On a wet day in Innsbruck, head for the Hofburg (daily 09:00 to 17:00, €10.50, under 19s free) and the Court Church next door, then the Zeughaus or the Audioversum science centre. Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Wattens is mostly indoors and open daily until 19:00, and Experience Tirol on Maria-Theresien-Strasse fills a dry hour in the centre. For a whole day, the Aqua Dome thermal spa in the Ötztal has pools at 34 to 36 °C, open until 22:30.
Three indoor visits stand side by side at the edge of the old town. The Hofburg, the imperial palace, opens daily 09:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30); the Imperial Apartments cost €10.50 from 1 January 2026, all three areas €21, and under 19s go free. It is closed for maintenance from 11 January to 7 February 2027.
Across the road, the Court Church holds Emperor Maximilian I's tomb ringed by 28 larger-than-life bronze figures (€9; Monday to Saturday 09:00 to 17:00, Sundays and holidays from 12:30). You enter it through the Tyrolean Folk Art Museum, open daily 09:00 to 17:00, with its complete wood-panelled parlours and nativity cribs, and a café on the ground floor.
A Hofburg ticket gets you 50% off Tiroler Landesmuseen tickets, and the other way round.
Hofburg and Court Church Innsbruck: tickets, opening hours and what to see
GetYourGuide
One of the finest folk-culture collections in the Alps, a few steps from the Hofburg and open every day.
Departs from Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum, beside the Hofkirche, Innsbruck city centre · About 1 to 1.5 hours
Our take on each: Tyrolean Folk Art Museum tickets (Volkskunstmuseum Innsbruck).
Hotels to look at
City centre, by the Hofgarten, Innsbruck city centre · 4 stars
Stylish city hotel by the Hofgarten, a short dash from the Hofburg
A 15th-century family house turned stylish city hotel, with themed signature rooms, a rooftop terrace and sauna; great for couples.
From £132 a night
The Museum im Zeughaus tells Tyrol's story in eleven chapters inside Maximilian I's old arsenal, from silver mining to an original cable car gondola (Tuesday to Sunday 09:00 to 17:00, €9). The Tirol Panorama beside the Bergisel shows a 1,000 m² circular painting of Tyrolean history (Wednesday to Monday 09:00 to 17:00, €9). The Landesmuseen combined ticket, €14 and valid for a year, covers both plus the Folk Art Museum and the Court Church, and under 19s go free.
In the old town, the Golden Roof Museum covers the time of Maximilian I, with children's stations (€6; daily 10:00 to 17:00 from May to September, Tuesday to Sunday from October to April). The combi with the City Museum and the City Tower costs €10.50.
GetYourGuide
The best single place to understand Tyrol, told in the great halls of an arsenal Emperor Maximilian I built around 1500.
Departs from Museum im Zeughaus, Zeughausgasse 1, Innsbruck · About 1 to 2 hours
GetYourGuide · 4.4/5 from 158 reviews
The best view of the old town for the price of a coffee: 133 steps up a 15th-century watchtower to a platform looking straight down on the Golden Roof, with the Nordkette, the Inn and the Bergisel all around.
Departs from Stadtturm, Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse 21, Innsbruck old town
Our take on each: Museum im Zeughaus tickets (Innsbruck Armoury) · Innsbruck City Tower tickets (Stadtturm).
Hotels to look at
Altstadt (old town), Innsbruck old town · 4 stars · 43 rooms
Historic old town inn a minute from the Golden Roof Museum
A historic family-run inn in the car-free old town, a minute from the Golden Roof; for couples and first-time visitors.
From £139 a night
In Wattens, about 20 km east, the Chambers of Wonder sit inside the hill beneath the Giant, so most of a visit stays dry. It opens daily 09:00 to 19:00 (last entry 18:00); the Day Pass costs €25 online or €27 on site for adults, €9 for children 6 to 17, and under 6s go free. The e-shuttle leaves Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof five times a day, and the Day Pass with shuttle costs €38. The shop and the Daniels restaurant can be visited without a ticket.
It is closed all day on 9 and 10 November 2026.
Swarovski Crystal Worlds Wattens: tickets, shuttle from Innsbruck and opening hours
GetYourGuide · 4.6/5 from 817 reviews
The easy way to see Swarovski Crystal Worlds without a car: entry and a return seat on the shuttle bus from Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof on one ticket.
