramas. Along the way you will pass through green alpine meadows, dense forests and the Karwendel mountain range. The stages are a mixture of woodland trails, rocky mountain paths, gravel tracks, boulder strewn-paths and faint, narrow mountain trails. Walkers should be prepared for uneven but well-maintained surfaces in places, but there are no technical challenges.

This tour is graded moderate overall, with some days leaning toward the more strenuous end of the scale and others easier. Within the tour, individual days may vary in difficulty - some sections are a bit tougher or easier than the overall rating suggests.

Accommodation is a mix of hotels and guesthouses, with one night spent in a mixed-sex dorm room at a mountain hut for a true alpine experience. All of our properties are hand-picked and offer a warm welcome to walkers - if your usual accommodation isn't available, we'll use one of a similar or better standard.

Please note that twin and double rooms in this region are often two single mattresses pushed together under one bed frame, each with its own separate duvet and pillows, rather than a single shared mattress and duvet.

Unfortunately, this tour is not available to solo travelers due to the remote nature of the terrain. We can, however, offer single rooms if you're traveling with others. These are available for a supplement.

Breakfast is included each morning, usually served buffet-style with a continental spread of bread, jams, pastries, yogurt and muesli, plus local meats, cheeses, eggs and fruit. Lunch and most dinners aren't included, giving you the freedom to choose - you may be able to order a packed lunch at your accommodation, or pick up something from a bakery or shop in town, and there are also lunch options along the way in typical alpine chalets and huts. One dinner is included during your stay at the mountain hut. Food in this region is hearty and traditional, with local specialties like Tiroler Gröstl (a bacon, onion and potato fry-up topped with a fried egg), Käsespätzle (an eggy pasta topped with melted cheese), and the classic Kaiserschmarrn (fluffy chopped pancakes served with icing sugar and jam or compote) all worth trying.

You can start this tour any day between mid-June and the start of October. Mid-July to mid-August is the busiest period, with local holidaymakers filling the towns along the way, while June and July are ideal for catching the alpine wildflowers in full bloom.

Keep in mind that the weather can change quickly at altitude, and cold fronts - even snowfall - aren't unheard of in the Alps at the height of summer, so come prepared for a range of conditions.

Your bags will be transferred between each accommodation as per your itinerary. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg/44lbs per person.

Please note that your bag can't be transferred to the remote mountain hut on this route due to its location - on this day you'll carry a few overnight essentials in your day pack and be reunited with your main bag the following day at your next accommodation.

All of the walks are way-marked.

Navigation is straightforward using our app which has maps, tracks and daily route info. Simply download the information and tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone. Once on the trail you do not need signal for the app to work and follow your progress.

Fly into Munich Airport, then take a train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen (around 2.5 hours, with one change), or fly into Innsbruck Airport and take a bus to Garmisch-Partenkirchen (around 2h45). We can also arrange private transfers from either airport to the start point, just ask us for more information.

From Innsbruck, you can take the train back to Munich Airport (around 1h45, direct), or depart from Innsbruck Airport, just a 10-minute taxi ride from the centre of Innsbruck.

You'll need good hiking shoes or boots, comfortable hiking clothes, waterproofs, a daypack, and we recommend hiking poles. A portable charger for your cell phone is essential. On booking, our Tour Info will give you a complete packing list.

On certain days you can shorten the route or skip it entirely by using a taxi or public transport.

Some walks start directly from your hotel, while others require a short transfer by local bus or cable car - these aren't included in the cost of your tour and are payable locally, with details provided in your route notes.

We highly recommend that you have travel insurance when you book with Macs Adventure. Your policy should cover medical treatment (including repatriation and emergency evacuation by air ambulance or helicopter), injury, death, third-party liability, and trip cancellation