In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Zugspitze, at 2,962 metres Germany’s highest mountain, is 1 hour 23 minutes from Munich to Garmisch-Partenkirchen on the RB6, then a 75-minute cogwheel train and a cable car. The round trip is €78 to 22 November 2026 and €70.50 online (€78 at the office) from 27 November, so a day on your own is €104.50 to €112 with the €34 Bayern-Ticket. The mountain is closed 9 to 13, 16 to 20 and 23 to 26 November 2026. From 23 October to 9 November the RB6 runs only to Starnberg, with buses to Hauptbahnhof. Or book a tour: the Zugspitze van tour with Garmischad is from €125 for 9 hours and the 8-hour Zugspitze tourad from €145 (GetYourGuide). A tour costs €13 to €20 more than going alone and replaces the train planning.
Prices and what the ticket covers
Prices are the adult rate from the cable car operator, Bayerische Zugspitzbahn. The summer price list runs to 22 November 2026 and the winter list starts on 27 November, with the winter tickets in the online store from mid-November.
| Ticket | To 22 November 2026 | From 27 November, online | From 27 November, ticket office |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zugspitze round trip, adult | €78 | €70.50 | €78 |
| Youth, 16 to 18 | €62.50 | €56.50 | €62.50 |
| Child, 6 to 15 | €39 | €35.50 | €39 |
| One way, up or down | €46 | €46 | €46 |
- One ticket, one ascent and one descent. The round trip is the cogwheel train up, the Gletscherbahn cable car and the Zugspitze cable car down, or the same in the other order.
- Children under 6 travel free with a parent. A dog is €8 for the ascent and descent. Bikes are not carried.
- Cost on your own: the €34 Bayern-Ticket plus €70.50 to €78 is €104.50 to €112 for one adult, and €44 plus €141 to €156 for two.
Tours from Munich
A tour removes the train and the mountain timetable. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices for one adult.
Zugspitze mountain van tour with Garmisch
From €125 · 9 hours · 4.7 stars from 807 reviews
From Munich: Zugspitze Mountain Van Tour with Garmisch Townad is a small-group van trip. The listing describes the ascent by cable car, a beer at Germany’s highest beer garden and a return by cogwheel train or cable car. It is €13 to €20 more than the same day on your own.
The 8-hour tour
From €145 · 8 hours · 4.7 stars from 285 reviews
From Munich: Tour of Germany’s Highest Peak Zugspitzead is the shorter and dearer of the two.
Getting there on your own
Train times are for the timetable valid to 12 December 2026, which changes on 13 December.
| Leg | Journey | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RB6 (Werdenfelsbahn), Hauptbahnhof to Garmisch-Partenkirchen | 1 hour 23 minutes, hourly at :32 | First train on the Bayern-Ticket on a weekday is the 9:32. Back from Garmisch at :05 or :07, the last at 22:07, reaching Hauptbahnhof at 23:26 |
| Cogwheel train, Garmisch-Partenkirchen to the glacier plateau | 75 minutes | Starts beside the DB station. Last ascent 14:15 from Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
| Gletscherbahn, glacier plateau to the summit | 4 minutes | Sep to June 8:45 to 16:25, every 10 minutes |
| Zugspitze cable car, Eibsee to the summit | 10 minutes | Sep to June 8:30 to 16:45, at least every half hour; last ascent 30 minutes before closing |
A Zugspitzbahn cogwheel railcar at Garmisch-Partenkirchen station. Photo: Pixelteufel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
- Works: from 23 October to 9 November 2026 the Werdenfelsbahn turns round at Starnberg and replacement buses run between Starnberg and Hauptbahnhof, stopping at Donnersbergerbrücke. Allow extra time. The S6 is also cut between Pasing and Gauting until 23 November.
- Do not take the Eibsee bus. The Bayern-Ticket is not valid on it, and it needs an extra toll payment. The cogwheel train runs from beside the station through Hausberg, Kreuzeck-/Alpspitzbahn and Grainau to Eibsee.
