Hohe Tauern National Park
Austria's largest national park, home to the country's highest peak, the Grossglockner, glaciers and Krimml Falls.
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Hohe Tauern National Park covers about 1,856 square kilometers of the Austrian Alps across Salzburg, Carinthia and East Tyrol. Its highest peak, the Grossglockner, reaches 3,798 meters. Glaciers, alpine meadows and side valleys with high waterfalls fill the rest of the park. Krimml Falls, among the highest waterfalls in Europe, is the park's best-known waterfall.
The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is the most direct way into the high country, with switchbacks climbing to viewpoints near the glaciers. The park suits hikers, road-trip drivers and anyone who wants mountain scenery without technical climbing. Valley walks are easy to reach by car, while high routes need sturdy boots, a weather check and a full day. Ibex and marmots live in the upper areas. Summer, roughly June to September, is the main season, because high roads and trails are usually open once the snow clears. Plan at least two days: one for the road and one for a valley.
Hohe Tauern National Park in five
- Check road status before you set offThe Grossglockner High Alpine Road closes for winter and reopens in spring. Its official site shows live status for cars, motorbikes, buses and bicycles, and winter tires or chains are required when the road is marked that way.Grossglockner road status
- Budget the 2026 road tollThe 2026 day ticket is €46.50 for a car and €40.00 for an electric car, and €36.50 for a car after 6 p.m. A second day adds €17.50 for the same registration.Prices and opening times
- Drive inside the daily opening hoursHours run 6:00 to 20:00 until 31 May, 5:30 to 21:00 from 1 June to 31 August and 6:00 to 19:30 from 1 September. Last entry is 45 minutes earlier, and night driving outside those hours is banned.
- Keep dogs on a lead and stay on pathsThe park asks visitors to stay on marked paths, keep dogs on a lead throughout, take rubbish home and leave flowers and minerals. Camping and fires in the wild are not permitted.Park safety and rules
- Pick a valley entry, not only the roadThere is no single gate. Footpaths start from Pinzgau, Pongau and Lungau, the Isel valley and Lienz, and the Möll valley and Malta, with visitor centers at Mittersill, Mallnitz and Matrei.Zell am See as a base
Things to do in Hohe Tauern National Park
See all attractions in Hohe Tauern National Park
Need to know
- Entrance
- No park gate; Grossglockner road day ticket €46.50 per car (2026)
- Permits
- No permit; stay on paths, no camping or fires in the wild
- Season
- Glockner road spring to early Nov; Krimml centre 1 May-27 Oct 2026
- Nearest town
- Zell am See, Heiligenblut, Mittersill, Lienz, Mallnitz
- Getting there
- Train to Zell am See, Mittersill, Lienz or Mallnitz, then hiking bus or taxi
Weather by month
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- Poor
- JanuarySnow, road shut
- FebruarySnow, road shut
- MarchSnow, road shut
- AprilRoad reopens
- MaySnow walls, thaw
- JuneWildflowers
- JulyPeak hiking
- AugustPeak, storms
- SeptemberClear, quieter
- OctoberAutumn, road closing
- NovemberRoad closed
- DecemberSnow, road shut
Right now in Hohe Tauern National Park
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
5
- Feels like
- 4°
- Humidity
- 89%
- Wind
- 5 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 98%
Hohe Tauern National Park
10:59 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today0°-3°98%Monday: Snow. High 0°, Low -3°. Chance of rain 98%.
- Tue0°-2°20%Tuesday: Snow. High 0°, Low -2°. Chance of rain 20%.
- Wed-1°-3°35%Wednesday: Snow. High -1°, Low -3°. Chance of rain 35%.
- Thu0°-5°0%Thursday: Fog. High 0°, Low -5°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Fri0°-5°6%Friday: Fog. High 0°, Low -5°. Chance of rain 6%.
- Sat2°-5°15%Saturday: Fog. High 2°, Low -5°. Chance of rain 15%.
- Sun4°-2°26%Sunday: Cloudy. High 4°, Low -2°. Chance of rain 26%.
Updated 07:20 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Before you go to Hohe Tauern National Park
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Rules for Hohe Tauern National Park, checked
- Grossglockner road 2026: car day ticket €46.50 (€40.00 electric), €36.50 after 18:00; open 5:30-21:00 from 1 June to 31 August.Checked Oct 3, 2026 · Source
- In the park: stay on paths, dogs on a lead throughout, no camping or fires in the wild, take rubbish home.Checked Oct 3, 2026 · Source
- Krimml Worlds of Water 2026: 1 May to 27 October, 9:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30); combined ticket €15.90 adults with waterfall trail and parking.Checked Oct 3, 2026 · Source
Plan around Hohe Tauern National Park
Lake town and base for the Glockner road
Read the guideSalzburg & SalzburgerlandPlan the whole state around the park
Read the guideKlagenfurtCarinthian city on the south side of the park
Read the guideTyrolEast Tyrol and Lienz sit on the park's western flank
Read the guideInsurance for hiking above 3,000 mWhat alpine cover includes
Read the guideRenting a car abroadInsurance and fine print for the Glockner road
Read the guideAll of AustriaThe national park and the rest of the country
Read the guideHohe Tauern National Park FAQ
How much does the Grossglockner High Alpine Road cost?
The 2026 day ticket is €46.50 for a car and €40.00 for an electric car, with €36.50 for a car after 6 p.m. A second day adds €17.50, a motorcycle day ticket is €36.50, and an autumn five-day ticket for cars is €65 from 15 September.
When is the Grossglockner High Alpine Road open?
It opens in spring and closes in early November, with daily hours of 5:30 to 21:00 from 1 June to 31 August. Check the live road status on the operator's site, because snow can close it earlier or later.
Is there an entrance fee for Hohe Tauern National Park?
The park has no single gate and is entered on foot from many valleys. Individual attractions charge their own fees, such as the Grossglockner road toll and the Krimml Worlds of Water combined ticket.
Can you bring a dog or camp in Hohe Tauern National Park?
Dogs are allowed but must be kept on a lead throughout the park. Camping and making fires in the wild are not permitted, but campsites operate in the national park municipalities.
Can you visit the Krimml Waterfalls on the same trip?
Yes, they sit at the western end of the Salzburg side. The operator lists the visitor centre open daily from 1 May to 27 October 2026, 9:00 to 17:00, so pair it with a separate day from the Glockner road.