Lake Eibsee, Germany is one of the most beautiful lakes in the Bavaria region of Germany (and probably the whole of Europe). We’ve put together everything you need to know to visit Lake Eibsee including how to get there, where to stay, what to bring and if you can swim in Lake Eibsee.

We visited Eibsee Lake in Bavaria Germany during the summer of 2024 and couldn’t believe:

1. How little we had heard about it from other travellers and people in the UK
2. Just how beautiful it really was
3. How it just kept getting better and better the further we walked around it

Here is a map of Eibsee to help you locate it:

Lake Eibsee is located at the base of Germany’s highest mountain Zugspitze, in the Wetterstein Mountains of Upper Bavaria. Eibsee is a stunning natural spot found in the Bavarian Alps, close to the Austrian border.

Its crystal clear waters reflect the breathtaking mountain views, making it a popular place for travellers and locals to visit for the day. Backed by jagged limestone peaks, encircled by thick forest, and studded with eight tiny islands the lake creates a truly incredible landscape and spot to walk around.

In this post, we will cover how to get to Lake Eibsee, where Eibsee is located, when to visit Eibsee Lake, Bavaria Germany, if you can swim in Eibsee and what else there is to see and do around Lake Eibsee.

Everything you need to know about visiting Eibsee

Where is Lake Eibsee located?

Lake Eibsee is nestled at the base of Germany’s tallest mountain, the Zugspitze, in the Bavarian Alps. It’s about 9 kilometres southwest of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, making it an easy and scenic drive from the charming alpine town. If you’re travelling from further afield, such as Munich the distance between Munich and Eibsee is about 90 kilometres (56 miles), and the drive takes around 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on traffic conditions.

When is the best time to visit Eibsee Lake? 

Lake Eibsee is open all year round, so you can visit the beautiful Bavarian lake all year round, but the best time to visit really depends on what you are looking for.

The summer months (May – September) mean the hiking trails will all be open and the water temperature will be warm enough to swim in. The winter months from December to February mean the whole lake turns into a winter wonderland with a frozen lake and snow on the trees. Autumn is a photographer’s paradise with burnt orange trees and flickers of red swimming through – basically, there is no bad time to visit Lake Eibsee!

The best time of day to visit is either in the morning (pre 9 am) or, during sunset. During these times the lake will be quieter and the reflections in Lake Eibsee will be incredible. But, really it’s beautiful all day long no matter what time you visit.

Here are some activities you can do nearby:

How to get to Lake Eibsee Bavaria

There are multiple ways to get to Lake Eibsee including driving, a train or a bus, here is everything that we know about getting to Lake Eibsee.

Arriving by car:

The easiest way to get to Lake Eibsee is to drive to the lake. There are two large car parks next to the lake called “Eibsee Parkplatz” and “Parkplatz am Eibsee” with the second as the main car park for Seilbahn Zugspitze cable (the cable car station). If you are driving in from the nearby town then you will pass both car parks in quick succession. Both car parks are quite large, however, Eibsee Parkplatz has a height limit of 2.1 meters and Parkplatz am Eibsee 4m (which, I think is being removed). If you visit in a van or campervan then head to Parkplatz am Eibsee.

The car parks are large enough for a lot of cars so you shouldn’t have a problem getting a space, however, if you plan to visit the lake during peak season on a weekend then we recommend arriving either in the early morning (before 9:00 AM) or in the late afternoon/ evening (after 5:00 PM).

Both car parks are only open between 5:00 AM and 10:00 PM to stop visitors camping overnight in the car parks. The prices of the car parks change depending on when you arrive.

Both car parks can be found just 100 meters from the lakeshore.

Eibsee Parkplatz

Earlybird Parking: Between 5:00 – 09:30 AM – 2.5 euros
Parking up for 4 hours: 8 euros
Additional fee: For each additional hour you stay after 4 hours the cost is 1 euro per additional hour
Fine: If you park past 10:00 PM you will get a fine of 50 euros as there is a night parking ban

Parkplatz am Eibsee

Parking up for 4 hours: 18 euros. If you are riding the cable car then it costs 8 euros.
Additional fee: For each additional hour you stay after 4 hours the cost is 1 euro per additional hour
Fine: If you park past 10:00 PM you will get a fine of 50 euros as there is a night parking ban
Payment Method: Pay for your parking at the “Kasse” after your visit. The parking machines accept both credit cards and cash.

