Ski holidays in Gerlos, Austria

Gerlos sits high on the Gerlos Pass road, midway between the Zillertal and Salzburgerland, and has kept the character of a genuine Tyrolean mountain village even though it forms part of the huge Zillertal Arena ski area. You are met by timber houses, a church tower and the calm rhythm that still defines many villages high up in the Alps.

The village lies at 1,247 metres, which gives a stable and reliable snow cover throughout the season. The valley is narrow and framed by wooded slopes that open out onto bare mountain higher up, a setting that feels sheltered and spacious at the same time.

What makes Gerlos special is its position in the heart of the Zillertal Arena, with the option to ski in two directions straight from the village. One way the pistes lead towards Königsleiten and Wald, the other towards Zell am Ziller, and up at the top at 2,500 metres a wide view opens up across the whole region. That makes Gerlos a natural starting point rather than a backwater.

The resort suits anyone wanting a genuine village feel without compromising on access to big ski areas, families as much as skiers keen to explore several valleys in the same week. Accommodation with lift pass included in Gerlos is booked through us.

5 tips about Gerlos

1. Perfect for beginners The easier pistes around Gerlos and towards Königsleiten are gentle and well groomed, making them ideal for anyone who has only just started skiing.
2. Make the most of the Zillertal Arena With the lift pass you can ski in two directions straight from the village, towards Wald and Königsleiten on one side and towards Zell am Ziller on the other. Plan a day in each direction to see the whole area.
3. Head high in mild weather When it warms up in the valley, the snow holds better up at the top stations at 2,500 metres, so save your afternoon sessions for up there on the sunny days.
4. Travel outside the holiday weeks Prices for accommodation with lift pass are considerably lower if you avoid February half-term and choose early December or the latter part of March instead.
5. Taste the Tyrolean treats After a day on the slopes a classic Kaiserschmarrn with plum compote is the obvious reward at one of the mountain restaurants in the area.

Pistes and lifts in Gerlos

The Zillertal Arena offers a total of 150 km of pistes, split into 50 km of blue, 88 km of red and 12 km of black runs, plus 52 lifts linking the area from Gerlos at 1,247 metres up to 2,500 metres. The large share of red pistes makes the area perfect for skiers who want varied terrain without constantly having to seek out steep sections, while the black descents provide a challenge for anyone wanting to try something tougher. From the village a gondola runs straight up into the system, and from there chairlifts connect the runs in both directions. After the last run of the day there is good après-ski in the village.

Piste map for Gerlos

Download the piste map See all piste maps

The map downloads as an image file. On your iPhone it lands in the Files app. Tap the icon at the bottom of the address bar to open the map straight away.On your iPad it lands in the Files app. Tap the icon at the top right of the address bar to open the map straight away.On your phone it lands in the Downloads folder. Tap the download notification that appears to open the map straight away.The file lands in the Downloads folder. You can also look for the icon at the top right of the screen and open the map from there.

Snow reliability in Gerlos

Gerlos sits at 1,247 metres with pistes climbing to 2,500 metres, giving good conditions for a stable snow cover through most of the season. Winter temperatures, with nights down to -8 °C in January and daytime highs of around 2-5 °C in January and February, help the snow stay in good shape in the higher parts of the area.

Towards the end of the season, in April, daytime temperatures rise to around 10 °C while nights still sit at around -1 °C, so snow conditions can vary more in the lower sections near the village. The higher lifts up towards 2,500 metres still give reliable conditions when spring starts to make itself felt in the valley.

Best time to travel to Gerlos

January and February are coldest, with night-time temperatures down to -8 degrees, which tends to give stable snow conditions across the whole area.

Anyone who prefers milder weather and longer days can choose March or April instead, when daytime temperatures rise to 7-10 degrees without the piste quality at altitude around 2,500 metres suffering noticeably.

Will there be lift queues in Gerlos?

Gerlos is part of Zillertal Arena, and the lift system there carries 96,437 people an hour across 52 lifts. 32 of the 52 lifts are gondolas, cable cars or high-speed chairlifts, the kind that clear a queue quickly. The fastest lifts carry up to 2,940 people an hour, for example Kapaunsbahn. Per kilometre of piste there is more lift capacity than at an average resort on this site, and you notice it: queues clear quickly. The queue you actually notice is almost always down in the valley between eight and half past nine. If you are on the lift before nine you avoid it.

When is Gerlos busiest?

How busy the slopes get is not decided by the English half term but by when the local families and the neighbouring countries are on holiday. These are the weeks that fill Gerlos in the 2026/2027 season.

• Austria: The Semesterferien are taken one week at a time, state by state, during the first three weeks of February.
  1 to 6 February: Vienna and Lower Austria
  8 to 13 February: Burgenland and Carinthia
  15 to 20 February: Tyrol, Salzburg, Upper Austria, Styria and Vorarlberg
• Germany: Germans are the largest foreign group in the Alps and their winter holidays are spread across early February.
  1 to 6 February: Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia
  8 to 12 February: Bavaria and Saarland
  8 to 19 February: Saxony and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
• England: The English February half term is 15 to 19 February 2027 for most councils, with a few areas breaking up a week earlier. The Easter holidays run from 26 March to 9 April.
  8 to 12 February: half term in a few council areas, for example Hull
  15 to 19 February: half term in most of England, including London, the Midlands and the North
  26 March to 9 April: Easter holidays for most English schools
• Easter holidays: Easter 2027 is early, on 28 March. Austria and Germany take their holidays around the weekend, while the French holidays fall after Easter, in April.
  20 to 29 March: the whole of Austria, all states at the same time
  22 March to 3 April: most German states, including Bavaria, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia
  3 April to 3 May: the French zones, which fall after Easter 2027 and only affect the highest resorts
• Long weekends: Long weekends fill the slopes with day visitors from the nearest cities, even when no schools are on holiday.
  26 December to 3 January: Christmas and New Year, the most expensive period of the year
  6 January: Epiphany, a public holiday in Austria, Italy and parts of Switzerland
  27 to 29 March: the Easter weekend. Easter Monday is a public holiday across the Alps, but Good Friday is a working day in Austria, Italy and France
  1 to 2 May: May Day, a public holiday across the Alps

If you want quieter pistes and lower prices, the weeks in mid-January and late March are clearly the best. Neither the Germans nor the Austrians are on holiday then.

Gerlos is suitable for

Read more about ski holidays

Frequently asked questions about Gerlos