Visitor reviews for Obergurgl Ski Resort

Obergurgl Ratings

Overall: 4.1. Based on 33 votes and 46 reviews. Vote

Snowsure: 4.8

(1) Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing, (2) is often closed due to a lack of snow, (3) occasionally suffers from a lack of snow, (4) rarely suffers from a lack of snow, (5) Obergurgl is snowsure even in the poorest seasons.

Variety of pistes: 4.1

(1) The ski runs are featureless and unvaried, (3) the ski runs are varied but not extensive enough for a week, (5) Obergurgl has diverse and interesting pistes including forests and high alpine terrain.

Off-piste: 3.5

(1) No off-piste worth mentioning, (2) off piste is out-of-bounds, (3) some varied offpiste that stays fresh for one or two days, (5) a vast array of off-piste routes that can stay untracked for several days.

Scenery: 4.5

(1) An ugly resort in a bland setting, (3) average mountain views and resort, (5) a spectacular setting and a beautiful / historic resort town.

Access: 4.2

(1) At least one overnight stop, (2) requires a whole day, (3) requires more than half a day – you may have time for a few turns (4) arrive by lunchtime and ski all afternoon, (5) there is a main airport within an hour of Obergurgl.

Public Transport: 4.2

(1) There are no buses or taxis to Obergurgl, (3) there are slow or infrequent buses / trains available, (5) getting to the resort is easy with frequent bus / train connections.

Accommodation: 4.4

(1) No places to stay in/near Obergurgl, (3) a few places to stay in the resort, (5) a wide variety of accommodation suitable to suit all budgets.

Cheap Rooms: 2.9

(1) No budget accommodation available, (3) just one or two hostels so book ahead, (5) several cheap hostels and pensions available.

Luxury Hotels: 4.8

(1) No luxury accommodation available, (3) just one or two luxury hotels so book ahead, (5) several up-market hotels in Obergurgl.

Ski in/Ski out: 4.7

(1) The ski area is located far from any accommodation, (3) a free ski bus takes you to the ski area in a short trip, (5) Ski-in ski-out accommodation is available.

Childcare: 4.1

(1) There are no child care facilities at Obergurgl, (5) the resort has excellent child-care facilities including at least one reasonably priced creche.

Snowmaking: 4.2

(1) Obergurgl relies entirely on natural snow, (3) there are just a few snow cannons, (5) there are snowmaking facilities on all pistes.

Snow Grooming: 4.5

(1) There are no snow groomers at Obergurgl, (3) occasionally some pistes are left ungroomed and in a poor state, (5) all the runs at Obergurgl are groomed daily.

Shelter: 3.4

(1) there is nowhere to ski when it is windy or visibility is bad and lifts often shut, (3) there are some trees for poor visibility but main lifts sometimes close, (5) Obergurgl is mostly in forest where you can ski in flat-light and windy days, lifts rarely close.

Nearby options: 3.8

(1) If snow conditions are poor at Obergurgl, it will be poor everywhere nearby, (3) there are good alternatives within an hours drive, (5) other locations on the same lift pass provide a rich variety of snowsure ski conditions.

Regional rating: 4.8

(1) Obergurgl usually has poor snow conditions compared to other resorts in region, (3) has average conditions for the region, (5) usually has the best snow conditions in the region.

Lift Staff: 4.5

(1) The staff at Obergurgl are rude or unhelpful, (5) lift staff at Obergurgl are pleasant, cheerful and eager to help.

Crowds/Queues: 4.8

(1) the resort is always busy and there are usually long lift queues, (3) it is quiet apart from occasional weekends and school holidays, (5) it is uncrowded and lift queues are very rare.

Ski Schools: 4.5

(1) No ski schools available, (2) one or two ski schools but local language only, (3) a few ski schools but book early for multi-lingual instructors, (4) plenty of ski schools and multi-lingual instructors available, (5) excellent ski schools with friendly multi-lingual ski instructors.

Hire and Repairs: 4.7

(1) Nothing can be sourced, not even ski-wax or ptex. (3) there are some ski shops but rentals need to be booked in advance, (5) good quality ski equipment can be purchased or hired and overnight repairs are possible.

Beginners: 4.5

(1) Beginners can only watch others ski and snowboard, (3) a few gentle slopes but beginners will get bored in less than a week, (3) Vast areas of gentle terrain.

Intermediates: 4.5

(1) No intermediate terrain at Obergurgl, (3) intermediate skiers will get bored after a few days, (5) vast areas of cruising runs.

Advanced: 3.7

(1) Nothing for advanced skiers and snowboarders, (3) enough steep terrain for a few days with some good offpiste, (5) Enough steep terrain and offpiste areas to entertain advanced skiers for at least a week.

Snow Park: 2.9

(1) Not even a kicker at Obergurgl, (3) average sized park quite well looked after, (5) huge park area and expertly crafted pipes, jumps and boardercross trails.

Cross-country: 3.5

(1) There is nowhere to go for cross-country skiing around Obergurgl, (3) there are some cross country trails available, (5) the area features many spectacular and well maintained cross-country trails.

