Innsbruck ToursHome › Guides › Things to Do in Innsbruck: The Old Town, the Nordkette and Beyond
Things to Do in Innsbruck: The Old Town, the Nordkette and Beyond
The top things to do in Innsbruck are the Golden Roof and its Old Town lanes, the Nordkette cable cars up to Hafelekar at 2,334 m, the Hofburg, the Bergisel ski jump and Schloss Ambras. This guide covers what each sight is, how long it takes, what a ticket costs, which ones close in November and how to fit them into one or two days. It also shows where the Innsbruck Card pays its way and which Innsbruck tours bundle several stops into one booking.
Quick answer The short list
Start with the Golden Roof, the 2,657 gilded copper shingles Maximilian I put up between 1497 and 1500, then ride the Nordkette from the Old Town to Hafelekar at 2,334 m. Add the Hofburg, the Hofkirche with its 28 bronze statues, Bergisel and the Alpenzoo. Two days cover the city and one day trip, such as Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Wattens.
Key takeaways
- The cable car alone is the Top of Innsbruck Nordkette Cable Car Ticket, $66 for the full round trip
- A one-hour Old Town walk with a licensed guide costs $21 and ends near the cathedral
- Every station and fare is explained on the Nordkette cable car guide
- Pick a base by area with the where to stay in Innsbruck guide
What Not to Miss in Innsbruck?
Do not miss the Golden Roof, the Nordkette cable cars, the Hofburg and Hofkirche, Bergisel and, from December to October, Schloss Ambras.
Most of the headline sights sit inside the Old Town or one tram, bus or funicular ride away. The table puts them side by side.
The Main Sights at a Glance
This table lists the main sights with their opening hours and the standard adult ticket, as each operator publishes them. The Innsbruck Card covers 22 museums and attractions, among them the Hofburg, Bergisel, the Alpenzoo and one Nordkette round trip.
| Sight | What it is | Hours | Adult ticket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Roof Museum | Maximilian I's gilded oriel and its museum | Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00 | €6.00 |
| City Tower | 133 steps to a platform 31 m up | 10:00-17:00, longer in season | €4.50 |
| Hofburg | Imperial palace and apartments | Daily 9:00-17:00 | €16.00 combo |
| Hofkirche | Maximilian I's tomb and 28 bronze statues | Mon-Sat 9:00-17:00 | €9 |
| Nordkette to Hafelekar | Funicular and two cable cars | Every 15 minutes in season | €59.00 return |
| Alpenzoo | About 2,000 Alpine animals | 9:00-17:00 in winter | €16.00 |
| Bergisel | Zaha Hadid ski jump tower | Wed-Mon 9:00-17:00 in winter | €12.00 |
| Schloss Ambras | Renaissance castle and collections | Daily 10:00-17:00, closed in November | €16 online |
How Long the Main Sights Take
The Old Town sights stand within a few minutes of each other, and the Hofburg is a 3-minute walk from the Golden Roof. A morning covers the Golden Roof, the City Tower and one museum. The Nordkette needs half a day: the Hungerburgbahn alone takes eight minutes to Hungerburg, and the two cable cars above it run every 15 minutes.
Bergisel and Schloss Ambras each fill a morning or an afternoon once the ride out is counted.
Sources: City of Innsbruck, Tirol Tourism, Burghauptmannschaft Austria, Tyrolean State Museums, Nordkette Cable Railways, Alpenzoo Innsbruck, Bergisel Ski Jump, Ambras Castle Innsbruck.
Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse is the main street of the Old Town. Photo: Leonhard Lenz, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
What Can You See in Innsbruck's Old Town?
The Old Town holds the Golden Roof, the City Tower, the Hofburg, the Hofkirche and the Tyrolean Folk Art Museum, all within walking distance of each other.
The Old Town is a pedestrian quarter on the Inn river, and the main sights line Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse and the streets behind it.
The Golden Roof and the City Tower
The Golden Roof is a late Gothic oriel covered with 2,657 gilded copper shingles. Emperor Maximilian I had it built between 1497 and 1500. Looking up from the street is free, and the museum inside costs €6.00, open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00. The full story is on the Golden Roof Innsbruck guide.
A few doors along, the City Tower was finished in 1450 and stands 51 m tall. Climb its 133 steps to a viewing platform 31 m above the street for €4.50. It opens 10:00 to 17:00 and stays open until 20:00 from June to September and from 15 November to 23 December.
