Kitzbϋhel Ski Resort

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Kitzbuhel Ski Resort, Tyrol Austria
Kitzbuhel Ski Resort, Tyrol Austria
Kitzbuhel powder below the Steinbergkogel
Kitzbuhel powder below the Steinbergkogel
Some of the 230km of piste trail in the KitzSki area
Some of the 230km of piste trail in the KitzSki area
Off-piste powder skiing at Kitzbuehel
Off-piste powder skiing at Kitzbuehel
Melkalm restaurant at Kitzbuhel Austria
Melkalm restaurant at Kitzbuhel Austria
Kitzbuheler Horn provides outstanding alpine terrain & valley runs to KitzBuhel
Kitzbuheler Horn provides outstanding alpine terrain & valley runs to KitzBuhel
Train stations at Kitzbuhel, Kirchberg in Tirol & Mittersill link the ski resort to the rest of Europe
Train stations at Kitzbuhel, Kirchberg in Tirol & Mittersill link the ski resort to the rest of Europe
Powder below Pengelstein at Kitzbuhel-Kirchberg ski resort, Austria
Powder below Pengelstein at Kitzbuhel-Kirchberg ski resort, Austria
Hahnenkamm is the start of Kitzbuhel
Hahnenkamm is the start of Kitzbuhel's genuinely frightening Streif World Cup course
In true Austrian style, KitzSki has 60 mountain huts providing awesome food & drink
In true Austrian style, KitzSki has 60 mountain huts providing awesome food & drink
Kitzbuhel freeride powder
Kitzbuhel freeride powder
Maierlbahn gondola provides swift & comfortable access from Kirchberg in Tirol
Maierlbahn gondola provides swift & comfortable access from Kirchberg in Tirol
KitzSki has 57 lifts, 15 of which are 6 or 8-seater chairs
KitzSki has 57 lifts, 15 of which are 6 or 8-seater chairs
Modern ski lifts keep the Kitzbuhel peak season lines moving at an agreeable pace
Modern ski lifts keep the Kitzbuhel peak season lines moving at an agreeable pace
Busy on piste, deserted off piste at Kitzbuhel ski resort
Busy on piste, deserted off piste at Kitzbuhel ski resort
Exploring the off-piste areas of KitzSki will reap rewards
Exploring the off-piste areas of KitzSki will reap rewards
Face shot anyone? Kitzbuehel Austria powder skiing.
Face shot anyone? Kitzbuehel Austria powder skiing.
Après ski at the top, mid or bottom at Kitzbuhel Kirchberg
Après ski at the top, mid or bottom at Kitzbuhel Kirchberg
Find your own private stash at Kitzbuhel ski resort
Find your own private stash at Kitzbuhel ski resort
Ski Kitzbuhel Austria
Ski Kitzbuhel Austria

Kitzbϋhel Ski Resort

Readers Ratings

Kitzbuhel

Kitzbuhel4/57
Kitzbuhel4 out of 5 based on 7 reviews
  • Recommend
    86%
  • Would Revisit
    86%
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Nearby Ski Resorts

Kaprun - Kitzsteinhorn
Skicircus Saalbach
SkiWelt
Zell am See

Kitzbühel Maps & Stats

    Kitzbühel Ski Trail & Piste Map
  • Kitzbuhel Ski Trail Map
  • Vertical (m)
    800m - 2,004m (1,204m)
  • Average Snow Fall
    Unknown
  • Lifts (57)
    12 Gondolas / cable cars
    27 Chairs
  • Operating Dates & Times
    Late Oct to mid-April
    8:00am to 4:30pm (varies depending on lift)
  • Terrain Summary
    Runs - 235km (incl. routes)
    Longest run - 8km+
    Advanced - 15%
    Intermediate - 40%
    Beginner - 45%
  • Ski Lift Pass Price
    Day Ticket 23/24
    Adult - €60 to 72
    Child - €30 to 54
    Child u/6yr - Free

    Ikon Pass conditionally valid

Kitzbühel Ski Resort Austria

Kitzbuehel is the epitome of the perfect Austrian ski resort. Ski lifts extending from the centre of a real town, huge terrain in classic Austrian countryside plus an après scene that rivals the best in the world, makes Kitzbuhel an unforgettable skiing and snowboarding experience.

