Near the end of the stunning Ziller Valley, Mayrhofen exudes Austrian charm in a lively, cheerful atmosphere. Dating back to 1511, its architecture's charmingly old school, yet all mod-cons are present and correct. The resort's location is fantastic: Only an hour's drive from Innsbruck airport.
The family-friendly nature doesn't stop with its convenient location – restaurants cater for children excellently, kids activities are abundant, and the ski schools are well known as some of the best. Not only appealing for those with children in tow, but Mayrhofen has also long been a popular holiday destination for Brits due to its wild and wonderful après ski. From merry chaos to sophisticated cocktail-sipping, the host of Snowbombing serves up fantastic après for all palates.
The terrain here's another ski holiday clincher. 139km of pistes overall provide for all levels, and piste conditions are insured with snowmaking technology that covers a noteworthy 100% of the area. The resort sits between the beautiful Ahorn and Penken mountains which together offer a diversity that's hard to match. The south-facing Ahorn offers some lovely sun-drenched, cruisey runs. Things are a bit more adventurous over on the northerly Penken' Action Mountain'. Besides the infamous Harakiri, you'll find freestyling heaven in one of the best snowparks Europe has to offer, as well as some super racetracks. If this isn't enough, get the Zillertal Superski pass where you'll discover a whopping 671km of marked runs including 4 different areas, the snow-sure Hintertux glacier, the Zillertal Arena, Hochfügen-Hochzillertal and Spieljoch.
Location: Austria, Alps.
Established: 1954
Open: December – April
Downhill: 139km
View our detailed Mayrhofen snow forecast or snow report and see all live webcams, piste maps, road and travel maps and lift pass prices. For a picture of historic snow conditions see the snow depths month by month with our Mayrhofen snow history.
Nearest Airport & Transfer Time: | |
Innsbruck | 70km, 1h |
Salzburg | 170km, 2h |
|
|
Top Altitude: | 2500m |
Bottom Altitude: | 630m |
Resort Altitude: | 630m |
Longest run: | 5.5km (Valley run) |
Slope Orientation: | N S E W |
Vertical Drop: | 1870m |
Skiable Vertical: | 1870m |
Night Skiing: | No |
Glacier: | Yes |
Downhill Runs: | 139km |
Beginner slopes: | 29% |
Intermediate: | 47% |
Advanced slopes: | 24% |
Lift Pass Price: | Adult Mayrhofen pass: €72.50 (1 day) Adult Zillertaler Superskipass: €349 (6 days) |
Nearby resorts: Finkenberg, Zell am Ziller |
There's oodles on offer in Mayrhofen whether you ski or board and whatever your level. If you prefer a leisurely cruise down the piste, the Ahorn's your mountain, while those who like to get the heart pumping will love north facing Penken's white-knuckle steeps, moguls, powder and terrain park.
Mayrhofen is highly recommended for beginners who can learn under the excellent tuition of local instructors on both the Ahorn and Penken mountains. The nursery areas are large, gentle and snow-sure, offering some fantastic views of the Ziller Valley and there are some lovely wide, gentle blues on the Ahorn.
Intermediate skiers and boarders will find excitingly varied terrain, including some fantastic steeps and off-piste. Penken has tons of great reds including 'race pistes' where you can time your descent.
Don't mistake the Ahorn for being mere 'leisurely' – there are some challenges here too, including the 5.5km Valley run. The family park includes the Fun Ride Ahorn and Albert Adler Tour.
Expert skiers with a taste for adventure should head to Penken, Rastkogel and Eggalm section of the resort. Here you can find some memorable descents including Austria's steepest slope. The notorious Harakiri is 2 miles long with a thrilling 78% gradient - the steepest ski run in Austria. At the same time, another adrenaline-pumping must is the infamous Devil's Run.
Affectionately nicknamed the 'Big M' and with some of Europe's best freestyling terrain, Mayrhofen is a worldwide snowboarding destination. There's also freeriding galore, and with only 16 drag lifts, the area is very snowboard friendly.
The huge Penken snowpark is one of the best you'll find in Austria if not Europe and with 8 different areas and a brilliant halfpipe, it caters well for everyone from children to pros. With tunes pumping out of the multi jib Beastbox, which draws the crowds in. There's a kid's park, fun park and obstacle park as well as medium, advanced and pro' areas with kickers ranging from 5 – 20m, rails up to 12m long and tubes of all shapes and sizes. All of this is maintained by a group of park shapers who makes sure the park is in tip-top condition all season long.
With a famously lively après ski scene, Mayrhofen's a place to eat, drink and party after a day on the snow. You'll find a range of restaurants to suit all budgets serving great food from schnitzel to chow mein. Ahornhuette is one of many family friendly restaurants with a great kids menu, the Thaler family provide a traditional Austrian dining experience at Wirtshaus zum Griena and the Sportsbar & Grill keeps everyone happy with a fantastic range of food including burgers, kebabs and pizza.
With a variety of bars, Mayrhofen has plenty of places to socialise, unwind and enjoy the schnapps. On the Ahorn, the Igloo Bar is a unique location where you can relax with a drink, good music and a spectacular view. For a more traditional après, you'll find table-top dancing at the lively Ice Bar or a great home-from-home atmosphere in British themed Scotland Yard. Later on in the evening, the Speakeasy Arena is a popular nightclub where you can party into the early hours with themed nights, great DJ's and lots of dancing. Bruck n Stadl is open for apres and the party keeps going until the early hours.
