1 Day in Innsbruck Itinerary
Innsbruck is one of Europe’s dreamiest mountain towns and lovely to visit in any season. It’s small & can esaily be explored on a short trip if you’re trying to see other cities as well, or it can serve as a great homebase for exploring Austria’s Tyrol region. If you’re short on time in Innsbruck I’ve compiled my ultimate 1 day Innsbruck Itinerary below!
To see my full Innsbruck travel guide for a longer trip, see here!
Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!
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Where to Stay in Innsbruck
Innsbruck is pretty small & easy to navigate, making it convenient to stay pretty much anywhere in the main city center area. Most areas of the city are within a 15 minute or so walk from the station. I visited Innsbruck twice last year and stayed at 2 different hotels, I loved them both. Details below:
The Penz Hotel
I absolutely loved The Penz Hotel right in downtown Innsbruck. It’s right off Maria-Theresien-Straße and easily walkable to Old Town and Marktplatz. The hotel is stunning and has a rooftop bar with some of the best views in Innsbruck.
AC Hotel Innsbruck
I stayed at the AC Hotel on my most recent stay & loved it. They upgraded me to suite with the view above – so stunning! It’s close to the train station and about a 10-15 minute walk to the Old Town area. They had an amazing breakfast, and a nice bar/restaurant located in the lobby that was a great place for a nightcap!
Getting to Innsbruck
By Train
Innsbruck is connected by train to other major Austrian cities, and larger cities in Germany to the North or Italy to the South.
- Vienna –> Innsbruck – 4 hours 15 minutes
- Salzburg –> Innsbruck – 2 hours
- Munich –> Innsbruck – 1 hour 30 minutes
- Bolzano (Dolomites) –> Innsbruck – 2 hours
By Plane
Innsbruck has an international airport, it’s conveniently located 2.5 miles from Innsbruck city center, so it’s easy to fly directly to Innsbruck.
Innsbruck 1 Day Itinerary
Explore Old Town (Aldstadt)
Start your day exploring Innsbruck’s small, but charming Old Town. This shoud take about 1-2 hours. Some of the highlights of Old Town include
- The Golden Roof – or Goldenes Dachl. This is the most famous symbol of the city of Innsbruck. It was built to celebrate the wedding of Emporer Maximilian to his wife Bianca Maria.
- Stadtturn – right next to the Golden roof this historical viewing tower is a popular landmark of Innsbruck – admission is included with the Innsbruck card!
- Hofburg Innsbruck – Baroque & Renaissance Palace in Old Town Innsbruck
- Dom St. Jakob Cathedral – Innsbruck’s Baroque Cathedral featuring a popular painting of the Virgin Mary – admission is free!
You can easily explore the Old Town on your own, but if you’re interested in learning more about the history of Innsbruck, try a guided tour like this one!
I also recommend stopping for a drink at the popular Stiftskeller restaurant & beer garden. It’s an Innsbruck clsasic and a great place for a quick drink or a hearty Tyrolean meal.
Maria-Theresien-Strasse
Right next to the Old Town (and easily visited at the same time) Maria-Theresien-Strasse is one of the main streets of Innsbruck, and home to all of Innsbrcuk’s best shopping. Maria-Theresien-Strasse is one of the prettiest streets in Innsbruck to visit during your trip.
Take the Nordkette to the Top of Innsbruck
This is an absolute can’t miss experience in any season! The Nordkette is a series of funiculars & cable cars that take you up into the mountains above Innsbruck.
To funicular leaves from downtown Innsbruck and has multiple stops on the way up. The first stop is the zoo (which I skipped)
The second stop is the picturesque town of Hungerburg, and it’s worth exploring. I recommend taking the next 2 cable cars all the way the top. The third stop is where you can get the ski lifts and the fourth stop is the very top of Innsbruck!
Tickets can be found here it’s $52 round trip to the very top! You can also buy them in person, but there can be lines!
Views from Hungerburg & the top:
Wander the Inn River & Marktplatz
One of the prettiest areas of Innsbruck to visit in the late afternoon as the sun begins to set is the path along the Inn River & one of the main squares of the city, Marktplatz. This area is filled with lively bars/restaurants that have tons of outdoor seating (and are busy in all seasons) It’s a great spot for a late afternoon drink after exploring to enjoy some of Innsrbruck’s best views. My favorite spot was, Marktbar am Inn patio!
Rooftop Drinks
Innsbruck has a few great options for rooftop drinks as the sun sets over the stunning Tyrolean Alps. I highly recomment the 5th Floor Rooftop bar at Penz Hotel – they have some of the best sunset views.
Other options include
- Cloud One Bar Innsbruck (Motel One Rooftop)
- Adlers Hotel Rooftop
Dinner at One of Innsbruck’s Best Restaurants
Dinner had some great food options. I’ve compiled my 10 favorite restaurants in Innsbruck list here! But my top recommendations are:
Tyrolean Classic Cuisines
Italian
Innbsruck Card
If you’re planning to do several different paid attractions in Innsbruck you may want to consider the Innsbruck card. The card can be purchased for 24, 48 or 72 hours depending on the length of your trip.
What’s Included
- Nordkette trip ($52 value)
- Free use of the hop on hop off bus
- Free entrance to the Imperial Palace
- Free Entrance to the City Tower
- Free Entrance to the Alpine Zoo
- Free Entrance to the Bergisel Stadium and Ski Jump
Innbsruck Card Cost
- 24 hour – 59 Euro per adult
- 48 hour – 69 Euro per adult
