May
Wk 18–20
The quietest stretch among this region's best weather weeks: crowd level around 45 out of 100, weather comfort near 55.
- Crowd level
- 41–48
- Comfort
- 53–57
Germany · Bayerische Alpen
Bavarian Alps: five glaciers between the Zugspitze and the Watzmann
The highest point of the Alps in Germany is the Zugspitze, in the Wetterstein range; the combined area of the Bavarian Alps' five glaciers shrank to a sixth between 1820 and 2013. Bavaria is the only German state with a share of the Alps.
Busiest week
AugustCrowd level 100
Wk 31 · 1,269,332 overnight stays
Quietest weeks
JanuaryCrowd level 0–2
Wk 2–4 · measured against the region's own year, not against other regions
Sweet spot
MayCrowd level 41–48
Wk 18–20 · quietest while the weather still holds
Warmest month
21 °CComfort 70
July · around 125 mm of rain in the month
Bayerische Alpen in brief
The Bavarian Alps form the only Alpine share of any German state, since Bavaria is the only German state with a share of the Alps at all. Their high point is the Zugspitze, in the Wetterstein range, at 2,962 metres; the Bavarian Alps' five glaciers have lost most of their area since 1820. In the narrower, most commonly understood sense, only the mountain ranges between the Lech and the Saalach count as the Bavarian Alps, while the touristic use of the name also takes in the Allgäu and Berchtesgaden Alps. Among them are the Ammergau Alps with Linderhof Palace, the Karwendel near Mittenwald, and the Berchtesgaden Alps around the Königssee.
When is Bayerische Alpen busy, when is it quiet?
Click a week. The panel on the right explains why it is busy or quiet.
Weather profile
Weather comfort is an absolute scale (0 = poor, 100 = ideal) and a second axis next to the season-relative crowd level.
JanuaryØ 5
FebruaryØ 15
MarchØ 16
AprilØ 30
MayØ 47
JuneØ 64
JulyØ 86
AugustØ 87
SeptemberØ 66
OctoberØ 54
NovemberØ 24
DecemberØ 28
Colour = season-relative crowd levelBar = weather comfort (Sun & warmth), absolute 0–100
Why this week?
May · Wk 18
Crowd level41/100 · moderate
quietbusy
Weather comfort17/100 · Sun & warmth
-2 % versus the region's annual average.
- Contributing months
- April (23 %) · May (77 %)
- Overnight stays/week
- 766,254
- School-holiday pressure (source markets)
- 5 % of source markets on school holidays · -2 % crowding from holidays
- Main source markets
- Germany (87 %) · Netherlands (3 %) · Switzerland (2 %) · 95% of guests modelled
- Region range
- 415,422–1,269,332 (avg 784,268)
- Base years
- 2022, 2023, 2024 (excluding 2020, 2021)
v1: Crowd-Score aus der Eurostat-Basisschicht (Übernachtungen), moduliert vom Schulferien-Druck der Quellmärkte, region-spezifisch gewichtet mit dem Quellland-Mix. Season-relativ zur Region. Event-Schichten folgen.
Plan your trip
Pre-filled with the next date in week 18.
DestinationBayerische Alpen
Travel datesPick a week in the calendar
FlightSearch flights (opens in a new tab)
StayFind stays (opens in a new tab)
ActivityExplore activities (opens in a new tab)Ad · commission link
Photos: Johny Goerend · reisetopia · Dino Reichmuth on Unsplash
The travel year in Bayerische Alpen, month by month
The year as a table to read and to cite: crowd level for every month, plus weather comfort and temperature from the climate normals.
| Month | Crowd level0–100, season-relative | Weather comfort0–100, profile “mild” | Avg temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5 | 12 | 2 °C |
| February | 15 | 17 | 4 °C |
| March | 16 | 28 | 7 °C |
| April | 30 | 45 | 11 °C |
| May | 47 | 59 | 15 °C |
| June | 64 | 71 | 20 °C |
| July | 86 | 70 | 21 °C |
| August | 87 | 72 | 21 °C |
| September | 66 | 67 | 16 °C |
| October | 54 | 50 | 12 °C |
| November | 24 | 24 | 5 °C |
| December | 28 | 13 | 2 °C |
The crowd level is season-relative: 100 is the annual peak of Bayerische Alpen itself, not the busiest destination in Europe. The figures say when it is quiet here — not where it is quieter than elsewhere.
