Ischgl Ski Resort Austria

Ischgl ski resort in the Silvretta mountains of western Tyrol is one of Austria's most popular snow holiday destinations. The resort has a deserved reputation for excellent skiing & snowboarding plus a serious party scene.

Situated on the frontier with Switzerland, Ischgl is interlinked with Samnaun ski resort to create a huge & diverse ski area of over 239km of trails & 46 modern ski lifts. Ischgl will delight Powderhounds of all abilities with the range, size & quality of the snow, lifts & terrain, but may disappoint with its volume of humanity! Start early here or get lost in the pack….

Ischgl is renowned for its fun après sessions in the mountain huts & the village. Be prepared for music, drink & dancing from lunchtime & well into the night, most nights.

Pros and Cons for Ischgl Ski Resort

Pros

• Huge ski area spanning two countries (linked to Samnaun Switzerland);
• Consistent and quality snow.
• Long season from November to May.
• Variety of on & off-piste terrain to suit all abilities & sense of adventure.
• Expansive easy access backcountry terrain.
• Super-modern & efficient lift infrastructure.
• Good value lift pass.
• Silvretta lift pass (valid in the smaller, but delightful, Galtuer, Kappl & See ski resorts) provides welcome relief from the crowds.
• Superb access to ski lifts & multiple return ski trails in the village.

Cons

• Extremely busy during peak periods.
• Few challenges on-piste for advanced skiers & riders.
• Inbounds off-piste terrain gets tracked out quickly on a powder day.
• Accommodation can be expensive and hard to get, so the fall back is inevitably Landeck Zams if leaving it to the last minute.

Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)

• Majority of Ischgl’s pistes are north-facing so are less sun-drenched than in Samnaun.
• Ischgl village is a modern resort style version of a traditional Austrian village.
• A massive après ski scene from lunchtime onward - love it or loath it - you choose!

Skiing & Snowboarding, Lifts & Terrain

The mountains of Ischgl found the perfect partner in neighbouring Switzerland at Samnaun. Ischgl has the colder north-facing more adventurous terrain, whilst Samnaun has sun-drenched south-facing terrain perfect for beginner & intermediate cruisers. Piste trails, despite their designation, tend to be on the easier side of the ledger.

Check out the ski trail map for Ischgl below.

Ischgl-Samnaun Ski Trail Map

Whilst Ischgl’s 1,500m+ skiable vertical may appear daunting to some; the reality is many of the piste trails are relatively easy going & accessible to most skiers - hence its popularity. Idalp is the hub for novice & beginner skiers, plus has an excellent series of snow parks complete with ski-thru punching bags! The adventurous will appreciate the long & challenging descents off the 2,864m Palinkopf (the second highest peak within the resort) & the more remote Piz Val Gronda. At the end of the day some wonderfully long valley trails (up to 11km) extend all the way down into both Ischgl & Samnaun. One of them is the heavily trafficked ‘Smugglers’ or ‘Duty Free’ run. Yes, you can duty-free shop at the end of it - weird & super-tacky!

Ski Lifts

Ischgl’s lift system is something to behold. The term ‘modern’ doesn’t quite cut it. ‘Unbelievable’ goes a touch closer. The venerable quad chair is an endangered species at Ischgl, which gives a clue as to what happens on a powder day inbounds. There is some fabulous freeride terrain at Ischgl but get to the resort & on the lifts early or you’ll be skiing other people’s tracks all day! Piz Val Gronda is the 'go-to' location. Thankfully, the local backcountry also always provides the goods.

Lift Pass

There are two main lift ticket types in the resort - Silvretta Pass & VIP Pass. The main lift pass in the region is the Silvretta Pass. The pass includes unfettered access to all the combined ski lifts (75) & trails (365km) of Galtuer, Ischgl-Samnaun, Kappl & See resorts. Free local ski buses link the resorts together, providing a ready escape from the madness that is Ischgl.

View the Silvretta Pass resort map.

For more information on terrain, lifts, lift pass & best places to ski, see our Ischgl Skiing & Snowboarding page.

Where is Ischgl Austria?

Ischgl is in the Paznaun valley near the border with Switzerland in south-west Tirol, Austria. Around 100km by road from Innsbruck, the nearest major centre is Landeck-Zams, 30km north of Ischgl. Ischgl is well serviced from all airports by train & bus via Landeck-Zams train station.

Closest major gateway airports are Innsbruck (INN), Munich (MUC) & Zurich (ZRH). For fast, efficient travel from the airport to the resort, search & book all airport transfers to Ischgl.

Landeck-Zams train station is on the main line between Switzerland & Innsbruck. The route 260 bus is free for skiers from Landeck all the way up the Paznaun valley to Ischgl. Other free ski-buses run up & down the valley linking all the villages & smaller ski resorts. It is certainly possible to do day trips to Ischgl from Landeck by free ski bus. Search & book train tickets to Landeck-Zams. Buy bus tickets from the driver, or if in ski attire, travel for free.

Anyone driving a rental car to Ischgl can find adequate day & overnight parking in one of the modern parking garages within the town precinct. Access to the region is easy via the motorway from Innsbruck & then up into the Paznauntal.

Ischgl Accommodation

Ischgl comprises a multitude of lodging options in town, on the mountain, ski-in ski-out or elsewhere in the valley. Proximity to the main ski lift bases will dictate price & availability., but the entire village is so brilliantly connected to lifts & trails, anywhere in town will be good. With multiple parking garages, underground tunnel links & walkways getting to the three main access lifts is easy. At the end of the day, at least 5 return trails deposit skiers into their preferred part of town.

Search & book all Ischgl ski accommodation.

If Ischgl is booked out or what is left is out of your price range, try any of the villages up & down the valley like Galtür (& Wirl), Kappl & See. Each has its own great ski resort & regular ski-bus connections to Ischgl. The buses travelling from Galtuer to Ischgl are less crowded than the ones coming up the valley from Kappl & See. Day trips to Ischgl are possible from as far away as Landeck.

Ski Rentals, Lessons & Guiding

Ski rentals are available with our local partners throughout Ischgl (near major lifts & in the centre of town), plus the surrounding villages. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Ischgl Ski & Snowboard Rental page.

The search for fresh tracks at Ischgl can be made easier by skiing with a local, but a mind-boggling array of ski instructors, ski schools & mountain guides ply their trade in the Paznaun valley & its numerous resorts. To narrow down the field, search & book a private/group lesson or mountain guide with the best providers via our Paznaun Valley Ski Lessons & Guiding page.

Nearby Ski Resorts

Aside from the 3 other excellent Paznaun valley ski resorts of See, Kappl & Galtür, another sneaky little resort is on the way. The secret stash of Venet above Landeck-Zams is a beauty on a powder day or for a quick leg stretch. If coming via Innsbruck, the local resorts are sensational and diverse.

Review

The Powderhounds last fully reviewed Ischgl in 2019 and briefly returned in Feb 2022 but spent most of our time skiing powder in the smaller Paznaun resorts of See & Kappl. Read our fearless insights on Ischgl via the 'Reviews' link near the top of this page. We need to return this coming winter.

See how compares to the rest of the Austrian ski resorts on the Austria ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe on the European ski resort ratings page.

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