Just like many of the Austrian mega resorts, Kitzbϋhel ski resort (a.k.a. KitzSki - which includes all the interconnected lifts & pistes valid on the lift pass) is lift, piste and ticket interlinked with Kirchberg to the west and extends south through Jochberg into the Salzburg state at Hollersbach im Pinzgau. With so many access points, there is simply no excuse not to ski one of the world's best ski resorts.

The Powderhounds last forays here were amongst lovely powder on a busy bluebird day in mid Feb 2019, plus several, stormy deep powder days in January 2022. We had an awesome time on both occasions, but only skied a small portion of Kitzski, such is the resort’s immense scale.

Pros & Cons for Kitzbuehel-Kirchberg Ski Resort

Pros

  • Huge & diverse lift interlinked ski area perfect for a week-long ski holiday.
  • Ultra-modern & efficient lift system.
  • Excellent range of piste trails for all levels, including loads of valley runs.
  • Fantastic variety of off-piste freeride terrain.
  • Freeride terrain & ski areas toward Pass Thurn are surprisingly uncrowded.
  • Superb quality & quantity of mountain huts with bars, restaurants & accommodation.
  • Some of the world’s best après ski;
  • Wide range of accommodation in numerous villages including ski-in ski-out lodgings;
  • Good value lift pass price for all the terrain & facilities provided.
  • Easy public transport access by train & bus plus ample free car parking for day trippers right near the lifts.
  • Free buses interlinked the villages.

Cons

  • Busy on-piste & at lift queues in the Kitzbuhel sector of the resort.
  • In a poor winter can be ‘altitude challenged’ on the lower half of the mountain - all terrain is below 2000m elevation.
  • Lift lines are absolutely unforgiving & require a level of attitude to match & move forward (whilst still maintaining your polite visage!).
  • Short(ish) skiable verticals in the sector around Resterhoehe.
  • Accommodation in Kitzbühel village itself can be hard to get & expensive.

Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)

  • Too much choice.
  • Low altitude villages may not have snow at either end of the season (but the slopes will!).
  • Kitzbuehel doesn’t lack terrain in general, but it has a relatively limited high alpine area above the tree line compared to other ski resorts. If looking for high alpine terrain, head elsewhere.
  • Plenty of well-priced accommodations available in the pass Thurn/Hollersbach sector of the Kitzski resort, but you are not in Kitzbuehel anymore!
  • Rightfully popular but not uncomfortably so, if you don’t like skiing mega resorts perhaps look elsewhere.

Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain

Kitzbühel always has the boasting rights for being the first non-glacier ski resort to open in Austria every ski season. That may mean it is only one run, but open is open & bragging is bragging...... & not much else. FYI, Obergurgl Hochgurgl is usually its competition for the early opening bragging rights.

The nonsense of bragging rights aside, Kitzbuehel can rightly boast about its huge & superb quality piste trail network & super modern ski lifts. It doesn't hold a Hahnenkamm World Cup Downhill ski event for nothing. From experience, it is a genuinely frightening prospect to ski at full tilt too! In a good year when snow is deep down to low levels, Kitzbϋhel always has some classic Austrian off-piste powder skiing all over the resort, including tree skiing. A little bit of exploration, particularly towards Pass Thurn will reveal loads of untouched freeride terrain regardless of the crowds on the piste.

The Kitzbuhel ski resort is in fact alot more than just Kitzbuehel! Collectively referred to as KitzSki, the resort areas of Kitzbühel - Kirchberg - Reith - Aurach - Jochberg - Mittersill - Hollersbach are interlinked to provide a rollicking on-snow Austrian ski adventure. Whilst the entire 235km of trails are mostly lift inter-connected, 3 areas (1 large, 2 small) are not. The Kitzbueheler Horn above Kitzbuehel to the north, Bichalm freeride area above Aurach & the minor Gaisberg above Kirchberg are the outliers.

