INNSBRUCK: Magical 5 Night Itinerary for Families with Autistic Kids
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Surrounded by majestic mountain peaks and wooded hillsides Innsbruck offers a blend of stunning scenery, outdoor play and accessible sights that are perfect for families with autistic kids. Discover how we crafted our perfect Alpine-urban holiday & the activities we enjoyed the most.
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Visiting Innsbruck: Exclusive Travel Guide for Autistic Families
OUR AUTISM FRIENDLY 5 NIGHT INNSBRUCK FAMILY ITINERARY
We were so excited to be going to Innsbruck, and I had put a lot of effort into researching the best activities for us to do as a family; a family whose autistic kids have two very different sets of needs. Experience has taught me there is a real art to finding the type of balance demanded on holiday - of encouraging everyone to make the most of the experience while still respecting the boys emotional, physical and sensory limitations. Rest breaks are key, but keeping active is also important. Feeling safe is vital, but without small thrills of excitement restlessness can set in. Its not always easy, but then neither is staying at home!
Below you will find the culmination of all my pre-holiday effort and the decisions we made 'on the ground'. The result is an itinerary that worked for us and delivered everything we wanted - relaxation, mountain air, fun, delicious food and just the right amount of adventure!
Day ONE: London to Innsbruck
After a reasonably early flight with EasyJet which left Gatwick at 8:25am we landed in Innsbruck around 11:45am. It is a small airport and our luggage arrived quickly. Although our host had given us directions for using public transport we decided to get a taxi directly to the door. Our self catering apartment was situated in a serviced complex, a little bit like a hotel - it had a laundry and café as well as a lovely garden to relax in. The owner had kindly agreed we could have an early check in so by 1pm we were sitting around the table on our balcony enjoying the picnic lunch we had brought with us from London.
After a little rest and some time spent unpacking (our eldest LOVES doing this) we felt fully refreshed decided we should get to grips with the transport system. While our hotel had amazing views across the valley, this meant we were a good few miles outside the centre of Innsbruck, much too far to walk in and out each day. In the end it was quite straightforward, the stop was just down the road and we were pleased to discover our hosts were part of a scheme that provided tourists staying 3 nights or more with a pass for free bus travel!
We got off the bus at the main stop for the Old Town right by the annual Easter market which occupies a square by the riverside. The boys really enjoyed the activities at the Easter market and J and I enjoyed some great street food. It was a lovely introduction to the city, and after stocking up with groceries at a nearby minimart we headed back to the hotel apartment for dinner.
Day TWO: Nordkette - Top of Innsbruck
Nordkette, also known as the Top of Innsbruck, is one of THE things to do in Innsbruck. Our host advised that given the weather forecast it would be a good idea to go straight away; even when the weather is ok in the valley, the clouds often settle over the mountain top making a visit almost pointless. She pointed to the clear blue sky up in the mountains and we didn't need anymore convincing.
For us, visiting Nordkette was a full day trip experience. We had woken early so it was no problem to be out the apartment and catching a bus into the centre by 9:15am. We packed a picnic lunch to have at the top of the mountain, thermal wet weather gear to change into and lots of snacks. The journey to the top requires a funicular and 2 cable cars, then you can enjoy a short walk (it took us around 15 - 20 minutes) to Hafeleker - a viewing platform at the top of the Nordkette. It stands at an impressive altitude of 2234m above sea level. We were lucky with the weather which stayed clear and sunny until early afternoon, and for all of us it was a truly magical experience.
The boys had so much fun battling the wind, exploring and throwing snowballs that in the end they were too tired to visit the Alpine Zoo on the way back down. We decided to catch the cable cars straight back to the bottom, spent some time relaxing in a nearby park and then headed home. We got back around 4pm, happily exhausted!
Day THREE: Innsbruck No 6. Forest Tram
Today we had a more relaxed morning, and didn't leave the apartment until 10am. After catching a bus into the Old Town we eventually found the tram interchange and waited 25 minutes to catch the No.6 Forest Tram (it runs twice an hour, so we were a bit unlucky).
Reading through the walking guides in our apartment we discovered the tourist friendly No 6 Tram, and it looked like the perfect option for a day outdoors. The tram travels slowly up into the hills surrounding Innsbruck and eventually you get to a stop called Lanser See, this is the one before the destination town of Igls.
We disembarked at Lanser See and headed to our starting point Lake Lans. From Lake Lans we enjoyed a leisurely walk through the scenic wooded mountain side with incredible views across the valley.
