Overview
An eight day, self-guided walking holiday through the Chiemgauer Alps, between the stunning Lake Königssee, at the foot of Mount Watzmann, and Chiemsee, famous for its beautiful islands. In between, there’s a plethora of pretty alpine trails that also take you into Austria for two nights. There are some cable car transfers to get you up to the higher trails, with trails back down to traditional mountain hotels for the night, of which there are many along the way. In particular, Reit am Winkl, a typically Bavarian mountain village resort, where you spend two nights, with lots of exploring on the doorstep. This tour is not only accessible by rail, but also perfect for travellers who wish to bring their dogs with them.
- Königssee
- Hintersee
- Berchtesgaden National Park
- Reit im Winkl
- Chiemsee
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Königssee/Berchtesgaden
Arrive in Königssee or Berchtesgaden. A Bavarian town in the Alps, Berchtesgaden offers mountain views, historic sites like Kehlsteinhaus (15mins bus ride away, payable locally) and a historic town centre. Königssee, a village with traditional Bavarian architecture, offers scenic boat tours on the lake surrounded by mountains.
- Accommodation: Café-Pension Brandtnerhof or similar in Königssee, Germany
- Upgraded accommodation: Edelweiss Berchtesgaden or similar in Berchtesgaden, Germany
Day 2: Königssee/Berchtesgaden – Weißbach bei Lofer/Saalfelden | 19km
You are transferred (20mins) to the starting point of the route, which is near Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden. Walk past Lake Hintersee and venture further into Berchtesgaden National Park. On the right side of the route, you can see the summits of the Reiter Alpe range and, to the left, Mount Hochkalter. Cross the border with Austria and descend on the path towards Saalach Valley, past the waterfalls of Seisenberg Ravine all the way to Weißbach bei Lofer. If you are staying in Saalfelden, take the public bus (13mins, payable locally) from Weißbach bei Lofer.
- Accommodation: Landgasthof Seisenbergklamm or similar in Weißbach bei Lofer, Austria
- Upgraded accommodation: Ritzenhof Hotel & Spa or similar in Saalfelden, Austria
- Walking for the day: 5-6h, 19km, ↑500m ↓500m
Day 3: Weißbach bei Lofer/Saalfelden – Lofer | 14km
If you spent the night in Saalfelden, take the public bus back to Weißbach bei Lofer (payable locally). The route starts from Weißbach bei Lofer, following the Saalachtal Valley to Lamprecht Cave, and then continuing to Saint Martin, home of the pilgrim church of Maria Kirchtal. Walk up to the church through a side valley close to the Lofer Mountains. This trail ends in the town of Lofer. If staying in Saalfelden, take the public bus (23mins, payable locally) from Lofer.
- Accommodation: Dankl Cafe – Konditorei – Hotel & Restaurant or similar in Lofer, Austria
- Upgraded accommodation: Ritzenhof Hotel & SPA or similar in Saalfelden, Austria
- Walking for the day: 4h, 14km, ↑200m ↓0m
Day 4: Lofer – Reit im Winkl | 16km
If you spent the night in Saalfelden, take the public bus back to Lofer (payable locally). From Lofer, take the cable car (included) up to Loferer Alm, where a high-altitude path to the Steinplatten massif, the start of today’s trail. Walk across alpine pastures and a mountain forest to Mount Steinplatte. The alpine pasture on Winklmoos-Alm Plateau which borders Bavaria, Tyrol and Salzburg and is an ideal stop for a Bavarian brotzeit (a traditional German savoury snack). After lunch, you cross the border back into Germany and take the bus (payable locally) from Winklmoosalm to Reit im Winkl, a typically Bavarian mountain village resort, where you spend the next two nights.
- Accommodation: Gästehaus beim Nuihausa or similar in Reit im Winkl, Germany
- Upgraded accommodation: Hotel Restaurant Unterwirt or similar in Reit im Winkl, Germany
- Walking for the day: 5-6h, 16km, ↑740m ↓600m
Day 5: Reit im Winkl circular walk | 9km
Starting out from the village, follow a circular hike through Klausenbach Gorge, following mountain and meadow paths and then returning to Reit im Winkl, where we recommend a visit to Penninger Schnapsmuseum.
- Accommodation: Gästehaus beim Nuihausa or similar in Reit im Winkl, Germany
- Upgraded accommodation: Hotel Restaurant Unterwirt or similar in Reit im Winkl, Germany
- Walking for the day: 3h, 9km, ↑250m ↓250m
Day 6: Reit im Winkl – Unterwössen/Marquartstein | 16km
The hike starts with an ascent through the gorge of Hausbach Waterfall. Continue along forest paths and across alpine pastures to Lake Taubensee, then follow the Kroatensteig path (some sections have ropes for safety due to the steep terrain) to the mountain cabin, Chiemhauser Alm. Then, downhill into Achental Valley as far as Marquarstein or Unterwössen, depending on your accommodation, although they’re both close by.