Check out the ski trail map for KitzSki - Kitzbühel Kirchberg Mittersill below.

KitzSki - Kitzbühel Kirchberg Mittersill ski trail map
KitzSki ski trail map

The insiders tip for powder hounds that want to avoid the crowds is to start your day early at Pass Thurn. Whilst the skiable vertical here is not huge, the lifts are deserted until well into the morning and there is funtastic freeride terrain to plunder before they get there!

Lift Pass

A single lift pass covers the entire KitzSki area. Good to know is that all practice lifts in the valley can be used free of charge.

For international guests, the Ikon Pass is now conditionally valid in KitzSki. Free days include all KitzSki sectors - Kitzbühel, Kirchberg and Mittersill. Full Ikon Pass holders get 7 free days, with no blackouts. Ikon Base Plus Pass and Ikon Base Pass holders get 5 free days, with no blackouts. Holders can go directly to the chairlift or gondola. There is no need to stop at the ticket window.

Where is Kitzbϋhel Austria?

Kitzbuehel ski resort is predominantly in the Tyrol (Tirol) state of Austria midway between the cities of Innsbruck & Salzburg. The massive resort sits amongst two other Austrian skiing behemoths Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm and Ski Welt. The fantastic Zell am See ski resort is also nearby via the train.

The best international gateway airport for Kitzbuhel is Munich (MUC), plus either Salzburg(SZG) or Innsbruck (INN) for those coming from within Europe or UK. Search & book private airport transfers.

The ski resort can easily be accessed by train, with 3 stations near the ski lifts at Kitzbuehel main, Kitzbϋhel Hahnenkamm & Kirchberg in Tirol. In the Salzburgerland section of the resort, a Pinzgau local railway station at Mittersill is close to the Hollersbach base, via the train from Zell am See.

The excellent Austrian railways (OBB) Railjet train service runs to Kitzbuehel & Kirchberg in Tirol from either Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck & Zurich. The train has a full restaurant service & is a pleasurable way to travel to the resort. Regional trains also make the journey & more regularly, but journey time is longer.

Search & book train tickets to Kitzbuehel or Kirchberg in Tirol.

Worth knowing that once at Kitzbuehel, buses labelled ‘SKIBUS’ are free when you have ski gear and a lift pass, including long journeys from Mittersill, over Pass Thurn to Kitzbuehel. See the Ski Bus map here. Additionally, with a valid lift pass & ski gear, all trains labelled ‘STRIEFZUG’ are free between St Johann & Westendorf. Super!

For day trippers in a rental car, there is ample car parking (both outdoor & undercover) throughout the vast resort near each of the main access lifts. Parking outdoors is free and the quietest zones on busy days are at Pass Thurn and at the gondola valley station near Hollersbach.

Kitzbühel, Kirchberg & Mittersill (Pinzgau Valley) Accommodation

For those desperate to be in the thick of the action, the town of Kitzbühel is the place to stay. Kitzbuehel is the largest town in the ski resort plus has far & away the most vibrant atmosphere & greatest diversity of accommodation. Sadly, that also means it is the hardest to find accommodation! High above the town, the ski-in ski-out Ehrenbachhöhe is the best situated lodging in the resort for first tracks. At the top of the Hahnenkamm gondola & ski run, Hocheckhuette also provides a perfect perch on the mountain for early sliding.

Down in the valley on the edge of town at the base of the Hahnenkamm gondola are the Rasmushof - Hotel Kitzbühel & the luxury Hotel Kaiserhof Kitzbühel. In the lively centre of Kitzbuehel, there are loads of wonderful hotels including Hotel Zur Tenne & Sporthotel Reisch, traditional guesthouses like Pension Haus Koller & bargain hostels (SnowBunnys Back Packers Hostel).