The path was wide and clear and relatively easy to follow. So with a combination of a rough map from one of the guide books and google maps we stayed pretty much on track - although we did manage to miss the turnoff to what sounded like a brilliant woodland playground, which was a bit disappointing. After stopping for a picnic lunch by a golf course (the boys particularly liked the view of its impressive fountain), we started our final and loveliest stage of the walk. Venturing briefly back onto tarmac to cut through the small hamlet of Aldrans, we managed to pick up the forest path again and walked through more gently undulating conifer forest on our way to the Spielplatz Tantegert (playground). This time we hit our mark, and were rewarded with some fun, simple woodland play equipment set against a stunning backdrop of snow-covered mountains.
By now the boys were starting to tire, so we made sure to catch the 3pm tram (it was only 500m through the woods to the nearest stop) back into Innsbruck. After a quick stop to top up with groceries we were back at the apartment around 4:30pm. In the end the boys had walked just under 4 miles, which coupled with their exertions on the mountain the day before meant it was another early night for them. It also meant J and I could enjoy our lovely homecooked dinner on the balcony overlooking the mountains, along with a well earned glass of local wine!
Day FOUR: Castle Ambrass and Innsbruck Tyrol Panorama
The early night on Day 3 meant the boys were up and about at sunrise, so we all ready to catch a bus into Innsbruck just gone 9am. In the centre we swapped onto the M Tram and got off at the stop for Ambras Castle.
The Castle was a love gift from Archduke Ferdinand II to his secret wife Phillipine Welser - in 1564, he transformed the medieval fortress into a magnificent residence. He also used it to house his impressive collection of art and curiosities, and it is widely regarded as the first museum of its kind in the world. Although the castle is filled with incredible armour, glass ware, and art by famous Renaissance artists we confined ourselves to its grounds, which can be visited free of charge. Although the castle gardens retain little of their Renaissance form, some sections have been restored, there was much to enjoy, including steep hills, grassy slopes, ancient trees, hidden corners, a large lake, the Apothecary Garden and of course its resident peacocks! Our youngest was both fascinated by the peacocks and simultaneously scared by their eerie vocal sounds, however our eldest thought they were brilliant and bought a notebook with a peacock feather motif on the front as his holiday souvenir!
After exploring the gardens we had lunch in a slightly strange walled courtyard, and then made out way to the ticket office / gift shop. We decided the ticket price of 14 euros an adult was too high for us, mainly because we didn't feel the boys would get enough from the experience, which didn't look very interactive, it all felt a bit too 'grown up'.
It was still early in the day so having skipped the museum we decided to head across the valley to the Tyrol Panorama. Unfortunately for the boys this involved walking up a steep hiking trail to re-enter the woods and then a half mile flat walk to the Tummelplatz tram stop, which is - you guessed it, on the No 6. Tram route! We only went one stop to Bretterkeller, but it saved us walking another mile across the mountain. When we got off we realised the tram had brought us back down to the valley floor by the city's Sill River. We were still 800m away from our destination, and it was up another steep hill!
After puffing our way up to the slope to the Tyrol Panorama museum we were rewarded with the most incredible scene across Innsbruck and the valley. There was a carefully sited rotunda that offered both benches and unparalleled views - it really was worth the climb.
Once again we skipped the actual museum (a 360° artwork measuring nearly 1,000 square metres that depicts scenes from the legendary Tyrolean battle for freedom) and after taking our photos headed straight for the nearby Restaurant 1809. This cafe/bar offered a relaxed indoor kids section filled with toys, cushions and books as well as comfy seating for the grown ups and those all important awesome views. The dessert fridge looked promising too!
Feeling refreshed after some healthy servings of cake we convinced the boys to explore a bit more, and did a gentle 1km round trip walk to see the Olympic rings and dual flame cauldrons (Innsbruck hosted the games in 1964 and 1976) as well as the famous Bergisel, the Olypmic ski jump. We were all impressed by its size, and were tempted to get the elevator and tower lift to the viewing terrace (24 euros family ticket) but it was getting late and the boys were starting to look tired.
We realised our plan to also visit the Drachenfelson Observation Platform and its transparent viewing platform suspended over the Sill Gorge was simply too ambitious, as it would have added another 1km onto the day. Instead we hopped on a bus from outside the Tyrol Museum forecourt back into Innsbruck's old town and from there one final bus back to our apartment. Another long but massively rewarding day, we certainly earnt our Austrian pastries!