- Accommodation: Weßner Hof or similar in Marquartstein, Germany
- Upgraded accommodation: DEVA Achentaler Vitalhotel or similar in Unterwössen, Germany
- Walking for the day: 5-6h, 16km, ↑700m, ↓840m
Day 7: Unterwössen/Marquartstein – Prien am Chiemsee | 12km
If you spent the night in Unterwössen, take a bus to Marquartstein Rathaus station (payable locally). After a short ascent by cable car (included) to Mount Hochplatte mountain station (Staffn-Alm), walk through the forests up to the alpine pastures on Mount Hochplatte and then to Mount Kampenwand. Continue on a trail from cabin to cabin beneath Mount Kampenwand. From Mount Kampenwand’s summit station, take the cable car (included) down to the village of Aschau im Chiemgau, where you take a short train ride (payable locally) to Prien am Chiemsee by Lake Chiemsee.
- Accommodation: Bayerischer Hof or similar in Prien am Chiemsee, Germany
- Upgraded accommodation: Garden Hotel Reinhart or similar in Prien am Chiemsee, Germany
- Walking for the day: 4-5h, 12km, ↑730m, ↓230m
Day 8: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of mostly small, locally-owned three-star 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 and Germany, 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 standard hotels
- Café-Pension Brandtnerhof (Königssee, Germany)
- Landgasthof Seisenbergklamm (Weißbach bei Lofer, Austria)
- Dankl Cafe -Konditorei – Hotel & Restaurant (Lofer, Austria)
- Gästehaus beim Nuihausa (Reit im Winkl, Germany)
- Weßner Hof (Marquartstein, Germany)
- Bayerischer Hof (Prien am Chiemsee, Germany)
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.
Click to view upgraded hotels
- Edelweiss Berchtesgaden (Berchtesgaden, Germany)
- Ritzenhof Hotel & SPA (Saalfelden, Austria)
- Hotel Restaurant Unterwirt (Reit im Winkl, Germany)
- DEVA Vitalhotel Achentaler (Unterwössen, Germany)
- Garden Hotel Reinhart (Prien am Chiemsee, Germany)
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 moderate and is suitable for regular walkers with a good level of general fitness. Daily walking distances range from 9-19km. The route mainly follows mountain paths, with some sections involving steep ascents and descents that require sure footing (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. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from the end of May till the end of September. Departures are every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
The average temperature in Austria and Germany during the summer is approximately 25C. However, as you ascend towards the mountains, the temperatures cool down to 20-21C.
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
FCO up-to-date travel advice for Germany and Austria.
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airports for this holiday are Munich Airport (MUC) and Salzburg Airport W.A. Mozart (SZG).
By train or bus
- If you are able to travel to Germany without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail, with railway stations in Berchtesgaden and Prien am Chiemsee. For more information, see the national rail operator DB or use the Omio planner above.
- Arrival from Munich Airport: take a train to Salzburg HBF, changing at Ostbahnhof (2h). From Salzburg HBF take the bus to Salzburg Mozartsteg/Rudolfskai followed by another bus to Berchtesgaden or Königssee (1h 2mins). The bus stops are a few minutes away from your hotel. For more information visit Flixbus and Salzburg Verkehr or use the Omio planner above.
- Arrival from Salzburg Airport W. A. Mozart: take a bus to Berchtesgarten changing at Salzburg Rathaus (1h 19mins). To get to Königssee continue on with the same bus until you get to Rathaus Unterstein (1h 27mins). For more information visit Salzburg Verkehr or use the Omio planner above.
- Departure from Prien am Chiemsee: you can take a direct train (57mins) to Munich Airport or (48mins) Salzburg HBF. Then from Salzburg HBF take a bus to Salzburg Airport W. A. Mozart (21mins). For more information, see the national rail operators DB. Alternatively, you can book our transfer back to Königssee/Berchtesgaden (Saturday and Sunday).
Inclusions
Included
- 7 nights accommodation
- 7 breakfasts
- Welcome briefing
- Luggage transfers (maximum weight 20kg)
- Transfer on day two
- One-way cable car fare from Lofer Alm on day four
- One-way cable car fare Hochplattenbahn on day seven
- One-way cable car fare from Mount Kampenwand on day seven
- Navigation app and GPS
- Route description and holiday information pack (one set per room)
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Bus tickets
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses such as phone calls, extra transfers, tips, etc
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable locally)
- 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.
- Half-board supplement
- Upgrade to four-star hotels
- On this walking tour you have the option to bring your dog. When booking, simply let us know the breed and size of your dog. Additional costs may be payable locally.
- Extra nights
- Return transfer by minibus to Königssee/Berchtesgaden every Saturday and Sunday
