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Adlerweg: Karwendel Mountains
Your trip begins on arrival in Innsbruck, capital of the Tyrol region. Take the afternoon to explore the historic city centre with cobblestone streets, colourful facades and historic landmarks like the Golden Roof.
Hotel in Innsbruck (Breakfast)
Red 3 (grade) 14.4km with 1080m ascent, 350m descent
Travel to the small village of Aschau to begin the trek. Begin climbing steadly uphill on good tracks as the route passes through sections of woodland and alongside alpine meadows. The second part of the day takes to more remote landscape traversing the hillside before heading down to the scenic Zireiner See. From here, climb over the shoulder of Latschberg before a final descent to the cosy Bayreuther Hütte.
Mountain Hut (Breakfast and Dinner)
Red 2 (grade) 13.8km with 630m ascent, 1260m descent
Today we cross the mountains to the Erfurterhütte, with its great views towards the mountains beyond Maurach. Here we describe a detour to the summit of Rofanspitze (2259m) with its commanding view of the surrounding alpine peaks. Descend to Erfurter Hütte with surrounding cafes - a perfect spot for lunch with views down to the valley and lake far below. After lunch we descend (by cable car if you wish) to the pretty and practical lakeside town of Maurach, located on the shores of Achensee.
Hotel in Maurach (Breakfast)
Red 4 (grade) 21.9km with 1080m ascent, 810m descent
Leaving Maurach we enter the Karwendel National Park, for a long (but very picturesque and enjoyable) valley ascent to the Lamsenjochhütte. The steady climb takes you to a splendid mountainous setting, with commanding views of the valley below. In the second half of the day descend into the charming Engtal valley, passing picturesque barns and meadows.
Hotel in Eng (Breakfast)
Red 4 (grade) 15.7km with 1210m ascent, 640m descent
Begin by climbing up to the famous Falkenhütte (1848m) - a traditional alpine hut with a cosy atmosphere. The rest of the day involves some gentle descent, followed by a steady climb to reach Karwendelhaus, our end point for the day. The Karwendelhaus sits at the base of the Birkkarspitze and offers impressive views across the Karwendel mountains.
Mountain Hut (Breakfast and Dinner)
Blue 3 (grade) 17.3km with 90m ascent, 890m descent
Start the day with a steep descent as the path winds down to Angeralm. From here follow a portion of the famous E4 Alpine trail into the Karwendel valley, following the Karwendelbach river down the valley. Looking North are the Karwendelspitz hills, forming the border between Austria and Germany. Arrive in Scharnitz, a stones throw from the German border.
Hotel in Scharnitz (Breakfast) or
Train to Hotel in Mittenwald (Breakfast)
Red 4 (grade) 22.8km with 940m ascent, 970m descent
Todays walk follows the Gleirschklamm gorge, a highlight of the trek and one of the most beautiful gorges in the Karwendel. Follow wooden boardwalks and winding paths built into the steep sides with clear waters below. Our route then climbs steadly to Kristenalm and Solsteinhaus, two welcoming huts, good for a quick lunch stop. Descend steeply to the train station at Hochzirl, for a return to Innsbruck.
Hotel in Innsbruck (Breakfast)
Blue 1 (grade) Zirbenweg - 7.3km, 170m ascent, 100m descent
Black 2 (grade) Goetheweg - 11km, 470m ascent, 470m descent
Innsbruck is a delightful town with plenty of options for your rest day. We recommend 2 wonderful half-day walks along the hills on either side of the town. The routes are reached by cable car allowing you to traverse the scenic mountains without the long climb and descent. If opting for either walk, you'll have half a day left to explore Innsbruck's charms. Alternatively, you can take this day to rest, relax and recuperate.
Hotel in Innsbruck (Breakfast)
After a last breakfast we depart from Innsbruck. Take to the trains for a departure from the nearby airports of Munich and Zurich, or fly out of Innsbruck airport. Congratulations on your Karwendel hike!