Day FIVE: Innsbruck Old Town
Today was our last full day in Innsbruck and we were all feeling a little sad. However it was Easter Saturday, the sun was shining, the sky was blue and we were determined to have fun. All the walking during the week had begun to catch up with the boys, so we decided to keep it simple and spend a gentle morning exploring the atmospheric alleys and cobbled streets in Innsbruck's Old Town.
At the heart of the old town is Museumstraße, a pedestrianised street with stunning views of the mountains visible at either end. We really noticed a great vibe in the air, and there were plenty of people milling around, drinking morning coffees in the sun and listening to the talented buskers. From Museumstraße it was short walk to the main town square where we found the flagship Swarovski store (the company was founded in Wallens, 12 miles to the east) and spent an enjoyable interlude marvelling at the window displays - they really were something else! We set the boys an I-Spy challenge, with Innsbruck's famous Golden Roof featuring 2657 gold shingles that shimmer in the sun and the towns giant easter egg at the top of list. We continued through the old town's winding alleyways, popping into a couple of gift stores and peering longingly into the chocolate and cake shops(!) as we made our way slowly towards Innsbruck's Hofgarten.
Once the gardens of the city's former Imperial Palace, the Hofgarten is now open free to the public each day - the boys were delighted to discover a fortress themed wooden playground - J and I were delighted to discover the nearby benches! When the boys finally tired of playing pirates in the wooden fortress we walked back to the main square for an Easter morning treat, our first traditional Austrian Konditorei.
A Konditorei is a specialized cafe that focuses on creating and serving high-quality cakes, pastries, tarts, and chocolates. They are deeply rooted in a tradition of coffeehouse culture, but they are not cheap!!
We decided to visit Cafe Katzung - one of the oldest in Innsbruck. All the table outside were taken but we were happy to sit inside, it was quiet, quite dark and had very comfy seating - this all added up to a sensory break from the crowds outside and we weren't worried about the boys disturbing any of the other diners. And the food - well it was absolutely delicious and totally worth the price!
Having blown our budget in Cafe Katzung we picked up some local food in the Easter market and went back to our apartment for lunch and some much needed downtime. Around 3:30pm the boys started getting fidgety again, but we didn't have the mental energy to take them back into town. Instead we decided to explore one of the walking trails that started from behind our apartment complex.
The boys groaned when they realised our walk involved another lengthy but gentle uphill hike to the Gruener Boden Forest Playground. I mean the literally moaned all the way up(!), but as soon as we got to the woodland clearing at the top and they saw the giant play equipment they loved it! Giant wooden swings and wooden platform beds along with dens and slides faced out across the valley with yet more spectacular mountain views. It was their idea of heaven and J and I could relax as they burnt off some energy. To complete this magical holiday we left the playground to go on one final short walk through the forest before looping down the valley and walking along the road back to our apartment. We enjoyed our final home-cooked meal while relaxing on the balcony and then got busy packing up to leave the next day.
Day SIX: Travel Innsbruck to London
With a lunchtime flight booked back to London, and the airport less than a 15 minute drive away we didn't have to get up too early. We enjoyed our Easter Sunday breakfast of chocolate eggs (!) before a smooth check in at the airport and an uneventful flight back to Gatwick. We were comfortably home by 3:30pm, and feeling just a little flat that our amazing trip had come to an end. At least we had plenty of Austrian chocolate to console ourselves with!
FINAL THOUGHTS ON VISITING INNSBRUCK WITH AUTISTIC KIDS
We had a terrific time in Innsbruck and spent loads of time outdoors in the beautiful mountains; in this respect it was very relaxing. Time limitations meant that these activities were instead of more structured / traditional attractions. We wanted the holiday to be as low demand as possible and being outdoors and allowing the boys to enjoy unstructured play is key to that. However if your autistic children are able to cope with the demands of following rules and waiting in line etc then you could consider visiting Swarovski Crystal Worlds which is situated 20km east of the town. You could also go up the ski jump with the museum at the top, the Tyrol Panorama museum, look around Castle Ambrass or explore the Imperial Palace. There was also the Alpine Zoo, which being outside looked good and I would have liked to have taken the boys too.
We also saw lots of families using rented electric powered bikes to explore the mountain trails and go between attractions - they looked like a great option if you enjoy being on two wheels!
Whatever you do decide to do Innsbruck offers enough options to allow you to tailor make a perfect family holiday that meet and sensory and emotional needs of everyone including your autistic children. With incredible scenery, mountains, hiking, cycling, castles, gardens, shops and cafes Innsbruck really does have something for everyone. We hope you enjoy your visit as much as we did.
Happy travels x
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