Kitzbühel's tourist office lists three toboggan runs, and none is in the town itself: the Gaisberg in Kirchberg, the Kelchalm above Aurach and the Trattenbachalm near Jochberg, all a short drive, train or bus ride away. Only the Gaisberg has a lift and floodlights; the other two mean walking up first. For most visitors the Gaisberg is the easy choice, especially at night, while the walk-up runs suit fit groups who want a hut lunch as the reward. Start small children on a gentle slope, and everyone should wear a helmet.
Tobogganing is the one winter activity that works for everybody in a mixed group: skiers, non-skiers, children and grandparents. Around Kitzbühel it also comes with a mountain hut, which is half the point. This page compares the runs and helps you pick one. It’s part of the winter guide.
The first thing to know is that the official runs are not in Kitzbühel itself. Kitzbühel Tourismus lists three, all in the surrounding villages (source, as of November 2026), and the Bichlalm above town is explicitly not a sledging area.
Where to go tobogganing near Kitzbühel
There are three official runs: one lift-served and floodlit in Kirchberg, and two longer walk-up runs above Aurach and Jochberg.
| Run | Village | Length | Getting up | Floodlit? | Sledge hire | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaisberg | Kirchberg in Tirol | About 3.3–3.5 km | Gaisberglift chairlift | Yes | Valley station | Families, night sledding |
| Kelchalm | Aurach bei Kitzbühel | About 3.5 km | Walk, about 1.5–2.25 hours | No | Bochumer Hütte (at the top) | Fit groups, hut lunch |
| Trattenbachalm | Jochberg | About 5–5.5 km | Walk, about 2–2.5 hours | No | Skiladl by the Wagstätt gondola, or the hut | A full day out |
Where the official pages disagree, we’ve given the range rather than pick one number. All three runs depend on snow and can close at short notice, so check before you set off.
Gaisberg, Kirchberg
The Gaisberg is the run to choose if you want it easy. The Gaisberglift, a four-seat chairlift from the edge of Kirchberg, takes you straight to the start, and you can hire a sledge at the valley station (Kitzbüheler Alpen, as of November 2026). The run is about 3.3 km with roughly 420 m of descent by that count, and huts along the way, including the Gasthaus Obergaisberg, give you a reason to stop.
The catch: it is not a nursery slope. Official listings rate it medium to difficult, and the lift means it gets busy on clear evenings.
Kelchalm, Aurach
The Kelchalm is a proper walk-up run. You start from the winter car park by the chapel at Kelchalmweg 1, climb nearly 4 km of winding forest road to the Bochumer Hütte, eat, and sledge back down (Kitzbühel Tourismus, as of November 2026). Sledges are hired at the hut, so you don’t have to drag one up, and each takes two riders. Official walking times range from about 1.5 hours to 2 hours 15 minutes. The run is not lit, so start early enough to be down before dark.
Trattenbachalm, Jochberg
The longest of the three, at about 5 to 5.5 km depending on which official page you read. It starts at the Trattenbachalm hut, which you reach only on foot, in about two hours according to the run’s official page (as of November 2026). You can hire a sledge at the Skiladl next to the Wagstätt gondola in Jochberg or at the hut itself. It isn’t lit. Treat it as a day out rather than an afternoon.
Night tobogganing
The Gaisberg is the only floodlit run on the official list. As of November 2026, the Tyrol tourist board lists night tobogganing there from Tuesday to Saturday, 6.30 pm to 9.30 pm (tyrol.com). Other listings give slightly different evening times, so confirm on the day.
Bring a head torch anyway, plus a spare warm layer for the lift. Getting back is the part to plan: if you came by train or bus, check the last connection to Kitzbühel before you go up, or book a taxi.
In December you can make a full evening of it: an early hour at the Advent market in the old town, then out to Kirchberg for the lit run. In a January visit, cold, clear nights tend to make the snow fast.
Hiring a sledge and what to wear
You can hire a sledge at or near every official run: at the Gaisberg valley station, at the Bochumer Hütte on the Kelchalm, and at the Skiladl or the Trattenbachalm hut for the Jochberg run. Sport shops in Kitzbühel rent them too (source). We don’t list prices because they change each season.
The tourist office’s own safety tips call for sturdy shoes, snow-proof trousers and jacket, gloves, a helmet and goggles. Winter boots with good grip are right; ski boots are not, because you steer and brake with your heels. A ski helmet works fine.
Tobogganing with kids
Children love it, but start small. A long mountain run is a big ask for a first go, so practise on a gentle slope in the valley before taking young children up a lift or a long walk. The Gaisberg’s chairlift helps small legs, but its rating means you should sit younger children in front of you on the same sledge rather than let them go alone.
Avoid the busiest window at dusk, when the evening crowd arrives. Helmets for every child, every time. Our page on family days out has more ideas for days with children.
Safety: the bit people skip
Most of the safety advice comes down to a few habits. Keep to the right and let faster sledges pass. Stop at the side of the run, never in the middle or just after a bend. Steer and brake with your feet, and sit up rather than lying back. Don’t go faster than you can stop in the distance you can see.
Two more. Don’t sledge down after drinks at the hut; schnapps and a dark, icy run are a bad mix. And check the run’s status before you leave, because runs close when the snow is poor.
Getting there without a car
Kirchberg is the easiest without a car: it’s on the railway line from Kitzbühel, and the Gaisberglift starts at the edge of the village, a short local bus or taxi ride from the station. Aurach and Jochberg aren’t on the railway; regional buses run there from Kitzbühel, so plan with the VVT journey planner and check the return times. Arriving from the west? The Innsbruck route runs through Kirchberg on its way to town.
Your base affects this more than you’d expect. Our guide to which area to stay in explains the trade-offs between the centre and the villages.
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.
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If there isn’t enough snow
Mild spells can close the runs, particularly early and late in the season. If that happens, switch to cleared winter hiking paths, find things to do off the slopes in town, or take the train east for skating on the Ritzensee in Saalfelden, when its ice is open.
Which run should you pick?
For a first time, a family outing or an evening activity, take the Gaisberg in Kirchberg. For a fit group with a free day, walk up to the Kelchalm or the Trattenbachalm and earn the hut lunch. Check the run’s status on the day, then plan the rest of your stay with our full guide to Kitzbühel.
