Stubai Glacier in summer from Innsbruck: TOP OF TYROL, glacier hikes and how to get there

While Innsbruck is warm, the head of the Stubai valley is still glaciated. The lifts start at Mutterberg and climb past the Fernau middle station (2,300 m) and the Eisgrat (2,900 m) to the Schaufeljoch, close to the summit ridge. You can be standing on the platform within about half an hour of leaving the car park.

In summer 2026 the lifts ran daily from 08:00 to 16:30, with the last ride down from the top station at 16:15. Take warm layers and sunglasses even in July: it is high-mountain weather up there.

The TOP OF TYROL platform stands at 3,210 m with views over the Stubai Alps to the Dolomites, and a free Viscope telescope helps name the peaks. Ride the 3S Eisgrat gondola and then the Schaufeljoch gondola, about 20 minutes in total, and walk 7 minutes from the top station in sturdy shoes. The platform is not accessible for wheelchairs.

In summer you need the TOP OF TYROL panorama ticket, sold from the end of June online or at the valley station. The operator had not published a summer 2027 price when we checked. Guests at Stubai partner accommodation get the Stubai Super Card, which includes one ride up and down each day from 18 May to 1 November 2027.

The glacier opens in steps as the snow melts. In summer 2026 the lifts ran to the Gamsgarten (2,600 m) from 20 June to 3 July, ran fully to TOP OF TYROL from 4 July to 6 September, and only to the Fernau (2,300 m) from 7 to 27 September, according to the bergfex listing. That makes July and August the safe months for the platform.

There is no summer skiing programme listed by the operator: the glacier's ski season runs from October to mid May (9 October 2026 to 17 May 2027), and summer is about views, walking and climbing.

The glacier path climbs from the Fernau middle station (2,300 m) to the Eisgrat (2,900 m) in about 2 hours and 600 m of ascent, along a moraine and past glacier-polished rock and the Fernau reservoir. The operator rates it intermediate and suggests it for active families.

Easier: walk from the upper valley station via Fernau to the Dresdner Hütte (2,308 m) in about 2 hours, or loop around the hut in an hour. Longer: Fernau to the Sulzenauhütte over the Peiljoch in about 3 hours, or the 4.5-hour route to the Mutterberger See. The operator does not maintain these trails, so check conditions before you set off; snow can linger into July.

Via ferratas and sport climbing routes start near the lifts, and the Stubai Alpin guiding office in Neustift takes day tours onto the glacier peaks, including the Zuckerhütl and the Stubai Wildspitze. Do not walk onto the glacier itself without a guide.

The Eisgrotte, an ice cave in the glacier, has been part of past summer visits, but the operator's current summer pages do not list it, so ask at the valley station before you go.

At the Eisgrat top station there is a high-altitude playground with a six-metre wooden mammoth, beside the restaurant and its sun terrace. Pair it with the short Dresdner Hütte walk lower down and the day works well for families with school-age children. The little Schaufeljoch chapel is a short detour near the top.

Bus lines 590 to 594 run from Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof through the Stubai valley; check on the VVT timetable which departures continue to the glacier at Mutterberg. The Stubai valley itself is about 20 minutes from Innsbruck, and the glacier about 45 minutes by car. Guests staying in the Stubai valley get a voucher for one free bus trip between Innsbruck and the valley.

Driving, park free at the Eisgrat or Gamsgarten valley station. Arrive early on clear July and August days.