Visiting the Zugspitze is one of the most popular things to do in Garmisch and when you see the view, you’ll know why!

You can walk around the viewing deck at the summit taking in the views, eat at one of three restaurants, soak up the sun, even go sledding/tobogganing. The Zugspitze is split between Austria and Germany, so while you’re up there you can also cross the border and visit Austria, no passport required!

You can get up to the summit of Zugspitze in a few ways:

• You can take the Zugspitzbahn (train) from different stops in Garmisch. The first stop is near the Olympic Ice Stadium. The trip takes an hour from there.

• The sielbahn (cable car) from Eibsee is a quicker way to get up. The ride only takes about 10 minutes to the summit. Catch a different cable car down to the skiing and tobogganing area.

• There is also a cable car up from the Austria side. Catch the cable car in Ehrwald and ride up that way. Go here if the traffic to Eibsee is very backed up.

You need to know that the cable car and the train take you to different spots. The cable car takes you to the actual summit. The train takes you to the glacier which is where the skiing and sledding is. There is another cable car that connects the summit to the ski area. It is included in your roundtrip ticket.

Zugspitze Tickets

Purchase directly on site or at zugspitze.de

Since the tickets are a bit pricey to go to the summit, always check the weather for your visit and plan this on the sunniest day. Don’t waste the ticket if clouds are blocking all the views.

The website above has live cams where you can check if the view is blocked before you decide to go up.

Zugspitze in Summer:

If you are an avid hiker, there is the possibility of summiting the Zugspitze on foot. The hike from Hammersbach will take all day (leaving before sunrise), and you will need a helmet, harness, and crampons in addition to your normal hiking provisions.

This route gets quite crowded at times. You may have to wait in line on the glacier and again once you get to the summit.

There is an easier route starting from Ehrwald that is possible to do with kids. Make sure to do your research to decide if it is a good activity for your group.

You can also toboggan in the summer at the glacier, sleds are free to borrow that time of year but chargeable in the winter.

You should bring layers and prepare to be chilly. It gets windy and the temperature is significantly cooler than in the valley. Sometimes it even gets a summer snow up top so be prepared!

Zugsptize in Winter:

In winter you can ski at the Zugspitze. It is the ski area open the longest in Garmisch. Usually the beginning of December-end of April.

There are a few blue and red runs up here. It’s not the most expansive ski area (20 km) but on a clear day it has a very impressive view.

There are several options of ski passes in Garmisch. Check out the details and decide which would be the best for your visit.

This is NOT where I would recommend learning how to ski but if it is your only option, lessons are available through some of the ski schools in town.

The ski area is not at the same spot as the summit. To get from the summit to the ski area, you will take another cable car down. The Zugspitzbahn train will drop you off directly at the ski area.