- The order that works: cogwheel train up to the glacier plateau, the Gletscherbahn to the summit, the cable car down to Eibsee, then the cogwheel train back to Garmisch.
What to see
Allow most of a day: the trains take 1 hour 23 minutes and 75 minutes each way before the summit.
The Zugspitze above the Eibsee. Photo: Dguendel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
- The summit. The mountain is 2,962 metres, and the operator has a Photostop for summit photographs. Three restaurants are open to day guests: Panorama 2962, Sonnalpin and Gletscher 2600.
- The glacier plateau (Zugspitzplatt). The cogwheel train ends here. From the plateau a short hike leads to the Maria Heimsuchung chapel, which the operator calls Germany’s highest church.
- Eibsee. The valley station of the Zugspitze cable car, where the cogwheel train also stops.
The summit cross on the Zugspitze. Photo: Kora27, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
What to skip: the Eibsee stop on a day that starts late.
Hours, closures and the one thing that ruins the day
| Date | What |
|---|---|
| 9 to 13, 16 to 20 and 23 to 26 November 2026 | Whole mountain closed. The cogwheel train’s mountain route is shut on 9 to 13 and 16 to 26 November |
| 9 to 13 and 16 to 20 November | Buses replace the cogwheel train between Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Grainau, and skip the Hausberg and Kreuzeck-/Alpspitzbahn stops |
| 21 and 22 November | The cogwheel train runs Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Eibsee for the cable car |
| 27 November 2026 to 2 May 2027 | Ski season expected, with the winter prices |
- Mount Wank’s cable car is closed from 9 November to 24 December 2026, and the Alpspitzbahn, Hochalmbahn and Kreuzeckbahn from 9 November until the ski season starts.
- The one thing that ruins the day: arriving after the last ascent. The cogwheel train’s last ascent leaves Garmisch-Partenkirchen at 14:15, and the cable car from Eibsee stops taking passengers 30 minutes before closing.
- Weather: the operator can close a cable car at short notice for inspection or bad weather.
The Zugspitze is one of the day trips from Munich. Neuschwanstein and Berchtesgaden are the other mountain-country days, and the Bayern-Ticket is explained with the city tickets. What to book before you go to Munich lists the closed days, best time to visit Munich gives the weather by month, and where to stay in Munich compares the areas.
Common questions
How do I get from Munich to the Zugspitze?
Take the RB6 (Werdenfelsbahn) from Hauptbahnhof to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, hourly at :32, 1 hour 23 minutes, then the cogwheel train from beside the station, which takes 75 minutes to the glacier plateau. A cable car then reaches the summit. The Bayern-Ticket (€34 for one, €44 for two) covers the RB6 from 9:00 on weekdays.
How much does the Zugspitze cost?
The round trip for an adult is €78 on the summer price list, valid to 22 November 2026. From 27 November it is €70.50 online and €78 at the ticket office. Children from 6 to 15 pay €39, or €35.50 online from 27 November, and one way up or down is €46. Under-6s are free with a parent.
When is the Zugspitze closed in 2026?
The whole mountain is closed 9 to 13, 16 to 20 and 23 to 26 November 2026 for maintenance. The cogwheel train's valley route between Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Grainau is replaced by buses on 9 to 13 and 16 to 20 November. The ski season is expected to run from 27 November 2026 to 2 May 2027.
Is a Zugspitze tour from Munich worth it?
The van tour with Garmisch is from €125 for 9 hours, against €104.50 to €112 for the train and the round trip on your own. A tour costs €13 to €20 more and takes away the planning.
Does the Bayern-Ticket cover the bus to the Eibsee?
No. The Eibsee bus is on Deutsche Bahn's list of buses that do not accept it, and it also needs an extra toll payment. Take the cogwheel train, which runs from beside Garmisch-Partenkirchen station.