The Hofburg, the Hofkirche and the Folk Art Museum
The Hofburg is the Habsburg palace, open daily from 9:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:30. The Imperial Apartments plus Maximilian1 combo costs €16.00, and the ticket with the Sisi exhibition costs €21.00. Children up to 19 enter free. The palace closes for maintenance from 11 January to 7 February.
The Hofkirche holds Maximilian I's tomb, ringed by 28 larger-than-life bronze statues, eight of them women. It opens Monday to Saturday 9:00 to 17:00 and Sunday 12:30 to 17:00. One State Museums house costs €9 and a combined ticket €14, with under 19s free. The Tyrolean Folk Art Museum, another State Museums house beside the church, opens daily 9:00 to 17:00.
Sources: City of Innsbruck, Tirol Tourism, Burghauptmannschaft Austria, Tyrolean State Museums, Tyrolean State Museums.
How Do You Get Up the Nordkette From the City?
Take the Hungerburgbahn from Congress station in the Old Town, then the Seegrubenbahn and the Hafelekarbahn up to the Top of Innsbruck at 2,334 m.
The Nordkette rises straight above the city, and the ride starts a short walk from the Golden Roof.
Three Lifts, One Ticket
The Hungerburgbahn, designed by Zaha Hadid, takes eight minutes from Congress station to Hungerburg and stops at Löwenhaus and the Alpenzoo on the way. From Hungerburg the Seegrubenbahn climbs to Seegrube at 1,905 m, and the Hafelekarbahn finishes at Hafelekar, the Top of Innsbruck. The table shows the official adult return fares by how far you ride.
Read the Nordkette cable car guide for the stations in detail.
| Ride | Adult return | Where it ends |
|---|---|---|
| Hungerburgbahn only | €15.30 | Hungerburg |
| Innsbruck to Seegrube | €53.10 | Seegrube, 1,905 m |
| Innsbruck to Hafelekar | €59.00 | Top of Innsbruck, 2,334 m |
| Top of Innsbruck Nordkette Cable Car Ticket | $66 | Hafelekar, valid 1 day |
| Alpenzoo and Top of Innsbruck Combo Ticket | $71 | Hafelekar plus zoo entry |
When the Nordkette Runs
All three lifts close for maintenance from 2 to 19 November. The winter season then runs from 20 November to 25 April, and the cars leave every 15 minutes. Book the Top of Innsbruck Nordkette Cable Car Ticket for $66 or pair the ride with the zoo on the Alpenzoo and Top of Innsbruck Combo Ticket for $71.
The Innsbruck Card also includes one ascent and descent.
Sources: Nordkette Cable Railways, Nordkette Cable Railways, Nordkette Cable Railways.
Tours That Fit
Two guided Old Town walks that cover the Golden Roof and the lanes around it.
from $21
Lowest price
Per Pedes Welcome Tour of Innsbruck Old Town
The cheapest way to see the Old Town with a licensed guide: a 1-hour group walk from the tourist office on Burggraben.
Check Availability
from $152.32
With strudel
History and Strudel Walk in Innsbruck
A 2-hour private Old Town walk with an art historian guide that ends with strudel or gelato and coffee.
Check AvailabilityWhich Sights Are Worth the Trip Outside the Old Town?
The Alpenzoo, Bergisel with the Tirol Panorama and Schloss Ambras are the three worth the short ride out.
Each of these sits on a hill at the edge of the city, so plan one per half day.
Alpenzoo
The Alpenzoo sits at 750 m on just over 5 hectares and shows about 2,000 animals from about 150 species. Adults pay €16.00 and children 6-17 pay €9.00. It opens 9:00 to 17:00 in winter time and 9:00 to 18:00 in summer time.
Walk up in about 20 minutes from the historic centre, or get off the Hungerburgbahn at the Alpenzoo stop. Dogs are not allowed.
Bergisel and the Tirol Panorama
The Bergisel ski jump tower was designed by Zaha Hadid, and the hill hosted Olympic ski jumping in 1964, 1976 and 2012. Adults pay €12.00, and the ticket includes the inclined lift and the tower lift to the viewing terrace. From November to May it opens Wednesday to Monday 9:00 to 17:00 and closes on Tuesdays. It is shut from 9 to 13 November.
