15 things to do in and around Innsbruck with kids in winter

Last updated on April 16, 2026

Innsbruck and the region of Tyrol in Austria are an incredible playground for families. We’ve been twice, and honestly, I think our kids would be satisfied by playing in the snow alone. But beyond the simple pleasures of throwing snowballs and building snowmen, there are also many other things to do with kids in Innsbruck and Tyrol in winter. 

From tobogganing to ice skating, there are all manner of winter activities, plus some of the year-round family attractions in Tyrol really shine in the snow. We loved it so much on our first trip, we decided to return again the following winter.

I’ve written a full guide to the best of what to do in Innsbruck, including tips on how to save money with the city tourist cards, and a run-down of all the different ski resorts. But this post is focussed on the best things to do with kids, both in Innsbruck and the wider Tyrol region. I recommend reading both to get the full picture.

Also see our guides to how to plan a winter holiday in Austrian Tyrol, and the best family hotels in Austria. And we have in-depth reviews of two of our favourites – Wagners Aparthotel and Feelfree Nature Resort (both brilliant places to stay with kids).

Is Innsbruck good for kids?

I think Austria, and specifically the region of Tyrol, is one of the most family-friendly places in Europe, and Innsbruck is no exception. The landscape is a natural playground for families, and Austrians elevate that by adding play spaces, kids’ ski areas, toboggan runs and all sorts of ways for kids to have fun. They also have a knack for creating aesthetic family hotels, which you’ll find in villages all around the city.

Innsbruck itself is a compact, fairytale-like city that has plenty for families to do. There’s the epic Swarvoski World, the ski jump, and smaller family-forward attractions like the Alpine Zoo and Experience Tyrol. Punctuate your city wanderings with apple strudel and hot chocolate breaks.

Best of all, you can be in the mountains within minutes. Get the city gondola to Nordkette, or pick one of the other surrounding ski resorts, many with kids’ ski schools and play areas. It’s the perfect destination for pairing a city and ski break, which is perfect if you’re not quite ready to commit to a full ski holiday.

Innsbruck is also very easy for families to navigate. The airport is only 10 minutes’ from the city centre and public transport is reliable and plentiful. You can easily go car-free.

Things to do in Tyrol and Innsbruck with kids

Here are some of our favourite things to do in and around Innsbruck with kids.

Swarvoski Crystal Worlds

Swarvoski Crystal Worlds (Swarovski Kristallwelten) is one of the most creative family attractions I’ve ever come across. The immersive gallery-installation-experience was designed by artist André Heller to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the Swarvoski company, and has since been expanded even more. 

Set across beautifully landscaped gardens, it includes an immersive gallery, sculptures, labyrinth, carousel, play tower and restaurant. And the iconic giant’s head waterfall is at the centre of it all.

The main event is the Chambers of Wonder where renowned artists, including Yayoi Kusama and Brian Eno, have interpreted crystal to make beautiful, often immersive artworks over 18 different rooms. We also loved the exhibition of Swarvoski-clad costumes worn by stars such as Bjork and Lady Gaga.

For kids, the play tower is incredible – there are four levels to explore with climbing nets, slides and more. And in the summertime, there’s an outdoor play area too.

It’s an unmissable thing to do in Innsbruck with kids, and is just a 30 minute-drive from the centre. There’s also a special shuttle bus that will take you there.

Try skiing or snowboarding 

One of Innsbruck’s greatest strengths is that it’s surrounded by family-friendly ski resorts within easy access of the city. Many people do a pure ski holiday, staying at a resort and committing to a week of ski school. But you can also opt for a shorter option, doing a lesson or two, or simply having a go by yourself.

On our first trip to Innsbruck, we did a 2-hour skiing lesson with Sport Activ at Gschwandtkopf in Seefeld. It was a great introduction to the sport and gave us the confidence to know that a ski holiday is something that’d suit us in the future. And then on our second trip to Innsbruck, we did the same but with snowboarding in Mutteralm and Kuhtai. On the second trip, we also spent a day simply practising on the baby slopes by ourselves, consolidating what we’d learnt in the lessons.

I’ve detailed some of the different family-friendly ski areas in my guide to how to plan a winter holiday in Tyrol. So far, we’ve personally loved Mutteralm, Kuhtaï, Hochoetz and Seefeld. Hochoetz has a particularly fun play area, which is fun even if you aren’t snowboarding or skiing.