Luge/Toboggan: 3.3

(1) No designated luge or toboggan runs, (3) there are toboggan runs that open quite often, (5) Obergurgl has long and well maintained luge / toboggan facilities suitable for all ages.

Mountain Dining: 4.6

(1) Nowhere to buy food by the pistes, (3) some places to eat up on the mountain but they are often busy and expensive, (5) there is a variety of excellent mountain eateries right next to the slopes to suit all budgets.

Eating: 4.3

(1) Bring your own food, there isn't even a shop. (5) A wide variety of places to eat and drink in the resort, from fast food to fancy restaurants.

Apres-Ski: 3.6

(1) Nothing to do, not even a bar, (3) there are a few bars in the resort but nothing special, (5) clubs and bars stay open until very late and have a friendly atmosphere.

Other Sports: 3.1

(1) No sports facilities at all apart from ski lifts, (3) resort has just a small public swimming pool, (5) resort has all kinds of sports facilities, including a full-size swimming pool.

Entertainment: 2.9

(1) Besides the snow and walking there is nothing to do here, (3) the non-skier will find things to do for few days but may become bored after a week, (5) the resort area is a fascinating place to visit, regardless of winter sports.

Winter Walks: 3.7

(1) Very limited walking and no snowshoe trails, (3) a couple of designated scenic walking/snowshoe trails, (5) extensive and diverse winter walking trails for all abilities.

Ski Pass Value: 3.6

(1) A 1 week ski pass is overpriced compared to the number of lifts available, (3) the ski pass is averagely priced and covers a reasonable number of lifts, (5) ski passes are excellent value for money and cover a lot of lifts spanning a big area.

Value (National): 4.1

(1) Overall, Obergurgl is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the country and not worth the money, (3) overall represents average value for money, (5) overall offers the best value resort in the country.

Value (Global): 4.1

(1) Overall, Obergurgl is one of the most expensive ski resorts in the world, (3) overall it offers pretty average value for money compared to resorts from other countries, (5) internationally the resort offers excellent value for money.

