The ultimate guide to Ischgl ski holidays in 2019 & 2020.
Located high in the Tyrolean Alps, Ischgl sits on the Austrian-Swiss border with stunning views over the surrounding mountains. The old farming village has been fitted with modern luxuries including chic bars, nightclubs and smart hotels but has managed to maintain its alpine charm with traditional Tyrolean architecture. A combination of amazing skiing and awesome après in an attractive Tyrolean setting makes this a real Austrian snow-sporting hot spot.
The après scene is considered Austria’s second to St. Anton with a huge variety of lively bars and exclusive clubs for partying in true Austrian style. Beginning, middle and end of season concerts prove its partying prestige with the likes of Elton, Rihanna and Deep Purple as past headliners.
This is one of Austria’s highest altitude resorts with 240km of pisted runs on beautifully pristine snow. A major selling point is the state-of-the-art lift system with 44 high-speed lifts including heated chairs and Europe’s first double-decker gondola getting skiers across the mountain in comfortable style.
The resort sits on the Austrian-Swiss border and the VIP lift pass allows you to ski in to Switzerland’s Samnaun region where days can be spent shopping in chic boutiques and indulging in Swiss delicacies- all tax-free- before heading back on the double-decker Gondola. If you want more adventure, the Silvretta pass gives you further access to 71 lifts across the neighbouring resorts of Galtur, Kappl and See.
In light of what it has to offer, it’s surprising that Ischgl has remained Austria’s well-kept secret for so long, mainly attracting German and Austrian clientele. Anyone lucky enough to have skied here is likely to rave about it – this is an amazing destination for groups, single skiers, families and couples alike - and at just a 90 minute transfer from Innsbruck airport it’s a breeze to get to.
View our detailed Ischgl 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 Ischgl snow history.
With the majority of the slopes above 2000m, you’ll be skiing and boarding on some of the best conditions in Austria with 44 state-of-the-art lifts easily transporting you across the mountain.
Those just starting out on the snow will benefit from the learning slope at Idalp made easily accessible by a top-of-the-range cable car. Its high altitude means you’re likely to learn on quality snow conditions over a number of wide open, gentle runs for practising those long turns. You can take advantage of the excellent ski schools and the youngsters strapping in to their first pair of skis or board get a great introduction to the snow at the kindergarten which is available with the resort’s main ski school- Schneesports-Akademie.
The mountain is an intermediates paradise which offers a number of long cruising runs and steep terrain with cross-border skiing to Switzerland an added bonus! The popular 80 ‘Schmuggler’ run takes you down into Switzerland and you’ll find some more exciting terrain at the Palinkopf peak where fresh powder is common in winter.
More advanced skiers can gain some speed on the steeper red runs and there are a number of challenging blacks- the number 14a is a favourite and considered the toughest route on the piste with a challenging vertical and steep gradient.
Some excellent off-piste can be found just off from the Gampenbahm chair lift – to discover the best untouched snow, hire a mountain guide.
Ischgl is a popular resort for snowboarders with slopes dedicated to carving and a number of snow parks- beginner, public and freestyle-which are constantly updated with the best gear and fitted with trails, jumps, quarter-pipes and half pipes. The Obstacle Park is a playground for freestylers and the chill out area next to it makes a good view-point to kick back with a beer.
Considered second only to St. Anton the après here is marvelled as some of Austria’s biggest and best. Ischgl is Famous for its ‘top of the mountain concerts’ held at Easter and each end of the season which in the past have seen headliners such as Katy Perry and Elton John. Après ski starts post-lunch on the slopes, where the main mountain bars at Idalp fill with buzzing skiers and boarders on the first (and certainly not last) Jägertee of the day.
A host of bars and clubs in the resort ensure the party continues – mingle along to loud Bavarian beats at Trofana Alm and join in the party at Kitzlock where you’re likely to end up dancing on the tables. The clubbing scene is unmissable- enjoy an exclusive night at Pacha, sister of the famous venues in London and Ibiza. The Living Room is also a stylish establishment with a wild party scene. After burning the candle at both ends, take time out and enjoy a laid-back evening of drinks at Kiwi or Guxa where there is a social and buzzy atmosphere- or indulge in a luxury pampering treatment at one of the resort’s spa facilities.
In terms of dining, traditional Austrian dishes can be found at Kushtall and you can settle down for a casual evening of Italian favourites at La Nona Pizzeria.
There are also a number of other activities including snowshoe excursions, paragliding and tobogganing and you shouldn’t miss a day trip to the duty free shops in the Saumnaun region of Switzerland- but remember export charges apply!
When is the best time to ski Ischgl?
With the majority of the mountain runs above 2000m and the peak at a staggering 2800m, Ischgl has a reputation of being snow-sure throughout the season meaning you’re very likely to get some excellent conditions whenever you choose to go. The resort busies up at the peak times with party-goers as well as families and is famed for beginning and ending its season with a bang with the legendary ‘Top of the mountain’ concerts - so if you want to catch a VIP headliner look to ski at the start of the season in November, during Easter or party away the end of the season in May.
