GuardTrailsAustria · Italy · July
The classic
The Grand Zillertal Alpine Traverse
The stops adventure tour operators put in their flagship trips here — even if it strays a little from your request.
A high-altitude journey across the Zillertal Alps, connecting historic mountain lodges, glaciers, and panoramic passes.
- The route is heavily focused on high-altitude nature and alpine huts, resulting in a lower proportion of cultural activities than requested.
- days16
- bases10
- stages17
- nights15
- transfer days3
- walking days6
- stage to stage≈ 661 km
- at the wheel, day by day≈ 16 h 24
includes a leg whose time is not computed (pass or track)
The season for your dates
In July, rain spoils 15% of the days; August, the month next to it, is drier: 13%.
Historical statistics (Open-Meteo), not a forecast.
Who this itinerary is for
This itinerary suits a traveller looking for: a trip in July, treks with a pack on your back, a day hike, kayak or canoe, a village stroll, a town walk (2 h), easy cycling, via ferrata and wildlife watching.
The area
the traverse of the Zillertal Alps from the Krimml Waterfalls to the Tuxer Hauptkamm and the historic Berliner Hütte
The map
Loading the map…
The days at a glance
One line per day: where you sleep, what the day is, the road, and how its time is split.
| Day | Evening base | The day | Road | Time of the day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day1 | Evening base : Mayrhofen | ArrivalMayrhofen, arrival | Road 1 h 10 | |
| Day2 | Evening base : Chemnitzer Hütte | TransferSouth Tyrol | Road 1 h 30 | |
| Day3 | Evening base : Chemnitzer Hütte | Day excursionHochfeiler Peak & Refuge | Road 1 h 17 | |
| Day4 | Evening base : Pfitscherjoch Haus | Walking dayPfitscher Joch | — | |
| Day5 | Evening base : Karl-von-Edel-Hütte | TransferKarl-von-Edel-Hütte & Ahornspitze | Road ≈ 3 h 55 | |
| Day6 | Evening base : Brandberg | Walking dayPlauener Hütte | — | |
| Day7 | Evening base : Kasseler Hütte | Walking dayKasseler Hütte Alpine Refuge | — | |
| Day8 | Evening base : Kasseler Hütte | Day excursionKrimml Waterfalls & Valley | Road 1 h 09 | |
| Day9 | Evening base : Berliner Hütte | TransferBerliner Hütte Historic Lodge | Road 3 h 44 | |
| Day10 | Evening base : Berliner Hütte | Day excursionFurtschaglhaus & Schönbichler Horn | Road 1 h 22 | |
| Day11 | Evening base : Dominikushütte | Walking daySchlegeisspeicher | — | |
| Day12 | Evening base : Dominikushütte | Day excursionOlpererhütte & Suspension Bridge | Road 6 min | |
| Day13 | Evening base : Greizer Hütte | Walking dayGreizer Hütte | — | |
| Day14 | Evening base : Ginzling | Walking dayGinzling | — | |
| Day15 | Evening base : Ginzling | Day excursionHintertux Glacier & Valley | Road 50 min | |
| Day16 | — | DepartureMayrhofen, departure | Road 1 h 21 |
- programme
- road
- free time
12.0 h usable every day
Good to know
What it leaves aside
This route focuses on high-altitude alpine trails and mountain huts, which means leaving behind the comfort of valley hotels.
Places it did not keep
The lower Zillertal valley floor and the easternmost peaks of the Reichenspitze group.
Getting there
Fly to Innsbruck Airport (INN), 1 h 10 by road from the start.
Train to Jenbach, 35 min by road from the start.
Where you sleep
The region offers a mix of mountain huts, guesthouses, and hotels, and it is highly recommended to book well in advance during the peak summer season.
Safety
Austria: no warning from the UK authorities (FCDO). Advice of 2026-08-11 · Official advice
Italy: no warning from the UK authorities (FCDO). Advice of 2026-11-03 · Official advice
Check before booking and before taking out insurance: the advice may have changed since.
Why this version, the cost in detail and the sources are on the method page. Read the method →
When, and for how long
How long?
- You ask for
- 17days
- The area needs, at least
- 16days
- Days kept
- 16days
Travelling in July.
The climate — July
- Daily high, 1 day in 4 is hotter
- 28 °C
- Daily high, 1 day in 20 is hotter
- 31 °C
- Unfavourable day
- 12%
- Windy day
- 3%
Rain, wind and temperature are measured over the 10 h in the middle of the day, on a historical baseline of 90 observations (Open-Meteo). It is a measuring window, not the length of your day: each day of the programme counts 12 h of usable time.
The itinerary, day by day
17 stages over 16 days, in the order of the days. A stage appears on the day you first reach it: you sleep several nights at some, and a day trip leaves from your base and brings you back to it. Each day has its own page.
Every day of this trip has 12 h of usable time. Room to breathe — we have not padded these days to fill them: the free time left is part of the trip.
