The Zugspitze and the Partnach Gorge: why most “gorge” tours are really mountain tours
Why the two get sold together
The Partnach rises off the Schneeferner and cuts the gorge on its way down the valley, so a day that takes in both is following one river. The practical reason is duller: the gorge is about ten euros and a walk you do at your own pace, which does not fill a day, and an operator bringing a van up from Munich has hours to account for. The mountain fills them. That is the whole of it, and it explains why the only GetYourGuide product ever named after this gorge is delisted while a dozen Zugspitze days are thriving.
I am not going to quote you a cable-car fare. No published tariff sits in my sources, and the only figure I have seen is buried in one operator’s inclusion list, which is that operator’s cost rather than a price anyone else pays. Check the mountain railway’s own site on the day.
The mountain days that skip the gorge
These eight never touch the Partnachklamm. Most of them run to the summit or to the lake below it; the pretzel class and the tandem flight are in the list because they turn up in the same searches and people ask me about them. If somebody has told you a Zugspitze tour takes in the gorge, check here first.
- The pretzel-making session — about a hundred and twenty euros per person, 2 hours, rated 4.9 from 10 reviews. Two hours in a kitchen in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, not a mountain day.
- The Zugspitze van tour — about a hundred and thirty euros per person, 9 hours, rated 4.7 from 759 reviews. The summit and a stop in Garmisch town, by van.
- The Zugspitze and Eibsee long day — about a hundred and forty euros per person, 10 hours, rated 4.1 from 16 reviews. The summit and the lake below it, bookable as a group or privately.
- The Zugspitze summit day — about a hundred and fifty euros per person, 8 hours, rated 4.7 from 272 reviews. A straight run at the summit and back.
- The Eibsee minivan day — about a hundred and eighty euros per person, 9 hours, rated 5.0 from 13 reviews. The lake on its own, at a slower pace.
- The tandem paragliding flight — about two hundred euros per person, 1.5 hours, rated 5.0 from 36 reviews. A tandem flight at Lenggries, well away from the gorge.
- The Neuschwanstein day from Garmisch-Partenkirchen — about four hundred and thirty euros per person, 7 hours, rated 5.0 from 4 reviews. The castle, leaving from Garmisch-Partenkirchen rather than Munich.
- The Zugspitze, Highline179 and Neuschwanstein day — about seven hundred and twenty euros per group, 12 hours, rated 5.0 from 3 reviews. The mountain, the Highline179 footbridge and Neuschwanstein in one day.
Most reviewedFrom Munich: Zugspitze Mountain Van Tour with Garmisch Town
Germany’s highestFrom Munich: Tour of Germany’s Highest Peak Zugspitze
Longest dayFrom Munich: Zugspitze & Eibsee Group or Private Day Tour
Lake dayFrom Munich: Day Trip to Lake Eibsee by Minivan
Two hoursGarmisch-Partenkirchen: Pretzel Making Experience
Per groupZugspitze, Eibsee, Highline179 & Neuschwanstein Tour
From GarmischFrom Garmisch-Partenkirchen: Neuschwanstein Castle Tour
Highest ratedLenggries: Tandem Paragliding Flight
The days that do both
Eight tours reach the gorge, and most of them take in the mountain or the lake below it as well; only the canyon and waterfall day trip and the private Garmisch-Partenkirchen day stay in this valley. The two multi-day hikes are the ones that put the in the price, and they are also the only ones that go up on foot rather than by cable car. The rest run the gorge as one stop among several, which is worth knowing if you were expecting to linger.
Entry includedPick-Up in Munich: 2-Day Hike to Zugspitze via the Knorrhütte
Three daysMunich: 3-Day Zugspitze Hike with Hotel Pickup
In FrenchAlpine Escape: Partnach Gorge, Lake Eibsee and Zugspitze in French
Private carMunich: Private Alpine Day Tour by Tesla — Zugspitze & Eibsee
Three stopsMunich: Private Eibsee, Partnach Gorge & Mittenwald Day Trip
Per groupMunich: Private Tesla Tour — Ettal, Linderhof Palace, Eibsee
What each of them says about the gate fee, in the listing’s own words, is on the entry-fee page.
What reviewers say the summit day is like
Diane came back describing crossing the observation deck into Austria, eating the “highest” sausage and walking on the glacier, which is a fair summary of what the top of the mountain is: a built platform with a view, not a wilderness. Joshua’s note was that he was not rushed. And Wes, who gave his day five stars, still wrote:
“gorgeous scenery! I don’t feel the trip needs to be 8+ hours. it could be done in 6 in my opinion.”
Wes
Both halves are true at once. The mountain is worth a day and the day is longer than the mountain needs. More of this is in the tour reviews, including the van tour and the summit day.
Doing both in one trip
If you have a full day and clear weather, the mountain first and the gorge after works better than the other way round: the summit clouds over as the day warms, and the gorge does not care what the sky is doing. If you have half a day, take the gorge. It is about ten euros an adult, about five euros for a child of 6–17 at the hut, and it does not depend on visibility. If you have two days and you walk, the hikes that go up via the Knorrhütte cover both and include the entry.
| From Munich: Zugspitze Mountain Van Tour with Garmisch Town | Gorge includedPick-Up in Munich: 2-Day Hike to Zugspitze via the Knorrhütte | From Munich: Tour of Germany’s Highest Peak Zugspitze | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | €125 per person | €379 per person | €145 per person |
| Length | 9 hours | 2 days | 8 hours |
| Comes to the gorge | No | Yes | No |
| The €10 | Not applicable | In the price | Not applicable |
| Rating | 4.7 from 759 reviews | No ratings yet | 4.7 from 272 reviews |
| Best for | One day, the summit | Walkers, gorge included | A shorter summit day |
| View → | Book this → | View → |
Weather splits these two decisions cleanly. A grey day on the summit buys you a cloud, and the same grey day in the gorge changes very little, because you are looking up at over 80 metres of wet rock either way. If the forecast is poor, spend the entry fee and keep the mountain for another trip.
Getting to the gorge from the mountain side
Coming down from the Zugspitze you are back in Garmisch-Partenkirchen with the gorge a bus ride away: line 1 or 2 towards Skistadion, about ten minutes, then 2.2 km on foot. Watch the clock, because last entry is 30 minutes before closing and the gorge shuts at 18:00 from October to May. The operator warns that short-notice closures for safety are sometimes unavoidable, so check partnachklamm.de on the morning you travel, whether you are coming on a tour or under your own steam.
Comparing the whole field? All 16 tours are in one place, and the Munich page covers doing it by train instead.
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Frequently asked questions
Do Zugspitze tours include the Partnach Gorge?
Most do not. Eight of the 16 tours here come to the gorge and eight go to the mountain without it, including the most reviewed tour on the site. Check the full list before you assume.
Is the Zugspitze worth adding to a Partnach Gorge day?
If the forecast is clear, yes, and reviewers describe the observation deck, the glacier and crossing into Austria. If it is grey, spend the entry fee on the gorge instead and keep the summit for a day you can see from it.
Which tour covers the mountain and the gorge with entry included?
The two multi-day hikes to the summit, from about three hundred and eighty euros per person, which walk up through the gorge and list “Entrance to Partnachklamm Gorge” among their inclusions. Neither has ratings yet. See which tours include entry.