Go to the top of Innsbruck

Going to the top of Innsbruck is one of the most popular Innsbruck attractions, taking you up to the mountains in about 20 minutes right from the city centre. Even if there’s no snow in the city, you’ll find plenty up there.

The journey itself is part of the adventure – starting with the futuristic Hungerburg funicular (designed by Zaha Hadid), then continuing by cable car up to Seegrube and finally Hafelekar.

It is possible to snowboard/ski at Nordkette, but the slopes are better suited to intermediate/advanced skiers, so if you’re with kids, it’s more about the views and playing in the snow. There’s even a small area where you can sledge down a little hill with the sledges freely available. And don’t miss the Cloud 9 bar, which has a snow art igloo every winter (normally built in January) with an 8-metre high igloo and snow sculptures.

On a clear day the views across the mountains and Inn Valley are epic, but if it’s cloudy you can’t see anything, so if you’re in Innsbruck for a few days, try and jump on any opportunity for clear skies.

Go tobogganing

Without a doubt, my favourite family activity in Tyrol is tobogganing. There are loads of toboggan runs (rodelbahns) throughout the region, ranging from easy to advanced, and many are perfect for families. 

Our first toboggan experience was in Pertisau beside Lake Achensee. You can do a 5km run from the top of the ski gondola with incredible views from the top. Or opt for the shorter version, starting half way up the mountain at a cosy toboggan hut where you can warm up with apple strudel and hot drinks. You can walk to the hut or take a tractor shuttle that transports you and your toboggan. This is fairly unusual in Tyrol (you normally have to walk to the top) and super useful with kids.

On our second visit, we did the toboggan run at Kuhtaï (the highest in Tyrol) and a smaller one at Feldringalm near Oetz. For both of these, you need to walk about 45 minutes up the hill and then toboggan down. I advise getting your toboggan at the bottom of the run in case the kids’ legs get tired and they want to head down sooner. We didn’t make it to the top of either of these, but it was still a lot of fun!

Before tobogganing, I was a little worried about the safety and had a vision of flying off the edge of the mountain, but they’re actually pretty easy to manoeuvre and stop. If you’re a novice like me, have a practise on a gentle slop first to build up your confidence.

Ice skate on a frozen lake

There are many ice skating spots in Tyrol – both natural and manmade. In Oetz, close to FeelFree Nature Resort, there’s a beautiful frozen lake above the village at Piburgersee. You can hire ice skates at Ferienwohnung Piburgersee, and there are also lots of ice toys, like hockey gear and support penguins that are free to use beside the lake. We didn’t have skates, but it was still fun to slide around in shoes!

There are plenty more ice skating lakes in the region – just be sure to check it’s been officially designated as safe. Some lakes may look frozen, but the ice is dangerously thin.  

As well as the natural ice skating lakes, there are also many manmade ice rinks in the villages and ski resorts. It’s a lush family activity to do some skating and then warm up with treats in the huts that are nearly always nearby and on-hand with perfect cosiness.

Visit the Bergisel Ski Jump

The Bergisel tower was a big hit with our kids who were seriously impressed by what humans are capable of (have you ever seen someone ski jumping?!).

The ski jump has had a few iterations over the years, but was most recently re-designed by Zaha Hadid in 2011. It’s sleek and futuristic with fantastic city views from the top. And there’s a restaurant too – I love the the ski-jump-shaped cheesecake!

During the summer, you can see ski jump demonstrations at certain times, and there’s a big tournament in January – but normally, it’s just a place to visit. You can also book guided tours where you get the chance to be strapped to the top of the ski jump!

Visit the Alpine Zoo

Perched on the mountainside above the city, the Alpine Zoo is home to mountain animals, including lynx, wolves, ibex and bears. It’s not huge, but it’s a cute stop on your way back down from Nordkette. There’s a stop for the zoo on the Hungerburg funicular.

Because it’s built into the hillside, expect some walking, but it’s manageable for little kids. The day we visited, it was snowing and most of the animals were hiding, but seeing some baby otters made it worth it. There’s also a nice looking play area, but this was closed in the snow.