Weather comfort 0–100 from the climate normals, profile “mild” – the same profile as the recommendation above, not the selection in the calendar. A “–” means the data for that month is missing.
Index 2.0 · As of 25/08/2026
The windows worth catching
Three windows from the model: first whether the weather suits the region, then how busy it gets.
September–October
Wk 39–41
A second option, also with usable weather: crowd level around 54, weather comfort near 58.
- Crowd level
- 48–61
- Comfort
- 54–62
July–August
Wk 30–32
The region's peak: crowd level around 97 out of 100. Only if the dates are fixed.
- Crowd level
- 94–100
- Comfort
- 70–72
Bayerische Alpen compared with Europe
How full the accommodation is here, measured against Europe – on the only measure on which two travel regions can be compared.
- Bed occupancy in Bayerische Alpen
- 38.2
- European median
- 23.1
per cent of bed places, annual mean
per cent of bed places, annual mean
Furthest from the median: December, at 2.2× the value. Closest to the median: August, at 1.3× the value.
Mean across 12 months, weighted by their weeks. This occupancy compares travel regions with one another. The crowding in the table above compares Bayerische Alpen with itself. The two measures are never combined.
Climate through the year
Average temperature with day/night range and precipitation across the twelve months.
- Avg temperature
- Day/night range
- Precipitation
| Month | Avg temperature (°C) | Day avg (°C) | Night avg (°C) | Precipitation (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 | 2 | 0 | 81 |
| Feb | 3 | 4 | 1 | 65 |
| Mar | 5 | 7 | 3 | 63 |
| Apr | 9 | 11 | 7 | 67 |
| May | 13 | 15 | 11 | 130 |
| Jun | 18 | 20 | 16 | 116 |
| Jul | 19 | 21 | 17 | 125 |
| Aug | 19 | 21 | 17 | 131 |
| Sep | 15 | 16 | 13 | 95 |
| Oct | 10 | 12 | 9 | 76 |
| Nov | 4 | 5 | 4 | 74 |
| Dec | 2 | 2 | 1 | 78 |
The band shows mean daytime to nighttime temperature. Precipitation shown as monthly total (mm). Typical monthly value (climate normal), not a forecast.
How sunny?
How much sun a typical day delivers, month by month, expressed as hours of full midday sun.
Moderately sunny
≈ 3.4 h of full midday sun per day, annual average
Jun
Sunniest month
| Month | ≈ h of full midday sun per day |
|---|---|
| Jan | 1.2 |
| Feb | 2.1 |
| Mar | 3.4 |
| Apr | 4.8 |
| May | 5.1 |
| Jun | 5.8 |
| Jul | 5.5 |
| Aug | 4.8 |
| Sep | 3.6 |
| Oct | 2.3 |
| Nov | 1.4 |
| Dec | 1.0 |
Basis: mean daily solar irradiance in kWh/m²/day; 1 kWh/m² is roughly one hour of full midday sun (1,000 W/m²). Not the same as measured sunshine duration. Typical monthly value (climate normal), not a forecast.
Directly reachable from
Destination airports of Bayerische Alpen and every European departure airport with a direct connection to them.
Destination airports
Select a destination airport to see the direct departure airports.
“Directly reachable” means a direct connection exists according to our sources. We do not show a live timetable. Availability and flight days can vary by season and airline.
Ski areas in Bayerische Alpen
Mapped ski areas in this region with slope kilometres, lifts and elevation, plus the long-term snow average from our climate data.
