Mayrhofen travel guide
Penken and the Harakiri, gentle Ahorn and a bus to the Hintertux Glacier
Mayrhofen is a ski and hiking village at the head of Tyrol's Zillertal, with two lifts from the centre and free buses to the Hintertux Glacier. Ski from December to April or hike from June to September. Most visitors stay a Saturday-to-Saturday week. Prices are high, and many passports get 90 days without a visa.
Mayrhofen sits at the top end of the Zillertal in Tyrol, about an hour from Innsbruck. Here the flat valley floor runs out and side valleys branch towards Tux, Ginzling and the Zillergrund. Two big lifts leave straight from the village, and free buses link a dozen more, so a car is not needed for a ski week.
Penken is the busy side. The Penkenbahn gondola rises from the centre into a large linked area that also reaches Finkenberg and Hippach. Up there is the Harakiri, signed at a 78 percent gradient and billed as the steepest groomed run in Austria. Ahorn is reached by a big cable car on the other side of the village. Its slopes are wide and gentle, a better place to learn.
Up the Tux valley, the Hintertux Glacier stays open year-round and is on the free ski bus network, which is useful when lower slopes are thin. Helmets are not compulsory here, but wear one anyway. Pick up a paper piste map at the lift office, because maps on the mountain are few.
Accommodation here runs Saturday to Saturday. Agents and hotels sell full weeks, and that rhythm affects other prices too: private instructors cost more early in the week and less on Fridays and Saturdays. The tourist office on the Marktplatz gives out a thick brochure with every train and bus timetable in the valley, worth grabbing on day one.
Summer brings walkers to the Zillertal Alps nature park, with the Schlegeis reservoir at the end of the road beyond Ginzling. Back in the village, Café Kostner keeps families happy with strudel and a toy room for children. Snowbombing, a dance-music festival held in April, makes the place loud for a week.
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Top things to do in Mayrhofen
Two ski areas from the village, a glacier up the side valley and high summer trails.
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Best time to visit Mayrhofen
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Penken and Ahorn open, with the Hintertux Glacier as a backup when snow is thin.
Mountain huts open and trails in the Zillertal Alps clear of snow.
Quiet, with many lifts and hotels closed.
Snowbombing fills the village in April; book early for that week or pick another if you want quiet nights.
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Getting there
Main line to Jenbach, then the Zillertalbahn
Everyone arriving by rail changes at Jenbach in the Inn valley, where the narrow-gauge Zillertalbahn leaves its own ZL platform about every 30 minutes; buy that ticket on board. From Vienna the trip takes about six hours. Innsbruck is the nearest airport, Munich has more flights and road transfers, and drivers use the Zillertal motorway exit.
- Zillertalbahn
- Jenbach to Mayrhofen about every 30 minutes, ticket on board
- From Vienna
- About six hours with the change at Jenbach
- Return tickets
- Mayrhofen is a Zillertalbahn station, so book ÖBB main-line returns online or in the app
- By car
- Inn valley motorway to the Zillertal exit, then up the valley
- Near the top of the line the Zillertalbahn fills with skiers, so keep luggage out of the aisle.
- On the long leg from Vienna, a seat in a compartment carriage and the restaurant car make life easier with children.
- Book ÖBB main-line returns online or in the app, as Mayrhofen is a Zillertalbahn station.
Where to stay
Penkenbahn end, Ahornbahn end or up the Tux valley
Sleep near the lift you will ride most. The Penkenbahn end puts you by the bars and Marktplatz, noisy in Snowbombing week; the Ahornbahn end suits beginners. Finkenberg is calmer with its own Penken lift, and Hintertux sits under the glacier with little to do after dark. Most places sell Saturday-to-Saturday weeks.
- Around the Penkenbahn and Marktplatz
- Bars, shops, the tourist office; lively and loud at night
- Near the Ahornbahn
- Quieter, handy for beginners on Ahorn's wide slopes
- Finkenberg
- Smaller village with a lift into the Penken area; few evening options
- Hintertux
- Beside the year-round glacier; remote, little to do after dark
Getting around
Zillertal ski-bus lines and the narrow-gauge train
The village is long, up to an hour end to end, but the Marktplatz, tourist office and Penkenbahn are close together. Winter ski buses, mostly free with a pass, reach a dozen lift bases including Hintertux. Pick up the tourist office brochure with every valley timetable, and use the Zillertalbahn for Zell am Ziller and Fügen.
- Penkenbahn
- Gondola from the village centre to the Penken
- Ahornbahn
- Cable car up to the Ahorn plateau
- Ski buses
- To Hintertux and the other valley lifts, mostly free with a pass
- Zillertalbahn
- Down the valley to Zell am Ziller, Fügen and Jenbach
Know before you go
What makes Mayrhofen worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The Harakiri on the Penken, steep enough that just watching from the lift is entertainment.
- Ahorn's wide plateau, a calm place to learn away from the Penken crowds.
- The Hintertux Glacier, a free bus ride away and open all year.
- The Zillertalbahn, the narrow-gauge line from Jenbach that runs up the valley.
- The Schlegeis reservoir, high in the Zillertal Alps at the end of the road beyond Ginzling.
Good to know
- Weeks run Saturday to Saturday, and private lessons are cheaper later in the week.
- Book ÖBB return tickets online; Mayrhofen is a Zillertalbahn station, not an ÖBB one.
- The Zillertalbahn gets packed with skiers near the top of the line, so stow luggage tightly.
- Mountain signs are sparse; carry the paper piste map from the lift office.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Mayrhofen, month by month
Mayrhofen's winters are dry, with only about 46 mm in February, so the valley floor can look bare. July is warmest, about 24°C, and wettest at around 149 mm.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Mayrhofen (Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics, via Wikipedia).
