The best things to do in Innsbruck are the Nordkette cable cars from the Old Town to 2,256 m, the Golden Roof and the Hofburg in the Old Town, Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Wattens, Ambras Castle, the Bergisel ski jump and the Alpine Zoo. Almost all of them open in both winter and summer, and the Innsbruck Card (48 hours €79 for adults in 2026) covers entry to every one of them plus city transport.
Three linked rides take you from the Congress station by the Old Town to the Hafelekar at 2,256 m. In winter it is steep freeride terrain and a snowy viewpoint (season 20 November 2026 to 25 April 2027); in summer, the start of the via ferrata and high trails into the Karwendel. Top of Innsbruck return: €56 adult on the 2026 tariff.
Nordkette Innsbruck: cable car tickets, prices and what to do at the top
GetYourGuide · 4.8/5 from 1194 reviews
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.
Departs from Hungerburgbahn station, next to Congress Innsbruck, Rennweg 3 · Valid for one day; the ride up takes about 20 minutes, allow half a day
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
Our take on each: Nordkette cable car tickets (Top of Innsbruck) · Nordkette and Alpine Zoo combi ticket (Top of Innsbruck plus zoo).
The Chambers of Wonder, the Giant and the crystal garden in Wattens, open daily 09:00 to 19:00. A lit winter garden runs from 11 November 2026 to 6 February 2027. Day Pass €25 online for adults; €38 with the shuttle from Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof.
Swarovski Crystal Worlds Wattens: tickets, shuttle from Innsbruck and opening hours
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 · 4.6/5 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
Our take on each: Swarovski Crystal Worlds tickets (Wattens) · Swarovski Crystal Worlds tickets with shuttle from Innsbruck.
The car-free Old Town centres on the Golden Roof, 2,657 gilded copper shingles you can see free from the street. The museum behind it costs €6. In winter the Christmas market fills the square from 13 November to 23 December 2026.
Innsbruck Old Town and the Golden Roof: what to see, museum tickets and where to stay
GetYourGuide · 4.9/5 from 69 reviews
The easiest and cheapest way to get your bearings on your first day: one hour on foot through the old town with a state-certified Austria Guide, for less than the price of lunch.
Departs from Innsbruck Information, Burggraben 3 (Stadtführung meeting point sign) · About 1 hour
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: Innsbruck walking tour of the old town (Welcome Tour) · Innsbruck City Tower tickets (Stadtturm).
The imperial palace, daily 09:00 to 17:00 and free for under 19s, and the Court Church with Maximilian I's tomb and 28 larger-than-life bronze statues. The Hofburg closes from 11 January to 7 February 2027.
Hofburg and Court Church Innsbruck: tickets, opening hours and what to see
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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).
A Renaissance castle above the city, considered the world's first museum, with a free landscape park. Open daily 10:00 to 17:00 except in November; adults €16 online, under 19 free.
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).
Zaha Hadid's jump tower at the end of tram line 1, with a terrace over the city. The Four Hills Tournament jumps here on 2 and 3 January 2027, and in summer you can watch training jumps free. Adults €12 until 31 December 2026.
Bergisel Ski Jump Innsbruck: tickets, opening hours and the Four Hills Tournament
GetYourGuide · 4.6/5 from 170 reviews
An easy win for almost everyone: a short trip from the centre to an Olympic ski jump, a lift up Zaha Hadid's tower and one of the best views of Innsbruck from the terrace on top.
Departs from Bergisel Schanze, Bergiselweg 3, Innsbruck; tram 1 to Bergisel or the Sightseer bus · About 1 hour, more with a meal
Our take on each: Bergisel ski jump tickets.
About 2,000 animals from about 150 alpine species, on the Hungerburgbahn line and open every day of the year. Adults €16, or €23 with the funicular return.
Alpine Zoo Innsbruck (Alpenzoo): tickets, opening hours and the Hungerburg funicular
GetYourGuide · 4.4/5 from 729 reviews
The classic family half day in Innsbruck: ride the Zaha Hadid funicular up from the old town, spend a couple of hours with wolves, bears and lynx at the Alpine Zoo, and carry on to the Hungerburg viewpoint before riding back.
Departs from Hungerburgbahn station beside Congress Innsbruck, Rennweg 3 · Valid for one day; allow 2.5 to 3 hours
GetYourGuide · 4.3/5 from 70 reviews
Entry only to the Alpine Zoo, for visitors who will walk, take bus W or already have transport sorted.
Departs from Alpine Zoo, Innsbruck, at 750 m below the Nordkette · Valid for one day; allow about 2 hours
Our take on each: Alpine Zoo and Hungerburg funicular combi ticket · Alpine Zoo Innsbruck tickets (Alpenzoo).
One card for 22 museums and sights, a return on the Nordkette and the Patscherkofel, the Swarovski shuttle and city transport. 48 hours costs €79 for adults in 2026; it pays off with the Nordkette and one or two museums.
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.
The Gundolf family's folk music, dance and yodelling show, at the Messe from 20:30. Daily from May to October, Wednesdays and Fridays in winter. Show with a drink €39, with dinner €69.
Tyrolean evening in Innsbruck: the Gundolf family show, times and prices
GetYourGuide · 4.7/5 from 1163 reviews
The classic night out in Innsbruck for anyone who wants to hear yodelling, see the slap dance and listen to instruments you will not meet anywhere else, all in one evening.
Departs from Alpensaal an der Messe, Ingenieur-Etzel-Strasse, Innsbruck (first floor); tram 1 or S-Bahn to Messe · Show about 1.5 hours (20:30 to about 22:00); 3 hours with dinner
Our take on each: Tyrolean evening in Innsbruck with the Gundolf family.
A medieval salt and mint town 10 minutes away by train, with the largest old town in western Austria, the Hall Mint at Burg Hasegg and a projected Advent calendar market from 20 November to 24 December 2026.
Where to stay for this
Hall in Tirol, old town, Hall in Tirol · Hotel · 19 rooms
Historic inn on Hall's old town square, for a quieter base near Innsbruck
A historic inn on Hall's old town square with 19 individual rooms and a Tyrolean cellar restaurant; for couples and culture lovers.
Mountains that start at the edge of the Old Town, the Golden Roof, the Habsburg palaces of Maximilian I and Ferdinand II, and two Winter Olympics. The Nordkette cable cars take you from the centre to 2,256 m.
Ride the Nordkette for the views, visit the Christmas markets from 13 November 2026, see Swarovski Crystal Worlds and its winter garden, and spend time in the Hofburg, the Court Church and Ambras Castle (closed in November). The Tyrolean evening runs on Wednesdays and Fridays in winter.
Two full days cover the Nordkette, the Alpine Zoo, the Old Town, the Hofburg and Swarovski Crystal Worlds, which is also how long a 48 hour Innsbruck Card lasts. Add a day for Ambras, the Bergisel and Hall in Tirol.
Seeing the Golden Roof from the street, the Ambras Castle park, and in summer the ski jumping training at the Bergisel. Under 19s go free at the Hofburg, Ambras Castle and the Tiroler Landesmuseen, including the Court Church.
Swarovski Crystal Worlds, the Hofburg, the Court Church and the Folk Art Museum, the Tirol Panorama at the Bergisel, and the Audioversum science centre are all indoors.
Sources: nordkette.com, nordkette.com, kristallwelten.swarovski.com, kristallwelten.swarovski.com, innsbruck.gv.at, christkindlmarkt.cc, burghauptmannschaft.at, tiroler-landesmuseen.at, schlossambras-innsbruck.at, bergisel.info. Checked October 2026.