Our hike through the Karwendel Mountains explores the heart of the Austrian Tyrol in 6 scenic stages. Taking in our favourite sections of the (much longer) Adlerweg trail, this trek gives you a taste of Tyrolean hospitality in a week long holiday.
Make the trip shorter
If you are short on time, we suggest starting the walk in Maurach. This option takes you straight to the Karwendel National Park and gives an itinerary of 4 walking stages and 5 nights accommodaiton. Add an extra night in Innsbruck if time allows, to explore the mountains above the city on one of our half-day hikes.
Make the trip longer
If time allows, it's possible to split the last stage into 2 with another hut night in Solsteinhaus, this avoids the long last day.
Additional Rest Days
As standard we include a rest day in Innsbruck, with an option for a half-day walk along the Zirbenweg or an out-and-back walk along the Goetheweg. This leaves half a day to explore the city.
We highly recommend extending your time in Innsbruck if you are able to - it's a charming, small city, circled by mountains, with colourful houses and plenty to offer for a rest day.
A rest day in Maurach also works well - it's a good spot to explore the lake!
Hike with a guide
Hike with confidence in the company of our fully qualified International Mountain Leaders (IMLs), with the navigation, accommodation and arrangements taken care of. If your group would like a guide for your trip, please get in touch for more details.
Options from Innsbruck
From Innsbruck we have 2 options for half day hikes:
ZirbenwegBlue 1 (grade) 7.3km with 170m ascent, 100m descent
This is a wonderful walk at an easier level, giving superb views over the Inn Valley. Take the cable car to Patscherkofelhaus and traverse the hillside to the cable car at Tulfeinalm, where you can descend back into the valley. Good paths lead the way through native woodland and to charming wooden huts with welcoming refreshments. A short detour to the summit of Patscherkofel is recommended, and a longer optional detour to Glungezerhütte gives the chance to climb further into the mountains.
GoethewegBlack 2 (grade) 11km with 470m ascent, 470m descent
Take the famous Nordkette cable car up to 2,200m to begin the dramatic Goetheweg. A harder walk than the Zirbenweg, this out and back walk gives rewarding views of the Inn Valley and the Karwendel range. We traverse the hillside to Pfeishütte on rocky mountain paths and loose scree. To extend the walk we give the option to summit Kleine Stempeljochspitze (making the day a Black 3 grade).
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Adlerweg: Karwendel Mountains 1 Jul to 16 Sep 2027 |
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| Classic | Comfy | ||
| Self-guided | |||
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4 stages Starting from Maurach (5 nights) |
GBP 1,090 Singles 280 |
GBP 1,290 Singles 220 |
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6 stages - 1 rest day (8 nights) |
GBP 1,350 Singles 420 Main Trip |
GBP 1,670 Singles 480 |
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7 stages - 1 rest day Shorter days (9 nights) |
GBP 1,440 Singles 420 |
GBP 1,760 Singles 480 |
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| Options | |||
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Baggage transfer |
Please ask us | ||
Where we stay
We spend 2 nights in charming mountain huts and 6 nights in welcoming hotels. The quality of Austrian hotels continues to impress us. The Austrian huts offer hearty food and a memorable night spent in the impressive mountain landscapes. On night is spent in Mittenwald, located just over the border into Germany, accessed by a short train ride.
Comfy
We offer a more bespoke comfy option, which upgrades your hotel stays in Innsbruck and Maurach, utilising some of the more luxurious Tyrolean hotels that we have had the pleasure of discovering.
Hut Accommodations
We will ask for the smallest rooms at the huts where possible. Unusually for the Alps, some of the huts in the Tyrol don't specify room types in advance, so we can't know in advance if the rooms will be private or not. The huts are of high quality with welcoming hosts and hearty food.
Solo Travel
We do not take bookings for solo walkers on self-guided trips. If you are still interested in this trip, we do have availability on our guided trips.