Show all 35 ratings

February 20, 2023
TonyS from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Just returned from a week in Obergurgl staying at Haus Verwall Apartments. Accommodation was excellent, clean, modern, great breakfasts, wonderful host and right by ski school and bottom lifts. Would recommend this accommodation to anybody with a number of restaurants and takeaways within a few minutes walk. Weather was excellent, blue skies, no wind and the slopes well groomed. Temperatures slightly higher than normal so best skiing in the morning leaving the afternoons for playing in the sun. Nederhutte can't be beaten for apres-ski and you can still ski down to the town or ride on a skidoo if you've overdone the partying. Overall, a good family oriented resort with a good mix of runs for all abilities. If you run out of pistes to explore there is a free bus service to Solden and the lift pass covers it all. Great time was had by all from age 4 to 62.
March 10, 2022
Howard Beanland from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
I would reiterate what most of the other reviews have said. The lift infrastructure is excellent with hardly any slow lifts or drag lifts. Consequently, there are few queues. However, the so-called Top Express link to Hochgurgl is hardly speedy, and it would probably be quicker to get on the frequent ski buses that plough up and down the valley. If you're expecting to see something like the link between Les Arc and La Plagne, you will be disappointed. The lift pass is quite expensive by Austrian standards, even allowing for the fact that it's valid in Sölden. The main lifts from the resort close promptly at 4 p.m., which, again, is early compared to other resorts. The skiing and snow conditions were generally excellent, mostly of reds and blues, but there are a few 'token' blacks. There's probably more variety in Hochgurgl than Obergurgl. Good intermediate skiers would probably ski out the resort in a couple of days. Piste marking is poor - only one side of the piste is marked, which made it quite interesting when we found ourselves skiing in misty/snowy conditions. Signposting isn’t great, either. You need to bear in mind that this is one of the highest resorts in Austria. This is great for snow conditions and snow sureness, but the resort is also susceptible to high winds. So, on one day, despite the sunny weather, all of the resort lifts were closed, and on another day most of the lifts were closed in the morning with only the low-down lifts on the W of the resort operational. It is possible on days like this to get the bus to Sölden, which is a lower resort. But, as everybody from Obergurgl seemed to be doing that on the day we went, there is the inevitable crowding and chaos on the narrow pistes down to Sölden. Another possibility on days such as these is to visit the fantastic motor cycle museum at Top Mountain Crosspoint. It’s a must for motorcycle buffs and entry is included on most lift passes. The resort is very quiet in the evening - great for oldies - but if you're looking for vibrant apres-ski, you'll need to look elsewhere. For those in self-catering accommodation, there are few shops selling Lebensmittel, and the largest shop in the village (Spar) closes at 4.30; just in time for you to miss out after your last run down to the resort (!) Overall, though, it’s a good resort for beginners and intermediates, especially later in the season when the lower Austrian resorts revert to slush in the afternoon.
November 30, 2021
Tirolerhund from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
I ski Obergurl regularly for the odd day each winter. They market it as "The Diamond of the Alps" and with good reason. It's super snow sure, remote and exclusive without being ridiculously priced. This ensures the pistes are quiet throughout the season which increasingly is a huge bonus. You'll know what I mean if you've been to St Anton or Ischgl in recent years. With over 110km of piste and a good range of blues, reds and blacks, plus superb off-piste and ski mountaineering opportunities there is something for everyone here. The lift system is superb and is regularly updated, with an extension to the Kichenkarbahn installed three years ago. For this winter the 4 man chairlift in front of the Hotel Edelweiss has been replaced with a new 12 person, two stage gondelbahn to the top of Festkogel; happy days. Apres-ski is good, with the legendary Neder Hut being the pick of the bunch. Overall, a superb place to spend a week.
April 25, 2019
c roberts from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Just back from an Easter in Obergurgl. Can't believe you could ski such great conditions in mid April. Perfect pistes, sunshine and not a lift queue in sight for the entire trip. Modern fast lifts, friendly people; makes me wonder why I ever bother with France with all the tensions in the lift queues and rip off prices and bumpy worn out slushy pistes by lunchtime. Took a trip out to the glacier in Solden which was awesome and covered by the same lift pass (20 minutes on the free bus). Stayed at the Crystal Sportive with Crystal; best ski-in/out hotel ever, best boot room ever. All in all, 10 out of 10. I try not to go back to the same resort but in this case it's a definite return some day.
January 02, 2019
Robert Rasenberg from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
If you are over 35 years old, not keen on discos 'til 3am, fed up with lift queues, want a decent lunch anywhere up in the mountain virtually every hotel is top notch. (Psst, do not tell anyone as it is fab.)
March 11, 2018
steve f from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
March 2018. This resort, along with Hochgurgl, will be a great place to learn to ski. Lots of blue cruise runs and some blues that are a little more challenging and go along with some cruising reds and a couple of short blacks. Although the two resorts have about 100k of piste, we are both 'cautious intermediate' skiers and we covered just about the whole resort in two and a half days. So, if you are of any higher ability than that, you may want to look elsewhere. The big bonus is that there were hardly ever any queues, except for the first sunny day after a couple of bad days, when the queue for the first lift was about 10 minutes. But nothing more than 2 minutes up the mountain. There aren't that many places on the mountain to eat and we found that, compared to other Austrian resorts, it was quite expensive (but still good value). Apres-ski is quite sedate, based around a few hotels and would not suit those looking for a 'Benidorm in the snow' resort. In summary, this is a resort that tries to be upmarket and a little bit exclusive. But is a good place to ski without really testing yourself.
March 03, 2016
George from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
A mixed review for Obergurgl from me. I'm towards the end of my first weeks skiing here. Whilst the weather hasn't been great we have had a nice week and some nice skiing. It's good for middle aged intermediates like me. As others have said it's a smaller ski area and that does have its limitations. However, the snow and piste quality is very good. There are lovely blue/red cruisey runs and since its a high resort the snow quality is good. The trouble for me is there's just not enough variety of runs; it's very small. Certainly, the resorts have their followers. We chatted to a guy in a mountain bar who has been here for 20 yrs and met an old work colleague who's been here 5 straight years. They love it. For me though it's all a bit too dull. The village is almost non existent. It's one street with hotels (albeit very nice hotels). There are very few restaurants only a couple really and they are basic so all eating is in the hotels. No real bars to speak of outside the hotels either (in the village anyway). I managed to find one cafe which felt like a chain. So sadly there's just very little here. There are some great bars on piste: Nedderhutte & the Hohe Mut Alm & David's Hutte are all fun but very little in the village. I like to be able to leave the hotel for a drink, a good coffee or a nice snack sometimes. That's not possible here really. So, all in all, we had a nice week with nice skiing but I just got a bit bored if I'm honest. Would I return? Likely not as I think there are better ski areas in truth. But many people do like Obergurgl.
February 28, 2016
Paul Mcshane from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Obergurgl/ Hochgurgl is an excellent family resort; 110 km of mainly blues and red runs, a few blacks, and a fair bit of off-piste if you get some fresh powder. Hotels are all of a good standards; we have stayed in 4/5 different hotels and they were all very good with excellent food, Resort is at a good elevation, 1900ft and above so in our 10 or so visits guaranteed snow till the end of April, Good choice of mountain restaurants at reasonable prices, very few if any lift queues, in a pedestrian-only village. Most hotels are only a few minutes walk from the gondolas and chairlifts that are modern and continually being improved and updated, Hotel Jenewein and the Neiderhutte are our favs but book early if going peak weeks.
December 16, 2015
Caroline from Ski Austria Austria
Agree with everything another reviewer has written and I am pleased to report the T-bar drag lift has now been replaced with a state of the art gondola. There is also a new restaurant and motorbike museum at this lift.
October 13, 2015
max from Ski United Kingdom United Kingdom
Obergurgl is a lovely place to go and ski in and it is great fun for me as I've only skied for a maximum of 5 years. It's very enjoyable and it always feels secure when you're there.