Ski guide in Innsbruck for beginners

If you're here, you're thinking of embarking on a very special experience: Your first ski holiday! And it's looking like you've been checking our ski deals to ski in Innsbruck!

Before you start checking our fantastic ski deals, stop for a moment and read everything you need to know about skiing in Innsbruck as a beginner.

In this ski guide for beginners in Innsbruck we are going to talk about:

✅ Is Innsbruck good for a first-time skier?

✅ The best ski resorts in Innsbruck for beginners

✅ Ski and snowboard schools for beginners in Innsbruck

✅ Ski and Snowboard rental shops in Innsbruck

✅ Après-ski activities

✅ The best sightseeing spots in Innsbruck

✅ The best hotels and apartments in Innsbruck for your first ski holiday

❄ Is Innsbruck good for a first-time skier? ❄

Innsbruck is an excellent ski destination for any type of skier really and that's because it's surrounded by a total of 13 ski resorts, all of which are easily accessible from the city. So, you're bound to find a ski area that is perfectly suitable to your skills or lack of them!

Innsbruck Olympia Skiworld is one of the most beautiful and oldest ski centres in the world. Besides, having hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976, Innsbruck knows a thing or two about winter sports and how to perfectly groom the slopes.

Nestled in the Tyrolean Alps, the area has some 200 trails covering 500 kilometres (310 miles) and is perfect for beginner and intermediate-level skiers. A lot of people that have skied here have compared its ski resorts to Aspen and Colorado in terms of terrain.

One other thing, you can book direct flights to Innsbruck Airport which is a 15-minute drive to the city centre. Things can't get more convenient than that!

It's the perfect ski location when you're just getting started in skiing and snowboarding as you might not want to be stuck in the middle of the mountains where there's nothing else to do apart from hitting the slopes day in and day out!

And when you've had enough of skiing, the city centre is full of super interesting sightseeing spots , local markets and cafes and restaurants.

If you book your ski holiday in Innsbruck with Esquiades.com you'll get to live a unique experience as our package deals include a Ski plus City Pass which includes the following services:

✓ Access to 13 ski resorts

✓ 22 visits of the main sightseeing spots in Innsbruck

✓ Ski Bus

✓ Access to 3 Indoor Pools

❄ The best ski resorts in Innsbruck for beginners ❄

1. Kühtai ski resort

Skiing in Küthai as a beginner is an excellent choice as it has wide slopes and it's one of the less crowded ski areas , so you'll feel super safe. It's also the highest one in Austria and therefore, offers you the purest snow conditions. So, you can head to this ski area knowing that the snow is a guarantee.

It's a 40-minute drive from Innsbruck but the trek is well worth it. This ski area will definitely have you fall in love with this sport.

2. Serlesbahnen Mieders

This small ski area is located at the foot of Serles mountain in the Stubai Valley. It's ideal for families and cruisers that want a laid back skiing experience. There's a gentle practice area for beginners by the cable-car. If you head to the top, the views are absolutely out of this world.

3. Patscherkofel

The ski resort is 1,674 meters above Innsbruck and only a 10-minute drive from the city centre. It's popularly known as the “local's mountain” as it's the resident's favorite resort to go skiing.

Skiing in Patscherkofel is   perfectly suitable for any type of skier and snowboarder as there's something for everyone. So, if you're traveling with people of different levels and skills, this is your ski resort.

4. Rangger Köpfl

This is another super convenient ski resort as it's only 12 km from Innsbruck city centre. They say it's one of Tirol's best kept secrets!

There's a great variety of wide runs , perfect when you're just getting started. It's also an excellent ski area to try tobogganing and cross-country skiing.

5. Stubaier Gletscher

As it's the largest glacier in Austria, many think that it's only for freeriders and expert skiers. However, it's considered to be one of the most family-friendly ski resorts in Tirol and we know what that means: plenty of easy green and blue slopes to help you gain some confidence. 54% percent of the runs are easy;)

❄ Ski and Snowboard Schools for beginners in Innsbruck ❄

Once you're in Innsbruck and start planning your itinerary, we recommend you to first check out the ski and snowboard schools we are going to list below so you can then organize your week and in which order you are going to ski in the different ski areas.

1st Ski and Snowboard School Küthai

This school offers ski and snowboard lessons for adults and children at all levels, so if you're traveling with family or friends, you'll definitely find a program that will suit you.

As you'll be looking to book beginner ski or snowboard lessons, here they have:

❄ Group Lessons

The program starts on Sunday or Monday , so it isn't possible to join any other day and the schedule is from 10 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 4 pm.

The groups have to be of 4 people minimum and the maximum is 8.

❄ Private Lessons

These can be much more flexible as you decide how many hours you wish to do and even the schedule. The school will adapt the program to your needs;)

Good to know: Every Tuesday they also organize a slalom training program that anybody can join for free! They also do snowshoe tours every Wednesday afternoon.

Alpin Ski & Snowboard School Patscherkofel

It's located by the access of the Patscherkofel ski area in the Intersport Patscherkofel and also offers group and private lessons for beginners.

❄ Group Lessons

The program is from Monday to Wednesday from 10 am to 12.30 pm.

❄ Private Lessons

The lessons can start any day at any time between 9 am and 4 pm.

Skischule Neustift

This school is located in the Stubai Glacier ski resort and has received a Quality Award by the Tyrolean Association for Skiing Instructors.

❄ Group Lessons

The program is of 4 hours per day from 1 am to 12 am and from 1 pm to 3 pm and they always start on Sunday.

