Overview
The Inn Cycle Path follows the River Inn for 520km through Switzerland, Austria and Germany. This section from Austria’s Tyrolean capital of Innsbruck to Passau in Germany takes you along foothills of the Alps into Bavaria over eight days, on a self-guided cycling holiday. Stay in a mix of hotels and traditional guesthouses in historic riverside towns such as Kufstein, with its impressive fort, and the legendary spa town of Bad Füssing, and cycle through an array of baroque beauties en route. This includes Passau, at the confluence of the Danube, Inn, and Ilz, where the tour draws to a fine finale.
- Tyrolean capital of Innsbruck
- Bavarian Alps
- Wasserbrug am Inn
- Bad Füssing spa town
- Passau
- Kufstein
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Innsbruck
Arrive in Innsbruck and, if time allows, spend the afternoon strolling through this Alpine city, featuring an Old Town which is home to historical landmarks such as The Imperial Palace and Innsbruck Cathedral. Alternatively, take the Innsbruck Nordkettenbahnen cable car for panoramic views of the surrounding Nordkette mountain range.
- Accommodation: Rufi’s Hotel or similar in Innsbruck
Day 2: Innsbruck – Kufstein | 50km
After breakfast, leave the capital of Tyrol behind as you cycle through Austria’s villages until you arrive in Brixlegg. From here, take a train (included) to the ski resort town of Kufstein. Surrounded by the Kaiser Mountains, this historic town on the River Inn is overlooked by Kufstein Fotress, built 507m above sea level in the 13th century.
- Accommodation: Arte Hotel Kufstein or similar in Kufstein
- Cycling for the day: 50km
Day 3: Kufstein – Wasserburg am Inn | 65km
Cycle through the Bavarian foothills of the Alps as you cross the border into Germany. Closely following the riverbank, weave in and out of floodplain forests as the path leads you to Wasserburg am Inn, a town located on a peninsula encircled in a bend by the River Inn.
- Accommodation: Hotel Gasthof Paulanerstuben or similar in Wasserburg am Inn
- Cycling for the day: 65km
Day 4: Wasserburg am Inn – Mühldorf | 50km
Today’s ride leads to Mühldorf, travelling through a variety of landscapes including farmland, meadows and villages along the River Inn. Arrive in Mühldorf for your overnight stay, home to traditional Bavarian townhouses and its town square.
- Accommodation: Altstadthotel Wetzel or similar in Mühldorf
- Cycling for the day: 50km
Day 5: Mühldorf – Kirchdorf am Inn | 45km
Cycle away from Mühldorf along the River Inn. We recommend exploring two popular pilgrimage sites: Altötting, where you can visit the Church of Our Lady of Altötting, and Marktl, the birthplace of Pope Benedict XVI. Arrive in Kirchdorf am Inn, your final stop for the day.
- Accommodation: Hotel Inntalhof or similar in Kirchdorf am Inn
- Cycling for the day: 45km
Day 6: Kirchdorf am Inn – Bad Füssing | 35km
Today’s route leads through the Lower Inn European Nature Preserve, a natural habitat that’s home to more than 300 bird species. From here, cycle to Bad Füssing, where you can spend the evening relaxing in the spa town’s thermal baths.
- Accommodation: Vitalhotel Vier Jahreszeiten or similar in Bad Füssing
- Cycling for the day: 35km
Day 7: Bad Füssing – Passau | 35km
For your final ride, cycle to Passau. Along the way explore Schärding, a baroque town back over on the Austrian side of the River Inn. Here, you can take in the array of colourful houses or visit Schlosspark Schärding. Your final evening is in Passau, also known as the city of three rivers, because it’s where the Danube, Inn, and Ilz rivers meet.
- Accommodation: Hotel Passauer Wolf or similar in Passau
- Cycling for the day: 35km
Day 8: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of small, locally-owned hotels, B&Bs and traditional guesthouses. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms. Please note that, in Austria, it is common practice for hotels and other accommodations to join twin beds together to make a double, with separate linen for each person. If you prefer to opt for twin beds, we will happily request this at time of booking, however they can’t always be guaranteed.