Our family hotels offer the best accommodation for your holiday at unbeatable prices. If you’re looking for an easy journey to the piste and excellent family facilities the Family Resort Seiblishof is ideal and offers a ski-in/ ski-out location. Hotel Post is perfect for an intimate family retreat in the quieter part of town with everything you need for a first-class stay whilst Hotel Troafana Royal boasts luxury accommodation in a central location ideal for families with older children who want to try out the nightlife.
We have hotels with excellent childcare services if you’re travelling with children too young to ski and on-site bars so parents can relax and have a few drinks without stepping off the premises. Our hotels come with a variety of board options – choose half board or full board for easy meal times with the whole family.
Ischgl caters well to all ages so families can enjoy something for everyone here. For those with younger children just starting out on the snow, the main resort ski school- Schneesport-Akademie has an excellent kindergarten which gives a fun and safe introduction to the slopes for children as young as 3. The learning slopes are up the mountain at Idalp and this is made easily accessible with the high-tech gondolas which run up from the base.
For a long family day of cruising the piste take the Odjochbahn chair from Idalp to steady the skis on some gentle beginner runs. If you’re all feeling more adventurous, take the Palinkopf chair to the highest point of the mountain. From here the less confident can start out on the red 80 to meet at the gentle blue 22 and those wanting a challenge can break off to the black 21 and meet up next to the chair. There are a number of mountain restaurants dotted about the piste which make ideal meeting points and there are loads of après activities that the whole family can enjoy such as moonlit toboggan rides and snowshoe excursions.
We have some ideal accommodation for every type of group holiday so you can take full advantage of Ischgl’s excellent skiing and awesome après scene. Large hotels in the centre of the resort usually have their own lively bars and restaurants where a lot of the après takes place- perfect if you are a group who likes to party. Two popular favourites are and Hotel Madlein which offer stylish accommodation with ski-in/ ski-out location and a social atmosphere. If you’re looking for chalet accommodation, Chalet Zita is an excellent choice in a central location meaning you can have an intimate time together at the chalet or head out to make the most of the nightlife. All of our chalets are catered and hotels come in a variety of board options so you can choose a dining plan that best suits your group.
A big number of lifts lead off to a variety of terrain. If you’re a mixed ability group, you can all take the chair up to the Palinkopf peak - while the less confident cruise down blue 22 the more advanced can tackle black 21. With all routes leading to Idalp, you can easily meet up at the end of the day to start the après off on the slopes at Idalp’s Pardorama bar before taking the gondola back down to the base.
The huge après scene is perfect for groups looking to party with a number of traditional Tyrolean bars and exclusive nightclubs. Free-ride and Kushtall are terrific for après-ski drinks and after grabbing a bite to eat in your hotel or chalet you can all head straight back out to belt out a tune at Trofana Alm, dance on the tables at Kitzlock or party in to the early hours at the infamous Pacha nightclub. If you’re looking for a more intimate time with the group, try Guxa for a laid back evening with cocktails.
"Amazing apres ski for groups and couples"
Would certainly go to Ischgl again. The après ski is very good, very friendly and lively with great bars on and off the mountain. This is one of the best resorts in Austria for après, so it would be great for groups but Ischgl is equally good for couples (I stayed here with my husband) as it has lots of nice restaurants. The conditions were very good while we were here, it was quite cold so we were lucky although Ischgl is so high that the snow is always very good. We’re both quite advanced skiers and the resort is probably best if you’re intermediate or advanced as you can ski all over the mountain.
Been to Ischgl loads of times. The skiing’s good, the snow’s always guaranteed and the lifts get you round the mountain quickly so you can do a lot of skiing. The apres is good – a lot of Brits think it’s only either France or St Anton for apres but it’s really good here. Hoping they will do weekend trips to the big end of season concerts they host here, this year was supposed to be ACDC but then it changed to Thirty Seconds to Mars.
"Skiing awesome - not enough girls!"
Had heard really good things about Ischgl’s nightlife but it was a bit disappointing coming from a guys perspective (not enough girls!). It would be really good to go as a larger group so you can make your own party but if you're just a couple of lads you might be better off somewhere in the French Alps. The skiing was awesome though – it’s mostly red runs so I’d recommend it to people who have been skiing 2 or 3 times already. There’s quite a lot of exploratory stuff and a few ski parks so you don’t get bored. You can also ski over to Switzerland for some duty free shopping which is always good! You can do bobsleighing here twice a week which was good fun – almost went off the edge a few times (took a while to realise you turn with your feet and not the toggle on the front, so wear shoes that you don’t mind getting wet).
"Impressive conditions considering lack of snow!"
Hadn’t been here before but we all really enjoyed it. We tend to go to the 3 valleys and in that respect the skiing isn’t as vast but we knew that when we booked it. The snow conditions hadn’t been fantastic before we went but were really good considering there hadn’t been much snow, I was impressed with how well they kept the pistes. The slopes have something for everyone and aren’t that tough. The only thing is that the skiing was quite difficult to get back to the accommodation and I wouldn’t want to do it as a beginner – there are a few little bits that are classed as red but are actually black. It might be different in better conditions but you have to go down quite a tight little gulley. At the end of the day, you can always get the gondola down if you’re less confident. The place itself is very, very pretty, not built up at all and there’s a good selection of bars. The access of everything is a big bonus, no matter where you stayed you wouldn’t be far from the lifts.