Cable cars, mountains and the zoo
Rated 4.8 out of 5 by 1,194 GetYourGuide reviewers
The one mountain trip almost every visitor should make: from the old town to 2,256 m in about 20 minutes, with the whole of Innsbruck below you and the Karwendel behind. Go early on a clear day, and note the cable cars are closed for maintenance from 2 to 19 November 2026.
Starts inInnsbruck city centreAll year
You start at the Hungerburgbahn station next to Congress Innsbruck, Rennweg 3, five minutes' walk from the Golden Roof. The funicular, in stations designed by Zaha Hadid, climbs from the city to the Hungerburg at 860 m in about 8 minutes, stopping at the Alpine Zoo on the way.
At the Hungerburg a few steps take you to the Seegrube cable car, which lifts you to 1,905 m. The Seegrube has a restaurant and terrace looking straight down on the city, and it is a good place to stop on the way up or back.
From the Seegrube the Hafelekar cable car takes about two and a half minutes to the top station at 2,256 m, the Top of Innsbruck. From here a wide path leads in 10 to 15 minutes to the Hafelekarspitze at 2,334 m, with the Inn valley on one side and the Karwendel, Austria's largest nature park, on the other.
Cars run every 15 minutes. The Hafelekar cable car runs from 09:00 to 16:45 and the Seegrube cable car until 17:30, so start in the morning and give yourself time at each stop.
In winter
The winter season runs from 20 November 2026 to 25 April 2027, and the Nordkette becomes a ski area for strong skiers and freeriders, with snowy views over a white city. In Advent the Seegrube serves a brunch every Sunday from 10:00 to 13:00, and the Hungerburg has a small Christmas market from 20 November.
In summer
From late April to early November the Nordkette is a hiking mountain: the Goethe Trail and Adlerweg start at the Hafelekar, the Perspektivenweg loops round the Seegrube, and there is a via ferrata for climbers. On the first Friday of each month the Seegrube cable car runs until 23:30.
Our summary of the reviews GetYourGuide shows on the product page.
Hungerburgbahn station, Congress Innsbruck (Rennweg 3)
Funicular up through the city, about 8 minutes
Hungerburg (860 m)
Change to the Seegrube cable car; viewing platform
Seegrube (1,905 m)
Restaurant and terrace above the city; change to the Hafelekar cable car
Hafelekar, Top of Innsbruck (2,256 m)
Views over the Inn valley and the Karwendel; optional 10 to 15 minute walk to the summit at 2,334 m
This is the same return ticket to the Hafelekar that the cable car company sells, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. If you also want the Alpine Zoo, the combination ticket adds it for a few euros more.
Checked against the GetYourGuide listing on 20 October 2026. Prices and options change: the calendar shows the current ones.
The Nordkette cable cars are closed from 2 to 19 November 2026, between the summer and winter seasons.
What to do. Book from 20 November onwards, when the winter season starts.
The listing reminds you that you are entering the high Alps: at 2,256 m it is colder than in town.
What to do. Bring a warm layer and good shoes, and choose a clear morning if you can.
About 20 minutes of riding: 8 minutes on the Hungerburgbahn, then the Seegrube cable car, then about two and a half minutes on the Hafelekar cable car. Add a little time for each change.
Yes. You can break the trip at each station, on the way up or down, on the same day.
Not from 2 to 19 November 2026, when the cable cars close for maintenance. The winter season starts on 20 November.
The Innsbruck Card includes one up and one down ride on the Nordkette cable cars, so if you are buying the card you do not need this ticket.
A warm layer, sunglasses and comfortable shoes, even in summer. It is high alpine terrain, and the short walk to the summit is on a mountain path.
GetYourGuide · 4.6/5 from 421 reviews
The best value full day above Innsbruck: the return ride to the Top of Innsbruck plus the Alpine Zoo, which sits on the same funicular line.
Departs from Hungerburgbahn station beside Congress Innsbruck, Rennweg 3 · Valid for one day; allow 5 to 6 hours for both
GetYourGuide · 4.3/5 from 176 reviews
The quick, cheap way up above Innsbruck: 8 minutes from the old town to the Hungerburg at 860 m, through stations designed by Zaha Hadid, with the city spread out below.
Departs from Congress station, Rennweg 3, Innsbruck · Valid for one day; the ride takes about 8 minutes each way
GetYourGuide · 4.7/5 from 576 reviews
The best-value way to see Innsbruck if you plan a full day or two of sightseeing: the Nordkette cable cars, Swarovski Crystal Worlds with its shuttle, the museums and all the city buses and trams on one card.
Departs from Innsbruck Information, Burggraben 3, at the entrance to the old town
Sources: getyourguide.com, nordkette.com, nordkette.com, nordkette.com, nordkette.com, ski-plus-city.com, christkindlmarkt.cc, oebb.at. Checked October 2026. Photos: GetYourGuide.