Stubai Glacier Ski Resort Austria
Stubai Glacier is the largest glacier ski area in Austria. Known locally as the Stubaier Gletscher, the resort is snow guaranteed for skiing & snowboarding from mid-October to May. Loads of off-piste freeride options in winter combine with top class lifts & facilities to make Stubai a first-rate ski resort.
Stubai Glacier is located south of Innsbruck, from where day trips are possible to the mountain, but the ski resort's size is deserving of a multi-day visit as part of a broader exploration of this sensational ski region. The awesome local Stubaital ski resort of Schlick 2000 is included on Stubai Glacier multi-day passes of 4-days or more and provides the perfect location for skiing on 'bad weather' days up on the glacier.
Pros & Cons for Stubai Glacier Ski Resort
Pros
- Snow sure for skiing from October to May.
- Superb snow quality & quantity.
- groomed terrain &
- Alpine off-piste freeride terrain that is both fun & challenging (if you want to be!).
- Skiable vertical of 1,515m and longest run of 10km is enough to make anyone's legs quiver with excitement/anticipation/fatigue!
- World class restaurants & on-mountain facilities.
- Modern & efficient lift system.
- Short lift queues & uncrowded off-piste.
- Fabulous value lift pass price for all that is on offer.
- Awesome novice & family friendly centre at Gamsgarten top station.
- Glorious scenery on a clear day.
- Public transport in the Stubaital is free with a valid ski lift pass.
- Car parking is free, and each car park is ski-in from the valley trail.
- Can be done as a long day trip from Innsbruck on public transport.
- Lift pass of 4-days or more valid also at Schlick 2000, Serles & the superb sledding on Elfer at Neustift.
Cons
-
Exposed in poor weather (wind, extreme cold or poor visibility), but nearby Schlick 2000 offers an alternative.
- Snowboarders & small children may find some of the long glacier T-bars challenging.
- On powder days, some of the freeride terrain has flat entries & exits that can be difficult, especially for snowboarders.
- Access road is prone to closure due to avalanche hazard during heavy snowfalls.
- Limited snow making on the valley runs can make them 'sporty' at either end of the season.
- The glaciers are in serious decline due to changing climate.
Pro or Con (depending on your point of view!)
- Valley trails are unsuitable for beginners & intermediates (downloading is for you!).
- Close to Innsbruck.
- No village at the base and limited accommodation at the resort.
- Limited après scene at the mountain base (but it does go off like a cracker on busy days!).
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain
Austria's largest glacier ski resort, Stubaier Gletscher has terrain and variety for all levels of skier & snowboarder making it worthy of several days’ exploration. Its 1,515m of skiable vertical, 68km of marked trails (including routes), plus extensive freeride terrain (called the 'Powder Department') are supported by a modern lift system including the incredible Eisgrat gondolas. The gondolas move one to the top of the mountain in style & comfort, whilst providing an extraordinary view to scope out all the freeride ski terrain possibilities. At the 'Top of Tyrol' (elevation 3,210m), views extend across to the Dolomites in Italy.
Check out the ski trail map for Stubai Glacier below.
Magnificent children's and novice terrain & facilities are all over the resort but particularly noticeable at Gamsgarten. Long groomed pistes will delight all intermediate skiers. Due to the limited on-piste advanced trails, advanced & expert riders will find the challenging terrain is in all the off-piste areas, plus the two valley trails. Aside from the many marked ski routes (9 in total), any other off-piste riding requires full avalanche gear and knowledge. Stubai Glacier's terrain is generally snowboarder friendly however some glacier T-bars could present challenges to the uninitiated, plus several ski-routes have flat approaches & exits.
Autumn, Spring & Summer Skiing at Stubaier Gletscher
Despite climate change wreaking havoc on the glaciers of the Alps, Stubai Glacier offers skiing from the middle of October, or earlier if conditions allow for guaranteed skiing in Autumn. In Spring, skiing extends through to the start of summer (generally mid-June), however this can vary depending on snow conditions.
Lift Passes
Stubai Glacier is part of Innsbruck's Ski+City Pass area which includes 13 ski & sled resorts in the region. A Ski + City Pass is for a minimum 2 days & allows access to all 13 ski resorts plus 22 local Innsbruck city sites.
All Stubai Glacier lift tickets of 4-days or more are called Stubai Skipass and are valid at nearby Elfer (11)(at Neustift), Serles (at Mieders) & Schlick 2000 (at Fulpmes).
For more information on the resort's ski lifts, terrain, trail maps & lift passes, see our Stubai Glacier Skiing & Snowboarding page.
Snow & Weather
There are numerous advantages at Stubai Glacier ski resort in the snow & weather stakes. Its many glaciers, location, high altitude & northerly aspect guarantee excellent snow depth & quality, especially above 2,000m. Snow-making ensures high-traffic areas are well covered and mother nature sorts out the rest. Lower valley runs can become quite plocky (stony!) in lean years. As with all high-altitude alpine areas, the upper mountain can be quite exposed in poor weather, but in sunshine it is absolutely glorious.
Where is Stubaier Gletscher Austria?
The Stubai Glacier is located at the end of the Stubaital (Stubai Valley) in the Tyrol region of Austria, approximately 42km southwest of Innsbruck. By car it takes approximately 45min to reach Stubai Glacier from Innsbruck and significantly longer (almost double) by the public tram and bus.
