Multi activity vacations in Austria

Hike along Alpine trails in the shadow of Austria’s highest mountain before white water rafting through the valleys. Multi-activity vacations in Austria take you every which way through spectacular Alpine scenery, in summer and in winter, when snowshoes take over from walking boots. Combine with daily yoga for a perfect pairing of relaxation and adrenaline.

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Multi activity vacations in Austria

If the thought of skipping through Alpine meadows à la Julie Andrews is all a bit twee, then fear not, Austria’s mountains offer a plethora of serious, and seriously cool, active adventures.

Like Andrews, multi-activity vacations in Austria still take their inspiration from the spectacular natural backdrop of the East Tyrol, but with a little less singing and a whole lot more adrenaline.

The hills are alive, and so will you be when you’ve hiked and biked your way over high-altitude passes and through secluded valley floors littered with wildflowers. Or restored your emotional balance with a mountain-top yoga class after a day spent cross-country skiing.

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What does a multi activity vacation in Austria entail?

Taking their cue from the tranquil Tyrolean mountain atmosphere, multi activity vacations in Austria are oh-so-chilled. If you want to join in with every guided walk, bike ride and yoga session, that’s great, but if you’d prefer to sit one out in the mountaintop hot tub, or take yourself off for a self guided wander, then be our guest. Your local hosts will line up the options and are ready to lead you to some of Austria’s best outdoor activity spots, but ultimately what you do on your vacation is up to you.

In summer you could be taking the gondola up to high Alpine hiking trails one day, before white water rafting down the Isel River the next. Or perhaps you’d prefer a guided mountain bike tour around the pretty Kalser and Iseltals Valleys.

You’re never too old to play in the snow, and wintertime brings bucketfuls of powdery white goodness to the Austrian Tyrol. If you’ve never skied before then Austria is a great place to learn, with daily ski lessons combined with gentle winter walking or snowshoeing to give bumped bottoms plenty of rest.

Throughout the year you can expect to start your day with an early morning Vinyasa flow yoga class – beginners warmly welcomed – to get you stretched, energised and ready to face whatever active challenge your day brings. There’s not many more wonderful ways to wake up than with misty panoramic views of the Hohe Tauern National Park as you salute the rising sun.

Where will I stay?

Most of our multi activity vacations in Austria are based in the Hohe Tauern National Park in the more secluded and untouched East Tyrol region of the Alps. Here, just outside the pretty Tyrolean village of Kals am Glockner a gorgeously renovated traditional chalet awaits, complete with home-cooked, organic food and panoramic views from its bedrooms and yoga studio. In the summer, hiking trails lead straight from your retreat, while in winter you can ski, if you want, down to the GrossGlockner Resort for a day on the piste.

How fit do I need to be?

We love multi activity vacations in Austria for their flexibility. While you’re going to want to lead a generally active lifestyle and have a reasonable level of fitness (with good knees) to enjoy these vacations, there are usually options to make your trip more or less physically demanding as you prefer.

Local guides can show you the mountaineering ropes on a climb to the summit of the Grossglockner if you want to take your walking to another level. While ski touring offers experienced skiers a demanding alternative to the same old black runs, over pristine passes instead of crowded pistes.

If you prefer something more relaxed – this is a vacation, after all – then mountain bikes can be swapped for e-bikes for a little electrical assistance uphill, while walking routes range from gentle circuits to more strenuous treks of four to seven hours covering over 1,000m of ascent. High Alpine trails accessed by gondola give you the option to hike, or hitch a ride, back down.

Can I bring the family?

A resounding yes. If kids sleeping soundly after a day of fresh mountain air, while deserving parents relax with a glass of oft-underrated local wine sounds like vacation perfection, then a multi activity vacation here is just the ticket. A number of small hotels, locally-run and authentically Austrian (these aren’t summer camps in the Alps) welcome families with an extensive menu of outdoor excitement. Or you can choose a gorgeous mountain retreat in the shadow of the Grossglockner, where specific child-focused weeks bring your brood together with other active families. Be aware, though, that some activities will carry a minimum age requirement – usually 10 years old.

