Nordkettenbahn: Nordkette Cable Car Tickets from Innsbruck

The Options Side by Side

The table below compares the tickets and tours on this page by price, what the price covers and who each suits, using the details in each listing.

Official Nordkette Fares

The operator's own tariff lists these adult and child fares, valid from 20 November to 25 April and from 1 May to 1 November. Children pay the child fare, and under 6s travel free with a parent.

Congress Station to Hungerburg

The valley station is at Rennweg 3, near the congress centre and, per the ticket listing, a five minute walk from the Golden Roof. The funicular has four stations: Congress, Löwenhaus, Alpenzoo and Hungerburg. It takes 8 minutes, and the Alpenzoo stop is optional.

Reduced parking at €4.00 is available at the Altstadt ticket office for ticket holders who validate during office hours.

Seegrube and Hafelekar

From Hungerburg, the Seegrubenbahn climbs to Seegrube at 1,905 m. The Hafelekarbahn then runs from Seegrube to the Top of Innsbruck. The Top of Innsbruck restaurant at the mountain station stands at 2,256 m, and the summit is 2,334 m high. Next to the station, the Karwendelblick viewpoint looks over Austria's largest nature park.

The ticket listing gives about 10-15 minutes on foot from the Hafelekar station to the highest point. Bring weather-appropriate clothing, since you are entering the high Alps.

Planning the Ride

The Hungerburg funicular takes 8 minutes from the Old Town. At Hungerburg you change to the Seegrubenbahn, and at Seegrube to the Hafelekarbahn. The cable cars run every 15 minutes, and continuously when guest numbers are high. From the Hafelekar station, add about 10-15 minutes on foot to the highest point.

The tickets on this page are valid for one day. On the Alpenzoo combo, each station can be entered only once with the QR code, so plan the zoo stop before you ride up.

When to Ride and When to Stop Short

On a clear day, the full trip is the reason most people come to Innsbruck. The official adult return to Hafelekar costs €59.00. If clouds hide the top, Seegrube at 1,905 m still gives a view over the city, and its restaurant is open all year. The return to Seegrube costs €53.10.

On a tight budget, Hungerburg is the cheap viewpoint. The Hungerburg Funicular Round-Trip Ticket costs $17 and covers the funicular only. The Top of Innsbruck Nordkette Cable Car Ticket costs $66, is rated 4.8 from 1,206 reviews and comes with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

Online or at Rennweg 3

The Altstadt ticket office of the Nordkettenbahnen is at Rennweg 3, 6020 Innsbruck. It also sells the Innsbruck Card, as does the tourist information office at Burggraben 3. The tickets on this page are bought online for a chosen date and let you enter anytime during operating hours.

If you bring a bike, it rides the Hungerburg funicular free before 10 a.m. and after 4:30 p.m. Between those times it costs €7.00 per trip. Bikes are charged all day on the Seegrubenbahn.

What the Card Includes

The Innsbruck Card includes one round trip each on the Nordkettenbahnen and the Patscherkofel cable car. It also lets you enter 22 museums and attractions free, including the Alpine Zoo, and covers IVB buses and trams. The 48-hour card costs €79 for adults and €39.50 for children aged 6 to under 15.

The Innsbruck Card with Public Transport costs $77. From 2 to 19 November the card is sold only in person at the tourist information office, because some included sights are closed.

Seegrube and the Mountain Station

The Seegrube restaurant at 1,905 m is open all year. Every Sunday in Advent it holds an Advent brunch from 10:00 to 13:00. Higher up, the Top of Innsbruck restaurant sits at the Hafelekar mountain station at 2,256 m.

The ticket listings mark the Seegrube and Top of Innsbruck stops as extra fee, so food and drinks are not part of any ticket. The Alpenzoo combo lists food and drinks as excluded.

Five Facts

Zaha Hadid designed the Hungerburg funicular, which opened in December 2007. Its four stations are Congress, Löwenhaus, Alpenzoo and Hungerburg. The Alpenzoo stop serves a zoo at 750 m with about 2,000 animals from about 150 species.

At the top, the Karwendelblick viewpoint looks over Austria's largest nature park. The summit stands at 2,334 m and the mountain station restaurant at 2,256 m. In winter, the Panorama Christmas Market on Hungerburg is reached by the same line straight from the city centre.

Seasons and Closures

The Hungerburgbahn, Seegrubenbahn and Hafelekarbahn are all closed for maintenance from 2 to 19 November. The winter season runs from 20 November to 25 April. The lifts close again from 26 to 30 April. Book a ticket only for a date outside those windows.

Dogs are allowed on the cable cars with a muzzle and lead. They are not allowed in the Alpenzoo, and the Alpenzoo combo listing says pets are not allowed, so dog owners should take the summit ticket instead.

The Hafelekarbahn

The Hafelekarbahn runs from Seegrube to the Top of Innsbruck. A one-way ticket from Innsbruck to Hafelekar costs €35.40 for adults, and the return costs €59.00. Seniors and students pay €54.30 for the return and teens €47.20.

If you already have a ticket to Seegrube, the Seegrube to Hafelekar return costs €11.80.

Three Questions

Do you want the summit? Take the Top of Innsbruck Nordkette Cable Car Ticket at $66. Do you have children who want the zoo? Take the Alpenzoo and Top of Innsbruck Combo Ticket at $71, rated 4.6 from 425 reviews. Do you only want the city view? The Hungerburg Funicular Round-Trip Ticket at $17 is enough.

Would you rather ride than sit? The Innsbruck Scenic eBike Tour costs $130.72 for 4 hours, with a maximum of 5 travellers. It meets at the Markthalle and stays on gravel forest roads with no dangerous downhill riding. The eBike rental costs €50 extra, unless you bring your own bike.