Next door, the Tirol Panorama shows the Giant Panorama Painting of the Battle of Bergisel of 1809, a canvas covering 1,000 square metres. The combination ticket for the stadium and the museum costs €16.00. It is the pick for something unusual in the city.
Schloss Ambras
Schloss Ambras calls itself the first museum in the world still standing where it was founded. It opens daily 10:00 to 17:00 but closes for the whole of November. Tickets cost €16 online or €18 on site, and children and young adults enter free.
Bus line M stops at Schloss Ambras.
Sources: Alpenzoo Innsbruck, Alpenzoo Innsbruck, Bergisel Ski Jump, Bergisel Ski Jump, Tyrolean State Museums, Ambras Castle Innsbruck, Schloss Ambras Innsbruck.
Is the Innsbruck Card Worth It?
The Innsbruck Card is worth it if you ride the Nordkette and enter two or three paid sights within its time window.
The card covers 22 museums and attractions, one Nordkette round trip, one Patscherkofel round trip and the IVB buses and trams.
Card Price Against Single Tickets
This table sets the official 48-hour card price beside the single adult tickets it replaces, each from its operator's own price list. Add up the rows you would really use and compare that figure with the card.
| Item | Adult price |
|---|---|
| Innsbruck Card, 48 hours | €79 |
| Innsbruck Card with Public Transport, 1 day | $77 |
| Nordkette return to Hafelekar | €59.00 |
| Bergisel | €12.00 |
| Alpenzoo | €16.00 |
| Swarovski Crystal Worlds online | €25 |
| IVB 24-hour ticket | €7.30 |
Who Should Skip It
The card makes little sense in November. The Nordkette is closed from 2 to 19 November and Schloss Ambras shuts all month, so two of its biggest items are gone. A traveller who only walks the Old Town and climbs the City Tower pays less with single tickets.
Cards also come in 24 and 72 hours. The one-day version sells as the Innsbruck Card with Public Transport for $77.
Sources: ÖBB Austrian Railways, Nordkette Cable Railways, Bergisel Ski Jump, Alpenzoo Innsbruck, Swarovski Crystal Worlds, IVB Innsbruck Transport.
What to Do for a Day in Innsbruck?
Spend the morning in the Old Town, ride the Nordkette at midday and finish with a food walk or a Tyrolean evening.
One day is enough for the core of the city if the Nordkette is running.
A One-Day Plan
This plan keeps the walking short and uses each sight's published hours. Swap the Nordkette for Bergisel from 2 to 19 November, when the cable cars are closed, though Bergisel itself shuts from 9 to 13 November.
| Time | Stop | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Golden Roof and City Tower | Museum opens at 10:00 |
| Late morning | Hofburg or Hofkirche | Both open from 9:00 |
| Midday | Hungerburgbahn to Hafelekar | Cars every 15 minutes |
| Afternoon | Alpenzoo on the way down | Open to 17:00 in winter |
| Evening | Food walk or Tyrolean show | Old Town after dark |
Guided Options for the Day
The Per Pedes Welcome Tour of Innsbruck Old Town costs $21 and lasts 1 hour. The History and Strudel Walk in Innsbruck takes 2 hours with an art historian guide and ends with strudel or gelato for $152.32. In the evening, the Innsbruck Walking Food Tour with Full Meal runs 3.5 hours with at least 4 food stops for $129.59.
Sources: City of Innsbruck, Burghauptmannschaft Austria, Nordkette Cable Railways, Alpenzoo Innsbruck.
What Can You Do in Innsbruck in Winter?
In winter Innsbruck has seven Christmas markets from 13 November to 6 January, the Nordkette from 20 November and Patscherkofel from 12 December.
The city changes pace in the cold months, and the dates matter more than in summer.
Christmas Markets
Innsbruck runs seven Christmas markets with about 200 stalls from 13 November to 6 January. The Old Town market in front of the Golden Roof has 65 stalls and a 20 m real Christmas tree. It opens daily 11:00 to 21:00 and closes on 23 December.
Only the Maria-Theresien-Strasse and Hungerburg markets stay open after Christmas. More cold-season plans are on the Innsbruck in winter guide.
Snow and Mountains
The Nordkette winter season runs from 20 November to 25 April. The Patscherkofel cable car opens for winter from 12 December to 29 March. The Innsbruck Card includes one round trip on each.
Indoors, the Hofburg runs the Sisi exhibition until 10 January, and the Hofkirche and the Folk Art Museum keep their usual hours.
