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Adlerweg Karwendel Mountains
Your trip begins on arrival in Innsbruck, capital of the Tyrol region. Take the afternoon to explore the historic city centre with cobblestone streets, colourful facades and historic landmarks like the Golden Roof.
Hotel in Innsbruck (Breakfast)
Red 3 (grade) 14.4km with 1080m ascent, 350m descent
Travel to the small village of Aschau to begin the trek. Begin climbing steadly uphill on good tracks as the route passes through sections of woodland and alongside Alpine. The welcoming Anderl’s Almhütte provides a welcome refreshment stop about halfway through the day. The second part of the day takes to more remote landscape traversing the hillside before heading down to the scenic Zireiner See. From here, climb over the shoulder of Latschberg before a final descent to the cosy Bayreuther Hütte.
Mountain Hut (Breakfast and Dinner)
Red 3 (grade) 13.8km with 630m ascent, 1260m descent
Today we cross the mountains to the Erfurterhütte, with its great views towards the mountains beyond Maurach. The route meets rockier terrain as it climbs to Krahnsattel, a rocky bowl surrounded by high peaks. Here we describe a detour to the summit of Rofanspitz (2259m) with its commanding view of the surrounding Alpine peaks. Descend to Erfurter Hütte with surrounding cafes - a perfect spot for lunch with views down to the valley and lake far below. After lunch we descend (by cable car if you wish) to the pretty and practical lakeside town of Maurach, located on the shores of Achensee.
Hotel in Maurach (Breakfast)
Red 3 (grade) 16.5km with 1040m ascent, 60m descent
Leaving Maurach we enter the Karwendel National Park, for a long (but very picturesque and enjoyable) valley ascent to the Lamsenjochhütte. The steady climb takes you to a splendid mountainous setting, with commanding views of the valley below. .
Mountain Hut (Breakfast and Dinner)
Red 3 (grade) 20.9km with 1200m ascent, 1390m descent
Today's route is firmly in the Karwendel Mountains. Begin by dropping into the charming Engtal valley, passing picturesque barns and meadows, before climbing back up to the famous Falkenhutte (1848m) - a traditional Alpine hut with a cosy atmosphere. The rest of the day involves some gentle descent, followed by a steady climb to reach Karwendelhaus, our end point for the day. The Karwendelhaus sits at the base of the Birkkarspitze and offers impressive views across the Karwendel mountains.
Mountain Hut (Breakfast and Dinner)
Blue 3 (grade) 17.3km with 130m ascent, 810m descent
Start the day with some steeper descent as the path winds down to Angeralm. From here follow a portion of the famous E4 Alpine trail into the Karwendel valley, following the Karwendelback river down the valley. Looking North are the Karwendelspitz hills, forming the border between Austria and Germany. Arrive in Scharnitz, a stones throw from the German border.
Hotel in Scharnitz (Breakfast)
Red 3 (grade) 21km with 880m ascent, 955m descent
Todays walk follows the Gleirschklamm Gorge, a highlight of the trek and one of the most beautiful gorges in the Karwendel. Follow wooden boardwalks and winding paths built into the steep sides with the clear waters below. Our route then climbs steadly to Kristenalm and beyound Solsteinhaus, two welcoming huts for a quick lunch stop. Descend steeply to the train station at Hozirl, for a return to Innsbruck.
Hotel in Innsbruck (Breakfast)
Blue 1 (grade) Zirbenweg - 7.3km with 170m ascent, 100m descent
Purple 3 (grade) Goetheweg - 11km with 470m ascent, 470m descent
Innsbruck is a delightful town with plenty of options for your rest day. We recommend 2 wonderful half-day walks along the hills on either side of the town. The routes are reached by cable car allowing you to traverse the scenic mountains without the long climb and descent. If opting for either walk, you'll have half a day left to explore Innsbruck's charms. Alternatively, you can take this day to rest, relax and recuperate.
