Hiking in Kitzbühel works best from the lifts: ride the Hornbahn or the Hahnenkammbahn up, walk across the top, then walk or ride down. With one day, we'd do the Alpenblumen Panorama on the Kitzbüheler Horn, because it covers the summit, the flower garden and the quiet Bichlalm side without a big climb. Distances and times below come from the official route sheets on kitzbuehel.com and KitzSki, linked in each section.
This is a short list on purpose. Kitzbühel’s tourist board says the region has over 1,000 km of marked trails (kitzbuehel.com, as of November 2026), and you’ll walk a tiny fraction of them. So we’ve picked seven hikes, each a different kind of day, and sorted them from easy to hard.
Pick by your slowest walker, not your fittest. Every route here is on an official route sheet, which we link so you can check the line and the current status before you set off.
How hiking in Kitzbühel works
Two lift-served mountains do most of the work: the Kitzbüheler Horn to the east of town and the Hahnenkamm to the west. You ride up, walk across ridges and past huts, and either walk down or take the lift back. Paths are signed and graded like ski runs, blue for easy, red for intermediate and black for difficult (KitzSki Alpine Summer 2026).
The tourist board describes the area as certified with the European Hiking Seal of Quality, with Aurach and Jochberg the first destination to receive it (kitzbuehel.com). In practice that means good signage and well-kept paths.
You don’t have to go alone. KitzSki’s guides ran free daily hikes from 15 June to 4 October 2026 for anyone with a valid lift ticket, including a Streif walk and a Karst trail on the Horn. You can also book guided hikes (affiliate link) through tour sites.
Hiking is the backbone of a summer stay, but there’s more in our list of warm-weather ideas, and our Kitzbühel guide covers the whole year.
The best hikes, easy to hard
1. Schwarzsee Loop (easy)
A flat lap of the moor lake on the edge of town, 2.5 km with 33 m of climbing, mostly on gravel (route sheet). No lift needed: walk from the centre or take the train one stop.
It’s for families with small children, a jet-lagged first evening or a rest day. It isn’t a mountain hike, and anyone wanting views from a ridge will be bored. Combine it with a swim; our guide to the lake on the edge of town covers the lido.
2. Alpine Flower Garden walk on the Horn (easy, lift up)
Take the Hornbahn and then the Horngipfelbahn to the top, and walk down to the Alpenhaus through the Alpine Flower Garden: 2 km and about an hour on the official sheet. You can follow the asphalt road from the summit house or the old Hornweg across the pasture.
It’s all downhill and partly paved, so it suits grandparents and anyone who doesn’t want a climb. The garden is free. Our guide to the Kitzbüheler Horn has the lifts and huts.
3. KitzTrail Streif-live down the Hahnenkamm (moderate, steep)
The famous one. From the Hahnenkammbahn top station you follow the Streif race course back to the valley past the Mausefalle, Steilhang and Seidlalm: 7.1 km, 907 m of descent and about three hours, rated medium (kitzbuehel.com, as of November 2026).
Medium undersells what it does to your knees. Use poles. Skip it with small children or a dodgy knee, and walk the easy panoramic trail at the top instead. Our page on the summer Hahnenkamm goes section by section.
4. Huts tour on the Hahnenkamm (moderate)
KitzSki’s extended huts tour links seven mountain huts in about two and a half to three hours (KitzSki Alpine Summer 2026). From the top station it goes past the Sonnbühel to the Melkalm, then via Hochbrunn to the Sonnenrast at the Ehrenbachhöhe, and back past the Berghaus Tirol, Hahnenkammstüberl and Hocheckhütte to Hochkitzbühel at the top station.
It’s a walk built around lunch, with little climbing. Want more distance? The same brochure describes a roughly 7 km one-way walk from the top station to the Pengelstein mountain restaurant, about four hours.
5. Alpenblumen Panorama, Horn to Bichlalm (moderate)
Our pick if you have one day. Ride Hornbahn I and the Horngipfelbahn up, climb briefly to the viewing tower, then walk past the Horn chapel, the flower garden, the Hornköpfl lake and the limestone “Weaner Stadt” to the Hochetzkogel and down to the Bichlalm. The official sheet gives 8.5 km, 361 m up, 717 m down and about four hours.
Most of the effort is downhill, on gravel and meadow paths. In 2026 the Bichlalm chairlift ran from 13 June to 27 September, which gives you a way down to the valley at the end (KitzSki, as of November 2026). Outside those dates, plan for the extra descent.