Sources: Innsbruck Christmas Markets, Christkindlmarkt Innsbruck, Nordkette Cable Railways, Patscherkofel Cable Railways, Burghauptmannschaft Austria.
What Is There to Do in Innsbruck in the Evening?
Evenings in Innsbruck mean a Tyrolean folk show, a guided food walk or, in season, the City Tower and the Christmas markets after dark.
Most museums close at 17:00, so plan the evening around shows, food and the Old Town lights.
Shows, Food and Late Views
The Gundolf Family Tyrolean Evening Show costs $43 and lasts 1.5-3 hours, with a drink or a dinner option. The Innsbruck Walking Food Tour with Full Meal spends 3.5 hours across at least 4 stops and includes at least one alcoholic drink. From June to September and from 15 November to 23 December, the City Tower stays open until 20:00, so you can watch the lights come on over the Old Town.
For a table on your own, the best restaurants in Innsbruck guide lists places by type.
Sources: Tirol Tourism, Christkindlmarkt Innsbruck.
Which Day Trips From Innsbruck Are Worth It?
Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Wattens, Hall in Tirol about 8 km away and Neuschwanstein are each worth a day.
A third day, or a free afternoon, opens up the valley around the city.
Day Trips Compared
This table compares these day trips by what you pay and what is included, with entry prices from the operators and tour prices from the listings.
| Trip | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Swarovski Crystal Worlds, entry only | €25 online | Entry, open daily 9:00-19:00 |
| Swarovski Crystal Worlds Ticket and Shuttle from Innsbruck | $38 | Entry and round-trip shuttle bus |
| Hall in Tirol | IVB ticket | Old town about 8 km away |
| Small-Group Neuschwanstein Day Trip from Innsbruck | $238.71 | Van, guide, castle ticket, 6-8 hours |
Practical Notes
Swarovski Crystal Worlds is closed on 9 and 10 November. The Swarovski Crystal Worlds Ticket and Shuttle from Innsbruck at $38 covers the entry and the bus there and back. Hall in Tirol is inside the area the Innsbruck Card covers on public transport.
For castles, the Small-Group Neuschwanstein Day Trip from Innsbruck includes the castle ticket. More options are in the day trips from Innsbruck guide.
Sources: Swarovski Crystal Worlds, Hall-Wattens Tourism, ÖBB Austrian Railways.
St Anne's Column stands mid-street with the Nordkette behind it. Photo: Lothar Weber, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Things to Do in Innsbruck: FAQ
Is Innsbruck really worth visiting?
Yes. In two days you get a Habsburg Old Town and a cable car from the centre to 2,334 m, both in the same city. The is Innsbruck worth visiting guide weighs it in full.
Are 2 days enough in Innsbruck?
Two days cover the Old Town, the Nordkette, Bergisel or Ambras and one evening. Add a third for a day trip. The Innsbruck map guide shows how the sights group.
Is the Golden Roof made of real gold?
No. It is covered with 2,657 gilded copper shingles. Viewing it from the street is free, and the guided Per Pedes Welcome Tour of Innsbruck Old Town stops there.
What is closed in Innsbruck in November?
The Nordkette closes from 2 to 19 November, Schloss Ambras all month, Swarovski Crystal Worlds on 9 and 10 November and Bergisel from 9 to 13 November. Plan around them with the Innsbruck in winter guide.
Where should I stay to see the sights on foot?
The Altstadt suits a short first stay, with the Golden Roof and the Markthalle inside its lanes. Compare areas on the where to stay in Innsbruck guide.
Can I combine the Nordkette and the Alpenzoo?
Yes. The Alpenzoo is a stop on the Hungerburgbahn, and the Alpenzoo and Top of Innsbruck Combo Ticket covers both for $71.
More Guides
- Golden Roof Innsbruck: Museum, Hours and History
The Golden Roof in Innsbruck has 2,657 gilded copper shingles and free street viewing in 2027. Museum hours and tickets inside. See prices.
- Innsbruck in Winter: What to Do, Weather and Closures
Innsbruck in winter in 2027: 7 markets from 13 November, Nordkette season 20 November to 25 April, and which weeks to avoid. See the month table.
- Nordkettenbahn: Nordkette Cable Car Tickets from Innsbruck
Ride from the Old Town to Hafelekar at 2,334 m in 2027: summit round trip $66, funicular ticket from $17. Compare tours.