Should You Get Innsbruck Card?
Is Innsbruck Card worth the money? It depends. I review Innsbruck Card and conclude when it makes (economical) sense to get one for yourself.
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post and I am not receiving any compensation for writing this. Any links included in this post are not affiliate links and I'm only including them for reader's convenience. I am writing this because I want to share my experience with you.
When it comes to city cards and whether you should get one, it all depends on three key factors:
How long are you staying in the city?
What do you want to do in the city?
Are you getting the value for the money?
Tyrol, the region where Innsbruck is located, has long relied on tourism as its main moneymaker. This can make Innsbruck quite a pricey city. In fact, Innsbruck is the most expensive city in Austria to live in. It is more expensive to live in Innsbruck than in the capital city Vienna!
This also reflects in the price of tourist attractions. You might think getting a city card might not be worth it if you are only staying in Innsbruck for (less) than 24 hours. When It comes to Innsbruck Card, this is not necessarily the case.
Innsbruck Card Cost
All types of the Card will cover the usage of public transportation for the duration of the validity of City Card.
Soak up stunning Alpine city views in a day
Innsbruck Card includes Nordkettenbahnen Lifts and Cable Cars that take you from the heart of the city to the top of the mountain at 2,300 metres above sea level which offers one of the most stunning panoramic views of the city and unique alpine experience.
Innsbrucker Nordkettenbahnen (Return ticket Innsbruck-Hafelekar-Innsbruck) which is included in Innsbruck Card will cost you 38 EUR if bought separately.
In Innsbruck for a day?
Combine a visit to the top of the mountains with a visit to the Alpenzoo, the only themed zoo that is home to such a complete collection of European alpine creatures.
As Alpenzoo lies on the same system of lifts and cable cars that take you to the top of the Nordkette, this makes it for a perfect pit stop on your way up to the mountains or coming back down to the city.
Alpenzoo standard ticket price is 11 EUR.
After the morning in the mountains, make a visit to one of the most iconic architectural sights in the city - Bergisel.
Bergisel is a ski jumping hill with a beautiful view on the Nordkette. This is one place I tell everyone they MUST visit when in Innsbruck.
Visit the top of Bergisel to admire the view on the mountains you were exploring just an hour before! You can find my guide and tips for visiting Bergisel here.
Bergisel ticket on its own will cost you 10 EUR.
When you are making your way from Nordkette to Bergisel, make a quick stop in the city and climb on top of the City Tower (Stadtturm Innsbruck) for a stunning view on the mountains and the old city centre.
City Tower standard price is 4.5 EUR.
I can vouch from personal experience (double tested just a few months ago), that the above itinerary is very possible and doable even on a cloudy October day.
Innsbruck Card 24 hours = 43 EUR
Nordkette = 38 EUR
Alpenzoo = 11 EUR
Bergisel = 10 EUR
City Tower = 4.5 EUR
TOTAL = 63.5 EUR
SAVINGS = 20.5 EUR (+ savings on free public transportation included with the card)
Staying in the city for longer?
Innsbruck Card 48 hours = 50 EUR Innsbruck Card 72 hours = 59 EUR
Visit the home of Swarovski in Wattens. Innsbruck card includes Swarovski Shuttlebus (9.5 EUR) and entry to Swarovski Crystal Worlds (19 EUR).
Jump on public transport and visit Ambras Castle (Schloss Ambras 12 EUR), one of my favourite spots near Innsbruck and one of the most popular attractions in the Tyrol region. Explore this stunning Renaissance castle located in the hills above Innsbruck.
You can spend hours exploring just the castle's numerous rooms. Don't forget to explore the beautiful castle grounds surrounding it as well! (Free of charge.)
Other popular attractions that are also included in the Innsbruck Card are:
Imperial Palace (9.5 EUR)
Museum Golden Roof (5 EUR)
Tirol Panorama Museum with Imperial Infantry Museum (11 EUR)
Per Pedes City Walks (Engl.) (13 EUR)
Patscherkofelbahn (24.80 EUR)
24h Sightseer Innsbruck Bus (17 EUR)
You can see the full list of included services, prices and discounts here.
Are you visiting Innsbruck for the first time? All the attractions listed on my 5 Things to Do in Innsbruck on Your First Visit are also included in the Innsbruck Card. You can save over 15 EUR on top 3 attractions alone!
Tip: Use your card to get to/from the airport or train station for free as you can use public transportation free of charge for the duration of your Innsbruck Card.
Overall, I believe the Innsbruck Card is one of the best value for money city cards I have come across. I would highly recommend getting one if you are interested in visiting at least one of the more expensive attractions.
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