6. Sintersbach Waterfall from Jochberg (moderate)
For people staying south of town in Jochberg or Aurach, or anyone with a car. The loop starts at the Schradler car park in Jochberg, reaches the waterfall (a drop of more than 85 m) in about an hour, then climbs to the Jochberger Wildalm and returns over alpine meadows on the Drachensteig: 9.27 km, 543 m of ascent and about four hours (kitzbuehel.com, as of November 2026).
No lift, so it’s a real climb, but it’s shaded and varied. The nearest bus stop is Jochberg Gemeindeamt.
7. Gamsroas, the nine-summit day (hard)
This is the big one: nine summits from the Laubkogel to the Schützkogel, 17.7 km with 1,447 m up and down, a high point of 2,174 m and about 11 hours (kitzbuehel.com, as of November 2026). It starts and ends at the Bochumer Hütte car park by the Kelchalm, with no lift to help.
Only for fit, experienced hikers with an early start and a settled forecast. If that isn’t you, this hike isn’t for you, and that’s fine.
The hikes compared
| Hike | Start | Lift? | Level | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwarzsee Loop | Schwarzsee car park | No | Easy | Families, rest days |
| Alpine Flower Garden walk | Horn summit | Yes, Hornbahn and Horngipfelbahn | Easy | Mixed ages, flowers |
| KitzTrail Streif-live | Hahnenkamm top station | Yes, up only | Moderate, steep | Race fans with strong knees |
| Hahnenkamm huts tour | Hahnenkamm top station | Yes | Moderate | A long lunch |
| Alpenblumen Panorama | Hornbahn valley station | Yes, up; Bichlalm chairlift down when open | Moderate | One full day |
| Sintersbach Waterfall | Schradler car park, Jochberg | No | Moderate | Guests in Jochberg or Aurach |
| Gamsroas | Bochumer Hütte car park | No | Hard | Experienced hikers |
Lift season and tickets
The summer lifts run between fixed dates, and they differ by mountain. In 2026 the Hornbahn and Horngipfelbahn ran from 23 May to 11 October, and the Hahnenkammbahn from 1 to 31 May and again from 15 June to 1 November, according to KitzSki’s Alpine Summer 2026 brochure (as of November 2026). Dates for 2027 hadn’t been published when we checked.
If you stay overnight in the area in May, June, September or October, the KitzCard guest card included one free return lift ride per person per day in 2026 (kitzbuehel.com). It didn’t apply in July or August. For ticket prices, check kitzski.at.
What to pack and safety
KitzSki’s own list is sensible: sturdy ankle-high shoes, rain gear, sun protection, something to drink, a snack and a warm layer, even for short walks. Add poles for the Streif or any long descent.
Summer weather in the Alps turns quickly. Afternoon thunderstorms are common, so start early and plan to be off exposed ridges by early afternoon. Leave grazing cows alone and keep dogs on a short lead in pastures.
In an emergency in the mountains, call 140, the Austrian alpine emergency number; 112 also works (Bergrettung).
Where to base yourself for hiking
Stay in town if you want both mountains. From the centre you can walk to the Hahnenkammbahn, and the Hornbahn is close too, so you can switch mountains with the weather. If you’d rather wake up to quiet, Reith, Aurach or Jochberg are calmer and put the Schwarzsee or the Sintersbach valley on your doorstep, but you’ll need the bus or a car for the lifts. Our guide to the best areas to stay compares them.
Flying in? Read our guide to getting here from Munich Airport.
Plan your trip
Where to stay
Compare hotels and apartments in the town centre, near the Hahnenkamm lift or in quieter Reith and Kirchberg.
Tours and activities
Book guided hikes, lessons or a day trip to Salzburg before the busy weeks fill up.
Some links are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How this works.
More than a week?
The Kitzbühel Alps have a multi-stage long-distance trail, the KAT Walk; one stage starts at the Hornbahn valley station and crosses the Horn to St. Johann (kitzbuehel.com). It’s a holiday in itself, so plan it separately.
On rest days, try one of the day trips by train. And if you’re back in the cold months, the paths don’t close: see our guide to a winter walk around town.
Which hike first?
Choose by the weakest walker in your group. For a mixed group, ride the Horn and do the Alpenblumen Panorama or just the flower garden walk; fit hikers can add the Streif the next day. Start by reading our Horn guide, then check the lift dates for your trip.
