Obergurgl-Hochgurgl Ski Resort: Facts and Prices

By Best:in Editorial Team · Updated September 2026

As of September 2026, Obergurgl-Hochgurgl (branded Gurgl) is a 112 km ski area at the head of Tyrol's Oetztal, served by 25 lifts between 1,793 m and 3,030 m. Tickets for 2026/27 run from 19 November 2026 to 18 April 2027. Passes of three days or more upgrade free to the Oetztal Superskipass, which covers 365 km and 90 lifts and starts at EUR 212.50.

What exactly is the Obergurgl-Hochgurgl ski area?

Obergurgl-Hochgurgl, marketed as Gurgl, lies at the closed end of the Oetztal in Tyrol. Skiresort.info records 112.2 km of pistes plus 4.5 km of marked ski routes, 25 lifts and a vertical band from 1,793 m to 3,030 m. The area works as two halves. Obergurgl starts at 1,930 m, the highest parish village in Austria, and Hochgurgl sits around 2,150 m on the road to the Timmelsjoch pass. Each half carries roughly 56 km of runs.

The link between them is the Top Express, an eight-person gondola that covers 3.6 km above the Koenigstal and Ferwalltal in nine minutes. Hochgurgl's Kirchenkar cable car starts at the Top Mountain Crosspoint building, which also holds the Timmelsjoch road toll station and a motorcycle museum. Since 2023 Hochgurgl has staged two Alpine Ski World Cup races each November.

Obergurgl or Hochgurgl: which base fits you?

ObergurglHochgurgl
Base altitude1,930 m 2,150 m
Pistes in the sectorapprox. 56 km approx. 56 km
Settlement typeVillage with parish church Hotel settlement on the Timmelsjoch road
Main access liftsFestkoglbahn, Hohe Mut Bahn Hochgurglbahn, Grosse Karbahn, Kirchenkarbahn
Beginner lifts on the passWiesenlift, Mahdstuhllift Krumpwasserlift
Ticket office closing time16:00 15:30
Night skiingIncluded in the Oetztal Superskipass Not listed
World Cup venueNo Yes, two races each November since 2023

How much does a ski pass cost here?

The operator publishes three price tiers for 2026/27. Pre-season runs 19 November to 4 December 2026. High season covers 5 to 18 December 2026, 7 to 29 January 2027 and 27 February to 18 April 2027. Peak season covers 19 December 2026 to 6 January 2027 and 30 January to 26 February 2027. For the 2025/26 winter, Bergfex listed a high-season cash day ticket at EUR 79.

Tickets of three days or more are upgraded free to the Oetztal Superskipass, quoted from EUR 212.50 for 2026/27, or EUR 70.83 per day. One and two day tickets stay valid in the Gurgl area only. A beginner pass covering the Wiesenlift, Mahdstuhllift and Krumpwasserlift costs EUR 33 per person. Every pass sits on a KeyCard with a refundable EUR 3 deposit. Groups of 20 or more get 12 percent off in the shoulder weeks, and children born 2019 to 2022 pay EUR 2 per day.

When does the season run and how snow-sure is it?

Gurgl is one of the first non-glacier areas in Austria to open, typically in mid-November, and skiresort.info describes a season stretching to early May. Bergfex logged the 2025/26 winter operation as 20 November 2025 to 19 April 2026, with lifts turning from 09:00 to 16:00. For 2026/27 the operator dates ticket validity from 19 November 2026 to 18 April 2027.

The snow record rests on height rather than a glacier. Nothing in the area drops below 1,793 m, the top station reaches 3,030 m, and even the lower village base sits at 1,930 m. For comparison, Soelden down-valley starts at 1,350 m but keeps its Rettenbach and Tiefenbach glacier sectors open into early May.

How does it compare with Soelden?

Soelden is the obvious alternative, further down the same Oetztal road and on the same regional pass. It is the bigger machine: 147 piste kilometres, roughly 31 lifts and a span from 1,350 m to 3,340 m, with two glacier sectors and peaks at Gaislachkogl (3,058 m), Tiefenbachkogl (3,309 m) and Innere Schwarze Schneid (3,370 m).

Gurgl answers with 112 km, 25 lifts and a much higher floor. The practical trade is scale versus base altitude and crowding: Soelden adds a five hectare snow park at Giggijoch and the 007 Elements installation, while Gurgl's two sectors split traffic across a shorter lift list. If you buy three days or more in either resort, the Oetztal Superskipass covers both, so the choice is where you sleep, not where you ski.

How do you book it without wasting money?

  1. Decide on three days or more before you buy

    The pass tier decides how much terrain you get. One and two day tickets are limited to the 112 km in Gurgl. From three days the ticket becomes the Oetztal Superskipass, which opens 365 km and 90 lifts across Gurgl, Soelden, Vent, Gries, Hochoetz-Kuehtai and Niederthai. For 2026/27 that upgrade window runs 19 November 2026 to 18 April 2027.

  2. Book early and check the season tier

    The operator states that prices improve the earlier you book, and the 2026/27 calendar puts the most expensive weeks between 19 December 2026 and 6 January 2027 and between 30 January and 26 February 2027. Pre-season, from 19 November to 4 December 2026, is the cheapest tier. Season passes are the exception: their price is fixed and not dynamic.

  3. Claim the discounts that need ID

    Photo identification is mandatory for every reduced ticket. Snowkids born 2019 to 2022 pay EUR 2 per day plus the KeyCard deposit, and buyers born in 1952 or earlier get the children's rate (season tickets and pedestrian tickets excluded). Snowkid tickets and disability discounts are only sold at the ticket offices on site, not online.

  4. Plan collection and the deposit

    Offices sell passes daily from 08:30 to 16:00, and until 15:30 in Hochgurgl, at the Festkoglbahn and Hohe Mut Bahn in Obergurgl and at the Hochgurglbahn valley station, Grosse Karbahn and Kirchenkarbahn. Online orders can be collected from vending machines 24/7. Each KeyCard carries a EUR 3 deposit, refunded when you return an intact card to any office, sports shop or one of the listed petrol stations.

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