Click to view default hotels
- Rufi’s Hotel (Innsbruck)
- Arte Hotel Kufstein (Kufstein)
- Hotel Gasthof Paulanerstuben (Wasserburg)
- Altstadthotel Wetzel (Mühldorf)
- Hotel Inntalhof (Kirchdorf am Inn)
- Vitalhotel Vier Jahreszeiten (Bad Füssing)
- Hotel Passauer Wolf (Passau)
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. When no restaurant location is available en route, lunches and snacks can either be bought from local shops or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Dinner is available either at the accommodation or from restaurants in the local area.
Difficulty and terrain
This tour is rated easy to moderate and is suitable for regular cyclists with most days offering 35km – 65km of cycling. The routes cover a variety of terrain including gravel paths and gentle hills with some days involving a couple of steep ascents and descents (read more about difficulty grades). It is also possible to rent an electric bike on this tour.
We strongly advise you only to follow marked trails and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed route notes and maps and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed information on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from April to October. Regular departures are available daily in high season, before and after that – departures are every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Alternative departures are possible upon request, as the pricing will depend on the size of the group. For more information on travelling in Austria and Germany, please visit our blogs Best time to go to Austria and Best time to go to Germany.
Getting there
Up-to-date travel advice on Austria is available here, and on Germany here.
Click to view travel options
By plane
The most convenient airport for this holiday is Innsbruck Airport (INN).
By train or bus
- Innsbruck airport: Innsbruck Airport is easily accessed by train or bus from Innsbruck. Bus route F connects Innsbruck main station with the airport main building. The journey takes about 20mins
- If you are able to travel to Austria without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail, with a railway station in Innsbruck. For more details, see the national rail operator ÖBB or use the Omio planner above. A return transfer by train from Passau to Innsbruck is included in this tour. For more details see the national rail operator DB
- Parking in Innsbruck: Parking is available at the public multi-storey car park (no reservation necessary) or at the hotel. Please contact the hotel for car park reservation. You can also park your car in a public parking garage (Markthallen Garage)
Inclusions
Included
- 7 nights accommodation
- 7 breakfasts
- Transfer by train Brixlegg – Kufstein (including bike)
- Luggage transfer on all cycling days (one piece per person, max 23kg)
- Detailed physical holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions, road notes and maps, as well as digital GPX data for your navigation device
- High-quality handlebar bag per room for transportation of travel documents during the trip and as a gift for at home
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not specifically mentioned as included in the programme
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers.
- Bike rental (trekking bike or e-bike)
- Extra nights before the tour, and at the end of the tour can be booked on request
- Return transfer by train Passau – Innsbruck (transfer of own bike is not included)
Bike rental
If you would like to rent a bike from us, trekking bikes and e-bikes are available on this tour. All bikes come with a repair kit, a pump, and a double-sided saddle bag with 10 litres per side per bike.
Sample pictures are attached below. Note that the exact models may differ depending on availability, but the standard will be the same.
E-bike
- Model: KTM Macina Fun
- Frame: Aluminum unisex
- Motor: Bosch Performance
- Battery: 500 Wh
- Gearshift: 9-speed derailleur Shimano Altus
- Brakes: 2 disc brakes, Shimano
- Wheel/tyre: 28 inch hollow rim/rugged tires, Schwalbe Marathon
- Saddle: high-quality gel saddle, Selle Royal
Trekking bike 21-speed
- Model: KTM touring bike
- Frame: Aluminium frame
- Gear change: 21-speed derailleur with freewheel, Shimano Altus
- Brakes: 2 rim brakes, Shimano V-Brakes
- Wheel/tyre: 28 inch hollow chamber rim/robust tyres, Schwalbe Marathon
- Saddle: high-quality gel saddle, Selle Royal
