Mayrhofen winter 2026/27 at a glance
By Josi & Willi, your hosts at Black Eagle ·
The 2026/27 ski season in Mayrhofen runs from 4 December 2026 to 11 April 2027 on the Penken and from 12 December to 4 April on the Ahorn, and the Hintertux Glacier, 25–30 minutes' drive from our front door, is open every day of the year. In that window the Zillertal Superskipass covers 546 km of pistes and 180 lifts in four ski areas, and this page gathers every date, busy week and event of the season in one place, with sources.
Season dates
| Lifts | Open | Close | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penkenbahn, Horbergbahn (Mayrhofen) | 4 Dec 2026 | 11 Apr 2027 | mayrhofen.at |
| Ahornbahn, Möslbahn (Mayrhofen) | 12 Dec 2026 | 4 Apr 2027 | mayrhofen.at |
| Finkenberger Almbahnen, Rastkogel, Eggalm | 4 Dec 2026 | 11 Apr 2027 | hintertuxergletscher.at |
| Hintertux Glacier | all year | all year | hintertuxergletscher.at |
| Zillertal Superskipass, all areas | 4 Dec 2026 | 11 Apr 2027 | zillertal.at |
The Penkenbahn and Horbergbahn run 08:30–17:00 until 24 December and 08:00–17:00 from 25 December, last ride up 16:30. The Ahornbahn runs 07:30–17:00. Pistes close at 16:00. On the glacier the lifts run 08:15–16:30, with skiing until 16:00. Pass prices and the remaining lift times are on Zillertal Superskipass 2026/27. The Superskipass also covers the ski buses and most public transport in the valley.
When it gets busy
| Dates 2026/27 | Who is on holiday | More |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Dec–6 Jan | Austria, Christmas | Christmas and New Year |
| 24 Dec–8 Jan | Bavaria, Christmas | Christmas and New Year |
| 8–12 Feb | Bavaria, winter break (Fasching) | German winter holidays 2027 |
| 15–19 Feb | England, half term (e.g. Surrey) | February half term 2027 |
| 15–20 Feb | Tyrol, semester break | February half term 2027 |
| 20–29 Mar | Austria, Easter | – |
| 22 Mar–2 Apr | Bavaria, Easter | – |
For Surrey schools the autumn term ends on 18 December 2026 and the spring term starts on 4 January 2027. The spring term ends on 25 March and the summer term starts on 12 April 2027, so a Surrey family has the whole of the Penken's last fortnight, up to closing day on 11 April. Other councils set their own dates; check your school. Every country's holidays, including the Netherlands and Belgium, are compared on Mayrhofen ski season 2026/27 in numbers.
Events through the season
- 28 November to 19 December 2026: Mayrhofner Advent, the Christmas market on the Waldfestplatz, on Advent weekends.
- 5–6 December 2026: SkiTestival at the Kombibahn Penken, free.
- 13–20 March 2027: Kölsche Woche on the Hintertux Glacier, with the Hintertux Glacier Open Air on 19 March.
- 29 March to 3 April 2027: Full Metal Mayrhofen, Monday to Wednesday in the Europahaus, Thursday to Saturday on the Waldfestplatz.
- 1 April 2027: BBQ on Snow on the Hintertux Glacier.
- 5–10 April 2027: Snowbombing, its 27th edition. Festival airport transfers arrive 3–5 April and return 10–11 April.
Elsewhere in the Zillertal, all on the same pass: Hochfügen Nächte every Thursday from 21 January to 4 March 2027; Dutch Week in the Zillertal Arena (9–13 March), the Alpicon House Music Festival in Hochzillertal (18–21 March) and 90's Days in the Zillertal Arena (19–21 March); and the Lederhosen Wedel Finale in the Zillertal Arena from 2 to 4 April.
Christmas week and New Year's Eve have their own page, Christmas and New Year in Mayrhofen. What is open before the season starts is on Hintertux in November 2026.
Snow and altitude
According to Zillertal Tourismus, more than 80% of the valley's pistes lie above about 1,700 m, and the Hintertux Glacier reaches 3,250 m. Down in the village, the official 1971–2000 climate normals for the Mayrhofen weather station at 643 m (ZAMG, now GeoSphere Austria) show when the valley floor is white:
| In the village, 1971–2000 | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days with snow on the ground | 7.9 | 23.8 | 27.8 | 24.4 | 15.2 |
| Mean temperature | 2.3 °C | −1.3 °C | −2.1 °C | −0.4 °C | 3.6 °C |
January and February are the most reliable months for snow in the village. In November and March the valley is often green while the mountains still have snow, and the glacier is the sure option.
With children
KinderLand Horberg, at the Horbergbahn valley station, is open daily 09:00–16:00 and until 19:00 on Wednesdays and Fridays. On the Ahorn there is a guided tour of the Ahornbahn on Sundays at 10:30 (about an hour, German only). There is also a snowcat ride from the top station, meeting at 16:15, about 25 minutes.
From our front door
| To | How far |
|---|---|
| Penkenbahn | 710 m, about 10 min on foot |
| Ahornbahn | 1,160 m, about 15 min on foot |
| Ski bus stop Einfahrt Mitte (lines B and E) | 150 m, about 2 min on foot |
| Hintertux Glacier | 19.7 km, 25–30 min by car |
Routes are calculated with OpenStreetMap, not walked by us. Skis and boots dry overnight in the ski room with its boot dryer, and if you come by car, you get your own underground parking space, included in the price. Every other distance is in our distance table.
All our winter guides
- Mayrhofen ski season 2026/27 in numbers: what a ski week costs, every country's school holidays, snow records.
- Zillertal Superskipass 2026/27: prices, age bands, lift times.
- Penken, Ahorn or Hintertux?: which mountain suits whom.
- Hintertux Glacier: getting there, the free ski bus, glacier passes.
- Hintertux in November 2026: what is open before the season starts.
- Christmas and New Year: from the Advent market to the Perchten.
- February half term 2027 and German winter holidays 2027: the February weeks.
- Mayrhofen without a car: airport, train, ski bus.
- Distances from our door: lifts, station, supermarkets.
To see which apartments are still free for your week, go to Available apartments in Mayrhofen.
FAQ
When does the 2026/27 ski season in Mayrhofen start and end?
On the Penken from 4 December 2026 to 11 April 2027, on the Ahorn from 12 December 2026 to 4 April 2027. The Hintertux Glacier is open all year.
How big is the area covered by the Zillertal Superskipass?
546 km of pistes and 180 lifts in four ski areas, plus the ski buses and most public transport in the valley.
When is Snowbombing 2027?
From 5 to 10 April 2027, in the last week of the Penken season.
Which month has the most reliable snow in Mayrhofen?
January: in 1971–2000 the village had snow on the ground on 27.8 January days on average.
When is UK half term 2027?
For Surrey council schools 15–19 February 2027; other councils set their own dates. The Tyrolean semester break, 15–20 February, falls in the same week.
Sources, checked 14 Nov 2026: Mayrhofen lift hours, Hintertux and Zillertal 3000 operating hours, Hintertux events, Zillertal Superskipass, Zillertal Tourismus press text winter 2026/27, Full Metal Mayrhofen, Snowbombing, Mayrhofner Advent, SkiTestival, oesterreich.gv.at, KMK holiday calendar, Surrey County Council, ZAMG climate normals, Mayrhofen.