Departs from Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof, Südtiroler Platz · Valid for one day; allow half a day including the bus
GetYourGuide · 4.5/5 from 1544 reviews
The right ticket if you are driving, already staying near Wattens or have your own way there: it is entry only, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Departs from Swarovski Crystal Worlds, Kristallweltenstrasse 1, 6112 Wattens · Valid for one day; most visits take 2 to 3 hours
GetYourGuide · 4.8/5 from 50 reviews
A short, sociable hour in the old town for anyone curious about Swarovski or planning to buy: a crystal expert shows you round the Innsbruck store, then a drink and a small crystal gift.
Departs from Swarovski Kristallwelten Store, Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse 39, Innsbruck old town · About 1 hour (30-minute tour, then drink and free browsing)
Our take on each: Swarovski Crystal Worlds tickets with shuttle from Innsbruck · Swarovski Crystal Worlds tickets (Wattens) · Swarovski store Innsbruck guided tour with drink and gift.
The Audioversum is an interactive science centre about hearing, with a giant 3D ear and a soundproof scream room: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00 (last entry 17:30), adults €14, children 7 to 15 €9, under 7s free. It closes 16 to 18 November and 25 to 28 December 2026 and on 1 January 2027.
Experience Tirol, inside Kaufhaus Tyrol at Maria-Theresien-Strasse 31, is an hour-long show in five rooms of holograms, virtual reality and 360-degree projection. It opens Monday to Friday 09:00 to 19:00, Saturday 09:00 to 18:00 and Sunday 10:00 to 17:00, closed on public holidays; the standard ticket is €24.
The Grassmayr Bell Museum in Wilten lets you look into a working foundry and stand inside a giant singing bowl; Monday to Friday 10:00 to 16:00, plus Saturdays until the end of 2026.
GetYourGuide · 4.8/5 from 33 reviews
A lively one-hour introduction to Tyrol that works in any weather: five rooms of holograms, virtual reality and 360-degree projections, right in the shopping centre on Maria-Theresien-Strasse.
Departs from Kaufhaus Tyrol, Maria-Theresien-Strasse 31, Innsbruck · About 1 hour; shows every 20 minutes
GetYourGuide · 4.7/5 from 4 reviews
A small, unusual museum that wins people over: a family bell foundry that still casts bells for churches around the world, with a museum and sound rooms you can play in.
Departs from Grassmayr Bell Museum, Leopoldstrasse 53, Innsbruck (Wilten); Sightseer stop Basilika Wilten · About 1 to 1.5 hours
Our take on each: Experience Tirol immersive show in Innsbruck · Grassmayr Bell Museum tickets.
Hotels to look at
City centre, Rathaus Galerien, Innsbruck city centre · Hotel
Calm design hotel above the Rathaus Galerien, steps from Kaufhaus Tyrol
A calm design hotel above the Rathaus Galerien with a west-facing rooftop bar; for couples and business travellers who like style.
From £168 a night
Ambras Castle, often called the world's first museum, keeps its Renaissance halls and the Chamber of Art and Curiosities indoors. It opens daily 10:00 to 17:00 and is closed throughout November. Adults pay €16 online or €18 on site, and under 19s go free. Bus 540 from the Hauptbahnhof takes about 10 minutes.
The Habsburg portrait gallery and the Gothic sculpture collection open from 1 April to 31 October only, so a summer visit is longer.
Ambras Castle Innsbruck: tickets, opening hours and how to get there
GetYourGuide · 4.6/5 from 253 reviews
Book this if you like history, art or simply curious things: Archduke Ferdinand II's castle holds one of the earliest museum collections anywhere, with armour, oddities and over 200 Habsburg portraits.
Departs from Schloss Ambras, Schlossstrasse 20, Innsbruck; bus M to Schloss Ambras or bus 540 from the Hauptbahnhof · At least 1 hour, more with the park
Our take on each: Ambras Castle tickets (Schloss Ambras Innsbruck).
The Aqua Dome in Längenfeld, in the Ötztal west of Innsbruck, has 12 indoor and outdoor pools at 34 to 36 °C, including three bowl-shaped outdoor pools, and more than 2,000 m² of saunas. The thermal baths open daily from 09:00 to 23:00 (pools close at 22:30). A day ticket from 09:00 to 18:30 costs €59 for adults and €35.50 for children 3 to 14, under 3s go free, and family tickets start at €119 for two adults and one child. The saunas are for guests from 15.
By public transport, take the train to Ötztal station and the bus up the valley to Längenfeld. The day spa package bookable here adds breakfast, a reserved lounger and a €15 food voucher.
GetYourGuide · 4.9/5 from 29 reviews
The treat day of a Tyrol trip: floating in warm thermal water in the Aqua Dome's outdoor bowl pools with the Ötztal mountains all around, then a sauna, a lounger kept for you and lunch on a voucher.