Seven days from Penken to the Hintertux Glacier
A Mayrhofen ski week usually runs Saturday to Saturday. Use arrival day for lift passes and the bus timetable brochure, ski the Penken on Sunday with the links to Finkenberg, give Monday and Tuesday to the gentle Ahorn if anyone is learning, and keep a day for the year-round Hintertux Glacier.
Monday and Tuesday suit the Ahorn if anyone in the group is learning: the plateau is wide, the gradients are gentle and ski schools work there. Stronger skiers can return to the Penken and explore the corners they missed.
Midweek, keep a clear day for the Hintertux Glacier. The ski bus climbs the Tux valley to its base, and if the forecast is grey lower down, swap it to whichever day the sun is out at altitude. Thursday to Saturday is when private instructors cost less, because most guests are about to leave, so book coaching for the end of the week. On the last evening, return gear early: the Zillertalbahn heading down to Jenbach on Saturday morning is packed with skis.
Graukäse, Krapfen and Café Kostner's playroom
Zillertal cooking is farm food, made for cold days. Look for Zillertaler Krapfen, fried pastry pockets filled with potato and the valley's sharp grey cheese, and for Graukäse itself, a low-fat sour cheese served with onions, vinegar and oil. Hut menus on the Penken and the Ahorn add Kaspressknödel and Kaiserschmarrn, the standard ski lunch across Tyrol.
Families tend to end up at Café Kostner, which sells snacks, light meals and a good strudel, and has a garden terrace plus a small playroom for children. Parents get a coffee in peace; children rarely want to leave.
For a serious dinner, the Edhof down the valley at Kapfing, a café-restaurant at a riding stable, has a name for its steaks. It is closed early in the week, so check the days and reserve. Many guests eat half-board at their hotel, which keeps evenings simple on a Saturday-to-Saturday week. During Snowbombing in April, book restaurants early.
Snowbombing week, bare valley floors and Schlegeis summers
Mayrhofen's season runs from December into April. January is coldest, with highs near 1°C and only about 55 mm of precipitation, so the valley floor can look bare while the Penken is skiable; the Hintertux Glacier is the fallback. March brings sun and cover. Snowbombing takes over the village for a week in April.
Snowbombing, a dance-music festival, takes over the village for a week in April; come for the party, or pick another week if you want quiet nights. May, October and November are the dead months, when many lifts and hotels close.
Summer is the second high season. July highs average about 24°C, though it is also the wettest month at roughly 150 mm, mostly in afternoon storms. Mountain huts open, high trails in the Zillertal Alps nature park clear of snow, and the road beyond Ginzling climbs to the Schlegeis reservoir under the main Alpine ridge. Set out early and plan to be off the ridges by mid-afternoon.
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How we research our Mayrhofen travel guide
Zillertalbahn times, ski buses and lift links for Mayrhofen were checked with the resort, Austria.info and ÖBB.
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Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of MayrhofenAustria.infoÖBB Austrian Federal Railways
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Mayrhofen.
Cancellations & changes
At Jenbach, a short main-line hop east of Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof. The narrow-gauge train leaves from the ZL platform roughly every half hour and terminates in Mayrhofen.
General
The Ahorn. Its plateau is broad and gentle with fewer people, while the Penken is busier and home to steep pistes like the Harakiri.
Yes. Ski buses run up the Tux valley to the glacier, which is open all year.
A groomed run on the Penken signed at a 78 percent gradient, billed as the steepest in Austria. Watch it from the lift before deciding.
No, they are not required on the pistes, but wearing one is sensible and most skiers do.
Hike in the Zillertal Alps nature park, stop at the mountain huts, and take the road beyond Ginzling to the Schlegeis reservoir.
The village is long, up to an hour end to end, but the Marktplatz, tourist office and Penkenbahn are close together. Winter ski buses, mostly free with a pass, reach a dozen lift bases including Hintertux. Pick up the tourist office brochure with every valley timetable, and use the Zillertalbahn for Zell am Ziller and Fügen.
Timing & weather
Up to an hour end to end, though the Penkenbahn, the Marktplatz and most hotels sit within a few minutes of each other in the centre.
The festival takes place in April. Book well ahead, or choose another week if you want a quiet stay.
The best time to visit Mayrhofen is Dec to Apr, Jun to Sep. Penken and Ahorn ski season, then summer huts and high trails.
- Ski season: December - April (Penken and Ahorn open, with the Hintertux Glacier as a backup when snow is thin)
- Summer: June - September (Mountain huts open and trails in the Zillertal Alps clear of snow)
- Shoulder months: May, October - November (Quiet, with many lifts and hotels closed)
July is the warmest month in Mayrhofen, with average highs of 24°C, and January the coolest, with lows of -4°C. July is the wettest month, at about 149 mm of rain; February is the driest. Mayrhofen's winters are dry, with only about 46 mm in February, so the valley floor can look bare.
Getting there
Direct trains run from Munich Hauptbahnhof to Jenbach. From there the narrow-gauge Zillertalbahn leaves about every 30 minutes, and you can buy the ticket on board.
Stay & facilities
In winter most rooms are sold Saturday to Saturday, through agents and hotels alike. Shorter stays are easier to find outside peak weeks.
Visa & documents
Austria is a Schengen country. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Crime rates in Austria are very low. The main risks are in the mountains: changeable weather, avalanches and hiking accidents. Check avalanche warnings before skiing off-piste, start hikes early after checking the forecast, carry insurance that covers mountain rescue, and call 112 in any emergency.
