Overview
You will traverse the Tyrolean Alps north to south on this walking holiday from Austrian Tyrol to South Tyrol (Alto Adige) in Italy. Following ancient pilgrimage and smuggler trails, you will pass by stunning glaciers and cross the valleys of Stubaital, Wipptal and Pflerschtal. During the walks, you will enjoy the splendid views of the main range of the Alps. You will stay overnight in lovely little mountain villages.
The hike is demanding and requires a good level of experience in alpine terrain, although no climbing skills are required, and no scrambling is involved.
- Innsbruck – the capital of Tyrol
- Tyrol
- Fulpmes
- Lake Obernberg
- Gossensaß
- Sterzing
Click to view map
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Innsbruck
Welcome to Innsbruck with its beautiful multi-coloured houses. Spend the day relaxing in this Alpine town, and between sightseeing, enjoy a plate of fluffy pancakes with home-made jam.
- Accommodation: Hotel Sailer, Hotel Café Central or similar in Innsbruck
Day 2: Innsbruck – Mutters – Pfarrachalm – Fulpmes | 15km
Using the tram, you will leave Innsbruck and reach Mutters. Afterwards, you will take the cable car up the mountain pastures of Muttereralm, where you will start your walk along the Innsbrucker Almentour trail. It is an easy trail mainly passing along a mountain road with wonderful views to the Alps. There is an optional alternative tour down in the valley if you prefer even easier walking or in case of bad weather. Spend the night in Fulpmes, a popular winter sports resort.
- Walking for the day: 15km, 6h, ↑350m ↓1,000m
- Accommodation: Alphof Hotel or similar in Fulpmes
Day 3: Fulpmes – Maria Waldrast – Blaserhütte – Trins | 15-18km
You will start walking uphill along a long-distance trail to Sonnstein, offering great views down to the valley. Afterwards, you will follow the pilgrimage trail to Maria Waldrast Abbey, the highest monastery in Europe. Maria Waldrast is one of Tyrol’s oldest Virgin Mary’s pilgrimage sites – and it has a nice restaurant where you can have lunch. You will cross over from one valley to another over a high mountain pass, and then you have two alternative routes to reach Trins, a little village located in a side valley.
- Walking for the day: 18km, 8h, ↑930m ↓1,415m (longer route) or 15km, 6h, ↑650m ↓1,130m (shorter route)
- Accommodation: Wienerhof Pension or similar in Trins
Day 4: Rest Day / optional hikes Trins
Spend the day exploring the surroundings of Trins. Trins offers a great natural landscape. A popular hiking destination is the Padasterjochhaus refuge above Trins, representing an amazing viewpoint in the Stubai Alps. If you seek refreshment on hot summer days, we recommend you a hike to the Sarnthein waterfall. Reachable within half an hour only, this natural monument is in the heart of an enchanting forest.
- Accommodation: Wienerhof Pension or similar in Trins
Day 5: Trins – Obernberg | 11km
Today you will follow the Romediusweg pilgrimage trail to the next valley. The trail will lead you then through a high mountain pass. Expect a lovely landscape with mountain pastures, summits with glaciers and little mountain lakes. A mountain road or a steep zigzag trail will lead you downwards to Obernberg, a small mountain village.
- Walking for the day: 11km, 6h, ↑970m ↓800m
- Accommodation: Almi’s Berghotel or similar in Obernberg
Day 6: Obernberg – Sandjöchl – Gossensaß | 13-16km
You may walk or take the local bus into the valley where you start your walking tour to Lake Obernberg. Right after the lake, the ascent to the mountain pass of Sandjöchl will start, and you will again enjoy a wonderful landscape with summits around. In the mountain pass, you will reach the Italian border, and along a military road, you will walk downwards to Gossensaß in Italy. It will be a steep descent but rewarded with great views to the Dolomites.
- Walking for the day: 16km, 7-8h, ↑840m ↓1,130m (13km, 6h if using the optional bus transfer)
- Accommodation: Hotel Alpin or similar in Gossensaß
Day 7: Gossensaß – Ladurns – Rosskopf – Sterzing (Vipiteno) | 17-21km
Using the local bus, you will get to the starting point in Innerpflersch. You will then walk uphill passing by cabins with great views to the valley. When you reach Ladurns cable car station, you will follow the high trail slightly up and down passing by mountain pastures. Take a rest at a mountain cabin and enjoy the view to the Alps and Dolomites. The walk ends at the cable car station of Rosskopf from where you will walk downhill to Sterzing. Sterzing (its Italian name is Vipiteno) is Italy’s northernmost town with a long history and a very nice city centre. Enjoy the combination of Alpine and Mediterranean flair.
- Walking for the day: 17-21km, 6-7h, ↑700m ↓1,220m
- Accommodation: Hotel Mondschein or similar in Sterzing
Day 8: Departure or onward travel
Departure by public transport or individual stay extension.
What to expect
Accommodations
Accommodation is in a mix of 3-star hotels and country inns, all offering private en-suite rooms. We have carefully hand-picked all places and regularly monitor their quality. We have tried to choose accommodations that offer friendly service, clean and comfortable rooms and local flavour.
Click to view hotels for this trip
- Hotel Sailer
- Hotel Café Central
- Alphof Hotel
- Wienerhof Pension
- Almi’s Berghotel
- Hotel Alpin
- Hotel Mondschein
*Hotels are subject to availability. In case a particular hotel is fully booked for your desired 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. When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or packed lunch can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Dinner is available either from the restaurant in your accommodation or restaurants in the village near your hotel.
Difficulty and terrain
This holiday is appropriate for very experienced mountain walkers and requires a sound level of fitness. You will walk on average 15km (6-7h) per day (read more about difficulty grades). We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime.
When to go
This trip is available to start every day from mid-June until end-September. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates and you can start your trip on any date in the season – so please indicate desired beginning date when booking. The climate in the region is continental, cold and temperate. Depending on location and altitude, temperatures vary, but, in the May-September period, the daily averages are 15 – 25C. Spring and autumn are cooler with occasional rain. Expect the weather to change rapidly during the day.
Getting there
FCO up-to-date travel advice on Austria and Italy.
Our recommended airport for this tour is Innsbruck. Innsbruck is 1.5h from Innsbruck Airport and 2.5h from Munich Airport by train. Visit the OBB website for up-to-date timetables and fares, or check the Omio planner below. Both Innsbruck and Sterzing, at the beginning and end of the holiday, have train stations, if you want to travel by rail.
Click to view travel options
By plane
By train or bus
Inclusions
Included
- 7 nights in 3-star hotels or comfortable guesthouses
- 7 breakfasts
- Detailed holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions, road notes and maps
- Cable car Muttereralm
- Luggage transfers on all walking days (one piece per person, up to 20kg)
- GPS tracks for all walks
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Optional bus rides to shorten the walks
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Cable car mount Rosskopf (€8.50 – 10.50)
- Bus Innerpflersch (approx €1.50)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and attractions’ entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not specifically mentioned as included in the programme
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 NOT available for solo travellers
- Extra nights in Innsbruck or Sterzing
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