- Ski areas
- 81
- Slopes in total
- 241 km
- Lifts
- 282
- Highest point
- 2,627 m
On a long-term average, January sees the most snow: 20 cm mean snow depth across the region. In 3 months of the year the regional average reaches at least 10 cm of snow depth.
| Ski area | Slopes | Lifts | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skigebiet Garmisch-Classic | 37.77 km | 18 | 727–2,047 m1,320 m vertical drop |
| AustriaSteinplatte Waidring-Tirol | 37.32 km141.29 km cross-country | 16 | 768–1,853 m1,086 m vertical drop |
| Sudelfeld - Bayrischzell | 26.15 km | 13 | 865–1,507 m642 m vertical drop |
| Brauneck | 23.5 km32.14 km cross-country | 18 | 715–1,594 m879 m vertical drop |
| Skigebiet Spitzingsee - Tegernsee | 16.2 km12.64 km cross-country | 11 | 981–1,569 m588 m vertical drop |
| Gletscher-Skigebiet Zugspitze, Ski resort Zugspitze | 15.68 km | 38 | 995–2,627 m1,633 m vertical drop |
| Rossfeld | 9.59 km | 4 | 1,351–1,537 m186 m vertical drop |
| Wendelstein | 8.82 km | 51 | 788–1,718 m930 m vertical drop |
| Götschenkopf | 7.49 km | 3 | 878–1,277 m399 m vertical drop |
| Kampenwand | 6.82 km | 6 | 621–1,482 m860 m vertical drop |
| Mittenwald - Kranzberg | 6.16 km | 7 | 1,021–1,342 m321 m vertical drop |
| Hörnle (Bad Kohlgrub) | 5.03 km | 2 | 911–1,397 m486 m vertical drop |
| Skigebiet Eckbauer | 4.04 km | 3 | 730–1,226 m496 m vertical drop |
| Skigebiet Ramsau - Hirscheck | 3.28 km | 4 | 1,035–1,382 m346 m vertical drop |
| Hocheck (Oberaudorf) | 3.27 km | 5 | 491–849 m358 m vertical drop |
| Hochfelln | 3.09 km | 5 | 1,060–1,638 m578 m vertical drop |
| Obersalzberg | 2.82 km | 5 | 793–952 m160 m vertical drop |
| Ötzlifte-Kochel | 2.36 km | 3 | 652–865 m213 m vertical drop |
| Hirschberglifte | 2.1 km | 4 | 778–1,187 m409 m vertical drop |
| Unternberg (Ruhpolding) | 2.04 km | 3 | 718–937 m219 m vertical drop |
| Steckenberg | 2.03 km | 6 | 858–1,000 m142 m vertical drop |
| Grafenherberge (Rankenlift) | 1.68 km | 1 | 1,076–1,248 m171 m vertical drop |
| Kessellifte (Inzell) | 1.65 km | 2 | 717–799 m82 m vertical drop |
| Oberer Maxlraineralm | 1.65 km | 3 | 1,347–1,597 m250 m vertical drop |
| Audi Skizentrum Sonnenbichl | 1.27 km | 2 | 832–1,026 m195 m vertical drop |
and 56 more areas in this region
Slope, lift and elevation figures come from open mapping and are complete to varying degrees. “Not available” means not mapped, not “does not exist”. Opening hours and season are not included. Snow figures are long-term averages for the whole region, not snow depth on the mountain and not a forecast.
Bayerische Alpen in detail
The Zugspitze and its glaciers
The highest point of the Alps in Germany is the Zugspitze, in the Wetterstein range, at 2,962 metres, carrying two small glaciers of high-alpine character. Five glaciers lie in the Bavarian Alps in total: the Northern and Southern Schneeferner and the Höllentalferner on the Zugspitze, the Blaueis on the Hochkalter, and the Watzmann glacier on the Watzmann massif. Their combined area fell from around 4 square kilometres in 1820 to around 0.7 square kilometres in 2013. The Northern Schneeferner on the Zugspitzplatt sat at 2,550 to 2,800 metres in 2013 and, at around 30 hectares, was the largest of the five glaciers.
Between two definitions
Bavaria is the only German state with a share of the Alps. Under the international mountain classification SOIUSA, the Bavarian Alps count as part of the Northern Eastern Alps; the highest peak within this narrower definition is the Großer Krottenkopf at 2,656 metres, which lies in Tyrol. The Wetterstein range, the Karwendel, the Chiemgau and Berchtesgaden Alps, and the Bavarian Prealps with the Mangfall range, the Walchensee mountains and the Estergebirge lie wholly or partly in Upper Bavaria.