Search & book all Kitzbuhel ski accommodation.

To the west is Kirchberg in Tirol, which whilst quieter than Kitzbuhel, still has a wide range of well-situated hotels, chalets, apartments & guesthouses. Just on the Kirchberg side of the upper mountain, for true ski-in ski-out convenience is the Gasthof Ochsalm. It could be argued that Kirchberg has better access to the main ski area than Kitzbühel does via either of its two nearby gondolas. Some long return trails extending past the gondola valley stations do make their way back into the outskirts of town as well, so more accommodation is 'ski-in' than at first appears. The Hotel Sonne & Hotel Kirchberger Hof are two that are skiable across an open field, plus are a step above the busy road that runs through the centre of town. Lower in the centre of town are Austrian classics like the Hotel Alexander. Further up the valley toward Aschau, the Lifthotel is well situated between the Maierlbahn gondola & Gaisberg chairlift. Yet further up the valley, superb places to stay with direct (& very quiet) lift & piste access are the Gasthof Skirast & exceptional Ferienhof Haindlbauer Farm Stay.

Search & book all Kirchberg in Tirol ski accommodation.

On the road south of Kitzbuhel, small hamlets including Jochberg have lodgings ranging from numerous apartments & chalets up to the huge 5-star Kempinski Hotel. Jochberg has two ski lifts for access to the wider resort one of them is across the road from quiet Pension Ederhof - the polar-opposite of the Kempinski! Further up at Pass Thurn are several options with direct access to the ski lift including the very good 4-star Hotel Pass Thurn.

Search & book all Jochberg ski accommodation.

A full range of chalet, apartment & hotel options are on the quieter Salzburgerland side of the resort in the Pinzgau valley at Hollersbach & Mittersill. The village of Hollersbach-im-Pinzgau is close to the gondola ski lift base that leads up to Pass Thurn, making it a convenient valley lodging option. Mittersill is close to the road junction leading up to Pass Thurn & has the railway station for the Pinzgau line from Zell am See.

Click the links to search & book either Hollersbach im Pinzgau or Mittersill accommodation.

Ski & Snowboard Rentals, Lessons & Guiding

Ski rentals are available with our partners in three locations near the Hahnenkamm gondola base at Kitzbühel & adjacent to the novice/children’s learn-to-ski area at Kirchberg im Tirol. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Kitzbuehel Ski & Snowboard Rental page.

The Kitzbuhel ski region has more ski instructors & mountain guides than you could proverbially poke a stick at. To simplify the choice, see our Kitzbuehel Ski Lessons & Guiding page.

Reviews

The Powderhounds are constantly reviewing new ski resorts in Europe (& across the globe) or having a second or third look at old ones. Check out our contemporaneous opinion pieces via the Reviews links on the page. We intend returning to Kitzbuehel from the Pinzgau valley side in the coming season.

See how Kitzbühel compares to the rest of the Austrian ski resorts on the Austria ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.

Follow Powderhounds Europe on Instagram to see where we are currently skiing. Follow our main Powderhounds page on Facebook to stay in touch with up-to-date info, tours, and discussions.

Tours in or near Kitzbuehel Kirchberg

Single-Base, Multi-Ski-Area Tours

Austria Innsbruck Freeride Tour
HOSTED & GUIDED MULITI-RESORT TOUR
7 Days | 6 Nights | 5 Days Snowboarding | 7 Ski Resorts
Ability: Intermediate to Expert
Based in Innsbruck, this trip is for intermediate to advanced (or better) snowboarders taking in some of the best ski resorts in the Austrian Alps. Join the "fixed date" tour with your own group, come alone & meet new friends or fully customise a private tour.
Price p/p From price based on single-share room occupancy on a 7 day tour.
Base/invoice currency is in EUR inc taxes.
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.
USD 2,538
View Details
 
See all Single-Base, Multi-Ski-Area tours that visit Kitzbuhel here
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