Kaiserkrone: Nr. 1 Hut-To-Hut Tour Through the Wilder Kaiser

The 5-day hike can be found in the heart of the Kaiser Mountains in Tyrol. This mountain range is formed by the Zahmer Kaiser in the North, the Niederkaiser in the East and the Wilder Kaiser. The latter is what it's all about during the 65-kilometer (40,4 miles) Kaiserkrone hike, and you won't lose sight of the Wilder Kaiser for a day. Beginning and ending in the cozy Going am Wilden Kaiser, you won't climb any of the mountain peaks, but with impressive elevation gains you will collectively overcome more than 5,000 altimeters (16.404 feet). Because you stay below the tree-line during this hike, you can enjoy many forests and green fields while the gray mountain massif contrasts beautifully with them.

Surrounded by the well-known vacation villages of Ellmau, Going, Scheffau and Söll, the Wilder Kaiser is a great and accessible base in summer as well as in winter. Not only do these villages provide stunning panoramic views from the mountain, but Scheffau also hosts the memorable Kaiserkrone Trail every year. This is an impressive 2-day trail running event that consists of 5 separate races and provides a unique experience. If you can be found in Austria around the end of June, don't forget to check it out and possibly complete the Kaiserkrone yourself. Running? No need - we prefer walking ourselves as well.

In general, there is something for everyone in the Wilder Kaiser area, but is the Kaiserkrone hike really for you? How technical is the route and what do you need to prepare yourself for? The trails of the Kaiserkrone are generally relatively easy to navigate and certainly not as technical as the Stubaier- or Berliner Höhenweg. Here and there it's wise to use your hands and hold on to cables and handrails. The climbing and scrambling are reserved for a small section of the final stage. What makes the entire Kaiserkrone a challenge are the distances and the many elevation changes you encounter during the hike. At first, 12 kilometers (7,5 miles) of hiking does not seem that far but combine it with over 800 meters of elevation gain (2.624 feet) per day, and you have a real challenge on your hands.

In short, if you are a novice mountain adventurer with good fitness and a healthy amount of perseverance, the Kaiserkrone may just be your next step. If you are not quite sure yet but would like to give it a try, then perhaps our custom package, the Kaiser’s Little Crown, is for you.

If you have never done a hut-to-hut hike before, a 5-day hike can be overwhelming to begin with. Because mountain hiking and Austrian mountain hut culture is simply not for everyone, we recommend starting with a shorter hike. This way you can quietly discover if this is your type of vacation or if you prefer day hikes. Because the hiking trails are not very technical and you sleep in both hotels and mountain huts, the Wilder Kaiser mountain range is the ideal place to get your first mountain hiking experience with the Kaiser’s little Crown.

The Kaiser Kroontje is a 3-day trek that includes the first two stages of the official Kaiserkrone. Because of this, the distances and altimeters will remain the same and these are detailed for you later in this blog. After your stay around the Hintersteiner See, however, you will not walk in a northeasterly direction. On this last day you will walk to Kufstein, the end point of this shortened tour. During the first night of this trek you will stay in a mountain hut where you can experience the real Austrian mountain hut culture together with your fellow hikers. The second night you will stay near the Hintersteiner See in a hotel or guesthouse and enjoy a private room. Interested? Then click here to learn more about our Kaiser’s little Crown.

The season for all Austrian mountain treks, including the Kaiserkrone, falls between mid/late June and mid-September. The hiking trails become impassable during the other months due to deteriorating weather conditions. As a result, the accommodations where you will stay during your trek are inaccessible and thus closed.

In general, Austria has hot summers and because you won't get much higher than 1,600 meters (5.249 feet) on the Kaiserkrone, you should expect bright sun and heat. However, the Alps are unpredictable and the weather can easily turn. If you need a cap and sunscreen one day, the next day may call for a rain suit. Fortunately, you can possibly avoid the rain by starting the stage early, since rain often comes in the afternoon. You can already see that bringing the right gear is essential to the success of your hut-to-hut tour. To help you with this, we have compiled a packing list for you later in this blog.

Due to the European vacation seasons and the popularity of the area for families with children, July and August are the busiest months. It can also be busier in the mountains and surrounding region around the time of the Kaiserkrone Trail. The Kaiserkrone is a popular hike for many, and for good reason. Therefore, if you want to be sure of a spot in the huts, it is never too early to book your desired date with us.

In case you have done a hut tour before, you know that you normally sleep in different mountain huts. Life in these mountain huts is often simple and cozy. Together with other hikers, you enjoy a historic part of Austria where you share basic facilities and dormitories. In the evening, the hut staff will cook delicious meals for you before you watch the sun set behind the mountains and seek your bed. The next morning you'll rise early for a good breakfast and then you'll be ready to start today's stage.

The Kaiserkrone may be a true multi-day hike, yet during this 5-day trek you will not only stay in these types of original mountain hut but also in local hotels and guesthouses. Here you can enjoy a private room and recharge at leisure for the next hiking day. In short, the Kaiserkrone offers the ideal combination for hikers who are ready for a real mountain hike but have yet to get used to Austrian hut life.

The two mountain huts where you do spend the night are, like many mountain huts in Austria, affiliated with the ÖAV (Österreichischer Alpenverein) and/or the DAV (Deutscher Alpenverein). Among other things, these associations are responsible for the maintenance of their member mountain huts. In addition, they are constantly concerned with the maintenance and well-being of the mountain trails, the surrounding nature and signposting. In other words, they do their utmost to make your hiking experience as flawless as possible.

The Kaiserkrone runs like a real crown around the Wilder Kaiser so you start and end in the same place; Going am Wilden Kaiser. This cozy village lies exactly between Salzburg and Innsbruck and Munich is also only about 100 kilometers (62 miles) north. Depending on how you want to travel to the starting point of the Kaiserkrone, you can use these towns as your starting point.

Plane
In case you come from overseas or simply wish to travel by plane, you have an abundance of options. Innsbruck, Munich, and Salzburg all have airports. Munich in Germany is by far the most international and therefore a good starting point. It will however take an additional 1 hour by public transport to get to Going am Wilden Kaiser, in comparison to the other two airports. This means that from Munich it will take at least 3,5 hours whereas from the other two destinations, it is roughly 2,5 hours.

Car
Going am Wilden Kaiser is easy to reach by car. From Munich, continue your route to Kufstein and there take the exit towards Going. In total it will take you approximately 1,5 hours to drive from Munich to your final destination.

Public transportation
Going am Wilden Kaiser does not have a train station and therefore the last leg always has to be done by bus. Whether you arrive by plane from Innsbruck, or by train from Munich. From Kufstein you can be in Going am Wilden Kaiser in 1.5 hours, with a change in Söll. You can also choose to travel via Wörgl, if you are coming from Innsbruck, for example. From here you can take the bus to St. Johann in Tirol and continue to the starting point of the Kaiserkrone. If you take Salzburg as your starting point you will also have to travel to St. Johann in Tirol before you can continue to your final destination.

A hiking trip really doesn't have to be expensive. Huts are usually simple, but offer everything you need to recharge your mental and physical batteries for the next hiking day(s). For 5 days on Kaiserkrone where you also use hotels and guesthouses you can count on about 90 EUR/USD per hiking day. This includes route description, navigation aid, your accommodation in a mountain hut/hotel and half board where possible. For hut tours in general, we then recommend taking 40-60EUR/USD pocket money with you. This is for lunch and your drinks. Most of our pocket money usually goes to that ice cold beer at the next hut!