47.04° N · 12.84° E
A national park spread across Salzburg, the Tyrol and Carinthia, with the Grossglockner (3,798 m), the roof of Austria. The Grossglockner High Alpine Road crosses it and usually opens from May to late October.
Part of Alps
What to do
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
48 km and 36 bends between Fusch and Heiligenblut up to the 2,504 m of the Hochtor; open May to November, and the toll is €46.50 per car.
Austria's highest waterfalls: 380 m in three drops beside a 4 km trail with ten viewpoints. Admission €9, May to October.
A viewpoint at 2,369 m facing the Grossglockner and above the Pasterze glacier, with a 1.4 km walk, a visitor centre and a descent to the ice.
Itineraries
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
From June to September, with the road open and no snow on the paths. The Krimml waterfalls carry more water in early summer, with the snowmelt. From November to early May the road is closed.
How you travel
The ways of travelling that suit Hohe Tauern. We are writing a guide to each one: where to stay, how to get around and which services you will need.
By carBy motorbikeBy campervanCampingOn footBy bike
Who you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
The Hohe Tauern is for families travelling by car: the road is the attraction, with short stops that children appreciate, and Krimml suits any age because you choose how far to climb.
Teenagers are impressed by sheer size: 36 bends, a glacier you can watch retreating and Austria's highest mountain straight ahead.
With small children, the key is not to spend the day in the car: choose two or three stops and a short walk at each.
Where to stay
Why we like it: Four-star hotel next to the church in Heiligenblut, with an indoor pool, a 700 m² spa and its own game cooking, at the foot of the Grossglockner road.
Why we like it: 150-pitch campsite in Heiligenblut, open in summer and winter, with views of the Grossglockner, dogs allowed and its own restaurant, the Almcasino.
Why we like it: Family hotel with a restaurant, sauna and a small campsite in Fusch, in the valley that leads up to the north toll booth of the Grossglockner road.
Where to eat
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
What to order: a Wiener Schnitzel or an Almjause on the terrace, and for dessert the apple strudel with vanilla sauce, the dish the house highlights most.
What to order: Kaiserschmarren, or a Kaspressknödel soup if it is cold; with a coffee, the apple strudel.
What to order: some of its grass-fed beef or the house pork, and try the South Tyrolean-style Graukäse, made in its own cheese dairy.
Nearby
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
46.62° N · 12.30° E
By carOn footCampingBy campervanLuxuryBy plane
47.63° N · 13.00° E
By planeBy carCar-free
47.56° N · 13.65° E
By carCar-freeBy bikeOn footCampingBy campervan
47.80° N · 13.05° E
Car-freeLuxuryBackpackingBy plane
Tips
In summer the road opens at 5:30. You reach the Pasterze with fewer people.
After 18:00 the car toll drops to €36.50, but watch the closing time.
That way you can do the road without rushing and in the best light.
You pay the toll and cannot see the Grossglockner. Check the road webcams before going in.
Fly to Salzburg, Munich or Innsbruck and hire a car: here it is almost essential. From Salzburg you reach the northern toll gate of the Grossglockner road, at Fusch, in a little over an hour. Krimml is to the west, via the Salzach valley or via the Gerlos road if you come from Innsbruck. Without a car, the Glocknerbus runs from the villages on the Salzburg side in summer.
The national park is huge and its highlights are far apart: the Grossglockner road, between Fusch and Heiligenblut, and the Krimml waterfalls, to the west, a good hour's drive away. Do each one on a different day. The road is only open from early May to early November and driving at night is prohibited.
In July and August there is a lot of traffic in the middle hours of the day, especially at the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe: go in early. You do not need to book the toll, though you can buy it online. The Glocknerbus does need booking, up to 15:00 the day before.
On the road, the Edelweisshütte serves hot food from 9:00 to 18:30 at the top of the Edelweiss-Spitze, and the Fuschertörl restaurant serves Kaiserschmarren on the bend below until 18:00. Both open only when the road is open. In Krimml, walk up to eat at the Krimmler Tauernhaus, an inn with no road access and produce from its own farm.
To sleep on the Salzburg side, the Hotel Lampenhäusl, in Fusch, is close to the northern ticket office. In Heiligenblut, to the south, there is the Nationalpark Lodge Großglockner, with a pool and spa beside the church, and the Nationalpark Camping, open all year.
Questions
In 2026, €46.50 per car per day and €36.50 per motorbike.
From early May to early November, in daylight. It closes in winter: in November 2026 the road company announces closure until early May 2027, with no exact date published yet.
You can, but they are two long excursions at opposite ends. It is better on different days.
Yes. The lower part of Krimml and the walk to the Käfertal can be done with a pushchair, and you can see marmots at the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/austria/carinthia/hohe-tauern
