Eibsee, Partnach Gorge and Mittenwald review
The two lines that contradict each other
On the same listing page, in the inclusions: “All fees and taxes are included”. In the exclusions: “Entry ticket to Partnach Gorge (costs 10 euros)”. Both are printed by the operator, and they cannot both describe what happens at the hut. I am not accusing anybody of anything; listings are assembled from template blocks and this is what that looks like. The specific line is the one to believe, because it names the ticket and the amount.
Carry about ten euros a head in cash and treat a refund at the gate as a pleasant surprise. If the driver-guide covers it, you have lost nothing by being ready.
The same disagreement runs across the catalogue in different forms, which is why this site exists. The full reading is on which tours include the entry fee.
What the 17 reviewers say
The reviews are about the driving and the accommodating, not the scenery. That is usually what a private day earns its money on.
- “travelled with a pregnant wife, and the host accommodated” vignesh — paraphrased from the review
- “named the guide, Philip” Kathrin — five stars
- “rated the day highly” Marcella — five stars
I have kept those short deliberately. Where a reviewer wrote a line worth quoting I quote it; where they rated and moved on, I say that instead of dressing it up. The one substantive thing in this set is vignesh’s: a driver who reworked the walking for somebody who could not do all of it. On a fixed-timing coach day that does not happen.
Four stops in eight and a half hours
Eibsee, the Partnachklamm, Mittenwald and the Zugspitze is a lot to fit between breakfast and dinner, and something gets short measure. In my experience it is the gorge, because it is the only stop where the walking is not optional: 2.2 km up the valley from the ski stadium before you have paid anything, the gorge itself, then the same distance back. Ask the driver at the start how long you have. The distances are here.
What works
- Private vehicle, so the order and the pace can move
- Four genuinely different places, not four views of one mountain
- Reviewers name their driver-guide, repeatedly
- Umbrellas provided, which tells you what the weather does here
Worth knowing
- The listing contradicts itself about the gate fee
- Four stops in eight and a half hours is tight for the gorge
- about a hundred and ninety euros a person, well above the coach day trips
- 17 reviews is a small sample for a private operator
The operator warns that short-notice closures for safety are sometimes unavoidable, so check partnachklamm.de on the morning you travel. On a private day that is less painful than on a coach, because the driver can put the time into Mittenwald instead. The winter picture is different again.
Compare it with these
Gorge day tripMunich: Alps Canyon Waterfall Adventure Day Trip with Guide
Private carMunich: Private Alpine Day Tour by Tesla — Zugspitze & Eibsee
Most reviewedFrom Munich: Zugspitze Mountain Van Tour with Garmisch Town
Frequently asked questions
Does this tour include the Partnach Gorge entry or not?
Its listing says both. The inclusions read “All fees and taxes are included” and the exclusions read “Entry ticket to Partnach Gorge (costs 10 euros)”. Believe the specific line and carry about ten euros. More on the entry page.
Is 4.8 from 17 reviews a good score?
It is a good score on a small sample. Seventeen people is enough to show a pattern — here, that the driver-guides get named — and not enough to tell you what happens when a booking goes wrong.
Is there enough time in the gorge?
That depends on your driver. Four stops in eight and a half hours leaves little slack, and the gorge needs the 2.2 km walk in and back on top of the gorge itself. Agree a time before you set off — the distances are here.
Is a private day worth the extra over a coach tour?
If you want the order changed, the walking shortened, or a stop skipped, yes. If you want the same route more cheaply, no. The per-group alternatives are on the private tours page.