The closest main town is Neustift im Stubaital, about 18km north of the ski resort.
Gateway airports are Innsbruck (INN) & Munich (MUC). Whilst it is possible to get to Stubai by public transport from Innsbruck (we have done it!), having your own rental car or using a private transfer are the most efficient modes of travel. Search & book all private transfers to Stubai Glacier.
Once in the Stubaital, the local buses are free with a valid ski lift pass from the Schönberg-im-Stubaital all the way to the lift base at Mutterberg.
For detailed information on how to get there, see our Travel to Stubai Glacier page.
Stubai Glacier Accommodation
The Stubaier Gletscher location presents some interesting questions as to where to base oneself. As it worthy of several days’ exploration, staying closer to the resort base may be worthwhile in one of Stubaital’s villages & hamlets including tiny Mutterberg, the small Milders, Gasteig or Volderau, extensive Neustift-im-Stubaital, Fulpmes or Mieders. Equally, if chasing nice weather or snow conditions and want greater flexibility, Innsbruck may make more sense.
One hotel is at the base of Stubai Glacier between the valley lift stations of Gamsgarten & Eisgrat. The locality is known as Mutterberg. If you want first tracks & party hard, stay a few nights at the Alpensport Hotel.
Neustift im Stubaital is the closest village to the Stubai Glacier ski resort and has several wonderful hotels, apartments & pensions, plus all services. Neustift is easily connected to Stubaier Gletscher by a regular free ski bus or hotel shuttles. The small ski and sled resort of Elfer is in Neustift and offers some great alternative activities & skiing options in poor weather.
Search & book overnight stays via our Stubai Glacier Ski Accommodation Listings page.
Between Neustift and Stubai are a range of quieter lodging options, culminating in several excellent hotels, pensions & apartments at the hamlet of Volderau. Volderau is a 10min drive or free bus ride to the ski resort. Further down the Stubaital is the town of Fulpmes, which given its location at the base of Schlick 2000 ski resort & the terminus of the Stubaitalbahn tram from Innsbruck, makes it an interesting proposition. Fulpmes is linked to Stubai Glacier via the free ski bus.
Search & book all Innsbruck Accommodation.
For detailed information on the best places to stay when skiing the Stubaital, see our Stubai Glacier Accommodation Info page.
Ski Rentals, Lessons, Guiding & Facilities
Ski rentals are available from our partners in the village of Neustift im Stubaital. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Stubai Glacier Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
Some off-piste ski lessons & guiding can make all the difference to a visit in the Stubaital, particularly the freeride routes on the glaciers. For more information & options see our Stubaital Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
The resort base area caters superbly for day visitors. Storage lockers, gear rentals, restaurants and toilets are all perfect at either of the two valley stations or the mid-mountain stations at Eisgrat & Gamsgarten. The nearby hamlet of Neustift-im-Stubaital has a range of full-service hotels and facilities that cover all other eventualities. Beyond the ski resort, the villages of Neustift, Fulpmes have all services that are lacking at the ski resort base.
Activities
For anyone visiting Stubai Glacier, a range of interesting alternative activities is available. Aside from taking in the views at the 'Top of Tyrol' lookout, one can undertake a winter walk down the glacier to Gamsgarten via the 'winter wanderweg'. At Eisgrat there is an ice climbing tower to try, and the Ice Grotto walk into the bowels of the glacier.
Whilst it may not make sense to many overseas visitors, sledding is a great European winter tradition and worth a try, particularly if with a family or large group. Often combined with lunch, dinner or drinks at a mountain hut, sled runs also run at night under illumination. In the Stubai valley, Elfer (11) mountain rises above the village of Neustift and has 3 long sled runs, 2 of which are over 8km long.
Other activities in the Stubaital include a few winter walking trails to alpine hüttes, plus paragliding.
Nearby Ski Resorts
Stubai Glacier is intrinsically linked to Innsbruck, which is centre stage for a huge range of Austrian, and even Italian, ski resorts. Aside from the Stubaital ski areas & the other small Ski+City lift pass resort of Bergeralm, some of the most nearby ski areas are south in Italy, like Monte Cavallo (Rosskopf) near lovely Vipiteno, and Dolomites resorts including Plose, Gitschberg-Jochtal, and Kronplatz. Innsbruck is a train transport hub that allows easy travel east to the Zillertal (e.g. Mayrhofen), and further to Kitzbühel, SkiCircus Saalbach & Zell am See; or perhaps west to Pitztal Glacier, or St Anton and the huge Ski Arlberg area. The possibilities are endless.
Review
The Powderhounds first reviewed Stubai Glacier in 2017 & had a great time. We revisited on a super-stormy day in January 2022, but the wind shut down the lifts and we were left to do local sightseeing instead! We will return in the coming season for a much update. We returned in March 2024 to a massive powder day that required us to wait 36 hours while the road was cleared of avalanche hazard. Suffice to say the wait was worth it! You should go there .... go on ...... just go! Yes you..... The glaciers are waiting for no one. Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read its honest & inciteful observations!
See how Stubai Glacier compares to the rest of the Austrian ski resorts on the Austria ski resort ratings page or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.
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