Explore Innsbruck’s old town

We love simply walking around Innsbruck, which has to be one of the world’s most spectacular settings for a city. Because it’s so small, kid don’t tire too quickly, plus you can punctuate your wanderings with stops for hot chocolate or sweet treats.

Depending on your kids’ ages and interest in history, there are various places to visit including the Imperial Palace, Cathedral, Golden Roof Museum and Hofkirche.

The folk art museum is one of the most kid-friendly options, with miniature dioramas of nativity scenes, and reconstructions of old Tyrolean homes. If you get the Innsbruck Card, you can go in and out of the attractions without pressure to spend ages inside if the kids get bored. I talk more about the different tourism cards available in my guide to what to do in Innsbruck.

The Imperial Gardens are also a lovely place for a stroll and they have a cool light sculpture show in December/January.

The next two listings (Experience Tirol and the Audioversum) are handy places to pop into if it rains or to simply break up sightseeing.

Do the Experience Tirol experience

If the weather turns or you want something central and easy, Experience Tirol is a fun interactive exhibition right in the old town.

It’s a multi-sensory journey through Tyrol, with immersive projections, moving platforms, film, sound effects and hands-on elements. You can “fly” over mountains, experience the seasons changing, and learn about the region’s traditions in a way that feels more theme-park than museum. The experience takes around an hour.

Visit the Audioversum

Another good rainy day activity is the Audioversum, a small hands-on science museum focused on hearing and the human senses. The main exhibition, The World of Hearing, has 18 interactive stations where you can play with sound, test your perception and experience hearing through your other senses.

There’s also a Sound Labyrinth, where you navigate a virtual maze wearing mixed-reality smart glasses and use sound as your guide. The Singing Wall is another highlight, turning your movements into music so your body becomes the instrument.

Play in the snow!

For children who aren’t accustomed to snow (we barely get any in Bristol), the landscape alone is a wonderland for children in Tyrol. Our kids are always enchanted by the snow and spend hours playing in it, throwing snowballs, building snowmen and sliding around. I think this activity alone would be enough for them to declare Austria one of their best ever trips. Sometimes you need very little to keep kids entertained. From Innsbruck, the quickest way to be in deep snow is to take the cable car up to Seegrube or Nordkette.

Take a sleigh ride

A magical way to experience Tyrol is to take a sleigh ride through the snow, pulled by giant horses. We didn’t get to do this as there were only private sleigh rides available where we were staying, which would have set us back around €150. Normally, they cost around €20 per adult and €10 per child, and a ride lasts around 30 minutes. We saw lots of these, both in Achensee and Seefeld, and it looked like a really fun experience. 

Enjoy some treats in a cosy hut

Tyrol is filled with cute little wooden huts, serving everything you need to warm up. Imagine a roaring fire, hot chocolate and a plate of apple strudel. It’s a peak cosy experience. We enjoyed huts in Kuhtai, Pertisau and Oetz, but there are tons of these places throughout the region. It’s a gorgeous family activity that the adults and kids can enjoy in equal measure.

Go to Olympia World and try bobsledding!

This is definitely one for older kids! At Olympia World, you have the opportunity to have a go in a real bobsled. Two professionals accompany two guests on a ride down a real Olympic track! It looks terrifying, but also incredible – perfect if you have any daredevils in the family. There are also many other things to do at Olympia World, including a skate park, arena and sports centre.

Enjoy your hotel

One of the highlights of visiting Tyrol with family is the incredible accommodation on offer. There are some exceptional family hotels with aesthetic pools, play areas and spas. The bigger ones are outside the city, and I’ve written a guide to my favourites here.

If you’re staying in the city, you won’t find the same expanse of facilities, but there are still some great options. Hotel Innsbruck is our favourite. It’s a stylish 4-star hotel with a gorgeous pool, tiled in gold.

The pool is a huge asset when travelling with kids, giving them a chance to let off steam after days of skiing or sightseeing. There’s a family sauna that looks out onto the pool, so you can keep an eye on the kids while relaxing. While the style feels pretty grown-up, there were plenty of families there in February, so we didn’t feel a nuisance with our kids. Plus the pool is adults-only after 6pm. Other highlights are the breakfast buffet, the adults-only sauna area and its central location in the old town (we had a gorgeous view of it from our room). Check the latest prices here.