Hintertux and Mayrhofen in November 2026: what's open
By Josi & Willi, your hosts at Black Eagle ·
Yes, you can ski in the Zillertal in November 2026, but the only sure bet is the Hintertux Glacier: it is open every day, runs from 1,500 to 3,250 m and is 25–30 minutes by car from our front door in Mayrhofen. Mayrhofen's own lifts open later: the Penkenbahn and Horbergbahn on 4 December 2026, the Ahornbahn and Möslbahn on 12 December. Until 17 December a free autumn ski bus takes anyone with skis or a snowboard up to the glacier.
Opening dates at a glance
| Date | What opens | Source (checked 14 Nov 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Every day | Hintertux Glacier, 08:15–16:30, skiing until 16:00 | hintertuxergletscher.at |
| November weekends, only with enough snow | Hochzillertal-Kaltenbach | Zillertal Tourismus |
| 4 Dec | Penkenbahn and Horbergbahn (Mayrhofen), Finkenberger Almbahnen, Rastkogel, Eggalm, Hochfügen | mayrhofen.at, hintertuxergletscher.at, Zillertal Tourismus |
| 5 Dec | Hochzillertal-Kaltenbach, every day | Zillertal Tourismus |
| 11 Dec | Spieljochbahn, Fügen | Zillertal Tourismus |
| 12 Dec | Ahornbahn and Möslbahn (Mayrhofen) | mayrhofen.at |
The lift companies say dates can move with the weather. Which glacier lifts and runs are open changes daily: check hintertuxergletscher.at the evening before.
Getting up to the glacier without a car
The autumn ski bus from Mayrhofen to Hintertux and back is free until 17 December 2026 if you carry alpine skis or a snowboard, hold a Snow Card Tirol or have a valid Zillertaler Gletscherbahnen pass. Bus 4104 to Hintertux starts at the Mayrhofen Bahnhof stop, 250 m from our door, and the train platforms are 240 m away, so you can come by train and never need a car. The 2026/27 winter timetable was not yet out on 14 November; check the VVT (Tyrol public transport) timetable before you travel.
If you do drive, it is 19.7 km up the Tux valley. Route planners give 22 minutes on empty roads, so plan on 25–30. Your car stays overnight in your own underground parking space, and skis and boots dry in the ski room with its boot dryer.
Events in late November and early December
- 20–22 November: Splitboard Beginner Camp on the Hintertux Glacier, the 10th edition, with splitboards and bindings to test.
- From 23 November: Freeheeler Telemark Week at Hintertux, with FIS Telemark World Cup races on 27 and 28 November and the Freeheeler European Opening.
- From 28 November: Mayrhofner Advent, the village Christmas market on the Waldfestplatz, on Advent weekends until 19 December: Fridays and Saturdays 17:00–21:00, Sundays 16:00–20:00. St Nicholas arrives on 6 December and the Christkind on 19 December, both at 18:00.
- 4–6 December: Ride on Shred Fest in Hochfügen.
- 5–6 December: SkiTestival at the Kombibahn Penken, 09:00–16:00: try this season's skis with Bründl Sports, 1–2 hours per pair, free, no booking.
- 12–13 December: Ski Food Festival in Hochzillertal and at the Spieljoch.
Will there be snow in the valley?
Often not yet. The Mayrhofen weather station sits at 643 m, and the glacier only starts at 1,500 m. Its official climate normals (ZAMG, now GeoSphere Austria, 1971–2000) show the gap between the two months:
| In the village, 1971–2000 average | November | December |
|---|---|---|
| Days with snow on the ground | 7.9 | 23.8 |
| New snow | 10.2 cm | 20.8 cm |
In November there are on average only 1.6 days with at least 20 cm of snow, and the deepest November snow in that period was 42 cm. The mean temperature is 2.3 °C (average daily high 6.0 °C, low −0.1 °C), with 14 frost days. A green valley at the end of November is normal and tells you little about the glacier.
If the valley is green
- Go up anyway. Nature's Ice Palace is a cave inside the glacier, 0 °C all year, a 3–4 minute walk from the Gletscherbus 3 top station. Tours are guided, and you can walk it in ski boots.
- Christmas markets. Besides the Mayrhofner Advent there are Schloss Weihnacht in Fügen (28 November to 20 December, Saturdays and Sundays) and the Zeller Weihnachtsmarkt in Zell am Ziller (12 and 13 December).
- Season pass. The Ahornbahn ticket office sells season passes from 10 to 30 November, Monday to Friday 08:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00, in person with ID only.
- With children. The lift company announces the opening of KinderLand Horberg at short notice, depending on the weather. Once open, it runs daily 09:00–16:00.
Staying with us
The Penkenbahn, open from 4 December, is 710 m from our door, about 10 minutes on foot, and the ski bus stop Einfahrt Mitte is 150 m away. Four of you? Cosy and Base sleep up to four, Nest up to five, Loft and Home up to six; four adults will be more comfortable in a Loft, Home or Nest. Check-in is from 15:00 with a door code, check-out by 10:00. To see which apartments are still free in late November or early December, go to Available apartments in Mayrhofen.
For the rest of the season see Mayrhofen winter 2026/27; for the glacier in detail see Hintertux Glacier.
FAQ
Can you ski at Hintertux in November?
Yes. The Hintertux Glacier is open every day of the year, with skiing until 16:00. How many lifts are running is shown live on hintertuxergletscher.at.
When does the ski season start in Mayrhofen in 2026?
On 4 December 2026 at the Penkenbahn and Horbergbahn, and on 12 December at the Ahornbahn and Möslbahn.
Is there a ski opening event in November?
The Hintertux Glacier hosts the FIS Telemark World Cup and the Freeheeler European Opening on 27 and 28 November 2026. In Mayrhofen, the SkiTestival at the Penken follows on 5 and 6 December.
Is there snow in Mayrhofen in late November?
Often not in the village: in 1971–2000 it had snow on the ground on 7.9 November days on average, against 23.8 in December.
Is the ski bus to Hintertux free in November?
Yes, until 17 December 2026, if you carry skis or a snowboard or hold a Snow Card Tirol or a glacier pass.
Sources, checked 14 Nov 2026: Hintertux and Zillertal 3000 operating hours, Hintertux events, autumn skiing and ski bus, Mayrhofen lift hours, SkiTestival, Mayrhofner Advent, Zillertal Tourismus press text winter 2026/27, ZAMG climate normals, Mayrhofen. Routes calculated on OpenStreetMap, not walked or driven by us.
