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Zugspitze via the Reintal with a hut night: how the two days work

Updated 18 October 2026 · All facts with sources at the end of the article

According to the DAV (German Alpine Club), the Reintal is “the longest, but easiest” route up the Zugspitze (2,962 m). It is so long that the DAV plans it with a night in a hut. This guide explains how the two days work: the stages, which hut, where to turn back and how to get down again. Every time and price has a source, as of October 2026.

The tour at a glance

Item Value
Distance 21 km, 2300 m of ascent (DAV brochure)
Rating “I, A”: short, easy scrambling and light cable protection
Day 1 Garmisch-Partenkirchen ski stadium to Reintalangerhütte (1369 m), 700 m, 5 to 5.5 hrs
Day 2 Reintalangerhütte to the summit, 1600 m, 5 to 6 hrs
Back to the valley by lift or railway
Best time according to the DAV early June to the end of September

The walking times come from the DAV tour sheet “Hüttentrekking Zugspitztour” (2023). The hut itself gives a little more for day 1: 711 m and 5 hours 45 minutes. So plan with the longer time.

The DAV is clear about who the tour is for: fit, sure-footed hikers with a head for heights. Alpine experience is required. The self-check in Zugspitze for beginners: which route suits you? helps you decide whether that is you.

Day 1: through the Partnach Gorge to the Reintalangerhütte

You start at the Olympia ski stadium in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (730 m). The large car park there charges a fee and, according to the Partnachklamm website, fills up quickly at weekends. By train, travel to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and take local bus 1 or 2 to “Skistadion”, about 10 minutes. From the stadium it is around a 25-minute walk to the gorge.

The Partnach Gorge charges an entry fee: €10 for adults (as of October 2026). It is open from 8am to 8pm from June to September and from 8am to 6pm from October to May. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing. There is no mobile signal in the gorge, so load an online ticket onto your phone beforehand. Cards are also accepted at the ticket office.

After that, the path runs long and steadily through the Reintal valley, always alongside the Partnach river. The DAV rates day 1 as “easy”. But easy does not mean short: you will be on the move for 5 to 6 hours.

The Reintalangerhütte (1369 m) belongs to the DAV Munich section. What you need to know:

  • Bookings are online only. Reservations for 2027 open on 15 December 2026. Groups of 10 or more book by email.
  • A dormitory bed costs €18 for members aged 26 and over and €35 for non-members. A shared room costs €30 and €49 (as of October 2026).
  • You pay in cash only at the hut.
  • A hut sleeping bag liner is compulsory. Sleeping bags with an inner lining are not allowed.
  • Dinner is usually at 6pm, and quiet time starts at 10pm.

According to the DAV brochure, the season runs from mid-May to mid-October. In 2026 the hut was open until 7 October, according to the DAV. It is now closed for winter until May 2027.

Use the evening well: talk to the hut team about the weather for day 2 and pack your rucksack for summit day.

Day 2: across the Zugspitzplatt to the summit

Day 2 is the hard one. According to the DAV, you have 1600 m of ascent and 5 to 6 hours of climbing ahead. The stages:

Section Ascent Walking time Source
Reintalangerhütte to Knorrhütte (2051 m) 676 m 2 hrs Knorrhütte
Reintalangerhütte to Sonn-Alpin (2576 m) 1200 m 4 to 5 hrs DAV
Sonn-Alpin to the summit (2,962 m) 390 m 1.5 hrs DAV

Up to the Knorrhütte, the path climbs noticeably out of the head of the valley. The Knorrhütte is staffed in season and is your last good stop before the plateau.

Across the Zugspitzplatt you walk over scree and karst to the Sonn-Alpin station. The DAV gives an explicit warning here: “Beware of fog on the Zugspitzplatt!” In poor visibility it is easy to lose the path.

The final section from Sonn-Alpin is described by the DAV as a mountain route with secured rock passages and very steep scree. You walk along fixed cables over exposed rock, which takes sure-footedness and a head for heights. hoehenrausch.de says experienced mountain walkers can manage this stretch without a via ferrata set. More in Zugspitze without a via ferrata: is it possible?.

Start early. The DAV says that thunderstorm risk is especially high between May and August and rises over the course of the day. So you should start early and, as a rule, reach the summit by early midday. A worked example using the DAV times: if you leave the Reintalangerhütte at 6am, 5 to 6 hours of walking puts you on top between 11am and noon. Breaks come on top of that.

Turnaround points

Decide in advance where you will make your decisions. Not once you are already tired.

  • In the morning at the hut: thunderstorms forecast, fog or fresh snow higher up? Then do not go onto the plateau.
  • At the Knorrhütte: if you are well behind schedule or clouds are building, this is a good place to turn back.
  • At Sonn-Alpin: the DAV says, “Anyone who is exhausted at Sonn-Alpin should take the lift to the summit!” The glacier lift (Gletscherbahn) takes 4 minutes.
  • In the summit flank: the DAV warns, “Beware of snowfields in the summit flank!” If there is snow and you have no experience with it, take the lift.

Taking the lift is not a failure. You will still have walked most of the way.

Back to the valley

Almost everyone rides down from the summit. The Bayerische Zugspitzbahn timetable (as of October 2026):

Lift Runs Journey time
Gletscherbahn (plateau to summit) September to June 8:45 to 16:25, July and August 8:15 to 17:25 4 min
Seilbahn Zugspitze cable car (summit to Eibsee) September to June 8:30 to 16:45, July and August 8:00 to 17:45 10 min
Cog railway (Zugspitzplatt to Garmisch-Partenkirchen) see timetable 75 min

A single ride costs €46 (as of October 2026, summer fare until 22 November 2026). You can take either the cog railway or the cable car, and one Gletscherbahn ride is included. When you buy, check how far down the valley your ticket takes you.

In Garmisch-Partenkirchen the cog railway station is about 200 metres from the DB station. From there, local bus 1 or 2 takes you back to the ski stadium. The cog railway’s downhill times are in the timetable on zugspitze.de, so check them before your trip.

All the prices around the tour are in How much does a Zugspitze hike cost?.

Variations: the Knorrhütte or three days

Staying at the Knorrhütte. You can also walk on to the Knorrhütte (2051 m) and sleep there. Day 2 is then shorter, but day 1 much longer: on top of the 5 to 5.5 hours to the Reintalangerhütte come another 2 hours and 676 m of ascent. According to the DAV brochure, the Knorrhütte is open from the end of May to mid-October. It has the same overnight prices as the Reintalangerhütte, and half board costs €43 (as of October 2026). Here too you pay in cash only. Bookings for 2027 open online in mid-December.

Three days, as in the DAV tour sheet. The DAV actually plans the tour over three days. On day 2 you go from the summit back to the Knorrhütte, on foot or partly by Gletscherbahn. According to the DAV, you can leave your extra luggage at the Knorrhütte and climb to the summit with a light daypack. On day 3 you cross the Gatterl to Ehrwald in Tyrol: a good 3 hours, or a good 2 hours if you take the Ehrwalder Almbahn lift. The Gatterl route is explained in Zugspitze via the Gatterl.

When the tour is possible

The DAV gives the best time as early June to the end of September. Remember: an open hut tells you nothing about the summit. Everything can be green below while there is still snow higher up. Which months are realistic is covered in Best time for the Zugspitze.

In an emergency, call 112. The DAV points out that emergency calls sometimes only work with an active SIM card.

The Zugspitze preparation pack breaks the Reintal route into sections, with a schedule for both days, turnaround points and weather rules as a checklist.

Sources

All sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Times, prices and operating hours can change (as of October 2026). Quotes are translated from German.

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