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Austria multi activity vacation highlights

Yoga

It’s easy to focus on your breathing when the air is Alpine pure. Imagine a yoga studio where windows open out onto Tyrolean slopes, beckoning you to continue your spiritual journey on foot or ski. Daily classes, for beginners and beyond, are the perfect antidote to more strenuous outdoor activities. In summer you may even leave the studio behind to enjoy yoga and meditation with nothing between you and the inspirational might of the Hohe Tauern National Park.

Walking

Walking is to the Austrian Alps what Mozart is to music; a heart-stirring, symphonious match made in mountain heaven. Take a gondola up to high altitude Alpine trails, discover the remote Dorfertal, where isolated farming communities live lives little changed in 200 years, or trek to a spectacular viewpoint of the Grossglockner, Austria’s highest mountain, and its impressive glacier. Expect to spend up to four hours a day hiking on the region’s longer trails.

Alternative winter sports

Yes, the downhill skiing in Austria is top-notch, but we love the restorative silence of a day spent snowshoeing. Wave goodbye to fake snow and crowded pistes, and embrace the delight of the empty mountain backcountry. Ski touring offers experienced skiers an alternative and demanding new challenge, while cross country skiing, winter walking and tobogganing will thrill snow-lovers of all ages.

White water rafting

The thundering waters of the Isel River tumble downstream through dramatic gorges in a series of rapids that range from beginner-friendly to downright extreme. Considered one of the top three white water rivers in Europe, the rafting here is one of the highlights of multi activity vacations in the East Tyrol, and while not that technically difficult, it’s most suited to those over 10 years old.

Cycling

Choose a guided ride around the Kalser and Iseltals Valleys in the shadow of the Grossglockner, perfect even for the most casual of cyclists, or pedal off with the family along off-road sections of the iconic Oetztal Cycling Route. Hardcore mountain bikers can enjoy some serious, technical descents in the Hohe Tauern National Park above Lienz, and if the thought of cycling up an Alp fills you with pedalling panic, e-bikes are available for some assistance on the ascents.

When to go on a multi activity
vacation in Austria

December to early April offers the perfect conditions for icy escapades – with the Christmas period adding some festive magic, abundant Christmas markets and free-flowing glühwein, to your winter multi activity vacation.

June to September are warm and wonderful for walking, rafting and cycling, although you’ll want to pack your waterproofs just in case; afternoon thunderstorms are not uncommon and the mountains will happily throw all four seasons at you in one day.

Call us for the best time to go to Austria

More about Austria

Austria travel guide

Read every section of our Austria travel guide and you’ll no doubt be singing the praises of Mozart much louder than the virtues of Julie Andrews.

Best time to visit Austria

Read more about the best time to visit Austria, from Christmas markets and cross-country skiing to edelweiss-covered hillsides and sublime summer cycling.

Yoga vacations in Austria

Inspirational mountain scenery with walking, meditation and steaming bowls of hot choc on the terrace make yoga vacations in Austria one of our favourite things.

Snowshoeing, Austria

East Tyrol is one of the finest destinations for snowshoeing in Austria, a mountainous landscape of spellbinding beauty and tranquillity.

Walking holidays in Austrias North Tyrol region

Walking vacations in Austrias North Tyrol region

Keep your carbon footprint low at high altitude: go on a walking vacation in the Tyrol that uses local transport and is fuelled by local food.

More relevant guides

Written by Sarah Faith

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Photo credits: [Page banner: Maximilian Manavi-Huber] [Intro: pxhere] [What does it entail?: Steve Jurvetson] [Yoga : Mikita Karasiou] [White water rafting: AREA 47 - Tirol]

Multi activity vacations in Austria