Things to do in Kitzbühel

Best time to visit Kitzbühel

• a note or something on   ✦ an occasion worth the trip

• December to April

  Ski season; best snow January to March, races mid-January.

• May and November

  Shoulder; quiet, some hotels closed, cheap.

• June to October

  Summer season; hiking, golf, lake swimming.

What's on

• Hahnenkamm Races January

  The World Cup downhill weekend; the town's biggest event.

Worth the trip for

Best things to do in Kitzbühel

• Streif / Hahnenkamm ski area

  $$$

  The race mountain; ski the Streif piste itself outside race week.

• Kitzbüheler Horn

  $$

  1,996m summit with panorama trail and Gipfelhaus lunch.

• Kitzbühel old town

  Free

  Medieval lanes and the dinner district; walk morning or evening.

• Schwarzsee

  Free

  Moorland lake for summer swimming, winter skating, year-round walks.

• Aquarena

  $

  Public pool and sauna complex; the rest-day move, evenings are quiet.

• Hahnenkamm Races

  $$

  January World Cup weekend; book months ahead or avoid the dates.

• Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee golf

  $$$

  18-hole summer course by the lake; book tee times a day ahead.

• Kitzbühel Museum

  $

  Town history and race memorabilia in the old granary; a rainy-day hour.

Where to stay in Kitzbühel

• Old town (Innenstadt)

  First-timers, food and nightlife

• Hahnenkamm base

  Skiers wanting the lift first thing

• Kitzbüheler Horn side

  Views and quieter hotels

• Kirchberg / Reith villages

  Budget and families

Think twice about

• The B161/B170 road frontage

  Rooms on the through-roads get traffic noise; you never need to be on them.

• Aurach (south)

  Pretty but infrequent buses; cut off without a car.

• Race-week old town for sleep

  The Hahnenkamm weekend is loud until late; stay in Kirchberg if not here for the party.

Best restaurants in Kitzbühel

• Huberbräu-Stüberl

  $$

  Old-town Stüberl for schnitzel and goulash; the reliable dinner.

• Neuwirt

  $$$

  Gourmet Austrian cooking; the special-occasion table, book well ahead.

• Tennerhof

  $$$$

  Relais & Châteaux haute cuisine; the splurge dinner, book weeks ahead.

• Berggericht

  $$$

  Toque-rated Austrian haute cuisine with an international touch.

• CHIZZO

  $$$

  Tyrolean-Italian fusion with evening sushi; the modern dinner.

• Lois Stern

  $$$

  European-Asian open-kitchen cooking; the change-of-pace gourmet dinner.

• Hahnenkammstüberl

  $$

  Legendary hut on the Hahnenkamm; Tyrolean classics at altitude.

• Berghaus Tirol

  $$

  Mountain restaurant on the Hahnenkamm; hearty mid-ski lunch.

Outdoor things to do in Kitzbühel

• Rosi's Sonnbergstuben

  $$

  Mountain hut-restaurant on a big sun terrace; book the table.

• Seidlalm

  $$

  Tyrolean hut on the Hahnenkamm; Kaiserschmarren, arrive before 1pm.

• Kirchberg in Tirol

  $$

  Neighboring village with quieter pistes and lower prices; 10 minutes by train.

• Wilder Kaiser

  Free

  Hiking range 30 minutes north; hut-to-hut trails for serious walkers.

• Jochberg

  $$

  Pass-road village south; quieter ski side and summer lunch stops.

Best hotels in Kitzbühel

• Hotel Schwarzer Adler

  $$$$

  Historic luxury hotel on the main street; old Kitzbühel glamour.

• Hotel Kaiserhof Kitzbuehel

  $$$$

  4-star superior with ski-in/ski-out, spa and spring-water bathtubs.

• Erika Boutiquehotel Kitzbühel

  $$$$

  Design boutique hotel with a strong wellness offering.

• Rasmushof - Hotel Kitzbühel

  $$$$

  Ski-in/ski-out at the Streif foot; family-run since 1974.

• A-ROSA Kitzbühel

  $$$$

  Resort hotel with spa and golf; the full-service stay.

• Grand Tirolia Kitzbühel

  $$$$

  Luxury golf and spa resort on the Horn side.

• Schlosshotel Kitzbühel

  $$$$

  The A-ROSA castle hotel; Austria's best ski hotel laurels.

• Hotel Tiefenbrunner

  $$$

  Family-run hotel popular with families; good half-board.

Is Kitzbühel expensive? What a day costs

A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room

What to book ahead

• Hahnenkamm Races: months ahead
• Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee golf: a few days ahead
• Rosi's Sonnbergstuben: a few days ahead
• Neuwirt: weeks ahead
• Tennerhof: weeks ahead
• Berggericht: weeks ahead
• CHIZZO: a few days ahead
• Lois Stern: a few days ahead

• Neuwirt, Tennerhof, Berggericht: book gourmet dinners weeks ahead in season.
• Hahnenkamm race weekend hotels: book months ahead.
• Christmas, New Year and February: book hotels by October.

Is Kitzbühel safe?

• Safe resort town; risks are alpine (the Streif is steep, off-piste without a guide) and après-ski excess in peak weeks. Emergency: 112.

Kitzbühel travel tips: tourist traps to skip

• Old-town boutiques are priced for the luxury crowd; buy ski gear in Kirchberg.
• Seidlalm is worth the mountain lunch prices; the generic slope cafes less so.
• Race-week set menus are the value play as prices spike.
• Check actual lift distance on the map before trusting 'ski-in/ski-out' claims.

Getting around Kitzbühel: public transport and more

• Nearest airports: Innsbruck and Salzburg (1.5 hours), Munich (2 hours); the train is easy.
• Hahnenkamm cable car leaves from the town edge, Horn gondola from the other side.
• Old town is car-free and walkable; the ski bus links Kirchberg, lifts and the Horn.
• Summer Kitzbühel Alps Card (from most hotels) covers lifts and buses.
• Taxis are plentiful but pricey late at night during race week.

Who Kitzbühel suits

More in Austria

Every Austria guide