- Day 1ARRIVALMayrhofen, arrival · night in Mayrhofen2 h planned · 1 h 10 on the roadSee the day →
- Day 2South Tyrol · night in Chemnitzer Hütte4 h 30 planned · 1 h 30 on the roadSee the day →
Stage 3 · Hochfeilerhütte
Hochfeiler Peak & Refuge
Day trip from Chemnitzer Hütte · no night here · climate cold
- Day 3EXCURSIONfrom Chemnitzer Hütte → Hochfeiler Peak & Refuge7 h planned · 1 h 17 on the roadSee the day →
- Day 4WALKPfitscher Joch · night in Pfitscherjoch Haus8 h 01 plannedSee the day →
Stage 5 · Karl-von-Edel-Hütte
Karl-von-Edel-Hütte & Ahornspitze
1 night · climate favourable
- Day 5TRANSFERKarl-von-Edel-Hütte & Ahornspitze · night in Karl-von-Edel-Hütte4 h 30 planned · ≈ 3 h 55 on the road pass or track not computed, check the timeSee the day →
- Day 6WALKPlauener Hütte · night in Brandberg8 h 21 plannedSee the day →
Stage 7 · Kasseler Hütte
Kasseler Hütte Alpine Refuge
2 nights · climate favourable
- Day 7WALKKasseler Hütte Alpine Refuge · night in Kasseler Hütte6 h 50 plannedSee the day →
Stage 8 · Krimml
Krimml Waterfalls & Valley
Day trip from Kasseler Hütte · no night here · climate favourable
- Day 8EXCURSIONfrom Kasseler Hütte → Krimml Waterfalls & Valley6 h 30 planned · 1 h 09 on the roadSee the day →
Stage 9 · Berliner Hütte
Berliner Hütte Historic Lodge
2 nights · climate favourable
- Day 9TRANSFERBerliner Hütte Historic Lodge · night in Berliner Hütte4 h 30 planned · 3 h 44 on the roadSee the day →
Stage 10 · Furtschaglhaus
Furtschaglhaus & Schönbichler Horn
Day trip from Berliner Hütte · no night here · climate favourable
- Day 10EXCURSIONfrom Berliner Hütte → Furtschaglhaus & Schönbichler Horn4 h planned · 1 h 22 on the roadSee the day →
- Day 11WALKSchlegeisspeicher · night in Dominikushütte8 h 20 plannedSee the day →
Stage 12 · Olpererhütte
Olpererhütte & Suspension Bridge
Day trip from Dominikushütte · no night here · climate favourable
- Day 12EXCURSIONfrom Dominikushütte → Olpererhütte & Suspension Bridge7 h 30 planned · 6 min on the roadSee the day →
- Day 13WALKGreizer Hütte · night in Greizer Hütte7 h 06 plannedSee the day →
- Day 14WALKGinzling · night in Ginzling7 h plannedSee the day →
Stage 15 · Hintertux
Hintertux Glacier & Valley
Day trip from Ginzling · no night here · climate favourable
- Day 15EXCURSIONfrom Ginzling → Hintertux Glacier & Valley7 h 30 planned · 50 min on the roadSee the day →
Stage 16 · Finkenberg
Finkenberg
climate favourable
No day of its own: you pass through.
- Day 16DEPARTUREMayrhofen, departure · end of the trip1 h 21 on the roadSee the day →
What it costs, roughly
€1,206 to €1,910 per person
€75 to €119 per day
Based on: 4 people.
The cost estimate and the availability of accommodation, transport and activities are as of 8 November 2026: prices and availability change over time.
Where the money goes, and how this figure is obtained →To check
6 points to look at before booking.
Where a leg says a long way round, the road is much longer than the straight line between the two places. Often that is just mountains or a coast; sometimes a shorter link exists that our road data lacks (a pass, a track, a ferry or a border crossing). Check the route before you book.
D12Shuttle with limited departures: check the timetable and book — Schlegeisspeicher → Olpererhütte & Suspension Bridge
shuttle with limited departures — the timetable is not checked here: look it up before booking
D10Check opening times and crowds for this season — Furtschaglhaus & Schönbichler Horn
Late snow patches on the Schönbichler Horn pass can make the crossing hazardous without proper equipment.
D12Check opening times and crowds for this season — Olpererhütte & Suspension Bridge
High winds and sudden summer storms can make the exposed ridge trails near the suspension bridge dangerous.
Too many kilometres by car for a backpacking trip
473 km of driving for a trekking trip — more than the 400 km needed to reach the trails; beyond that it becomes a self-drive tour
D2A long way round on this leg — Mayrhofen Gateway → South Tyrol (Chemnitzer Hütte)
202 km by road for 25 km in a straight line — about 2.9 h longer than a normal road
D5A long way round on this leg — Pfitscher Joch (Pfitscherjoch Haus) → Karl-von-Edel-Hütte & Ahornspitze
155 km by road for 23 km in a straight line — about 3.4 h longer than a normal road
What the review flagged
Our automatic checks flag these points to verify before booking.
- “De Hochfeilerhütte à Pfitscherjoch Haus, à pied”: the place chosen for this activity may not match the area of the stage.
- “De Furtschaglhaus à Dominikushütte, à pied”: the place chosen for this activity may not match the area of the stage.
- Day 2: the programme review flags a point to check (bothersome).
The method
Why this version, what sets it apart from the others, the cost in detail, the interest of the places, the automatic review and the sources.
Read the method →