Our Karwendel Mountain trek gives a flavour of the Adlerweg (or Eagle's Way) in a week long holiday. Based on our extensive research of various trails in the Austrian Tyrol, this trip gives our favourite week-long circuit, sticking to more remote and mountainous areas and with fewer long stretches of valley walking compared to many other long-distance trails in the area. We use Innsbruck as a base at the start and end of the trip, which rounds off the trip with a touch of luxury in our comfy hotel options, and gives the option to explore the mountains surrounding the town. Innsbruck is one of our favourite alpine towns (or in this case small city) and it is a pleasure to organise a trek based from this historic centre.
The Terrain
The terrain on our Karwendel Mountains trip comprises wide tracks through forests, alpine meadows, tarmac lanes and zig-zagging hillside paths. In some places, the paths are steeper and rockier underfoot; this is particularly the case on stage 3 ascending to the Lamsenjoch. The route has no via ferrata or climbing sections and is a trek throughout. Sticking to grassy mountain cols and long alpine valleys, the Adlerweg: Karwendel Mountains is less rocky than our other treks and the ground underfoot is mostly less challenging.
Is it for me?
Our Karwendel Mountains trip is a varied and scenic week of walking, and would be a great option for mountain walkers who are happy to hike for 6 to 8 hours per day along a long-distance trail. With fewer sections of steep, rocky and technical terrain than many of the other trails we offer in the Alps, this trip would be a great option for day hikers looking for a first taste of hut-to-hut trails in the Alps, or for experienced Alpine walkers looking for a trip at a slightly lower level of difficulty underfoot.
For a relatively short trip, our Karwendel trip gives a surprisingly varied taste of Alpine scenery and walking, from remote mountain huts and quiet high-mountain paths, to peaceful meadows, clear blue lakes and rocky gorges. These contrasts are part of the charm of the trail and give an authentic taste of Alpine culture, across a wide variety of settings and accommodation.
Difficulty
We give our Adlerweg: Karwendel Mountains trip a Red grade overall. The terrain is not unduly difficult underfoot in the context of Alpine walking, with relatively few sections of steep, tricky and exposed paths. Please ask us if you have any questions about the difficulty of the route, or its suitability for your group.
Travel to and from your trip
Your holiday starts and ends in bustling Innsbruck. The most convenient airports is Innsbruck itself. With good train links through the valley, Munich and Zurich also work well.
Travel to and from the trip is not included in the holiday price. We take care to give up to date notes about all the travel options. We supply these both on booking and in your info pack, and we offer personalised tips at any point. The aim is that our trekkers arrange their travel by the simplest and most scenic means as suits their plan.
Travel in Austria - our general page on Austrian trains
- Bespoke accommodation itinerary - tailored to suit your preferences
- Breakfast on all mornings
- Dinner at the 2 huts
- Detailed Routecards of the Exploratory system, printed on waterproof paper
- Topographical map covering the route
- Downloadable GPX Tracks covering the route
- Expert advice and local information
- A comprehensive 'Season Update' following our pre-season recce
- Full support during your trip from the Alpine Exploratory team (9am until 9pm in the Alps)
- Travel to and from your trip
- Transport to reach off-route accommodation (unless otherwise specified)
- Any other local transport taken whilst on the trip
- Travel insurance
- Lunches, snacks, drinks and evening meals in the towns (this would be 6 nights on our main trip)
- Baggage transfers (available as an extra)
Baggage transfer
Let us move your bags between stops. This service takes your bag to each night's accommodation except for the huts and Eng. On these nights your bag goes ahead to the next hotel. Please contact us for a baggage price.
 
Enquiry Form
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If you prefer, please feel welcome to email or call us. Thanks!
| Contact Alpine Exploratory | |
| info@alpineexploratory.com | |
| Phone | +44 (0)131 214 1144 |
| Our times |
9am to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday |
| Our national-rate numbers. Please use for a cheaper call to our Edinburgh office |
From the USA: 646-757-1102 From Canada: 416-628-3473 From Australia: 02 8319 2266 From New Zealand: 04 889 4515 |
Open to the world
Since Alpine Exploratory started in 2005 we have loved getting to know our clients from around the world. Our best-represented countries are the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Maurach nestled on the lakesside of Achensee
Alpine Exploratory