❄ Private Lessons

The private lessons can be of 2 or 4 hours and you get to decide how many days you need and the exact schedule.

* The instructors in the ski and snowboard schools speak perfect German and English . If you wish to book the lessons in a different language, you need to contact the school in advance to check.

❄ Ski and Snowboard rental shops in Innsbruck ❄

All of our ski holidays in Innsbruck include accommodation in the city of Innsbruck and the rental shop we work with is Die Börse Rental Ski & Snowboard Service , which is in the Old Town.

This shop has all kinds of winter sports equipment: snowboards, touring skis, splitboards, skis, toboggans and snowshoes.

If you're worried about how you're going to get from Die Börse rental shop to the slopes, don't worry! This shop is really close to the bus stops where the free Skibus stops to take you up to the slopes.

If you're going to ski in Nordkette or Patscherkofel ski areas, the closest stop from Die Börse is a 4-minute walk to Maria-Theresien-Strasse.

If you're going to the Stubai Glacier, the closest bus stop to catch the Skibus is around the corner or Innsbruck Triumphpforte / Casino tram stop.

Head to our ski guide for beginners where you'll find more useful info, tips and advice about planning a ski holiday, identifying what type of equipment rental you should book and how to get ski fit so you can avoid sprains and injuries.

❄ Après-ski activities in Innsbruck ❄

You cannot go skiing to Austria and not give tobogganing a go . It's one of the most popular snow activities in the country. Here are our favorite toboggan runs in Innsbruck:

1. Serlesbahnen

You can rent sledges at the Serles lift and then hike up the hill to take a 4km run down.

2. Axamer Lizum

This run is a bit difficult and goes from Axamer Lizum ski resort to the village of Axams. You can take the free ski bus that will drop you off at the top of the run and covers a distance of about 4 km.

3. Kühtai Toboggan Run

It's the highest toboggan run in Tirol and starts at an altitude of about 2,000 meters and is located by the Drei-Seen-Bahn cable-car in Küthai.

❄ The best sightseeing spots in Innsbruck ❄

As we have mentioned, your Ski plus City Pass includes a total of 22 visits. You will probably not have time to experience absolutely everything in Innsbruck but there are a few spots that you have to visit!

Alpine zoo

This is a great visit for people of all ages. It's filled with indigenous animals of the area. As you walk through the Zoo you'll see a mighty Brown Bear, Otters splashing about in the water, wolves and an amazing Golden Eagle.

Swarovski Crystal World

This place isn't amazing because it's filled with beautiful sparkling crystals but also because the outdoors are also outstanding. There's a large sculptured face and waterfall and a hedge maze.

Hungerburg Funicular

Innsbruck is full of cable-car routes and funicular but this one is the most impressive. You'll ski pass over a bridge, go through a tunnel and up a steep incline to reach the Hungerburg which is 860 meters above sea level from where you have incredible views of the valley and the Italian border.

Ambras Castle

It's a Renaissance castle located in the south of the city and was home to the Archduke Ferdinand II. Inside there's a beautiful hall called the Spanish Hall which hosts lesson ical music concerts.

Maria-Theresien-Straße

This street starts at the Triumphal Arch and ends in the Old Town. It's one of the busiest streets in Innsbruck and you can stop here for a drink or do some souvenir shopping.

Visit the Altstadt

It's the Old Town of Innsbruck and is one of the main attractions. Here you'll see buildings of over 50 years old and loads of medieval details. It's full of nice little cafés and restaurants where you can stop for a bite to eat.

The Golden Roof

Just like the name, this building has a gold roof! It's located in the Altstadt and is one of the most famous landmarks. The roof is made of 2,738 gilded copper tiles. It's a must stop when visiting the Altstadt.

Our favorite thing to do in Innsbruck :

The Ski plus City Pass also includes bike rental , so why not rent a couple of bikes? Right down all the places you want to visit and cycle round the entire city!

❄ The best hotels and apartments in Innsbruck for your first ski holiday ❄

The city is full of hotels and on Esquiades.com we have plenty of great ski holidays that will definitely suit your budget. If you're looking for some recommendations, here are our top 3 hotels depending on what you're looking for:

1. City Hotel.

If you're looking for something more central, you need to book one our ski holidays in the Alders Hotel **** . It's right opposite the main train resort and a short walk to the Maria-Theresien-Strasse. Ask for a room with views of the mountain!

2. Great location and cheap.

The Best Western Plus Hotel Goldener Adler **** is practically opposite the Golden Roof. This hotel has loads of character and it's an excellent choice if you're looking for a short ski holiday in Austria.

3. Picturesque location.

If you're looking for a picture-perfect hotel, you should definitely book a room in the Hotel Mondschein **** with breakfast included. It's a protected historical monument located on the oldest street of Innsbruck. The views of the old town are fantastic.

4. Hotel with a Spa.

If you want to relax and reduce muscle pain after hitting the slopes, you need to make sure you book a hotel with a spa and that would be the Austria Trend Congress Innsbruck Hotel **** . It's located right next to the Hungerburgbahn funicular and has a spa with a massage parlor, sauna and Turkish bath.

Don't forget that the Ski plus City Pass that is included in your ski holiday with Esquiades.com also includes access to 3 indoor pools !

✔ Neustift Leisure Center (SAUNA not included) - This access is free access

✔ StuBay Sauna and Pool Paradise (1 ticket per person and the access is of 4 hours max.

✔ Axams indoor pool (1 ticket per person and the access is of 4 hours max.)

So, now that you have the perfect guide to enjoy your first ski holiday in Innsbruck, are you ready to book a ski holiday of a lifetime?