These numbers were correct at the time of posting in 2024, please note that they might have changed.

Free Parking at Eibsee Bavaria Germany

If you don’t mind a short walk then there is also free parking along the Eibseestraße road at a parking spot called “Wanderparkplatz” on Google Maps. There are two of these lots, one is a small car park and the other is a small space along the side of the road. From the later, you can walk along the road for around 1 km to the lake. The small car park is 1.9km away from Lake Eibsee and the walk takes around 29 minutes. If you get lucky and don’t mind a little bit of a walk then parking here is a great way to save some money and make it a free day out. However, spots here run out quickly and it is also worth bearing in mind that these spots can be closed or blocked off (the small space along the road was for us), so it might not be possible for you to park for free.

Travelling to Lake Eibsee by bus

From Munich 

You can travel to Garmisch-Partenkirchen by train, or by bus. 

There are 4 Flixbus departures daily (7:30 am, 12 pm, 4 pm, 8 pm). Rates start at 5.99 EUR one-way. You can also take part in a van tour from Munich which will take you around the area including an ascend to the summit of the Zugspitze by cable car, a beer at Germany’s highest beer garden and a round-trip journey through the mountains by cog-wheel train.

From Garmisch-Partenkirchen 

You can easily get the Eibsee bus from Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Eibsee all year round. Take the 9840 bus directly to Lake Eibsee, the bus takes around 40 minutes, which runs every few minutes from 6 am to 10 pm.

You can see the bus timetable here.

The Eibsee bus and all buses in the surrounding areas are free with the regional guest cards – which your hotel/campground will provide you with when you check in.

Things to do at Lake Eibsee

The number one thing to do whilst visiting Lake Eibsee is OF COURSE walk around the lake and take in the incredible views.

However, if you have a bit more time and want to see the lake from the water, then there are quite a lot of other things to do at Lake Eibsee Germany, including:

Swim
Hike
Hire an Eibsee SUP
Hire a bike
Hire a pedal boat
Hire a Kayak
Hire a Canoe

You can also bring a picnic and enjoy some time around the lake on one of Eibsee’s little ‘beaches’, or enjoy a meal at the restaurant which is situated around the lake.

There is also a hotel around the lake; the Eibsee Hotel, you can rent kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddle boards, and pedalos. You can rent SUPs and row boats directly at Lake Eibsee from 10 am until around 3:45/4 pm. We were quite surprised by the price of the boats and pedalos here, as they weren’t as expensive as we were expecting.

The prices to hire a boat, SUP or pedal boat in Eibsee, Germany are as follows:

Motorboat:

Prices for a roundtrip
Adults € 9,50
Children (5-15 years) € 4,50

Prices one way to Seespitz:
Adults € 6,50
Children (5-15 years) € 3,00

Boat Rental:

Rowing boat (max. 4 persons): 1 hour € 13,00 | 1/2 hour € 9,00
Pedal boat (max. 5 persons): 1 hour € 16,00 | 1/2 hour € 11,00
Slide boat (max. 4 persons): 1 hour € 18,00 | 1/2 hour € 12,50

SUP Rental:

1 hour: € 16,00
2 hours: € 28,00
3 hours: € 40,00
4 hours: € 52,00
5 hours: € 64,00

From Lake Eibsee, you can also ride the train or cable car up Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain and witness the incredible view across the lake and Bavaria.

Eibsee Hiking Trail

The main thing to do at Eibsee Bavaria, and the best way to see the whole lake is to hike around it.

We spent most of our time here doing this and it was incredible, it’s a fairly easy trail with not too much ‘up and down’ and takes around 2 hours to complete depending on how often you stop and how quickly you walk. The scenic trail circles the entire lake, making it the ideal activity for visitors.

Below, you’ll find details about the trail along with an interactive map highlighting points of interest and the route.

