Kitzbühel's colourful medieval architecture, cobbled streets and gothic church contribute to a traditional village feel and with a 360 panorama of the Kitzbühel Alps, it's a real feast for the eyes. You'll find a friendly, animated atmosphere that reaches its height in the evenings where the resort is known for offering some of the best Austrian après ski around.
A place to shop, dine and drink in style, Kitzbühel is well known for its designer boutiques, award-winning restaurants and cosmopolitan nightlife.
Non-skiers will find a good range of activities indoors and out, from paragliding to wellness centres. Enjoy beautiful walking trails up the mountain and around the town. A short walk from the town centre is the Sportpark Kitzbühel with ice skating, curling and indoor climbing facilities for anyone seeking active activities off the slopes.
You simply can't discuss Kitzbühel without mentioning the Hahnenkamm World Cup downhill race hosted there every January. It takes place on the Streif run and is one of the most difficult slopes in the world. Crowds of snow lovers journey to Kitzbühel to watch the race and enjoy Austrian après ski at its best - you can even give parts of the run a go yourself later on in the season.
57 lifts carry more than 95,000 people an hour to 92 pistes in the local area covering 185km. Kitzbühel has a huge variety of slopes with nursery areas, steeps, moguls, powder and freestyling terrain. The local ski area is split over 2 mountains - the smaller Kitzbüheler Horn and the main Hahnenkamm mountain. The Hahnenkamm side gives you access to the larger Kitzbühel ski area that links to the surrounding villages of Kirchberg, Jochberg, Pass Thurn and Mittersill. An efficient bus system links all villages if you run out of time to ski back to Kitzbühel at the end of the day.
If you've already covered the local area or the weather has compromised slope condition, you can go higher and further with the 'Super Ski Card'. This gives access to 77 resorts, 937 lifts and 2,750km of pistes. The pass covers a far-reaching area which takes in the whole of the Austrian Tyrol, Salzburg, Carinthia and Styria – far more than you'll manage to cover on a week's holiday.
Location: Austria, Alps
Established: 1893
Open: November - April
Downhill: 170km
View our detailed Kitzbuhel snow forecast or snow report and see all live webcams, piste maps, road and travel maps and lift pass prices. For a picture of historic snow conditions see the snow depths month by month with our Kitzbuhel snow history.
Nearest Airport & Transfer Time: | |
Salzburg (SZG) | 80km, 1h30 |
Innsbruck (INN) | 100km, 1h30 |
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Top Altitude: | 2000m |
Bottom Altitude: | 800m |
Resort Altitude: | 800m |
Longest run: | 7km |
Slope Orientation: | N, S, E, W |
Vertical Drop: | 1200m |
Skiable Vertical: | 1200m |
Night Skiing: | Yes |
Glacier: | Yes |
Downhill Runs: | 170km |
Beginner slopes: | 41% |
Intermediate: | 45% |
Advanced slopes: | 14% |
Lift Pass Price: | Kitzbuhel KitzSki pass €297 (6 day adult pass) Super Ski Card €303 (6 day adult pass) |
Nearby resorts: Kirchberg & Fieberbrunn |
Kitzbuhel will leave both intermediate and advanced skiers and boarders very happy and doesn't disappoint beginners either. You can even night ski on the Gaisberg (piste 41).
Holidays here are good value for beginners thanks to the free lifts on 7 of the practice runs. You'll find some convenient nursery slopes near the Hahnenkammbahn lift, a beginner zone in Jochberg and a sunny nursery area high up on the Horn. For first-timers, the Horn has some cruisey blue runs and lots of undemanding pistes, including the long Hagstein (piste 3) and the Kaser (piste 26).
43% of the pistes are blue and 31% red, making the area great for intermediates. There's a variety of intermediate terrain from wide-open runs to narrow woody slopes with steeps and moguls in-between.
Advanced and experts can't leave without tackling the Hahnenkamm's legendary Streif. Claimed by some to be the most difficult ski run on earth, it features in the world cup every January, and its sharp turns, jumps, steeps and bumps make it a downhill descent like no other. Providing it's open (the run is closed leading up to the world cup) it's one of the greats to tick off your list. The off-piste terrain here is a hidden gem that confident skiers will also love; there's 33km of avalanche safe powder and moguls including Hochsaukaser (piste 55) and Lärchenhang (piste 2). The area has 70 km of cross country trails and offers a 35km "safari" adventure.
The area is very snowboarder friendly and offers 33km of powder for safe freeriding. Freestylers will love the DC Snowpark at Hanglalm which has jumps, rails and curves for various abilities. The gap jump is a huge attraction, making Kitz a regular destination for pro's while beginners can enjoy the Mini Snowpark on the Horn.
Austrian après ski is arguably the best there is and Kitzbühel certainly doesn't let the nation down. The nightlife is vibrant and varied, offering plenty of choices whether you prefer to sip schnapps with the socialites, table-dance with merry locals or have a quiet winter-warmer with friends.