Whether you're a non-skier in Mayrhofen or just fancy an alternative activity, you'll find a lot on offer. Experience of the beautiful Ziller Valley is not limited to those on skis - Mayrhofen offers snowshoeing, ice-climbing, paragliding, tobogganing and horse-riding as alternative ways to discover the valley. There's a great outdoor ice rink for skating, curling and ice hockey as well as a Nature Park Exhibition which families will love. In terms of indoor activities, the Erlebnisbad Mayrhofen has a leisure pool, gym and wellness facilities including a sauna, steam room and solarium where you can play, exercise or be pampered to your heart's content.
The ski season here runs from December through to April. With 123 snow cannons and 35 snow lances, the resort boasts that 100% of the area can be covered by artificial snow if the weather isn't up to scratch. 75% of the Zillertaler SuperSkipass domain can be covered this way too and with the snow-sure Hintertux Glacier (skiable all year), you're bound to find quality terrain throughout the season.
Mayrhofen has hosted the Altitude comedy festival in the past, with a line-up of some of the best comedians around in December / March. The legendary Snowbombing festival takes place here too towards the end of the season, with music from top artists including Example and Kasabian. Over these dates as well as Christmas, New Years Eve and school holidays, Mayrhofen is buzzing and, if you prefer a quieter experience, try early December and January and avoid school holidays.
With Mayrhofen's Advent celebrations, the resort is filled with festive spirit throughout December. Christmas concerts, special events and lots of fun snow activities will ensure everyone enjoys a magical Christmas in Mayrhofen. Mayrhofen Christmas ski holidays ‣
The party starts early during New Years Eve in Mayrhofen with the annual pre-New Years Eve party on the 30th. There's plenty of choice for the night itself, with New Years Eve celebrations at Mayrhofen's après ski bars. For a real treat, book a ticket on the Zillertal New Years train and enjoy quality music, food and drinks. Mayrhofen New Year ski holidays ‣
A very family-friendly ski destination, Mayrhofen's marvellous during February half term. Snow conditions are at their peak and all ages are sure to be entertained with tons of fun family activities. Mayrhofen Half Term ski holidays ‣
If you're spending Easter in Mayrhofen you'll be pleased to hear that 100% of the pistes have snowmaking technology, giving you great odds for a sunny ski holiday with snow coverage even later on in the season. Mayrhofen Easter ski holidays ‣
Families are well looked after in this charming Austrian resort, where quality time together is widely encouraged. The accommodation here is well suited to families. There is a large range of hotels, one of the most popular being the Strass Hotel with amazing facilities for the whole family. Location can be a key part of keeping everyone happy for the week, and the hotel is right in the centre of the town, very near to the Penken gondola which leads directly to the ski school meeting point and nursery slopes, making them ideal if any of your clan are booked into lessons.
As well as benefitting from excellent ski schools, children learning to ski will enjoy Mayrhofen’s lovely nursery slopes with conveyor belts and magic carpets to make skiing easy. If you’re travelling with children who are too young for ski school, ask us about accommodation with childcare facilities if this is an important factor of your holiday, several hotels offer kindergarten from the age of 3 and upwards.
Our best package holidays include accommodation, flights and transfers. They’re 100% ATOL protected and make a booking and travelling swift and hassle-free. Select your nearest airport below for the most convenient holidays. Self-drive holidays are popular for families who don’t mind the journey – pick self-drive instead of an airport below to find our best packages with channel crossings. You can also select independent travel if you’re sorting it all out separately.
Mayrhofen has something for groups of all ages and abilities, and there are indoor and outdoor activities aplenty for any non-skiers tagging along.
Hotels offer an authentic and relaxed place to stay, ideal for groups looking to spend some quality time together. Alpenhotel Kramerwirt boasts friendly service, family ran and excellent location right in the middle of town, just a short walk to the gondola station. With Mayrhofen's lively Austrian après right next door for groups looking to party - for some homely après head to British pub Scotland Yard for live music or for Austrian merriment head down to Bruck'n Stadl.
Groups of all shapes and sizes are likely to find somewhere to suit in the Strass Hotels. This complex includes 2 hotels and 2 interconnecting properties: the Apart-Hotel Strass and Hotel Strass Garni. As well as boasting a central location, all Strass properties are right by the Penken gondola which takes you directly to the nursery slopes and ski school meeting point – ideal if anyone in your group is taking lessons. Any latecomers wanting to join the party, later on, can look for availabilities in any of the Hotel Strass accommodation and you can all join together communal spaces shared by all the properties.
Wherever you select to stay, our accommodation comes with flights and transfers for a money-saving deal that'll get you all on the mountains before you know it. Self-drive packages are available for groups planning to drive, and if it's proving too difficult to find a package that suits everyone, accommodation-only deals are also available.
Accommodation | Number of nights | Price (per person) from |
---|---|---|
Hotel Strass | 7 | £ 899 |
Hotel Sylvana | 7 | £ 949 |
Sporthotel Strass | 7 | £ 1059 |
Neuhaus Zillertal Resort | 7 | £ 1139 |
Alpenhotel Kramerwirt | 7 | £ 1139 |
Hotel Berghof | 7 | £ 1149 |
Elisabeth Hotel | 7 | £ 1179 |
Hotel Zillertalerhof | 7 | £ 1559 |
Hotel Neuhaus - St Josef | 7 | £ 816 |
Sport & Spa Hotel Strass | 7 | £ 944 |