Distance: 7 km
Difficulty: Easy
Duration: 2 hours – 2.5 hours, depending on your pace
Elevation Gain: 70 – 200 meters (varies by direction)
Recommended Direction: Counter-clockwise

We recommend hiking Lake Eibsee in a counter-clockwise direction. This way, you’ll start behind the Eibsee Hotel and head toward Untersee.

The best photo spots are, this way, at the start of the hike, with the unpredictable weather in the Alps you don’t want to miss the best views, so starting counter-clockwise ensures you capture the best photo spots along the north coast of the lake, even if time is limited. Additionally, while a clear day is ideal, clouds might obscure the Zugspitze peak by the time you reach the side of the lake facing the mountain. Although the lake remains stunning, a clear view of the Zugspitze adds an extra touch of magic.

Hiking counter-clockwise also means you’ll encounter less elevation gain and more downhill sections, making for a more leisurely walk focused on enjoying the scenery. If you prefer a more challenging hike, you could opt for the clockwise direction.

However, if you’d rather have the most impressive views towards the end of your hike, consider heading the other way.

Lake Eibsee Map

Take a cable car to the top of the Zugspitze

Germany’s highest mountain is located right next to Eibsee Bavaria. From Parkplatz am Eibsee you can take the cable car or train up to the top of Zugspitze. We didn’t actually do this due to lack of time, however, the views look absolutely incredible over the lake and beyond.

Here are some other tours that you can do in Eibsee:

Where to stay at Lake Eibsee

Best for location: Eibsee Hotel

There is just one hotel located around the lake and that is the Eibsee Hotel. It’s a 4-star hotel which boasts a sauna, pool, and fitness room and incredible views of Eibsee and Zugspitze. If you’ve got a bit of time and want to spend some time around Lake Eibsee, then we completely recommend staying here!

Best for budget: Hotel Quellenhof

A beautiful, cosy hotel situated next to the Zugspitze mountain in the town of Grainau. Rooms at this hotel start at £83 per night for a double.

Best for mountain views: Romantik Alpenhotel Waxenstein

This 5-star hotel has incredible mountain views in every direction. The majority of rooms come with a mountain-facing so you can start your day with a cup of coffee whilst admiring the unmatched views.

Best campsite with mountain views: Camping Dr Lauth

Located on the Austrian side this campsite is a no-frills site but, it has everything that you need and incredible views of the mountains. It is a short (around 20 minutes) drive from Eibsee.

Best located campsite – Camping Resort Zugspitze

Highly rated Camping Resort Zugspitze is well located for Eibsee and right near the local town. The campsite has good facilities and wonderful views of Zugspitze. This is where we stayed and whilst it is factually a great campsite we actually didn’t love it, with small gravel pitches it just felt like a car park. And, for 41,00 EUR, PLUS electric per night, an expensive one at that. But, you can’t argue with these views.

What to bring to Lake Eibsee

If you’re planning a day at Eibsee Germany then you might want to bring a few things with you to make the day more enjoyable so you’re not rushing around trying to find things around the lake or, spending a fortune on food and drink (if you don’t want to). 

Here is what we recommend bringing with you to Eibsee Lake, Bavaria Germany:

– A water bottle (there are refillable spots around the trail – however, we couldn’t find any)
– Comfortable shoes/ trainers
– Swimming costume and a towel – if you plan to swim
– Sun cream
– Snacks
– A good camera to capture the incredible views

There is also a shop and restaurant so, if you forget anything or want to buy food or anything else at the lake, you can.

Visiting Lake Eibsee – Important Information to Know

Location: Bavarian Alps
Elevation: Lake Eibsee is located at an elevation of 973 meters
Maximum Depth of Lake: 35 meters
Allowed: swimming, dogs, cycling, water activities (SUP and boat rental can be found at the lake)
Not Allowed: camping (both wild and in a campervan), BBQs, campfires, drones, fishing (unless you are a guest at the Eibsee Hotel and only between May 1st – October 1st)

Conclusion on visiting Lake Eibsee Bavaria

Lake Eibsee Germany is one of the most beautiful spots that we have visited in Europe. You can easily spend a whole day here hiking, swimming, enjoying the views and or taking part in some water sports. The parking is fairly expensive, but, the entrance to the lake is free so it averages out. It is well worth including a trip to Eibsee during your time in Germany or Austria.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Lake Eibsee