Hotel in Innsbruck (Breakfast)
After a last breakfast we depart from Innsbruck. Take to the trains for a departure from the nearby airports of Munich and Zurich, or fly out of Innsbruck airport. Congratulations on your Karwendel hike! ✈️
Our hike through the Karwendel Mountains explores the heart of the Austrian Tyrol in 5 scenic stages. A shorter version than our LINK Adlerweg hike, this trek gives you a taste of Tyrolean hospitality in a week long holiday.
Make the trip shorter
If you are short on time, we suggest starting the walk in Maurach. This option takes your straight to the Karwendel National Park and gives a schedule of 4 walking stages and 5 nights accommodaiton. Add an extra night in Innsbruck if time allows to explore the mountains above the city on one of our half-day hikes.
Make the trip longer
If time allows, it's possible to split the last stage into 2 with another hut night in Solsteinhaus, this avoids the long last day. We can also recommend splitting the day between Maurach and Die Eng into 2 stages with a night in Gramai Alm.
Additional Rest Days
As standard we include a rest day in Innsbruck, with an option for a half-day walk along the Zirbenweg or Goetheweg (8km loop via cable car) leaving half a day to explore the city. We highly recommend extending your time in Innsbruck if you are able to - it's a charming, small city, circled by mountains, with colourful houses and plenty to offer for a rest day.
A rest day in Maurach also works well - it's a good spot to explore the lake!
Hike with a guide
Hike with confidence in the company of our fully qualified International Mountain Leaders (IMLs), with the navigation, accommodation and arrangements taken care of. If your group would like a guide for your trip, please get in touch for more details.
Options from Innsbruck
From Innsbruck we have 2 options for half day hikes:
ZirbenwegBlue 1 (grade)7.3km with 170m ascent, 100m descent
This is a wonderful walk at an easier level giving super views over the Inn Valley. Take the cablce car to Patscherjofelhaus and traverses the hillside to the cable car at Tyleinalm where you can descend back into the valley. Good paths lead the way through native woodland and to charming wooden huts with welcoming refreshements. A short detour to the summit of Patscherkofel is reccomended and a longer detour to Glungezerhutte gives the chance to get futher into the mountains.
GoethewegPurple 3 (grade)11km with 470m ascent, 470m descent
Take the famous Nordkette cable car up to 2,200m to begin the dramatic Goetheweg. A harder walk than the Zirbenweg, this out and bacl walk gives rewarding views of the Inn Valley and the Karwendel range. We traverse the hillside to Pfeishutte on rocky mountain paths. To extend the walk we give the option to summit Klein Stempeljochspitze (making the day at Black grade).
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Adlerweg: Karwendel Mountains 1 July to 18 Sept 2025 |
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| Classic | Comfy | ||
| Self-guided | |||
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4 stages - 1 rest day (5 nights) |
GBP 1,050 Singles 150 |
GBP 1,260 Singles 180 |
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6 stages - 1 rest day (8 nights) |
GBP 1,290 Singles 240 Main Trip |
GBP 1,640 Singles 310 |
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7 stages - 1 rest day (9 nights) |
GBP 1,360 Singles 240 |
GBP 1,780 Singles 260 |
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8 stages - 1 rest day (10 nights) |
GBP 1,445 Singles 285 |
GBP 1,865 Singles 310 |
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| Options | |||
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Baggage transfer |
Please ask us | ||
Where we stay
We spend 3 nights in the mountains in charming huts huts and 5 nights in a mix of welcoming 3* and 4* hotels. The quality of Austrian hotels continues to impress us. For those nights in the mountains, the huts are at a good standard and relatively accessible.
Comfy
We offer a more bespoke comfy option, which upgrades your hotel stays in Innsbruck and Maurach, utilising some of the more luxurious Tyrolean hotels that we have had the pleasure of discovering.
Hut Accommodations
We will ask for the smallest rooms at the huts where possible. Unusually for the Alps, some of the huts in the Tyrol don't specify room types in advance, so we can't know in advance if the rooms will be private or not. The huts are of high quality with welcoming hosts and hearty food.
Solo Travel
We do not take bookings for solo walkers on self-guided trips. If you are still interested in this trip, we do have availability on our guided trips.
