24 Hours in Innsbruck, Austria

Wanderlust Chronicles’ 24 Hour Guide for Innsbruck, AUSTRIA.

Sometimes an unplanned and unexpected stop can lead you to fall in love with a city that was never on your agenda. Innsbruck, an old town located in the valley between the Austrian Alps in The Tirol area of Austria, is one of the prettiest cities in Austria. With a small but charming old town, bright houses lining the Inn River with the Alps as their postcard perfect backdrop, and a small but lively Christmas Market complete with Swarovski Christmas Tree, Innsbruck quickly stole our hearts.

So to make sure that you put Innsbruck on your next Europe itinerary and get the most out of your visit, here’s our 24 hours in Innsbruck itinerary.

Stay || Hotel Penz Innsbruck

Buy || The Innsbruck Card

The Innsbruck Card is the best value city card we have ever used or even heard of for that matter. For the same price as it would cost to ride the cable cars up The Nordkette Mountain Range to Seegrube (a definite not to be missed experience), you will also receive access to the hop on hop off bus, public transport, and major sites and attractions in Innsbruck for the time you have purchased the ticket for, either 24, 48, or 72 hours.

9AM || Ride the Hop On Hop Off Bus

Sitting on a hop on hop off bus for an entire circuit is a great way to learn about your destination, as the ride is usually commentated in many different languages, and it gives you a chance to see if the attractions you had been eyeing in the brochure look as good as they do in the pictures. So with a relatively short circuit time of 1 hour and 20 minutes, we recommend catching the first bus of the day to check out all that Innsbruck has to offer. From here you can plan the rest of the stops for your day.

10AM || Explore Old Town

Innsbruck has a small but charming old town that is easy to explore by foot. Make sure to see the Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roof) and pastel coloured houses that line the Inn River. The best bird’s eye view of the city can be seen from the top of The Town Hall and on a clear day it is a great way to take a memorable shot of Innsbruck City with the Tyrol Alps as its backdrop. This is a definite postcard worthy photo opportunity!

12 NOON || Enjoy a slow lunch

Eat at one of the traditional Tyrolean restaurants and make sure to savour local speck and Austrian favourites, like potato dumplings. Take it slow and end with a warm espresso for energy and warmth to keep you going through the packed afternoon.

130PM || OlympiaWorld

Visit Iceworld to participate in fun activities like bob sledding and ice-skating in the newly renovated ice rink. If you plan your visit right you might even be able to watch ski jump events. Check this website for more information on upcoming events here.

3PM || Sunset at Seegrube

During winter, it’s best to head up to the Alps around 2PM to 3PM on a clear day so you can see both the amazing daytime view over Innsbruck city, in the valley below, and the stunning sunset over the Alps. The café on the second stop has delicious hot chocolate that can be enjoyed on their outside tables overlooking the valley and that experience was our favourite of the whole day.

7PM || Evening drinks

End your day back at the hotel with some delicious American food and cocktails at the rooftop bar at The Penz. They offer great views of the city and a convenient central location so you can walk, or stumble, home after a few drinks.

More than 24 hours?

Visit the Swarovski Kristallwelten

Go skiing

We would love to hear your tips for Innsbruck, leave them in the comments below!