Best places for skiing in Austria holidays

Zillertal Experience: Activities, Highlights & Family Tips – A friendly, in-depth travel guide by: Dave Court

1. Introduction

Type “What can you do in Zillertal?” into Google and the answer is: almost everything an Alpine heart desires. Stretching 47 km from end to end and rising from 550 m to 3,509 m (Hochfeiler peak), the valley offers four giant ski circuits with 546 km of pistes, 1,400 km of marked hiking trails, 24 picturesque villages and Austria’s densest network of child-friendly farms and ski-in/ski-out hotels. This guide answers the most-searched questions – from “What must you see in Zillertal?” to “What to do in Zillertal when it rains?” – and shows how the Zillertal Card can cut holiday costs by up to 30 %.

2. Where is Zillertal? Map & Federal State

• Federal state: Tyrol, Austria
• Gateway: Jenbach (10 km south-east of Schwaz, 40 km east of Innsbruck)
• Map: The valley lies south of Lake Achensee, starts at Strass im Zillertal and ends at the Hintertux Glacier.
• Getting there
  – Plane: Innsbruck (INK) 55 km, Munich (MUC) 170 km, Salzburg (SZG) 160 km.
  – Train: All rail lines to Jenbach, then change to the nostalgic Zillertal steam railway (running since 1902).
  – Car: Inntal motorway A12, exit Wiesing/Zillertal, then 35 km on B169.

3. Towns & Villages in the Zillertal North → South

3. Strass im Zillertal
4. Uderns – Fügen – Fügenberg (great for families, thermal spa)
5. Kaltenbach – Ried – Stumm – Hippach (Zillertal Arena base)
6. Zell am Ziller (main administrative centre)
7. Gerlosberg – Rohrberg (panoramic road)
8. Gerlos (party & Hochkönig link)
9. Hainzenberg – Ramsau – Zellberg
10. Mayrhofen (night-life & events)
11. Brandberg – Tux – Finkenberg (Hintertux Glacier, Eggalm)
12. Schwendau – Lanersbach – Vorderlanersbach – Hintertux (year-round skiing)

4. Which Ski Area? The “Big Four” at a Glance

| Area | Villages | Pistes | Altitude | Highlights |

| Hintertux Glacier | Hintertux | Part of 546 km | 3,250 m | 365-day snow guarantee |
| Zillertal Arena | Zell, Gerlos, Königsleiten, Wald/Krimml | 150 km | 1,300–2,500 m | Largest single sector, Action-Park |
| Mayrhofen Bergbahnen | Mayrhofen, Finkenberg, Hippach | 159 km | 630–2,500 m | Harakiri slope, Penken-Park |
| Zillertal 3000 | Finkenberg, Tux, Rastkogel | 202 km | 630–3,250 m | Glacier-to-valley link |

Total:546 km of pistes, 180 lifts – placing the Zillertal among the world’s top five ski regions.
Tip: The Zillertal Superskipass covers all four sectors in one day – perfect for mileage hunters.

5. Zillertal Card – Price & What’s Included (2026)

Summer high-season

• 6 days: adults € 91.50, youth € 68.50, children € 46.00
• 12 days: adults € 146.50

15 headline freebies

1. Zillertal steam railway (incl. vintage carriages)
2. Gerlosstein summer toboggan (1.4 km)
3. Zell-Gerlosstein cable car
4. Karspitz, Wiesenalm & Penken gondolas
5. Hintertux glacier bus
6. Lake Achensee ferry (incl. rail transfer)
7. Pools: thermal spa Fügen, outdoor Mayrhofen, Sommerwelt Hippach
8. Four lifts to 3,250 m
9. Natur- & Aktivpark Zell (high-rope course, Flying-Fox)
10. Museums: Farmhouse Museum, Wood-Craft Fügen
11. One guided hike per day
12. Kids’ club “Zelli” (Zell)
13. Night toboggan Bramberg (sled included)
14. Tennis & archery
15. 10–15 % discount at 40 partners (rafting, canyoning, bike rental)

Break-even: after only three lift rides plus one swim.

