Austria

Kitzbühel

Kitzbühel's medieval centre — frescoed facades in butter yellow and oxblood red — might be the prettiest ski town in Austria, and it works beautifully on foot.

Best forSkiers & snowboarders · Couples · Luxury seekers
In January4°C · 15 rainy days
Ideal stayA week in winter, a long weekend otherwise
Approx. flying time~12h 10m from Los Angeles

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Kitzbühel, Austria Open in Google Maps Powered by Geoapify · © OpenStreetMap contributors · © OpenMapTiles

CurrencyEUREuro
LanguageGerman
Local time12:341h ahead of the UK
PlugsType C / FBring an adapter
Drive on theRightOpposite to the UK
Dialling code+43

Why go

An old copper-mining town in the Tyrol turned ski resort, with a walled medieval centre of painted facades, arcaded shops and cafés that take cake extremely seriously. The skiing spreads across a wide, largely gentle area linked into a long circuit, most of it below 2,000 metres. Between runs, the town keeps the fur-coat-and-schnapps atmosphere that has clung to it for decades and shows no sign of shedding.

Access is easy, with Salzburg and Innsbruck each around 90 minutes away and trains running into the town itself. Snow is not guaranteed at this height, so January and February are the safer months, helped along by heavy snowmaking. Summer turns the same valley into a hiking and golf destination. Expert skiers after high, steep, reliable terrain will find more of it further west.

Ideal stay: A week in winter, a long weekend otherwise
The vibe: Painted, prosperous, sociably alpine

From our guides

Winter walkers get around sixty kilometres of cleared paths, horse-drawn carriages and cafés serving proper Sachertorte, while the casino and boutiques absorb bad-weather days. Time a visit for late January and the Hahnenkamm race turns the whole town into a giddy alpine festival; book beds months ahead for that weekend.

Featured in Ten cosy winter resorts for people who don't really ski

Things to do

Hahnenkamm and the Streif

The World Cup downhill course drops from the Hahnenkamm straight towards town. The race weekend in late January fills every bed for miles.
Kitzbüheler Horn

The quieter side of the valley, with lifts and a toll road to a summit view over the Wilder Kaiser and an alpine flower garden.
The old town

Vorderstadt and Hinterstadt are two arcaded streets painted in ochre and oxblood, largely traffic-free and at their best at dusk.
Winter walking paths

Around 60 kilometres of cleared and signed paths let non-skiers get up into the snow, with mountain huts along the way for lunch.
Schwarzsee

A small moor lake north of town, warm enough to swim in through summer and firm enough to skate on in a cold winter.
Kaiserschmarrn on the mountain

Lunch on the slopes is a proper meal here: shredded pancake with plum compote, dumplings and a beer on a sun terrace.

Getting there

Fly to
Salzburg (SZG)

Nearest airport to Kitzbühel, about 60km away as the crow flies.
Then
To Kitzbühel

About an hour and a half by car or transfer from Salzburg (SZG). Trains also run, changing at Wörgl, and take a little over two hours door to door.
On the ground
Getting around

The medieval centre is compact and walkable, and free ski buses connect the lifts and outlying hotels through the winter season.

Public transport: Good. Kitzbühel has its own railway station on the Austrian network and local buses reach the surrounding valley villages.

Flights

Los Angeles Kitzbühel, Austria

Flying from

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Roughly 12h 10m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.

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Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.

When to go

Daytime highs run from about 4°C in January to 23°C in July. Driest in February and October and November; wettest in May, with rain on about 22 days.

The year at a glance — pick a month for detail

January4° · rain 15 daysCold and often wet.

Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis).

Where to stay

Traditional gasthofs and family pensions in the villages, a strong crop of four and five star hotels in town, plus self-catering apartments. Very few large chain properties.

Best base overall
Kitzbuhel old town

The frescoed medieval centre puts the Hahnenkamm cable car, the cafes and the shops on foot, and the ski bus stops throughout. It carries the highest prices in the valley by some margin.
Find stays in Kitzbuhel old town
Best value
Kirchberg in Tirol

Five minutes down the valley by train or bus, on the same lift pass and with noticeably cheaper hotels and pensions. It has less charm and a livelier, younger apres-ski scene.
Find stays in Kirchberg in Tirol
Best with children
Reith bei Kitzbuhel

A quiet farming village with family pensions, a nursery slope of its own and an easy bus into town. Older children may find the evenings dull without a trip into Kitzbuhel.
Find stays in Reith bei Kitzbuhel
Quietest
Aurach

Just south of town in its own side valley, with guesthouses, walking trails and no through traffic to speak of. You are reliant on the bus or a car for the lifts.
Find stays in Aurach

Worth knowing before you book: The Hahnenkamm race weekend in late January sells the town out months ahead at inflated rates and long minimum stays. Christmas and February half term go almost as fast.

Search everything else in Kitzbühel by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.

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Good to know

Book ahead: If you want to be here for the Hahnenkamm in late January, reserve months in advance and expect prices to climb.
Snow: The resort is comparatively low, so conditions vary. Check reports carefully before booking a late-season week.
Getting there: Trains run from Munich, Salzburg and Innsbruck directly into the town, which makes this an easy trip without a car.
Costs: This is one of Austria's smarter resorts and the bars reflect that. Eating on the mountain or in the neighbouring villages costs noticeably less.
Non-skiers: Cleared walking paths, horse-drawn sleighs, a casino and spa hotels mean a non-skiing partner is genuinely well looked after.