Ski holidays in Kitzbühel, Austria

Kitzbühel is one of the Alpine world's most legendary ski resorts and a name every skier knows. The medieval town in Tyrol has a history dating back to 1271 and combines old-world charm with world-class modern skiing. A ski holiday in Kitzbühel is as much about the atmosphere in the beautiful town centre as it is about the slopes on the mountain above.

It is above all the Hahnenkamm race that has made Kitzbühel famous around the world. Every January, the skiing elite gather to compete on the famous Streif piste, one of the most demanding downhill runs on the Alpine World Cup circuit. Standing in the finish area during the race is an experience every ski enthusiast should have at least once.

The ski area offers 170 kilometres of pistes across Hahnenkamm and Kitzbüheler Horn, with runs to suit all levels despite the resort's reputation as an expert destination. The wide, well-groomed pistes at Pengelstein and Jochberg are ideal for families and intermediate skiers, while the steep sections around Steinbergkogel challenge even the best.

Kitzbühel is also one of the most exclusive destinations in the Alps, with luxury hotels, gourmet restaurants and a lively après-ski scene. The town centre, with its colourful medieval facades and elegant shops, makes every stroll an experience, whether you're wearing skis or not. The resort is easily reached by car or train.

5 tips about Kitzbühel

1. Beginners on the Kitzbüheler Horn The sunny, wider pistes on the Kitzbüheler Horn suit beginners and families far better than the steep sections over on the Hahnenkamm side.
2. Make the most of the whole lift system With 57 lifts and 188 km of pistes, it pays to move between the Hahnenkamm and the Kitzbüheler Horn to find the best snow and avoid the queues.
3. Steer clear of the holiday weeks Book outside the school holidays for cheaper accommodation and quieter pistes, especially as Kitzbühel is one of the most popular destinations in the Alps.
4. Altitude makes a difference The village sits at 762 m while the ski area reaches up to 2,000 m, so you will usually find better snow conditions higher up in the system.
5. Take a break in town Work a day in the medieval town centre into your skiing week; it is every bit as much a part of the experience as the pistes.

Pistes and lifts in Kitzbühel

Kitzbühel's 188 km of pistes are divided between two main areas: Hahnenkamm and Kitzbüheler Horn. The Hahnenkamm side offers the most varied skiing, from wide, family-friendly runs to the legendary Streif piste. Kitzbüheler Horn adds sunny slopes and fantastic views. A total of 57 lifts, including modern gondolas, ensure efficient transport throughout the system.

Piste map for Kitzbühel

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 Kitzbühel

Kitzbühel lies at a relatively low altitude, with the village at 762 m and the top station at 2,000 m, which makes the resort more susceptible to the weather than many higher-lying Alpine destinations. The ski area is not classed as snow-sure, so snow conditions can vary from season to season, particularly in the lower parts of the system.

For the best chances, we recommend booking accommodation with a lift pass in the middle of the season, when the likelihood of good snow cover throughout the system between 762 and 2,000 metres is at its greatest.

Best time to travel to Kitzbühel

January to March offers the best conditions. The Hahnenkamm weekend in January is the season's highlight, but it brings high prices and fully booked hotels. For quieter skiing, the weeks after New Year and in March are preferable.

Will there be lift queues in Kitzbühel?

Kitzbühel is part of KitzSki, and the lift system there carries 110,323 people an hour across 58 lifts. 33 of the 58 lifts are gondolas or high-speed chairlifts and 16 are drag lifts, which take longer to get through when it is busy. The fastest lifts carry up to 3,300 people an hour, for example Brunn. 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 eight you avoid it.

When is Kitzbühel 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 Kitzbühel 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.

Major events in Kitzbühel

• ⚠ Hahnenkamm races on the Streif, 22 to 24 January 2027. The biggest weekend in alpine skiing. If you want to experience it, book a year ahead and expect festival prices. If you are after skiing, this is the week to avoid in Kitzbühel.

Snow right now. There is no snow cover in the valley or at the top right now. The figures are modelled by Open-Meteo, not measured by the lift company, and were fetched 15 October 2026 at 20:24.

The lift pass included. The stay comes with the Kitzbühel lift pass, which covers 188 km of piste. The pass is worth around €423.

How to get to Kitzbühel

Last-minute deals in Kitzbühel

Last-minute offers, that is late dates the operator still wants to fill, appear from January onwards. Once the season is under way we will show them here on this page.

Kitzbühel is suitable for

Read more about ski holidays

Frequently asked questions about Kitzbühel