6. What Must You See? 12 Top Sights

6. Hintertux Glacier – Ice Palace, bus to 3,250 m
7. Ahorn & Filzenkogel – 360° viewing platform, eagle-show Mayrhofen
8. Thermal Spa Zillertal – Europe’s longest slide (133 m)
9. Krimml Waterfalls – Europe’s tallest (380 m), 30 min drive
10. Stilluptal – traffic-free valley, gentle alpine hikes
11. Zillertal High Alpine Road – 48 km panoramic toll road (€ 11)
12. Spieljoch & Wanderwasser – geo-caching trail, via ferrata
13. Steam train “Steam & Sound” – themed vintage departures
14. Foodie stops: Zillertal doughnuts & farm-house goat cheese
15. Gerlos Pass – hair-pin heaven, Drachenwand lookout
16. Mayrhofen old town – bell-foundry museum, inns dating to 1750
17. Stillup reservoir – dam tour & crystal-clear lake

7. Zillertal with Kids – Daily Family Fun

• Adventure Park Zell: 16 m Flying Fox, slack-line, free with card
• Eagle’s Stage Mayrhofen: raptor shows 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.
• Milchstraße Hippach: seven interactive milk-themed stations
• Farm stays: 180 working farms, pony trekking, cow-milking 8:30–9:30 a.m.
• Night toboggan Bramberg: 14 km flood-lit run from 5 p.m.
• Family hotels: six-day childcare (Hotel Neuhaus, Alpenhof)
• Swimming: six outdoor + three indoor pools, 28–30 °C
• Stroller-friendly lifts: Spieljoch, Gerlosstein, Ahorn – all gondolas.

8. What to Do in Zillertal When It Rains? 20 Indoor Ideas

8. Thermal Spa Zillertal (mega-slide arena)
9. Leisure Centre Mayrhofen – four halls, 14 m climbing wall
10. Schwaz Silver Mine (30 min, combo ticket with card)
11. Swarovski Crystal Worlds Innsbruck (45 min)
12. Indoor climbing gym Kaltenbach – 80 routes, kids’ zone
13. Wood-Toy-Craft Museum Fügen
14. Farm & Cheese Museum Zellberg
15. Cineplexx Mayrhofen (Dolby Atmos)
16. Indoor mini-golf & bowling Gerlos
17. Escape Room “Lost in Tirol” (Zell)
18. Cooking class “Make your own Zillertal doughnuts” (Hotel Rosengarten)
19. Chocolate factory Fügen
20. Indoor tennis & squash Stumm
21. Fairytale Forest Königsleiten (covered wooden hut)
22. Indoor wave pool Uderns (66 m slide)
23. Crystal town Rattenberg (glass blowing, crystal shops)
24. DEZ shopping centre Innsbruck (1 hr)
25. Via-ferrata course – theory session, dry (Canyoning Center)
26. Day-spa Hotel Elisabeth (€ 18 day ticket)
27. VR experience “Glacier 360” at Hintertux Resort

9. Season-by-Season Activity Planner

SUMMER (May–Oct)

• Hiking: 1,400 km marked, 60 % of alpine pastures open mid-June
• MTB: 800 km trails, Bikepark Zillertal & Wiesenalm pump-track
• E-bikes: 36 free battery-charge stations with card
• Via ferrata: 25 routes, seven easy (B/C)
• Paragliding: Penken launch 1,900 m, tandem flights from € 120
• Rafting & canyoning: Ziller & Inn, grades WW II–V
• Farm fun: hay-making mid-June, cattle descent early Sept

AUTUMN (Sept–Oct)

• Almabtrieb festivals, pumpkin battle Ramsau
• Golden larches: 50 km of photo points on high-alpine road

WINTER (Dec–Apr)

• Skiing: 546 km pistes, 180 lifts
• Cross-country: 200 km trails, high-altitude loop at 1,900 m
• Tobogganing: eight flood-lit runs, longest 14 km (Bramberg)
• Ice-skating: six natural rinks, curling & ice-stock lanes

SPRING (Apr–May)

• Glacier skiing until Easter, valley blossom hikes

10. Ski-in / Ski-out Hotels – Top 10 for Families

10. Hotel Neuhaus** (Rohrberg/Zell) – direct Zillertal Arena slope, kids’ club, free sled hire
11. Alpenhof** (Gerlos) – 50 m piste, 45 m² family suites, petting zoo
12. Hotel Berghof** (Ramsau) – toboggan track on doorstep, 2,000 m² spa village
13. Hotel Elisabeth** (Mayrhofen) – 200 m Penken lift, 1,000 m² indoor play-world
14. Sporthotel Manni** (Fügen) – 100 m Spieljoch lift, thermal entry included
15. Hotel Gletscherblick** (Finkenberg) – 300 m glacier-bus station, childcare from age 3
16. Kinderparadies St. Georg** (Gerlosberg) – baby pool, pony farm, all-inclusive
17. Hotel Rosengarten** (Gerlos) – slope & ski-kindergarten outside the door
18. Hotel Strasser** (Mayrhofen) – 3 min walk to Penken lift & ice-rink
19. Bauernhof Pension Koidl** (Stumm) – certified organic farm, own milk, 3 min to mid-station

11. Farm Holidays – Five Hidden Gems

• Organic Dengg (Zellberg): 30 cows, on-site cheese dairy, cookery courses
• Unterlechner (Fügenberg): plant your own herb bed, guided herb walks
• Schiestl Children’s Farm (Gerlos): daily 10 a.m. alpaca trekking
• Rohrmoser Organic (Hintertux): year-round operation, donkey rides, glacier view
• Oberlechner (Ramsau): remote alpine pasture 1,600 m, tractor breakfast shuttle

12. “Wunderschön Zillertal” – When Was It Filmed?