Departs from Aqua Dome thermal spa reception, Längenfeld, Ötztal · A full day, from 9:00; thermal pools open until 22:30
Our take on each: Aqua Dome day spa (Längenfeld, Ötztal).
Café Central on Gilmstrasse, between the station and the old town, has been a Viennese-style coffee house since 1884, with strudel, a cake cabinet and newspapers; it opens daily 07:00 to 20:00. Munding at Kiebachgasse 16, about 100 m from the Golden Roof, has made cakes and chocolates since 1803 and calls itself Tyrol's oldest confectionery café; it opens Tuesday to Saturday 09:00 to 18:00.
The Folk Art Museum has its own café on the ground floor, convenient between the Court Church and the Hofburg.
Hotels to look at
City centre, Innsbruck city centre · 4 stars · 84 rooms
Four-star hotel above Café Central, with a fourth-floor sauna for wet evenings
Four-star city hotel above a classic Viennese coffee house, with a fourth-floor spa; suits couples and business travellers.
In winter
Olympiaworld's indoor TIWAG Arena opens for public skating from 4 November 2026 to 28 March 2027 on Wednesdays (14:00 to 16:20), Saturdays (14:00 to 16:20 and 20:00 to 21:50) and Sundays (14:00 to 16:20); adults €8, family €16.
SKI plus CITY Pass holders get 4 hours in the StuBay leisure pool in the Stubai valley, with 5,000 m² of pools, about an hour from Innsbruck on the Stubaitalbahn tram; it is closed from 14 to 24 December. The city museums all count once on the same pass, so a bad-weather day off the slopes costs nothing extra.
Skiing in Innsbruck 2026/27: ski areas, SKI plus CITY Pass prices and where to stay
Hotels to look at
Old town, on the Inn, Innsbruck old town · 4 stars
Four-star by the Inn with a pool open around the clock
Four-star spa hotel by the Inn at the old town edge, with a pool open around the clock; for couples and skiers.
From £231 a night
City centre, beside the Landestheater, Innsbruck city centre · 4 stars
City hotel beside the Landestheater with a rooftop pool
A big, well-equipped city hotel next to the Landestheater with a rooftop pool; for families, skiers and short city breaks.
From £215 a night
In summer
At the Schwaz Silver Mine, a mine train takes you into the mountain for a tour of about 90 minutes, at a constant 12 °C, so take a warm layer; check 2027 hours and prices on the mine's site before you go.
In August 2026 the open-air cinema in the Zeughaus courtyard screened a film every night at 21:00 and played in all weathers. Dates for 2027 had not been published in October 2026.
The Innsbruck Card covers most of the indoor sights on this page, plus buses, trams and the Swarovski shuttle; on a rainy day, Swarovski with the shuttle (€38), the Hofburg (€10.50), the Audioversum (€14) and a day of trams (€7.30) come to about €70, just over the €69 of a 24 hour card.
Innsbruck Card: prices, what's included and whether it is worth it
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
Our take on each: Innsbruck Card with public transport.
Hotels to look at
Igls · 4 stars · 73 rooms
Four-star in Igls with an indoor pool and sauna for a grey afternoon
A four-star village hotel in Igls with indoor pool, sauna and mountain views from every room; for couples, families and skiers.
From £123 a night
Visit the Hofburg and the Court Church, the Zeughaus, the Audioversum or Experience Tirol in the centre, or take the shuttle to Swarovski Crystal Worlds, which is mostly indoors. For a full day, the Aqua Dome thermal spa in the Ötztal has warm indoor and outdoor pools.
The Hofburg, the Folk Art Museum, the Court Church, the Tirol Panorama and Experience Tirol open on Mondays, and the Golden Roof Museum does from May to September. The Zeughaus and the Audioversum are closed on Mondays.
Yes. The Chambers of Wonder are inside the hill beneath the Giant, so most of the visit is under cover. It opens daily 09:00 to 19:00, and the Day Pass with the shuttle from Innsbruck costs €38 for adults.
A thermal spa day ticket from 09:00 to 18:30 costs €59 for adults and €35.50 for children 3 to 14; under 3s go free. A family ticket for two adults and two children costs €146.
Under 19s go free at the Hofburg, Ambras Castle and the Tiroler Landesmuseen, which include the Folk Art Museum, the Court Church, the Zeughaus and the Tirol Panorama.
Sources: burghauptmannschaft.at, tiroler-landesmuseen.at, tiroler-landesmuseen.at, tiroler-landesmuseen.at, innsbruck.gv.at, ski-plus-city.com, kristallwelten.swarovski.com, kristallwelten.swarovski.com, audioversum.at, experiencetirol.com. Checked October 2026.
