Tyrol: Trails of the Wilder Kaiser

If you are a keen walker who enjoys following mountains trails with beautiful views, and 1,000m of ascent and descent is not a problem for you, then this tour is ideal. Enjoy the balance of staying in culturally and historically interesting towns in 3-4* hotels and spending two nights in the mountains in authentic huts. Finish your hiking day off by indulging in some delicious regional specialities and enjoying the friendly hospitality of the locals.

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.

Solo Travellers, Families with Teens

The minimum age for this tour is: 18 Years

This tour is rated moderate to strenuous.  Distances vary from 10– 16km, and the ascent/descent is considerable, ranging between 540-1,100 m each day. To get the most from this tour you should be in good physical shape, be sure-footed and comfortable using a chair lift. The terrain is alpine, and paths are a mixture of woodland trails, rocky mountain paths, gravel tracks, boulder strewn-paths and faint, narrow grassy trails. There are cables, ropes and chains to aid ascent/descent in some places.

Stay 5 nights in comfortable 3 & 4* hotels and guesthouses and 2 nights in mountains huts. All the hotels we use have been chosen for their Tyrolean hospitality, cosy atmosphere and high standards. In the huts, we will always try to book you into private 2-bed rooms where possible. You will need to bring your own sheet sleeping bag liner for the nights in the mountains huts. At the Gaudeamashütte, the bathroom facilities can be found on the landing and are shared. The Gaudeamashütte has a limited number of private rooms, in case these are not available we will book you into a mixed dorm, which will be shared with other hikers. Please be aware that twin & double rooms in Austria (Doppelzimmer in German) are typically 2 single mattresses side by side in one double bed frame with two separate duvet covers and pillows.

Solo Walkers

The Wilder Kaiser is suitable for experienced solo walkers who are confident in hiking through Alpine terrain. Although it is a popular trail, it should not be taken lightly. Hikers will encounter high-Alpine conditions that may include rain, fog, thunderstorms, and snow at any time of the year. It is essential to be comfortable walking alone in challenging terrain, crossing snowfields, and navigating in poor visibility or adverse weather conditions. While this is a demanding hike, the trail is frequented by many other walkers, which is why we can offer it to solo hikers. However, if you are a first-time solo walker in the Alps, we recommend exploring alternative tours that may be more suitable for you. Please contact us for more information on those options. For solo walkers, accommodations will be in a dormitory at the mountain hut, as single rooms are not available.

Meals

7 breakfasts are included in the cost of your trip. In hotels and guesthouses, breakfast is always buffet-style with various options available. Expect a continental breakfast with bread, jams, pastries, yoghurt and muesli available. Usually, there are also local meats and cheeses, eggs and fruit on offer. Breakfast in mountain huts will be more modest, we suggest taking a couple of energy bars to supplement if you prefer a larger breakfast in the morning.

5 Dinners and all lunches are not included so you have the freedom to choose from what’s on offer each day. You may be able to order a packed lunch at your accommodation for the following day, or you can find bakeries and shops in each town to stock up on food for your hikes. There are plenty of options for dinner each night, either at your hotel or in nearby restaurants. Dinner is included at the Gaudeamashütte & Stripsenjochhaus huts. Food in Austria is hearty and traditional, with meat and cheese being some of the dominant ingredients! Tyrolean specialities include ‘Tiroler Gröstl’, bacon, onion and potato fry-up topped with a fried egg, or ‘Kiachl’ a fried yeast dough pastry that can be served sweet or savoury. Kaiserschmarrn (translates as Emperor’s mess, named after Franz Joesph the first) is another ubiquitous Tyrolean dish and is chopped, fluffy, warm pancakes served with icing sugar and home-made jam or compote – absolutely delicious!

The trails are well way-marked, and together with detailed route notes, maps and the Macs Adventure Smartphone App enabling you to follow the route using your phone's GPS, you will have no problems finding the way.

This walk is available to start on any day of the week from the middle of  June to the end of September.

Fly into Munich Airport or Innsbruck Airport from where you can take a train to Kufstein (both direct and both just over an hour) We can also organise private transfers from either airport to the start point, just ask us for more information.

From Durchholzen take bus no. 4030 to Kufstein train station, from where you can retrace your steps to Munich or Innsbruck airports. We can also organise taxi transfers back to Kufstein if you prefer. Train times and more info can be found in English at www.bahn.de/en (German railways) or www.oebb.at/en/ (Austrian railways).

Bag transfer of one bag per person (up to 20kg/44lbs) is included as standard. Your bags will be moved from Kufstein to Scheffau, from Scheffau to St. Johann, and from St. Johann to Walchsee/Durccholzen. There is no bag transfer to the Gaudeamashütte (day 3) or to Stripsenjochhaus (day 5) due to their remote locations. On these days, you will carry a few overnight necessities in your day pack (sheet sleeping bag liner, travel towel, toothbrush etc), and you will be reunited with your luggage the following day at the next accommodation.