Our Karwendel Mountain Trek gives a flavour of the Adlerweg (or Eagle's Way) in a week long holiday. After extensive research around hiking in the Austrian Tyrol, and with a focus on the epic Adlerweg, this trip is our suggestions for a continuous 6-stage hike which focuses on the more mountainous areas of the route. We use Innsbruck as a base at the start and end of the trip, which rounds off the trip with a touch of luxury in our stunning hotel options, and gives the option to explore the mountains surrounding the time. Innsbruck is one of our favourite Alpine towns (or in this case small city) and it is a pleasure to organise a trek based from this historic centre.
The Terrain
The Adlerweg's terrain comprises wide tracks through forests, Alpine meadows, tarmac lanes, zig-zagging hillside paths and steep, rocky mountain paths. In some places, the paths are steeper, with loose sections. The Adlerweg has no via ferrata or climbing sections and is a trek throughout. Sticking to grassy mountain cols and long Alpine valleys, the Adlerweg is less rocky than our other treks and the ground underfoot is mostly less challenging.
Is it for me?
The Adlerweg is a trek of contrasts. From remote mountain huts and quiet high-mountain paths to pastoral landscapes and immaculate villages to the bustling and urban centre of Innsbruck. These contrasts are certainly part of the charm of the Adlerweg, and add to the overall sense of movement across the beautiful Tyrol region. The trip would suit those who wish to experience a true taste of Austrian culture, across a wide variety of settings and accommodation. Overall the Adlerweg, including this Karwendel trip, has less walking solidly in the mountains than our other Alpine trips.
Difficulty
We grade the Adlerweg as Red 3 overall. Compared with the our Adlerweg trip, which includes longer stages and is graded a Red 4. Our Karwendel trip a more relaxed and consistent walking holiday.
Adlerweg Walking Guide - more about the trail
The making of our Adlerweg - photos from our research trips
Travel to and from your trip
Your holiday starts and ends in bustling Innsbruck. The most convenient airports is Innsbruck. With good train links through the valley, Munich and Zurich also work well.
Travel to and from the trip is not included in the holiday price. We take care to give the most useful notes possible about all the travel options. We supply these both on booking and in your info pack, and we offer personalised tips at any point. The aim is that our trekkers arrange their travel by the simplest and most scenic means as suits their plan.
Travel in Austria - our general page on Austrian trains
- Bespoke accommodation itinerary - tailored to suit your preferences
- Breakfast on all mornings
- Dinner at the 3 huts
- Detailed Routecards of the Exploratory system, printed on waterproof paper
- 3 topographical map covering the route
- Downloadable GPX Tracks covering the route
- Expert advice and local information
- A comprehensive 'Season Update' following our pre-season recce
- Full support during your trip from the Alpine Exploratory team (9am until 9pm in the Alps)
- Travel to and from your trip
- Local transport whilst on the trip
- Travel insurance
- Lunches, snacks, drinks and evening meals in the towns (this would be 9 nights on our main trip)
- Baggage transfers (available as an extra)
Baggage transfer
Let us move your bags between stops. This service takes your bag to each night's accommodation except for the huts, of which there are 3 on our standard schedule. When at huts, your bag goes ahead to the next hotel. Please contact us for a baggage price.
 
Enquiry Form
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If you prefer, please feel welcome to email or call us. Thanks!
| Contact Alpine Exploratory | |
| info@alpineexploratory.com | |
| Phone | +44 (0)131 214 1144 |
| Our times |
9am to 5pm UK time Monday to Friday |
| Australia | 02 8319 2266 |
| Canada | 416-548-4819 |
| New Zealand | 04 889 4515 |
| USA | 646-757-1102 |
Open to the world
Since Alpine Exploratory started in 2005 we have loved getting to know our clients from around the world. Along with the UK, our best-represented countries are the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Please use our national-rate numbers for a cheaper call to contact our office in Edinburgh.
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Maurach nestled on the lakesside of Achensee
Alpine Exploratory
+44 (0)131 214 1144