The three-part ZDF series “Wunderschön: Zillertal” was shot in autumn 2022 and aired in January 2023. Locations: Zillertal High Alpine Road, Stilluptal, Hintertux Glacier, Mayrhofen old town. BTS footage at zdf.de/wunderschoen.

13. Altitudes & Climate

• Valley floor: 550 m (Strass) – 630 m (Mayrhofen)
• Mid-mountain: 1,000–1,800 m (alpine pastures)
• Highest peak: Hochfeiler 3,509 m
• Snow reliable: glacier 365 days, valley Dec–Apr
• Average temp: July 24 °C valley, 14 °C at 2,000 m; Jan –2 °C valley, –8 °C at 2,000 m

14. Price Check 2026 – Budget & Saving Tips

• Farm B&B from € 45 pp, 4* hotel half-board from € 115
• Day ski pass adults from € 62 (–5 % online pre-sale)
• Zillertal Card pays for itself after three lift rides
• Family bonus: third child ≤ 15 yrs usually free, babies 0–2 yrs free
• Save more: arrive Saturday not Sunday (–15 %), early-bird booking until 31 Oct (–10 %)

15. Packing Checklist

Summer: hiking boots category B/C, rain shell, swimwear, e-bike helmet, SPF 50 sun-cream, head-torch, power-bank
Winter: breathable ski-suit, layer system, cat-4 sunglasses, helmet, hydration backpack, toboggan (rent € 8/day), après-ski outfit

16. FAQ – 20 Need-to-Knows

16. Which federal state is Zillertal in?
    Tyrol, Austria.
17. How high is the Zillertal?
    Valley floor 550 m, highest summit Hochfeiler 3,509 m.
18. Where is Zillertal on the map?
    South of the A12 Inntal motorway, between Schwaz and Innsbruck.
19. What does the Zillertal Card cost?
    Six days adults € 91.50, children € 46.
20. What belongs to the Zillertal Arena?
    Zell, Gerlos, Königsleiten, Wald/Krimml – 150 km of pistes.
21. Which towns are in the Zillertal?
    24 municipalities, e.g. Mayrhofen, Zell, Fügen, Hintertux.
22. What to do in Zillertal when it rains?
    Thermal spa, climbing gym, museums, silver mine Schwaz.
23. What can you do in Zillertal?
    Ski, hike, bike, swim, wellness, culture, food.
24. What must you see in Zillertal?
    Hintertux Glacier, Krimml Waterfalls, Zillertal High Alpine Road.
25. Which ski area?
    Four big ones: Hintertux, Zillertal Arena, Mayrhofen, Zillertal 3000 – 546 km.
26. Recommended ski-in/ski-out hotel?
    Hotel Neuhaus, Alpenhof Gerlos, Hotel Elisabeth.
27. Is Zillertal good with kids?
    Yes – 180 holiday farms, kids’ hotels, six outdoor pools.
28. Price of a farm holiday?
    B&B from € 45 pp, children discounts.
29. When was “Wunderschön Zillertal” filmed?
    Autumn 2022, broadcast January 2023.
30. How many kilometres of pistes?
    546 km – one of the world’s largest linked networks.
31. Longest hiking trail?
    Berliner Höhenweg, 7 days, 86 km.
32. Glacier skiing in summer?
    365 days a year.
33. Thermal spa entry?
    Adults € 21, kids € 13, free with card.
34. Family discount on Zillertal Arena pass?
    Third child free, –5 % online pre-purchase.
35. Free hiking map?
    Available at all info offices and in the “Zillertal” app.

17. Wrap-up

Whether you google “What to do in Zillertal?” or search for a “Zillertal hotel on the slope,” the valley delivers for every taste and budget. Combine 546 km of pistes, sunny alpine pastures, thermal water and 180 children-friendly farms and you have the most versatile year-round destination in the Alps. Book early, grab the Zillertal Card and enjoy your dream holiday – rain or shine, with toddlers or as a senior couple.

Welcome to the Zillertal – updated for 2026!

Article by: Dave Court(MySportsAdviser)