The Berchtesgaden region
The Watzmann reaches 2,713 metres in its Bavarian portion of the Berchtesgaden Alps. The Berchtesgaden Alps take in the Königssee, the Watzmann massif and the Steinernes Meer. Bad Reichenhall, at 472 metres, is a Bavarian state spa.
The Ammergau and the Werdenfelser Land
Oberammergau, at 837 metres, is the home of the Passion Play. Linderhof Palace lies in the Ammergau Alps, the western range of the Bavarian Alps that carries the royal castles. Mittenwald, at 913 metres, lies at the foot of the western Karwendelspitze; the Werdenfelser Land lies at the foot of the Wetterstein and of the Karwendel.
Prealps and lakes
The waters of the Bavarian Alps include the Königssee, the Tegernsee, the Chiemsee, the Starnberger See and the Ammersee, and, as the largest of these, Lake Constance in the far west. The Bavarian Prealps stretch from the Inn in the east to the Loisach valley in the west and are bounded to the south by the limestone peaks of the Wetterstein, the Karwendel and the Rofan; their high point is the Krottenkopf at 2,086 metres. The Mangfall range comprises the Tegernsee and Schliersee mountains along with the Wendelstein group. The Chiemgau Alps south of the Chiemsee reach their highest point in Bavaria at the Sonntagshorn, 1,961 metres.
The ice age and the Karwendel
Like the whole of the Northern Alps, the landscape was shaped by the last ice age: cirques, lakes and U-shaped valleys formed, and in the foothills a hilly moraine landscape with lakes and bogs besides. The Karwendel extends mostly into Tyrol; its high point on the Bavarian side is the Östliche Karwendelspitze at 2,538 metres.
Frequently asked questions about the best time to visit Bayerische Alpen
Short answers on timing, weather and getting there, all from the data on this page.
When is the best time to visit Bayerische Alpen?
- The best time to visit Bayerische Alpen is May (Wk 18–20): it is the quietest stretch among the region's best weather weeks – crowd level around 45 out of 100, weather comfort about 55 out of 100.
When is Bayerische Alpen quietest?
- January (Wk 2–4) is the quietest time in Bayerische Alpen. Crowd levels there sit at 0–2 out of 100, the lowest across the year.
When is Bayerische Alpen busiest?
- Bayerische Alpen is busiest in August (Wk 31) with around 1,269,332 overnight stays in the peak week.
What is the weather like in Bayerische Alpen and when is it warmest?
- It is warmest in Bayerische Alpen in July with an average of 21 °C and around 125 mm of rain in the month.
When is there the most snow in Bayerische Alpen and when are ski conditions best?
- Bayerische Alpen has the most snow in January with an average of around 20 cm. Those are the most reliable weeks for winter sports.
How do you get to Bayerische Alpen?
- Bayerische Alpen is reachable via the destination airport Franz Josef Strauss Airport (MUC) with direct flights.
Quiet travel windows across Europe, once a month
The Crowd Report names the emptiest weeks of the coming months — for every region, not just this one. Free, unsubscribe any time.
Sources and data vintages
Every provenance note on this page, collected in one place.
- Crowding figures
- Index 2.0 · As of 25/08/2026. v1 approximation, calculated from Eurostat overnight stays. Day tourism and cruises (Venice, Dubrovnik …) are still missing, so we show these destinations as quieter than they are. The crowd score is a model-based forecast, not a measurement.
- Climate data
- Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2025.
- Reachability
Data sources: direct connections from Wikipedia (“Airlines and destinations”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, aggregated and modified by us), cross-checked with Eurostat, Destatis and the UK Civil Aviation Authority; airport data from OurAirports (Public Domain). The derived connection data is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data as of: September 2026
- Ski areas
Data sources: ski areas from OpenSkiMap, based on OpenStreetMap, licensed under ODbL 1.0; snow depths from ERA5-Land (Copernicus Climate Change Service).
- Region text
- Text by HolidayHub, written from Wikivoyage „Bayerische Alpen“ (1746937) · Wikipedia „Bayerische Alpen“ (249697255) · Wikidata Q7411906. Wikivoyage and Wikipedia are licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikidata CC0.
- Data basis
- All figures are approximations derived from open data (crowd level from Eurostat overnight stays, climate from Copernicus/ERA5-Land), not measurements.