The Pavillon is a popular and lively apres bar while you'll find an Irish pub scene in O'Flannigans and great cocktails in Herbarium Bar. For after-hours partying, Club Take Five is a great nightclub, or enjoy pub vibes and live bands at The Londoner.
A foodie favourite, Kitzbühel is well known for its combination of traditional restaurants, charming tearooms and gourmet establishments. You'll find lots of lovely Austrian cuisine served on and off the mountains, tasty seafood at 1st Lobster, and great pizza at Centro. There are many highly acclaimed fine dining establishments, including Neuwirt & Tennerhof (both were awarded Michelin stars). Top spots on the mountain to stop for lunch are PanoramaAlm (hut 5), Ehrenbachgraben (hut 16) and Maierl Alm (hut 27).
Kitzbühel has a great range of off-slope activities including an indoor ice-rink at the Sports Centre and the Aquarena swimming centre, complete with fun slides, saunas and steam rooms. The Gaisberg has a floodlit toboggan run for group and family fun on the snow and 170km of winter hiking trails, allowing non-skiers to enjoy the fantastic views. If you've had your fill of the fresh air, there's a gym, tennis court and climbing walls at the Sports Centre.
Kitzbuhel has a long season from November through to April. While the altitude is low compared to other resorts, the slopes lie on grassy mountains - so they don’t require a huge amount of snow to remain skiable. Snowmaking is improving in the area: 780 snow cannons can provide artificial snow cover if necessary. If conditions are lacking, it’s worth considering the Super Ski Card: the extensive loosely linked area has 4,183 snow cannons and 824 km of virtually guaranteed snow slopes.
If your choice of date to visit Kitzbühel depends on the quality of après ski, book your holiday during Christmas and New Year when it’s buzzing. To see Kitz’ at its finest – go when the legendary Hahnenkamm race is on at the end of January.
Christmas in Kitzbühel is fantastic - there’s an Advent Christmas market throughout December as well as festive children’s activities and musical performances to ensure that all the family to enjoy a traditional Austrian white Christmas. Kitzbuhel Christmas ski holidays ‣
Tens of thousands spend New Year in Kitzbühel and with some of the best celebrations around it’s not hard to see why. Pyro legend Armin Lukasser provides an unforgettable firework display, there’s a big party with live music and a torch-lit descent from the local ski schools. Kitzbuhel New Year ski holidays ‣
Many families enjoy February Half Term in Kitzbühel thanks to the great range of ski slopes and activities for all ages. Kitzbuhel Half Term ski holidays ‣
With fantastic food served in the local restaurants, fun activities on slope and off and a vast ski area that includes a children’s park, spending Easter in Kitzbühel will make for good family ski holiday. Kitzbuhel Easter ski holidays ‣
With a ski area, activities and accommodation for all ages, Kitzbühel is a great destination for family holidays. Accommodation in Kitzbühel is predominantly 4 & 5-star hotels in fantastic locations in the town and a short walk or bus to the Hahnenkamm lift. Ask us about accommodation with childcare services if you’re travelling with little ones who are too young for ski school or think you might fancy an adult night out.
If you’re taking your children skiing for the first time, you’ll be spoilt for choice with an amazing range of ski schools. There are some brilliant learning areas with magic carpets where children can learn in a fun and safe environment as well as a good selection of gentle, cruisey runs that everyone can enjoy together. Experienced teens can book into special youth courses and discover the local powder in a group of similar ages. Head to the floodlit sledge run for a fun family evening on the snow.
Booking is simple with our holiday packages – opt for accommodation, flights and transfers if you want to get to the mountains soonest or choose accommodation and channel crossings if you prefer to drive.
Hotels can work brilliantly for groups - everyone can pick a room that suits them and join together in communal dining areas, bars and facilities. Hotel Tiefenbrunner boasts an excellent location right in the middle of the medieval town centre, with easy access to everything in the town as well as the slopes.
The resort and ski area have something for all kinds of groups. Meet up for some legendary Austrian après after a day on the slopes – there’s terrain for all levels of skier and boarder, particularly those more experienced. Make sure to have a session of night skiing together on the Gaisberg for a unique experience on the snow. Any non-skiers tagging along won’t find themselves at a loose end thanks to a range of non-ski adventures on the snow, brilliant shops and various sports and wellness facilities.
Booking for a group might seem tricky, but with our accommodation, flights and transfers packages, it’s really simple. Give us a call and let our ski specialists do the searching for you.
Accommodation | Number of nights | Price (per person) from |
---|---|---|
Aktivhotel Schweizerhof | 7 | £ 1449 |
Hotel Kaiserhof | 7 | £ 1669 |
Q Hotel Maria Theresia | 7 | £ 1049 |
Hotel Tiefenbrunner | 7 | £ 1309 |
Hotel Resch | 7 | £ 1018 |
Erika Boutique Hotel | 7 | £ 1495 |
Q Hotel Maria Theresia | 7 | £ 1036 |
Tiefenbrunner 1810 | 7 | £ 1281 |
Bio Hotel Bruggerhof | 7 | £ 876 |